@@rdb9936 I would pick any of the Japanese pens with a fine nib. Their very fine lines seem to work very well for people who write small. Also an ink that dries fast should help.
I have a blue 3776 with a C nib, and Pilot 74 MS nib. I’m sold on Pilot Custom F pens. The Platinum is wonderful writing, smooth, lots of ink flow, but not a fire hose. I’d buy another (in another color of course) without hesitation if they had a nib I wanted. Pilot Custom 74, 742, 743, 912 have a large range of different nibs. Great selection IMO. The thing that sells me on Pilot Customs that puts it over the top is the CON70 converter. Love the push button on the CON70, and the slightly more ink capacity. Cleaning CON70 converters is way easier with an ink hypodermic needle. Squirt water behind the “rubber” piece in the converter a couple of times, and boom, the converter is cleaned. Of course you still have to clean nib & feed, but for folks not liking the con70 to clean, it’s almost easier than those twist style ones. Hate those, they feel so cheap, and clumsy. My .02 cents only, which doesn’t even add up to .01 cent on converter preference 😉. Thanks Mick for the review and your opinion too 👍😎
For Japanese pens, I consider Pilot the Honda Accord over the Platinum Toyota Camry, and I'm a Honda man. I argued with myself for three months over these two pens and ultimately ordered the smoky grey Pilot filled with Asa Gao. I also have a lovely E95S and, of course, a few Metros. My next one will be the amber Custom 823, my grail pen.
This was definitely a very pertinent face-off between two excellent and very comparable fountain pens. I have both of them; four 3776s though. Unsurprisingly, then, I choose the Platinum. The 3776 has far more variety in color, finish, nib sizes. The celluloid ones are amazing. The Custom 74’s M nib is great and I enjoy it a lot. But I like my many other Pilot pens even more than the 74 (the 92, 912, 823, 845)...And I have four different nibs on my quartet of 3776s: M, B, C, Music. Couldn’t be any happier with the pen.
I personally prefer the shape and performance of my #3776, but I've been falling more and more in love with my fine nibbed Custom 74. However I just got a Pilot Custom Heritage 912 with a soft medium nib and I'm pretty sure it's my favorite pen. Just as you said the soft aspect of it is not flexibility, but more of a cushion that adds a lot of luxury feel to the writing experience. I absolutely adore the nib, so I can see why you chose it over the #3776. I own 3 of the Platinums but only because of the awesome variety of their nib options. I have a soft fine, a medium, and a music nib. The soft fine is my least favorite, but I still really enjoy it.
They’re also both around the $176 mark (USD, that is) and they’re both “entry level” gold nibs, they’re both cartridge converters. The Platinum is the Pilot of its brand and vise versa.
I am firmly in the Pilot camp. I do have a couple Platinums, but Pilots just suit me better. I have contemporary gold-nib Pilots, but vintage ones I just adore. They are not exactly flexy, but more bouncy and I enjoy writing with them. I keep my eyes open and since I don’t mind doing cleaning/restoring I can get them relatively cheap if I buy enough to combine shipping from Japan to the US.
I own 2 (red & blue) 3776s, bought a couple years ago new for $100 USD each, delivered (honestly, it simply took some diligent shopping). Theb, a woman with incredible penmanship told me to try a Custom 912 with FA nib. WOW! I now own 11 Pilots of varying sizes and ages, and simply do not even look at any other Japanese brand. (OK, I do look at Namiki Emperors, but not because I can afford them.) And I put a CON70 converter in every one which will fit (some of the vintage pens are too small/short). I consider it the best converter made by anyone.
This is EXACTLY what I did: my first "next level" pen was a TWSBI 580, and more recently, my first ever gold nib pen was that same Chartres Blue Platinum 3776. I feel a bit like a cliche now, ha ha.
Since I have both, YES the Pilot is definitely the better pen - at least for me, since it is long enough for me. The Platinum is just a little bit to short for me, to be used unposted. And the decent softness makes also a better nib.
And for me, it’s because of the thing that others complain about the most: the feedback of the nib. I love it. The same reason I’m fond of Aurora and Sailor nibs over anything else. Though all three (Platinum, Sailor and Aurora) are unique and different from one another.
Very interesting. I think I'd favor the 3776, although I enjoy both pens very much and like to have both in my collection. I agree that the nibs feel very different and that ought to be how one chooses a preference. I really like the feel of the Platinum nibs, but I have them in medium and up, with broad being my favorite. So, they are stiff but also smooth. Good idea not to use the CON-70 in the Custom 74--somehow I had not even thought of that. That being said, you're right--Pilot needs to address the weaknesses in all their converters. Another reason I prefer the 3776.
