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The tapered barrel of the FC Model 02 "Intrinsic" is an exceptionally clever piece of design: it ensures that the cap posts deeply and securely, and makes the pen very comfortable to write with. Mine is in black an cinamaroon, so I have no intention of eye-droppering it, which means I fill it via the converter. The tapered barrel, and the very tight tolerances, mean that the converter knob sits very close to the wall of the barrel. This is all, undoubtedly, a very good thingTM. However, my pen is clipless, so between note taking, I place it in the gutter of my notebook and, because I do not always do so as delicately as perhaps I should, I noticed that occassionally as I set the pen down I would hear the knob of the converter make a clacking sound as it hit the inside of the barrel. Everything about this pen attests to thoughtful design and execution: the fit and finish is exemplary. So the sound of something rattling as I set the pen down really began to grate... My solution? Simple. A spare o-ring from my Conid, and now the pen, no matter how heavily I set it down, is completely silent! I have refilled the pen a couple of times now, and the o-ring is not in the way when filling, it just sits there "quietly" doing its job. I'm not sure if anyone else has experienced this, but I thought I would share it in case they had.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to acquire a Franklin-Christoph 40 (Panther) recently. They don't come up for sale that often, so you have have to keep an eye on the F-C stockroom and be quick! My 40 has gold-white-gold bands on the cap. From a distance, the gold is more like a subdued light brown. But when you look at it in bright sunlight, the gold sparkles and shimmers. Like most of the F-C pens, the body of the pen is made from acrylic. All the 40 models so far are in black, with the variations being the colors of the bands. I like simple, ungaudy designs, which is why both the 20 and 40 appeal to me. I love the smooth, glossy black barrels of both the 20 and the 40. The nib I choose was a Masuyama steel needlepoint. I've tried it on nice paper and $1 paper from the Dollar Store. It flows smoothly, although not as smoothly on the Dollar Store paper. On nice paper, it's a joy to write with. Here's a photo on the nice paper (F-C's own brand notepads and using plain old Parker Red ink): I also have a Franklin-Christoph 20, which I love. Here's my review of the 20 if you're interested: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/299677-franklin-christoph-marietta-20-lovely-pen/ The 20 has no threads on the barrel because it has a slip-on cap. The 40 has a screw-on cap, and so has threads on the barrel, but they are not sharp and do not bother me. The words "Franklin-Christoph 40" are etched subtly into the cap, with the F-C logo on the finial (end of the cap - sorry if you knew this, but I did not know the lingo until looking on FPN). Here's a photo comparing the two with the 40 on the top: I like the unusually long cap on the 40. It's just something different from the average shape and the color bands are a simple but effective way of adding something to the black without being too ostentatious. I've tried writing with and without posting the cap. I prefer posting the cap. The acrylic body means that the pen is not heavy and I can write without my hand becoming tired. The total cost of the pen is around $225 depending on the nib. It's more expensive than the 20, but I'm told this is due to a more difficult manufacturing process relating to the bands. I don't know which I love more, the 20 or the 40. They each have their different qualities and I'm fortunate that I don't have to choose Here's a link to the F-C site: http://www.franklin-christoph.com/view-all-fountain-pens.html I'm not paid for this review. I just love my F-C pens. They have made me enjoy writing again (who'da thought?!) and I just wanted to give something back!

Hi, everyone. I was just transferring my Lamy Dialog 3 Piano White from one storage case to another, and I noticed that the pen has got these stains running up and down the length of the body. These stains are a bit of a surprise to me since I've pretty much babied this thing and have used it sparingly. At this point, I'm thinking that the staining is something that happened while the pen was in storage in one of three Franklin-Christoph pen cases that I have and use. Attached are two photos that show the staining. I tried to rub this off with some distilled water and a microfiber cloth with the hope that the staining was just on the surface. But no dice. It looks like the stain is set in there. Questions and thoughts on this: 1. Has anybody experienced the same thing with the Lamy Dialog 3 Piano White getting easily marked or discolored or stained? If so, is there a way to get these marks off? 2. Has anybody ever experienced a discoloration or have anything happen to the surface of their pens because of being stored in a Franklin-Christoph pen case? I'm learning the hard way that I've been quite careless in how I've been storing my pens, as I was assuming pen cases to be good enough for medium to longer term storage. Thank you for your help.

