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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!

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!