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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Wingback Mechanical Pen Review

The Wingback Mechanical Pen recently launched on Kickstarter, and I was able to take a look at an early prototype thanks to the project creator. With it in tow for the past couple of weeks, I have to say I am impressed with the build quality of the Wingback. There are many checks in the pros column, but a few in the cons as well. Let’s break it all down.

As I mentioned, the construction of this pen is spot-on. Mine has an all-brass barrel (stainless steel is a campaign option) and feels great in the hand. The tolerances are tight, and the twist mechanism to extend and retract the refill is smooth - with a nice added “thunk” at the termination of each direction. I fidget with this constantly. The mechanism should be nice, as it was designed specifically for this pen.

The barrel length of the Wingback is my favorite part of this pen. At 4.63 inches, it falls around a half-inch short of most standard pens. Now, “standard” is not an official measurement, but you know it when you see it and feel it. This pen is shorter than most, but provides a full-sized writing experience. I’m a big fan of shorter pens, so of course I appreciate this about the Wingback.

On the downside, I think the knurling is a little too aggressive. And I say this as a fan of knurling. If it were able to be measured, I’d put it on a scale of 8 out of 10, if 1 were a smooth pen and 10 were the Alvin Draftmatic mechanical pencil. The Rotring 600 mechanical pencil falls somewhere around a 3. With my normal grip, my front two finger pads sit on top of the knurling, and the side of my middle finger sits across the back. That’s the part that tires the most from the grip knurling when writing. I do like the knurling on the twist mechanism.

Some users may have an issue with the refill as well. The Wingback is built around the Fisher Space Pen refill (minus the plastic Parker extension) and only the Fisher Space Pen refill. That’s not a problem for me, as I like the fine blue ballpoint refill. It ships with the medium black refill, which is a bit too messy for me (as you can see in my writing sample below.)

Finally, let’s talk price. At approximately $90 during the campaign ($120 after,) it is fairly priced for the quality of the product. There are additional upgrades, such as inscriptions and artist models, which add on the the price.

From top to bottom: Pen Type-B, Ajoto, Mark One, Wingback, Kaweco Sport.

I like the Wingback enough that I have backed the stainless steel model for myself, and paid for an added inscription. If you read the caveats and find that this pen meets your criteria for ownership and use, I think you will be happy with backing this campaign. I know I’ve been happy using it so far.

(Wingback 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!