Having thinned my collection with some selling on eBay I am now able to purchase a long awaited Franklin-Christoph pen. There's plenty of information on their web site but the breadth of the range and subtle differences between the various pens mean it's hard to get a handle on which one would suit. I'm based in Australia, so going to a Pen show and trying one before buying isn't an option. My pen preferences are for pens weighing 17g to 24g, not too long (a posted Lamy Al-Star is too long for me) and for F to M nibs, including stubs. Think vintage Pelikan 140/400nn or modern Pelikan 200/400. Interested in any pros and cons of these pens and suggestions as to which ones might fit the bill. Any opinions gratefully received .

Already sold out. It's an Ice blue 45 XLV model. Somehow much more expensive than the original one. https://bung-box.com/products/detail2228.html

Hey everyone! I've been checking the F-C website every once-in-a-while to see if the Model 40 Panther has come into stock yet. No luck on that yet. However, it seems that F-C has released a new color, orange, of their pocket sized notebook in a limited production run. Only 75 pieces have been made so if you're interested give it a look! http://www.franklin-christoph.com/the-stock-room.html It seems that the price is the same as the regular pocket sized leather notebooks. Notebook alone is $25.00, $31.25 with shipping in the US. Orders over $50 get free shipping so if you want to stock up on paper you can save on shipping. I'm not paid by F-C nor do I get a kickback from any sales related to this post. Just trying to do my due diligence.

Hey everyone! So I've been hunting for a new fountain pen for the last while and was recommended to look into the Franklin-Christoph offerings. One in particular caught my eye, the Model 40 Panther. On Franklin-Christoph's website it says they come out infrequently, I was hoping to acquire one due to how beautiful it looks but they are not in stock. Are they on a rotating schedule or do they only come out at random? Thanks!

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nancyolson/2018/01/30/franklin-christoph-builds-pens-with-strength-and-honor/

I love this ink, and I should have bought a second bottle when my first one leaked a little over the label on my way back to the hotel through the remnants of the 20+ inch accumulation blizzard at the memorable and thoroughly enjoyable 2015 Philadelphia Pen Show. It's a wonderful dark green that, in a fine nib can initially be confused with black. I've had no problems with vintage lever-fill pens, and it's easy to clean. I'm 3/4 of my way through my bottle, and I'd be interested in hearing about any similar inks (or mad scientist mixtures) for when it finally runs out. Thanks!

Please feel free to read my ink review: https://drpenfection.tumblr.com/post/170472057950/ink-review-franklin-christoph-ink-18-philly Also, please let me know if you have any problems with the above link. Is this inconvenient? I would appreciate your thoughts. I decided to post this on Tumbler as I thought it might be easier for photo posting. Your comments would be appreciated.

lease,allow me to start by saying thank you mmg112 for sending me samples of all new Franklin-Christoph's writing fluids (and much more!). I appreciate it a lot and I hope the reviews I've prepared are enough to repay you http://imageshack.com/a/img537/3941/5Lb5cU.jpg Franklin-Christoph is one of fairly new pen makers. I had three of their pens and they were all good writers. The company is headed by Scott Franklin and operates from North Carolina. I like company's approach to clients (sales directly to us) and they're designs. Franklin-Christoph offers not only pens but also notebooks, pen cases, wallets and inks. I was huge fan of Olde Emerald from first generation of their inks. It used to be my favourite ink for a while. At the moment however the bottle's long gone and I keep fond memories of this exceptional writing fluid. I was surprised to hear they've stopped producing first generation of their inks, especially after I took a look at new colors. First generation colors were rather unique, second generation colors are rather generic. And that's not an advantage to my eyes. Being boring in ink market may be safe when you're Pelikan or Sheaffer, but for smaller player it's risky. Just my opinion. If you happen to know who makes they're ink, I'm eager to know. The second generation of FC inks counts eight inks with uninteresting names (Black Magic, Dark Denim, Olde Emerald - those were cool names; Blue 72, Emerald 357 are NOT cool names) But then there are four new colors with cool names. Woo-hoo! Terra Firma is nice and well behaved ink. I wonder how it would like next to Montblanc's LE Leonardo da Vinci Red Chalk? Terra Firma has a matte look, which fits this color rather nicely. It shades well and performs well on every paper I tried it on. It's not extremelly lubricated but it feels nice even in finer nibs. All in all I think it's interesting addition to current F-c inks line. Ink Splash Drops of ink on kitchen towel Software ID Color Range Tomoe River, Kaweco Classic Sport, B Leuchtturm1917, Kaweco Classic Sport, B Oxford, Kaweco Classic Sport, B Water resistance

