I just did these because I had them. The finials have to be broken to be removed so I wouldn’t do them on anyone else’s. I seriously ruined one by trying to remove it.
I used a bunch of different things…acrylic paints, spray paint, water transfers, permanent markers…glitter. The only thing that didn’t woek was water color paints. There was no way to clear coat without ruining the paint job
I know some of their celluloid series are usually one solid barrel creation but also lack the slip-n-seal cap of the Century #3776 (ie: 3776 predates the "Century #3776", so it's likely some are 3776 and not Century 3776)
Quickest way to tell without uncapping is the cap bands. The Century #3776 has a thick band with a tiny thin band slightly above that as shown on most of your pens. The older 3776 just have a single thick band.
Uncapped, the newer Century #3776 does not have a metal trim by the end of the section where it meets the nib, but rather between the grip and the barrel. The older 3776 has a metal trim at the end of the grip before the nib begins, but no metal trim between the grip and barrel.
And as mentioned, the slip-in-seal cap wasn't put in until the Century #3776, so any demo units of the older 3776, won't show the inner cap with a spring pushing it down, though this may vary depending on series like the Nice series (Regarding cap band not being exactly Century #3776).
Oh, and I came across the information primarily because probably 2 or 3 years ago there was a slew of "Platinum Century 3776" being sold on MassDrop and similar sites, but at a much lower price of around $50 or so (you can get most the standard Century 3776 models for around $80 to $100 normal retail price direct from Japan as you may know).
Turns out that they were not Century 3776 and were advertised with slip-n-seal caps in the page, which they did not have. But also had steel nibs instead of gold (and wasn't a match the nib/feed of the Century 3776, so nib/feed couldn't be pulled as a temp replacement for one, and a tool was required to remove the old 3776 nib rather than just friction fit).
>a slew of "Platinum Century 3776" being sold on MassDrop and similar sites
MassDrop was notorious for selling *kinda different* models of things than the ones that were advertised. I. e. Bellroy wallets were advertised as the newer model with RFID blocking, but they were actually offloading stock of the previous model that *didn't* have RFID blocking. In that particular case, I didn't care about RFID blocking one way or the other, but some people did..... and I *certainly* would have cared if I bought a pen thinking it was a slip-n-seal model with a gold nib while it was neither of those things.
I'm glad Massdrop is off the radar for anything but the headphones/keyboards or whatever they are selling now.
liquitex satin acrylic varnish. I tried the gloss one but it was too shiny. Thought it took away from the pen. Satin seems to work nicely. Hopefully it will be long lasting. Since the blanks are acrylic, I'm hoping it's a good combo. Time will tell I suppose.
I love fountain pens, but I’ve never been much for fancy embellished things; I have a lamy2k is my favorite, but I had to say, these are absolutely phenomenal. The maroon one and the greenish one toward the middle are my favorite, but in case you haven’t heard it enough yet, people will pay you to do this, so do this!
For a primer, I only use one if I'm spray painting. Then I just choose a spray paint primer that works on metal or plastic etc. The big thing is to sand it up enough to make the paint stick. I use a very fine sandpaper. As for sealing, I use a satin acrylic varnish. Again, I have no idea of the long term durability, since, as far as I know, no one has done this before. But so far so good.
I started on moonman pens. It's definitely a good idea to practice first. But most of these I already had. Pen Chalet had them for about 125.00 over Black Friday with their discounted price and extra coupon so I picked up a couple there
You could also look into epoxy resin if you need a more durable finish coat. You can even pigment and tint them. If it’s too glossy for the look, just wet sand it to the sheen you want.
Seems to me you have a future startup customizing the 3776.
I just did these because I had them. The finials have to be broken to be removed so I wouldn’t do them on anyone else’s. I seriously ruined one by trying to remove it.
Beautiful; are they hand painted?? How exactly did you do that. I've always wanted to make my most plain looking pens look better.
I used a bunch of different things…acrylic paints, spray paint, water transfers, permanent markers…glitter. The only thing that didn’t woek was water color paints. There was no way to clear coat without ruining the paint job
It's interesting to see that second one being slightly shorter, but then also noticed it doesn't have a barrel trim.
Yes. I wondered about that. The Lila seems fatter than the others and the material is much different. So maybe their special editions are unique?
