Monoc Monoc Monoc

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

When Ian Schon first announced his in-house, titanium Monoc nib in late 2022, I rushed to pre-order it, picked it up a few months later at the Philly Pen Show, and ended up going through three converters’ worth of ink to write this Monoc review. Since then, I got a Bock Monoc with a Fine nib last year, and got the Cursive Monoc at the Baltimore Pen Show earlier this year.

Top to bottom: Fine, Medium, Cursive Monoc.

I won’t go into a lot of detail since that’s already been covered in the other article, but I wanted to share some writing samples since they all write differently. There is also a blog post that goes into more detail about the Monoc and has much better nib pictures than I can take.

One of the things that I like about the Monoc is that I can put them in a wide variety of pens that take #6 nib units, including Schon Dsgn Full Size and Pocket 6, Franklin-Christoph, and especially Montegrappa pens.

Left to right: Franklin-Christoph 46 in Italian Ice (Medium), Conid Minimalistica Monarch (Fine Bock), and Montegrappa Mia Everglades (Cursive.)

I will start with the Medium Monoc since that’s the one I’ve had the longest and used the most (in at least 7 different pens, some with multiple inkings). My Medium Monoc is a decently wet writer and produces lines that are a bit closer to a Medium-Broad Jowo, if such a thing existed. Each of these nibs are individually machined and hand-tuned by Ian (he’s the only one who tunes them) so there can be minor variations in wetness and width. I sometimes use drier inks to compensate - this time around I picked Robert Oster Viola, which is a lovely light purple ink but definitely on the dry side, even in this wet nib.

I love that all of the Monoc nibs can also be used to write on the reverse, that is, flipped around/rotated such that the feed is facing up. Some of the Monoc’s lines, as you will see, are more angle dependent. As a reminder, I am a high/steep angle writer (typically ~75 degrees) so my lower angle writing samples are a little messier. Paper and ink will also make a difference so keep that in mind when comparing writing samples.

Writing sample with the Medium Monoc, the reverse will give you a finer line. You can get more of a difference between the regular and reverse with a wetter ink. Writing angle doesn’t affect the line width much on either side.

Here is a writing sample with the Medium Monoc and Medium nibs from other brands: Graf von Faber-Castell Intuition (18kt gold), Lamy Studio (steel), Nahvalur Schuykill, Opus 88 Mini (Jowo 5 Medium), Platinum 3776, Sailor Pro Gear (21kt gold), Radius Settimo (Jowo 6 Medium), Sailor Pro Gear Slim (14kt gold), TWSBI Eco, Taccia Spectrum (Sailor steel), Kaweco Special.

The Bock Monoc has a Fine nib and is inked with a very wet ink, KWZ Monarch, in the Conid Minimalistica, which is also in a fairly wet pen. It has a smooth fine line on the regular, and a broad architect line on the reverse.

Writing sample with the Fine Monoc. Writing angle doesn’t make much of a difference on the regular but definitely does on the reverse.

Here is a writing sample with the Fine Monoc and nibs from other brands: Pilot Vanishing Point, Kaweco Sport, Platinum Plaisir 05, TWSBI Precision. On the reverse: Lamy Studio (steel B), Kaweco Sport (B), Lamy Accent (14kt gold M), Jowo Broad Architect, Lamy BB Architect (ground by Gena Salorino of Custom Nib Studio). The contrast of the Fine Monoc’s reverse down vs cross stroke isn’t as great as with a more traditional architect (the last two.)

Last and definitely not least, the Cursive Monoc isn’t a “regular” Monoc with a Cursive grind added to it. Ian says the Cursive Monoc starts off as its own nib shape (sorry, I can neither explain nor share the technical aspects) and then gets ground and tuned further to a smooth, “cursive italic”. I put that in quotes because Ian says it’s not a traditional cursive italic the way a nib grinder might describe it, but it’s definitely close enough to call it that. This grind makes narrow horizontal strokes and broader vertical strokes, giving noticeable line variation whether you are writing in cursive or print.

