Maker: Platinum.
This is something of a poster-child pen for Platinum. It’s not necessarily the top of their line, but rather the central pillar; there are a lot of variations on it, and the company promotes it as having been created at the end of an exhaustive conscious distillation of all that was right about fountain pens up to 1978, when the model was introduced. The number is suggestive of the esteem the company holds for the model– it is the height in meters of Mount Fuji.
If one can make sweeping statements about a pen with models that have an actual order of magnitude in price difference, then we may say that the #3776 is not over-heavy and well-balanced. Since a redesign in the early part of this century, they are also extremely resistant to drying out through use of Platinum’s “slip & seal” inner cap, a technology present in some of the company’s more humble models as well.
My exposure to the #3776 has been at the lower end of recent production, so comments about performance may not be reflective of older or more expensive pens. I find that the points, with their broad and flat backs, have reasonably good shock-absorbing qualities, but the springiness of them does not translate into line variation. I also find that they are a fairly loud pen. My interactions have generally included a request by the owners to deal with an issue of scratchiness, and once all the problems which usually lead to scratching are dealt with, the tines in perfect alignment and the tipping mirror-polished when looked at through a 45X loupe, the physical sensations of scratching are indeed abolished… but the sound remains. I cannot say this is a universal constant, but the prospective buyer might want to try the pen before committing to it.
Production Run: 1978 to present.
Cost When New: I have seen it suggested that the price was ¥10,000 on initial release, although that seems unlikely. 2016 MSRP is ¥10,000 for the base model, ranging up to ¥600,000 for the most expensive hand-decorated version.
Size: 13.8 cm long capped, 15.2 cm posted, 11.9 cm uncapped.
Point: 14K and 18K gold.
Body: Resin, celluloid, and wood, with maki-e decor in some cases.
Filler: Proprietary cartridge, capacity approx. 1.2 ml; will accept Platinum’s converter as well, capacity approx. 0.5ml.
Platinum #3776 Century in the base model “Black in Black” trim.
The #3667 Century Bourgonge, which is indeed a very wine-like colour in person.
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