Platinum Carbon Desk Fountain Pen Extra Fine Review
The Platinum #3776 Century is, in my opinion, the gold standard for a mid-sized Japanese cigar (classically) shaped fountain pen. Its price point echos competing options from Pilot with the Custom 74 and Crewman 1911, but in my opinion, when it comes to selling points similar unique nib options and interesting materials, I call back Platinum wins hands down.
Platinum #3776 Century Ultra Actress Fine Fountain Pen – Amazon / eBay
The dimensions put the Platinum Century squarely in the middle of the pack with an overall size of 14 cm. My version is fabricated of a super sexy translucent resin with a burgundy hue that really adds a stunning amount of depth. Its hard to convey what these semi-transparent materials await like without showing them in the mankind. The pen is not quite see-through, only it'south certainly not opaque. In the right lite, the nib and gold plating on the converter does smooth through, but otherwise, it resembles a very deep ruby.
Certainly not a bad affair. Between that and a standard black resin – I know what I am going to go with!
In terms of aesthetics, the shape is as generic as cigar torso fountain pens come up. Nix to write abode nigh, although kudos to Platinum for adding so many flourishes with the multi-level gold plated ring and other visual details. It's not my loving cup of tea in terms of how busy information technology looks, and admittedly I bought information technology simply for the very interesting beak (more on this afterward), but it has grown on me and I exercise recall its loftier quality resin and artful details allow it to appear "worth the price" to someone who is uninitiated to fountain pens and the stratospheric prices they can attain. Personally, my bias has always been with nib functioning, and so I don't place as much weight on such matters equally others maybe would.
In hand, the pen is extremely light at 25 grams. Some might prefer a heftier pen, although afterwards wielding ebonite pens all week, this feels far more substantial; a by product of the amount of metallic independent within. Weight volition always fall downwards to the wielder's personal bias, every bit will department width, only for me (personally) this is quite lovely. I have found that subsequently using larger pens like the Montblanc 149 and others, information technology's much easier for me to stick to larger designs rather than stride down. One becomes accustomed to a wider body and the Platinum #3776 Century is as pocket-size as I would comfortably go for an everyday pen. I do own a super thin Cross pen (a Classic Century) and it's jarring to use. I view information technology nearly equally a novelty now as opposed to a proper writing musical instrument.
Un-posted it'south a touch also short for me. I tend to prefer my pens un-posted, but with the #3776, I do favor having it posted. Then again, your mileage may vary.
With the cap on, it becomes a far more than substantial offering and in my mind a perfect "mid-size" option. The cap sits deeply. Frankly, I have no complaints whatsoever with regards to balance or how the pen handles when wielded, even for prolonged writing sessions.
The thumb on my right paw has been cleaved in the by and never healed properly, so I am prone to take writer'southward fatigue, but with the Platinum Century, information technology handles itself deftly with no quibbles or strains.
With regards to ink storage options, y'all are sadly stuck with a converter. I would take loved this pen with a piston option, but as far as converters become, information technology's damn adept. Definitely not a inexpensive offering found on low-cost Chinese fountain pens. This i is well synthetic with good action and a prissy friction fit with the nib section.
Equally far as keen (and unique selling point) features become, the bully cap seal mechanism included is very cool. It[s chosen the 'Skid & Seal.' Information technology was conceived to maintain air pressure and cease the nib from drying out. I recently flew from Toronto to London with this in my handbag, hadn't used information technology for 6 months or then prior to that, and it started immediately when I tried information technology – just equally shortly as the nib touched paper.
I accept no substantial manner to test this feature beyond maxim: it works. As someone who usually has a dozen or so fountain pens inked at any i fourth dimension, I find having a pen that will always work from the get go with no coaxing to be reassuring. This babe lives in my desk-bound for a reason, whilst others may be exiled into storage due to having more picky characteristics.
At present to discuss the meat of the knife. The nib is frankly exceptional. The Ultra Extra Fine is literally Ultra Extra Fine. I don't know what the corresponding western equivalent is considering equally far as I know it doesn't exists.
Every bit you can meet in the photograph beneath, the tip of the nib is basically sharpened to a needle point. Using it is quite an interesting feel, and I must admit that I initially did non similar it. I found it to be quite dry and prone to snagging on paper which ruined the experience for me, only later on consulting with pros (Leigh in particular), I found out I should be changing inks, and the results were spectacular.
So yep. This nib is very unique and volition require some aligning in terms of ink choice – I use the Pilot Blue-Black with it, and it flows wonderfully. I would suggest experimenting until you find a combination that works for you.
When you have a nib this fine, it's always going to be a smidgen more problematic than a standard western medium. Every flaw and hiccup is glaring. This bill volition reveal all to the naked eye with zero room for fault. It isn't forgiving in the slightest, but once yous find your groove with the trifecta (bill, ink, and paper) optimal, it's pretty damn wonderful.
Getting us into paper selection, which is too interesting when it comes to this pen. Laid newspaper proved problematic due to the heavy texture snagging on the nib. Cheap paper was too gristly. I establish that the 90 g Clairefontaine vellum paper was very pleasant, Rhodia was as well good, though to a lesser extent, and high quality Japanese newspaper from Tomoe River and Stalogy were pretty perfect. The nib is abrupt enough to draw blood, and the pressure you put on information technology against paper volition reverberate that.
The bill width is 1/10th of a millimeter people! The tipping material is not rounded perfectly for your clumsy hands to wield haphazardly. Every bit I mentioned before – making mistakes is very piece of cake, and if you want a pen to scribble on printer paper, you will notice the feel to be less than optimal.
Flex is basically non-existent. I am sure I could eke out some line variance, but the neb would go through the paper in the process taking into account how much pressure I would accept to lay downwards. Technical writing (and drawing) likewise as standard penmanship is what you will desire to utilise this tool for. Its magic is its spiderweb-similar line width, not its creative quirks or bill expression because, well… it has none.
Pilot Bluish Black Fountain Pen Ink – Amazon / eBay
Discussing worth when it comes to niche items like fountain pens is ever a tricky proposition. Some people find Nakayas "worth" it, and notwithstanding those same people would scoff at an embellished Danitrio. At the end of the solar day, this is well-nigh tines on paper, and what makes you as an private happy. If you want an Ultra Extra Fine pecker – you don't have much choice. This Platinum is (as far as I know) the lowest entry betoken for such a crazy fine nib and for me it's pretty perfect for jotting downward my thoughts in an organized fashion. Do I wish we had UEF options at a depression stop price bespeak? Yes, of class. But the pecker is basis in such a way that I think mass product would exist difficult whilst keeping consistency at a high level.
In short: pretty (only slow) pen with an exceptional beak (if you lot are into that sort of matter) at a reasonable price betoken (in my opinion). Lots of brackets and caveats, but then over again, this is not something you option up at your local stationary store on a whim.
Source: https://scribblejot.com/platinum-3776-century-ultra-extra-fine-fountain-pen-review/
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