Thank you for your views on these pens. I once had a Pilot Custom 92 with a (B) nib (closely related to the 74) which wrote beautifully. Their nibs truly have something special.
I would be interested in this comparison between Pilot and Sailor. I will check out your channel and see if it already there. Thanks for the informative and fun video!
Thanks for the video - great comparison. I have exactly the same Platinum 3776 Broad and was wondering if they are too similar, so I have not yet bought the Pilot. You convinced me though that they are different enough so I will look out for one for my next purchase.
Maybe I missed it in the video but you commented on the shortness of the converter compared to the Custom 74 but that pen can fit the con-70 which pretty much fills up the full body of the pen.
Holistically, I love the 3776...for nib, I agree with Pilot being the winner. Unfortunately, I lean toward aesthetic...so much so that I want to commission a pen for my pilot falcon nib. I just can't get passed the disappointment with the body materials. Luckily, I have that option. Thanks for the comparison! Definitely echoed many of my observations!
I always thought the P74's body material seemed a little more robust. The 3776 felt like it could be more prone to crack - even if it wasn't true, it felt that way to me.
I have both with the same nibs as you have. My broad platinum nib is a bit stub like which I find interesting but the C74 medium is a great nib. Thanks
You will have to try a new Pilot Con 70 converter with metal agitator above the black plug (?) . According to Brian Goulet you can’t disassemble the new con 70 for cleaning but you don’t need to. Also the pressure is softer.
I just discovered that the CON 70 changed too, as a result of Brian Goulet's video. It turns out that a Pilot 912 I purchased last fall has the newer CON 70N in it. Who knew? This may be why I was having trouble filling it. Still not my favorite converter, but I haven't tried to clean it out yet, so we'll see. I'd like to see Pilot improve on the CON 40 now.
@@marilyngardner4269 I’d always stick with the con70 because of its larger ink capacity. I don’t think you’ll have problems with cleaning due to the way Pilot has located the agitator. It can clean the upper parts of the converter so you don’t have to pull it apart.
@@marilyngardner4269 True. That’s the reason I’d pay the extra for a metal Falcon over the non-metal version. Long term the metal Falcon is better value in my humble opinion.
I have both of these pens and my choice is the 3776 by a small margin. agree with you on the pilot converters. Sailor converters could also be improved. If I had to choose among the big 3 of Japanese pens, Pilot would have my vote as a brand, but my Sailor King of Pen is my favorite pen.
Fascinating video I’m more torn between the 2 makes. Our tastes are different. Love the Platinum #3776 comfort, love the ink sealing system and for me the Soft Fine is a wonderful everyday Flexi nib. I find Pilot a far less comfortable writer. The Con 70 is a challenging converter but infinitely better than Sailor’s converter but yes I agree Platinum does it best. Here’s the thing, overall Pilot have I think the very best nibs. My music nib Pilot is in a league of it’s own. If there was a “best in show “the Pilot Music Nib would win it every time even against vintage nibs. Their FA flex nibs are also knock out. Yet I reach for Platinum far more than any other pen I own.
I have three of the #3776 and one of the Custom 74, and although I like them I don't really use them. I much prefer the Platinum President with a broad nib and the Custom 823 with a medium nib, and I think if you can afford them they are better long term options. Looking at my inventory list I have four Sailor, five Platinum, and twelve Pilot. Since I just ordered a Custom 743 last night I'd say that Pilot is my favorite brand in Japanese fountain pens, lol. Oh, and I agree about the converters and wish that all three companies would go to international versions, but I doubt that will ever happen.
@@theoffstageme Agreed Mick! I have the amber and smoke and I was trying to find the clear with an FA nib but no such luck. That's why I ordered the Custom 743 with a #15 FA nib from Japan. Thanks for the video.
I couldn’t choose between the two so I bought both !
Which do you prefer?
@@rdb9936 I prefer the Pilot 74 as a great writer but the 3776 in Chartre Blue is the more beautiful pen.
@@ginopagnani7286 what would you recommend for a lefty underhand writer with relatively small writing?
@@rdb9936 I would pick any of the Japanese pens with a fine nib. Their very fine lines seem to work very well for people who write small. Also an ink that dries fast should help.
