After reviewing the
Franklin-Christoph Model 02 Intrinsic Smoke & Ice fountain pen in broad, I knew I had to investigate this adorable pocket version. Fortunately, I had won a $100 gift certificate to Franklin-Christoph's online store a little while ago (a great reason to like their Facebook page!), so I used it to get this Model 40P and I upgraded the nib to a Masuyama broad stub. Thank you to Franklin-Christoph for that great giveaway!
ABOUT
Body Material: Acrylic
Trim: None
Length (capped): 4.22"
Length (uncapped nib-end): 3.81"
Length (posted): 5.22"
Barrel Diameter: 0.50"
Section Diameter: 0.41"
Nib material: Steel
Weight: 14 g
Fill type: Cartridge/Eyedropper
Price: $134.50USD (with Masuyama nib)
Where to buy:
Franklin-Christoph
PACKAGING
Just like its "big brother" the Model 02 Intrinsic, the Model 40 Pocket arrived in the same simple box: a simple hard black case with a striped finish across it. The inside is satin-lined, the pen held in place on a felt bed with a satin loop. It comes with the pen, a converter, cartridges so you can ink up right away, along with some Franklin-Christoph cards. Nice, simple packaging. No wasted space. I like that.
APPEARANCE
The Model 40P fountain pen is gorgeous. This is really a compact version of the Model 02 Intrinsic Smoke & Ice. The cap appears full-sized and threads deeply on to the barrel. The cap and barrel have the icy motif body. It looks like...well...ice. The top of the cap has a coloured acrylic plug: both deeply shimmery and pearlescent; I love it. I have one of each cap: the fire and the smoke. The fire is swirly and hot red, and the smoke is sultry and deep grey.
The end of the barrel tapers to accommodate being posted and is a polished clear acrylic. The threads are located at the top of the section, unlike the Model 02 Intrinsic.
NIB & PERFORMANCE
The nib is aesthetically pleasing; a good size for the pen and the colour scheme all matches. It seems to be a #5 stainless steel, although you can also upgrade to a gold nib should you wish. Honestly though, get a Masuyama grind and you'll never think about a gold nib again.
I had heard that Mike Masuyama is a master at nib grinding, so I was really looking forward to giving this broad stub Masuyama grind a run. I didn't flush the pen, just inked it up immediately. ... And I picked one of the sludgiest, driest inks I have: J. Herbin's Rouge Hematite. I must admit I was a little surprised to find this nib so smooth and so juicy that it handled Rouge Hematite, usually a dry and clumpy ink, with ease. The nib puts down a wet line of ink that shades beautifully, shows off the ink's sheen easily, and the nib's line variation is easy to enjoy. Excellent performance.
While the nib was very smooth and handled the ink well, I was expecting a more stubby grind though. I have also used a Masuyama medium cursive italic and I think I was hoping for that kind of variation from it. I'm not disappointed by the performance, it just wasn't what I was expecting. If you're looking for a sharper grind with more crisp and precise variation, go for a medium or broad cursive italic grind. A stub will be softer and smoother though, if you are new to this world.
IN HAND
The threads are located quite high up the section, so although they are a little sharp, they shouldn't get in the way of your writing. The pen is light and comfortable for me to hold, and I can actually write without it posted, though when it's posted, it is more comfy, although it must be posted deeply because the lid can wiggle off. As it is light and well-balanced, there's no need to death grip the whole thing, so the threads really shouldn't be an issue.
On desk, if you go clipless, be aware your pen can roll away!
PROS & CONS
Side note: I completely forgot about this when I wrote this list: the cap posts but just by friction, so if not posted deeply/tightly enough, it can fall off.
OVERALL
I really enjoy this pen. It's a very cute size, comfortable, lightweight, very attractive, and the nib is very smooth and enjoyable. As I said, it's not as crisp and variable as I was hoping for (but clearly a stub is not the same as a cursive italic!), but that doesn't mean it doesn't perform well! Simply put: highly recommended. Get a Masuyama grind, turn the pen into an eyedropper, and fall in love with this thing. Totally worth it. Just don't lose your cap.
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