Platinum #3776 Century Chartres Blue Fountain Pen in Music Nib Review

This week, we're giving Platinum some love, as one of the big 3 Japanese manufacturers of fountain pens. Platinum sometimes takes the backseat to Pilot and Sailor. While it is arguable that both are stronger in terms of being fan favorites, Platinum has it place for high quality fountain pens and the 3776 Century line is proof of this.

The 3776 Century is Platinum's flagship model of fountain pen that has a classic, cigar-shaped profile, simple, yet elegant trim design and a 14kt gold nib. The look of the pen is close to the Sailor 1911 and serves as a basis for comparison, especially since a Sailor was reviewed quite recently.

Sailor 1911S vs Platinum 3776 Spec Comparison
	Platinum 3776	Sailor 1911S
Length (Capped)	5.43”	5.3125"
Length (Uncapped)	4.68”	4.625"
Length (Posted)	6.06”	5.875"
Section Diameter	0.41”	0.375"
Cap Max Diameter	0.61”	0.5625"
Weight	0.85 oz	0.7oz
Nib	14kt Gold	14kt Gold
Price (USD)	~$175	~$155

As you can see by the comparison chart here, the 3776 has a little bit more to offer in girth and length than the 1911S. My personal taste prefers a larger pen, especially in regards to the section diameter, for a surer grip.

The Finish

The 3776 Century "Chartres blue" takes its name from deep, translucent blue stained glass of France's Chartres Cathedral. Designated a World Heritage site in 1979, the stained glasses are known worldwide for their beauty. Although the material is translucent, this pen is not a demonstrator. The body and cap has a high opacity, allowing only an aura of light to pass through, radiating a deep, royal blue. It isn't possible to see the ink level inside the pen's converter. You can somewhat make out the the nib's silhouette inside the cap when it is closed.

Personally, I love the gold trim on blue pens. Most pen makers put silver or rhodium trim. Platinum recently released a rhodium trim version of the Chartres Blue, but I do prefer the gold, as it is more unique and beautiful.

The thick cap ring with engraving, paired with a thinner ring above, creates an elegant point of interest on what would otherwise be a plain, cigar-shaped pen design. The oblong clip is also quite plain, lacking the distinctiveness and personality that other brands have utilized in their identity (Lamy Safari's wire clip, Visconti's arc clip & Pelikan's beak, for example).

Filling Up

The Platinum 3776 Century uses a cartridge / converter filling mechanism and is provided with both options in the box with the pen. The proprietary converter fits in deeply and snugly into the section. No surprises with this standard filling system. Drawing up ink is a breeze. Although not used for purposes of this review, the cartridge that is included with the pen is a proprietary style made by Platinum.

Writing with the Platinum Music Nib

As I mentioned previously, I had the pleasure of writing with the Sailor Pro Gear Galaxy with a Music nib a few weeks ago. While the two-tined Sailor music nib isn't a true music nib like the 3-tined Platinum nib is, both were very similar in their output. As you would expect with a music nib, there is a thick downstroke and thinner horizontal line.

The ink flows smoothly and the feed keeps up with the higher demand the music nib makes. The thick/thin line variation is good with Platinum's music nib, but the Sailor 2-tined music nib had slightly better variation and wrote slightly wetter than the Platinum nib.

A neat feature of the 3776 Century is a "slip seal" cap that helps prevent an inked nib to dry out. When screwing the cap on the front end, the last quarter turn has a secure, tightened feel. More extensive testing would have to be done to see if this design would provide an advantage over your typical fountain pen cap. From the week or so I had to experience this pen, the nib always wrote immediately and without hesitation, even after being capped for hours or a day later.

Overall, the writing experience is quite pleasant with Platinum's music nib. The 14kt gold isn't flexible or soft, but it still provides ample flow and coverage to keep up with the demand that a thick nib requires.

