Pen shows are back on the schedule in the US. For how long? Who can really say at this point. I’ve missed attending them, that’s for sure, because the memories made at these events are worth more than any pen or ink or paper that I bring home.
Why do I bring this up at the beginning of this review? Because a pen show is where I first saw the Schon DSGN Pocket Six Faceted Brass Fountain Pen.
I see a lot of pens for the first time at pen shows, so why does this one stick out more than most? Well, have you seen it? That’s what people kept telling me as they were bringing them over to me see at the 2020 Baltimore Pen Show - aka the last pen show I attended in person.
I had just seen Ian at the Philadelphia Pen Show five weeks prior, and even got to tour his workshop as part of a group during that event. The Pocket Six had recently been launched, and I made sure to purchase my second one, with the newly-added Jowo nib compatible grip section.
Fast-forward those handful of weeks to Baltimore, where I had brought Nock Co. to put in some hours behind the table, instead of mixing and mingling, as I did in Philly. Knowing my love for Schon DSGN pens, my “friends” started appearing at my table with their latest purchase that they couldn’t wait to show me. Yes, this very bright, shiny, and beautiful faceted brass Pocket 6. Ian had been very busy since I last saw him!
This pen represented a big change in the Schon DSGN lineup. The pen bodies had always been minimally styled, with the addition of wild anodizing taking the pens up a notch in the recent years. But to modify the base cylinder with a design as complex as these facets? Well, these just jumped off the table when people saw them in Baltimore, and quickly made their way over to me.
I didn’t have the opportunity to grab one at the time, but Ian was kind enough to send me one later to review. If you couldn’t tell by now, I like the pen.
Exterior design aside, the Pocket Six is an excellent pocket-sized fountain pen. As good as any on the market, especially since it is built around a #6 sized nib. I love my #5 nibs, as found in Kaweco Classics and Sports, but using a #6 nib is an upgrade across the board.
Posting is key for pocket pens, and the Pocket Six design handles that with threads on the end of the barrel to attach the cap to. It takes less than two turns to uncap the pen, and then the same amount to post, so it is a relatively fast process.
When posted, it is a perfectly sized writer. That’s what pocket pens do the best. Capped, they can hide away in a pocket or a pouch. Uncapped and posted, the are full-sized writing workhorses.
All of that said, it is the machined faceting that makes the Pocket Six pop. I love the design, and the end result makes for a stunning pen. This design doesn’t come cheap, though, starting at $250 for the faceted model, versus $142 for the standard polished brass.
Is it worth it? It depends on what you feel about the aesthetic. It is a true step up in looks from the base model, but exactly the same from a performance perspective. Regardless of the model you choose, I guarantee you will come away impressed with the work of Ian Schon.
(Schon DSGN provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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