(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
When Franklin-Christoph announced that they would not be attending the Chicago Pen Show as planned, they also announced that they would have an online pen show in October to make up for it. The show is slated to happen on Tuesday, October 19th, with a variety of models in different materials being sold in two batches at 11 AM and 10 PM Eastern Time.
Let me start off by saying that I’m not an employee of Franklin-Christoph (F-C), nor do I speak on their behalf. I am a huge superfan and have been lucky enough to get to work behind their table at a number of shows (but not lucky enough to get first dibs, lol). So I thought I’d share some tips as to how to figure out the best F-C pen and nib for you and how to make sure you’re ready to pounce when the online show opens up.
New to F-C? Start here: There are currently 20 different F-C models to choose from. In March, I created this Instagram post ahead of their last online pen show - it has all of the current models (and a few retired models) except for the 50 which was released later. You can see the different models capped, uncapped and posted.
F-Cs capped.
F-Cs uncapped. Pay particular attention to the different grip sections: length, threads, etc.
F-Cs posted.
All of the F-Cs use either Jowo 5 or 6 nib units, which are easily swappable. In general (though there are always exceptions), the models that take a #5 nib units have a 5 in the model number (like 55, 65, 25), and the rest take #6.The ones that take a #5 tend to have slimmer grip sections since the nibs/feeds/nib units are also slimmer. In my experience, #5 nibs tend to be just a touch drier than their #6 counterparts because the feeds are smaller.The #5 nibs are also shorter in length, which may matter to you if you like to hold your pens close to the nib or far away or if you have a steep writing angle like I do. Similarly, the #6 pens are usually longer and slightly girthier than their #5 counterparts and have nibs that are larger and longer with slightly wetter feeds.
Jowo 5 and 6 nibs - Notice the difference in length and width.
Size 5 and 6 feeds.
Here are the models broken down by Jowo 5 vs 6:
Jowo #5
- 25
- 28
- 45
- 45L
- 45XL
- 55
- 65
Jowo #6
- 02
- 03
- 19
- 20
- 20p (Pocket 20)
- 31
- 33
- 40
- 46
- 46L
- 50
- 66
- 66p (Pocket 66)
The toughest thing about picking the right F-C, especially online, is figuring out which grip sections work best for you. Some models have “block threads” close to the nib and others do not. They may or may not affect how you grip the pen. Same with whether you notice the step between the barrel and the grip. And some models have a recessed nib, where the nib unit screws in deeper than usual, which makes your nib “shorter”.
To post or not to post? That is the question. I generally do not post my pens, not even my teensy Kaweco Sports. So features like the tapered end of the 02 which allows for a deeper post while maintaining a good balance are not as important to me. Some of the pens post but they are quite long when posted. And some pens don’t post at all.
Clip or clipless? Do you need/want your pens to have a clip? Or not? Some pens have the option of having a clip or not, like the 02, 20/20p, 31 for example, while others never have clips, like the different 45, 46 and 65/66/66p models. Clip options can be chosen on the website for pens that can be clipped.
F-C 25, 28, 45, 45L, 45XL, 55, 65.
An assortment of other pens with F-C #5 pens. Pilot Vanishing Point, F-C 25, Pelikan M400, F-C 28, Pilot Metropolitan, F-C 45 Platinum 3776, F-C 45L, Lamy Al-Star, F-C 45XL, Lamy 2000, F-C 55, Leonardo Momento Zero, F-C 65, TWSBI Eco, Sailor Pro Gear.
F-C 02, 93, 19, 20, 20p, 31, 33, 40, 46, 46L, 50, 66, 66p.
F-C 02, Pilot Vanishing Point, F-C 03, F-C 19, Pelikan M400, F-C 20, Pilot Metropolitan, F-C 20p, Platinum 3776, F-C 31, F-C 33, Lamy Al-Star, F-C 40, Lamy 2000, F-C 46, Leonardo Momento Zero, F-C 46L, TWSBI Eco, F-C 50, Sailor Pro Gear, F-C 66, F-C 66p.
