Franklin-Christoph Firma-Flex Journal Notebook A5

All of my faithful readers know I have really taken to the pens made by Franklin-Christoph but what about the notebooks? Well, I purchased one of them at the Dallas Pen Show and it is a wonderful notebook, plain and simple.

This is the A5 sized journal notebook which is always the size I prefer and it is in the graph format on the page. It has a very elegant and classy look and it is stitched together which adds to the entire quality of the book itself. I also love the celtic knot with the 4 diamonds debossed on the cover.

 The book is sturdy like a hardcover but is still semi-flexible, which  is a nice feature. The binding, much like the cover, is sewn and not glued so this book does lie flat for convenience and overall writing access. I also like the angle cut corners as it is a nice touch.

How is the paper though? That is a great question. The paper is quite smooth but with a very small hint of feedback. There are 96 sheets here for a total of 192 pages. The paper is pH neutral and it is also acid free but the most interesting aspect of the paper is that it is made from sugar cane extract. Franklin-Christoph has a secret paper formula and that is all I know about the intricacies here. What I can say is the paper does not feather, bleed or spread with ink and I tried a wide assortment of inks and nib widths here.

This paper also shows off nice shading in an ink as well as sheen.

It is another fine quality product from Franklin-Christoph and I will definitely be purchasing more as I fill up this one. A true pleasure to write in.

This is based off my experiences and opinion. I do not represent Franklin-Christoph nor am I being compensated in any way.

Fountain Pen Day 2017

It is Fountain Pen Day! 

This is a day for all fountain pen enthusiasts to celebrate their passion and it is a great time to help enlighten others to the joys of fountain pens. To celebrate, there is not a special activity that is required other than enjoy writing. That is it.

I was sitting and thinking about some ideas for celebrating this day and here are a few:

1. Put the computer away, get some paper and your favorite fountain pen and write a letter. It could be to a parent, family member, dear friend, anyone.
2. November is NANoWriMo so if you are an aspiring writer, grab a pen and start that novel.
3. Gift a pen and ink combo to a friend that would appreciate the gesture and would like to try a fountain pen but may not know where to start.
4. Draw. There is no reason you cannot use a fountain pen for the expression of self through art.
5. Try to take notes with a pen and paper rather than a laptop or tablet

The theme here is write, it is that simple. 

There are also many wonderful giveaways or discounts from fountain pen vendors all over the world. This could be your lucky day!

Fountain Pen Day happens once a year on the first Friday of November. It is a great time to promote fountain pen use and a great excuse to go a tad silly with your love of pens. 

Happy Fountain Pen Day!

Montblanc Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Limited Edition Ink

I have often been perplexed by ink colors named after famous figures from history. Why is DeAtramentis Edgar Allen Poe a green color is one of those questions that gives me a headache. I could name others but it is what it is. When this Antoine de Saint-Exupéry limited edition ink was released by Montblanc, I was intrigued but all of the ink swatches online did nothing for me. A friend of mine has this ink and allowed me a sample and that is when I wanted to know more as I liked it.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was a French writer and pioneering aviator. It appears he is most notably known for his novella The Little Prince. What I did not know what that Antoine was pilot, namely commercially before WWII and then was a pilot in the war flying reconnaissance missions. He flew for the French before the German armistice in 1940 and then again for the Free French Air Force in North Africa until 1944 when he was shot down around the Mediterranean.

I do love a good story when it comes to ink but how does this rich burgundy color relate to this famous person? According to Montblanc, the color is inspired by the color of the desert at sunset. Oddly Montblanc terms this color a dark saffron which is more crimson to me and this looks like a dark burgundy.

It has some sheen when there is a substantial amount of ink deposited on the paper but all in all it is a nicely saturated ink but it is not crimson.

It flows nicely, as do most Montblanc inks that I have tried and it behaves well. I tried it on Midori MD paper, Clairefontaine, Rhodia, Tomoe River, Leuchtturm, Franklin-Christoph and 100g Col-O-Ring paper without bleed, feather or spread issues. 

The color is similar to some other burgundy colors but definitely has more blue in it, compared to the others, for a more purple-like base. 

Out of these four inks, the Noodlers American Aristocracy was the closest candidate, well this bottle anyways. Sailor Oku-Yama is a beautiful burgundy but the sheen took over here. 

