The "Great Consolidation" of my collection continues. I've brought the "For Sale" page live again, and it has some great vintage stuff, as well as a few modern pens that just haven't been getting enough love. Terms of sale are on the Sale page, but feel free to e-mail me if you have questions or would like to make an offer. Discounts will be seriously considered if you take more than one pen. Thanks again!
Franklin-Christoph's Covered Pen Tray in "Boot Black" Leather
Pen Storage Options: Franklin-Christoph Covered Pen Tray
Back in February I discussed various pen storage options, and how I store my own personal collection. All of that still holds true, though since then I've added a Franklin-Christoph Covered Pen Tray in "boot black" leather. This is a product I can easily recommend, especially if you're looking for a storage option that looks really nice on a desk or display shelf.
Franklin-Christoph
I've reviewed several Franklin-Christoph products in the past, and I've never had a bad experience. The company, which has a long history, is based in North Carolina, and manufactures pens, inks, and related accessories. I'm generally a fan of their pens, and I especially like the fact that you can purchase a pre-ground nib from Mike Masuyama in various standard customizations such as italic, cursive italic, needlepoint, etc. What doesn't get enough attention, in my opinion, is their line of pen cases, which includes your standard pen sleeves, holsters, and zippered album-style pen cases, as well as more unique products like the "penvelopes" and the Covered Pen Tray.
The Covered Pen Tray
The Franklin-Christoph Covered Pen Tray in "Slotter Box" Mode
The Covered Pen Tray is based on the traditional "slotter box" that many pen dealers use to transport pens to and from pen shows, and was originally conceived as a means to both carry pens to shows and easily display them upon arrival. The tray (or "CPT", as it's referred to on the Franklin-Christoph website), is made from leather, lined with durable textured cloth, and comes configured to hold either 12 pens or 7 pens plus accessories (converters, cartridges, spare nibs, etc.).
The Franklin-Christoph Covered Pen Tray in "Display Stand" Mode
If you want to display your pens, whether at a show or in your home, the double-hinged lid of the Covered Pen Tray folds under to create a display stand that sits at an angle. When you want to put them away, the lid closes securely using a magnetic front flap. The intention is to allow you to use the box to transport pens, though the Covered Pen Tray shouldn't be used as a daily carry or travel case for inked pens because there's still some room in the slots for the pens to slide around. You might end up with a mess on your hands.
The red cloth inserts on the Covered Pen Tray look like they are durable and will stand up to heavy use.
The Covered Pen Tray is available in the same maroon, black, and brown color options as Franklin-Christoph's other leather goods. Recently, Franklin-Christoph changed their leather, so instead of the matte "boot leather" pictured in this review, the new Covered Pen Trays are made from "FxCel oil tanned leather," which the company says offers a "smoother high quality finish". I haven't seen the new leather in person, but will definitely be checking it out next month at the Washington, D.C. Pen Show.
I love the matte look of the "boot black" leather. It's embossed with the Franklin-Christoph logo on two places: the top of the lid and the foldover hinge.
Franklin-Christoph has created a unique product. Other "display boxes" or pen stands aren't portable, like Levenger's Point of View Pen Case or the various model of boxes and stands offered by Lanier Pens. Personally, I'm partial to leather over wood, so I'll gladly pay the extra premium. The leather has a good feel to it (as in, not plasticky like some leather used to make inexpensive pen cases), the stitching is flawless, and the burgundy cloth used to line the interior is both attractive and durable. One note about the interior and the slots themselves: the Covered Pen Tray doesn't use "pre-made" slot inserts that you see in a lot of other pen boxes (and that I used to make my cigar box pen case). I suspect these are handmade, and the result is a much more high-quality piece than other products I've seen on the market around this price point.
A close up look at the textured burgundy cloth used to line the Covered Pen Tray. It's durable while still being soft enough not to scratch your pens.
