Platinum Shiun

Platinum is probably my favourite of the “Big 3” Japanese fountain pen makers. Not only do they make Nakaya, but their Platinum brand writes very similarly to the Nakaya nibs. Platinum also do some higher end Maki-e versions of their pens, some that have been lacquered with Urushi, others that have been screen printed which are slightly more cost effective.

Photo from Otaru mode

Platinum has regularly brought out limited editions of their 3776 fountain pens, with the Fuji lakes series, Nice (although I’m not sure this is limited – they are still available) having been brought out in the recent past. In 2020, they released this Shiun edition, which is part of their Fuji Shunkei series. It is supposed to represent purple clouds near Mount Fuji, which paint the area in Purple clouds.

It is a stunning edition, the purple is a dusky mid purple and the pen body is faceted, which makes it sparkle in the light. I really didn’t want to like this pen. While other Platinum limited editions are more expensive than their non-limited edition counterparts, this one is about 2-3 times a standard 3776’s price. If you thought the price might have been due to the facets, well the Rokka (from 2019) was about 2/3rds of the price of the Shiun. The Rokka was a faceted 3776 with a clear body, not purple. I’m sure there are production differences between the two that I don’t quite understand, but the price difference is noticeable.

All the same, I couldn’t help myself and picked it up – I couldn’t go past it when I saw the a video of this pen in the sunlight. Its facets really do sparkle and the purple is quite a unique colour (in my collection).

I picked this up in my normal broad and the pen writes perfectly straight out of the box. The facets are smooth and comfortable, there are no sharp edges to this pen. It has become one of my favourites in my collection – not only is it a reliable, smooth writer, but it is stunning. A real joy to use.