I really love the color and I find the story behind it or more the inspiration behind it quite interesting. I believe I need to buy a bottle here as I do not have a burgundy quite like it. I may have an ink problem....but ...but...I can quit whenever I want!

This is based off of my experience and opinion. I do not represent Montblanc nor am I being compensated in any way.

Franklin-Christoph Model 66 Stabilis - Solid Ice

I guess it is safe to say that I really love Franklin-Christoph's products. The 66 Solid Ice is my third F-C pen and that goes along with my F-C inks and journal. This review will also showcase some customer service points as I had a goofy cap. Let's take a peek.

This is the 66 Stabilis fountain pen in the Solid Ice finish. A very attractive pen and I had to jump on this pen when I saw this finish was available. The Italian Ice and Antique Glass finishes are special and have waiting lists for them but this one works for me.

After unboxing this pen, as seen above, I noticed that the cap was goofy. It was very frosted and was more so on the threads then elsewhere as well as some areas in the cap that did not have the frost.

I emailed this picture to Franklin-Christoph wondering if this was normal for this finish and the response I received was a resounding no. Now customer service can make or break a company, regardless of the business you are in. The service experience I went through with Franklin-Christoph was exceptional here. The email response was within 10 minutes of my sending and they offered to send me a new cap. All I had to do was send the wonky cap back upon receipt of the new one. This may not sound like much but what I greatly love here is that I did not have to send the entire pen back for the exchange to happen which seems to be the norm elsewhere. Phenomenal. Oh and when I received the new cap, the box already has a USPS Priority shipping label on it so I do not have to pay for shipping. Great service here Mandy and Franklin-Christoph!

Loving the new cap!




The pen itself is their longest pen and for someone with larger hands, this is perfect. It feels well balanced, has a nice weight and writes like a champ. The pen itself does not have a clip but the pen body has a nice flat area on one side that keeps it in place and at rest on a desk with the pen model listed in it.

I decided to eyedropper this pen since it is clear and I personally dislike seeing a converter in a clear pen. I put some silicone grease on the section threads and filled it with Franklin-Christoph Terra Firma initially but then moved to Franklin-Christoph Loden as I believe it looks so much better in this pen.

The nib I went with was a steel broad and oh man is this nib wet, juicy and super smooth. It has a generous flow but not excessively so and it is legible in normal writing.

I have nothing but praise for this pen and this company. High quality products, great customer service and one happy customer. I have three F-C pens at the moment, but I will continue to buy more from Franklin-Christoph in the future.

This review is based off of my experience and opinion. I do not represent Franklin-Christoph nor am I being compensated in any way.

Grifos Nero Muse "Bog Oak" Fountain Pen

I have heard about Grifos brand pens before and have always been intrigued. I recently met a new friend at the Pelikan Hub that was held on September 22nd and this belonged to that person. I had a pen I was not happy with and this Grifos was a pen that this new friend didn't care for either. A swap was made between us and now I have this lovely pen that I really enjoy. Let's take a look.

This is one very attractive pen. The cap and section are made of 925 silver and features a Guilloche pattern with Ruthenium or Black Gold plating. The plating adds a touch of depth to the Guilloche and it can be very mesmerizing.

The body of the pen is also rather stunning as it is an ancient wood known as “bog oak,” found in the swamps of eastern Europe and carbon-dated to be up to 5,460 years old. That is actually really fascinating. It even came with a Certificate of Authenticity.

The issue I had with the pen was the nib. After filling the pen, it just would not write reliably and so many hard starts. I did some research and found that it was a very common theme amongst other owners of the pen. It had a F steel #6 nib on it and I decided to try a spare #6 nib from Goulet Pens and voila, the pen writes like a champ.

Overall a fascinating pen to look at and to write with. It is a lighter pen when uncapped as the silver in the cap has most of the weight. A well balanced pen that truly is a piece of art.

This review is based off of my experience and opinion. I do not represent Grifos in any way nor am I being compensated.

Franklin Christoph Model 31 Omnis

I have a Franklin Christoph 19 that I thoroughly enjoy so it made sense to look at the Franklin Christoph table when I visited the Dallas Pen Show. I walked away with a Model 31 Omnis and I find that I cannot stop writing with it, which is ultimately a wonderful thing.