Pocket-sized pens: Esterbrook JR, F-C 45, Kaweco AL Sport, F-C 45L, Sailor Pro Gear Slim Mini, F-C 20p, Sailor Pro Gear Slim, F-C 66.
Know what model(s) you want? You’re ready for nibs: Once you’ve determined which model(s) you like, now comes the fun part: picking out the nib.
Nib Material
F-C nibs are available in High Performance Steel (HPS) nibs as well as 14kt gold nibs, which are plated in rhodium for a silver color. Prices for all pens include a standard HPS nib in the regular sizes EF-1.4 or 1.5 (there is an additional charge for the #6 steel EF Flex, 1.9 music as well as 14kt gold nibs).
Nib Color
For some of the steel #6 nibs, you have the option of getting a polished silver or black nib at no extra charge. Black nibs are not available for #5 nibs, 14kt gold nibs of any type, or the steel EF Flex.
Nib Grind
F-C sets and tunes every nib, whether it is a stock nib or their in-house SIG grind (more in a bit) or nibs from Yukio Nagahara (and previously Mike Masuyama). What this means is that they get their nibs, feeds and housings all separate, then they put them together into the nib housing. After that, they check and tune the nib to make sure the tines are aligned, that ink flows well and the nib writes as expected. Then they clean the nib and install it into the pen. Every nib goes through this process, so even a non-ground nib should have a great writing experience (my favorite of their stock nibs is Medium in both #5 and #6).
If you want to get something different, which I highly recommend, consider getting one of the nibs from Yukio Nagahara, who was formerly a nib grinder for Sailor in Japan. For an additional $25, you can get a Needlepoint, Fine/Medium/Broad Cursive Italic or Medium/Broad Stub. Due to limited quantities, Nagahara nibs are only available with the purchase of a pen.
F-C’s in-house SIG grind is another great option. SIG stands for Stub Italic Gradient and was originally developed by the late Jim Rouse. It gives you the writing experience of a stub with the line variation closer to a cursive italic. Unlike Nagahara nibs, SIGs can be purchased separately, which makes them an affordable way to swap out different grinds between pens.
I recommend checking out F-C’s Nib Details page which has a lot more information about the nibs, materials and grinds.
Writing samples of SIG (top) and Nagahara (bottom) grinds.
Time to Buy! A few tips to hopefully get you what you want:
Prioritize which model(s) you want because your first choice might not be in a material you want.
Prioritize which nibs you want.
Prior to the show, log into your F-C account, and if you have used Shopify on other sites, logging into that will also make checkout faster.
Figure out what other items you may want - loose nibs, inks, paper, cases, etc. - and add them to your cart ahead of time.
The online pen show, as well as other releases throughout the year, will be in The Stock Room, so have that page up and get ready to reload when the time gets close!
Once you have something in your cart, I suggest checking out asap (assuming you’re already above the free shipping threshold). Putting an item in the cart does not guarantee it will be available when you check out. So don’t spend too much time looking around.
If you make a mistake with your order, or realize you wanted to add something small to your order, or would like your nibs tuned a certain way (if you rotate your pens, have a non-standard writing angle/style, want nib wetter, etc.), you can email Franklin-Christoph customer support who can help you sort things out. Note that changes and multiple orders may delay when your order goes out - usually orders ship the same day or within a few days after online shows.
Missed out? Got stuck in a meeting and missed the show? Didn’t check out in time? Whatever the reason, you may have missed the pen you wanted. What to do? The online pen show runs twice on Tuesday, but you should still check the Stock Room periodically. And even if you missed the show entirely, you should definitely sign up for email notifications for any pen that you are interested in. Aside from getting a no-obligation notification email when it comes in stock, it also helps the F-C crew see which pens are in highest demand and consider them for future batches.
That’s it! I hope this has helped you figure out the best Franklin-Christoph for you and that you’re able to get what you’re looking for at the online pen show! May the odds be ever in your favor!
(All pens in this post have been purchased by me.I am not an employee or representative of Franklin-Christoph, just a fan who gets to help out at shows.I was not compensated in any way by Franklin-Christoph or any other brands displayed in this article.)
