Product Description
Type Fountain pen
Product Name Marked 3776 on the cap band, predates the 3776 Century.
Manufacturer and Year Platinum, Japan -- early 2000s, based off the of the feed style. There's a warranty card where it says "This is pen #45 of 200" and is signed Ron "Dutihen" or "Dutchen".
Length 5-3/8"
Filling System Platinum cartridge or converter fill. A converter is installed.
Color Gold maki-e, with landscape artwork - mountains over water, with a red sun. We believe that this pen was originally a basic black 3776, but then the owner sent it to someone to have the maki-e treatment applied to it. Additionally, the cap and barrel both have black finials. Platinum does produce maki-e 3776 pens, but they feature a cap without a cap band, and the maki-e work extends over the whole surface. The trim is gold-plated.
Nib 14k Music Nib. Smooth and juicy.
Condition Excellent condition in box. Some of the ends of the barrel threads are chipped on the section side; the cap screws on and off cleanly in spite of this. No cracks or major scratches. There are some slight "flaws" in the maki-e treatment, especially along edges where the protective coat of urushi is uneven, or perhaps the masking wasn't quite perfect. The nib collar looks great, no corrosion. The clip is perfect, no brassing or plating wear.
The cap band looks like it has brassing and plating wear, but that might actually be an artifact of less-than-perfect masking during the decorative process. If the metal portions weren't securely covered, some of the gold leaf or urushi could have creeped in under the mask. (It's the same thing that happens when applying paint to walls and little blobs of paint seep under the tape if it's not pressed down evenly. )