I am looking to buy a new 1.1mm nib for my Aldo Domani two tone pen. I had a Knox nib in there, but have since switched that nib out to a Jinhao X750, leaving my poor Aldo Domani with its plain old factory nib. I'm having a difficult time choosing a new nib for this pen...most of the available nibs are made by JoWo (Franklin-Christoph, Gouet Pens, Anderson Pens, Edison Pens, Monteverde) and are likely more or less the same (although I do wonder if the nibs made for F-C or Edison might be made to more exacting standards or with slightly different specs than the standard JoWo nibs), so I am not sure that spending more for a nicer looking version of the same basic nib is really worth it. Bock and Knox are another option, but the only Bock retailers that I have found are overseas and Knox nibs are a little less crisp than I would ideally like. Ideally what I want is a fairly crisp, smooth, true 1.1mm nib that also looks nice. The JoWo made nibs that I have come across are fairly crisp and smooth, but overly broad. Bock nibs are VERY smooth and crisp, but all of the ones that I have come across are overly broad (even more so than Goulet/Anderson Pens JoWo made nibs). Monteverde JoWo made nibs and Knox nibs are nice and smooth, thin writers, but not as crisp as I would like. I'm not bad at grinding and could grind a nib myself, but I am still getting this skill down, so I usually prefer a factory made stub/italic. I could also get a nib professionally ground, but I really don't want to pay $40-$50 for a nib. So, here are the nibs that I am looking at: --Goulet/Anderson Pens 1.1mm Pros: Inexpensive, nice looking, smooth Cons: overly broad (more like a 1.3mm) --Knox 1.1mm Pros: Least expensive, consistent, smooth Cons: not as crisp, only available in brushed steel --Franklin-Christoph/Edison Pens 1.1mm Pros: Nice looking, reportedly smooth and reliable, comes with nib unit Cons: more expensive, possibly overly broad --Bock 1.1mm Pros: Crisp, smoothest that I have used Cons: longer wait for delivery, only available in brushed steel, overly broad --Monteverde 1.1mm Pros: cool looking, consistent Cons: not as crisp, more expensive Any opinions on my current options or suggestions for other options that I am overlooking would be greatly appreciated. Here are some pics of my Aldo Domani (with a Nemosine 0.8mm nib)

