Essential Fountain / Rollerball pen

[flat_tire]

I don't have a stub, but ...

... you may get faster answers if you post a photo of your writing with the pen, and maybe a close-up of the nib or two.

Well, I was hoping to avoid having my hand-writing available for all to view blush, but you do make a good point, so here it is:

The best nib shots I could get:

Again, I really like the way it writes; very smooth and wet (but not too wet), and it may very well be a stub nib. I just have never had one before and don't know what to expect. I have had no skipping issues and it seems very forgiving as to how a hold the pen and what angle / orientation the nib contacts the paper.

Thanks,
CZ

 

[brianw]

Sure looks like a stub to me....line variation on the across stroke

 

[Slivovitz]

...Again, I really like the way it writes; very smooth and wet (but not too wet), and it may very well be a stub nib. I just have never had one before and don't know what to expect. I have had no skipping issues and it seems very forgiving as to how a hold the pen and what angle / orientation the nib contacts the paper.

Thanks,
CZ

I'm no expert on stub nibs, and this is my first modern stub. My others are all vintage Esterbrook left oblique stubs. I must say that, except for the lack of obliquity, the tip of this new medium stub on the B&B Essential looks similar to my Esterbrook 2314M medium stub. Under a 10X loupe, the Franklin Christoph seems a little more rounded

Regrettably, I haven't yet inked up the Essential to try it out, yet. Out of the box, just looking at it, I posted the cap, and the cap threads got pushed further inside. It sits too loosely to post, and the threads now won't reach to permit it to be securely capped. I contacted Franklin Christoph immediately, and got an immediate and satisfactory response. They say this is a problem with the dimensions on a small number of the latest batch, which was discovered only after some had been shipped. They mailed me a replacement cap and end piece the same day, and are including a return label so I can send them the bad one. No doubt everything will be fine, but there's no point in inking the pen until it can be capped securely. I'm sure that it is only a few pens, but those who never post a pen might want to try it once just to be sure.

 

[flat_tire]

Sure looks like a stub to me....line variation on the across stroke

Thanks for the confirmation. Now I will need to get an italic nib (or italic cursive?) as well....

Thanks,
CZ

 

[mikeschu]

I should probably get on this before they run out. I have a Pilot 78G in fine, a TWSBI Mini in EF, a Lamy Safari in F/EF/LH and a Pilot Metropolitan. Has anyone ordered the EF or F nib? I think I want something that writes a slightly wider line than the 78G.

 

[mikeschu]

Slept on it and am picking up one with a needlepoint nib plus a CRS section... and the tan three-pen case.

 

[syngent]

Those cases do look great

 

[Slivovitz]

Had to wait a few extra days to try the pen, due to an issue with the cap. Well, these things happen, and Franklin Christoph sent the replacement parts post haste. All good now.

Filled it up with Namiki Blue and took it out for a write. The medium stub does write very smoothly. Not an enormous amount of line variation, but I wasn't really expecting that, it just lends the writing a certain flair.

This brings my number of inked pens up to six, so the special will be getting used a lot in rotation with the others until I empty something. Mind you, my main reason for buying this particular pen was the B&B tie-in, but I've gotten a good pen into the deal.

 

[Lexbomb]

I now have my matching pair of fountain pen and CRS. I couldn't decide what to write with so I thought safer and smarter to buy both. Now I have two badgers in my pocket

 

[AACJ]

Now get a badger to wear on your wrist too!!

I now have my matching pair of fountain pen and CRS. I couldn't decide what to write with so I thought safer and smarter to buy both. Now I have two badgers in my pocket

 

[Lexbomb]

Now get a badger to wear on your wrist too!!

Oh I'm trying to find one don't you worry about that!

 

[AACJ]

Oh I'm trying to find one don't you worry about that!

Last I saw they were selling on other forums for around 295.00.

 

[StillShaving]

Ignorant FP user here, but was looking for a little feedback after using this pen a few times.

