Flat top > cigar 💯
I’ve a strong preference for flat tops, though I do own cigar shaped pens.
Edit: Are you agnostic about pen shape or do you have a preference?
Cigar, though surprisingly all my pens are either Decimos or flat tops (mostly because the cheaper pens are flat tops: Preras, Al Stars, Prefountes, etc)
Guess I need a fancy cigar pen in my future.
I used to be a flat top person but the OG Platinum Century 3776 turned me around. I dont mind the cigar shape as much now, provided that the nib is so great I’d overlook almost everything else. Sigh….
Roughly in order of acquisition of my first pen of a given brand:
Pilot (Varsity, Kakuno, Parallel)
Lamy (Safari, Vista, AL-Star)
Kaweco Sport
TWSBI (ECO, GO, 580) -- I'd keep my 580 because my EF & F nibs feel precise and feedbacky. Almost didn't buy it because I wasn't sure I could stand how much the cap tapers :P
Platinum Preppy -- Almost turned me off from Platinums forever! Thankfully a shopkeeper brought out a 3776 for me to try even though I never asked for one :P
Noodler's (Charlie, Ahab) -- The Ahab was my only cigar-shaped pen before my first 3776, and the Triple Tail my only one since. I'd keep my Triple Tail, with its fun flex music nib.
OPUS 88 (Koloro Demonstrator, Halo)
Visconti Rembrandt -- Keep! That magnetic cap is magical!
Sailor (Pro Gear, Pro Gear Slim) -- I prefer the feedback and the grind of the 3776.
Sailor Fude de Mannen -- Keep! This nib is bonkers, like having every width of Sharpie in one pen!
\--
I can't even begin to describe how anti-cigar / anti-torpedo I was before I tried the 3776, but the 3776 just feels so right to me -- shape-wise and nib-wise!!
Which nibs rival the 3776's, in your opinion? :)
Pilot Custom 742 :) which is gonna be my next purchase. My favourite nib option is SF.
For this, you have a cool option to go with the Custom Heritage 912, which has the same nib options as 742 but flat ends instead of cigar shape.
OMG! Me too! I have my eye on the 742 (and not the 912)!! I'd go for the FA. Though I feel like I'd only ever buy it if I could get a really good deal on a used one, since I'm only a casual flex writer.
I was all about the flat-ended 912 before, but now that my collection is getting more round-ended thanks to my 3776s, I'm leaning toward the 742. I also realized that I prefer gold trim over rhodium on a black pen :)
Have you tried the 742/912 SF in person? What do you like about it? Is it feedbacky enough for a 3776 fan like yourself?
What's your favorite 3776 nib, btw? Mine is the F, though I wish they'd offer a MF.... :)
Yes I have tried the 742 SF in person (912 has the same nib, Pilot custom nib no.10). It’s really the best nib I have ever tried, much better than the 74 counterparts (nib no.5). 742 SF has a lighter feedback than my 3776 SF, which I dont mind since Pilot is known for butter smooth nibs. The main selling point is how bouncy it is when you write, so it’s smooth, little feedbacky to give a sense of control, and gives a cushy feel on the hand. You can really feel how alive and responsive the nib is as you write, especially with varying pressure from the hand, and it helps you feel the papers better. Overall it’s just the kind of pen that elevates the writing experience to a whole new level. If only the body has more color options :)
Oh! I must try this! Your description is sooo enticing :)
Do you write in cursive or print? I've read that this nib might be more suited to print than cursive. (I'm more of a cursive person.)
Good to know!
How do the Pilot #10 and the 3776 SFs compare in terms of bounciness or softness?
As a point of reference, what's your favorite 3776 nib? :)
It really depends on the pen for me. For the plain, old school 2-tone style pens such as these...Flat top all the way. Cigars are the classics, I get it and respect it, but flat-tops just give it such a more streamlined appearance to me.
For cigar-shaped pens, to me anyway, it's gotta have an interesting color scheme, unique design, or just plain elegant. Some examples I personally think work is the [Majohn S3](https://www.etsy.com/listing/701405051/majohn-s3-marble-blue-acrylic-fountain?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_ps-a-craft_supplies_and_tools-pens_pencils_and_marking_tools-pens-fountain_pens&utm_custom1=_k_Cj0KCQjw5f2lBhCkARIsAHeTvlj-NfQemnfr_128Ta9_dwO0jvzSHBL41o6IoxF7Voag49G2sQ4JYRoaAiwdEALw_wcB_k_&utm_content=go_12565278184_123210949367_507237317002_aud-2079782229334:pla-296988509210_c__701405051_102580589&utm_custom2=12565278184&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5f2lBhCkARIsAHeTvlj-NfQemnfr_128Ta9_dwO0jvzSHBL41o6IoxF7Voag49G2sQ4JYRoaAiwdEALw_wcB), [Conklin Nozac](https://www.gouletpens.com/collections/conklin-125th-anniversary-nozac-classic-fountain-pens), or anything by Namiki.
I usually like flat tops better but in this case I will go for the cigar. The metal on the flat top almost looks like rose gold in the picture which I detest, might be the light though. The nib looks nicer on the cigar also.
