Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Sakura Pigma Holder Review

The sign of a great product is when its users can overlook one significant flaw and still sing its praises. I love the Sakura Pigma Micron, and many consider it the best marker on the market. Deservedly so. The only negative I can find with the Micron is with the barrel design, where a very sharp edge for the cap connection lands right in the middle of your grip.

There are plenty of ways around this issue. Grip it lower. Grip it higher, cover it in tape. Any of those options work well for those who use this pen regularly. But what if there were an accessory that could eliminate that issue, while allowing the pen to retain its ultimate usability?

Enter the Sakura Pigma Holder.

Barrel sleeves and grip upgrades have grown in popularity over the years. Usually, they are produced by secondary companies-not the original manufacturer-to add a benefit, or correct an issue, that the original product has. You see these products show up as simple pencil extenders, gel pen grip replacements, or full barrel jackets. The Sakura Pigma Holder is the latter.

This three-piece sleeve fully covers a Sakura Pigma Micron marker. The aluminum barrel fits over the top of the Micron barrel, with a slightly tapered and ridged grip section screwing into the sleeve over the existing grip section. The existing cap and clip is fully replaced by the lipless snap-cap of the holder.

In use, it feels fantastic. The grip section is far superior than the original, and, despite adding width, I don’t feel it makes the pen too wide to use-especially for finer tip widths which require more control. It helps that the barrel sleeve itself is lightweight.

The full cap replacement is good, but not great. You lose the clip, which is replaced by a roll stop … for ants. It’s so small it provides almost no benefit-any momentum will send the pen rolling. Also, if you plan on swapping pens in and out of the holder, you need to keep the original cap handy to snap back on the pen for storage. Try to remember where you put it!

The biggest question the Sakura Pigma Holder asks is: how much are you willing to pay for a barrel upgrade for a $2.50 pen? If you answered $29, well, you are in luck! That’s what it sells for, and to me, it feels like about $15 too much. If you are the biggest Sakura Pigma Micron user in the world, how many are you going to buy? One, at great cost, to test out and see what you think. Enjoy it, and then what? Buy two more, which puts you $90 deep into marker sleeves? It’s a tough sell.

One seems fine. I enjoy the shiny Chrome model I have, but in retrospect, I think I would prefer one of the matte models, like Graphite. I keep my favorite Size 03 Black Micron loaded and ready, and enjoy the user experience. I’m just not as bullish on the cost.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on May 23, 2022 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Sakura Pigma Micron, Pen Reviews.

Platinum 3776 Century Carnelian Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The Platinum 3776 is one of the fountain pens that is recommended wholeheartedly by almost everyone who has used one. You can always find them at pen shows, most retailers carry them, and they have a large following that are more than eager to talk about their Platinum 3776 or let you try one out. It's completely inexplicable how I haven't owned a 3776 until now.

The Platinum 3776 in Carnelian is a stunner. I mostly associate the 3776 with the classic demonstrator acrylic and rhodium trim, but this sparkly red colorway is really exciting to me. Despite the flashy exterior, the pen is the same classic that many people love. It's lightweight, but feels solid and strong in the hand. The nib is springy and soft, but it draws a really crisp and clean line. This pen is so balanced in every way that it's just so easy to love.

The model I have features a 14k gold soft fine nib, which means it's a fine nib with a little extra flex and give when you apply a little pressure to the downstroke. It's a delightful nib, and I've really loved using it so far. If you've used a Platinum nib before, then you know that you can expect a solid, reliable performance that just gets out of your way while you use the pen. The 3776 is no different, but it's just a little more pleasant to use due to the softer 14k gold material.

Like other Platinum nibs, this one is also equipped with the system that keeps the nib from drying out while capped. A lot of pens start to dry out after a few days or weeks, meaning you have to scribble a bit to get the ink flowing again. With the Platinum, you can pick it up after months of storage and expect it to write immediately — no skips, stutters, or blotches. In my experience with a few other Platinum steel nib pens, the performance lines up to the marketing with no problem.

Since I went with the soft fine for this 3776, there's a lovely bit of flex in the nib when writing. It's not really noticeable when writing normally (and I typically use a moderate pressure when writing), which is great because you can only flourish your handwriting with variable line width when you consciously choose to. That said, your mileage will vary — especially if you use more pressure when writing in general. Even if you don't get this nib for the optional flex capabilities, the springy feel is totally worth it. It feels like you're writing on a cloud, but the lines are somehow incredibly crisp (I imagine writing on a real cloud would be a feathery, blotchy, bleeding mess).

