Who Is Using Franklin-Christoph.......?

[MG66]

I bought a 66 Garnet with a SIG F nib at the Colorado Pen Show on Friday. Beautiful pen, great nib, and coupled with a Penwell desk base, makes a classic desk pen.

 

F-C 66.2.1.jpg

 

F-C 66.1.3.jpg

 

 

Very cool. I wondered if there were a third-party pen holder that would fit the 66. Actually, I'm surprised F-C doesn't offer one themselves.

 

Are you happy with yours?

 

 

C

[kfoss]

Picked up a Model 03 Iterum in Smoke & Maroon this weekend at the Chicago Pen Show. I am blown away by the Masuyama Medium Stub nib I chose. It is a fantastic writer. It glides across the paper perfectly and offers tons of character, while not being too wet to write precisely. Probably won't be my last F-C pen!

 

Edited May 7, 2018 by kfoss

[sharonspens]

I own both Edisons and Franklin Christoph pens, and the customer service (even a year after the purchase) is amazing. Uniformly some of he kindest people out there.

 

As for my F-C, a Model 02 in Italian Ice, it is the pen i'm keeping consistently inked this year, with F-C Black Cherry ink. My only problem with it is that the cap is busily developing an ink ring. Being a transparent pen, it obviously stands out!

 

Sharon in Indiana

 

Update - I decided to pull the F-C from the full-time rotation. I have stained it enough that I couldn't stand to carry it anymore. I took it to the Chicago Show this weekend to ask the lovely, really lovely, folks from F-C how I should clean it. Not only did Jim try to clean it for me, he decided to take it back to home base and see if he can remove the staining. Before he even got that far, I decided to buy another F-C, a model 45 with a Masuyama stub nib. So I arrived with one pen, and left with a different (NOT in an ice shade, though!).

 

No other affiliation - just a very satisfied customer.

 

Sharon in Indiana

[Misfit]

So pretty. Wish I’d know about Franklin-Christoph sooner. That color is retired now, and of course I wish I had one.

[dapprman]

Picture is from when it arrived, but now in my pen case as a regular use pen at work

http://i.imgur.com/ffOFV8x.jpg

[Misfit]

So cool dapprman.

 

Ive been researching the Franklin-Christoph website, and now want my first F-C to be a model 31 Omnis in Smoke and Ice. I saw a photo of it on their website, so pretty. Must wait for it to come back in stock.

 

The Solid Ice Stabilis 66 is attractive too, but I like clips on caps. But that isnt a disqualifier.

 

If Ghost and Smoke in model 3 was calling me more, its in stock. I got to try models 3 and 20 yesterday when a pen club member and I got together at her home. She has many awesome F-C pens, around 13.

[Misfit]

Oooooo I just ordered the FC 31 in Smoke and Ice! So I now must wait patiently for it to arrive in a few days, which will seem like Eternity!!!

Please post how much you like it, and photos would be nice, but not necessary. That’s the pen I want now, and must wait for the color to return to stock

[oldrifleman]

Just received my first F-C, a #3 in Smoke and Ice with a Flex nib. I really love this pen and I am waiting for other matrials to show up. I missed the Antique green 03 batch, sigh.

[Misfit]

I did it! I placed an order. F-C was very helpful in an email exchange. An Omnis #31 in Smoke and Ice with a Masuyama broad stub nib is soon to be mine.

 

Plus I’m planning on going to the St. Louis Pen Show, and F-C will be there with many different color prototypes! I hope to buy some nib units (broad SIG and 1.1 italic).

 

Don’t know if another pen is in the plans. But I’ll have had the 31 to use for about a month before then.

[sharonspens]

F-C Model 02, Italian Ice with SIG M nib. And my newest edition (two weeks old!) a F-C Model 45 with a Masuyama M stub nib just plucked from the Chicago Pen Show.

 

[Misfit]

My Omnis arrived today. I bought it sight unseen, so was a bit surprised at the size. It matches the Visconti Cosmos in diameter.

 

I also realized the photos never show the pens with a cartridge or converter. At first I felt like I wanted to love it, but wasnt there. Ive rinsed it, and after its dry Ill put ink in and try out the Masuyama nib.

 

This is kind of how I felt when I got the Cosmos. It was a dark purple and it seemed to take bright light to bring out the other colors (red, blue, white). Now I can see those. Maybe I have better lighting.

 

So I expect Ill feel that way with the 31. I hope I selected the right nib with the broad stub. If its not what I want, F-C would put in a broad italic within 30 days, right?

 

One question for all of you using F-Cs with #5 nibs. Are you happy with that nib? I ask because my pen club friend with the 13 F-C Pens was not happy with the #5 nibs.

 

 

Ill try to post photos later. I have to do it the hard way now with the upload tool.

Edited May 18, 2018 by Misfit

[Misfit]

Now that my Omnis is in the mail to get a different nib (the broad italic) I miss it. It won me over once it was filled with ink. It is a big pen vs the ones I got to try (the 3 and 20).

 

The 45 appeals in the Confetti color. If I had two F-C pens, I think the same size nib (#6 like the Omnis) would be cool, so that buying an additional nib would facilitate swapping. That rules out the 45. But is this a wise plan? The price point of the 45 is good.

