Narwhal Original Fountain Pen Clear Demonstrator Review

Reviewing good products is the hardest thing I do.

You would think that after nearly 14 years of writing reviews online it would be easier to say “This product is good, here is why …” but if I am being honest, it’s easier to write about products that lean one way or the other. Is there something exceptional that sets this pen apart? Is there a flaw that makes you think twice about whether this pen will be good for you?

Or, as is the case with the Narwhal Original Fountain Pen, is being a good pen good enough? I think so, which is why I’m writing this review. This is a good pen. And I’m going to try to explain why.

First off, the build of the pen is nice. It’s on the large side, somewhere around a TWSBI 580 or Pelikan 800 series. Like those two pens, the Narwhal Original is also a piston-filler. Shouldn’t that be a great feature for a pen at this price point? Probably, but we will explore that topic further near the end of the post.

It feels good in the hand, has a good density to the material, and is well balanced. All in all, it’s set up to be a good writer.

Secondly, the nib is good. Narwhal makes their own nibs in-house, and this Fine steel nib does a good job. For my personal use, I prefer less tipping than this nib has. It is very round, which, in turn, rounds out my handwriting. Something great would be offering the nib in sizes other than Fine or Medium. I would prefer Extra Fine, for example, but maybe that is part and parcel with in-house manufacturing, which I can’t imagine is easy in the slightest. Nib grinders will enjoy the very workable platform, though.

Finally, the price. $50 for a well-built piston-filling fountain pen - that’s pretty great, right? In a vacuum, yes. 10 years ago, yes. Today? It’s still dang good. Add in the other colorful barrel options, and the promise of even more to come in the future, Narwhal is certainly a brand to watch.

Yet, I can’t get past “good” for this pen. Is that a bad thing? Of course not. I would certainly recommend it to someone whose needs it would fit. I would have a harder time recommending it blindly. That’s what separates the good from the great in my book.

If all of this sounds like I’m a Spoilt Victorian Child, well, I hope that’s not the case. In an effort to be objective, as opposed to subjective, maybe I’m straddling the middle line too closely. Or, maybe, that’s the feel I get from this particular Narwhal pen. Maybe, as the brand grows into the wondrous whale it is named after, it adds something a bit more magical into the feel of the pen.

Until then, the Narwhal Original is a good pen.

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

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Schon DSGN Pocket Six Faceted Brass Fountain Pen Review

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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Delfonics Legend Hexagonal Twist Ballpoint Review

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

It's been quite a while since I'm thrown a pocket ballpoint pen into the rotation, and the Delfonics Lengend Hexagonal twist ballpoint pen was just what I needed to change up the pace a bit.

At a mere 3.9 inches, it's easy to pocket or stow away in a bag or sleeve. It also features a smooth twist mechanism for extending/retracting the refill tip, but the small size doesn't really impact usability. It's certainly not a pen I'd take with me to write a midterm essay in class, but it's great for quick notes and signing receipts. At under 4 inches, it's right on the edge of tolerable for my hands. I don't think I have large or small hands — somewhere in between. I don't like writing with the Kaweco Sport uncapped, but this Delfonics pen is more comfortable for my writing style. That being said, it's awesome to have a Kaweco Sport with an option to extend the overall length with the cap. But, the Delfonics is just one piece and there's no cap to lose.

The exterior of the pen reminds me of a really short Caran d'Ache 849 ballpoint pen. The hexagonal shape is iconic for the Caran d'Ache, and I think the Delfonics walks the line in terms of copy vs. hat tip with their design. It's obvious that the nose section is a different piece, which is a major deviation from the 849, so that's good. Other than the body shape, that's really where the comparisons end for the Delfonics Legend.

There's a small pocket clip on the pen that reminds me of the shape that Fisher includes on their Bullet Space Pen. It's a strong clip and works well, but the placement really bothers me. It doesn't get in the way when I'm writing — it's just the aesthetic. It's positioned in the middle of the pen, and that just really bothers me. I understand how it needs to be this way to allow the twist mechanism to work properly, but that doesn't help me like it any better. I'm considered removing it several times, but I'm worried that I'll scratch the exterior of the pen.

Speaking of the exterior, it's a fantastic color of unique material that is both hard and soft at the same time. It has a fairly soft touch, but it's certainly completely solid. I'm assuming it's some kind of adhesive covering over a metal body, and I really like how it feels and the color of the blue they chose. Unfortunately, it appears to chip and scratch incredibly easy. I haven't abused this pen by any means — it's only been in my pocket by itself or in a bag pocket by itself. I'm not sure how the chips happen, but I can assure you it wasn't due to any kind of accident, drop, or scratch from my own use. This doesn't bode well for how the finish will hold up over time with more strenuous use.

Moving on to the innards of this pen, the tiny refill is a mixed bag. It always starts a bit rough and takes a few lines to "wake up," but it's really smooth and dark once it's writing properly. For a ballpoint, this slow start isn't alarming at all, but just something to note if you plan on grabbing this pen to jot down quick notes. It requires a few scratches to get the ink flowing. I really like the line that this refill makes. It's a bold 0.8mm black ink with crisp edges and great flow. The refill can definitely be replaced, but that comes with its own caveat. I haven't been able to find this refill for sale online. I've found a couple of retailers that have a product page, but the product isn't in stock. The refill looks like a standard Parker refill that's been cut really short. At just 2.3 inches or 6 cm, it's definitely unique. I checked all of the refill guides and the product catalogs for a few major refill manufacturers, but didn't have any luck finding it. That being said, I'm not sure this pen has much to offer outside of the life of the included refill.

At $10, the Delfonics Legend Hexagonal Twist pen is certainly affordable at first glance, but the unavailability of the refill does make me pause and consider different pens that have more refill options. The Fisher Space Pen has many, many options to consider, but the Fisher refill is anything but smooth and bold. The Lamy Pico is just a tad larger, but the initial purchase of the pen and the small refills are pricey compared to this one. It's tough — the ink formula in this refill is great, and it would be an easy pen to recommend if the refill were readily available.

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

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

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