Platinum 3776 Or Pilot 74 Custom

[bokaba]

I am considering getting an entry-level gold nib pen. I am trying to decide between the 3776 and the Pilot 74, both probably with a fine nib. Any suggestions?

[ManofKent]

I'd look at the soft-fine nibs.

 

I don't know that I'd say one was significantly better than the other. Both are plastic bodied pens, but solidly put together. Finish detail might be very slightly better on the Pilot, but the Platinum is easier to find in different colours (finding the Pilot in anything but black isn't easy) and has a cap that supposedly prevents nibs drying out if left for a long time, but unless you're planning on leaving a pen inked and unused for weeks... I prefer the less pronounced feedback from Pilot nibs over Platinum nibs, but it's basically personal preference. Also look at the Pilot CH91 - essentially the same as the 74 but flat ended and with Rhodium rather than gold fittings. Oh and then there's Sailor 1911...

[jar]

The Pilot is longer. The Platinum #3776 Century is wider. The Platinum nib is much larger.

 

From top: Pilot Custom 743, 742, 74; Sailor 1911L; Platinum #3776 Century; Sailor 1911S

http://www.fototime.com/C6171DD1A2820B2/medium800.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/723F4D801EF05EF/medium800.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/3BAD2EC181693DD/xlarge.jpg

[thegrasshopperliesheavy]

Was there not an exact replica of this thread posted 1 or 2 days ago?

[friedrichwild]

both are great pens but i prefer the pilot for the nib. i think that platinum fine nibs have too much feedback. i own both!

[bokaba]

I tried a 74 in SF and thought the upstrokes and cross-strokes were very dry. Has anyone else had that experience? Would the regular F be any better?

[Runnin_Ute]

I have a 3776 broad nib and use it almost daily. Has been inked continuously since its arrival in early December 2016.

[friedrichwild]

I tried a 74 in SF and thought the upstrokes and cross-strokes were very dry. Has anyone else had that experience? Would the regular F be any better?

this occurs usually only on the upstrokes. it is going to get better through time in my experience. Plus, if you have confidence in your hands you can fix it by opening the tines a little bit using a brash sheet. it is a common issue with pilot nibs as far as i am concerned because the are made for Japanese characters.

[Arkamas]

I have both and I love both. They're my best pens thus far. Either one is a great and well-known pen. You can always eventually have both. My C74 is a f nib that I've smoothed out and made a bit wetter and it writes like a dream. The 3776 is a sf that I've also smoothed a bit and it's an incredibly satisfying writer. Really it comes down to your preference. I would definitely say go for a sf nib for starters. Platinum converters are great in maintenance and the Pilot CON-70 has massive ink capacity. Everything about either is perfect design from end-to-end. You can compare both side-by-side at the pen plaza at GouletPens.

[LuckyKate]

I had a custom 74 with a medium nib, that worked fairly well until it fell apart when I unscrewed the con-70 to exchange with a cartridge. I never could get a good fill with the con-70, which seemed to have been super-glued onto the section at assembly. I may have the pen put back together by someone at some point. In the meantime it sits in pieces a ziplock bag.

 

My platinum 3776 feels much more solidly made--the plastic is thicker, prettier, and more rugged, and I love the nib (the pilot's lacked personality for me). Its one of my favorite pens and I take it everywhere and use it on good paper and bad--it writes well on everything (medium nib) Overall, I think the Platinum's a lot prettier and feels better in my hand than the 74. That said I also prefer slightly toothy nibs like Platinum and Aurora.

[ManofKent]

I had a custom 74 with a medium nib, that worked fairly well until it fell apart when I unscrewed the con-70 to exchange with a cartridge. I never could get a good fill with the con-70, which seemed to have been super-glued onto the section at assembly. I may have the pen put back together by someone at some point. In the meantime it sits in pieces a ziplock bag.

 

Definitely worth getting someone to have a look at and see if it can be repaired. It doesn't come with a converter factory fitted, so it sounds like someone might done a dodgy repair in the past.

[TheRealMikeDr]

I was once in the same position as you - and now I own both.

 

My preference is for the Pilot 74, by a smidgen. Frankly it's like asking if you should have a coke or a pepsi - both are really good and it's a matter of taste as to which one you will like better.

