Pilot C H 91 Vs Platinum #3776 Century

January 9, 2015

Hello, I'm looking to buy a pen from Engeika these days, and can't decide on one of these 2...Black Pilot Custom Heritage 91 and Bourgogne Platinum #3776 century, either with a Soft Fine nib.

As far as Japanese pens go, right now I only own a Pilot Decimo and a Smoke CH92, both with Medium nibs, and I really like them a lot...the resin on the 92 really feels great, and the nib is beautifully smooth with a bit of give.

I've read a lot of complains regarding Platinum's plastic, which some say feels cheap....I want to know if it's fragile/brittle in any way (more than the Pilot plastic)...I really love the Bourgogne color.

So what do you say, is it worth getting another Pilot Custom Heritage (since I really like my first), or should I go for the #3776? Thanks!

January 9, 2015

both feel solid in fact I bought both these pens though the 3776 was for my sister I would say just buy what you fancy flat top or cigar shape but also you can switch the nibs between the heritage 92 and 91 so you have another plus there if you like a piston filler with a soft semi-flex nib but I do know is that the soft nibs will only come in BLACK if engeika can do nib swaps maybe better for the 3776 but I think there's some wait time for this to happen

January 9, 2015

I own the Bourgogne and Blue CH 91. Quite honestly, "feel" is subjective. I have small hands so to me, the feel is quite right and they are sturdy in my hands. Both are light pens, in my opinion, so it would up to you to decide whether you prefer the plastic or resin.

The bourgogne is a nicer pen, IMO, in terms of aesthetics since it is a demonstrator as well. And there are fewer pens which match that color. Platinum's SF, from the single nib I've tried, is a very nice nib and would pair well with any of their pens.

I'm a Pilot guy but have never tried their SF nibs. I do not think you can make a wrong decision in this instance. However, I think you should ask yourself which of these you would rather have first.

Engeika can definitely attempt to get your pen with the nib of your choice. I asked them for the Blue CH 91 with an EF nib and after some time, they said they got one from Pilot and were sending it. Helps if you tell them ahead of time before you order so they can get the paperwork moving.

January 10, 2015

For the two pens you're looking at, the Century is the better pen, IMO. I have the 3776 in the color you want, and it's a great pen. I branched out and got the broad nib, and it changed my entire outlook on Japanese pens. The nib is superb, nearly as good as the Pilot 823. Platinum nibs run narrower than even other Japanese nibs, so the line does not seem wide and sloppy. Very precise and lovely. The plastic feels very sturdy and not cheap to me.

I have a Custom 74 and Custom 823. I've tried the 91, albeit briefly, and to me the Platinum wins that battle. I do still want a Custom 92 to round out the Customs I want to have, but the 3776 inspired be to seek a President as well, which I never would have otherwise.

Edited January 10, 2015 by Jeff_H

January 10, 2015

I have a CH91 with a SFM nib, a Custom 74 with a SF (same sized nib as the 91), and just got a 3776 Century in M (Chartres Blue). The Platinum is a very nice pen, not cheap feeling at all (I can't imagine why anyone would say that?). But you're basically looking at two differences: physical nib size and converter capacity (if you use converters).

The 3776 Century has a larger nib than the CH91. So I'd imagine that the SF on the 3776 would be a bit springier than the smaller Pilot #5 nib. But the CH91 also accommodates the Con-70 converter. For its good or bad traits, it offers a larger ink capacity than the Platinum converter.

I love the SFM nib on the CH91. It's smoother than the SF nib on my Custom 74, but the SF nib is nice too, and sees a lot of use. But after writing with my 3776 M nib, if I had the choice to choose between the two in SF, I'd pick the 3776 because of the bigger nib. I still love my Pilots, but Platinum is a seriously good writer and value.

Edited January 10, 2015 by Kevan

January 15, 2015

yes 3776 is a good value for money pen with a great nib

January 15, 2015

I have a SF #3776 Century... amazing nib. No experience with the other pen mentioned.

January 17, 2015

To follow up - if you already have a 92, then the 91 will not be much different save for the fact that it is C/C instead of piston filled. While it takes the CON-70, that is still less ink than the CH92. Another point is that the nibs are the same. So you won't be getting very much of a new experience if you get another M nib. You may wish to try a Soft Medium or Soft Fine-Medium if you really like the CH92 and don't want to take a risk yet.

My Platinum 3776 UEF has a stiffer nib than my CH91 EF nib and both put down basically the same line. So flex writing and line variation may be issues on a Platinum M nib, if you care about that sort of thing.

September 5, 2015

I've a couple of the newer 3776's (a Bourgogne and Chartres with a medium and a soft-fine). I find them attractive and very nice in the hand, but otherwise I like neither. Both untuned nibs are very dry. The soft-fine is the better, but requires considerable pressure to exhibit line variation. The medium nib is a rough nail, though it looks perfect under magnification. Without adjustment, neither of these 14K nibs are what I consider to be good or remotely smooth. I may adjust/smooth them and possibly send them to a nibmeister, but am quite disappointed at the necessity. Perhaps I received a couple of bum nibs or Platinum nibs may not be for me. I borrowed a friends older 3776 medium nib pen (nib adjusted by him) and liked it - precipitating the purchase of these newer models, but given my experiences with the nibs on the pens I received, I'm unlikely to buy another Platinum at this point.

On the other hand, my Pilot Custom Heritage 91 soft-medium pen is a truly excellent writer - straight out of the box, no less. Its nib is delightfully smooth and responsive. Ink flow is moderate to wet and the soft-fine nib offers considerable line variation with little pressure. I absolutely love it. For me, this is how a pen in this (and higher) price ranges should perform. I'd only used lower priced Pilots pens previous to receiving the PCH91. This is the quality I expected of the Platinum pens, but did not receive. I see more Pilot pens in my future. Highly recommended.

Edited September 5, 2015 by GHigley

September 7, 2015

I haven't tried a Pilot CH91 but I can say the Platinum 3776 Century is an ok pen. With the 3776, it's all about the nib. The plastic used for the body isn't the greatest quality and it feels a bit cheap, but for the price (<$80 shipped from Japan), it's impossible to beat. It's possibly the best bang for the buck gold-nibbed pen there is.

September 7, 2015

Pilot SF nibs are softer than Platinum SF nibs. Pilots are longer. You can use the much loved con-70 in the Pilot. Still, with all that I absolutely love the Platinum 3776 Century. I like they way they write.

September 7, 2015

I had a similar quandary but now I'm lucky enough to own both, but in an <F> nib.

Both are incredible value for money as their nibs are gorgeous, with the 3776's being physically larger in size.

Both lay down a beautiful line that has subtle expression due to some give in the nib without even thinking about it.

For what it's worth, I sketch better with the 3776 but my handwriting is neater with the 91

(I bought the 91 first )

December 21, 2015

Thanks to this thread, my new CH 91 is on its way! I have a 3776 in F and I like it too, actually. The nib is pretty large and makes my writing look cuter somehow.