Platinum #3776 Century Rokka Fountain Pen: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

The Platinum #3776 Century Rokka is the third in the Fuji Shinkei series. The word “rokka” refers to a hexagonal snowflake that resembles a flower. Thus, the surface of this pen is textured with snowflake engravings that sparkle when sunlight hits the facets.

The shape of Mt. Fuji appears in the finial, so it is as though the pen represents the ice and snow surrounding the hallowed mountain peak.

The pen arrives in a hinged, cardboard box with a white satin-like interior. Included with the pen are a card that introduces the Rokka, a warranty card, and a Platinum brochure.

Like other #3776 pens, the Rokka is a cigar shape. It’s a medium-sized pen, measuring 140mm/5.5 inches capped, 119mm/4.7 inches uncapped, and 155mm/6.1 inches posted. The grip diameter is 10.3mm and the barrel is 15.4mm at its widest. It weighs 10 grams uncapped and 20 grams posted (empty). This is not a heavy pen, so it should be comfortable for most writers.

All the pen’s accents are rhodium plated--a good choice for a pen meant to evoke ice and snow. The cap has Platinum’s understated clip and a ring engraved with “#3776 Century Platinum Made in Japan.” The limited edition number is quite hard to see. It is engraved on the finial on the side opposite the clip. Mine is #1869 out of 2500.

The main body of the pen is engraved with the snowflake design, but the grip and bottom finial are smooth.

My pen came with a 14K gold rhodium-plated soft-medium nib. The nib design follows the usual #3776 style with basic flourishes, a “P” for Platinum, 14K, and the nib type: SM.

This is a cartridge/converter pen. One blue cartridge and a converter are provided. I filled my Rokka with Bungubox First Love Sapphire. It looks gorgeous through the snowflake facets, and the blue works well with the ice and snow theme.

I’ve been using the Rokka daily for about one month, and it does not disappoint. I absolutely love the soft medium nib. It’s wet, smooth, and bouncy, and it starts up immediately with every use. The soft-medium is such a pleasure to write with because it moves with your finger pressure. Soft-medium nibs don’t flex, but they have a bounce to them that is soothing compared to hard-as-rock nibs. It feels like the nib is a part of your hand, working with you instead of against you.

I own several Platinum pens, and all of them have exceeded my expectations except for one--a Platinum Nice whose rose-gold plating tarnished and the nib assembly came apart. The Rokka joins my other Platinums as a treasured pen that I will reach for often. I highly recommend this limited edition model if you can still find it. JetPens has a few remaining in stock in extra-fine and fine for $325.00.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Moonman M2 Transparent Demonstrator Eyedropper Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

There's nothing quite like a completely transparent pen to really fascinate our eyes, and that's exactly what the Moonman M2 does to my eyes every time it ends up in my gaze. From the first time I opened the decorative case that the pen comes in, along with a glass eyedropper, I was mesmerized by the torpedo shape and glassy-smooth polish of this pen. I couldn't wait to get it out and fill it with a vibrant ink to really showcase the enormous ink reservoir.

Before I move on to the experience of inking this pen and writing with it, let's take a closer look at the exterior. Aside from the crystal clear body and cap, there's a red band between the grip section and body of the pen, and then there's the nib and feed assembly that also provides some visual contrast. The red band in the middle of the pen provides a really clean and bold accent color to an otherwise stark aesthetic. The band is also the only place on the pen that contains any branding. There's a small "Moonman" stamped on the band that you can hardly see. I really love the red band, especially paired with a vibrant red/orange ink, but I wish there were other color options for the band.

Moving on to the nib, it's yellow gold in color and has some moderate scroll work to dress it up a bit. The words "IRIDIUM POINT F" are stamped on the top of the nib, but there's no branding. The nib is a number 5 size, so it's something you're probably accustomed to on other pens. Underneath the gold plating is a stainless steel nib.

Unscrewing the cap is smooth and takes roughly one full rotation to fully open or close the pen. This makes it convenient to open and close, but it's also enough to provide some protection in case any ink seeps out during a rough ride or tumble. The grip section is smooth and somewhat narrow, but it's incredibly comfortable. It didn't take me long to start enjoying the way this pen feels. I use a three-finger triangle grip, and my thumb sits snuggly against the cap threads while my middle and index finger have plenty of space on the section. And even thought I use a low grip, my fingertips are nowhere near the nib and feed assembly, keeping the ink off my fingers while I write.