A Few Final Words

Summary :

• Writing Quality : The Platinum 14kt gold music nib writes with good flow, smoothness and always starts up right away. The size and shape of the pen's profile makes it comfortable to grip and write with for long stretches. Excellent balance with the cap posted. (grade A)
• Aesthetic Quality : The Chartres Blue is a gorgeous, deep color that looks great paired with gold trim. Classic cigar profile is fairly unimaginative. (grade B)
• Utility : The Platinum slip seal cap is billed to keep the nib fresher for longer, but that would be a claim that would need more testing over time. Cap posts well. Cartridge & converter are proprietary, which makes it harder to obtain replacements. (grade B+)
• Price : ~$220 Retail. The Platinum 3776 is priced at the same tier as Pelikan Tradition m2xx, Lamy 2000, Pilot Custom 74, and Sailor 1911. Looking at the competition at this tier, the 3776 Century would be a bigger standout if it was priced lower to differentiate itself from it's relatively close analog in the Sailor 1911. (grade C+)

Final Grade : B+
If this were a shootout between the 1911 and the 3776, I'd give the round to the 1911 in terms of writing quality and the craftsmanship of the design. Although the Chartres Blue resin is a stunning color, the effect is too subtle for a pen that needs to have more personality to stand out amongst the other Japanese fine writing instruments.

Writing with a Sailor Zoom Nib

Sailor Pen of Japan hand-crafts a wide array of specialty fountain pen nibs. Only a small set, including standard writing points like fine, medium and broad, are distributed to the USA. Part of this core nib offering is the Zoom nib. Whereas the other writing nibs could be matched with a Western counterpart, the Zoom has no familiar analog.

Think of the Zoom nib like the zoom tool, it can either thicken or thin the line width by the angle that the nib meets the paper. For a double-broad, wet line, keep the nib at an acute angle to the paper. For a medium thickness, change the pen angle to about 45 degrees to the writing surface. To get a dry, thin line, flip the nib upside down.

In our short video demonstration, we show how the Zoom nib works simply by changing the way you hold the pen. It's like having 3 different point sizes with one pen!

The Sailor Zoom nib is offered in both the 14kt or 21kt style, depending on the model of Sailor pen you choose. The pen in the demonstration is the 21kt Sailor 1911 Large nib. The regular Pro Gear model also has the 21kt gold nib while both the 1911 Standard and Pro Gear Slim sport the 14kt gold.

If you have any questions regarding this nib, or with Sailor pens in general, please feel free to leave us a comment below.

Sailor Pro Gear (Sapporo) Starburst Galaxy Fountain Pen Review

An out of this world fountain pen paired with an ink that is as equally brilliant. Prepare to be starstruck by the glittering brilliance of the elegant Sailor Professional Gear (Sapporo) Slim Starburst Galaxy Fountain Pen. A non-numbered, limited edition from Japanese manufacturer Sailor, the Starburst Galaxy is a simple twist on a black with silver colorway. Reflective particles are strewn throughout a rich, lustrous black resin to create the feeling of looking up at the stars in the night sky.

The Pen Profile

The model is based off of the Professional Gear (Sapporo) Slim, which is a good fit for an average man or woman's hand. Here are the dimensions of the Starburst Galaxy fountain pen :

Length Closed : 4.87"
Length Posted : 5.6"
Section Diameter : 0.41"
Barrel Diameter : 0.48"
Weight : 0.6oz / 17.7g

It's comparable to a Pelikan Tradition M200 or a Parker Vacumatic Major, as you can see in the diagram below :

With a pen of this size, it is often more comfortable for the writer to use it posted. The lightweight feel of the acrylic resin is a pleasure to hold for longer writing sessions. The front section has a slight flare at the edge of the grip to prevent fingers from slipping down into the nib.

Sailor Pro Gear Starburst Galaxy in a Galaxy Far, Far Away

The Pen Design

The Starburst pattern, created by small particles of reflective material, is evenly distributed throughout the rich, black resin. The particles seem to be floating at various depths in the resin at varying intensities of color, ranging from silver to blue. One of the small details that I love about this pen is the fact that the Starburst resin is used in every place that there is resin, including the finial top and the section. The continuity of the material is outstanding and accurately nails the theme Sailor was going for.

Turning the pen in the light catches the glint the reflective particles. It can be mesmerizing to look at, with focus shifting from the bright silver specks to the deep blue ones that seem so distant. The striking silver of the rhodium trim, clip and cap band feels as if we were taking a voyage on a space ship through a sea of stars. Sailor's iconic anchor symbol is struck upon the finial top of the cap.

As with all Sailor Pro Gear Slim pens, the Starburst Galaxy is a cartridge / converter filling fountain pen. It is supplied with a Sailor type converter and a package of two Sailor ink cartridges. The nib is a 14kt gold with rhodium plating to match the silver trims and clip. Sailor offers their Pro Gear nib in the set core options within the United States, which are the extra-fine, fine, medium-fine, medium, broad, zoom and music sizes.

