Franklin-Christoph Fabric 3 Pen Case

[heymatthew]

Hello all,

I recently purchased a Fabric 3 Pen Case from Franklin-Christoph (no affiliation). I chose the Tan Striated version, but I did find both the red and blue options very striking and at some point, I may pick up another in one of the other colors. But for now, the tan is understated and fits with my current lineup of everyday carry accessories.

 

My first thought upon opening the box was that the case was very high quality with excellent stitching, subtle branding and nice materials. The raw silk feels really nice to the touch and leaves the case with a bit of a rustic feel that is not often seen amongst the hand-sewn leather and highly-polished gold and acrylics used in fountain pens. I actually love it and did so right off the bat. I enjoyed the way it felt in my hand and I enjoyed the fact that despite its raw appearance, the craftsmanship was at the level I would expect for a fountain pen accessory, although the price doesn't nearly reflect the value of this product.

 

Taking a "walk" around the case to kick the tires a little, if you will, I noticed a small leather patch on the spine of the case with the Franklin-Christoph logo delicately stamped into it with their well-known 4-Diamond Logo just below it. The patch is held in place with tan thread that contrasts nicely with the rich brown of the leather. The zipper pull is the same rich medium-brown leather accented with tan thread, good hardware and the Franklin-Christoph "F" and 4-diamond logo. From a distance, this doesn't look like a pen case (even up close it doesn't look like a pen case) and you wouldn't know it was a Franklin-Christoph case unless someone told you or you got a close enough look at the spine and zipper-pull embellishments. The zipper goes all the way around on three sides so that the case opens up nicely. This makes for easy access to the three pens inside. The bands easily held my Pilot Custom 74, Edison Hudson (a large pen) and my Esterbrook J. None of them were uncomfortable to access and all fit without rubbing, overlapping or obstructing the zipper or access to the other pens. This is a well-thought-out case with just enough room to make it usable, but not overly bulky. The last thing I want is to carry around a case with three pens, but room for 9. I think if I had to find fault with anything, it would be with the bands. While they are certainly large enough to offer good stability for long pens, the elastic on them is very tight. Since the band is essentially just one long piece woven through the case to form three "loops" it gets tighter as you put pens in it. After putting in two pens, it becomes slightly difficult to get the third one in there. I think sewing some small leather tabs in the center of each of the three band sections would make it easier to pull the elastic material up and slip the end of the pens into the opening. This is a small quibble and not really worth mentioning. I'd much rather the bands be too tight than too loose, but I think some little pull tabs would have been a neat addition. Especially if they were done in the same leather as the accents on the zipper and spine, although a small rubberized tab would be fitting on a case such as this as well.

 

Franklin-Christoph didn't skimp on the materials for this product at all. The inside of the case features three slots for pens, held in place by rather strong, thick elastic bands. They kept the three slots to the right side only. This keeps the case slim, which is what I wanted in a daily-carry case. The backing material is a ribbed cotton in black to match the zipper material. Think fine corduroy and that's about how their liner feels; soft, durable, understated. The inside of the spine is accented with the same rich brown leather seen on the zipper pull and spine patch. The contrast between the tan raw silk on the outside, the rich, medium-brown leather accents and the deep black liner and zipper fabric make for a very striking piece that is both handsome and functional. The stitching is top-notch without even as much as a thread out of place.

 

I've heard nothing but good things abou tFranklin-Christoph and they didn't disappoint on this one. As of the writing of this brief article, the cost of the case is $28 USD. In my opinion, it's a steal at that price and shouldn't be overlooked for a basic, no-frills pen case that will get you through even the most demanding day of writing. I hope you all found this review helpful and if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask. Photos are below.

 

Thanks!

Matthew

 

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Edited February 15, 2013 by heymatthew

[Harlequin]

Out of curiosity heymatthew, are you gonna make it to the Atlanta Pen Show in April? I know FC will be there, I am anticipating talking to them quite a bit. If you do plan to come on down, let me know beforehand so I can make sure to give you all the info about the dinner/get together the Atlanta ITP Pen Posse and the N. Ga. Pen Posse are planning. Some others coming into town for the show will also be there, of course. That reminds me actually, I need to discuss that more with PB2 to make sure we're on the same page...

[heymatthew]

Out of curiosity heymatthew, are you gonna make it to the Atlanta Pen Show in April? I know FC will be there, I am anticipating talking to them quite a bit. If you do plan to come on down, let me know beforehand so I can make sure to give you all the info about the dinner/get together the Atlanta ITP Pen Posse and the N. Ga. Pen Posse are planning. Some others coming into town for the show will also be there, of course. That reminds me actually, I need to discuss that more with PB2 to make sure we're on the same page...

 

I doubt I'll make it down for that. I was hoping to, but as of right now it's more a "no" than a "maybe". There's a chance that I could drive down Friday after work and visit the show on Saturday for a few hours and then drive back. It's about a 4-hour drive for me from here. I do have an aunt and uncle that live close to Atlanta though so I could always stay with them If I could actually get down there...

 

Hmmm. :hmm1:

[Harlequin]

Definitely something to put on the calendar with a big red circle around it ^_~!

[plc123]

Thanks for this thorough review and the great pictures!

[heymatthew]

Thanks for this thorough review and the great pictures!

 

You're quite welcome!

[hot cocoa]

heymatthew, can you fit a small notepad or notebook in with the pens? Your review is great. The FC website doesn't show the detail your photos do, so this helps a lot.

