Another Music Nib

Ah, the fascination for the third tine…

Today’s pen is a so far unknown model. We can date it, however, to have been made in the second half of the 1970s. The actual production dates are April of 1977 for the nib, and May 16 of 1977 for the body.

Its inlaid nib certainly reminds of a good number of units present in some Custom and some Elite (::1::, ::2::) models, but this pen carries no inscription on the actual model name. Anyway, this three-tined ni bis particularly interesting and unusual due to its inlaid geometry. It is made of 18 K gold.

As for the filling system, this pen uses Pilot cartridges (single spare) and converters –CON-20, CON-40, CON-50. Converter CON-70 does not fit in the barrel.

These are the dimensions of the pen:

Length closed: 135 mm
Length open: 121 mm
Length posted: 150.5 mm
Diameter: 13.5 mm
Weight: 17.2 g (dry, with CON-50)
Ink deposit: between 0.4 ml (CON-40) and 0.9 ml (cartridge)

Pilot Muy-701 – Montblanc White Forest
Bruno Taut
Shinjuku, Oct 16th 2016
etiquetas: Pilot, plumín, plumín musical

On #3776 Nibs

This is a Chronicle with a lot of pics…

The Platinum #3776 series of fountain pens is an old one. Its first model was launched by 1978. It was a very characteristic ribbed design made by Haruo Umeda. The last models are called #3776 Century, and have little resemblance to those initial models, although Platinum keeps a ribbed design in its catalog.

Along this thirty-something years of history, the basic components of the pen –nib and feed—have seen some changes in their design.

The early models, (between 1978 and some time in the early 1980s) had very cylindrical nibs and ebonite feeds. The first year model had a feed with no fins at all. There were also music nibs associated to these pens, but they are not covered on this text.

Nib and feed of a Platinum #3776 from 1978. Note the ebonite feed.

The feeds of these early models changed quickly. By the second year, they had implemented some fins.

Later on, the nib became flatter on the top area, but there were few, if any, changes on the ebonite feed. This detail changed at some point (when?) and from then on all Platinum feeds have been made of plastic.

Nib and feed from 1984. The nib is obviously flatter on top while the feed is still made of ebonite.

Nib and feed from 2002. The nib is apparently identical to the previous one (1984), but the feed is now made of plastic.

Nib and feed from a #3776 Century. Labeled as manufactured on November of 2011. Note the shorter nib and the very specific feed. Needless to say, it is made of plastic.

The latest version of the #3776 is named Century and was launched in 2011. On this newer edition, two-tine nibs (i. e., non music nibs) changed with respect to previous models. Now they are shorter than before, and the feed had been modified to anchor the nib on the right position.

On the left, a music nib of a #3776 Century, dated on 2012. On the right, a music nib of a #3776 of 2009. The feeds are identical. The nibs, almost identical...

Music nib and feed of the Wagner 2015 pen. Note the absence of holes in the tail of the nib.

These changes, as I said, did not affect the three-tine music nibs. In some occasions, some gold was removed from the tail of the nib –that area hidden under the section--, but is also seems not to be always the case. The feeds of these music nibs are more cylindrical in shape and have no fixed position for the nib.

Two and three tine nibs dated in 2009 and 2010. They were interchangeable in their sections. I am well aware that the two tine nib is a Nakaya, but Nakaya implements #3776 nibs.

A side effect of these differences between the feeds is their incompatibility—now, the sections of music nibs are specific for them and cannot implement regular two tined nibs. And conversely—a regular nib section cannot be equipped with a music nib (and feed). This exchange was possible in pre-Century #3776 Platinum pens.

Now the reader can extract his own conclusions about Nakaya nibs.

Ban-ei, black urushi – Pilot Blue

Bruno Taut
Nakano, September 16th, 2016
labels: plumín, plumín musical, Platinum

Wagner 2015

The Platinum 3776 Century is the current best selling fountain pen in Japan. It is, by now, a well known product even outside of Japan—a balance model made of plastic, cartridge-converter filling system, 14 K gold nib. All these characteristics are common among the direct competitors: Pilot Custom 74 and Sailor Profit (1911) Junior.

Platinum 3776 Century.

Pilot Custom 74.

Sailor Profit (1911 in some markets) in size Junior. The nib on display is not the original.

This success, though, might have come with a curse. Platinum has hardly introduced any new model recently, and its marketing strategy seems limited to making small variations of the success model. And there is more…

Platinum 3776 Century of the Fuji lakes series. In particular, this is the model dedicated to lake Shoji.

Platinum, as many other brands, is open to taking orders for personalized products. The Wagner Pen Club, in Japan, contacted Platinum in 2015 for the creation of the pen to commemorate its 10th anniversary.