The Writing Experience

For this review, I focused on the two-tined music nib, which is more equivalent to a western stub nib. I  couldn't help but match a shimmering pen with a shimmering ink and tried the pen out loaded with J. Herbin's Emerald of Chivor. Boy, was I ever impressed.

The Sailor "Music" nib wrote buttery smooth without any hesitation. The 1670 anniversary inks, with their sparkly particles and deep saturation, can be a bit of a hindrance to certain fountain pen feeds that are stingy on flow. Such is not the case with the Sailor nib. As you can see in the handwriting samples of the video, the ink flows beautifully and you can get a good amount of sparkle on the page, along with that reddish sheen in certain strokes.

Sailor Starburst Galaxy w/ Emerald of Chivor on Rhodia 80gsm blank paper

The music nib offers stellar line variation between the horizontal strokes and vertical ones. On the downstroke, the thickness of the line can be the equivalent of a juicy 1.3mm tip while the horizontal lines are between a medium and broad line thickness. Be prepared to change inks often, as the ink capacity of the cartridge / converter is meager and this nib lays down a lot of ink.

A Few Choice Words

Summary :

• Writing Quality : Stellar. Buttery smooth nib that is hand-inspected by Sailor's expert nib craftsmen. Just remember that the nib grades of Japanese nibs run thinner than their western counterparts. (grade A+)
• Aesthetic Quality : Stunningly simple concept that is well executed with the theme of this edition. The sparkles are just noticeable enough without being too "blingy". (grade A+)
• Utility : The size of the Pro Gear Slim (Sapporo) is a perfect fit for boys & girls. With the cap posted, the pen's light weight is well balanced and comfortable to hold for long periods of time. Fans of oversized pens (like the 1911 Large or King of Pens) would not like this size. (grade A)
• Price : $250 Retail. Considering the price of a Pelikan M200 with a steel nib or a Lamy 2000, this limited edition, 14kt gold nib fountain pen ranks right up there with other high-quality, value fountain pens. This is an easy purchase for many who purchase pens of this caliber. (grade A+)

Final Grade : A+
My only remorse about this review is that the edition was already sold out by the time I can click "publish." We only had these pens in-stock for about a week! If we have any more, then you would be able to find them on our Sailor Professional Gear Slim pens page of our website. If the page does not show any resulting item listings, then it's gone, sorry!

Lamy Dialog 3 Piano Black Fountain Pen Review

Lamy's Dialog is the top-end of the German-made writing instrument brand that represents the forefront of design and writing technology. The Dialog 3, released back in 2012, is Lamy's first-and-only retractable fountain pen. Originally produced in a matte palladium finish, Lamy expanded the line to include a matte black, and, most recently, the 2015 Piano Black and Piano White finishes.

We're going to review the Dialog 3 model as a whole, but we also wanted to briefly touch on the minor differences between the Palladium & Matte Black releases and the new Piano Black & White Finishes.

Left : Lamy Dialog 3 Piano Black, Right: Lamy Dialog 3 Matte Black

Besides the obvious difference in the pen's finish, the presentation box was changed from a slim, wooden box to a bulkier case. As you can see in our video review, the newer box for the Piano Black/White is much more impressive and grand. The slim, wooden box with the original Dialog 3 also has its place, in my opinion, as a nice desk holder for your fountain pen.

Original Lamy Dialog 3 Matte Black with Solid Nib Unit

The newer Dialog 3's also differ with their nib unit. An oblong cut-out is on the side of the unit to view the ink level in your cartridge or converter. The original Dialog 3 nib unit on the Palladium and Matte Black pens is solid all around. The newer Dialog 3's also come with a cleaning ring that is used to help flush out and maintain the inner shell of the fountain pen when the nib unit is removed.

An interesting fact for those who already own the Dialog 3 and would consider picking up the new 2015 version - the nib units are not interchangeable, as they don't line up if you try switching between the older & newer models. It may not bother some people, but I need to have the nib lined up with the clip. Otherwise, bad things may happen to fragile, inanimate objects.

The In-Hand Writing Experience

This pen is fun to pick up and fidget with. It feels like a cross between a fountain pen and a lightsaber. It's super-sleek and streamlined, just like a stealth bomber. If apple made a fountain pen, it would probably look similar to the Dialog 3.