 

At any rate, I need a bit of a plan before I go to the St. Louis Pen Show.

[Drawing61]

Love both the music nib and the needlepoint. I use the music nib to practice calligraphy, a project that will occupy my remaining years, and the needlepoint which I use in drawings. The FC bodies are always tasteful but to me uninspired.

[sansenri]

I have two F-C, a Pocket 66 and a 20 Marietta.

 

Pocket 66, Clipless, in Emerald Green, regular steel nib B (Jowo)

I like the colour, Emerald green is fantastic, the size is right for it's purpose (it's a pocket pen and really fits anywhere).

I don't really mind using the cartridge, I am used to refilling them with a syringe, so I have not really looked for any converter that may fit.

The nib is very smooth and flow is right, I believe FC tests them.

The cap seals well, It always writes when I uncap it. I like it to be clipless, I use a pen holder in my jacket pocket.

The threading on the end of the section is no issue.

The zippered pen pouch is fantastic.

What I don't like so much is the fact that the section is short, my fingers are too often on the step down section-barrel.

I would have hoped that the threads on the end of the section would mean no annoyance from threads under my fingers, but alas the step down is there, and it's rather sharp.

The cap does unscrew sometimes (a la Pelikan... ), unless I screw it very tight,

and the pen being so small tends to fall sideways in pockets, that is why I use a pen holder.

(A vintage Pelikan 140 stained one of my jackets badly once due to the cap unscrewing..., since then I tend to use pen holders in jacket pockets, one of my favourite is a Fedon model)

My pen also stains inside the cap rather regularly, but I have never had any real problems with this (no ink leaking out of the pen).

Marietta 20, with clip, in Jade green, steel Masuyama medium Stub.

Nice colour, the clip is useful, but possibly I would choose clipless if I were to re-buy the pen.

The shape is fantastic in this case, very simple, no threads, no step down, very comfortable.

The cap has no threading, and it's not snap on, but it stays on firmly.

The nib is also fantastic, so smooth and easy to use, provides line variation without writing too broad.

Everything in the pen is lovely, no negative aspects.

 

I am looking at my next F-C.

What I really would want is a comfortable shape (which F-C models have no step down or a long section? I would like a 66 desk pen, but I am concerned the section will be the same as on the P66)

Also I tend to prefer # 6 nibs, so some of the models that mount #5 I would probably leave out.

 

[Misfit]

I got my Omnis back today with the Mike Masuyama Broad Cursive Italic nib. Now I'm happy with it. It's the nib I should have ordered from the start. As I posted earlier, the Omnis is about the same size as my Visconti Cosmos. Photos show the pair, plus some writing with the new nib on the #31.

 

 

 

Edited May 26, 2018 by Misfit

[Hejhox]

I've decided to have a pen pot at work and one at home. Both of which are dominated by FCs. Currently I have a 66, 20, p66 and 31 at work. At home it's the 65, 03, 02. A variety of nibs in each location!

[dragondazd]

I've decided to have a pen pot at work and one at home. Both of which are dominated by FCs. Currently I have a 66, 20, p66 and 31 at work. At home it's the 65, 03, 02. A variety of nibs in each location!

Could you share your thoughts on 20 vs. 31? Those are my top contenders at this time.

[Hejhox]

Nice question. I'll try.

 

I think the 20 in Vintage Green, my first FC, could still be my favourite pen.

 

That said I have three 31s (black IPO, antique glass, EPW) versus two 20s (I also got the Thomas Hall edition). I think I got excited by the limited editions however.

 

Both have the recessed nib. I think it suits the 20 better aesthetically wise. Probably because it's a smaller pen overall. I've taken to filling both via directly filling the converter to avoid "staining" in the recessed part of the pen. In reality this is only an issue for the antique glass 31 and TH20 as they are most transparent.

 

The 31 is a bigger pen and I've started for find more substantial pens more preferable/comfortable. The 20 doesn't change to much when posted in terms of balance and weight which I think is an advantage because the experience is more consistent. The 31's balance is more back weighted when posting because it's bigger and doesn't post as deep. That said the material is still light so I can and have used it posted but I tend not to.

 

Both pens have decent length sections. The 20 has no cap threads being friction fit and personally I find the capping process quite satisfying and convenient. The 31 has the threads quite high up the pen so they are well out of the way. I think both cater for low/high grips well.

 

Overall I think I prefer the 20 but this is a personal preference.

 

What pens do you prefer?

[dragondazd]

I only have a Bellus (radiant red!) at this time. The only thing I don't like about it is the grip area is metal so it's less comfy (albeit beautiful with the nice pattern in it).

 

I'd like to try their flex and music nibs. Leaning towards the Omni now (but only in Purpurae).

 

P.S. apparently the Bellus magnetic cap is not compatible with metallic inks so that's why they're not available in fountain pen form anymore.

[jameswatts]

I have several. An early model No. 2 Intrinsic in green in fine, a No. 19 with. .09 italic, a No. 14 Magnes in fine, a No. 27 Bellus with. 1.1 mm italic, a No. 27 Collegia fountain pen-and-ballpoint set. I find the regular nibs work better than the specialty nibs but I find myself using these, pens a great deal.