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Thread: Franklin Christoph pens Model 46 XLVI FP ... and Evaporation

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    Senior Member Yazeh's Avatar
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    Cool Franklin Christoph pens Model 46 XLVI FP ... and Evaporation

    I'm tempted by the sleek design of this pen.
    I know nothing about them.

    My favorite pens are Kawecos (sport). The size is perfect. They are light, thin and short. In an ideal world, an ebonite kaweco would be perfect

    I have tried them with my troublesome inks (I only use pigmented/bulletproof/irongall ink) and have seen no evaporation, hard starts etc.
    I can swap their nibs . I use them as eye droppers. And when the right ink is found, it's for life.

    As you can see, I don't like cleaning my pens too often.

    Could this pen be a good fit, or am I better off staying with my kawecos?

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    Senior Member mizgeorge's Avatar
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    Default Re: Franklin Christoph pens Model 46 XLVI FP ... and Evaporation

    I don't have a 46, but I do have a couple of 45s (very slightly smaller with a #5 rather than #6 nib) and I absolutely love them. Lovely in the hand, great caps, look gorgeous and just utterly reliable. Definitely one of my favourite modern pens. I use mine unposted.

    However, you can buy 8 Kaweco sports for the same price as one F-C, and that's very appealing. I love being able to dedicate pens to inks, and I have quite a lot of inks. I don't have a whole load of them - but I do have all the frosted ones for various silly light inks (all with b/bb or italic nibs), and they're a lot of fun. I've also recently got a lovely vintage piston filled version, which once I've finished work on it will, I think, become one of my favourite 'little' pens.

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    Yazeh (May 21st, 2021)

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    Senior Member Yazeh's Avatar
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    Default Re: Franklin Christoph pens Model 46 XLVI FP ... and Evaporation

    Thanks mizgeorge.
    what were your nibs? The have the 'normal, gold, SIG and HPS.
    Did you find any difference if any between them?

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    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Default Re: Franklin Christoph pens Model 46 XLVI FP ... and Evaporation

    Since both of you are already comfortable with the Sports, this may be a bit off-to-the-side, but there is quite a difference between the pens in terms of the width of the grip section. I own 2 Sports at the moment, but I really don't know why: they are simply too narrow for me for comfortable use. When I compare pens, how the pen feels in hand is pretty important, and the FC and Sport pens are pretty different in size in all dimensions. Something to think about, I suppose.
    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

    ~ Benjamin Franklin

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    Yazeh (May 22nd, 2021)

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    Default Re: Franklin Christoph pens Model 46 XLVI FP ... and Evaporation

    Quote Originally Posted by Yazeh View Post
    I'm tempted by the sleek design of this pen.
    I know nothing about them.

    My favorite pens are Kawecos (sport). The size is perfect. They are light, thin and short. In an ideal world, an ebonite kaweco would be perfect

    I have tried them with my troublesome inks (I only use pigmented/bulletproof/irongall ink) and have seen no evaporation, hard starts etc.
    I can swap their nibs . I use them as eye droppers. And when the right ink is found, it's for life.

    As you can see, I don't like cleaning my pens too often.

    Could this pen be a good fit, or am I better off staying with my kawecos?
    I prefer smallish pens, but have a 46 with the standard #6 steel fine nib and really love it. They are nicely made pens. Yeah, a little pricey, but no more than all the other pens like them. Maybe even less than all the fancy acrylic pens you see by smaller pen companies on Instagram. I have one Kaweco Sport, and like that as well, but it feels much cheaper than the Franklin Christoph pens. You can also easily swap nibs and eye dropper FC pens.

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    Yazeh (May 22nd, 2021)

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    Senior Member Yazeh's Avatar
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    Default Re: Franklin Christoph pens Model 46 XLVI FP ... and Evaporation

    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Szanto View Post
    Since both of you are already comfortable with the Sports, this may be a bit off-to-the-side, but there is quite a difference between the pens in terms of the width of the grip section. I own 2 Sports at the moment, but I really don't know why: they are simply too narrow for me for comfortable use. When I compare pens, how the pen feels in hand is pretty important, and the FC and Sport pens are pretty different in size in all dimensions. Something to think about, I suppose.
    Thanks Jon. That makes absolute sense...