[heymatthew]

heymatthew, can you fit a small notepad or notebook in with the pens? Your review is great. The FC website doesn't show the detail your photos do, so this helps a lot.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read the review and also for the compliment on it. I tried to put my small Field Notes notebook in it and the notebook was too wide. You might be able to fit a small steno pad or something in there, but I would be worried about it rubbing the pens and scuffing them up. The case is pretty slim with the clips on the pens almost touching the inside of the front flap when it's closed. I'd be wary about putting anything in there that might scuff or scratch the pens so I'm going to go with "No" at this point.

 

However, it's about the width of a Field Notes small notebook so you might be able to just use a black hair tie band thing and wrap it around the two or something to keep them bound together...

 

Hope that helps you out!

[jacksterp]

Good looking case Matthew. Thanks for the review.

[hot cocoa]

heymatthew, can you fit a small notepad or notebook in with the pens? Your review is great. The FC website doesn't show the detail your photos do, so this helps a lot.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read the review and also for the compliment on it. I tried to put my small Field Notes notebook in it and the notebook was too wide. You might be able to fit a small steno pad or something in there, but I would be worried about it rubbing the pens and scuffing them up. The case is pretty slim with the clips on the pens almost touching the inside of the front flap when it's closed. I'd be wary about putting anything in there that might scuff or scratch the pens so I'm going to go with "No" at this point.

 

However, it's about the width of a Field Notes small notebook so you might be able to just use a black hair tie band thing and wrap it around the two or something to keep them bound together...

 

Hope that helps you out!

 

Oh yes, it helps. Too bad it's so hard to find a pen case/notebook combo case, but I like the workmanship on this one. I'm tossed up between the penvelope 6 and this one.

[avlisyar]

I purchased the same exact pen case after

the New Year and I am in complete agreement

with heymatthew's review. This is a very well

made case at a very reasonable price.

[heymatthew]

heymatthew, can you fit a small notepad or notebook in with the pens? Your review is great. The FC website doesn't show the detail your photos do, so this helps a lot.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read the review and also for the compliment on it. I tried to put my small Field Notes notebook in it and the notebook was too wide. You might be able to fit a small steno pad or something in there, but I would be worried about it rubbing the pens and scuffing them up. The case is pretty slim with the clips on the pens almost touching the inside of the front flap when it's closed. I'd be wary about putting anything in there that might scuff or scratch the pens so I'm going to go with "No" at this point.

 

However, it's about the width of a Field Notes small notebook so you might be able to just use a black hair tie band thing and wrap it around the two or something to keep them bound together...

 

Hope that helps you out!

 

Oh yes, it helps. Too bad it's so hard to find a pen case/notebook combo case, but I like the workmanship on this one. I'm tossed up between the penvelope 6 and this one.

 

I've had a couple of dealings with FC and I think you can't really go wrong with either of their cases. They seem to make quality items and I'll definitely buy from them again in the near future.

[back to basics]

I have the case in blue. My only quibble is that I wished they would make a 6 pen case. I love mine.

[Rhoddo]

I ordered one in red. The case looks really nice on your pictures, can't wait to get it.

I also ordered a penvelope 6 with it, think I might have to wait a few more weeks since they are short on supply it seems.

[Rhoddo]

After looking at your pictures I had to add a tan striated Version to my order.

Fabric seems to be of very high quality, thank you for the high res pictures!

[heymatthew]

I have the case in blue. My only quibble is that I wished they would make a 6 pen case. I love mine.

 

Agreed! I would love this case in a 6-pen configuration.

[heymatthew]

I ordered one in red. The case looks really nice on your pictures, can't wait to get it.

I also ordered a penvelope 6 with it, think I might have to wait a few more weeks since they are short on supply it seems.

 

Please let me know how you like the Penvelope 6, if you don't mind. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

 

After looking at your pictures I had to add a tan striated Version to my order.

Fabric seems to be of very high quality, thank you for the high res pictures!

 

I'm glad you enjoyed the photos and that they helped you to make a decision. Let me know how you like the red one. I'm thinking of ordering one here at some point. Never can have too many pen cases. I can always buy more pens to fill them, right?

[Rhoddo]

I ordered one in red. The case looks really nice on your pictures, can't wait to get it.

I also ordered a penvelope 6 with it, think I might have to wait a few more weeks since they are short on supply it seems.

 

Please let me know how you like the Penvelope 6, if you don't mind. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

 

After looking at your pictures I had to add a tan striated Version to my order.

Fabric seems to be of very high quality, thank you for the high res pictures!

 

I'm glad you enjoyed the photos and that they helped you to make a decision. Let me know how you like the red one. I'm thinking of ordering one here at some point. Never can have too many pen cases. I can always buy more pens to fill them, right?

 

 

that's right

I'll post pictures of the red case as soon as it arrives!

[Rhoddo]

I ordered one in red. The case looks really nice on your pictures, can't wait to get it.

I also ordered a penvelope 6 with it, think I might have to wait a few more weeks since they are short on supply it seems.

 

Please let me know how you like the Penvelope 6, if you don't mind. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

 

After looking at your pictures I had to add a tan striated Version to my order.

Fabric seems to be of very high quality, thank you for the high res pictures!

 

I'm glad you enjoyed the photos and that they helped you to make a decision. Let me know how you like the red one. I'm thinking of ordering one here at some point. Never can have too many pen cases. I can always buy more pens to fill them, right?

 

 

Just got the penvelope 6 and red fabric case today. Quality seems to be top notch. I especially like that there is quite some roome to store small extra stuff in the penvelope 6 like a ruler or eraser. here are some pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[heymatthew]

Oh man... I love them both!!! But I REALLY love that Penvelope. I'll be ordering one of those at some point soon. Thanks for sharing. That's a beauty!!!