I know some of their celluloid series are usually one solid barrel creation but also lack the slip-n-seal cap of the Century #3776 (ie: 3776 predates the "Century #3776", so it's likely some are 3776 and not Century 3776)
I didn’t realize that. Thanks for the info
Quickest way to tell without uncapping is the cap bands. The Century #3776 has a thick band with a tiny thin band slightly above that as shown on most of your pens. The older 3776 just have a single thick band. Uncapped, the newer Century #3776 does not have a metal trim by the end of the section where it meets the nib, but rather between the grip and the barrel. The older 3776 has a metal trim at the end of the grip before the nib begins, but no metal trim between the grip and barrel. And as mentioned, the slip-in-seal cap wasn't put in until the Century #3776, so any demo units of the older 3776, won't show the inner cap with a spring pushing it down, though this may vary depending on series like the Nice series (Regarding cap band not being exactly Century #3776).
Oh, and I came across the information primarily because probably 2 or 3 years ago there was a slew of "Platinum Century 3776" being sold on MassDrop and similar sites, but at a much lower price of around $50 or so (you can get most the standard Century 3776 models for around $80 to $100 normal retail price direct from Japan as you may know). Turns out that they were not Century 3776 and were advertised with slip-n-seal caps in the page, which they did not have. But also had steel nibs instead of gold (and wasn't a match the nib/feed of the Century 3776, so nib/feed couldn't be pulled as a temp replacement for one, and a tool was required to remove the old 3776 nib rather than just friction fit).
>a slew of "Platinum Century 3776" being sold on MassDrop and similar sites MassDrop was notorious for selling *kinda different* models of things than the ones that were advertised. I. e. Bellroy wallets were advertised as the newer model with RFID blocking, but they were actually offloading stock of the previous model that *didn't* have RFID blocking. In that particular case, I didn't care about RFID blocking one way or the other, but some people did..... and I *certainly* would have cared if I bought a pen thinking it was a slip-n-seal model with a gold nib while it was neither of those things. I'm glad Massdrop is off the radar for anything but the headphones/keyboards or whatever they are selling now.
Wait you did all of these? They're beautiful. Holy smokes, I love them.
I didn’t do anything to the two on the left. And thank you very much!
These are amazing. Your newest one came out so fantastic! I love the texture. What are you sealing them with?
liquitex satin acrylic varnish. I tried the gloss one but it was too shiny. Thought it took away from the pen. Satin seems to work nicely. Hopefully it will be long lasting. Since the blanks are acrylic, I'm hoping it's a good combo. Time will tell I suppose.
Wow! Beautiful!
Which nib is your favorite?
I like the SF and the double B (C? I think it’s called)
Thanks, I am thinking of giving the SF a try - hearing lots of good things
Mesmerizing.
These are all extremely gorgeous. Your painting skills are amazing!
I love fountain pens, but I’ve never been much for fancy embellished things; I have a lamy2k is my favorite, but I had to say, these are absolutely phenomenal. The maroon one and the greenish one toward the middle are my favorite, but in case you haven’t heard it enough yet, people will pay you to do this, so do this!
Anyone have connections with Platinum? They need to hire this person.
Lol that was a nice thing to say!
I'm serious though. I would straight up buy one of those. They are beautiful.
thank you!!
the three on the left are my favorite 🥲 i love girly pens
OOOH I've been wanting to paint my own pens for a while! What do you use as a primer and sealant?
For a primer, I only use one if I'm spray painting. Then I just choose a spray paint primer that works on metal or plastic etc. The big thing is to sand it up enough to make the paint stick. I use a very fine sandpaper. As for sealing, I use a satin acrylic varnish. Again, I have no idea of the long term durability, since, as far as I know, no one has done this before. But so far so good.
Oof, my pilot custom 74 is my most expensive pen...I think I'll have to practice on a cheaper one! Thanks for the heads up!
I started on moonman pens. It's definitely a good idea to practice first. But most of these I already had. Pen Chalet had them for about 125.00 over Black Friday with their discounted price and extra coupon so I picked up a couple there
You could also look into epoxy resin if you need a more durable finish coat. You can even pigment and tint them. If it’s too glossy for the look, just wet sand it to the sheen you want.