Where to Buy
The Covered Pen Tray can be purchased directly from Franklin-Christoph for $149.50. This is not an inexpensive storage option, though once you get into pen cases, trays, and boxes that are meant to be displayed and not simply to store pens out of sight in a drawer or a bag, you're going to be paying more money, especially for quality leather goods. This one occupies prime real estate on my desk in my home office.
DISCLAIMER: I purchased the product featured in this review with my own funds, for my own collection. This post also contains affiliate links.
The Tactile Turn Gist Fountain Pen in polycarbonate with Damascus grip and finial. Bock titanium nib.
Pen Review: Tactile Turn Gist
The Tactile Turn Gist fountain pen was one of the most hyped Kickstarter projects of the past year (well, at least in the stationery world). Due in no small part to the previous successes of its creator, Will Hodges, the Gist blew away its $50,000 fundraising goal, drawing over $129,000 in total pledges. So now that I've had the final result in my hands for about a month, how did the pen turn out? Short answer: the Gist is well worth the money, especially if you like pens made from unique metals, but it's not without a couple hiccups.
Background
For those of you unfamiliar with Tactile Turn, the company is small machine shop and design studio located in Richardson, Texas and run by machinist and designer Will Hodges. Will's prior work has included his Mover and Shaker machined pens, since discontinued except for certain limited models. I reviewed the Mover a while back, and it's a favorite daily carry-type pen of mine.
Somewhat unrelated to stationery, Tactile Turn also ran a Kickstarter for the "Parer" and "Pruner" machined razor handles compatible with Gillette Mach 3 and Fusion cartridges. (Now if only they could do one for Harry's blades....)
Design and Build
My two Tactile Turn Gist fountain pens, in zirconium and Damascus steel.
On to the Gist. Overall, the Tactile Turn Gist is a well-designed, functional fountain pen that should wear well and stand up to whatever you might throw at it. Whereas most Kickstarter pens are crafted from metal or wood, Will decided to do something different, opting for fiberglass-reinforced plastic called polycarbonate, better known by its trade names Makrolon or Lexan. Those of you familiar with Lamy's flagship "Lamy 2000" fountain pen may recognize the material-it's very similar, if not identical, to what Lamy uses in the 2000. Because the Gist is a cartridge/converter pen, however, the body is very light and lacks the weight added by Lamy's piston-filling mechanism. This could be a good or bad thing, depending on your preferences, but you should understand that the all-polycarbonate Gist is VERY light. If I hadn't opted for the metal section on both pens that I ordered, the pen would probably be too light for me to use comfortably.
A look at my "blacked out" Tactile Turn Gist with Zirconium section.
But let's talk about the metal section. With the exception of the Lamy Studio, I generally dislike all-metal pens because I find them too heavy to use for extended periods of time. Not so here. The section, like the body of the pen, is textured, which minimizes slippage.
The Tactile Turn logo engraved onto the zirconium finial. You can opt for logo or "no logo". I wish I had gone for the latter. I think it would have given the pen a cleaner look.
You can customize your polycarbonate Gist fountain pen with a wide array of different metal sections and finials. Materials include the not-so-uncommon stainless steel, titanium, copper, brass, and bronze, as well as rarer materials like zirconium and damascus steel. I couldn't pass up the zirconium or damascus options, so I backed the Kickstarter for both pens. If you're a fan of all-metal pens, you can purchase the Gist in stainless steel, titanium, brass, bronze, and even zirconium (which comes with a pretty price tag).
The Tactile Turn Gist comes with multiple "trim options." I opted for Damascus steel (top) and zirconium (bottom).
As I mentioned, the pen is well-built with an eye towards heavy daily use. The cap posts well, which I prefer, and I like the length of this pen both capped and posted. It sits well in a shirt pocket at work, and is well-balanced in the hand (more on that below). Tactile Turn used an excellent black metal clip, which not only looks great but clips the pen securely to whatever you use to carry it, whether that be a pen case, bag strap, or shirt/jeans pocket.