Someone will be smacking me over the head with something.... My lovely friend, gave me samples of pretty much the whole line (I am missing three, I believe).. That was almost 6 weeks ago !!!!!... I did sample/review them approx 5 weeks ago, but I keep forgetting to post them.. I am a horrible friend... (Plus, I've been busy with Robert Oster Signature Inks.. but don't tell her that) In any case... here it goes.. Intro.. I had the pleasure to play with the following: Spanish BlueBlue 72 (What an odd name)Noir et BlueTenebris Purpuratum (what an AWESOME name)Midnight EmeraldLodenTerra FirmaDark ChocolateBlack CherryClassic Black I believe I am missing: Red 187, Emerald 357 and Brown 732…. What’s up with those names??… To start, you can call me a snob… I don’t care much for overpriced ink … those where the damn bottle seems to be more unique that the ink that is inside.. (I am looking at you Caran D’ache). So, I was quite pleased with these affordable inks… (more affordable to the US audience.. shipping is quite dear for me and anyone outside the US).... But honestly, here is perfect example that great ink with very lovely colors don’t have to be expensive. I should add a disclaimer…. I like my dark and murky colors… and this line seem to have been made for me…. They are nicely saturated and on the dark side.. All of them have sheen.. (on Tomoe of course) and they all shade beautifully. I almost can’t pick a favorite… :wub: Here you go… Red and Black Rhodia Tomoe River Conclusion.. They are not waterproof, they dry in a reasonable amount of time. Lubrication is fair… in summary they are all well behave inks. Spanish Blue: Nice fair blue. Lovely sheen. Blue 72: Too purple for my liking, but I know tons of people who like this type of blue. Noir et Blue: Ahhh YES!!!... This is a lovely blue black with a purple undertone. On wet pen it looks almost black Tenebris Purpuratum: Beautiful dark purple… if your like your purple to look almost black.. this one is for you. Midnight Emerald: Don’t bother getting the Pelikan Aquamarine… this one is as good.. and maybe even better. I will have to compare side by side. Loden: One of my all-time favorites. Is not a replacement for Olde Emerald… but is nice and dark. It reminds me of KWZI Foggy Green (which I adore!!) Terra Firma: LOVE IT LOVE IT… let me say it again… LOVE IT!!! – Is an odd dark terracotta… but is lovely… Dark Chocolate: Oh yes.. yes… come to mama… I love my dark browns. This one has no undertones. Looks black out of a wet pen. Black Cherry: Another lovely dark color. This one is darker with a tad more red than Tenebris P.… looks black out of a wet pen. Classic Black: You all know I don’t care about Black inks.. but this one is interesting. It has a mauve undertone… I don’t have Pussiere de Lune, and I wonder if this is more like a very dark Pussiere? Disclaimer: Not affiliated with Franklin-Christoph .. yadda yadda… C.

Franklin-Christoph Model 31 “IPO” through Massdrop Franklin-Christoph released a new pen model last month via an “initial public offering” exclusive on Massdrop. (www.massdrop.com) I have several Franklin-Christoph pens and greatly admire their designs, quality of materials and stellar service. The new “Model 31” appeared to have many attractive elements, and the IPO price was attractively discounted, so I ordered one. I expect it will be made available on the Franklin-Christoph web site sometime soon. I received the pen just a few days ago. I inked it immediately and have some initial impressions I will share with you. The Massdrop information about the Model 31 included an interesting description of the design, presumably provided by Franklin-Christoph: The Model 31 borrows elements from some of Franklin-Christoph’s past models, and adds a new pocket clip and a small air chamber that allows the nib to stay wet and ready to write. Its fluted section is reminiscent of the Model 40 Panther, the block threads resemble those on the Model 19, and the three cut grooves are similar to the two cut grooves on the Model 20. This new pen also has the precision posting of the Model 03, meaning that the interior of the cap has been shaped to fit with a half-inch of contact on the end of the barrel so that the posting is very secure. Let’s start by simply stating the quality of materials, fit and finish of this pen is up to the high standard we expect from Franklin-Christoph. Design is another issue, addressed below. My favorite F-C pen has been the Model 02. (I have four of them.) So, it is natural for me to compare the new Model 31 to the Model 02. They are very similar in length when capped, but the model 31 has a slightly thicker barrel without the tapered end that allows the Model 02 to post deeply. So, the Model 02 is much shorter than the Model 31 when they are posted. The Model 31 does post securely, but the balance is top heavy. I would never use it posted. The Model 02 has essentially identical balance posted or un-posted, which I like a lot. The clip on the Model 31 is Franklin-Christoph’s newer design. It’s okay, but I don’t particularly prefer it over the older clip. The model 31 uses the standard F-C assortment of #6 JoWo nibs. I ordered mine with a 1.1 mm italic. It writes a smooth yet crisp line. What is special about it is that it is inset like the nib of the Model 20. I am neutral on this feature. However, the placement and prominence of the threads on the section are a bit uncomfortable for me. They are not intolerable, just a little irritating. This is not an issue with my Model 20 or Model 02’s. Overall, I like this pen. It is a good size and shape for me. The section threads - Well, they are tolerable. It won’t displace the Franklin-Christoph Model 02 in my affections. I regard that model as a work of design genius. David

