This is a big one, where I combine several reviews into one. As always, my views are my own and I’ve purchased everything with my own funds. Lets go!
Franklin-Christoph Model 55 Pentium – Rogue
I will be the first to admit I am an impulse shopper, especially when it comes to fountain pens, but I had good reason to get this one: It takes a #5 Jowo nib unit. I recently had some nib work done on a #5 nib and I wanted to have more than just my Opus 88 to house such a delightful nib, so when I saw this particular model on Franklin-Christoph’s Instagram I did think about it for all of 5 minutes before buying.
The Rogue material is from Stormwind’s Creations “Looking Glass” collection. It’s a delightful swirl of pinkish red, white, and teal with subtle shimmer. It’s surprisingly muted in color, despite all that is going on in the material and the shimmer isn’t really noticeable unless the light hits it just right.
The Pentium 55 is a smaller pen, though larger than a Sailor Pro Gear Slim. The section is a bit smaller than I would care for, but it’s still comfortable in the hand and light. The cap screws off in about 3/4 of a turn. It does post nicely, but I am not a cap poster.
This is my 6th F-C pen, and I definitely see more in my future, especially with stunning materials like this one.
Pen Realm Speerpoint Nib
As I had mentioned before, one of my biggest goals at the Ohio Pen Show was to get some nib work done, and I chose to turn a board #5 into a Speerpoint, developed by Kirk Speer of Pen Realm. I spent a lot of time before the show trying to decide what I wanted to do, as I wanted a nib that was versatile, something that would be fine for most of my daily usage, but allow me to have swaths of broad lines when I needed them. The Speerpoint is just that. The standard line is a nice sharp extra-fine with a good bit of pencil-like feedback, while when writing in reverse, the nib lays down a juicy board line that is much smoother. It’s everything I wanted in this nib and I’m extremely happy I had it done.
Taccia Momo Pink
I got a sample of this ink a while ago during my search for a hot pink, and while it wasn’t the winner of my search, It’s a fantastic bright pink. On Rhodia paper, there is a touch of shading in a broad, but no where near enough to say this ink has shading. I could only get a faint gold sheen on Cosmo Air Light.
It’s a well behaved ink and I’ve been enjoying seeing it’s brightness as my area is getting some of its first snowfalls. While not my favorite hot pink ink, it is an ink that is a great deal of fun and makes me quite happy to have!
One last small housekeeping note: As we fast approach the holiday season I may not have time to get reviews out in December. I’ll certainly do my best to keep to my schedule, but I wanted to make note.
Casual Crossings 