Platinum 3776 Century Nice Lilas Review

There is something about the Platinum 3776 Century that separates it from other pens. What that ‘something’ is exactly is difficult to put into words. Is it the look and style? Is it the nib? Is it the nearly 100 years the company has been in business? It is easy to say all of the above, but there is no one thing that sets the 3776 apart. It’s all of it together, and it just works. What more can you ask for in a fountain pen?

Well, there is a little more, and in this case, it is the wonderfully pink and rose gold Platinum 3776 Century Nice Lilas. From the moment I saw pictures of this pen I knew it was going to be great, and now that I have it in hand I can confirm: It is awesome.

If you know me at all then you know I love pink pens, so yes, I am biased towards this color. That said, I don’t think there is a translucent color I wouldn’t like in this design. The frosted finish gives it a unique look, and the grooved barrel makes it shine. I’m not normally a fan of rose gold accents, but even I have to admit it is the perfect match for this pen.

Writing with Platinum pens is always a treat, and this one is no different. Perfect out of the box, the nib sings across the page. My loaner was a Medium nib, and it also comes in Fine and Broad. Japanese Medium nibs are the perfect writing size in my opinion, providing excellent line width and laying down enough ink to show off whatever properties your favorite ink has.

If there is any downside to this particular model it is that the barrel ridges are sharp. It didn’t affect me at all when writing, but it is something I noticed while just holding the pen in my hand. Also, don’t buy this pen for the Limited Edition aspect of it. Platinum did a weird thing by not numbering the pen, but rather including a numbered blotter card in the box to denote the first 2000 units. The Nice Lilas looks to be part of Platinum’s regular lineup, at least by how they are offering this pen so far. And I don’t know why they include their silver trim converter instead of the gold, which would of course match the pen better.

This is a beautiful pen and a joy to write with. I said from the get go that I would pass on buying one of these because I have enough pink pens and enough 3776 pens, but I’m more tempted than ever after using it. It’s fantastic all the way around.

(Goulet Pens provided this product on loan to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Sailor 1911 Large Azure Exclusive Fountain Pen Hospital Edition: 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.)

Anyone who knows me knows that I am absolutely obsessive about blue fountain pens. If a fountain pen is blue, I probably own it. I do not know the origin of this obsession, but blue is my favorite color for both fountain pens and inks.

Lately, the Sailor Fresca has been featured by most fountain pen dealers. It’s a North American exclusive color, and I almost bought one. But, I own a Sailor Pro Gear in robin’s egg blue (an exclusive from the Morita Pen Shop in Osaka, Japan), and it’s almost the same color as the Fresca.

So, I decided to purchase the Sailor 1911 Azure which is an exclusive Fountain Pen Hospital edition with only 100 pieces worldwide.

Packaging for this exclusive edition is indistinguishable from other Sailor editions: a clamshell box inside a cardboard sleeve. Inside, the pen is presented on faux velvet. Underneath you’ll find the converter, two cartridges, and a small pamphlet.

The 1911 Azure is the large-sized Sailor. It measures 5.5625 inches capped, 4.875 inches uncapped, and 6.125 inches posted. I would call this a medium-sized pen, and it weighs only .9 ounces. It’s certainly larger than a Pro Gear, but not as big (or weighty) as a Montblanc 149.

The pen is made of resin and has chrome-plated accents and clip.

The cap band is engraved with “Sailor Japan Founded 1911.”

This is a cartridge/converter pen. The converter is rather disappointing, holding only .5ml of ink, and I can never seem to get a complete fill with this converter.

The best part of the pen is, of course, the nib. The Sailor 1911 large comes with a 21k rhodium-plated nib. The medium writes like a western fine and is nice and wet.

Sailor nibs are stiff and exhibit distinctive feedback. I wouldn’t call this a scratchy nib, but it’s not butter smooth either. There’s definitely no bounce or flex with this nib, but it is a terrific writer. I inked the pen with KWZ Azure 3 which is a good match for the pen.

I absolutely love the color of this Sailor 1911 from Fountain Pen Hospital. There’s just not another blue quite like it. However, you do pay a premium for this exclusive color. It costs $350 as opposed to the new Sailor Fresca 1911 (large) which most retailers are offering for $288.

Pros

• The Sailor 1911 large is a pen most users will find comfortable. It is light because of the resin but well balanced. It is excellent for lengthy writing sessions.
• The azure color is exclusive to Fountain Pen Hospital, and it’s very unique. It reminds me of china blue.
• The 21k nib is an excellent writer with distinctive Sailor feedback. It’s not scratchy but it’s not butter smooth either. These nibs are definitely Japanese sizes, so if you like western fine nibs, you’ll want to order at least a medium nib.

Cons

• You will pay a premium price for this exclusive edition. $350 really is a bit much considering that this pen is unnumbered, plastic, and comes in regular packaging. But, if you’re crazy about distinctive shades of blue like me, it might be worth it.
• The converter on this pen holds only .5ml and I’m not sure it’s really even that much since you can’t get a complete fill. You’ll get better mileage out of cartridges, but I’m too lazy to refill cartridges.

Copic Sketch Marker And Refill Review

(This is a guest post by Nick Folz. You can find more of Nick and his work on his blog, Smallberry Drive, Twitter, and Instagram.)

My first brush with Copics was a review about their excellent doodle packs, which I was smitten with. I really dug the Ciao Dual Tip Marker, which was the meat and potatoes of the set. So I wanted to dive into another marker of theirs a bit more and test out the refill system. I went with their Sketch Marker color R29, Lipstick Red.

Copic’s reputation in the marker industry usually precedes them (if you are unfamiliar let me summarize: they good). Their Sketch series is very similar to the Ciao, both have the dual tip and both are refillable. The Sketch are a bit more expensive but have more color options and hold more ink.

The chisel and brush tips are great and add levels of versatility to the marker. The Copic ink is amazing, it is thick and impressive and you can layer it for added saturation and darkness. It plays well with most types of ink, both under and over, and can be blended with other Copic colors. I don’t do much with the Copic blenders, but I have seen miracles preformed with those things.

The Copic Various Ink refill is great. A narrow tip delivers new life to the marker and is a must have to get the actual value out of the pricey markers. There are a few ways to refill: slowly drip ink onto the chisel tip to fill the reservoir, or pull the tip out and fill directly into the middle of the marker. The later is the quicker, if possibly messier, option. The chisel tip is easy to remove and replace, so I recommend that method.

I LOVE the color of this thing. It has unlocked so many options for me. I have been doing silhouettes in red and inking details in black. I am smitten with this technique. The consistency of the ink makes this possible without looking like a streaky mess. Adding pops of color to black and white is joy and I am glad I have the refill to keep the party going. I have refilled the marker twice and haven’t even used a fourth of the refill ink.

If you have tried out Copics and like them, then I highly recommend you go for the refillable variety and stock up on some ink. You can find Copic refills and Copic Sketch markers and sets at JetPens.

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