Just got in the mail today a Franklin-Christoph Pocket 66! It looks so cool eyedroppered. I got it with the Masuyama medium stub. I have the #5 version of that nib and liked it. It does not have a lot of variation but it does write nice. Maybe next time I will get the broad stub. I found I did not care for the S.I.G. nibs and the ones I tried were not much sharper then the stub version in the same size, but would sometime catch paper on me. I think that is just me not the fault of the nib. http://driften.dragonsightsoftware.com/images/F-CPocket66.jpg

My F-C Model 31 PC showed up in today's mail and I think I really like it. This set of materials is a Pen Chalet exclusive and actually has a PC engraved over the 31 on the cap. Speaking of the engraving its very finely done and nicer then on my Amber Model 45 XLV. This is my second F-C so I don't know if other solid color ones are engraved as nice. The black like my other black pens does show finger prints, but that is nothing new. I like the transparent section and final. F-C calls that bronze to be different then the smoke color used in other models. The pen is heavier and thicker then I expected and I also like that. The section is very comfortable for me. One issue is the transparent section would show ink that gets between the nib unit and section when filling the pen. When I washed it out it showed water that way so I filled the converter directly instead of doing it through the nib. Depending on the converter performance I might eyedropper fill it like I do my 45 XLV. For eyedropper filled pens I would much rather have a transparent body. There is a small area of the section were you could see ink if filled like that but it would not really work as an ink window but I think you might get a general idea of the color of ink its filled with. I like the design elements of the beads on the barrel as well as the chamfer just behind the block threads. There is another difference between buying direct and going through Pen Chalet. They supply the gift box instead of the zip up leather pouch. The box was also missing the couple of ink cartridge normally supplied but I never use those so it was not a big deal. With Pen Chalet you are also limited to F/M/B nib sizes. They did ship same day and had it in just a couple of days. Also note when buying though a deal you are limited by the dealers return policy not F-C's 30 day no question asked policy. In this case it's 10 days un-inked or pay a restocking fee. For me that is not going to matter since I like the pen and it's not going back! I would really like to have had the Massdrop glass model now. Oh well I am on the waiting list for the Antique Glass Model 02 and should have that in August so I guess I will somehow manage The final needed to be tightened and is aligned now. Not sure why it was loose in the picture. http://driften.dragonsightsoftware.com/images/FC-model31-1.jpghttp://driften.dragonsightsoftware.com/images/FC-model31-2.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img537/3941/5Lb5cU.jpg Franklin-Christoph is one of fairly new pen makers. I had three of their pens and they were all good writers. The company is headed by Scott Franklin and operates from North Carolina. I like company's approach to clients (sales directly to us) and they're designs. Franklin-Christoph offers not only pens but also notebooks, pen cases, wallets and inks. I was huge fan of Olde Emerald from first generation of their inks. It used to be my favourite ink for a while. At the moment however the bottle's long gone and I keep fond memories of this exceptional writing fluid. I was surprised to hear they've stopped producing first generation of their inks, especially after I took a look at new colors. First generation colors were rather unique, second generation colors are rather generic. And that's not an advantage to my eyes. Being boring in ink market may be safe when you're Pelikan or Sheaffer, but for smaller player it's risky. Just my opinion. Sample of Urushi Red was sent to me by Mmg112 - thank you Mary The color has interesting dark brick hue that I find attractive. On some papers it'll look more brownish than red. Flow: the flow is good but I would say it's not something I would describe as very wet ink. I'm not sure I would like to use it in drier pens. Saturation: average. It's not heavily saturated ink. Lubrication: fine. Nowhere near Sailor inks. Drying time: rather reasonable. 10-15 seconds on Rhodia, 5 – 10 seconds on absorbent paper. Clogging issues: None experienced. Feathering: some feathering was experienced on Leuchtturm and Moleskine, but only with stubbed nib. It may be that the nib has some sharp places that cut through paper just a bit. None feathering was experienced in Gama Airborne and Kaweco Sport nibs. Bleedthrough: visible on low quality, absorbent paper Ink splash Drops of ink on kitchen towel Software ID Oxford, Kaweco Sport Classic, B Maruman, Lamy Al-Star, medium nib Rhodia, Lamy AL-Star, medium nib Leuchtturm1917, Lamy Al-Star, medium nib

