Favorite Franklin Christoph Pen?

[hairlame]

On 8/13/2021 at 1:56 PM, BayesianPrior said:

 

Me too please!  I have been circling the Franklin-Christoph drain, if you will, and I think I have it narrowed down to one of the models at the end of this post - but any advice would be welcome.  The choice of acrylic is another matter entirely!   I am mostly interested in getting my hands on one of Mr Nagahara's nibs, and it seems I need to buy an acrylic Jowo holder to get one.  So I might as well choose the best acrylic Jowo holder for me!

 

Here is what I'm looking for. 

 

Size and length

I never post my pens and I have a non-negotiable minimum length of 4.9" nib to finial, but longer is fine by me.  My favourite pens at the moment are my Ranga 8B and my Cleo Skribent Classic and they are both in the 5.3"-5.5" range.

 

Grip section comfort 

I only use my pens to write, and I prefer an hourglass section to a ski slope.  I would like to hold my pens higher up on the section for longer writing sessions, but with a comfortable option to drop down to the end of the section for situations where fine printing is required, e.g. marginalia.  Definite "no" to any step between the barrel and section.

 

Aesthetic 

Entirely subjective, so I'll leave this blank, except to say I dislike the overly tapered barrel of the 02.  I understand the functional benefit for posting, but I don't post.  I have no preference for screw cap or slip cap, as long as the section is long enough to accommodate different positions and there is no step.

 

Nib

It will either be a Nagahara needlepoint or fine cursive italic.  I don't have any other Jowo nibs, so interchangeability isn't really an issue.  I've gone for Bock 250 on my Rangas.  I don't have a strong feeling about #5 vs #6, although I appreciate #6 is very popular and is used on a large variety of pens.

 

Short list of models?

• 02 - don't like the barrel taper
• 03 - looks like a step between section and barrel
• 19 - maybe a bit too girthy, and step between section and barrel
• 20 - looks good, but curious about the recessed nib
• 31 - looks good, but curious about the recessed nib
• 40 - looks good, but rarely in stock, don't love the long cap, but that's OK. Can't seem to find the unposted length anywhere...
• 46L - looks good, but how big is that step between section and barrel? rarely in stock
• 50 - looks good, but how big is that step between section and barrel? rarely in stock
• 65 - looks good
• 66 - looks good

 

I have the 02 with a Nagahara FCI, 03 with the EF steel flex and 31 with a Nagahara medium stub.  Both the Nagahara nibs are superb, smooth and wet nibs. On the Tokyo inklings podcasts, the hosts mentioned that Yukio Nagahara makes sure to tune the fine nibs so that ink flow is similar for up strokes and down strokes, and this is one thing I really appreciate about them, especially the FCI. 

 

Even though the 02 is some what odd looking, it posts very well. Even when unposted, I find that the barrel narrows exactly where I rest the pen while writing. The shape also reminds me of the Parker 25 flighter, which was my first fountain, so there's some nostalgia at work too.  The section reminds me of the Leonardo MZ section, and I find it comfortable to use.

 

I like the simple shape and clean lines of the 03 and specifically got one without a clip. This is also a nice pen, though I think the section tapers a bit too much for me. The steel flex nib is also only OK, not really worth it IMO. Writes a very fine line when not flexed, so I've switched it out for a stock nib.

 

The 31 is a bulkier pen, and the concave section is very comfortable for me.  I like the partially hooded nib, it gives the pen a distinct look. The hooded nib does make filling directly from a bottle a pain, so I just fill the converter directly from the bottle to avoid getting ink on the section. The blunt needle on a syringe fits nicely over the opening of a standard international converter, so that also reduces mess (https://andersonpens.com/anderson-pens-needle-filler/). The Nagahara medium stub is also excellent if you like a somewhat broader line. 

 

For the 02 and 03, the block threads are at the end of the section, and its sometimes a hassle to get the ink cleaned when dipping into a bottle, so I just end up filling the converters directly for those pens too. 

 

Happy shopping!  Franklin Christoph has great customer service, and its great that they offer free world wide shipping.

[Hermina Haller]

Wow, that's a really difficult question. I own a 02, 03, 45, 45XL, 46 and 65. I must say that I prefer the #5 nib, it's just suited better for the way I hold my hand when writing and my tiny handwriting. That being said, my favorite model is 65 Stabilis because I like what longer pens do to my handwriting.

Aside from that, 02 is a very interesting model. When I bought it, I didn't think I'd like it because of the shape, but it turns out that the shape makes the pen fit the hand nicely. This probably has to do with the size of one's hands, mine turn out to be perfect for the 02.

 

Altough most of my F-Cs are 46, I tend to use those pens less frequently in favor of the 45 and 45XL.

[mouse2cat]

I took the plunge and got the 20. I don't think the recessed nib looks weird. I think that it can get inky when filling from a bottle so I just syringe fill to keep my white pen mostly clean looking. 

 

I really like the grip section. This is what decided me on it. 

[amberleadavis]

 

My Model 2 is nicer in my hand, and my Model 65 is my favorite for long term writing, but this material is by far my favorite. It is just so cool..... Italian Ice.