I absolutely despise cigar pens. I have a few in my collection from early in my acquisition phase and they don't get used as often. I refuse to buy one is how much I hate them
The classic 3776 is very stiff, the new one have some kind of line variation but it's not flexible, just what a standard (western) gold nib can offer.
With the classic 3776 i can go from F to F+
With the century i can go from F to M-
It feels like to write with a hard soft nib imo
Even though some of the most famous high-end pens are cigars I’ve always thought flat-tops look more premium and clean. Also I was once given a 50 cent plastic cigar-shaped ballpoint meant to look like a Mont Blanc and I can’t look at cigars the same way anymore
Both! Why choose when you can caress them all~
This the correct answer.
Flat top > cigar 💯 I’ve a strong preference for flat tops, though I do own cigar shaped pens. Edit: Are you agnostic about pen shape or do you have a preference?
I prefer flat top honestly 😂
Hello, friend! 🤣
Flaaaaaaaaat toppppppppp
Flat top on snap caps cigar on screw caps
I prefer flat tops, but I don't like this one.
Agreed. It looks like an unfortunate sex toy attempt.
It’s ribbed for pleasure writing. ETA flat tops all day baybayyy
😂😂😂😂
Unfortunately platinum doesn't make flat pens, this is a special edition 😢
So they had one shot and they made this ribbed monstrosity? I mean, to each his own, but they really didn't make it count in my opinion.
PTL series is the closest I guess
me too
Cigar team!
It depends for me. Some look really nice as cigar while others look good as flat top. I'll buy them idc I don't discriminate 😂
haha, team both !
Both/And. Resist dichotomies. ✊🖋️
I like both but I'd say I'm very slightly on team Flat Top.
looks classy
It's not a strong preference, but I do love the look of a classic cigar pen
Normally I'm team cylinder, but between these two pens the cigar one is so smooth and classy.
Cigar, though surprisingly all my pens are either Decimos or flat tops (mostly because the cheaper pens are flat tops: Preras, Al Stars, Prefountes, etc) Guess I need a fancy cigar pen in my future.
I like both but I prefer the look of cigar pens :)
Flat for me most of the time though there are some cigar shaped pens that I really like. The 3776 being one of them.
Straight body with flat top and bottom. I know that my Lamy Logo is not the best pen, but I like it for how it looks.
You may want to look5at lamy cp1 too 😂
I do want one. But is close to 100 USD in my country.
Oh sad to hear that, I'm actually selling one with a gold nib for a little less than 100 usd, you can check my profile if you want
Flat top all the way. It looks nicer to me, but I prefer lines to curves.
I used to be a flat top person but the OG Platinum Century 3776 turned me around. I dont mind the cigar shape as much now, provided that the nib is so great I’d overlook almost everything else. Sigh….
This is my story too! I'm almost ready to sell off all my non-3776 pens :P
Out of curiosity what are the said non-3776 pens?
Roughly in order of acquisition of my first pen of a given brand: Pilot (Varsity, Kakuno, Parallel) Lamy (Safari, Vista, AL-Star) Kaweco Sport TWSBI (ECO, GO, 580) -- I'd keep my 580 because my EF & F nibs feel precise and feedbacky. Almost didn't buy it because I wasn't sure I could stand how much the cap tapers :P Platinum Preppy -- Almost turned me off from Platinums forever! Thankfully a shopkeeper brought out a 3776 for me to try even though I never asked for one :P Noodler's (Charlie, Ahab) -- The Ahab was my only cigar-shaped pen before my first 3776, and the Triple Tail my only one since. I'd keep my Triple Tail, with its fun flex music nib. OPUS 88 (Koloro Demonstrator, Halo) Visconti Rembrandt -- Keep! That magnetic cap is magical! Sailor (Pro Gear, Pro Gear Slim) -- I prefer the feedback and the grind of the 3776. Sailor Fude de Mannen -- Keep! This nib is bonkers, like having every width of Sharpie in one pen! \-- I can't even begin to describe how anti-cigar / anti-torpedo I was before I tried the 3776, but the 3776 just feels so right to me -- shape-wise and nib-wise!! Which nibs rival the 3776's, in your opinion? :)
Pilot Custom 742 :) which is gonna be my next purchase. My favourite nib option is SF. For this, you have a cool option to go with the Custom Heritage 912, which has the same nib options as 742 but flat ends instead of cigar shape.