Please,allow me to start by saying thank you mmg112 for sending me samples of all new Franklin-Christoph's writing fluids (and much more!). I appreciate it a lot and I hope the reviews I've prepared are enough to repay you http://imageshack.com/a/img537/3941/5Lb5cU.jpg Franklin-Christoph is one of fairly new pen makers. I had three of their pens and they were all good writers. The company is headed by Scott Franklin and operates from North Carolina. I like company's approach to clients (sales directly to us) and they're designs. Franklin-Christoph offers not only pens but also notebooks, pen cases, wallets and inks. I was huge fan of Olde Emerald from first generation of their inks. It used to be my favourite ink for a while. At the moment however the bottle's long gone and I keep fond memories of this exceptional writing fluid. I was surprised to hear they've stopped producing first generation of their inks, especially after I took a look at new colors. First generation colors were rather unique, second generation colors are rather generic. And that's not an advantage to my eyes. Being boring in ink market may be safe when you're Pelikan or Sheaffer, but for smaller player it's risky. Just my opinion. If you happen to know who makes they're ink, I'm eager to know. The second generation of FC inks counts eight inks with uninteresting names (Black Magic, Dark Denim, Olde Emerald - those were cool names; Blue 72, Emerald 357 are NOT cool names) But then there are four new colors with cool names. Woo-hoo! Black Cherry is well behaved dark ink. I'm not crazy about it but it's not bad. Ink Splash http://imageshack.com/a/img910/711/tbS73P.jpg Drops of ink on kitchen towel http://imageshack.com/a/img908/881/g33Zaa.jpg Software ID http://imageshack.com/a/img908/6687/cYnr6P.jpg Color Range http://imageshack.com/a/img908/3150/77kBaP.jpg Tomoe River, Kaweco Classic Sport, B http://imageshack.com/a/img907/2987/bI9KIN.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img908/5844/H2jQ3f.jpg Leuchtturm1917, Kaweco Classic Sport, B http://imageshack.com/a/img905/8773/GhLPtw.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img908/4289/4xDjbP.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img903/3346/lg3Pw3.jpg Oxford, Kaweco Classic Sport, B http://imageshack.com/a/img907/7845/IO44Ic.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img910/4678/seTyks.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img910/6691/RLAZHg.jpg Pigna, Kaweco Classic Sport, B http://imageshack.com/a/img905/9756/mWE4Ib.jpg Water resistance http://imageshack.com/a/img903/9047/8qLbI4.jpg

