3776 Section Starting To Crack And Weep Ink - Anyone Else Seen This?

[Honeybadgers]

I can't get any pictures of it right now, but my perpetually inked 3776 UEF has started regularly covering the section in ink and I could not figure out why. At first, I thought it was from priming the pen after cleaning, or maybe just leaving it in the car overnight and the temperature change causing a burp, but the nib was never "coated" in ink, while the section was.

 

I just started looking at it under a super bright light and I see a few tiny hairline cracks coming down the section of the pen and where those cracks are, no matter how many times I wipe it, running a tissue across the section is coming up with tiny spots of ink.

 

I emailed bryce at luxury brands to see if I can order a replacement section, but has anyone else seen this? It's super weird. None of my other 3776's have any cracks, and this pen's never been dropped or abused.

[DonM]

I have four of them now and have never experienced any cracking. Maybe it was was something that went wrong with that particular casting.

[cattar]

Daytime highs. Overnight lows.
Temperature extremes could stress a pen.

[Honeybadgers]

Daytime highs. Overnight lows.

Temperature extremes could stress a pen.

 

The pen has never seen less than 45 or more than 90 degrees. It's never been allowed to freeze.

 

I doubt the pacific northwest's temperatures could kill the plastic, at most they might cause it to burp into the cap.

 

I'm leaning towards simple manufacturing defect. All 3 of my other 3776's are fine.

Edited August 26, 2019 by Honeybadgers

[A Smug Dill]

... my perpetually inked 3776 UEF ...

Which model of Platinum #3776 Century is that? It might be helpful if you stated it, so at least others with the same model and colour of pen body can check theirs. The product line (with the "Century" designation) does not just cover translucent black, blue and red models, and my experience with my Platinum #3776 Century kanazawa-haku "Fujin Raijin" or my Platinum #3776 Century yakusugi with the opaque black resin sections is relevant to user experience of the product line in general, but probably not to your problem.

[CraigN]

HB,

 

My wife purchased a 3776 Rokku at the 2019 DC Pen Show. It sat in the box unused until recently. At some point during its first use the converter came loose and ink spread through the inside of the barrel.

 

While I cleaned it I spotted a crack in the section. Looking down at the top of the nib with nib pointing away from me, the crack is slightly left of center. This crack didn't cause any leakage. While it was not a through-wall crack, it could be seen and felt.

 

She owns 2 other 3776 Century pens that do not exhibit this problem (1 white, 1 Carnelian). They are recent purchases that have been lightly used.

 

She contacted Luxury Brands and the pen is now in their hands.

 

I hope that Platinum can resolve the issue with your pen.

 

Regards,

Craig

[Honeybadgers]

In case it's relevant to anyone - Platinum initially wanted to charge like $50 for a new section, but then they just changed their mind and asked $35 plus $8.50 shipping and then changed their minds again (all without my replying) to just shipping. So the section was free and I just paid shipping for a replacement. They also helped me with this same pen when it chipped one of the tines' tipping off (the UEF can be a fragile thing) at no cost, so I'm very happy with their service.

 

Here's what the crack looked like.

 

[Ink Stained Wretch]

In case it's relevant to anyone - Platinum initially wanted to charge like $50 for a new section, but then they just changed their mind and asked $35 plus $8.50 shipping and then changed their minds again (all without my replying) to just shipping. So the section was free and I just paid shipping for a replacement. They also helped me with this same pen when it chipped one of the tines' tipping off (the UEF can be a fragile thing) at no cost, so I'm very happy with their service.

 

Here's what the crack looked like.

 

 

I've got a Waterman Phileas that has a crack at the nib end of the section that's not that dissimilar from the one in the photograph. I am firmly of the opinion that it's a manufacturing defect. The crack in the Phileas is very straight and a true hairline, in that it's invisible unless there's ink in the pan, and then it took quite a while to figure out where the ink that was suddenly appearing on my hands was coming from. Even with knowing right where the crack is I can barely see anything amiss on the section even with a 10x loupe. There's no warranty on the pen and I really liked that pen's broad nib. Now and again I cast about for a way to get the crack fixed, maybe I should try again.

 

Good luck with getting your 3776 fixed.

[KBeezie]

By any chance does the nib/feed need to be installed at a specific orientation on the section? Or is it perfectly round?

[Honeybadgers]

By any chance does the nib/feed need to be installed at a specific orientation on the section? Or is it perfectly round?