It is currently inked with an average wetness ink, Robert Oster x Vanness Pens Hemp, in a Montegrappa Mia. It has a smooth Medium to Medium Broad cursive italic line/variation on the regular, and an even broader line on the reverse than the Fine Monoc’s reverse.

Writing sample with the Cursive Monoc and nibs from other brands: Franklin-Christoph Fine SIG (Stub Italic Gradient), F-C Broad Stub (Masuyama), Jowo 1.1 (14k5 gold), Pelikan Steel Broad CI (Masuyama), F-C Medium SIG, Waterman Carene Stub (or BB, depending on who you ask), TWSBI Eco Broad & Fine “In Between” (Mark Bacas’ grind that’s “in between” a stub and a CI), and for the reverse, Lamy 2000 BB Architect by Gena Salorino, Jowo Broad Architect.

The writing angle doesn’t really impact the writing of any of the Monocs on their regular sides, nor for the Medium Monoc on the reverse. But on both the Fine and Cursive Monocs, the width of the reverse side is more angle dependent, moreso for the Fine than for the Cursive. Of the 3 Monocs, it’s hard to pick a favorite, but if I could only use one, it would be the Fine because I love how differently the regular and reverse sides write.

Here are a few things that Ian wanted folks to know:

• The Bock-threaded Monocs aren’t listed on the website but they can be requested.
• Monoc nibs have a 5-10 day fulfillment turnaround because they are made to order. If you need something sooner, please reach out to them in case there are some in stock.
• If you see one of their nibs at a show or someone’s IG post but you don’t see it online, reach out to them to ask if it can be made. Ian and team will often make special anodized colors that might not be listed on the website.
• Avoid using shimmer inks because the nib isn’t disassemble-able for thorough cleaning.
• Schon Dsgn is 3 people and Ian is the only one who does the fine tuning on the Monocs, so be patient, especially around pen show time when some or all of them may be traveling. Definitely send them an email if you have any questions.

The Schon Dsgn Monoc starts at $385 for polished titanium. Anodized options are also available - prices vary depending on complexity of the anodization (nib anodizing is done in-house, while anodization on the aluminum pens are done elsewhere).

As I said in my other article and will say again, yes, it is an expensive purchase, and no, this is not a nib for everyone. I value the innovation that goes behind the research and design of these nibs. I also like the stiff, nail-like writing experience that it provides, and the reversibility of the nibs is twice the fun even though I don’t take advantage of the reverse as much as I should. If you’ve been thinking about getting one and it fits your budget, definitely check them out, especially if you’re reading this during this weekend’s Chicago Pen Show!

Schon DSGN Peek Fountain Pen Review

“I love engineered plastics!”

This is one of those phrases us pen fans wouldn’t say in mixed company. But here, among pen friends? Absolutely. And in my case, it is true. Give me all of the weird barrel materials-such as Ultem and Peek-that make for fun and unique fountain pen barrels.

This review is going to focus on the Schon DSGN Full Sized Peek Fountain Pen. What is Peek? Known as Polyether ether ketone, it is a thermoplastic used in applications that require high chemical and/or temperature resistance. For example, bearings, pistons, pumps, and a wide range of medical implants.

Do fountain pens need the high tolerances that those parts require? Not necessarily. But what Peek offers pen makers is a barrel material that is ultra light and exceedingly strong. This pen checks in at around 15 grams, with thin barrel walls that will be able to withstand much more than typical plastic barrel pens in the same weight class.

The Peek features the same o-ring setup as the Ultem, which you can see on the left.

Being a specialty material, you might guess that it comes with a cost. Peek is expensive, and poses different machining challenges than traditional acrylics and metals. That cost, $285 with a steel nib, does come with several Schon DSGN added features, such as internal o-rings throughout the grip section, barrel, and cap, making this a perfect pen to eyedropper fill. It’s quite a piece of work.

If there is one knock on Peek, it’s that many consider the color of the material to be-let’s see how I can be nice here-uninspiring. It’s 1980’s computer tower beige, and that’s it. That’s the color Peek comes in. I dig the weirdness, but it is not for everyone. I always make sure to have a fun ink color loaded up, such as magenta, to bring some excitement to the page. For my latest fill, I decided to go with a classic: Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Goldgrun.

