Platinum #3776 Bourgogne Review
Introduction
Bourgogne, a region in France famous for its idyllic landscapes, stews and wine. So? How does this region have a relationship with the #3776? A good question and one I guess has more to do with the colour rather than its culinary delights. Bourgogne translates to burgundy in English, which just so happens to share the same colour as the #3776 and the aforementioned wine. Having said that, Platinum also pays homage to a number of French regions, drinks and so forth with other pen models.
Aesthetics
This pen's design will divide opinions; on one side you have the demonstrator posse and on the other? Well, you have the more classically-minded conservative folk who probably feel that anything other than a black pen is too adventurous! But I feel that both sides will agree that this pen deserves its rightful title of next level pen.
Let’s look at the pen. It's finished in a semi-translucent dark red resin and is adorned with gold trim. There’s a real marriage between classical design in the cigar shape with a more contemporary demonstrator look and it’s this fusion that I particularly enjoy. Now if we uncap the pen, we are presented with a very sleek nib design, featuring a stylised image of Mount Fuji around the shoulders and the company branding. It’s here that I feel you know this pen means business! This nib certainly impresses with its visual stylings. Sure, it’s no Montblanc or Pelikan, but its modern approach certainly does not disappoint.
Now, are there prettier pens at this price point? Well, that’s always a tough question to answer. Partly because 1, we are now in what one would consider a higher price tier and this is where personal opinions will become more apparent and 2, there’s not a whole load of gold-nibbed pen options either.
So from my viewpoint, yes there are prettier pens, but this pen really balances style, practicality and reliability all into one and it’s the practicality and reliability I want to talk about next.
Practicality
The pen is neither small nor big and I like that; in fact, I love this pen size a lot. Weighing in at just over 20g and a section diameter of roughly 11mm I feel this pen will suit the hands of many. Of course, if your hands are particularly large, this may not be your cup of ink. But of course, for the masses, this pen will be a comfy writer. On top of all this, you can post the cap and have the choice of cartridges or converters. Unfortunately in the UK, converters are not shipped with the pen and this is a slight point of contention, especially for a pen that costs this much!
Writing
In terms of writing and drawing with this pen, you’re either going to love it or hate it. There’s no getting around the fact that a UEF nib won’t be for everyone, but if you have particularly small handwriting or you’re an artist, I feel this is a pen worth your while. Why? Well, the nib is exceptionally well-tuned and the line consistency is fantastic. Yes, the pen is slightly on the drier side, but one can expect that with such a fine nib. This does have its obvious advantages, in that you have a much wider choice of papers to write on. The only downside is that you won’t really enjoy shading inks quite like you would with a wider nib.
In regards to the flexibility of the nib? Don’t even bother! This is stiffer than a set of nails made out of tungsten, reinforced with steel. But there is hope! Platinum does a soft fine and medium nib for all you flexy writers out there.
Still, I love how much control I have with the nib and I adore how thin the line looks with the art I’m working on. Would I be crazy for asking for a 0.1mm nib? Maybe, but that would be my dream!
Afterthoughts
As always, my thoughts are my own and not influenced by others! And of course, you’re free to disagree or agree with my overall thoughts.
The pen is wonderfully presented with its gift box and I feel this will be the first thing that will strike you if you’re upgrading from a LAMY safari.
So, what do I make of this pen? I love it; I think this pen offers a lot for its money. Despite that, it doesn’t come with a converter! Which is unforgivable! However, it more than makes up for that loss with the gain you get in control with writing and it really holds its own in the price bracket of Rs23,699 to Rs47,398.
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