Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Platinum 3776 Century Carnelian 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.)

The Platinum 3776 is one of the fountain pens that is recommended wholeheartedly by almost everyone who has used one. You can always find them at pen shows, most retailers carry them, and they have a large following that are more than eager to talk about their Platinum 3776 or let you try one out. It's completely inexplicable how I haven't owned a 3776 until now.

The Platinum 3776 in Carnelian is a stunner. I mostly associate the 3776 with the classic demonstrator acrylic and rhodium trim, but this sparkly red colorway is really exciting to me. Despite the flashy exterior, the pen is the same classic that many people love. It's lightweight, but feels solid and strong in the hand. The nib is springy and soft, but it draws a really crisp and clean line. This pen is so balanced in every way that it's just so easy to love.

The model I have features a 14k gold soft fine nib, which means it's a fine nib with a little extra flex and give when you apply a little pressure to the downstroke. It's a delightful nib, and I've really loved using it so far. If you've used a Platinum nib before, then you know that you can expect a solid, reliable performance that just gets out of your way while you use the pen. The 3776 is no different, but it's just a little more pleasant to use due to the softer 14k gold material.

Like other Platinum nibs, this one is also equipped with the system that keeps the nib from drying out while capped. A lot of pens start to dry out after a few days or weeks, meaning you have to scribble a bit to get the ink flowing again. With the Platinum, you can pick it up after months of storage and expect it to write immediately — no skips, stutters, or blotches. In my experience with a few other Platinum steel nib pens, the performance lines up to the marketing with no problem.

Since I went with the soft fine for this 3776, there's a lovely bit of flex in the nib when writing. It's not really noticeable when writing normally (and I typically use a moderate pressure when writing), which is great because you can only flourish your handwriting with variable line width when you consciously choose to. That said, your mileage will vary — especially if you use more pressure when writing in general. Even if you don't get this nib for the optional flex capabilities, the springy feel is totally worth it. It feels like you're writing on a cloud, but the lines are somehow incredibly crisp (I imagine writing on a real cloud would be a feathery, blotchy, bleeding mess).

This pen has been on my desk since I unboxed it. When I'm not using it and enjoying the great writing experience, I like having it on my desk as an interesting object that catches my sight. I love how the bright rhodium finish of the nib, internal hardware, and external trim contrast with the deep transparent red and shimmery bits inside the acrylic material. I'm a big fan of classic clear demonstrators as well — and I'll probably add one (more likely a few) to the collection — but this pen just looks so darn good. The red tint and sparkly bits mean that you can't see fingerprints that well — something that demonstrators usually have a hard time with.

The pen comes with a cartridge and a cartridge converter. This is a great thing that every pen manufacturer should do — especially when they use a proprietary cartridge fitting. The inking and cleaning experience is on par with every other high quality pen I've used. It just works and doesn't cause a fuss.

In terms of size, it's fairly average. It's about as long as a Lamy Safari/AL Star or a Pilot Custom 74. To me, the Pilot 74 is the direct competitor to the 3776 in a lot of ways. Gold nibs, rhodium trim, fun color options, cigar style barrel shape, and price.

The Platinum 3776 Carnelian version is $200 regardless of which nib option you pick. This is the lowest price point you can probably find for a rhodium trim model. You can save a few bucks if you go with a gold trim model, but not enough to really factor in to the budget decision. If you're looking to get into the 3776 ballpark at the most affordable end, this is the one.

After using this 3776 for a few weeks, I can whole-heartedly add my endorsement and praise to the existing choir that already exists in the pen realm. This is a fantastic pen that really holds its own against pens that cost a lot more. It's a solid workhorse that also looks fantastic and feels great — all without being too expensive. If you're in a position to try one out or add one to your collection, go for it!

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

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Posted on May 4, 2022 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Platinum, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Hinze Pen Company Autumn Leaves Fountain Pen Review

Pen shows serve a multitude of purposes for a multitude of people. For me, I get the opportunity to meet the people behind the scenes and learn their stories. As the years go by, I’m able to witness first hand how they grow, change, and adapt to the current stationery landscape.