The Schon DSGN Peek doesn’t have to be eydroppered. It is designed to fit standard international converters, which is what I use most of the time. I don’t need the mass ink capacity that eyedroppers offer, and I’ll admit that using a converter is safer if you think this pen might be banging around in a pocket or purse. It is tailor made to handle that, but I still lean towards converters the majority of the time.

Schon DSGN does offer a few mix-and-match options with the Peek barrel and the two colors, Amber and Black, of Ultem barrels. You can swap in a different grip section color between the three, and even swap into an Amber Ultem grip section to fit larger #8 size nibs. Mine is full Peek, but I did add a bit of uniqueness with the nib itself.

At the San Francisco Pen show this past Summer, I bought one of Schon DSGN’s Full Sized Aluminum Barrel Fountain Pens, and had the option to add a Custom Nib Studio Mini Naginata-togi grind on a Jowo #6 Broad Steel nib. Yes please, I would like that very much! The standard Peek fountain pen is designed around the Jowo #6, so when I bought my pen second-hand I didn’t need a nib, and added this one right in.

This level of mix-and-match and cool materials is why I love stationery so much. Standard pens and paper give me plenty of these options, but fountain pens are the true playground. The Schon DSGN Peek is a perfect example.

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Monoc Monoc: Schon DSGN Monoc Nib Review

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

Sorry not sorry about the earworm but if you don’t have any idea what I’m talking about, Mahna Mahna. Anyway, read on...

When I first saw IG stories and teasers about the in-house nib that Ian Schon of Schon Dsgn was making, I knew that I wanted one. Now, let’s be clear, I’m less of a “nib person” than others. I am not too picky as long as it writes out of the box and doesn’t write like pants. I am also not usually an early adopter. After a career in Quality Assurance in software, I came to the conclusion that it isn’t always the best to be the first to market, nor to be the first to own it either. But then you throw in the fact that Ian and his team make some absolutely great products and I changed my tune!

I pre-ordered the Monoc in December and picked it up at the Philly Pen Show two weeks ago. After immediately inking up the pen and writing with it for a while, I wanted to chat with Ian to better understand his latest creation. And since pictures are worth a thousand words, I decided to handwrite this review so you can see writing samples.

What is the Monoc?

The Monoc is the name of the in-house nib and feed system designed and created by Schon Dsgn. The nib is cut from a rod of titanium and the feed is made from Ultem, which is an extremely durable engineered plastic. Making the nib from a rod of titanium versus stamping from a sheet means that you can have the nib and housing as a singular piece, so there is no need for a separate housing to hold the nib and feed as a unit.

You can unscrew the nib and feed for use in any Jowo 6-compatible pens.

Why “Monoc”?

The name “Monoc” is derived from monocoque construction which is more common in car racing and airplane manufacturing. Basically, it means that it is made from a single “shell” of material which provides strength, giving it a technical advantage from being single piece versus being constructed from multiple parts.

Why make this nib?

While known mostly as a machinist and engineer, Ian is also a designer and an artist of sorts. Maybe not in the Van Gogh kind of way (although this nib is a work of art), but in the way he approaches product ideas and designs. The Monoc is not out to solve some nib or writing experience problem; it’s about “bringing something new and different to the pen world.” The whole process around coming up with a new design, workflow, cutting out the nib from a rod of titanium versus sheets, figuring out how to angle the nib and feed so that it flows well, making something unique, even if it is extremely difficult, expensive and time-consuming - this is what gets Ian jazzed up. While he loves all the products that he makes, the Monoc is really his passion project.

Inking up the pen.

If you use a standard international converter, you just dip the nib into a vial or bottle of ink and use the converter to draw up ink as usual (which I just had to do because I was writing the pen dry at the bottom of the previous page) and you’re ready to write as the feed is already primed with ink. If you’re using a cartridge, however, you will need to get the ink to flow to the feed and saturate it so it can start writing. To do so, orient the pen nib down after inserting the cartridge until you see ink flowing to the tip of the feed and nib, then invert it nib up for about 5 seconds. Repeat a few times, blot and you should be good to go. More detailed instructions are included with the nib.