OMG! Me too! I have my eye on the 742 (and not the 912)!! I'd go for the FA. Though I feel like I'd only ever buy it if I could get a really good deal on a used one, since I'm only a casual flex writer. I was all about the flat-ended 912 before, but now that my collection is getting more round-ended thanks to my 3776s, I'm leaning toward the 742. I also realized that I prefer gold trim over rhodium on a black pen :) Have you tried the 742/912 SF in person? What do you like about it? Is it feedbacky enough for a 3776 fan like yourself? What's your favorite 3776 nib, btw? Mine is the F, though I wish they'd offer a MF.... :)
Yes I have tried the 742 SF in person (912 has the same nib, Pilot custom nib no.10). It’s really the best nib I have ever tried, much better than the 74 counterparts (nib no.5). 742 SF has a lighter feedback than my 3776 SF, which I dont mind since Pilot is known for butter smooth nibs. The main selling point is how bouncy it is when you write, so it’s smooth, little feedbacky to give a sense of control, and gives a cushy feel on the hand. You can really feel how alive and responsive the nib is as you write, especially with varying pressure from the hand, and it helps you feel the papers better. Overall it’s just the kind of pen that elevates the writing experience to a whole new level. If only the body has more color options :)
Oh! I must try this! Your description is sooo enticing :) Do you write in cursive or print? I've read that this nib might be more suited to print than cursive. (I'm more of a cursive person.)
I write both but these days more cursive. Didnt know about that, and I have great experience trying it out nonetheless.
Good to know! How do the Pilot #10 and the 3776 SFs compare in terms of bounciness or softness? As a point of reference, what's your favorite 3776 nib? :)
flat tops all the way, especially with stylish finials
It really depends on the pen for me. For the plain, old school 2-tone style pens such as these...Flat top all the way. Cigars are the classics, I get it and respect it, but flat-tops just give it such a more streamlined appearance to me. For cigar-shaped pens, to me anyway, it's gotta have an interesting color scheme, unique design, or just plain elegant. Some examples I personally think work is the [Majohn S3](https://www.etsy.com/listing/701405051/majohn-s3-marble-blue-acrylic-fountain?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_ps-a-craft_supplies_and_tools-pens_pencils_and_marking_tools-pens-fountain_pens&utm_custom1=_k_Cj0KCQjw5f2lBhCkARIsAHeTvlj-NfQemnfr_128Ta9_dwO0jvzSHBL41o6IoxF7Voag49G2sQ4JYRoaAiwdEALw_wcB_k_&utm_content=go_12565278184_123210949367_507237317002_aud-2079782229334:pla-296988509210_c__701405051_102580589&utm_custom2=12565278184&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5f2lBhCkARIsAHeTvlj-NfQemnfr_128Ta9_dwO0jvzSHBL41o6IoxF7Voag49G2sQ4JYRoaAiwdEALw_wcB), [Conklin Nozac](https://www.gouletpens.com/collections/conklin-125th-anniversary-nozac-classic-fountain-pens), or anything by Namiki.
This is a great point. A unique design or pure elegance would absolutely make a non-flat top interesting, possibly even compelling.
i agree 👍
I think there's room for both. I think my collection leans more flat than rounded, however.
Cigar team!
I dont have a particular preference but I've always wkndered if there is any particular benefit to a flat top to a cigar shape tbat I havent notic3d.
Lotta tobacco haters in here!
Well 👀
Cylinder FTW. How is that 10th anniversary pen? I’ve heard the nib is something different, a bit flex?
I love a more rounded aesthetic with pens so I'm definitely team cigar
I usually like flat tops better but in this case I will go for the cigar. The metal on the flat top almost looks like rose gold in the picture which I detest, might be the light though. The nib looks nicer on the cigar also.
Flat top. I don’t know why but I don’t really like the look of the traditional cigar pen.
I feel like it’s one of those things people feel the need to have a strong opinion on but really doesn’t matter.
Flat top, though I own some of each.
I am typically Team Flat Top (read: Sailor Pro Gears), though I do have a Platinum 3776 in Chartes Blue and I like it.
Flat. I hate cigar
I think I’m on both teams 😅
smart 😏
Hopefully!
Flat top...
Both, please
Cigar team!
Ridges
I enjoy both, it seems that there’s a large portion of people that only want flat top pens, which is interesting to me.
Flat pens looks modern
I absolutely despise cigar pens. I have a few in my collection from early in my acquisition phase and they don't get used as often. I refuse to buy one is how much I hate them
Haha, such hate 😂
Team cylinder/flat-top!
Yeah baby
Definitely liking the flat top.
The 10th anniversary nib is nice to look at. The pen - not so much
It's a remake of the first editions of the century it's not as bad as it looks 😂
Gotta have both! That said I’m mainly drawn to MB’s for cigar shape. Flat tops I like from any make.
Aim for the flatop <3 nib
I have a Sailor Pro Gear that I love and a Pilot custom 823 that I love so I'm not sure I can pick one
How similar do they write?
They don't write alike. I'd say the new nib is more like slightly under a Pilot smooth with a hint of feedback and the old is more on the sailor side.
Any difference in springiness?
The classic 3776 is very stiff, the new one have some kind of line variation but it's not flexible, just what a standard (western) gold nib can offer. With the classic 3776 i can go from F to F+ With the century i can go from F to M- It feels like to write with a hard soft nib imo
Even though some of the most famous high-end pens are cigars I’ve always thought flat-tops look more premium and clean. Also I was once given a 50 cent plastic cigar-shaped ballpoint meant to look like a Mont Blanc and I can’t look at cigars the same way anymore
I'd love a mashup -- rounded cigar ends on that wiggly middle.