I first met Jim Hinze of the Hinze Pen Company at the 2018 Arkansas Pen Show. I enjoyed talking with him, learning about his company, and seeing his wares. We’ve stayed in touch at various pen shows over the years, including a Meet the Makers panel that we both participated in for the online edition of the 2020 Detroit Pen Show.

Hinze Pen Company Autumn Leaves Fountain Pen

I hadn’t seen Jim in person for years, so seeing what he has been up to during my time at the 2022 Atlanta Pen Show was a priority. I was duly impressed with the depth and breadth of the Hinze Pen Co. product lineup in Atlanta, and hearing Jim - and yes, you too Francisco - get excited to tell me about ALL THE THINGS was a great experience.

Building a pen like their Autumn Leaves fountain pen is an experience in itself. The material was made exclusively for Hinze by Diamoncast, one of the more popular pen blank makers currently on the market. And the model I was provided for this review includes a matching nano-plated clip and nib to complete the full Hinze experience.

One thing I learned in talking with Jim in Atlanta is don’t you dare say the word “anodized” when referring to his colored nib and clip choices. The nano-plating process is stronger and more durable than anodization, giving those parts a more durable finish for daily use. Obviously if you get a nib grind on one of their colored nibs you will see through the coating, but for for non-modified use, the coating will remain consistent and strong.

The shape of my Autumn Leaves pen is called B24, which features a straight barrel, with a slight taper running the length of the pen from tip to tail. The grip section is a traditional slightly-concave shape, which is comfortable to hold, and the cap finial features the Hinze Pen Co. logo. The B24 is a well-balanced overall, although posting, while possible, is not advised due to the added length. Hinze Pen Co. offers a huge range of pen shapes and styles, so you are certain to find a shape to your liking.

It would have been easy for me to pick an orange ink to use with this pen, but I opted for an equally as complimentary bright purple with Bungubox Imperial Purple. It’s a great match to this material, which also features a nice range of blues and greens. It may be called Autumn Leaves, but this is a year-round material.

Looking at the Hinze Pen Co. lineup as a whole, you quickly realize that if you have an idea, then Jim and his team can help you execute it to perfection. Material, hardware, story - they have you covered. But did you know that Jim Hinze is the maker’s maker as well? Through his work, he machines many of the tools that other pen makers use to make their own products. How cool is that? Not only does Hinze Pen Co. make great pens for us, they make things for other makers, too.

So yeah, count me as a fan. Shocker, right? Cool pens, cool colors, cool hardware, cool people … what more can you ask for? Good price, too! The base Autumn Leaves pen is $209, with a $20 upgrade for the nano-plated nib (in a wide variety of colors, btw.)

My thanks to Jim and his team for providing this pen for review (and giveaway tomorrow!) If you happen to be at the Chicago Pen Show this upcoming weekend, be sure to swing by and check out their goods.

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

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Posted on April 25, 2022 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Hinze Pen Co., Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

PenBBS 456 Cordierite 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.)

It's always great to find a comparable product that provides an excellent experience at a fraction of the price to its inspiration. The Pilot Custom 823 is a holy grail pen for some — it's a larger fountain pen that boasts a 14k gold nib, a large vacuum filled ink reservoir, and the prestige of the Pilot name (and quality) behind it. But at nearly $300, it can be difficult to obtain for some. Just in the genre of vacuum filled fountain pens, your options are few and far between. No one wants to start at the $300 mark just to experiment with a vacuum filled pen.

For a while now, TWSBI has had the Vac700 and Vac Mini, which provide the same basic functionality as the Custom 823, but at a much more affordable sub-$100 price point. At a price between $62 (for the Mini) and up to $82 for the full size 700, you can have a well-made vacuum filler for a much better price. At this price, it's easy to justify for experimenting with the filling mechanism to see if you want to wade deeper into the pool. The only problem with the TWSBI options is the lack of color. They're just demonstrators that allow a little bit of color on the grip and knob pieces. Luckily, PenBBS has a strong entry to this genre with the 456 — a fantastic fountain pen with a vacuum filling system.