The clip on the Tactile Turn Gist will ensure the pen doesn't go anywhere.
Some people have been having issues with the threads being cut too tight. The threads on the Gist are "acme" threads, meaning they're cut thicker than is typical on a pen. This allows the cap to screw on securely, but I wish it took maybe one less turn to remove the cap. The threading on one of my pens is also slightly off: the cap is too tight, which has caused a small hairline crack in the cap lip. Nothing that makes the pen unusable as long as I'm careful not to overtighten the cap, but I'll eventually have to send this back to Tactile Turn for repair or a replacement cap. I've not read anything that suggests these problems are widespread. The threads on my other pen are flawless.
Writing Experience
The stainless steel Bock nib that shipped with my zirconium Gist.
As I mentioned above, the Gist is a well-balanced fountain pen, which makes it comfortable to write with for long periods of time. I prefer the pen posted, mainly due to the light weight of the polycarbonate. The pen uses the cartridge-converter filling system, but instead of the standard international converter, the Gist uses a smaller converter that appears to be the one manufactured by Monteverde. This choice of converter is an aspect of the pen I'm not crazy about: the Monteverde converter is shorter, so it has a relatively small ink capacity, and doesn't feel very durable. Also, if you lose the converter, if it breaks, or if the manufacturer ever stops making this part - and you can't find a replacement converter that fits - you might be forced to resort to refilling short international cartridges with a syringe to continue using the pen.
The converter that ships with the Gist.
The Gist uses Bock nibs, which on the whole are good quality but can be temperamental. Lots of people like them, but my experiences with their steel nibs have been a mixed bag. I've had better luck with Schmidt and JoWo. The steel Bock nib that shipped with my Gist is no exception: the tines were misaligned and the nib was dry. Eventually, after some tuning, it will write at an acceptable level, but it needs some work.
I enjoy writing with Bock's titanium nibs, though be warned that you'd better have nice paper that can stand up to how wet these nibs tend to write. For a writing sample, check out my review of the Conid Bulkfiller, which uses the same nib. I had no issues with the titanium nib on my Gist.
What would I like to see in the future? A rhodium-plated gold nib option, which Conid offers on their pens. I'd consider upgrading my pens to the gold Bock nibs, but I'm not a fan of yellow gold on black pens.
Takeaways
I've enjoyed using my two Gist fountain pens, and overall I think they're solid additions to my arsenal. Tactile Turn's textured/ribbed design is unique, and when picking out my pens I really enjoyed being able to customize the design with the various metals available. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the polycarbonate/zirconium combination.
In terms of the price/value proposition, you're paying a bit of a premium for the design and the rare metals, such as zirconium and Damascus steel. The list price of the all-polycarbonate model starts at $99.00, with a zirconium section starting at $149 and a Damascus section starting at $179 (though you can add metal finials to your all-polycarbonate pen for a little less). Adding a titanium or gold nib will further increase the cost of the pen off the base price.
For someone making a first purchase of a pen in this price range, my overall recommendation would still be the Lamy 2000, which is a piston-filling fountain pen with a gold nib. Even with Lamy's own nib quality control issues, I've had fewer issues with the 2000 than I've had with the Bock steel nibs. If, however, you're like me, and a nut for Damascus steel and "blacked-out" metals like ruthenium and zirconium, the Tactile Turn Gist should definitely be on your radar screen because you won't find anything else like this on the market.
Where to Buy
Tactile Turn sells the Gist fountain pen directly through its online store, though the company has started to sell pens through retailers as well. Vanness Pens, one of my sponsors, carries the Gist, though as of the time of writing they are sold out of the "All Copper" and "All Polycarbonate" models.
Further Reading
Ed Jelley took what was perhaps the first look at the Tactile Turn Gist, and also shot the Kickstarter photos. Brad Dowdy at the Pen Addict also reviewed some pre-release prototypes. For a review that looks at the pen from a somewhat different angle (as part of an everyday carry instead of a pure "pen review"), check out this review from Everyday Commentary.
