Franklin-Christoph is one of those Jack-of-all-trades brand that has more than just pens up for offer. From specialty nibs and custom nib grinds, to inks, notebooks and all kinds of leather goods. Of course they are best known for their great fountain pens, but the product I was actually most eager to try from them is this one: the Franklin-Christoph Penvelope six! My thanks to FC for sending one of their latest itterations of their custom pen case over for review.
One thing I admire about Franklin-Christoph is how consistent their designs are. Their aesthetic is simple, yet unmistakable: straight lines, minimal decoration, no fuzz. A distinct design element in all their products are the chamfered edges: it makes up their four-diamond logo, it comes back in almost every one of their pens and accessories, including the Penvelope cases.
As I said, Franklin-Christoph generally likes to keep their designs simple, and the Penvelope is no different. If it weren't for the chamfered edges, this case would just be a big fat leather square. Look at it from a distance though, and those chamfered edges fit right into the design you'll see an envelope to carry your pens - a Penvelope - clever! The entire case keeps its clean and minimal appearance by being unadorned, except for a hot-stamped FC logo on the back.
New in this instance of the Penvelope cases - which have been around for years now and have become a staple in the pen community - is this 'Boot Brown' leather finish. The matte, distressed leather offers a bit more character than the Fxcell leather they normally use, and ages rapidly with use. It starts out as a fairly pristine, matte leather, but with use it becomes a bit shinier and picks up scuffs and scratches.
Fit and finish is excellent, as I would expect from a premium pen case. The leather is folded all the way around the edges for a neat look, and all the edges are stitched through with beige thread. The front flap of the penvelope is held shut by a magnet that is neatly concealed. The interior is lined with black ribbed fabric that feels very stiff to the touch. The pen slots itself are also made from this fabric. I suppose the entire case - including the pen slots - are lined with a stiff cardboard or plastic material, making the entire construction is very rigid. For the outside 'shell', that rigidity offers protection to your pens, but the pen slots are perhaps a bit too stiff for my liking. Despite being rigid, the fabric of the slots doesn't scuff or damage your pens.
The only part of the case that isn't rigid are the sides, which are made up of a pliable layer of leather. This allows the entire case to stretch a bit, for example when you put a small notebook, cleaning cloth or additional pens in between the front of the case and the pen slots (as you can see in the photo above, I like to keep a cleaning cloth handy in there!).
As the name suggests, the Penvelope 6 case can hold 6 pens (there's also a 'Lucky thirteen' version that holds - you guessed it - 13 pens!). It's an obvious comparison to my staple pen case: the Visconti Dreamtouch 6 pen case (reviewed HERE). Putting them side by side brings up an obvious difference: Measuring 6" x 7" x 1.25", it's a substantial chunk of leather compared to the Visconti, even though both carry the exact same amount of pens.
The FC website claims pens up to 17.8 cm (7") tall, and 1.9 cm (0.75") in diameter. While it certainly does hold very tall pens, I wouldn't suggest it for really wide and oversized pens. In practice, most pens will be just fine, even a Montblanc 149, Pelikan Souverän M1000 or equivalent fit perfectly. Anything wider (Like the Delta Dolcevita Oversize) would be a bit too snug for the stiff pen slots. For really tall or really short pens, the Penvelope case actually has the upper hand over the Visconti case. Especially small pens can be clipped to the slots to keep them aligned nice and tidy, whereas in the Visconti case they fall all the way to the bottom.
Because the front flap can be opened flat or even fold all the way back, you can display your pens visible and easy to reach on your desk. This is something I really appreciate, and its an area where the Visconti Dreamtouch cases lack because their lid can't stay open by itself.
For 65$, the Franklin-Christoph Penvelope six offers excellent value for the money. It's a sturdy and well-built case that does a great job protecting your pens. On top of that, it's quite versatile due to the large pen slots and extra space for small items. The design is quite bulky to carry around, and perhaps not as elegant as the ones Visconti makes. But the fact that it's less than half the price of the Dreamtouch case, makes for a very compelling argument in favor of the Penvelope.
This product was provided by Franklin-Christoph, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affiliate links.
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