Franklin Christoph Model 03 Iterum

with an OF Italic nib customized by Michael Matsuyama

 By

Carla Mortensen

 

I’m really picky about my nibs. REEEEEALLLLY picky. Folks who know me, particularly those who have sold to me and bought from me over the years, know I’m one of those annoying folks that spends HOURS and HOURS making elegant doodles across pages and pages of testing paper. I’m not a collector anymore (more’s the pity), I’ve never had the skills to be a repair geek, rather I’m simply a fountain pen user these days and a writer and I just love love LOVE a great nib. 

So I think I’ve hit the jackpot with my latest pen from Franklin Christoph (“F-C”), the Model 03 Iterum with a gold Matsuyama fine cursive italic nib.

 

Here’s the lead-up. I had bought from F-C before (who can resist Jim Rouse?), and had enjoyed my 65 Stablis (their smaller desk pen) with a truly respectable steel medium stub nib. It’s a solid pen (the cool feature is that is a long pen but with a flat side that keeps it from rolling off a table) with a nib that made writing a pleasure. My one criticism was that for some reason the converter filler was not a tight seal and the ink seemed to evaporate quite quickly. That being said, the 65 Stablis had been in my regular rotation since I bought it a couple years back and was a very dependable and user that could be a real workhorse for long periods of time, which is key for me. 

But a few months ago, I loaned this pen to a friend and he had had HAD to have it, so I sold it to him, happily so, along with another great writing nib. I knew where I could find another Franklin-Christoph, after all, and when one sees true pen lust in the eyes of a friend, well, you just sell the durn thing to him and be done with it. So I headed out to Columbus this past November looking forward to refreshing my pen case a bit.

 

If you have been to the Ohio Show in Columbus, hosted by the incomparable Terry Mawhorter and his progeny, you know that it isn’t so much a show as it is a multi-day pen party, and this year was no exception. I would say that public attendance was down a little from previous years, but this actually gave “friends and family” a greater opportunity to buy and sell to each other. Since the Ohio show is primarily a vintage show, I spent most of my free time (when not helping the PENguin Rick Propas at his table) looking at the amazing selection for sale for folks like Warren Granek, Mike Kraut, Pete Kirby, John Corwin, Richard Binder, Howard Edelson, Paul Erano, Osman Sumer, Joel Hamilton and Sherrell Tyree, and many many more wonderful exhibitors. I did pick up a lovely Sheaffer Oversize Balance with a slightly flexy nib and a Pelikan 140 with a show-stopping OBB nib, both of which are being tested out in the home stable as we speak.  

Don Lavin and Terry Mawhorter

This all being said, I was not prepared for the amazing experience I had when I finally made my way over to the Franklin-Christoph table on Sunday morning. I thought was only going to replace the Stablis, but before I knew it, I was completely seduced by F-C’s incredible display of nibs and pen styles. 

If you don’t know exactly how this company works, let me illuminate the process for you. If you have the opportunity to go to a pen show where F-C is exhibiting, their table is completely set up for ideal custom pen assembly. First, check out the nibs. F-C has a robust line of both steel and gold nibs. Here’s a link to their nib web page: http://www.franklin-christoph.com/fountain-pen-nibs.html

Each nib is inked and ready to write in two big slotter boxes. The nibs are available in both the #5 size (smaller) and the #6 size (larger), as well as an entire line customized by master nibmeister Michael Matsuyama. You can try, for example, an astonishing array of regular nibs (EF, F, M, B), cursive italic nibs, stub nibs, needlepoint nibs, and cursive calligraphy nibs (and I’m probably forgetting a few). So, grab a pen, play away, and find the nib that makes your hand and heart sing. For me it was the 18K #6 fine cursive italic. I have never felt such connection between pen, ink, and paper in my life.

 

Then, it’s time to put the nib into its “forever home.” If you have fallen for a #5 nib, you have one selection of pens, that being said models 14, 25, 26, 27, 29, pocket 40, and 65. On the other hand, if a #6 pen has caught your fancy, you can choose from the models 02, 03, 19, 20, 33, 40, Panther, and 66. I bought the 03 Irterum with a simple black body, a burgundy cap top, and a diamond engraved clip. With some exceptions, the pens take both cartridges and converters, and the company even has its own lovely selection of inks. See the website for details or hie thyself to the next pen show where F-C will be exhibiting. (Hint: “Franklin-Christoph is now the part owner and title sponsor of the Philadelphia Pen Show. The show is managed by Eric Orozco, who can be contacted at info@philadelphiapenshow.com. For all show information, visit www.philadelphiapenshow.com.”) 

Small print department: your F-C pen is covered by a lifetime guarantee against mechanical defect by the company. As part of your purchase, you will be given a warranty card signed by the selling agent and a nib card with authentication by Mr. Matsuyama (if that nib is your wish). A lovely soft case is included in the price, but I suggest you also consult F-C’s choice of pen cases to house your new pen if you don’t already have a good one right to hand. 

Now to pricing. As mentioned above, I fell for a more spendy nib, the custom 18K Matsuyama which ran me a grand total of $275. For my first purchase with a smaller steel nib, the price tag was $165. So as you can see, there is a lot of variation, and you are completely in the driver’s seat.  

So, in summary, I am completely besotted with this pen. The styling is reminiscent of some of our 1920’s classics, but with modern twists (a colored cap top and engraved clip, for example). The pen is light, robust, but well balanced in the hand. But the nib, ah, the nib. You might even want to write a few Christmas cards this year. My advice? Run, don’t walk…

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Text and images © 2015 Carla Mortensen

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