I have a blue 3776 with a C nib, and Pilot 74 MS nib. I’m sold on Pilot Custom F pens. The Platinum is wonderful writing, smooth, lots of ink flow, but not a fire hose. I’d buy another (in another color of course) without hesitation if they had a nib I wanted. Pilot Custom 74, 742, 743, 912 have a large range of different nibs. Great selection IMO. The thing that sells me on Pilot Customs that puts it over the top is the CON70 converter. Love the push button on the CON70, and the slightly more ink capacity. Cleaning CON70 converters is way easier with an ink hypodermic needle. Squirt water behind the “rubber” piece in the converter a couple of times, and boom, the converter is cleaned. Of course you still have to clean nib & feed, but for folks not liking the con70 to clean, it’s almost easier than those twist style ones. Hate those, they feel so cheap, and clumsy. My .02 cents only, which doesn’t even add up to .01 cent on converter preference 😉. Thanks Mick for the review and your opinion too 👍😎
CON-70 is the answer. I have it with my c74, and it hold a ton of ink.
For Japanese pens, I consider Pilot the Honda Accord over the Platinum Toyota Camry, and I'm a Honda man. I argued with myself for three months over these two pens and ultimately ordered the smoky grey Pilot filled with Asa Gao. I also have a lovely E95S and, of course, a few Metros. My next one will be the amber Custom 823, my grail pen.
If Pilot is an Honda Accord, than the Platinum is Mazda miata, affordable but thrilling sports car.
And Sailor is the Lexus sedan. 🙂
This was definitely a very pertinent face-off between two excellent and very comparable fountain pens. I have both of them; four 3776s though. Unsurprisingly, then, I choose the Platinum. The 3776 has far more variety in color, finish, nib sizes. The celluloid ones are amazing. The Custom 74’s M nib is great and I enjoy it a lot. But I like my many other Pilot pens even more than the 74 (the 92, 912, 823, 845)...And I have four different nibs on my quartet of 3776s: M, B, C, Music. Couldn’t be any happier with the pen.
I personally prefer the shape and performance of my #3776, but I've been falling more and more in love with my fine nibbed Custom 74. However I just got a Pilot Custom Heritage 912 with a soft medium nib and I'm pretty sure it's my favorite pen. Just as you said the soft aspect of it is not flexibility, but more of a cushion that adds a lot of luxury feel to the writing experience. I absolutely adore the nib, so I can see why you chose it over the #3776. I own 3 of the Platinums but only because of the awesome variety of their nib options. I have a soft fine, a medium, and a music nib. The soft fine is my least favorite, but I still really enjoy it.
They’re also both around the $176 mark (USD, that is) and they’re both “entry level” gold nibs, they’re both cartridge converters. The Platinum is the Pilot of its brand and vise versa.
I am firmly in the Pilot camp. I do have a couple Platinums, but Pilots just suit me better. I have contemporary gold-nib Pilots, but vintage ones I just adore. They are not exactly flexy, but more bouncy and I enjoy writing with them. I keep my eyes open and since I don’t mind doing cleaning/restoring I can get them relatively cheap if I buy enough to combine shipping from Japan to the US.
I own 2 (red & blue) 3776s, bought a couple years ago new for $100 USD each, delivered (honestly, it simply took some diligent shopping). Theb, a woman with incredible penmanship told me to try a Custom 912 with FA nib. WOW! I now own 11 Pilots of varying sizes and ages, and simply do not even look at any other Japanese brand. (OK, I do look at Namiki Emperors, but not because I can afford them.) And I put a CON70 converter in every one which will fit (some of the vintage pens are too small/short). I consider it the best converter made by anyone.
This is EXACTLY what I did: my first "next level" pen was a TWSBI 580, and more recently, my first ever gold nib pen was that same Chartres Blue Platinum 3776. I feel a bit like a cliche now, ha ha.
Pilot 823 is not a step up from the Pilot 74. There’s the Pilot Heritage 92, the 742, and the 912. It’s more like 4 steps up.
Excellent point!
Since I have both, YES the Pilot is definitely the better pen - at least for me, since it is long enough for me. The Platinum is just a little bit to short for me, to be used unposted. And the decent softness makes also a better nib.
I have some 912's and 3776's and I have to admit that I enjoy my 3776's more, and it's all down to the nib.
And for me, it’s because of the thing that others complain about the most: the feedback of the nib. I love it. The same reason I’m fond of Aurora and Sailor nibs over anything else. Though all three (Platinum, Sailor and Aurora) are unique and different from one another.
Very interesting. I think I'd favor the 3776, although I enjoy both pens very much and like to have both in my collection. I agree that the nibs feel very different and that ought to be how one chooses a preference. I really like the feel of the Platinum nibs, but I have them in medium and up, with broad being my favorite. So, they are stiff but also smooth. Good idea not to use the CON-70 in the Custom 74--somehow I had not even thought of that. That being said, you're right--Pilot needs to address the weaknesses in all their converters. Another reason I prefer the 3776.
Thank you for your views on these pens. I once had a Pilot Custom 92 with a (B) nib (closely related to the 74) which wrote beautifully. Their nibs truly have something special.
