October 4, 2024

Pens by Platinum

The three big fountain pen makers in Japan are Sailor, Pilot, and Platinum.

Platinum is the one I know least about. I heard about a pen of their called the 3776. I didn't know why a pen should be called by a number, but then I learned that this is the elevation of Mount Fuji in meters.

Platinum 3776 on Ebay

Platinum 3776 Sansui Maki-E

I found one of these on Amazon being sold and shipped from Japan for about half of what they sell for in reputable shops in the US. The listing said: 
Platinum 3776 Century Sansui PNB-30000B 84-2 Fountain Pen, F, Fine Point, Dual Use Type, Genuine Import
It has a 14K gold nib and Platinum's slip/seal cap that seals for up to 2 years.

Urushi art is a lacquer process using sap from the Urushi lacquer tree. Maki-E is a technique that uses sprinkled gold powder along with painting. This pen uses masks to put the art on the pens rather than hand painting, which makes them "affordable" at a $400 price. If they were hand painted the price would probably be $1000 or more.

Sansui is a Japanese style of painting landscapes. It literally translates to "mountain water".

Feedback? Questions? Drop me a line!

Tom's Pen Info / [email protected]