We have been waiting for this for
ages, and it's finally arrived! This is our next exclusive pen from Franklin-Christoph, in the same translucent bronze grey finish:
the Model 45. It is joining our Model 20 and Pocket 20 in our shop, and we're thrilled. This is one of my favourite models, and I already have a few 45s in my own personal collection. A few Christmases ago, F-C had a special run of a neon lime green 45, and we got one for everyone on our team. F-C sent over a prototype of this new one for us some months ago, and it's been a wonderful, if oppressive, thrill to hold this secret in my pen roll.
My eyedroppered 45 is on the far left, and the Pocket and Model 20s are on the far right. These are available from EF to Broad and 1.1. These little beauties are small, perfect as a pocket pen - in terms of size they are bigger than a Kaweco Sport and just slightly smaller than a TWSBI mini.
These Model 45s fit a No.5 nib instead of a No.6 nib like their larger Model 20 and Pocket 20 cousins. Because of their small size, they take either a standard international short cartridge, or you can eyedropper them. I'm told it takes a certain kind of person to eyedropper a pen - brave? foolhardy? long-winded? - and I am definitely that kind of person. If you're going to eyedropper yours, you should put some silicone grease in two places:
- the threads where the grip meets the barrel.
- the threads on the back of the black housing that holds the nib and feed. This housing screws and unscrews out of the grip.
You don't need very much - too much may result in accidentally getting some on the feed, which would definitely impeded flow. You should apply about as much as a layer of lip chap. If you get too much on, or if it gets onto the feed, you can scrub with a dry cloth to physically remove it (like wiping Vaseline off something), and then maybe again with some dish soap and a toothbrush. If you have a TWSBI pen, they usually include a little jar of silicone grease at the back, and we
sell some too. You really need very little though, and if you purchase from us in the shop, we can definitely pre-grease it for you even if you'd like to use it with cartridges first. If you're buying online, you can also leave a comment in the notes.
I've inked mine up with Sailor Chu-Shu, a grey with great shading and a hint of purple. With eyedroppering, there's always a risk of staining, especially with pens that have the grainy texture on the inside of the barrel, but I find Sailor inks do well for cleaning out for me.
Our first batch of these dreamy little pens are sitting on our shelves, and it's a bizarre sort of dream to have our own set of exclusive Franklin-Christophs. I still remember back in the day when we first opened and we would order pens in quantities of five and ten, and here we are with pens made just for us.
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Comments
Anonymous said:
Hi there, I’m sorry we have no firm timelines on when our next shipment will come in. You can email orders@wonderpens.ca to be put on an email notification list if you’d like! Hope that helps :)
ZOU YULONG said:
When can it be sold again？
Anonymous said:
A great match, Earl Grey! I’ve only tried a sample because…it’s been sold out! Unfortunately we will not be getting another Diamine shipment until the spring, and possibly the late spring, depending on the weather. Things may be additionally slightly helter-skelter with the shop moves, but things shouldn’t be too different from usual. Hope that helps :)
Anonymous said:
Thank you so much! What an honour to be part of your first F-C – although I think sometimes with these beauties, one can get you started down quite a rabbit hole :)
The nibs are F-C nibs, checked in house by them before they’re sent to us. They are just like they are in the photo. We do have a few spare nibs, both in the No.5 and No.6 size we can sell to you (we mostly use them for swapping out in pens, and for those who just want an extra nib for their pen). Send us an email info@wonderpens.ca and we can set you up! :)
Jason said:
Congrats! This is a very special thing indeed :) Thanks for collaborating on such an awesome look – I’d been waiting for F-C’s next release of any pen with an Antique Glass material, but then I saw yours and thought it looked so awesome I just had to go for it instead. My very first F-C has been made possible because of you – thanks!! I can’t wait until it arrives :D
One thing that wasn’t clear to me when ordering is the nibs – are they actual F-C HPSteel nibs with the F-C logo like in the pictures? I didn’t see a place to buy different F-C nibs through you – is that possible?
Thanks!
Jenn said:
Hi there,
I’ve eyedroppered three FCs now and had no issues with them even when they run extremely low on ink. They come with me to work every week and sit in a little pen pouch on my hip. There can be condensation from body heat but I haven’t encountered any burping since I first started carrying them in November.
Maggie said:
I eyedropper my Franklin-Christoph pocket 66 and write it dry every time with no problems. I inked up my 45 yesterday and have already written it half-way down, no burping. These pens are designed to be eye-droppered, you should be fine. Make sure you grease the threads on the section as well as the base of the nib housing unit.
Anonymous said:
I haven’t myself, but I think the strategy is to keep the barrel more than 1/3 full. I’ve written eyedropper fills dry without burping problems, but I also work “from home” so I don’t expose my pens to as much temperature change, which I think can also cause some burping issues. Good luck! (If you try it..)
Anonymous said:
Lie de the is one of my favourite inks, a great match! Hope you really enjoy the new pen :)
Maggie said:
Just picked mine up this morning, so chuffed to have an exclusive pen from my favourite shop by my favourite pen maker! I’m going to eyedropper it with J. Herbin Lie de Thé.
Stephen Austin said:
Have you had any burping issues with your eyedroppered Franklin-Christophs? I’ve been meaning to try it with my Model 20.
Jenn said:
That’s a great looking pen! I got your P20 and put Diamine Earl Grey in it. Chu-Shu might need a turn next. Speaking of Earl Grey, do you know when you’ll get another shipment?