I picked up my third Fountain Pen a Platinum Century 3776 (Fine Point) in Chartres Blue. There are tons of Reviews on this pen so I'm not going to be doing one and just discussing why I picked the 3776 as my first 'nice' pen. After enjoying the Pilot Varsity and Metropolitan, I wanted to invest in a good, quality pen to give me a better experience and understanding of what Fountain Pens are all about and the 3776 is an excellent choice for me. At $67 from Amazon with another $8 for the Ink Converter this is not a cheap pen and I'll have to handle this one with greater care, but that price point is the 'sweet spot' in terms of getting something substantial without breaking the bank. I was contemplating getting a $30-40 pen that is a step-up from the Metropolitan, but I couldn't justify it as an extra $20 above that would get me the 3776.
First Impression
I immediately filled it with Iroshizuku Kon-Peki Ink and the first few lines were scratchy and thin, but after giving the ink some time to saturate the nib and feeder it started to write more smoothly. There is some feedback and some online reviews describe it like writing with a 'pencil' and that's a fairly accurate description. The Fine Point is not buttery smooth, but it does flow nicely across the paper after making some adjustments in hand placement and how much pressure I apply while writing.
I'm sure there are other things I could do. to make it write better, but for now I'm a novice and will have to figure those things out. I may try several different inks to see if that helps and then have someone take a look at the 14K Nib and see if that needs some further adjustments. It's a bit of a flashy pen and does draw more attention to itself than the black Pilot Metropolitan or Varsity. But it's not overtly large or loud and can blend in when handled carefully.
What this pen is NOT
I learned the hard way that the 3776 is a terrible pen for business meetings. The threaded cap is a nuisance and having to can & uncap it each time to jot down notes is a distraction.
However, this pen is nice when I am alone and contemplating something then I can just write and leave it uncapped.
Closing
This is now my daily pen and I bring it with me everywhere at work. I tend to also carry a separate ballpoint pen as sometimes I need to scribble some quick notes or write standing up with paper perched on a wall. Yes, it may seem silly to carry the 3776 as the ballpoint pen can do everything I need, but that's not why we get into this Fountain Pen hobby. The Pilot Metropolitan sits nicely in my work bag and will remain my trusted backup.
First Impression
I immediately filled it with Iroshizuku Kon-Peki Ink and the first few lines were scratchy and thin, but after giving the ink some time to saturate the nib and feeder it started to write more smoothly. There is some feedback and some online reviews describe it like writing with a 'pencil' and that's a fairly accurate description. The Fine Point is not buttery smooth, but it does flow nicely across the paper after making some adjustments in hand placement and how much pressure I apply while writing.
I'm sure there are other things I could do. to make it write better, but for now I'm a novice and will have to figure those things out. I may try several different inks to see if that helps and then have someone take a look at the 14K Nib and see if that needs some further adjustments. It's a bit of a flashy pen and does draw more attention to itself than the black Pilot Metropolitan or Varsity. But it's not overtly large or loud and can blend in when handled carefully.
What this pen is NOT
I learned the hard way that the 3776 is a terrible pen for business meetings. The threaded cap is a nuisance and having to can & uncap it each time to jot down notes is a distraction.
However, this pen is nice when I am alone and contemplating something then I can just write and leave it uncapped.
Closing
This is now my daily pen and I bring it with me everywhere at work. I tend to also carry a separate ballpoint pen as sometimes I need to scribble some quick notes or write standing up with paper perched on a wall. Yes, it may seem silly to carry the 3776 as the ballpoint pen can do everything I need, but that's not why we get into this Fountain Pen hobby. The Pilot Metropolitan sits nicely in my work bag and will remain my trusted backup.
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