Do You Recommend The Franklin Covey Pen?

[writebyhand]

The Franklin-Covey pen is intriguing because of its low price and because it looks like it might be of reasonably good quality. No FPNers have reviewed it yet. If you have this pen, what do you think of it? Recommendable?

 

http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Lexington-Fountain-Cross-FC0016IM-1MS/dp/B003G186ME/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1320980084&sr=8-2

[macaddicted]

Not a Cross user so I don't know what it's based on. That being said I'd be cautious, you have to assume you're paying something extra for the "Franklin Covey" name. How much quality is left after you've paid for the name? It may be a great pen and a great bargain. YMMV.

 

The Lamy Safari (Amazon link) has been extensively reviewed and is in the same price range. It is the starting pen for a great many FP devotees, including me. Having been down this road I'd recommend the Safari as a starter pen. It gives you a well known benchmark to compare with future pens (and there will be future pens ).

[Fabienne]

Well, I have one of those and the nib is narrow and scratchy. The pen is heavy but not because of quality, it's made out of heavy material. So, saying, I would recommend a TWSBI and forget the Lexington. They are made by Cross and not the best thing Cross ever did.

[Ghost Plane]

I think OfficeSupplyGeek did a review on his blog. Might want to have a look and see :hmm1:

[79spitfire]

It's a good pen. The nib is nail stiff, but smooth. It can take a converter but you have to hunt around and find one because the pen is just a bit short for some converters. The metal section can be a bit slippery. I have used mine with Pelikan blue and Noodler's BSB. In normal daily use it looks like a more expensive pen. To be honest the shape and feel make me think of Jinhao pens, and as the pen is made in China, it could be that Jinhao is the manufacture.

 

BTW where do you get a Lamy Safari for $14???

Edited November 11, 2011 by 79spitfire

[Alohamora]

I have a Penatia Lexintgon. Penatia is another sub-brand of Cross, and it looks just like the Franklin Covey Lexington. The one I have is all chrome like this: http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Lexington-Fountain-Cross-FC0016IM-2MS/dp/B003G1FE9M/ref=sr_1_6?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1320983187&sr=1-6

 

It's an all metal pen and feels quite sturdy. Mine is very smooth. I agree with Mr. Spitfire, it looks like a JinHao or Baoer pen, especially the nib and feed design. You could do far worse for $14.

[aarjoh]

I have one. If your budget is limited to $14, you can't do better. Mine is solidly made and reliable. It is made with better tolerances than the (other?) JinHao pens I have had.

 

I like the nib better than the Safari, but I am in the minority in my opinion of the Safari.

 

I think I have a Cross converter in it.

 

If fingerprints bother you, this is probably a pen you will end up not using.

[teeniebeenie6]

This pen looks interesting and is so cheap! I bought one from an amazon seller. I am excited about giving it a whirl. My non-fountain pen using husband is actually considering getting one, he thinks it looks slick.

[robofkent]

I have three of the Lexington FPs and matching ballpoints too! They are great for the money and for use at work. I've had comments that they look expensive and yet I bought mine for around 12GBP.

[Dinasaurus]

I have one and like it very much. The fine is actually quite fine (much finer than my fine TWSBI 540), but I didn't have the same "scratchiness" problems of an earlier poster. The pen is a bit heavy compared to ones made primarily of plastic, but I actually consider that a plus; I like my pens to have a bit of heft to them. The cap does post, though not as securely as I'd like, which is really the only thing I can complain about on this pen. I used a standard converter I had lying around and it fit just fine.

 

I brought this pen and a much more expensive one to a conference last week, yet this one was the pen everyone thought was the pricier. IMO, an excellent value for the money.