[RRE]

I have and like both. I would choose the 3776. I personally like the classic ciagr shape of the 3776. I don't like the con 70 converter in the 74. Ink hangs up above the agitator and it is hard to clean. Although you could always use a con 50. Either pen is a winner. Enjoy.

[dcwaites]

I have three Platinum (2 x Century 3776, 1 x KDP 3000) pens and four Pilot (2 x Custom 74, 2 x DP-200) pens.

I have a 3776 in SF (Soft Fine), and one in M (Medium). The KDP is in Fine.

The 74s are in SF and M, and the DPs are in F and M.

 

I found that the three Platinum pens needed a fair degree of work on the nibs to make them acceptable to me.

 

Only one of the four Pilots needed any work, and that was t Custom 74 in SF, and that just needed a little bit of buffing on a nail buffing pad. The other three were perfect out of the box.

 

From my experience, Pilot pens have the better nibs. Others may have had better experiences with Platinum.

However, my two 3776s (Chartres Blue and Bourgogne red) are my most spectacular single-colour pens.

 

The 3776 is about a centimetre shorter than the Custom 74, so I always post them, but not the Pilots.

The sections of the two types of pen are about the same diameter, but there is a big step in the diameter of the barrel just above the thread on the 3776s. It doesn't worry me, but it may concern some.

 

Platinum make a big thing about the Slip & Seal mechanism in the cap, but I have not noticed any significant difference between the drying out of the 3776 vs the Century 74.

 

The Platinums only have a standard (about 0.7ml) converter, but the large Pilot Con-70 converter takes about 1 ml.

[ink-syringe]

I am considering getting an entry-level gold nib pen. I am trying to decide between the 3776 and the Pilot 74, both probably with a fine nib. Any suggestions?

 

Have use and love both equally. Just flip a coin.

 

But if you must agonize:

 

The Pilot Soft nibs are softer than the Platinum Soft nibs but the Pilot nibs and Platinum nibs are both spectacular and I am always shocked how big a honking nib you get on the 3776 and my 3776 B nib is glorious.

 

C74 and 3776 come in different finishes so there is that .... heh.

 

Both are equally excellent in the hand. No clear winner there either.

 

Pilot has much better converters. The Con70 is the best converter currently made (imo) Platinum converters rattle sometimes.

 

Using cartridges? Pilot had boring but solid ink choices in carts.

 

Platinum has meh ink carts but they do have a pigment option and a great IG blue black that come in carts too.

 

Honestly, both are great bang for buck pens. Both at (imo) appear on the plot before the famous "diminishing returns". You can pay a lot more and end up with a pen that is not as good as a C74 or a 3776.

[Pensei]

I think I've said this before, but it's an absolute toss-up. You could just pick by color and aesthetics. All that said, I have a tiny preference for Pilot construction and feel of the nib.

[Driften]

I hold close to the nib and the section on the Pilots (74/91/92) are more comfortable then the section on my Platinum 3776 Century.,,

[sandy101]

I'm going to throw in option C.

 

In my experience 18k nibs are much more fun to play with than 14k nibs.

 

They get a bit of spring (not flex)- so I'd look at the Platinum modern make-i series. They are beautiful pens and the nib comes with a spring you don't get with the 14K.

 

Another pen that comes with an 18k nib at this price is the Cross Century 2 - I like the nib on my Cross Townsend - maybe someone could advise if it is similarly springy.

[Buzz_130]

I have 5 Platinums (not including the Preppys around the family) and 2 Pilots. I like the feedback of the Platinum better than the Pilots. Both are outstanding pens, and modern Japanese pens are examples of fine craftsmanship.

 

Buzz

[displacermoose]

Which color do you like best and do you prefer flat top or cigar? All of the Japanese pens at this price point are fabulous. I've often wondered why this question is usually framed as Pilot vs. Platinum when Sailor also has worthy offerings. I have a Platinum 3776 century and a Sailor Sapporo, but I own a number of other Pilots and will be adding a 74 the stable in the next year.

 

For me the shape of the nibs gives a different feeling in the hand. This is highly subjective and very hard to describe, but I'll do my best. The long, narrow tines on the Sailor (F) feel extremely precise, while the flat nib shape of the Platinum (SF) feels more casual. I have a Pilot 823 (M) which I would describe as elegant, and I'm hoping that that same sense will carry through into the smaller, softer nib (I'll be getting a SF). They are all completely reliable and a joy to use.

 

A better question might be which one to buy first.