Cheap Pen, Expensive Pen: Platinum Edition

Hey Pen People!

Ever wonder if those super expensive versions of your favorite cheap pen really live up to the hype? Check out my new series: Cheap pen, expensive pen, where I go over all the fine (and extra fine) details.

Today’s pens are the Platinum Preppy and the Platinum 3776 Century. Can a 6USD pen triumph over something 20x more expensive, or will the golden rule win out?

I’m also doing a drawing that uses both pens. Can you guess which parts use the expensive pen, and which parts use the cheap one?

Here is a link to the 3776

And you’ll find the Preppy here:

Both pens are filled with Platinum Carbon Black ink:

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Contents:
00:00 Intro
00:48 Pen Features Compared
16:15 Test Lines
22:31 Guess which pen?
23:03 Drawing Sample
26:48 Final Thoughts

[zinncomicsandart]

I have a platinum pen that I bought in 2017 and I don't really like how it draws, it's a medium nib and just not my thing, BUT it's had the cartridge in since I bought it and it still writes just fine as of January 2024 ...

[kbastean]

Love the video and Platinum! I use my preppy as a sacrifice to Platinum Carbon Black and it is wonderful. Not sure how I would feel putting that ink in a expensive pen.

[limmoblack]

On my Preppys ive put brass/copper plumbing fittings on cap and body to help stop them cracking, also gives a bit of weight to the body.

[cubwidow]

I converted my Preppy <F> to an eyedropper and use it with Bay State Blue to write checks and address envelopes because it’s waterproof. I think the nib is remarkably smooth, and impressed me right out of the box. I’ve hesitated to buy a more expensive Platinum because there are many complaints about feedback or “tooth” when writing. I’d need to try one before taking the leap.

[shirleyhiggins]

I have both of these platinums too, luckily I bought my 3776 Century UEF nib a few years ago for about £50 and I use it with the carbon ink and have only just had to give it a clean through after all this time and it starts great. Once I realised how expensive the 3776 was now I bought the Preppy to take outdoors with me....but I love my 3776 and I bought it to use it so I filled my preppy with a water soluble grey ink and I take both out with me packed securely in my sketching pouch 😊

[pg]

FYI: I just picked up a converter from Amazon for the Preppy for $6.97. That basically doubles the price of the pen, but at about $13-14 all-in, it's not a bad deal.

[adrianmuino]

Hi, super nice drawing!
I also like the chart and the comparison. In fact I have it in Excel and it is my way to rank pens.
I really like the idea of having really good pens at affordable prices, but also understand that sometimes the extra cost is not only due to marketing and profit but invested in materials and process.
Let me suggest to include a column about how well it writes, that at the end of the day IMO is an important "feature" of every pen.

[arcboy]

Just got a Platinum Preppy and was quite impressed with how smooth the nib was out of the box. It was definitely smoother than a Pilot starter nib like a Kakuno. It was smoother than my Muji Schmidt nib. It rivals the Lammy Safari nib but $20.00 less. Really happy with it and no hard starts so far.

[ingrown-toenail-]

I concur: I have each pen and my Preppy goes around in my bag while the 3776 stays home. Even though the 3776 has a better nib and higher build quality I reach for the Preppy because of the pop cap, too.

[seagrif]

Are both pens 2mm? One thing I've seen in other reviews is that the extra fine Preppy is more dry, and that the 3 and 5mm are much wetter and draw better lines.

[ichirofakename]

Fancy pens are definitely more pleasant to use – if you notice it. When I'm drawing I get so focussed on the results that I forget about the pen after a minute or less. In terms of results, I defy any one to see any difference. So for me fancy pens are really a luxury item that I can't justify the price of. However I didn't learn this fact until after I had climbed the pen ladder quite a ways, as I've always had more money than talent, and wanted a better pen if it would result in better drawings. Well, it doesn't. Everything I've ever drawn I could have done with two Jinhao 82's, an extra fine and a fude.

[Cortesevasive]

3776 is a very robust pen, no need to care for it. Maybe the gold plating comes off but thats it.

There are prettier Preppies. The ones with kimono deco on them are barely a couple of euros more and look gorgeous (IMO). I had my preppies for 2 years now, not one crack or issue so far. I don't like those blue and gold pens, they look like some ancient lawyer next to retirement would keep in their office for the sake of looks. IMO the Preppy & Plaisir are the best pens from Platinum, I love their caps and how they write. They never dry up or get clogged... I do resent Platinum's prices for their converters. It's like €8 for a pen and another €8 for a converter... WTF But at least they're excellent quality. Unlike Pilot....