How does it write?

The Monoc is a wet and smooth writer, with just a hint of feedback; not wet like a fire hose but definitely not a dry writer. Widthwise, I would describe it as a “wet medium”, almost broad. Ian designed this nib to give you “a consistent, predictable writing experience.” Traditionally, titanium nibs (most notably by Bock) were bouncy and prone to being sprung if you bounced them a little too hard. The Monoc is made from a different grade of titanium, which is stronger, and the nib is also thicker than stamped nibs. This makes it a much stiffer nib than gold, titanium or even steel nibs, such that when you put it to paper, you won’t get as much tine movement (at the microscopic level), resulting in a more consistent writing experience for a wider range of writers. Because it is a firm nib, do not expect it to be bouncy or flexy. If I had to compare it to something already on the market, I would say it has the stiffness of a Jowo steel nib, with the wetness of a Pelikan gold nib and the slight feedback of a Platinum gold nib.

Here are some writing samples with nibs of different nib sizes/grinds.

Is it easy to clean the nib?

Yes! You can use a bulb syringe or converter to clean the nib, like you would with any other cartridge/converter fountain pen, but Ian and team have included a specially-drilled syringe since most syringes don’t fit on the end. You don’t have to use it, it just helps with cleaning if you don’t already have a bulb syringe. Because the nib and feed are hand-set and tuned, do not try to take the nib and feed apart. For this reason, I would advise against using shimmer inks with the Monoc.

How much does the Monoc cost?

Right now, there is an introductory price of $400 for the nib, which includes a black, full-size aluminum Schon DSGN pen. You can also get a different pen body and apply $100 towards the purchase of that (please read the website for more details on the offer). I picked the black Ultem feed and blue anodizing for the nib engraving. At some point, the nib will be offered separately, but right now, this is a good deal since this price includes a pen. Lastly, the nibs are made to order, so you won’t get your nib & pen right away. There is a limited number of nibs that can be made each month, so you will need to select a month for future delivery (currently, February and March are available delivery options).

Wait, how much?

Yeah, $400 for a nib. It is a lot, but why so much? Nibs like this aren’t easy to make. Designing and engineering a new nib and feed system is a lot of work, requiring a lot of design and manufacturing time, making and testing prototypes, not to mention taking away resources from making other products. In addition to the R&D and manufacturing time, each nib is individually (and manually) inspected, assembled and hand-tuned - does it even write, do all of them write correctly, are the feeds delivering ink properly? Once it is put together and all tuned up, every nib then needs to be cleaned, polished, anodized, and all of that takes a lot of time. Each nib takes countless hours post production to make. To put it into perspective, Ian said they can only make hundreds of these nibs each year, not thousands.

So, should I get a Monoc?

First of all, this is definitely not a product for everyone. It is an expensive purchase. It will not miraculously make your handwriting stunning (though with regular practice, it certainly could help). You would get this not only because it writes well, but because it is a gorgeous nib. Because it is a technical marvel. Because titanium is cool, but also because this titanium nib won’t spring on you. And I’ll be honest, because it is sexy as heck. It’s like the Pilot Myu or Murex - people don’t love them because they are necessarily the best writers out there, but because they look and feel amazing. And while I really like how the Monoc writes, I love how it looks even more. This is definitely an emotional purchase as opposed to a functional one and I have zero regrets.

If you are looking for a Fine, Extra Fine or Needlepoint, the Monoc is not for you, though one can hope that other nib sizes will be offered in the future. Ditto if you’re looking for a flexy nib or an inexpensive “instabuy” product. But if you value creativity and ingenuity of this project, the pushing of boundaries of what one man and his team can do, the inevitable “holy crap, that’s gorgeous” or “oh wow, this is nice!” responses that you’ll get when you bust it out at a pen meetup, as well as a really nice writing experience, the Monoc just might be for you.

(Disclaimer: All products shown were purchased by me, at regular prices. I preordered the Monoc from the website in December and picked it up in January.)

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