Please,allow me to start by saying thank you mmg112 for sending me samples of all new Franklin-Christoph's writing fluids (and much more!). I appreciate it a lot and I hope the reviews I've prepared are enough to repay you http://imageshack.com/a/img537/3941/5Lb5cU.jpg Franklin-Christoph is one of fairly new pen makers. I had three of their pens and they were all good writers. The company is headed by Scott Franklin and operates from North Carolina. I like company's approach to clients (sales directly to us) and they're designs. Franklin-Christoph offers not only pens but also notebooks, pen cases, wallets and inks. I was huge fan of Olde Emerald from first generation of their inks. It used to be my favourite ink for a while. At the moment however the bottle's long gone and I keep fond memories of this exceptional writing fluid. I was surprised to hear they've stopped producing first generation of their inks, especially after I took a look at new colors. First generation colors were rather unique, second generation colors are rather generic. And that's not an advantage to my eyes. Being boring in ink market may be safe when you're Pelikan or Sheaffer, but for smaller player it's risky. Just my opinion. If you happen to know who makes they're ink, I'm eager to know. The second generation of FC inks counts eight inks with uninteresting names (Black Magic, Dark Denim, Olde Emerald - those were cool names; Blue 72, Emerald 357 are NOT cool names) Blue 72 Brown 732 Classic Black Dark Chocolate Emerald 357 Midnight Emerald Noir et Bleu Red 187Brown 732 is named after the pantone number it's supposed to match. For me, it's decent brown ink, especially in wet nib, as in my Kaweco Sport. I believe I'll try it in some other pen and scan in a week to show the difference. Verdict: decent brown ink. Ink splash http://imageshack.com/a/img661/373/UKqGvG.jpg Drops of ink on kitchen towel http://imageshack.com/a/img540/9817/xc1wsj.jpg Software ID http://imageshack.com/a/img633/1866/3Rsi80.jpg Oxford, Kaweco Sport Classic, B http://imageshack.com/a/img661/2531/Mm7Tbo.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img905/1774/nl8GdP.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img538/5936/glMRFt.jpg Semikolon, Kaweco Sport Classic, B http://imageshack.com/a/img538/6788/UBF4AV.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img673/1918/Vba9hB.jpg Midori, Hero 5028, stub 1,9 http://imageshack.com/a/img905/3119/0gmySH.jpg

I'm in the market for a new fountain pen, specifically a big, wacky, eye-catching one. I've narrowed it down to two options: the Franklin-Christoph Abditus (model 33) or the Lamy Dialog 3. Anyone have any input about which one I should spring for? Some preliminary internet-ing has brought up some lukewarm reviews of the Dialog 3: it sounds like some people have found that the pen dries up easily. However, I've also noticed that most of these reviews are from about five years ago, while more recent ones specifically say that they have not had this problem. The other common theme among reviews is the size and weight, which are non-issues for me because I prefer heftier pens. Reviews for the Abditus are a little harder to come by, it seems, but everything I've seen has been uniformly positive. I already own three Franklin-Christophs and four Lamys, so I have some experience with both brands. I'm not expecting any surprises when it comes to nib performance or anything like that. But I'd be interested to hear any thoughts people might have about aesthetics, utility, etc.

I just saw on Massdrop that Franklin-Christoph came up with a new model and it's called Model 31. It's on Initial Public Offering (IPO) on Massdrop. Looks nice. It's available in Italian ice finish or Coco Pearl finish.

I am going to buy a F-C pocket 66 solid ice fountain pen, but am not sure which nib to get. I prefer extra fine nibs for daily writing, but like the line variation found in stub nibs. F-C offers something called an HPS S.I.G. extra fine and I was wondering if anybody knew if that was kind of like a thin-writing stub nib?

Hi, I am fortunate to have a Franklin-Christoph 02, Smoke and Ice, and thinking about eyedropping it. I wonder how easy it is to clean up. Does the ink get off the ice finish easily? Does it leave stain inside the barrel? I use Iroshizuku Kon-peki, Ku-jaku, Yama-budo, Tsutsuji, and Noodler's Apache Sunset, 54th Massachusetts. This will be my first eyedropper. Thank you for sharing your experience! Sue (1st post)

