Deals

Speaking some days ago about my experiments swapping nibs and feeds between a Platinum and a Nakaya I said I had to speak about its economic aspects. So, here I go.

The two nibs.

The basic facts are these:

Price in Japan of the cheapest Nakaya (celluloid): JPY 36750
Price supplement in Japan of the Nakaya music nib: JPY 10500
Price in Japan of the Platinum 3776 with music nib: JPY 15750
Price in Japan of the Platinum 3776 with a non-music nib: JPY 10500

A Nakaya in red lacquer with its original soft-fine nib.

The numbers are easy to add:

Option one:
Celluloid Nakaya with music nib: JPY 47250

Option two:
Celluloid Nakaya: JPY 36750
Platinum 3776 with music nib: JPY 15750
Total: JPY 52500

The Platinum 3776 with its original Platinum nib.

In the second case, those extra JPY 5250 buy an additional nice writer with a Nakaya nib. The main inconvenient? Having a Nakaya with a Platinum-engraved nib, and a Platinum with a Nakaya engraving. Is it so grievous?

A Platinum with a Nakaya nib.

These options make sense in the case we could not find a Platinum music nib and feed sold as separate parts. The alternative is to look in the second hand market for a used Platinum music nib pen. But I have rarely seen any of those for sale.

The decision, of course, is on the side of the buyer.

Platinum Celluloid pen with music nib. This one belonged to Leigh Reyes, whose picture I gratefully acknowledge.

All these considerations did not make sense some months ago, when the Platinum 3776 in celluloid with music nib was still in the market for JPY 31500. That is no longer the case. Was it a case of direct competition within the same company?

(Pilot Custom 74 music nib – Sailor Red Brown)

Bruno Taut
(Inagi, August 22, 2010)
[labels: plumín, Platinum]