The commemorative pen of the 10 years of the Wagner Pen Club.

The result was a 3776 Century in transparent green plastic. However, there is nothing on the pen revealing this otherwise obvious origin. All the inscriptions on it have changed. On the cap-ring it just says “WAGNER 10th”. On the nib, “2015 / WAGNER / 10th / Anniversary”.

The inscription on the cap-ring reads "WAGNER 10th".

The nib also carries its specific decoration. The inscription says “2015 / WAGNER / 10th / Anniversary”.

There were two possibilities for the nib: a music nib –115 units— and a soft fine –130 units. They were numbered separately.

These pens are numbered. There are 115 with music nibs, and 130 with soft fine nibs.

So, all in all these pens are somewhat different from any of the variations of the 3776 Century… but it is still a 3776 Century.

Two 3776 Century, after all.

My thanks to Mr. Shimizu.

Platinum 3776 Century, Wagner 10th anniversary – unknown ink

Bruno Taut
Shinjuku and Nakano, September 2016
etiquetas: mercado, Japón, Platinum, plumín musical

Singing Bird

The Birdie was an inexpensive fountain pen made by Pilot in the 1980s.

In a nutshell, it is an all metal pen, stainless steel, with a plastic gripping section and a steel nib. Its filling system is by Pilot cartridges and it also admits the use of the CON-20 bladder-type converter.

The stainless steel nib in point F. It was manufactured on May of 1981.

The main characteristic of this pen is its very small size—thin and short. And simple too: the cap friction fits both the section (closing the pen), and the barrel (posting it). The later configuration is very nicely designed—the barrel becomes thinner to allow for a smooth fit a clean look.

These are the dimensions of the Pilot Birdie (1981):

Length closed: 110 mm
Length open: 105 mm
Length posted: 129 mm
Diameter: 9 mm
Weight: 12.9 g (dry, with converter)

The stainless steel nib is not particularly interesting. It is just functional and efficient, boring until we discovered there was a three-tined music nib, untipped, implemented on the Pilot Birdie.

On top, the cap posted on the barrel. Note the alignment between both pieces. On bottom, the music nib, the section, and the single spare Pilot cartridge. On this pen, made in April 1982, the clip is marked with the model name: Birdie.

And then, the boring and efficient Pilot Birdie became a very exciting pen.

The untipped three-tined music nib.

As can be seen on the pictures of this text, there were several variations along the history of this model. The dimensions stated on this text correspond to the model issued in 1981. The model with the music nib was made in 1982 and its ends are not flat.

My thanks to Mr. Niikura.

Sailor pocket pen, 21 K – Daiso Black cartridge

Bruno Taut
Madrid, November 28th, 2015
etiquetas: Pilot, plumín, plumín musical

Music Evolution

The current Pilot model Custom in the all-too-well-known balance shape, so dear to Montblanc, has its starting point in modern times in 1983. In that year, to celebrate its 65th anniversary, the 65th anniversary model was released as a limited edition, This pen was designed, Masa Sunami says, following the style of some Pilot models from the 1930s, although some might insist in the German-copy theory.

Pilot Custom 65th, released in 1983. 6500 units were marketed.

Two years after those 6500 units, in 1985, Pilot launched the non-limited Custom 67. This newer model preserved the shape and dimensions of the previous model while simplified the cap ring. The nibs of these two pens were identical and, in actual terms, they are number 5 nibs (Pilot numbering) albeit without that label. Size 5 nibs, let us remember, are those of the current models Custom 74 and Custom Heritage 92, plus that of some low-end maki-e models branded as Pilot and as Namiki.

Pilot Custom 67, from 1985. Of course, a cartridge-converter pen.

Custom 74 (top) and Custom 67 (bottom), side by side.

Both Custom 67 and 74 implemented three-tined music nibs. They are apparently identical, but a careful inspection of their points reveals a clear change. On the older nib, made in 1989, the tipping material is smoothly integrated in the nib, and creates no apparent ball at the end. In this regard, this nib unit is closer to that of the Custom Grandee (1978). The nib of the newer Custom 74, on the contrary, displays an wide plateau that sticks out of the nib on the writing area.

The music nib of the Custom 67.

Feeds are also different: the newer unit implements and internal channel for ink and air that does not exist in older feeds by Pilot.

On the left, music nib of the Custom 74. On the bottom, that of the Custom Grandee. On the right, the Custom 67.

Therefore, the apparent similarities should not confuse us. There is always room for changes and innovations. In this particular case, the looks of the tip and the writing feeling on the hand are much closer to those of the Custom Grandee released in 1978, with which the nib has no resemblance.

My thanks to Mr. Noguchi.