 

round

[sansenri]

As much as I like my Chartles Blue, I did notice quite some time ago that when I take it to work I usually find ink in the cap.

I though the pen was just delicate and not happy to be tossed around (mind you it has always been kept in a hard case in my back pack when on the go), but after reading this thread I checked mine with the loupe and found there is a crack on the collar of the section where the nib goes in (the nib is friction fit). The external part of the sections seems to be ok so far, but checking with the loupe it is evident that the crack is developing also on the inside of the section! It is possible that eventually it will reach the outside exactly like Honeybudger's.

I have only just noticed the crack due to this thread, but the ink leaking issue that I have been experiencing started soon after purchase, in December 2015. For this reason I have not used it much, but had not thought it could be a defect...

This is what the crack looks like (not easy to photograph).

I recall I had taken some photos of the pen just after purchase so I went and checked them, just to see, in case I had taken a picture of the nib and section, whether the crack may already be there...

Surprisingly I had taken a picture where the section collar is showing, and incredibly the crack seems to have been there already!

The photo metadata says February 4th, 2016. It's not so evident, but IMO the crack, with the same slanted orientation, is there...

Not sure what to do (the pen was bought from Iguana Sell in December 2015).

Certainly it's not nice news, this is a nice pen, but experiences of this type seem to be adding up...

There have been several threads on the topic.

There was a sort of poll in December 2015...

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/300881-has-your-platinum-3776-century-broken/page-4

initially most people were skeptic. But then it's been happening to more people...

others elsewhere have reported the same issue

https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/cmavhe/discovered_a_crack_in_the_section_of_my_platinum/

https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/8bl3gh/platinum_3776_durability_questions/

and now also in this same thread

Edited April 12, 2020 by sansenri

[BaronWulfraed]

 

round

I haven't checked my Centuries -- but will comment that the Platinum President and Izumo feeds ARE keyed. There is a small flat at the end of the breather channel (not the relief hole of the nib -- the larger rectangular cut under the feed into the section) that fits a ledge in the section.

[sansenri]

I confirm that the Centuries are round, you can pull out nib and feed and put it back in any position, that is in fact the reason why the crack on the section collar can show in any position on my 3776, it just depends how you position the nib.

Edited April 12, 2020 by sansenri

[Honeybadgers]

I haven't checked my Centuries -- but will comment that the Platinum President and Izumo feeds ARE keyed. There is a small flat at the end of the breather channel (not the relief hole of the nib -- the larger rectangular cut under the feed into the section) that fits a ledge in the section.

 

The nibs/feeds in the president and izumo aren't interchangeable with the 3776.

 

It's round.

[sansenri]

there is a key end on the feed of the Century 3776 but it does not engage anywhere in the section of the Century, it's free to turn, the section is completely round inside.

[ahtzib]

It looks like there are two threads about cracked 3776 Centuries running in parallel. I just posted about my Oshino on that other thread.

 

I'll add in response to some of the comments above that Luxury Brands has been helpful all along. But ultimately it does not seem to be possible to get clear components that do not crack. I've pretty much had to give up after a couple replacements. Right now, both my barrel and section are cracked. I'm basically stuck with a broken pen, which is really frustrating.

[Nikaa]

Yesterday I discovered two quite large cracks in the section in my Platinum Laurel Green. 😔 😳 The pen is 3 months old, I use it, but not every day, not so often. I'm in shock. Today I sent back to the distributor (I boght it in local store. I checked the second platinum I have, Nice Pure, which I have already for 3 years and there I also noticed one small crack... 

[Nikaa]

This cracked section effectively stopped me from buying another platinum (I wanted White with SF)...

[Runnin_Ute]

I checked my Borgogne this evening and it does not have a crack. I have had it for since late 2016, it is almost always inked and gets used regularly. 

[Honeybadgers]

On 4/10/2021 at 5:31 AM, Nikaa said:

This cracked section effectively stopped me from buying another platinum (I wanted White with SF)...

 

Don't be too afraid. This is NOT a common problem, and platinum's customer service should take care of you.

 

My UEF hasn't cracked again (and it's been continuously inked for like 4 years now) and none of the other FIVE 3776's I own have any cracks.

It's just a minor manufacturing defect that occasionally crops up. As long as platinum takes care of it (which in my case, they've handled for me twice, even WELL out of warranty) then you should be willing to buy with confidence.