Franklin-Christoph

The story begins in 1901, when the Franklin family began manufacturing ceramics  in Marietta, GA. For 91 years fine and basic ceramic products were manufactured domestically and imported from  Europe by The Franklin Co., and operated on Franklin Road, in Marietta, into the 1990s. Recent decades have evolved the company into producers of fine accessories. The tradition and love of designing, manufacturing and importing quality products has remained through the decades. In the year 2001, five generations later, the brand Franklin-Christoph was presented with the IPO fountain pen. Franklin-Christoph goes into the new millennium with the same values and dedication to quality as the generations before. The passion for designing elegant, functional products is evident within every piece, guaranteed for life. 

Franklin-Christoph is a different kind of company. Part relic of the near forgotten past, and part modern global network of production and design. Franklin-Christoph chooses specialists around the world for engineering and production of its luxury products. Skilled craftsman from Germany to Italy, to the USA all collaborate on almost every design to produce a quality piece. Even East Asia gets into the mix on specialized parts from time to time, including custom Maki-E work. Every fraction of a millimeter is considered in aesthetic design, functionality, and durability. Each Franklin-Christoph writing instrument comes with a lifetime guarantee. It is our aim to offer pieces that become companions, heirlooms, and collector’s favorites, all to exist in tact for decades to come.

The Philosophy from the company:
“The Philosophy of Franklin-Christoph is summed up in the Latin  Fortitudo et Fides...... meaning ‘Strength and Honor.’  Strength in the sense that complete dedication is given to the quality and endurance of all of our luxury pieces. Strength in that we build step by step, for the sake of the brand and our clients, not for the pursuit of  immediate financial gain.  Honor in that we stand behind every piece. Honor in that our attitude toward all business is to do what is right for all concerned. Honor in that we consider the pursuit of excellence to be not just our ideal, but our standard. Strength and Honor in that we aspire to the integrity of the generations before us.  It is our belief and desire to remain in close contact with our clients, so that we may achieve a relationship that is responsive and personal.”

Legacy to the past:
The brand Franklin-Christoph is linked to the original company, The Franklin Co., which existed since 1901. The family heritage plays a large role in the ethos of the company. Looking at the name itself, which means literally “free man,” the ancient Franklins were neither serfs nor aristocrats. This particular family’s heritage is documented from the present day, back to the 1500s, in North Hamptonshire, England in one Thomas Franklin. Thomas fathered Josiah Franklin who came to America about 1652. Josiah, in turn, fathered both John Franklin I, and Benjamin Franklin, the well known philosopher and inventor. John Franklin’s descendants immigrated to North Carolina, then to Georgia, where we see The Franklin Co. begin in 1901. “I’d like to think we see some of ‘Uncle Ben’s’ character traits in the line today,” says owner Scott C. Franklin. “Well, at least on the creative and innovational side, and perhaps not the personal,” he continues with a smile, alluding to Ben Franklin’s alleged scandalous personal life.

Franklin-Christoph links in design to this past with a philosophy of refined simplicity. “We like black, and we don’t tend to favor the ornate,” says Franklin. “We leave that to others, and keep ourselves humbled to the quiet mystery that is life in this world. Our color choices are reflective of our philosophy. I’ve always wanted to make something, and it gives me great satisfaction to visualize a design, and to then see it come to fruition in a tangible object. As a company, we aren’t concerned with growing at a fast pace. We carefully choose our steps, and are just at the beginning of this journey.” The writing instrument line will grow extensively over the next two years.

A Partnership:
The company Ferrari da Varese shares much with Franklin-Christoph, including a distribution partnership for North America in the fine pen market. Ferrari principal Ivan Ferrari, and Scott Franklin share a bond not only in a personal friendship, but in a company philosophy as well. “Though our designs and our lives are very different, we share a vision for our brands, in regards to quality, integrity, and to build something that reflects our perception of the world,” shares Mr. Franklin. “As North Italians, they have an aesthetic that reflects their own culture, and we have ours.” The companies often share resources, and Ferrari serves as one of the main production houses for sterling and other fine writing parts and pieces. “I know with Ferrari, I don’t have to worry about quality. They care more about their craftsmanship than about squeezing out an extra nickel or two. We look forward to partnering with them for years to come, in the writing instrument segment.” Suffice it to say Franklin-Christoph and Ferrari da Varese are heading down similar, albeit separate paths.

The past meets the future:
Franklin-Christoph plans growth into many other luxury products, including cufflinks, leather goods, home decor and perhaps even fine clothing. On the more immediate horizon though, is the re-birth of the old tradition of creating ceramic products. “This is something I’ve wanted to do for the last several years. The last production piece of ceramic came off the line in 1970, at our original facility on Franklin Road, in Marietta. The last custom specialty ceramic piece in the early nineties. It is important to me to reconnect to our roots in this way. We also plan to blend this heritage of ceramics with writing instruments in the near future. We have so many things currently in the works, we are deliberately slowing the process so that we keep our firm footing.”

The next thing coming from Franklin-Christoph will be a new flagship fountain pen, and the long awaited Paradox fountain pen. The designs are almost ready. Right now, the team is going over every millimeter of design, function, and quality.

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