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    Senior Member Yazeh's Avatar
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    Cool Re: Franklin Christoph pens Model 46 XLVI FP ... and Evaporation

    Quote Originally Posted by Igraine View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Yazeh View Post
    I'm tempted by the sleek design of this pen.
    I know nothing about them.

    My favorite pens are Kawecos (sport). The size is perfect. They are light, thin and short. In an ideal world, an ebonite kaweco would be perfect

    I have tried them with my troublesome inks (I only use pigmented/bulletproof/irongall ink) and have seen no evaporation, hard starts etc.
    I can swap their nibs . I use them as eye droppers. And when the right ink is found, it's for life.

    As you can see, I don't like cleaning my pens too often.

    Could this pen be a good fit, or am I better off staying with my kawecos?
    I prefer smallish pens, but have a 46 with the standard #6 steel fine nib and really love it. They are nicely made pens. Yeah, a little pricey, but no more than all the other pens like them. Maybe even less than all the fancy acrylic pens you see by smaller pen companies on Instagram. I have one Kaweco Sport, and like that as well, but it feels much cheaper than the Franklin Christoph pens. You can also easily swap nibs and eye dropper FC pens.
    To paraphrase a brilliant quote I read somewhere, "I am on the verge of becoming one those nutcases who would spend more that $100 on a stupid pen." . I don't want it to turn into a habit

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    Default Re: Franklin Christoph pens Model 46 XLVI FP ... and Evaporation

    Quote Originally Posted by Yazeh View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Igraine View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Yazeh View Post
    I'm tempted by the sleek design of this pen.
    I know nothing about them.

    My favorite pens are Kawecos (sport). The size is perfect. They are light, thin and short. In an ideal world, an ebonite kaweco would be perfect

    I have tried them with my troublesome inks (I only use pigmented/bulletproof/irongall ink) and have seen no evaporation, hard starts etc.
    I can swap their nibs . I use them as eye droppers. And when the right ink is found, it's for life.

    As you can see, I don't like cleaning my pens too often.

    Could this pen be a good fit, or am I better off staying with my kawecos?
    I prefer smallish pens, but have a 46 with the standard #6 steel fine nib and really love it. They are nicely made pens. Yeah, a little pricey, but no more than all the other pens like them. Maybe even less than all the fancy acrylic pens you see by smaller pen companies on Instagram. I have one Kaweco Sport, and like that as well, but it feels much cheaper than the Franklin Christoph pens. You can also easily swap nibs and eye dropper FC pens.
    To paraphrase a brilliant quote I read somewhere, "I am on the verge of becoming one those nutcases who would spend more that $100 on a stupid pen." . I don't want it to turn into a habit
    It’s complicated, this fountain pen thing. First you think, ok, I’ll buy one pen. Maybe two. I don’t want to be cheap about it, so I’ll do my research and carefully choose something that is quality, but not too pricey (below nutcase range). I thought I had a preference, like with gel pens, for finer nibs, so it’s all good, and I’m ok with steel...but then along came that great Amazon deal on the Sailor Pro Gear, and my goodness, gold nib pens DO feel very nice to write with. And once you spend $100, it’s not so hard to justify $150. Then there was that $200 pen I was forced to buy in a broad nib because broad was all the seller had left...and I’ll be damned if I didn’t LIKE that broad nib...so who’s to say I wouldn’t like a medium nib? Better buy one and see. Uh oh, I like medium nibs too - and if I like medium in brand A, I might like medium in Brand B more...And that broad nib, it gives me just a touch of line variation, which is kind of cool, and might mean that I would enjoy an italic nib....and on it goes.

  12. #9
    Senior Member Yazeh's Avatar
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    Default Re: Franklin Christoph pens Model 46 XLVI FP ... and Evaporation

    Quote Originally Posted by Igraine View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Yazeh View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Igraine View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Yazeh View Post
    I'm tempted by the sleek design of this pen.
    I know nothing about them.