[Doug C]

I just got a FC 02 in the antique glass and cathedral resin.

Neat.

[dms525]

I believe I have already said that I find the F-C Model 02 my favorite design. Here are the ones I have. The top one is in the Italian Ice Amberlea showed us. I find the lavender color comes out in direct sunlight.

 

[Doug C]

Here's mine.

[amberleadavis]

6 hours ago, Doug C said:

I just got a FC 02 in the antique glass and cathedral resin.

Neat.

Please share pictures.

[Paul-in-SF]

I have six of them, but I don't have an 02, and after all the praise I've read here, I might have to get one. Also there is room in the F-C drawer for one more.

 

In order of purchase (as well as I can remember):

     19, smoke marble and cinnamaroon, 14K M

     20 Marietta, tiger red, steel B

     45L, ghost, steel M

     66 Stabilis, antique glass, steel EF

     66 Pocket, solid ice, steel needlepoint

     65 Stabilis, chatoyant brown (don't know the official color name), steel F-SIG (bought this at the 2021 SF show)

 

Of these, I like the 65 best, it's a great size (the 66 Stabilis is also great, but a bit of a honker) and I love the nib and the material. The material may have been a one-off prototype or something. They don't seem to have it online. 

[amberleadavis]

 

This one is the #65.

[dms525]

I have already said that my favorite F-C model is the 02. I've said it at least twice in this topic. Now, if you make a Model 02 in a Jonathan Brooks resin .... Oh, my!

 

 

The fact that the nib is beautifully tuned for my favored italic handwriting makes this a dream of a pen.

 

David

[Ted A]

On 2/18/2022 at 7:48 PM, dms525 said:

I have already said that my favorite F-C model is the 02. I've said it at least twice in this topic. Now, if you make a Model 02 in a Jonathan Brooks resin .... Oh, my!

 

 

The fact that the nib is beautifully tuned for my favored italic handwriting makes this a dream of a pen.

 

David

 

Wow! Lovely, lovely, lovely

[dragondazd]

Favorite model to eyedropper?

Favorite nib?

 

I only eyedropper my p66 but considering options for my next purchase. I have no transparent/translucent specimens at the moment and heard rumors of staining in some materials. 

 

Favorite nib is a gold Masuyama MS. It's.... silky. Such a satisfying touch of feedback.

[Just J]

On 2/4/2022 at 6:18 PM, Paul-in-SF said:

...a bit of a honker.

Were you in the Marines, or ever stationed on Oki-noknok? 

 

+++

[Meanwhile, back at the ranch....] 

My fave would have to be the 45XL-1 with 1.4 Stub. 

Mainly becuz, it's the only one I've got! 

 

 I'm pondering doing a write-up about my adventure to the Triangle Pen Show, which also involved getting my permit for joining this club-thread, an F-C pen!. Meanwhile, I've been asked (& I do want) to share this beauty, & I've realized it's beyond my ability to put into words the beauty I find in its depths, so the best solution for now is to just show it off! 

 

I've never done what I'm anticipating so, I've been working all night on putting this together, & hopefully it will work. I might get hung for excessive file size or something, but I want to give it a try. So, without further to-do, here she is: 

 

 

Too much? Too loud? Too long? 

Comments VERY Welcome! 

Thanks for watching! 

[dragondazd]

On 6/16/2022 at 12:41 AM, Just J said:

Were you in the Marines, or ever stationed on Oki-noknok? 

 

+++

[Meanwhile, back at the ranch....] 

My fave would have to be the 45XL-1 with 1.4 Stub. 

Mainly becuz, it's the only one I've got! 

 

 I'm pondering doing a write-up about my adventure to the Triangle Pen Show, which also involved getting my permit for joining this club-thread, an F-C pen!. Meanwhile, I've been asked (& I do want) to share this beauty, & I've realized it's beyond my ability to put into words the beauty I find in its depths, so the best solution for now is to just show it off! 

 

I've never done what I'm anticipating so, I've been working all night on putting this together, & hopefully it will work. I might get hung for excessive file size or something, but I want to give it a try. So, without further to-do, here she is: 

 

 

Too much? Too loud? Too long? 

Comments VERY Welcome! 

Thanks for watching! 

Very nice. Is that the goulet exclusive?

 

I personally would not expect such a video to last more than 30 seconds at least without any additional content. Or perhaps as an asmr.

[dms525]

I have a new favorite F-C model. (It joins my other favorite F-C models.) It is the 20P - a smaller version of the Model 20, which is another favorite. 

 

During the Summer, the shirts I wear often have pockets too shallow to safely carry my usual edc pens. The 20P fits those shallow pockets. It has a clip to secure it. Posted, it is a comfortable size for writing.  I bought a second one almost immediately after using my first 20P. Also, F-C has made some in really nice materials.

 

Here are some photos, with Models 20 and 02 for size comparison:

 

 

 

 

David

[MHBru]

I got my first Franklin Christoph at the San Francisco pen show. A model 19 Smokey Orange with a medium gold nib. It’s a pretty stinkin nice pen.  I may have to get others….