Franklin-Christoph M02 fountain pen posted

Franklin-Christoph Model 02 Intrinsic fountain pen review

30 June 2014 By ian

Franklin-Christoph M02 fountain pen review

The Franklin-Christoph Model 02 ‘Intrinsic’ is an acrylic fountain pen that can be used as a standard international cartridge/converter or as an eye-dropper. It comes in three and a half different colours (black/maroon, black/cherry, smoke and ice, and emerald). This is the smoke and ice version.

Franklin-Christoph M02 fountain pen with flowers

The barrel is the ice and the section is the smoke. The smoky section shimmers as you turn it and it’s quite a nice effect but, to be honest, I don’t especially like it. Just personal preference, I suspect, but I would have liked the section to have matched the icy barrel. If there had been an ice and ice version, I would have gone for that.

Franklin-Christoph M02 fountain pen with Molly

I’m prepared to give the section a free pass though, not just because it’s comfortable to hold, but because it screws into one of the most beautiful barrels I’ve seen. (The thread for the cap is part of the section but is thick and doesn’t interfere with your grip at all.)

Franklin-Christoph M02 fountain pen posted

The icy barrel is gorgeous and absolutely begs to be used as an eye-dropper. It would be a waste not to do so. I used Diamine Monaco Red when I first got the pen and it looked classy and not a little like a blood-filled syringe. An excellent look. Then I filled it with a blue (I forget which) and it was cool and sophisticated. In these pictures it’s full of Sailor Jentle Apricot (RIP) and it’s warm and delicious. The pen completely changes its character whenever you change the ink.

Franklin-Christoph M02 fountain pen eye dropper loveliness

I’ve not had any problems cleaning the ink from the barrel except for a small ring right at the very end. With no ink in this is noticeable but once refilled it changes to the colour of the ink and it’s fine. This is a small issue for me but will bother some.

Franklin-Christoph M02 fountain pen end

The oversized cap has a sprung clip that is etched with diamond shapes. The end is etched with the Franklin-Christoph logo and “Franklin-Christoph 02” is etched around the rim. This all works very well and sums up the design of this pen: classy yet modern. The cap posts deeply.

Franklin-Christoph M02 fountain pen clip

The nib… oh my goodness! The Franklin-Christoph Model 02 is available with 20 different nibs. There are six standard steel nibs and four standard gold nibs; and five Masuyama ground steel nibs and five Masuyama ground gold nibs. I picked a Masuyama medium stub steel nib and it is gorgeous. It’s silky smooth but has just the tiniest bit of feedback, just enough to let you know you’re writing something on paper. It lifts the colour of the ink and gives it life on the page. I love it.

Franklin-Christoph M02 fountain pen nib

The Franklin-Christoph Model 02 Intrinsic is a beautiful looking pen that exudes modern class. It is comfortable to hold, light but solid-feeling, large but ergonomically shaped, and it is fantastic to write with. I absolutely love this pen.

Franklin-Christoph M02 fountain pen handwritten review