DISCLAIMER: I purchased the pens featured in this review with my own funds, for my own collection, at the full Kickstarter price.
Attention Pen-Loving Tennesseans! Sign up for Pelikan Hubs!
Consider this a public-service announcement of sorts. Like many of you did, a month or so ago I signed up and volunteered to be an organizer for a Pelikan Hubs event in Nashville. Unfortunately, I received an e-mail from Pelikan this morning notifying me that not enough people have signed up, and the greater Nashville area--greatest city in the world, I might add--is in danger of not being a "hub city" for 2016.
Let's fix that. If you live in the greater Nashville area, or simply are thinking about traveling here for a fun even on the 16th of September, please use this link to register for Pelikan Hubs. Pelikan will supply pens and ink to test out, and I understand there will be prizes. I promise to bring the Jack Daniels.
(It goes without saying that I encourage everyone to register for their own hometown, it's just that I have a somewhat vested interest in promoting Nashville.)
One big goal of mine is to get to a point where the pens I consider my "Tier Ones" are always inked and available for me to write with. From left, Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black, Pilot Custom 823, Conid Bulkfiller Minimalistica, Pelikan M800 Burnt Orange, and Pilot Custom Heritage 92.
Choosing Pens for the Daily Carry
While I was putting together my updated list of "Tier One" and "Tier Two" pens a couple weeks ago, I was struck by how few of my "Tier Ones" I currently had inked. I feel like I've settled into a rut where I've kept well over a dozen pens inked at any given time--most of which are new pens I've inked for review purposes. In fact, I've had so much stuff in the "review queue" that it's been hard to work in those pens that I already know that I like and that I should be writing with on a daily basis. This problem's compounded by a "thing" I have about not wanting to flush perfectly good ink, so unless the pen or ink turns out to be absolutely awful, I'm going to write the pen dry. Needless to say, it takes a LONG time for me to work through the various pens in my rotation, and I'm getting annoyed that some of my favorites have fallen by the wayside.
We'll see whether this sticks, but for now, I'm going to try the following "system," operating on the following principles:
- No more than 10 pens will be inked an any given time.
- All five Tier One pens will be kept inked at all times.
- The remaining five pens will include at least two Tier Two pens, plus three others of my choice, whether that includes other pens from my collection being worked into the rotation or pens I'm reviewing.
- This only applies to fountain pens. I have non-fountain pens, pencils, etc. stashed around my home and office and in my car for whenever the need arises.
This might be the nerdiest thing I've ever written, but I needed to do something. I didn't like the feeling that the idea of testing and using different pens was overriding the joy I should be feeling in using them in the first place. Keeping my "Tier Ones" constantly inked will be an interesting experiment, and it will also give me a chance to see whether or not the Tier One/Tier Two pens list needs to be updated, as certain pens fall out of favor or are replaced by something new.
What about you all? Do any of you have "systems" (however loosely defined) for ensuring your favorite pens and inks get used?
So What's Inked?
For those of you who are curious, here's the current lineup and what each pen is inked with at the moment:
Tier Ones:
- Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black Edition (Callifolio Adrinople)
- Pilot Custom 823 (Montblanc JFK Navy Blue)
- Pilot Custom Heritage 92 (Iroshizuku Yu-Yake)
- Pelikan M800 Burnt Orange (KWZ Brown Pink)
- Bulkfiller Minimalistica (Lamy Dark Lilac)
Tier Twos / Others:
- Lamy 2000 Stainless Steel (KWZ Green Gold)
- Sailor Pro Gear Sky (Bung Box Sapphire)
- Montblanc 146 (Bung Box Blue Black)
- Aurora Optima Nero Perla (Aurora Blue)
- Platinum Chartres Blue Demonstrator (Platinum Blue Black)
As always, thanks for reading!