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Franklin-christoph M14


hawki

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First my apology, my photography skills are not up to par for all of you. I took pictures next to my Waterman Liason, which now look like giant black blobs with silver ends. Due to this unfortunate circumstance I have decided to link directly to the company website.

 

Vital Statistics

Brand=Franklin-Christoph

Model=M14

Color=Black and Rhodium-plated Silver

 

First Impression

After watching this particular pen for the better part of a year, the company added stub nibs to their options for purchase. With the possibility of picking up a stub for under $100 dollars I decided to do it. It arrived in a faux-lizard skin box that I thought was a bit over the top, but inside revealed a beautiful black and silver pen. The clip which is hinged in the top of the lid is the initial most striking feature, but the truly appealing part is when you open and close the pen. The magnet clicks home in such a exact way, that you can see and feel that the cap was designed perfectly to fit on both ends.

 

Appearance and Design 9 of 10

This pen is smooth and refined. The fit of the clip which is quite different than any other pen that I own, is spring loaded and hinges in the end of the cap . There are 4 diamonds engraved into the clip as it extends down the length of the cap. The cap is the true design point of this pen as it caps or posts using a magnet that is set on a very narrow channel on either end of the pen. This ring shaped channel which is barely noticeable when looking quickly, allows the cap to click into place on either end without thought of losing it or it slipping off. For anyone who has ever had the cap fly off while writing or roll under a desk, this is definitely a great design feature. The satisfying click that it makes when getting pulled in by the magnet is quite appealing.

 

Construction and Quality 8 of 10

This pen is obviously made of metal. It feels like brass for the barrel, but is lacquered in an incredibly smooth black. The silver ends each have a groove in the outside, at the bottom of each groove are the magnets. The cap then slides into this groove on either end. Each end as well as the cap ends and clip are rhodium plated silver and are very nice.

Weight and Dimensions 7 of 10

Length 5.75 inches Capped

6.5 inches Posted

Circumference 1.5 inches

This pen is slightly shorter than the Waterman Liason and a bit longer than a Sheaffer Legacy. It is a bit thinner than both, but it is the heaviest of the three. I personally love heavy pens and this one certainly fits the bill. If you don’t like pens with lots of weight to them, I’m afraid this one isn’t for you.

 

Nib and Performance 8 of 10

The nib is by Schmidt and is steel with an iridium point in a broad stub. The decoration on the nib is clean and not overdone. It writes with a very smooth 1.1mm line with nice variation.

I like stub nibs and this is a smooth as any gold stub that I own. As with any steel nib there is no “flex” in this one and it feels like it could take some abuse if needed. My Sheaffer Legacy with a gold stub does have a bit more line variation, but is if anything a bit more toothy when writing near the edge.

 

Filling System and Maintenance 7 of 10

I find that the highest marks I can give any pen that requires disassembly for filling is a 7. After the Sheaffer Touchdown or Snorkel everything else loses points for being a pain. This one has a large converter included that seems to be a bit longer than the converters in my Watermans, Lamys or Sailors (I don’t have any with the BIG Sailor convertor). It holds enough ink to keep my wet stub going through a day of handwritten patient notes in the hospital (which is more than most convertors I’ve tried). It is definitely not a piston filler yet, but keeps up better than most convertors with a stub nib.

 

Cost/Value 9 of 10

The pricing structure at Franklin-Christoph is easily understood and clearly explained on their website.

 

Overall 8 of 10

The long and the short of it, a great value for a well designed, great looking, and very functional pen. I am looking forward to see what else the company comes out with. Even without the magnet, this would be a great pen for $89, but the magnet gives it a little something extra that you won’t find anywhere else.%5Bimg%5Dhttp%3A//www.franklin-christoph.com/14Magnet.html[/img]

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%5Bimg%5Dhttp%3A//www.franklin-christoph.com/14Magnet.html[/img]

This doesn't work: an html file is not an image.

 

Here's a link to their website together with an image of the pen:

http://www.franklin-christoph.com/images/14Web.jpg

 

 

Thanks,

 

Now all I have to figure out is why I am making it so hard, when you obviously didn't have any trouble with it.

 

Thanks again,

HawkI

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  • 2 years later...

Hawki,

 

Thanks very much for your review, you have answered my question about magnetic cap retenion.

It would seem that apart from the added weight and the chance of picking up an odd paper-clip when at the desk, the magnetic cap system may be the best to-date.

 

Thanks again,

doc

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