Moving on to the nib, it's quite firm but exceptionally firm. If you like a tight, crisp line, then this nib is perfect. Unfortunately, you only get one nib option with this pen, and it's fine. If you like fine nibs, then great. Otherwise, you'll have to cross this one off your list or try to replace the nib yourself with another #5 nib (which isn't a difficult process). Another nice thing to note is that I did not have to modify or adjust the nib in any way. Right out of the box, it was tuned perfectly and the lines and ink flow are just right. Being a steel nib, there's no flex to speak of, but you can coax out some line variation with moderate pressure.

In general, writing with this pen is a great experience. It feels great in the hand, and the nib is smooth on the page and lays down a crisp line.

Finally, on to the filling system. The Moonman M2 is an eyedropper, which means it holds a vast amount of ink in the reservoir. According to the product specs, it holds 2.5 ml of ink, but it seems closer to 3 in my use. Either way, that's a lot of ink to fuel some really long writing sessions. The packaging includes a glass eyedropper that you can use to fill the pen, but you do have to use bottled inked with this pen. No cartridges!

Filling the pen is easy. Just unscrew the body from the grip section, fill the reservoir with ink, and screw it back together. It takes a few seconds for the ink to soak the feed and reach the tip of the nib, and then you're ready to go. Ink for miles! I've most recently filled this pen with Taccia Daidai, which is an exceptionally good ink for showing off a crystal clear demonstrator like this M2. It also pairs really well with the red band in the center. All around, it's definitely an eye catcher! People comment on it frequently. It has two things going for it: a large amount of vibrant ink in a clear tube, and it distorts how you see things behind it, such as the surface it's laying on — similar to a magnifying glass. These things draw the eye like bees to honey.

One thing I haven't touched on yet is how much this pen costs, and that's probably because I'm still having trouble believing it. At just under $20, this pen is an unbelievable value. I imagine it's easy to keep costs down by excluding any fancy filling mechanisms, lots of nib options, and offering a single configuration, but $20 just feels like a steal for the build quality and writing experience that this pen offers. If it speaks to you at all, buy it. You won't be disappointed.

This pen has been such a joy to use over the past few weeks. It really did surprise me, even though I had no expectations going into it. But, even though it's a solid writer, has great aesthetics, and definitely fits almost every budget, there are some things I'd like to change. First, I wish the manufacturer offered more standard nib options with this pen. Just the ability to pick an EF, M, or B nib at the time of purchase would go a long way. Also, since the band is the only accent on the pen, it would be awesome if there were some other color options as well to pair with your favorite ink colors. But again, these things cost more money, and the low price point of this pen is a huge advantage against almost all of the midrange fountain pen market. Throw one in your cart the next time you place an order! This is a no-brainer!

(Goldspot provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Visconti Breeze Lime Fountain Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her first novel, The Bone Weaver’s Orchard, now available where books are sold!)

Visconti has added another reasonably priced pen to their lineup and it's another winner. I've always been hesitant to invest in their more expensive pens (no matter how much I want the Homo Sapiens) because their price didn't quite seem to match their performance. And while these new models, like the Breeze and the Mirage, are still expensive, they're much closer to a good, fair value purchase.

This Breeze pen in Lime isn't actually made of raw uranium and I'm 99% sure there's nothing radioactive about it. It just looks that way. It's actually made of vegital resin, this color in swirls of neon yellow, green, and pearlescent white. It's fun and wild. This model also comes in plum, mandarin, lemon, cherry, and blueberry that are all less eye-searing.

It has a chrome body band with "BreezeBreeze" engraved in it in wavy letters. The cap has no accents other than the signature Visconti clip, which is nicely spring-loaded. The cap itself closes with a magnetic click that is very satisfying and fun to fidget with. It's also effective--I never experienced any drying-out of the nib between writing sessions. The cap does post securely, though it makes the pen feel a little too long for my hand.

The grip is in the same resin as the body of the pen. It tapers slightly and I found it very comfortable to hold and write with, though it can be a bit slippery.

The nib is German steel, available in either Fine, Medium, or Broad. This one is a Fine, though it writes very wet and looks more like a Medium. This is the wettest fine nib I own, and I love it. It has all the control and subtle feedback of a fine nib, but puts down enough ink to show off fun characteristics like shading and sheen.

The pen comes with a converter, which I easily burned through in one pleasant weekend.

I've really enjoyed writing with this pen, and its bright bold look attracted a lot of attention on my business trip this past week. I think a few new Pen Addicts were born as I passed it around for folks to try. The price runs from around $95 to $120 depending on sales, and I think that's fair. I'm even tempted by some of the other colors. I think this is another good move for Visconti. Easing people into the brand is a good way to inspire them to scale the barriers to the higher end models. I can already feel my resistance weakening.

(Goldspot provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!