Universal, music nib – Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown

Bruno Taut
Nakano, July 13th 2014
etiquetas: Pilot, plumín, plumín musical

German Music

The pen of the day is not Japanese, but German. In fact, it is a full fledged Montblanc in its biggest and more representative model—the 149. But this is not any 149, and to see that we only need to check the truly amazing nib.

A regular Montblanc 149?

Its three-tined music nib is a bespoke unit ordered by the proud owner. It was commissioned to Montblanc Hong-Kong, which was cheaper than its Japanese counterpart. The order took two months to be completed and delivered.

A 18 K gold nib. On the side it reads "Handcrafted". By hand-really?

Now, is it just a three-tined nib? Not so easy. On the reverse side, we can see up to five tines separated by four slits. All in all it is a very wide, 6B, stub nib with a complex slit structure. Exquisite work.

The back of the nib shows a more complex structure than just those three tines visible on the front. Please, excuse the out-of-focus picture.

This nib proves Montblanc could make actual working fountain pens instead of mere symbols of status. But they do not come cheap.

My thanks to Mr. Suzuki.

Pilot Custom 74, music nib – Pilot Black

Bruno Taut
Yokohama, February 3rd, 2014
etiquetas: Montblanc, plumín, plumín musical

Universal (Japan)

Music nibs are rare finds in the wild, save for the obvious exception of those currently on production. From a purely statistical consideration, those we could find should mostly belong to those made by any of the big companies. But it is also known that minor companies also manufactured three-tined music nibs.

But nobody seemed to know anything about a pen brand called Universal. It seems, in fact, to be a very normal pen, boring and uneventful… until open.

The pen barrel in engraved with the company logo and the brand name: "UNIVERSAL".

Then, the nib this pen sported made the difference. It is a three-tined music nib made of steel. It is not, though, a refined product. It implements a big iridium point underneath that does not seem very finely cut. The filling system is aerometric.

These are the dimensions of the pen:

• Length closed: 134 mm
• Length open: 114 mm
• Length posted: 145 mm
• Diameter: 11 mm
• Weight: 11.6 g (dry)

The nib shows the company logo plus the word "Iridosmin".

The pen logo, a World globe with some additional decoration to its sides, resembles that of Platinum before 1969. However, there are no records showing Platinum using the name Universal for its pens.

In the West, a similar logo and the name Universal belong to an Italian company founded in 1956 in Torino. This company sells its products under brand names Carioca and Corvina, but no fountain pens seem to have been ever made by it. So, the questions about the Japanese brand Universal remain unanswered.

My thanks to Mr. Shimizu.

Pilot jumbo with Tsugaru-nuri maki-e decoration – Pilot Blue

Bruno Taut
Machida, January 4th, 2014
etiquetas: Universal (Japón), plumín, plumín musical, Platinum, Universal (Italia)

Family Portrait (VI)

I will be a bit narcissistic today and will show my collection of music nibs. All of them are Japanese.

Clock-wise from the top, these are the pens:

At 12 o’clock: Pilot Super 200 made in 1962. Hose filling (quarter-switch) system. 14 K gold nib.

Pilot Super 250, E model, made in 1967. Hose filling (quarter switch) system. 14 K gold nib.

Pilot Custom Grandee made in 1982. Cartridge-converter. 14 K gold nib.

Pilot Custom 74 made in 2010. Cartridge-converter. 14 K gold nib.

Twsbi Diamond 530, red, with a Kubo Kohei’s nib in size 2. Piston filler. Steel nib. This is a “frankenpen”. Twsbi does not sell music nibs for its pens. The best we can get are italic nibs.

Platinum P-300 made in 1969. Cartridge-converter. 18 K gold nib.

Platinum pocket with wingflow nib, made in 1978. Cartridge. 14 K gold nib.

Platinum 3776 in celluloid (calico pattern) made in 2009. Cartridge-converter. 14 K gold nib.

Platinum 3776 Century, made in 2012. Cartridge-converter. 14 K gold nib.

For this list, I have purposely ignored the music nibs currently made by Sailor in 14 K gold and steel. Those have failed in attracting my attention and their writing was never very pleasant. But Sailor, nonetheless, had manufactured three-tined music nibs in the past. The current Cross-music nib, by nibmeister Nagahara, is a totally different animal.

All these nibs, save for those currently on production, are rare finds in the second hand market. Rare, however, only means that it takes longer to find. Collecting has a lot to do with being patient.

Parker 51, octanium nib – Pilot Blue

Bruno Taut
In flight over Europe, November 13th, 2013
etiquetas: Pilot, Platinum, nibmeister Kubo Kohei, plumín, plumín musical, Sailor, estilofilia, Twsbi