The best description of the Franklin Christoph 31 is from the F-C website itself:

“The Model 31 encompasses features from several F-C models. The grip section is like that of the 40 Panther, the silhouette is a slightly slimmer version of the 19, precision posting like the 20, 45, and 03, cut grooves and recessed nib like the 20.“

It is definitely slimmer than the 19 but I really love the recessed nib. For whatever reason, I absolutely love the look of this feature and the gold nib is quite striking.

The nib itself is the medium in 14k gold and has some bounce to it as opposed to the steel counterpart of the same nib. Jim at F-C tuned it before handing it over to try it and that personal service resonated with me. A very nice and personal touch.

The pen material is quite interesting as well. It is a matte finish and the pen blanks for this pen model come from Jonathan Brooks at the Carolina Pen Company. It looks remarkably like granite in person but without the weight that would go along with it. In certain light, there is an iridescent quality to the blank that really adds to the granite likeness here as well as develops a richness overall.

I love the heft of the pen, the thickness, the material and the writing experience I get with this pen. Franklin Christoph has a reputation for quality and I find that to be quite true with both F-C pens that I own.

This review is based off of my experience and opinion. I do not represent Franklin Christoph in any way nor am I being compensated.

The Dallas Pen Show 2017

My first pen show and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It can be a tad overwhelming at first as there are so many people and things to see. 

It was so much fun to meet so many people who share the same passion for pens, paper and ink.

There were a list of vendors I had planned on visiting first and that I did. I had planned on visiting:

• Franklin Christoph
• Vanness Pens
• Anderson Pens
• Papier Plume 
• Dromgooles
• Pendemonium

I spent the most time and money at the Franklin Christoph table as they had all of their nib options in pens to test out and try. 

After much deliberation and testing, I chose a beautiful Model 31 with a 14k gold nib. The hands on touch here is quite nice as I then got to choose what Franklin Christoph ink I wanted it filled with and then Jim would personally tune the nib before handing it to me.

The nib felt butter smooth and the ink is quite lovely. I went with Black Forest which is a dark green that still has beautiful shading.

I then went to Vanness Pens because of their vast ink selection and are the only vendor I know of in the US that carries KWZ ink.

Here I finally got to meet Lisa Vanness and Anna from The Well Appointed Desk blog. More money ran from my wallet here too. P.W. Akkerman Dutch Masters Ceruleam Blauw Van Vermeer, P.W. Akkerman #13 Simplisties Violet, KWZ Iron Gall Gummiberry were soon in my hands as well as a new Col-O-ring. 

By this time, I was pretty beat and the show was to be ending and we hadn't had dinner yet. 

Day 2 of the show started at 10am and I was down shortly thereafter. I checked out the silent auction pieces, which were plenty and consisted mainly of vintage pens and some books. 

I then was able to meet Papier Plume and browse their wares.

I have bottles of Sazerac and Red Beans & Rice already but what else do we have? I ended up having a nice discussion about ink here and purchased some stationary and ink for my mother as a thank you for staying home with my kids. 

Next happened to be a visit to Anderson Pens. 

Brian and Lisa Anderson are very nice people. Lisa and I spoke about the Midwest as they are in Wisconsin and I tried out some Sailor pens. I really like the look of the Pro Gear over the 1911 model but man are they small pens. I have big hands and I do not like to post my pens. 

Dromgooles and Chatterly Luxury were there and I visited their tables but their offerings were a bit past my allotted budget. We had some great pen discussion and all is good. 

I also visited Luxury Brand to see the new Noodler Ink inks but that was a disappointment. Polar Purple and a blue were not what I was hoping for and I didn't stay here very long. I was hoping for a new and exciting ink offering. 

Pendemonium has Iowa roots from Fort Madison, Iowa which is also the former home of Sheaffer pens. 

Sam and Frank are super knowledgeable and quite friendly. It was nice to touch base with them and reminisce a bit. 

I did buy some more stuff. A Franklin Christoph A5 journal in grid format, some silicone grease and Franklin Christoph Loden ink. A nice haul from a great show. 

I will definitely come to this show again. I met some great people and was really in pen heaven. With some restraint, I may be able to buy some more pens but can I save during the year with all of the other great pen things out there? We will see what happens. Thanks Dallas, it was super fun!