The significant weight in-hand (1.6oz) gives an impression of a solid, well manufactured instrument. Yet, it's not heavy enough to use as a bludgeoning weapon. This is important, because many folks may take issue with a heavy weight pen, not only because it causes hand fatigue over long writing sessions, but it would also be less conspicuous as an actual weapon when trying to pass through the TSA.

Since this is a capless pen, there's no need to decide whether to write cap-in-hand or with the cap posted. The length of the fountain pen is perfectly sized to fit in most average-or-larger hands. The uniform girth allows you to choose where you grip the pen. Those familiar with the Vanishing Point may have the same gripe about the Dialog 3 in that the clip may get in the way of your fingers' writing position. The Dialog 3 clip does retract closer to the body of the pen once the nib is protracted completely, making it slightly less obtrusive than the VP clip.

The twist-action mechanism of the Dialog 3 feels solid. As you twist the pen, you can feel a firm "click" of the ball valve and nib moving into position.

Macro Shot of Lamy Dialog 3 M Nib with Sailor Jentle Blue-Black on Rhodia 80gsm paper.

The 14kt Lamy solid gold nib is an absolute pleasure to write with. The medium nib I picked for the writing samples wrote with a nice, wet flow and glided across the page with every word. Although the Piano Black is a glossy, lacquered finish, I found no trouble in being able to grip and hold on to this fountain pen's wider grip area. Since most fountain pens usually have a narrower section to grip, the grip on the Lamy Dialog 3 takes a little getting used to, especially if you write with mostly thin pens (like a Cross Century).

Overall, I was extremely impressed by how this pen handles around the curves and responds when you accelerate (handwriting speed, that is). It can keep up with fast writers and those who like to go big and bold.

Lamy Dialog 3 Specifications

Length (Closed) : 5.5"
Length (Nib Out) : 6.125"
Width w/o Clip : 0.537"
Width w/ Clip : 0.631"
Weight 1.6oz

A Few Choice Words

Summary :

• Writing Quality : The Lamy 14kt gold nib is super-smooth and flows nice and wet. It effortlessly glides across paper. The weight and size of the pen, although ample, doesn't get in the way of the writing experience, rather enhances it. (grade A)
• Aesthetic Quality : The modern design of the Dialog is the epitome of "Apple-esque." The clean lines of the profile and rounded ends exude simplicity and elegance. (grade A+)
• Utility : Retractable fountain pen means no need for a cap! You cannot accidentally clip your shirt to the pen while open, as the clip retracts when the pen is in use. One negative is that the pen uses Lamy proprietary fountain pen cartridges and converter. (grade A+)
• Price : $308 (sale price) is quite a hefty price tag, considering that a 14kt gold nib Lamy Studio fountain pen can sell for half the cost. Compared to other retractable nib fountain pens, a Pilot Vanishing Point is also half the price. The Pilot Fermo, which is a twist-action, retractable fountain pen ($260 sale price / $325 retail) would be more comparable. (grade B)

Final Grade : A
Looking at Lamy's fountain pen collections as a whole, it is easy to see why the Dialog 3 stands alone at the top. Although it contains the same components as the more economical Lamy Studio model, the Dialog's superior design and retractable nib mechanism puts this pen at the top of the list for Lamy collectors. Plus, it looks like a lightsaber, and that's major geek points for a Star Wars fan like me!

Our Cover-Worthy Pelikan Pen Just Got Better

The Pelikan M200 special edition demonstrator that graces the cover of our new 2013 Goldspot Pens Catalog got an upgrade this week. For a pen that retails for $175, we felt that our customers would enjoy a higher quality nib from the original stainless steel that is installed on each demonstrator pen. After obtaining the proper nibs from Pelikan (nibs parts themselves retail for $170 each), we've fitted the M400 Souveran 14kt solid gold nib on the M200 pen to create an even more special, special edition.

Above is a silhouetted picture of the M200 with the 14kt gold nib installed. It is a bi-color nib, which means there are both silver and gold tones to the design. This nib is traditionally installed on Pelikan Souveran M400 fountain pen models. Note that the M200 pen on the cover is depicted with the gold tone nib that is gold-plated, stainless steel. Having the solid gold nib on the pen adds the additional comfort, smoothness and degree of flexibility that the material offers over the stiffer stainless steel.

