A Pair of Aces!
If you’re looking for a great place to start in the Platinum brand then the #3776 Century resin lineup is right up your alley. The cigar-shaped pen has quite a few color options available these days including the Chartres Blue, Burgogne and Nice models plus some limited editions. The Century features a 14k nib in quite a few sizes (Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, Ultra Extra Fine, Soft Fine, Double Broad) with finishes in Rose, Gold, or Rhodium depending on the pen.
The two pens I have (Burgogne and Chartres Blue) feature a semi-transparent resin body. The trim on these two is gold – matching the nib. The center band is engraved with “#3776 Platinum Made in Japan”. The pen takes a Platinum convertor or Platinum’s cartridges (there is also an adaptor available to let you use short international cartridges).
The standard #3776 Century models are all named for locations in France. Chartres plays off the blue stained glass windows in Chartres Cathedral, Burgogne plays off the red wines of the Burgundy region, while the clear frosted plastic in the Nice model “personifies the mild southern French climate and radiant sunlight” – nice job Platinum advertising department!
The pen is a push to post screw-cap featuring Platinum’s “Slip & Seal” mechanism that keeps the pen from drying out for up to 24 months according to Platinum. The clip is tight but the end is rounded enough to make it easy to use. The pen feels great unposted and is slightly nib heavy but may be borderline in length for those of you with big hands, and you may prefer running with it posted. The section has a slight taper and flares at the end, helping to provide a good grip.
The writing experience is fantastic with smooth strokes in all directions. The nibs are known for having some “feedback” but they are not scratchy by any means. I actually like the feedback as it provides a little tension on the paper allowing me to be more precise – I don’t feel like the nib is running away from me due to it being over-polished or gushing ink. The nib itself features a heart-shaped breather hole and “#3776” the Platinum “P” 14k and the nib size engraved on top. The 2 samples below show a Extra Fine and a Fine nib for comparison.
The pen is light for it’s size at 20g and just 3mm shorter than my Pilot Custom 74 at 140mm (5.5″). Unposted it sits at 120mm (4.7″) while posting it bumps it up to 158mm (6.2″). Packaging is nothing fancy with the pen arriving in a blue clamshell box and white outer cardboard box.
Due to some shipping issues and confusion I have an extra pen (long story) and am looking to sell the following:
- (On Hold) Chartres Blue #3776 with a gold (Fine <F>) nib with all papers and tags, a new Platinum cartridge, clamshell box, and outer box. This was inked once for the review with a cartridge but will be properly cleaned before shipping. May as well be brand new as I have only used it for long enough to do the writing sample below.
Price on the Chartres is $90US including USPS Priority in the Continental US – payment via PayPal. If you live outside the US let me know and I will get you a shipping price. If you are interested drop me a line or PM me on Twitter (@Calligraphynut).
