Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Schon DSGN Pocket Six Fountain Pen Review

When you already make one of the best pocket ballpoint pens on the market, what is your next move? Making a pocket fountain pen, of course!

That’s nowhere as easy as it sounds, but if anyone can pull it off it is Ian Schon of Schon DSGN.

The Pocket Six Fountain Pen has been a labor of love for Ian - emphasis on labor. When you have a reputation for making perfectly engineered pens, adding a new product line at an equally high quality is always a challenge. And he accepted this challenge head-on.

There are many selling points to the Pocket Six which I will get to, but the main feature this design is based around is the #6 fountain pen nib found once the pen is uncapped. Most pocket fountain pens (see: Kaweco) use a smaller #5 sized nib for fit and functionality purposes. The narrower diameter of the feed and collar help keep the barrel diameter in a comfortable range. Can a pocket fountain pen remain comfortable - and remain visually appealing - when adding the larger hardware of the #6 nib?

The Pocket Six says yes.

Make no bones about it, this is a small, lightweight pen. But don’t let those things fool you into thinking it feels cheap. Far from it. Making quality, durable pens is in Schon’s DNA. The aluminum barrel feels strong enough to withstand any pocket or bag carry and not miss a beat. And at only 0.50 oz and just over three and half inches, it is slim and subtle enough to go unnoticed. Just remember not to send it through the washing machine, which I have done with my Schon DSGN ballpoint pens. Twice.

When posted - via screwing the cap onto the back of the pen - the Pocket Six extends to 5.2 inches, giving it a full-length writing experience. The grip section is slightly concave, allowing your fingers to grip and write comfortably. Everything about this pen says it is full size, except when you go to cap it closed and put it away.

I’d say that is where the beauty lies, but, as with other Schon DSGN pens, there are a huge range of anodization options available. This model is called Deep Space, and I’m all about the pink, blue, and purple swirls flying through the galaxy, and around this barrel. There are a dozen or so other choices that look equally as spectacular. You can also choose a brass grip section for added style, and nearly an ounce of added weight.

There are two considerations that you should be aware of if you are thinking about purchasing this pen. One, it uses short international cartridges only, as you might have imagined due to its size. That’s no issue for me, especially when I can get cool colors like Caran d’Ache Chromatics Hypnotic Turquoise, despite the greater price per ml. Syringe refilling an empty cartridge is also an option.

Two, the Pocket Six is built around Bock nibs and feeds. If I had my choice, I’d prefer Jowo nibs for their firmness and quality out the box - not to mention the slew of modified Jowo nibs I already own that would swap right in - but I can work with Bock. Ian tunes each nib before shipping it out, and my extra fine steel nib has been perfect.

You’ll notice I didn’t mention price as a consideration. If you are shopping in this price range for this type of pen, then the price is a non-factor. Ranging from $114 to $148 depending on your configuration (for example, this Deep Space is $120,) they are priced perfectly for a pocket pen party.

Sorry I couldn’t help myself with that last sentence. This pen is fun, and I love using it and sharing it. Big thanks to Ian at Schon DSGN for sending me this pen at no charge for me to use and review.

(Schon DSGN provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on January 13, 2020 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Schon DSGN, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Platinum 3776 Century in Carnelian: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

The Platinum 3776 model now comes in a wide variety of colors. The most recent iteration is a North American exclusive called Carnelian, named after the mineral whose color it mimics. In addition to the orange/red translucent color, Platinum imbued the resin with sparkles, making this pen stand out in bright light.

The pen comes in a standard Platinum clamshell box. Included are one blue cartridge and a Platinum converter.

The pen is medium-sized: 5.5 inches/140mm capped, 4.7 inches/120mm uncapped, and 6.1 inches/155mm posted. It is quite light, weighing only 10 grams (body only) and 20 grams posted. The grip diameter is 10.3 mm, so it is comfortable to hold. The pen is accented with rhodium-plated trims and a 14k rhodium-plated nib.

As with all 3776 pens, the cap contains a “slip and seal” mechanism to prevent the nib from drying out. Those of us who keep pens inked for long periods of time (ehem) really appreciate this feature.

The nib on my pen is a regular medium. It is decorated with Platinum’s logo and minimalistic scroll work. Although I prefer Platinum’s soft nibs, the regular medium is smooth and trouble-free. It writes more like a Western fine than a medium.

