Platinum #3776 Century - Chartres Blue - Soft Fine Nib

[Frank C]

 

Thank you for the suggestion. Before I invested that much money in a $60.00 pen, I would want to either see a writing sample or test one myself that had been modified thus.

 

I would—and did—spend my money on one of the pens they recommend for Spencerian customization. I discovered that Spencerian Script doesn't just flow out of it. I thought it was like changing fonts on the computer.

[Feathers]

 

Thank you for the suggestion. Before I invested that much money in a $60.00 pen, I would want to either see a writing sample or test one myself that had been modified thus.

For what it is worth, here is a sample of the Spencerian done to a Falcon nib and some additional notes about the grind (as well as comparison to the original FA nib from the user in which you may find helpful.

 

https://openinkstand.wordpress.com/2013/01/20/comparison-between-namiki-falcon-and-mottishaws/

https://openinkstand.wordpress.com/2013/06/08/is-your-namiki-falcon-customized-in-any-way-also-does/#more-1920

[jmccarty3]

For what it is worth, here is a sample of the Spencerian done to a Falcon nib and some additional notes about the grind (as well as comparison to the original FA nib from the user in which you may find helpful.

 

https://openinkstand.wordpress.com/2013/01/20/comparison-between-namiki-falcon-and-mottishaws/

https://openinkstand.wordpress.com/2013/06/08/is-your-namiki-falcon-customized-in-any-way-also-does/#more-1920

 

 

The photos in the first link are not loading.

[Feathers]

 

 

The photos in the first link are not loading.

Yeah, sorry, not sure what's up with that, but there is a sample in the second one. Not as wonderful as her original post's photos, but still gives you an idea from someone who actually is proficient at Spencerian.

 

ETA: Although the photos are missing from the first one, Schin's description of the pros and cons from the pen are still useful, in my opinion. I have checked the original post on her old blog, but unfortunately, those photos are missing from there as well. What a shame. However, I did find these:

 

 

found this journal entry using the modified Spencerian: http://openinkstand.tumblr.com/post/41021534027/a-lovely-quote-from-michael-sull-i-have-been

 

And this: http://openinkstand.tumblr.com/post/41537033776/a-quick-review-of-the-differences-between-a-stock

Edited June 18, 2015 by Feathers

[Nyanzilla]

I had this pen on my wish list for quite a while. And now I ordered it from Japan. Hopefully it will arrive in 1-2 weeks. I choose the B nib, als I don't like the nibs too fine.

 

Has anyone experience with Platinum's pigmented blue ink?

[WaskiSquirrel]

I just purchased the Bourgogne version of this same pen. I like the nib. It's no Noodler's flex, but it does give line variation more easily than a Noodler's. And it is amazing to me that a red plastic could be so darn pretty. From what I've seen, the blue plastic is equally pretty.

 

Platinum has taken a long time to grow on me, but grow on me it did. I really like the 3776.

[s_t_e_v_e]

Great review! I concur with most of your opinions. I got a Bourgogne with a medium nib which is more of a fine. It was toothy but I smoothed it out and also spread the tines just a tiny bit. Now it writes wetter and smoother but has just a right amount of tooth not be glassy.

[Babangita]

Great review!

And thank you and the others hailing it - almost started thinking that I am going crazy, in some strange way I just can't get out mine from the daily rotation team, usually reserved for best writers only.

Somehow, after some time of usage even of the best ones, I catch myself thinking of how great the feeling of writing with my burgundy SF is.

Soon after, the surprise that it still writes immediately after a day same as after 2 months, is the only thing that makes me realize that I am holding it again against the paper...

 

IMO the one and only (but serious) flaw is that the converter keeps on clinging against the inside of the pen body if clipped on some loose clothes!

And that one thing REALLY makes it a problem for me clipping it on most of the places I usually do.

[eyesa]

I have the Bourgogne with a medium nib, which wrote perfectly out of the box. Beautiful pen, which for me writes on the wet side, so I've taken to filling it with so-called 'drier' inks. Currently I have it inked with Noodler's La Reine Mauve, which is very well behaved and without trouble, owing to the slip and seal cap. La Reine does tend to dry out with start up skips in unsealed pens, but does admirably in the Bourgogne. The nib is stiff and flexes, not by the tines spreading, but flexes where the nib meets feed, where section holds them in place, giving a nice 'bounce' when pen meets paper. A lovely precise writer, which has the expected narrower-than-western nib. I've considered another 3776, Chartres with a B nib, for a closer approximation to a western medium, but am very happy with my initial choice. Color is very well chosen. Subdued but not bland. A wonderful, well balanced, writer and excellent value, especially if you have the patience to buy via a Japanese seller (patience due to ship time.)

[graystranger]

I had this pen on my wish list for quite a while. And now I ordered it from Japan. Hopefully it will arrive in 1-2 weeks. I choose the B nib, als I don't like the nibs too fine.

 

Has anyone experience with Platinum's pigmented blue ink?

I love using permanent inks and bought Platinum's Carbon Black in last Fall, used it in my Carbon Desk Pen, Balance, and Cool. Found it performed exceptionally well, in fact used it in the Cool continuously for 6 months without flushing the nib or cleaning the pen out. No problems at all. Then I decided to try the Pigment Blue ink, so I got a bottle from Goulet. Cleaned the Carbon Black ink out of the Cool (no problems at all from the carbon ink) and filled it with the Pigment Blue in February. Been using it ever since, is great, no problems, writes nice, flows well, nicely wet, a good rich blue that is waterproof. I love it. Note, this is the first blue ink that I have used in fountain pens in many decades (except for Noodler's Kung te-Cheng ink that I dabbled with a few years ago).