For a limited time, we are offering the M200 Demonstrator with the 14kt solid gold nib for only $60 more than the stainless steel version ($139.95 steel vs $199.95 gold). Inventory on this is limited to the number of 14kt nibs we have on hand and it will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Namiki Falcon vs. Pilot Metal Falcon Video Review

In this week's video review, our very own Michael Jones takes a look at the Namiki Falcon and the Pilot Metal Falcon.


In this video, we look at :

• Unboxing the Pilot Metal Falcon and the Namiki Falcon
• Pen Materials - Lacquered Metal with rhodium coated gold nib (Pilot Metal Falcon) and Resin with Gold trim and solid gold nib (Namiki Falcon).
• Converters - The Metal Falcon uses a pump-action, push button converter (CON-70), while the Namiki Falcon uses a twist converter.
• Filling each Falcon.
• Test writing with the Falcon's unique Soft, solid gold nibs.

Overall, both pens are a pleasure to write with when taking advantage of the flexibility of the soft, solid gold nibs crafted to provide a smooth, variable line. The Metal Falcon has a distinct step up in the quality of the body and cap materials, and feels more rich and substantial in-hand. The Namiki Falcon, while only made of resin, does have a lighter feeling, but still offers the superior writing experience that the soft gold nib affords.

It's all Material : The Gold Standard

Sometimes I feel like we're working in a jewelry store instead of a pen shop. Gold-Plating, solid palladium, 925 sterling, Chinese black lacquer, gemstones, celluloid, tungsten carbide, the list goes on and on of the different materials that go into the manufacture of pens. Many customers ask me, "What is the big difference between this $50 pen and that $500 one?" Most of the time it is due to the materials used, and the usual suspect that drives up the price of most pens is..... Gooooold! This is the first installment of a series that will serve to educate everyone (even myself) about the precious metals and materials that go into our favorite writing instruments. Gold has always fascinated the human race. "Au" has acted as a symbol of wealth since the dawn of civilization. It is the most malleable of all the precious metals, which means that it can be hammered, flattened and shaped into virtually any shape, like a nib or a wedding band. Its soft characteristic lends itself to providing flexibility to the fountain pen nib. The soft gold allows the tines to be spread easily, allowing a thicker line to flow on the paper. Your coworker may be allured by the yellow gold appeal of the metal on your nib, but you may want to recoil when he asks to borrow it to jot a quick note. The softness of the metal conforms to the way you write over time, so if another hand gets on it (and, Heaven forbid, presses down HARD) you may be left with a nib that is never the same. Yellow is the most common color of gold. White gold, which is usually alloyed with palladium, silver or nickel and plated with rhodium, is prevalent in fine pens that are offered with a silver trim and paired with a white gold nib to match. Rose gold is alloyed with copper to produce a pinkish-gold color. Copper is the most commonly used base metal, even when creating yellow gold. Gold content can vary in jewelry and pens. 10k, 14k, 18k, 22k and 24k are the most frequently-seen Karatage and refer to the purity of the gold. Commonly, you may see a 14kt solid gold fountain pen nib with the designation '585'. This denotes the percentage of pure gold that is in the alloy, in this case 58.5% pure gold. 24k "pure" gold is deemed too soft, even for use in jewelry. 18k gold (750) is most often seen in higher end pens like the Montegrappa Miya, Parker Duofold or Conway Stewart Coronet. 10k contains 41.7% gold and is considered the US legal limit for "real gold." Gold-Plated or Gold-Filled items are not solid gold. Many pen trims and clips will be "plated" in 22k or 24k gold, which means that the base metal underneath may be nickel, copper or brass. The gold layer is electroplated or chemically-bonded to the base metal. The thickness of gold can depend on the pen-maker's standards. The size is measured in microns. Gold-Filled, also known as "rolled gold" is a layer of solid gold that is heat bonded with a base metal, usually brass and tends to contain the bare minimum of gold content allowable by Federal Trade Commission standards. Gold does not tarnish, rust or corrode, which makes it an ideal material for pens. The malleable quality of the metal makes for a great, flexible nib. The main concern for consumers is to be cautious of the gold content when they buy jewelery or pens. The price of gold has skyrocketed, but that doesn't mean the 10k necklace or Cross pen has to be obscenely expensive.