Platinum Blue Black Ink Review

Platinum Blue Black is an ink I should have loved right out the gate, but it has taken me some time to come to grips with it. There is nothing inherently wrong with the ink. It flows well, dries fast, has some shading, and is a nice color. But it's not a blue black, and that bothered me more than it should.

Do you ever get hung up on something silly like that? I'm my own worst enemy when it comes down to the minutia of things. I've talked about my eye-opening experience with tip sizes recently and the enjoyment I am getting from branching out. I need to apply that type of thinking more often.

Like in the case of Platinum Blue Black. Despite high recommendations, I have barked about it in the past about not being a blue black ink, but almost a traditional blue or even royal blue instead. I don't even consider it a dark blue. But does it matter? If you ask me for a blue black ink recommendation I'll never mention this one but if you ask me for a good blue ink it ranks pretty highly for all of those reasons I stated in the first paragraph.

In fact, once I got over being a dummy about this ink I have committed to using it full time. In cartridge form. In my Kikyo Blue Nakaya Piccolo. Call me insane, but it seems like a perfect fit and I have been enjoying this combo for a month now, with no end in sight.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

Platinum 3776 Century UEF Nib Fountain Pen Review

There is wow and there is WOW. The Platinum 3776 Century UEF nib fountain pen that Thomas loaned me late last year falls clearly into the latter category. This nib is something to behold.

Thomas knows my preference for super-fine pens and this one takes the cake. And the thing is, I was wrong in my handwritten review below. Mike Masuyama did not grind down the pen to this size. This is the stock UEF nib from Platinum! According to Thomas, Masuyama only tuned the nib so it was perfectly aligned, wet, and smooth. I can't fathom how steady Mr. Mauyama's hands are to be able to work on pens this fine. I would end up with some wonky half-stub nib if I even thought about trying this.

The 3776 in itself is one of Platinum's cornerstone pens, similar in style and price to Sailor's Sapporo line and Pilot's Custom Heritage line. Basic, but classically designed barrels and 14k gold nibs at a fair price. The 3776 was a glaring omission on my 2014 wish list from yesterday's podcast and I can assure you I will own one by the end of the year.

Will it be the UEF nib? I'm not sure, but probably so. I own several Japanese EF nib pens so why not go one step further. This one was an amazing writer. The line was as advertised - consistent and smooth - and required only a very light touch to move it across the page. My only hesitancy is if I could use the UEF nib all day or would it actually be too fine? Only time will tell I guess.

For your reading pleasure, Thomas passed along this Tipping Sizes Comparison Chart from Nibs.com where you can compare different nib sizes from company to company. Notice that only Platinum/Nakaya and Sailor dare to dip their toes in the 0.1 mm range. Also be sure to read up on the history of the 3776 from Platinum and watch the nib size comparison video from Brian Goulet. Awesome stuff!

Platinum Plaisir Fountain Pen Review

Platinum joins Pilot and Sailor as part of the "Big Three" Japanese fountain pen makers. All three have a long history of producing quality products, from entry level up to the most expensive custom pens you can find. Buy a fountain pen with one of these three names stamped on it and there is a high likelihood you will have a good experience.

Platinum does entry level as good as any of them, with the famous Platinum Preppy leading the charge. I've made no bones about how great I think that pen is for $3. The Platinum Plaisir is the cool older brother to the Preppy and fits right in with the family.

The Plaisir features the same fine, firm nib as the Preppy but upgraded the design of the barrel greatly. Not only does it feature a lightweight, silky smooth aluminum body, it also has an innovative cap that allows the pen to be stored for a year without drying out. That is a great feature for me since I often have many pens inked up at once and don't use them all every day.

I went with the more recently released Gunmetal color for my first Plaisir and there are several other colors to choose from in both 03 Fine and 05 Medium nibs. I syringe filled an empty Platinum cartridge with Pelikan Edelstein Topaz ink for the awesome combo you see on the page above. I have been very happy with the Plaisir and it will continue to see frequent use.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)