 

Then I became interested in Platinum's Blue-Black modern iron gall ink. Also waterproof and permanent. Blue-Black is not its color, it is a little darker blue than the Pigment Blue, but over time as the iron gall in the ink ages, it turns blacker. This is what the classic "blue-black" inks of the past were, not the color, but inks that aged and turned black. Used in courthouses and other places for many decades for permanent records. Platinum made this ink in the past and still has this modern iron gall version that has been a product for many years. I love it too, and in fact, cannot tell it from the Pigment Blue except for its darker color. Haven't seen evidence of it getting black yet, but only been 5 months now. I ordered a pack of 10 cartridges of Blue-Black as a sample, but will buy a bottle when the cartridges dwindle away.

 

In fact, the Platinum Blue-Black ink is what has been in my Bourgogne 3776 Century M pen since I bought it a month ago today!

 

I can recommend both whole-heartedly. It may be best to use the pigment inks in pens with easily removable nibs and feeds, and to limit them to pens that don't dry out between writing or are written with frequently enough to not dry out. Or to flush out the pen regularly like many recommend.

[Nyanzilla]

I got my pen yesterday. It is indeed a very nice pen. I love that dark blue colour, as well as the size of the pen. The nib is so smooth. I'm happy having chosen the B instead if an M.

Unfortunately it came without a converter. There was only a single cartridge of pigmented blue ink.

The ink was a bit disappointing to me. Althoug the B nib has a good wet flow and provides a nice shading, the colour looks almost the same like the standard blue inks from Pelikan, Lamy etc.

It is waterproof, but that's no ink for me. Maybe I shall try the black carbon ink. But a black ink in a blue pen? That wouldn't fit to me.

[Joe in Seattle]

OP's review pushed me over the edge. I wanted to try a SF nib. Bought from Japan, received in just a couple days. Very happy with the pen, though I see I have no skills to use a flexible nib. Even so, there is a pleasing line variation that comes naturally.

[jameswatts]

Thank you for a great review. I bought a Chartes Blue about a year ago and have loved using it. One of the best writing pens I own. And as someone who writes for a living, that's quite the compliment.

[Blackhorse]

So...instead of adding a blue Chartres to my existing Century 3776 (M) Bourgogne I did a little more research and decided on getting a (SF) nibbed version - and ultimately found one in black, which was OK with me as the pen is to be used as a sketcher more than an EDC ride along.

 

Five days after placing my order from Hobby Japan it showed up on my doorstep. The standard shipping was under $8 and the EMS added less than $4 to that (USD). So the total ended up just a hair over $80 (USD). I've had exceptionally excellent service from them in every regard and though have ordered only a few items from them would recommend them without reservation.

 

The new Century 3776 (SF) is a delight, writing well and with just the right wettness for me using Noodlers Heart of Darkness for its first mission. It's my understanding that the soft fine nib is designed to provide 'suspension' and not 'spread' so I have refrained from trying to flex it in a misguided attempt to produce variable line widths. Even so, under normal pressure there is some degree of variation that occurs unless I carefully maintain a very light pressure. For drawing and sketching it has a delightfully thin line that with the good flow is nice and dark. Bottom line...the SF nib produces a crisp Japanese fine that can widen to something like a Fine-Medium...but I don't push it so double or triple its width. As such it plays a very useful role.

 

Note: my other soft nibs are a Namiki Falcon SF which is a totally different beast...and a Pilot Custom Heritage 91 (SM) which by contrast puts down a smooth fat medium line that is the joy of my inks that show significant shading...like the Black Swans, Apache Sunset, etc. But that's another story.

[Swordfish23]

Looking at both the blue and red designs it's hard to choose between the two. Hopefully I can compare the two at the Dallas Pen Show this year.

 

Angel

[thiagojp]

I have been on a platinum buying spree lately ( ebay auctions are ruining me ) and acquired a bunch of double broads ( I intend to grind them into cursive italics ), a broad and a soft fine, and I loved all of them. The soft fine is especially great, very smooth, some feedback and a lovely softness to it. Looks great as well, I fell in love with them.

[discopig]

Nice review. I have a semi-related question: Did anyone else notice their 3776 Century's coming with weird slightly deep scratches along a part of the barrel and/or the section? It looks just like a deep micro scratch running down the side of the pen. It doesn't bother me enough to really care, especially since after some use the pen picked up more scratches, but I wouldn't expect a pen to come pre-scratched out of the box. For information, I bought a black century in SF.

Edited August 9, 2015 by discopig

[thiagojp]

It may be the seam line of the casting process. Mine has one like this, but it´s very hard to feel.

[graystranger]

These lines are not scratches, it looks they are a mold seam. Mine is only on the grip area, none on the barrel. Both are mirror smooth finish. I suspect that if the barrel had these during manufacture but was removed and polished. But, the grip section also has a mirror polish too. Hard to see, even with my new reading prescription, and can barely feel it. Doesn't bother me in the least.

[EricTheRed]

Mine has one also, but only on the grip area. Its very small, I never even noticed it until I looked for it after reading your post...