Brass in Pocket | Schondsgn Pocket 6 Fountain Pen

The Pocket 6

I'm back in the fountain pen saddle and, thanks to Scribble, currently inking my journal with the gleaming brass bullet that is the Pocket 6 from the Philadelphia studio, Schondsgn.

First impressions of the pen: It reminded me immediately of a luxury brand lipstick bullet. Closed, it's quite short, coming in at 9cm.  So this would not look out of place in an evening purse or on a dressing table.  That's not to say this is a feminine pen by any means, because it also reminds me of an actual bullet - the sort of thing Lemmy might stuff into his belt as he roars off down a dusty highway on his Harley. 

If Lemmy ever used a fountain pen, that is.

Running your fingers over the barrel and cap of the Pocket 6, you can hardly discern where one ends and the other begins.  Nice engineering!

opens to be long and elegant!

The first time you pick it up, you notice the weight difference of a brass pen in your hand if you are used to pens not fashioned from metal.  It's not large, so it's not HEAVY (45g), but it has PRESENCE, you know? 

Don't be put off by that small size, the cap unscrews and posts (again, screw action) to the pen body, giving you a full-sized fountain pen of just under 13.5cm.

Pocket 6 sitting next to Moonman - it's a longer, slimmer, more elegant pen

Of course, once the aesthetics are out of the way, you have got to enjoy writing with a pen. There is no point in having a gorgeous pen if it writes like a nail down a blackboard ... and this IS a nice smooth writer.

My writing sample, with pumpkin ink!

The nib glides over paper, requiring hardly any pressure to be exerted at all - the biggest mistake that newbie fountain pen users tend to make is pressing too hard.  You don't need to press the Pocket 6 at all, a lovely flow of pumpkin-coloured ink - no burping.  It's also worth recording that the pen was in the postal system to me for 10 days and it wrote beautifully first time, no hard start, just gorgeous wet colour and a nice variety of line thickness too. 

That Medium nib!

Note that the standard nib from Schondsgn is a No 6 (hence the Pocket 6 name) and there are many options available on the website to be sure that you get the pen combo that suits your needs.

In this version, we have the polished brass with the curved grip, but there is a ridged grip available on the website too, fancy faceted finishes, copper pens and nine other colourful options if the metal finishes are too plain for your tastes.  

There are a variety of Jowo nibs from extra fine to a 1.5 stubby to choose from too. There are even ballpoints available, but we won't talk about that *crosses self*.  

Check out their website to see the full range of fountain pen options and spares available. 

The pen takes standard cartridges and is supplied with one in place and one spare, so that's a nice touch - you don't have to buy some one-off converter to make this pen work!

Spare cartridge, and pen stripped down to naked cartridge level!

The name of the design company made me think that this was German (schön meaning lovely, in German) but it's from Philadelphia in America.  It retails at $142.00 for this particular combination, but you can fancy it up with those other options and if you prefer the colourful options, they retail at $135.00

So, what do I think of the Pocket 6?

I like the pen, but would point out a couple of things - as a lefty, there is no left-handed nib options. Not the end of the world, I'll live.  But given the variety of nib widths available, maybe a left-handed nib might be a nice option? 

Secondly, this is a pen without a clip or a smooth section to prevent it from rolling.  Again, not a criticism, just an observation - so depending on how you use it (or how accident prone you are!) this might be something to bear in mind.

Really, my main criticism is reserved for the box.  It's a wee bit under-whelming to be honest.  It looks like it was maybe originally home to a pair of compasses. Of course, I get that there are a LOT of pens available from Schondsgn and this box will accommodate them all, but it feels that the design element stopped at the pen. Ian Schon might be missing a trick here - sure, keep the same box, but maybe design some kind of cushioning nest insert for EACH style of pen. 

Unfair to pick at the box? Maybe.  It IS a nice pen but for over $140, a nice-looking box would be a plus and add to the overall every-day-carry-but-luxe 'story' for the pens that purchasers buy into.