RG III // Platinum #3776 Century Fountain Pen Nice [REVIEW]

Platinum 3776 Fountain Pen – Nice (Rose Gold Trim)
F nib, 14k rose gold
$156.4USD (Engeika  – shop now closed) or $200USD (jetpens)
Currently Inked:  Iroshizuku Kosu Mosu (bright pink!)

Happy Holidays! And hello to the last review of 2018! Really wanted to slip one in there before the end of the year and before I start off the new year with Holiday Haul. I wasn’t going to review this one initially since it is essentially the same as my Oshino which I’ve already given my raving review for. However, the more I used this one, the more I found some subtle differences and also thought it’d be nice to take some better photos of the pen. It will be a shorter review with more images than a normal one, since at it’s heart, the pen is very similar. Here goes…

Look
Does this pen look super awesome? You bet

Just like with the Oshino, the pen is the same shape, with the accents in the same places. The tip of the cap, the base of the cap, the converter/cartridge feed and a little ring at the base of the barrel. I say ‘just like the Oshino’ but in reality, this pen was designed and produced way before. The Oshino came out earlier this year, but the Nice Rose Gold Trim came out a few years ago.  That being said, I did notice some difference in the finishing, particularly in the cap trim, where the name ‘Platinum #3776 Made in Japan’ is. On the Nice, the text is etched into the metal, whereas on the Oshino, the letters are embossed in relief, in much more detail.

After using both pretty extensively, I think I prefer the smooth finish on the plastic of the Oshino versus the Nice with the translucent ribbed barrel. It doesn’t impede my use in any way, so it’s probably just an aesthetic choice. I have heard and seen that there is a LE version of the 3776 century that has the smooth clear finish and rose gold trim AS WELL as a rose gold converter. That would be key, as the yellow gold converter does not look that pleasing in the Nice.

Nice and Oshino

The nib is just as beautiful in ever Platinum pen, this one a slim rose gold 14k nib measuring 23mm (just under an inch). I love the clean look of the nib, with minimal scroll work (don’t get me wrong however, the Pelikan nibs are still a jewel). And the heart shaped breather hole is also an instant winner. ❤

Feel
Given that the pen is so similar to the Oshino, I really expected everything to be exactly the same, minus the different feel of the barrel while using the pen. There were actually some subtle differences though, but nothing significant to make me like one over the other. I made the assumption because, why fix something when it’s already so great? If anything though, I will say that the Oshino does have some improvements over the Nice, and perhaps the conclusion should have been, if something can be even a fraction bit better, why not make it better.

click to enlarge!

 

I got an F nib for the Nice as well, and it writes just as wonderfully smooth as the Oshino. However, one difference noted is the line that comes out from this nib is ever so slightly wider. I don’t know if that is purely because the Iroshizuku ink tends to be runnier than some of the other inks I own, or that the tines in this F nib are ever so slightly further apart. Again, it’s a very minimal difference because the line is still way thinner than a western F nib would produce.

pinch em

fist grip!

Another subtle difference I noticed was the weight. The Nice is just a tad bit lighter, but it’s actually such a subtle difference it might just be in my head. It’s possible that the ribbed barrel and cap actually reduces volume of plastic, and so it does end up feeling a bit lighter.

Otherwise, I’d say the same things for the Nice; a perfectly balanced and very comfortable pen with great consistent ink flow, solidly comfortable nib with a little resistance, and a good looking demonstrator.

Value
This is definitely not a cheap pen, but also not my most expensive one either. I also did a lot of digging and searching before I found one at a price I felt I could belch out. After using it for so long, I’ve started to forget that it really is a $200 valued pen, because I really don’t treat it so well. There are some scratches on the cap already 😦

However, as with all my reviews of relatively expensive pens, I believe very much that the money I’ve invested into these two, the Nice and the Oshino, are worth it. One, because I use them almost regularly and daily for writing notes at work as well as drawing. And also because they’re so robust in quality that I don’t feel like I have to treat them with that much care. Yeah the pen is expensive and keeping things in mint condition sometimes pays off. But I’m not planning to sell these ones, and if I did, at least they’re getting plenty of mileage out of me!

Conclusion
So there’s my mini review! For a more comprehensive look on how much I enjoy the Platinum #3776 Century, see my Oshino review! Hope you enjoyed the doodles and the pics. Stay tuned soon for my holiday haul — potentially not quite as spectacular as last year’s, but still with some goodies!

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and end of year!! May your writing instruments be sharp and the ink ever gushy.