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I just got the new Schon Design Monoc nib fountain pen. This is their first in-house designed and made nib and it writes like no other pen that I have experienced. It is smooth with a graphite like feedback that is very pleasant. The pen itself is really elegant--all black and very simple and sleek. My one criticism is that I find that the section is a bit too short for my fat hands, and the threads are a bit sharp, but I probably will get used to it. The nib itself is really unusual. It looks wonderful, and writes with a wet line that is more like a broad than a medium. It is so unusual for a small pen maker to actually create their own nib. What is even more courageous is to invent an entirely new kind of nib out of one piece of titanium. The advantage is that there is not all the complexity of having to weld a tip to the pen, but it also must be challenging to get it both smooth, but also make sure that it doesn't wear out quickly or bend. The nib itself does not flex, but because of its peculiar shape, you can get some different weights of lines and it actually writes very well in reverse. I have had no problems with flow--if anything it might be a bit too wet. I am a bit dubious by pen lovers who feel that the user should adjust their writing habits to the pen, but in this case I feel like it is like a handmade violin that will change my drawings as I learn what it can do and its unique characteristics. Also, I know that the design will evolve and it is exciting to the first edition of what I hope will be a series of nibs. I discuss the pen at length on my YouTube channel.

I had a great time at the 2023 Baltimore Pen show. I bought a pen from Jonathon Brooks himself and talked to the people at Schon Design about their new nib. I saw my friends at the DAYartSTORE. Got advice from Joshua J. Lax, the nibsmith. I got a vintage Waterman Safety pen for a good price. It was not too big, but it had representatives from several of the big pen companies like Pilot and Esterbrook. It was really cool to be able to talk to Jonathon Brooks and see a whole bunch of his pen bodies. I was able to ask him which ones were his favorites, and then I bought one and it writes really well and is so pretty!! I spent time in Baltimore and Washington too, looking at paintings, but was able to stop by on each day of the show and talk to someone new. I really thought it was worth it. I did a YouTube video about it at