This pen has been on my desk since I unboxed it. When I'm not using it and enjoying the great writing experience, I like having it on my desk as an interesting object that catches my sight. I love how the bright rhodium finish of the nib, internal hardware, and external trim contrast with the deep transparent red and shimmery bits inside the acrylic material. I'm a big fan of classic clear demonstrators as well — and I'll probably add one (more likely a few) to the collection — but this pen just looks so darn good. The red tint and sparkly bits mean that you can't see fingerprints that well — something that demonstrators usually have a hard time with.

The pen comes with a cartridge and a cartridge converter. This is a great thing that every pen manufacturer should do — especially when they use a proprietary cartridge fitting. The inking and cleaning experience is on par with every other high quality pen I've used. It just works and doesn't cause a fuss.

In terms of size, it's fairly average. It's about as long as a Lamy Safari/AL Star or a Pilot Custom 74. To me, the Pilot 74 is the direct competitor to the 3776 in a lot of ways. Gold nibs, rhodium trim, fun color options, cigar style barrel shape, and price.

The Platinum 3776 Carnelian version is $200 regardless of which nib option you pick. This is the lowest price point you can probably find for a rhodium trim model. You can save a few bucks if you go with a gold trim model, but not enough to really factor in to the budget decision. If you're looking to get into the 3776 ballpark at the most affordable end, this is the one.

After using this 3776 for a few weeks, I can whole-heartedly add my endorsement and praise to the existing choir that already exists in the pen realm. This is a fantastic pen that really holds its own against pens that cost a lot more. It's a solid workhorse that also looks fantastic and feels great — all without being too expensive. If you're in a position to try one out or add one to your collection, go for it!

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on May 4, 2022 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Platinum, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Hinze Pen Company Autumn Leaves Fountain Pen Review

Pen shows serve a multitude of purposes for a multitude of people. For me, I get the opportunity to meet the people behind the scenes and learn their stories. As the years go by, I’m able to witness first hand how they grow, change, and adapt to the current stationery landscape.

I first met Jim Hinze of the Hinze Pen Company at the 2018 Arkansas Pen Show. I enjoyed talking with him, learning about his company, and seeing his wares. We’ve stayed in touch at various pen shows over the years, including a Meet the Makers panel that we both participated in for the online edition of the 2020 Detroit Pen Show.

Hinze Pen Company Autumn Leaves Fountain Pen

I hadn’t seen Jim in person for years, so seeing what he has been up to during my time at the 2022 Atlanta Pen Show was a priority. I was duly impressed with the depth and breadth of the Hinze Pen Co. product lineup in Atlanta, and hearing Jim - and yes, you too Francisco - get excited to tell me about ALL THE THINGS was a great experience.

Building a pen like their Autumn Leaves fountain pen is an experience in itself. The material was made exclusively for Hinze by Diamoncast, one of the more popular pen blank makers currently on the market. And the model I was provided for this review includes a matching nano-plated clip and nib to complete the full Hinze experience.

One thing I learned in talking with Jim in Atlanta is don’t you dare say the word “anodized” when referring to his colored nib and clip choices. The nano-plating process is stronger and more durable than anodization, giving those parts a more durable finish for daily use. Obviously if you get a nib grind on one of their colored nibs you will see through the coating, but for for non-modified use, the coating will remain consistent and strong.

The shape of my Autumn Leaves pen is called B24, which features a straight barrel, with a slight taper running the length of the pen from tip to tail. The grip section is a traditional slightly-concave shape, which is comfortable to hold, and the cap finial features the Hinze Pen Co. logo. The B24 is a well-balanced overall, although posting, while possible, is not advised due to the added length. Hinze Pen Co. offers a huge range of pen shapes and styles, so you are certain to find a shape to your liking.

It would have been easy for me to pick an orange ink to use with this pen, but I opted for an equally as complimentary bright purple with Bungubox Imperial Purple. It’s a great match to this material, which also features a nice range of blues and greens. It may be called Autumn Leaves, but this is a year-round material.

Looking at the Hinze Pen Co. lineup as a whole, you quickly realize that if you have an idea, then Jim and his team can help you execute it to perfection. Material, hardware, story - they have you covered. But did you know that Jim Hinze is the maker’s maker as well? Through his work, he machines many of the tools that other pen makers use to make their own products. How cool is that? Not only does Hinze Pen Co. make great pens for us, they make things for other makers, too.

So yeah, count me as a fan. Shocker, right? Cool pens, cool colors, cool hardware, cool people … what more can you ask for? Good price, too! The base Autumn Leaves pen is $209, with a $20 upgrade for the nano-plated nib (in a wide variety of colors, btw.)

My thanks to Jim and his team for providing this pen for review (and giveaway tomorrow!) If you happen to be at the Chicago Pen Show this upcoming weekend, be sure to swing by and check out their goods.

(Hinze Pen Co. provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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