Platinum 3776 (soft fine) opinions sought

I continue to contemplate buying a gold-nibbed fine width Japanese fountain pen with a "soft" nib that is a little thicker/bigger than what I have (Ahab-sized would be nice). I've been thinking about a 3776 from Platinum intermittently for some time, and wanted to see if y'all had an opinion or experience with this pen. I've read that the 3776 nib, especially the soft fine with some line variation, is a darn fine nib.

I am used to my Pilot Metropolitans/Prera, which I prefer in fine rather than medium. Nice pens, dark thin line, but they are a bit small and have hard/inflexible nibs.

I also have a Platinum Cool (Balance), with a nice semi-flex nib (which I like), which writes a little drier than my Pilots (which don't like as much). It feels like it's made from a cheaper plastic than my Prera, which is another negative.

In short, I'd like a soft nib with a fine, dark like that has a bit of flex in a nice Japanese pen under $150. I really like the look of the 3776 in Chartres Blue, and the thicker grip puts it a bit ahead of their maki-e silkscreened pens. I've thought about the Pilot customs, but I don't know how nice the nibs are (and they don't have the "wow factor" of the Chartres blue). I've looked at the Legno and Legance as well.

I've thought about extra fines from non-Japanese vendors, but every German EF nib that I've tried (JoWo from Goulet or Rosetta) always seems to be a little too thick for my tiny handwriting. The idea of a nice resin pen is, however, really appealing. I thought about a Visconti Rembrandt in EF, but I haven't read great reviews about the nib or the overall pen quality.

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!

I know this is a different direction than you're headed, but my only really experience with Japanese nibs is with my Pilot VP. The nib it self is small, but mine is soft, I would not say it is springy, but softer than that so soft. The nib gives a nice line variation without much work and is a perfect note taking pen for meetings with it's fine point.

Good luck in your search, I'm afraid more Japanese pens will be coming my way soon enough.

Teppanyaki said:

I continue to contemplate buying a gold-nibbed fine width Japanese fountain pen with a "soft" nib that is a little thicker/bigger than what I have (Ahab-sized would be nice). I've been thinking about a 3776 from Platinum ...

Click to expand...

I don't have an Ahab, but I have a few ebonite Konrads and a 3776 with a Music Nib, and they seem about the same size. If "big, thick Japanese pen" is what you are really after, I suspect Sailor "King of Pen" is your best bet, or a custom job from Nakaya &c ... or look at susutake ...

... but of course those options start at about 3X your hoped-for budget, and go up.



The Pilot Custom Heritage 92 may be a tiny bit bigger than the 3776, has a piston-fill, and comes in, among other colours, a stunning translucent blue. I can't comment on the softness of the available nibs, though.




... just thought I'd muddy the waters a bit for ya.

Well, I have a Pilot Custom 74 with a Soft Fine nib and I love it, but for Pilot, the exotic nibs only come on solid-black pens. So you're stuck with the basics there, unless you get a Custom Heritage 91 or 92 from a Japanese vendor who is willing to swap the nib for you.

The only 3776 nib I have experience with is a Medium, so I can't help you there. But I will say that since the 3776 nib is bigger than the Pilot #5 size nibs found on the lower-end Custom series, it's probably springier. Heck, the Medium nib on my 3776 is springy without even being classified as "soft," and it's finer than most Japanese mediums.

I've owned a 3776 with an SF nib. It was soft/springy but nowhere near even semi-flex (like the Pilot Falcon). It's a great nib in a nice pen, and I think it's an excellent value if you buy one from a Japanese seller. The SF was plenty fine for me and offered a little line variation. Most of my nibs are western fine or Japanese fine or medium.

-Andy

Well, I found a brick & mortar dealer in Seattle (Kinokuniya store in Uwajimaya downtown) that had the Platinum maki-e and 3776 pens in stock. I was surprised to see how small they actually were! They did write nicely, however. They also had opaque Platinum Balances, which were scratchier but had lovely iridescent solid bodies. The 3776 felt a bit smoother than the maki-e, but the maki-e looked so darn nice . . . I didn't buy one but I did get a bottle of Kon-Peki ($35?! Then again, I got to dip and write with those pens which made it a trip well worth it) and a Plaisir for my daughter as my way of supporting them.

The Pilot versions just add more choices. Argh . . . I may simply need to not buy more pens and just enjoy what I have . . .

Well, despite an unusually strong showing by Pilot (someone threw up a solid purple custom 94 which was tempting in its own way), I pulled the trigger on the Platinum.

One 3776 with a soft fine nib in Chartres Blue . . . I still think the maki-e is also a darn nice pen. The snap cap makes it even more convenient. The 3776 was smoother than the maki-e, and both were markedly smoother than the Balance. All dipped in Pilot ink and used on some kind of scratch pad.

Wish list - a red Platinum Balance in fine (opaque, much more glittery than the pics imply) and (depending on whether or not I win the lottery, or at least show some patience and save) a Pilot with an FA nib. I just wish that the FA-nibbed pens were flashier than "black pen with trim" . . . at least the flat-topped 912 doesn't look too shabby.