Review: Platinum 3776 Celluloid Koi Fountain Pen @AndersonPens @CarolLuxury

Such a pretty pen, and a model I am a fan of. Combined? The Celluloid Koi!

ABOUT

Body material: Celluloid
Trim: Gold plated
Cap: Screw on
Posts: Yes, friction
Nib material: 14kt yellow gold
Filling system: Platinum proprietary cartridge/converter
Length (capped): 136.9 mm/5.39″
Length (uncapped): 118.1 mm/4.65″
Length (posted): 150.0 mm/5.90″
Diameter (barrel): 9.5 – 11.8 mm/0.37″ – 0.46″
Diameter (section): 9.8 – 10.7 mm/0.38″ – 0.42″
Weight (all): 24 g
Weight (cap): 10 g
Weight (body): 14 g
Price: $360.00 USD
Where to buy: Anderson Pens

PACKAGING

The #3776 was packaged in a simple box. The outer sleeve is white with the Platinum logo on it. The hard blue clam shell case slides out, and it has no markings on it. It's on the flatter side, so it looks and feels less bulky than other clam shell cases. Just a clamshell, nothing thrilling.

It also comes with an information card about Celluloid, which can be a delicate material, as well as instruction manuals and warranty information.

APPEARANCE

The Platinum 3776 Celluloid collection is based on the 3776 Century model, but the pen is made of celluloid instead of resin. Anderson Pen's page on the Koi says,

Celluloid is a traditional material for pen making, one that offers unparalleled depth, feel, and color. Celluloid is a very difficult material to use, requiring an exacting process to create, followed by an extended curing process to ensure the stability of the material. The Platinum celluloid is prepared to exacting specifications and carefully cured to ensure a perfect material for the pens.

The Koi is on the smaller side, with a smooth, round cap and barrel, tapering slightly towards the rounded off back end. The top of the cap is also rounded, and the finial is a solid, rounded dome of "koi" celluloid. There is a thin gold band around the top of the cap, and the clip is attached through a very snug, clean cut out through the cap. The center band on this pen is slightly different to that on the resin pens - it is one wide, raised gold band, engraved with "Platinum, Japan, #3776". The section is small, smooth, and round, framed by two thin gold bands. It is straight towards the nib and ends in a small gold banded lip.

The cap, section, and barrel are made of a flecked celluloid in colors that most certainly evoke the image of koi! There are vibrant reds, pinks, creamy, chatoyant whites and pearls, all mixed up. It is mostly solid, but a few parts are semi-translucent enough to see inside. The celluloid is a lovely material, but since this is not turned from a solid rod, the seam of the mould is visible as a straight line down the pen. Regardless of that seam, this Celluloid Koi is a beautiful, intense, vibrant pen with captivating colors.

NIB & PERFORMANCE

The broad nib is a 14kt yellow gold nib. It has a single slit and a heart shaped breather hole. It is engraved with: #3776, Platinum's 'P', 14K, 585, and the nib size (B). The nib looks more like a medium to me, but of course, it is a Japanese nib, which tends to run on the finer side. It is not scratchy, but it has some feedback while writing. It was surprisingly wet, with longer drying times. It performed well: no skips or hard starts, kept up with long and fasting writing sessions, passed the free weight test, and overall, was just a solid writer.

It's a firm nib so with normal writing, it feels firmer on the paper - there's no softness or bounce to it. If you apply some pressure, you can squeeze out a little bit of line variation but don't expect much (or look for Platinum's soft nibs instead).

This nib offers just a bit more feedback that I like or was expecting, but I imagine someone else might like that. Again, it wasn't scratchy, it's just that I could feel it. It's a toothier, firm nib - probably ideal as a daily writer for many, just not me. It's reliable and performs well, and the whole not drying out thing is pretty great.

IN HAND

The 3776 clips are the same across the board - I like how they look and feel. It's snug and springy and can easily slide on and off papers, pouches, and pockets.

The section is short, and the threads and ridge to the barrel are just a little sharp. The section gets the job done. I don't find it uncomfortable because it's a light pen and is well-balanced.

Unposted, the pen is relatively small, but not too thin. It's pretty close to being perfectly balanced, so it's comfortable. The cap can be posted by friction. It seats deeply and securely, so there's no risk of it just falling off or wiggling around. Not only does it look really good when it's posted, the cap adds some length and weight to the pen. As such, I can grip right in the middle of the section, which I find more comfortable than my lower grip when it's unposted. It's easy to use this way for longer writing sessions.

Celluloid feels really nice in hand. The resin 3776 pens are comfortable but the celluloid is so smooth and polished, and it warms up in your grip, not to mention the inside of the cap smells delicious (like camphor). It's almost slick but without being slippery.

PROS & CONS

OVERALL

I already think the #3776 series is a great pen - they are solid, reliable, super comfortable pens that perform well as daily users. The Celluloid Koi is gorgeous, if you want to take the 3776 Century up a notch. The downside is the price - it's high.

I received this pen on loan for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion. The pen has since been returned to the company.