Big Idea Design Fountain EDC Review: A Pocket Fountain Pen Built to Take a Beating

Introduction

Big Idea Design has been making everyday carry gear out of Chattanooga, Tennessee since 2011, with more than 30 Kickstarter projects covering pocket tools, knives, ballpoints, rollerballs, and fountain pens. Their newest release is the Fountain EDC, a compact pocket pen aimed at people who want a durable writer that lives in a pocket rather than a pen case.

The company also makes a larger fountain pen, the TI Ultra, which sits in a very different size class. The Fountain EDC is the small, knock-about option of the lineup.

Unboxing and Finishes

The pen arrives in a box with a sliding drawer that holds the pen plus a small inner drawer of spare O-rings. Big Idea Design offers the Fountain EDC in raw titanium, stonewashed titanium, titanium with DLC black coating, plus brass, copper, and zirconium versions, and a limited edition of 10 pens in full titanium Damascus.

Our review sample was the stonewashed titanium model. The flat-topped cap has a rounded edge leading into the standard clip, which carries the only branding on the pen: a titanium symbol engraved near the top. There is no other exterior branding anywhere on the barrel or cap, which will bother anyone who likes pens to identify themselves.

An optional titanium Damascus clip is sold separately. It arrives in its own box without instructions, which is a small misstep. Swapping the clip involves inserting a screwdriver into the cap to access a screw. It turned out to be simple, but some guidance would have removed the moment of doubt about whether you are unscrewing the right thing.

Design and Everyday Handling

The cap angles upward slightly for roughly the first inch before straightening out, then steps down at an angle into a straight barrel. An end piece at the rear is part of the posting mechanism. The cap snaps off, and it also snaps to post, which is a welcome choice: snap-to-post is quicker and more secure than a twist-to-post design.

The pen is just long enough to use unposted, but posted it makes for a decent-sized pen, and the transition between cap and barrel is smooth enough that it does not rub uncomfortably against your hand. The section is narrow but size-appropriate next to the small nib, and it has grooves that help maintain a solid grip.

One practical annoyance: those grip grooves fill with ink during filling, and a dry tissue struggles to get ink out of the tiny crevices. Plan on a damp tissue when cleaning the section.

Nib and Writing Experience

The Fountain EDC uses a stainless steel Bock extra fine nib with a plastic feed, and extra fine is the only nib option available. That is an unusual decision. In broad pen-buying data, extra fine is typically the least popular choice, picked by only around 12 percent of buyers, while medium leads at 32 percent. Buyers who prefer broader or stub nibs are simply locked out.

In use, the nib performs nicely. Ink flow is decent, the line is clean and narrow, and the feed keeps up during fast writing. The nib is on the stiff side with a fair amount of feedback, and there is essentially no line variation. Reverse writing is not this nib’s strength either. If extra fine is your preference, none of this will be a problem; if it is not, that is the main reason to hesitate.

Ink and Filling

This is a cartridge converter pen that accepts standard international cartridges, and a Kaweco mini converter is included. The mini converter is decent enough and holds roughly as much ink as a standard cartridge, so capacity is modest but adequate for a pocket pen.

Size Comparisons

Against other pocket pens, the Fountain EDC runs slightly larger than the Kaweco Skyline Sport, the Schon Design Pocket 6, and the Gravitas pocket pen, especially posted. Next to Big Idea Design’s own TI Ultra fountain pen, it is significantly smaller. It is a true pocket-class pen that gains usable length when posted.

Price and Availability

The Fountain EDC is sold through the Big Idea Design website for $100, which feels reasonable for a pen this well constructed. The titanium models feel very solid in the hand and should take a beating as a knock-about carry pen. The zirconium version runs $250, and the limited edition full titanium Damascus version, limited to 10 pens, was $775 with a few still listed at last check. The titanium Damascus clip is a $39 accessory.

Buying Advice

For $100, the Fountain EDC is a decent option and an interesting addition to the Big Idea Design lineup. Buy it if you want a compact, tough, metal pocket pen and are happy with an extra fine nib. Skip it, or wait for more nib choices, if extra fine is not your thing.

Conclusion

The Fountain EDC is a well-built little pen with smart details: a snap-to-post cap, a spare O-ring set in the box, and solid titanium construction at a fair price. Its biggest limitation is the single extra fine nib option, which narrows its audience. If that line width suits you, it is an easy pen to recommend for everyday carry.