I love my Custom 74. I'm a fan of Pilot nibs. Whenever I try out a 3776 the nib seems very stiff.
I would be interested in this comparison between Pilot and Sailor. I will check out your channel and see if it already there. Thanks for the informative and fun video!
Thanks for the video - great comparison. I have exactly the same Platinum 3776 Broad and was wondering if they are too similar, so I have not yet bought the Pilot. You convinced me though that they are different enough so I will look out for one for my next purchase.
Maybe I missed it in the video but you commented on the shortness of the converter compared to the Custom 74 but that pen can fit the con-70 which pretty much fills up the full body of the pen.
Holistically, I love the 3776...for nib, I agree with Pilot being the winner. Unfortunately, I lean toward aesthetic...so much so that I want to commission a pen for my pilot falcon nib. I just can't get passed the disappointment with the body materials. Luckily, I have that option. Thanks for the comparison! Definitely echoed many of my observations!
I always thought the P74's body material seemed a little more robust. The 3776 felt like it could be more prone to crack - even if it wasn't true, it felt that way to me.
i realize it is kinda randomly asking but does anybody know of a good place to stream newly released series online?
@Wyatt Zain i watch on FlixZone. Just google for it =)
@Wyatt Zain i watch on Flixzone. Just search on google for it :)
Use the con-70 with the Pilot! It's meant for the Custom series.
I have both with the same nibs as you have. My broad platinum nib is a bit stub like which I find interesting but the C74 medium is a great nib. Thanks
You will have to try a new Pilot Con 70 converter with metal agitator above the black plug (?) . According to Brian Goulet you can’t disassemble the new con 70 for cleaning but you don’t need to. Also the pressure is softer.
I’d prefer they just sort out the twist converters
I just discovered that the CON 70 changed too, as a result of Brian Goulet's video. It turns out that a Pilot 912 I purchased last fall has the newer CON 70N in it. Who knew? This may be why I was having trouble filling it. Still not my favorite converter, but I haven't tried to clean it out yet, so we'll see. I'd like to see Pilot improve on the CON 40 now.
@@marilyngardner4269 I’d always stick with the con70 because of its larger ink capacity. I don’t think you’ll have problems with cleaning due to the way Pilot has located the agitator. It can clean the upper parts of the converter so you don’t have to pull it apart.
@@MrAndrew1953 Yes, but I still have Pilots that don't take the CON 70.
@@marilyngardner4269 True. That’s the reason I’d pay the extra for a metal Falcon over the non-metal version. Long term the metal Falcon is better value in my humble opinion.
It’s been a while since I brought a new pen. I’m leaning towards a Pilot... the problem is, I’m reluctant to buy into another proprietary pen🥺
I don’t know if you are aware of this but Platinum makes an adapter allowing the use of Standard International cartridges in their pens.
great comparison, thanks for sharing
I have both of these pens and my choice is the 3776 by a small margin. agree with you on the pilot converters. Sailor converters could also be improved. If I had to choose among the big 3 of Japanese pens, Pilot would have my vote as a brand, but my Sailor King of Pen is my favorite pen.
Oh, I absolutely want a King of Pen. That nib is unbelievable
@@theoffstageme , it really is something special and now there are so many more versions than basic black.
Fascinating video I’m more torn between the 2 makes. Our tastes are different. Love the Platinum #3776 comfort, love the ink sealing system and for me the Soft Fine is a wonderful everyday Flexi nib. I find Pilot a far less comfortable writer. The Con 70 is a challenging converter but infinitely better than Sailor’s converter but yes I agree Platinum does it best. Here’s the thing, overall Pilot have I think the very best nibs. My music nib Pilot is in a league of it’s own. If there was a “best in show “the Pilot Music Nib would win it every time even against vintage nibs. Their FA flex nibs are also knock out. Yet I reach for Platinum far more than any other pen I own.
I have three of the #3776 and one of the Custom 74, and although I like them I don't really use them. I much prefer the Platinum President with a broad nib and the Custom 823 with a medium nib, and I think if you can afford them they are better long term options. Looking at my inventory list I have four Sailor, five Platinum, and twelve Pilot. Since I just ordered a Custom 743 last night I'd say that Pilot is my favorite brand in Japanese fountain pens, lol. Oh, and I agree about the converters and wish that all three companies would go to international versions, but I doubt that will ever happen.
Thr Pilot 823 is one of the greatest pens on the market.
@@theoffstageme
Agreed Mick! I have the amber and smoke and I was trying to find the clear with an FA nib but no such luck. That's why I ordered the Custom 743 with a #15 FA nib from Japan. Thanks for the video.
Interesting to see such similar pens.