Platinum converters are . . . adequate. They hold about 0.6ml of ink. Unfortunately, they can become hard to turn, especially if you don’t change out the ink very often. Fortunately, you can take the converter apart, clean it thoroughly, and dab some silicone grease on the stopper. Good as new!

I inked my Platinum Carnelian with Diamine Ho, Ho, Ho from the Inkvent Calendar. I noted in my review that Ho, Ho, Ho was an orangey-red (not exactly my favorite color), but it’s a great match for this pen.

You can purchase the Platinum 3776 Century in Carnelian from JetPens for $192.00. It comes in EF, F, SF, M, B, and Music nibs.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Posted on January 10, 2020 by Susan Pigott and filed under Platinum, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Lamy Swift Rollerball Racing Green Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The Lamy Swift rollerball pen is one that I've seen and thought about picking up so many times in the past. For some reason, I just never went through with the purchase — now that I have one, I can really appreciate the thoughtful and unique design of this pen.

The Swift is unlike any other Lamy design, and it certainly stands out. The sleek metal barrel and shiny chrome accents compliment the unique shape and complete an overall style that is hard to put down. On top of that, the unit I have is one of the limited Racing Green editions that Lamy has been releasing for many of their pen lines recently.

What really sets this pen apart is the unique slip design. The Swift has a trick up its sleeve, and the secret is that the clip retracts flush into the barrel when you extend the refill with the nock. When the refill is extended, the clip is totally flush with the pen barrel, which just looks really cool. When you retract the refill, the clip slides back out again for normal use.

Aside from being a cool trick, this means you can't accidentally clip the pen to a garment pocket or a bag while the refill is extended, and it also can't extend while in transit since the clip wouldn't be able to retract. No more accidental ink stains on your clothes and bags! I have to guess that a lot of work went into this unusual design, and it really shows in how smooth the clip action is in practice. The clip mechanism also necessitates a shift in where the nock is located, so this is probably the only pen I've ever seen that has a nock that isn't centered on the diameter of the barrel. It's off-center enough to make room for whatever mechanism is handling the clip movement, but I think it also just looks cool.

Moving further down the pen barrel, you'll notice a cool dotted grip section that adds some visual interest as well as a pretty sturdy grip. Since the outer barrel is just an aluminum sleeve, the machined holes allow the shiny chrome material to shine through. It's a great visual feature, and feels great in the hand!

The nose of the pen is nothing special, but it keeps the shiny chrome accent going to the very tip of the pen. Something about it seems different from the rest of the pen design, but I can't decide what it is. Maybe it's the sharp chamfer that contrasts poorly with the otherwise straight and round lines of the pen? Whatever it is, it always catches my attention (in a bad way).

Aside from that one complaint, I think this pen is quite attractive! It definitely gets a lot of comments.

Writing with the Swift is also pretty nice. The included M66 refill is the same one that's included with the Lamy Tipo rollerball, so it's no slouch. The ink is a rich, dark black with plenty of flow and easy movement. It's a smooth writer and is very pleasing to use. On the odd occasion, I had some very minor issues with skipping, but it never persisted for long. It's not as good as the Schmidt P8126/7 that many of us know and love, but it's certainly a great refill. One thing that I'll have to investigate a bit more is the possibility of using a G2-style refill in this pen. The Lamy Tipo, which uses the same M66 refill as the Swift, easily accepts a Pilot G2 refill with no modification. It makes the Tipo a great pen for me simply because of how it accepts so many refills. For some reason, the Swift doesn't quite work correctly with the Juice refills I was trying to use. It seems like the refill doesn't have enough clearance at the very end of the nock depression to allow the mechanism to finish its path. I wonder if a little razor work could fix the problem, but that's a time commitment I can't make right now. Has anyone else out there tried hacking a G2 refill to a Lamy Swift?

Overall, the Lamy Swift rollerball is a great little pen. It's an attractive package with a cool trick up its sleeve that will prevent ink leaks on your clothes and bags, and it looks cool while doing it! The machined grip is comfortable and sturdy, the refill is bold and reliable, and the price is still reasonable at just over $50. This would make a great gift for someone who could appreciate the clever clip design and who also may not be comfortable with fountain pens or other specialized pens just yet. If Racing Green isn't your thing, you can also choose from Matte Black, Imperial Blue, Graphite, or Palladium for the same price. Keep in mind that Racing Green is a limited color!

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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