Or "A very brief comparison of Masuyama nibs with a S.I.G.". Either way, it sounds like a fun time, am I right? Long story short, I agonized over my choice of Masuyama broad italic vs stub when I got my first Franklin-Christoph pen. Writing samples I could find were often not the broads or not in direct comparison to one another. I ended up with the italic for that one, but after a while, I was curious what I was missing not having the stub. Curiosity got the best of me & the next time I got an F-C, the stub was a must. All good for a time. Then this mysterious Stub Italic Gradient shows up & ruins my peace with the promise of smooth, stub-like action with line variation more like an italic. Do. Not. Need. More. Pens. Which would be fine if the nib units weren't available seperately. I can't afford another whole F-C pen atm, but I managed to talk myself into the nib. Problem being that finding samples directly comparing the broad with the other broads was just as bad as when this mess started, so I figured I'd throw this up for those in a similar position. http://img07.deviantart.net/6c0c/i/2016/238/3/9/f_c_broad_comp_by_voidelemental-daffdxb.jpg Paper is Clairefontaine & line spacing is 8mm for ref. Mind those cross strokes at the bottom. They turned out a bit broader than they should have, since I was more focused on getting a relatively straight line than using normal writing pressure. Also, perhaps not entirely fair using a pair of Iros with the KP, but I still had most of a converter full when I made the nib swap. I would describe the Masuyamas as smooth, but not slick. They're also audible when writing. The S.I.G. does have a slick feel to it, but not in the "nigh uncontrollably glassy smooth" sense that I've encountered a couple of times. It's also noticeably quieter. By eye, the downstrokes appear to be approximately the same as both that of the italic & the stub. Cross strokes would appear to be on par with those of the stub. As you can see in actual writing though, the S.I.G. comes down as a sort of middle ground between the stub & italic, so it is in fact what it says on the tin. Smoother than the italic, with more line variation than the stub. The grind itself is even a hybrid of the italic & stub in appearance. Ground close on top like the italic, but with a bit of tipping curving up underneath, albeit less than the stub. I don't have a camera on hand atm, but there's a close up picture floating around here somewhere. TLDR, a fine option if you don't want to go all the way on the italic &/or want to squeeze a bit more line variation out than the stub. Not displacing either in my heart, but certainly a welcome addition to the family. Glad I picked one up.

Please,allow me to start by saying thank you mmg112 for sending me samples of all new Franklin-Christoph's writing fluids (and much more!). I appreciate it a lot and I hope the reviews I've prepared are enough to repay you http://imageshack.com/a/img537/3941/5Lb5cU.jpg Franklin-Christoph is one of fairly new pen makers. I had three of their pens and they were all good writers. The company is headed by Scott Franklin and operates from North Carolina. I like company's approach to clients (sales directly to us) and they're designs. Franklin-Christoph offers not only pens but also notebooks, pen cases, wallets and inks. I was huge fan of Olde Emerald from first generation of their inks. It used to be my favourite ink for a while. At the moment however the bottle's long gone and I keep fond memories of this exceptional writing fluid. I was surprised to hear they've stopped producing first generation of their inks, especially after I took a look at new colors. First generation colors were rather unique, second generation colors are rather generic. And that's not an advantage to my eyes. Being boring in ink market may be safe when you're Pelikan or Sheaffer, but for smaller player it's risky. Just my opinion. If you happen to know who makes they're ink, I'm eager to know. The second generation of FC inks counts eight inks with uninteresting names (Black Magic, Dark Denim, Olde Emerald - those were cool names; Blue 72, Emerald 357 are NOT cool names) Blue 72 Brown 732 Classic Black Dark Chocolate Emerald 357 Midnight Emerald Noir et Bleu Red 187 Midnight Emerald is another boring teal. Yes, I know. I'm unfair. But what can I do? I just dislike teals. Once upon a time I liked them but know when I see something like this or Mb Twilight Blue I clench my teeth. Verdict: well behaved ink. Similar to Waterman Mysterious Blue, Mb Twilight Blue and few others. If I'll have time, I'll post some comparison on saturday. Ink splash http://imageshack.com/a/img908/1048/30i6HD.jpg Drops of ink on kitchen towel http://imageshack.com/a/img537/9407/FfX809.jpg Waterproofness http://imageshack.com/a/img908/4483/p749ib.jpg Software ID http://imageshack.com/a/img538/336/9PfqXd.jpg Semikolon, Kaweco Sport Classic, B http://imageshack.com/a/img661/1241/DyaOM8.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img661/7868/xT0s9L.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img673/6431/i6qYUT.jpg Midori, Hero 5028, stub 1,9 http://imageshack.com/a/img673/1166/DwYhOs.jpg