• Are Rollerball tips available in smaller point sizes? This one appears to write about like a 1mm tip, when I am more accustomed and comfortable writing with a 0.7mm tip on a gel or ballpoint pen.
• I am getting ink bleed through on fairly decent paper stock (see attached photo). This while using the FP cartridge which shipped with the pen. I suspect the bleed through is caused more by the Rollerball tip than the ink. Then again it seems that a less free flowing ink would also "fix" the problem since there would be less liquid to absorb into the paper. Which is the bigger issue?
• Do I need to switchover to a traditional style nib to get the finer writing pen I am after?

I am enjoying the pen, but there are less situations where I would pick it up as it currently stands. Thanks.

 

[Fatestorm]

Better late than never.

Pulled the trigger on a Medium Stub. I'm very excited about this. This will be my first Franklin-Christoph, though I'm certainly aware of the brand and I've wanted to try one for a long time. Thanks again to the community for putting all the pieces together with this.

 

[Soldierdan]

I'm fairly new to the FP scene, but I just ordered my med stub... Fingers crossed!

 

[Franklin-Christoph]

Hey guys - wanted to let you know we've just sold out of the second batch. All those who placed orders are getting them (about 5 going out today I think). Kind of snuck up on us with brisk sales the last 10 days or so. I'm discussing with Jim and Brian what our next move will be, and we'll post something here in this thread -

Many thanks!

Scott F.

 

[Mink]

I'd like some feedback if possible. My FC 27 (F) seems to be more like the TWSBI M than the F. Anybody else feel that the Fine is broader than their other pens? I know it's not unusual for the nib line widths to vary across manufacturers, but I just want to verify that what I'm seeing matches what others are seeing.


UPDATE: I think I found a serious case of user error. The first time I used the pen, I flushed out the nib and converter before loading up with Namiki Black. The lines were wider than expected and the ink seemed very wet - at least for what I have been used to. Anyway, I contacted FC and they pointed out that the converter could hold a little water (from flushing) between the plunger base and the bottom of the converter. I flushed out the ink in the nib and added a near full load of Aurora Black, and voila. The lines are like the fine lines from my TWSBI and I can write on the Clairefontaine paper without any feathering or drying issues. So, problem solved. The FC converter is very nice. You can remove it from the nib, load it by putting the end in the ink, and then reinstall it. It's much less messy. Because of the weight of the pen, it takes no pressure to lay down a nice thin line. Wonderful pen.

 

[Soldierdan]

Hey guys - wanted to let you know we've just sold out of the second batch. All those who placed orders are getting them (about 5 going out today I think). Kind of snuck up on us with brisk sales the last 10 days or so. I'm discussing with Jim and Brian what our next move will be, and we'll post something here in this thread -

Many thanks!

Scott F.

I hope mine was one of those! It says shipped, but then I got an email saying rescinded. Then there was another saying that it was shipped again lol. I'm lost.

 

[Jim]

Ignorant FP user here, but was looking for a little feedback after using this pen a few times.

• Are Rollerball tips available in smaller point sizes? This one appears to write about like a 1mm tip, when I am more accustomed and comfortable writing with a 0.7mm tip on a gel or ballpoint pen.
• I am getting ink bleed through on fairly decent paper stock (see attached photo). This while using the FP cartridge which shipped with the pen. I suspect the bleed through is caused more by the Rollerball tip than the ink. Then again it seems that a less free flowing ink would also "fix" the problem since there would be less liquid to absorb into the paper. Which is the bigger issue?
• Do I need to switchover to a traditional style nib to get the finer writing pen I am after?

I am enjoying the pen, but there are less situations where I would pick it up as it currently stands. Thanks.

David, I have no idea about the different ball sizes, but changing up the ink may help with the bleed through somewhat.
Some inks and paper just do not play well with each other. The option to convert this to a cartridge rollerball and or a fountain pen is another.

 

[bhorsoft]

My fine came Friday and I inked it up today with some Namiki Blue (had to use a blue to match the barrel). Great writer and I think the fine width is perfect.