    My favorite pens are Kawecos (sport). The size is perfect. They are light, thin and short. In an ideal world, an ebonite kaweco would be perfect

    I have tried them with my troublesome inks (I only use pigmented/bulletproof/irongall ink) and have seen no evaporation, hard starts etc.
    I can swap their nibs . I use them as eye droppers. And when the right ink is found, it's for life.

    As you can see, I don't like cleaning my pens too often.

    Could this pen be a good fit, or am I better off staying with my kawecos?
    I prefer smallish pens, but have a 46 with the standard #6 steel fine nib and really love it. They are nicely made pens. Yeah, a little pricey, but no more than all the other pens like them. Maybe even less than all the fancy acrylic pens you see by smaller pen companies on Instagram. I have one Kaweco Sport, and like that as well, but it feels much cheaper than the Franklin Christoph pens. You can also easily swap nibs and eye dropper FC pens.
    To paraphrase a brilliant quote I read somewhere, "I am on the verge of becoming one those nutcases who would spend more that $100 on a stupid pen." . I don't want it to turn into a habit
    It’s complicated, this fountain pen thing. First you think, ok, I’ll buy one pen. Maybe two. I don’t want to be cheap about it, so I’ll do my research and carefully choose something that is quality, but not too pricey (below nutcase range). I thought I had a preference, like with gel pens, for finer nibs, so it’s all good, and I’m ok with steel...but then along came that great Amazon deal on the Sailor Pro Gear, and my goodness, gold nib pens DO feel very nice to write with. And once you spend $100, it’s not so hard to justify $150. Then there was that $200 pen I was forced to buy in a broad nib because broad was all the seller had left...and I’ll be damned if I didn’t LIKE that broad nib...so who’s to say I wouldn’t like a medium nib? Better buy one and see. Uh oh, I like medium nibs too - and if I like medium in brand A, I might like medium in Brand B more...And that broad nib, it gives me just a touch of line variation, which is kind of cool, and might mean that I would enjoy an italic nib....and on it goes.
    So true.... And if I get a number six nib, I can get a secretary of flex and have the best in the world... and have two nibs instead of one to play with... and I like those black nibs, they look so classy, maybe get one of those... and....... never ending....
    In a way, when I focused on one brand and it's adequate why bother with more...
    I had the same things with inks. The moment I cut out water loving inks, I felt relief

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    Senior Member mizgeorge's Avatar
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    Default Re: Franklin Christoph pens Model 46 XLVI FP ... and Evaporation

    Quote Originally Posted by Yazeh View Post
    Thanks mizgeorge.
    what were your nibs? The have the 'normal, gold, SIG and HPS.
    Did you find any difference if any between them?
    My three FCs came with:

    a Nagahara Medium CI (nice, but a bit narrow for me)
    a Broad SIG (slightly disappointing)
    a bog standard factory 1.4 stub (fab)

    But I swap them out with other nibs whenever I feel like it - I was using a vintage dip nib in one last week.

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    Yazeh (May 22nd, 2021)

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    Default Re: Franklin Christoph pens Model 46 XLVI FP ... and Evaporation

    Quote Originally Posted by Yazeh View Post
    In an ideal world, an ebonite kaweco would be perfect
    That would be a welcome awesome. The closest similar pen would a Moonman Wancai Mini Ebonite though I would prefer the Kaweco Sport Ebonite for the features you describe. Sadly, I think the wait will be an eternity.

    As for the FC 46s, they are great but I wish the posting was more secure/deeper and clipless design has made mine roll off to the hardwood floor more times than I'd like. There's no cap liner but my 46s don't dry out with Diamines and Noodler's. I have one fitted with a Masayama CI and the other FNF flex, both from the Triangle Show 2019. I think my next FC will be a 20 with an actual clip! That said, my Kaweco Golden Espresso with the quick but tiny syringe converter ticks off many of my FP checkboxes and trumps the FC 46s. The advantages for FC are Jowo 6 compat, nib customization at purchase (Nagahara, SIG), helping a small business and warranty support so YMMV.

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    Yazeh (June 5th, 2021)

  17. #12
    Senior Member Yazeh's Avatar
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    Default Re: Franklin Christoph pens Model 46 XLVI FP ... and Evaporation

    Thanks for your insights. I decided to be loyal to my Kawecos for now....

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