The 456 is a full-size pen with a large ink reservoir, a large and smooth nib, and a comfortable grip. But what's special about this is they offer eight colorful options to choose from. You can definitely pick the demonstrator if that's your thing, but there's also plenty of blues, ambers, grays, purples, whites, silvers, and pinks to add personality to the pen.

Regardless of the colorway you pick, they all use chrome trim (something you can't get easily in the US if you're looking for a Pilot Custom 823). The pen feels well-built and has a nice weight. It doesn't feel cheap even though it only costs $56. The vacuum piston system works smoothly (as well as my TWSBI and Pilot as a comparison) and operates exactly as I'd expect. I haven't measured to be completely sure, but I think the reservoir easily holds 2-3 ml of ink. Compared to a standard cartridge or converter, this is a massive upgrade in terms of ink capacity. Even a large piston filling pen can't hold as much ink as a vacuum filler. Something like the Opus 88 Demo might hold more ink, but that's also a really large pen and it's also technically an eyedropper system.

Now, this pen does only cost a little over $50 — you can't expect it to compete directly with the Pilot Custom 823, but that doesn't stop it from trying. I'm surprised by how much I like using this pen, and I'm lucky enough to have a Custom 823 nearby to directly compare. The 823 has a 14k gold nib, so it automatically just feels nicer to use when writing. It has a soft flex and smoothness on paper that a steel nib can't touch. The body and materials feel more solid and higher quality. The knob mechanism is smooth and feels durable.

That being said, the 456 feels good in its own way. The steel nib writes flawlessly and feels great for a steel nib. It's a great size that matches the rest of the pen. The materials don't feel as nice in the hand, but they feel really good — better than they should for the price. The knob mechanism isn't as smooth, but it feels like it will last quite a while before developing any problems. Visually, I like the 456 over the 823. The 823 has a dull workhorse vibe, and I love it for that. It will outlive me and still write flawlessly, but it just isn't a pretty pen with the translucent amber body and gold trim. The 456 colors excite me — I had a hard time picking a color because I liked them all. They're made of acrylic resin, so you know they'll be durable.

The main question that I keep coming back to when using this pen is simple: can this pen replace the Custom 823 for me? My answer is simple because I already own an 823: No. But, I think Pilot should pay attention to what's happening here. TWSBI's offerings weren't exciting and had quality issues. The PenBBS 456 is still new, so quality and durability are an unknown at this point. But the fact that they've managed to produce a pen that has a solid vacuum filler mechanism, a fantastic nib, and plenty of color options at a price of $56 should make Pilot at least consider a response. Top of mind for me? Give us more color options with the 823. It's best-of-class and it deserves some more love in the way of colorways. But more interesting is possibly offering a new pen that uses the tried-and-true 823 mechanics at a smaller size, lower cost, and more fun colors. If they could offer this at a sub-$100 price with the Pilot standard of quality we all love, I imagine they'd fly off the shelves.

I know it's unlikely that Pilot will do any of this, but it's fun to dream. I think the PenBBS 456 is an incredibly easy choice for anyone that's interested in trying out a vacuum filler. There aren't a ton of options in this area, and this price is unbeatable. The color options are just icing on the cake.

Time will tell, but if the 456 turns out to be a long-lasting, durable pen, it will certainly take a chunk out of the Pilot Custom 823 market and possibly obliterate the TWSBI Vac line. This is a fantastic pen and I highly recommend picking one up if you're even remotely interested in owning a vacuum filler fountain pen. There's something so satisfying about dipping the nib into an ink bottle, plunging the piston, and watching the ink fill up the reservoir while you just hold the pen still. Check out all the exciting colorway options, and best of luck on making a decision!

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

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