Schon DSGN Monarch Nib and Full Size Fountain Pen Review: A Homegrown Titanium Nib Worth the Wait

Introduction

It is always good to see a pen company try something genuinely new rather than iterate on a safe formula. Schon DSGN, the Philadelphia workshop led by Ian Schon, has spent years developing its own in-house nib, and that project has now arrived as the Monarch. This is a first-impressions review based on a unit purchased at full retail price, so nothing here was supplied for promotion.

The Monarch is short for monocoque, the French term for single shell, borrowed from aerospace and racing where a vehicle’s structural body is made from one solid piece. That is exactly what this nib is: a solid piece of titanium with a non-traditional, instantly recognizable shape. It is really the star of the package, and the Full Size pen it ships in is the vessel built around it.

Design and Build: The Full Size Pen

The pen ships in a neat cylindrical tube that is easy to get fond of, and inside is the Schon DSGN Full Size model. It is made from aluminum with a black anodized finish that feels cool to the touch. The cap finial is engraved with the company name, and on the back there is a small tree glyph. Schon DSGN uses a set of 13 glyphs per year as a hidden dating code, so you can tell when a pen was made. The first batch includes shapes like a star, an ice cream cone, a smiley face, and a heart, with a new set planned each year and possibly a glyph guide on the company site down the line.

The barrel is straight until it tapers slightly to a rounded cone at the end, and there is a small step down from the cap to the barrel. The grip section is slightly concave, and the anodization keeps the metal from feeling slippery. Although this is not the largest pen, it is long enough to use unposted, and it can post inside the cap thanks to an O-ring that contacts the barrel, so there is no metal-on-metal abrasion. Posting does not throw off the balance, and the cap edge is not sharp against the hand, though personal preference leans toward using it unposted. It is a cartridge converter pen that takes standard international cartridges, and a converter is included. Because of all the metal, eyedropper conversion would not be recommended.

The Monarch Nib: What Makes It Different

The Monarch is machined as one solid piece of titanium, and the curves have a really nice flow to them. The front is engraved with the company name, with a choice of blue, rainbow, or no fill; blue looks sharp, but all three options work. On the reverse side there is a star glyph, which marks all nibs in the first batch produced over the last several months. When the next generation arrives it will carry a different glyph, so a star effectively means first edition.

The nib is compatible with all Schon DSGN pocket and full-size fountain pens that also take a Jowo number six nib, which gives it a broader future across the brand’s lineup. The Ultim feed comes in two colors: a natural amber and a black. Black is the safer pairing, though the amber arguably looks cooler and more distinctive in hindsight.

How It Writes

The test unit is a medium nib, filled with Robert Oster Rust Orange, an exclusive color available through Galen Leather, a pleasant reddish orange that sits nicely next to Fountain Pen Revolution’s Tangerine Dream and Montblanc’s Lucky Orange.

The writing character is distinct. This is a very stiff nib, so expect virtually no line variation in any direction. Ink flow is decent, and reverse writing, which was a first try here, turns out to be very smooth. Fast writing is no problem either; the feed keeps up without complaint. The experience is not extremely smooth, but there is a hint of feedback that feels pleasant and different. It is the kind of nib you develop a feel for, distinctive enough that you know you are writing with a Monarch.

In the hand, the pen measures 29 grams in total, with the cap at roughly 6 grams and the body at roughly 24. Next to an Aurora Optima, a Sailor Pro Gear, a Visconti Opera, and other Schon DSGN models like the Pocket 6 and the Ultim, the Full Size sits comfortably among standard full-size pens.

Pricing and Availability

The buying model is a bit unusual. A fixed number of Monarch nibs are produced each month, with a small batch being made in April. The company then plans a short break from offering the nib while it changes its tooling and how it sells them, so the nib may be unavailable for a stretch before returning. If you want one in hand fairly quickly, it pays to act sooner rather than later.

At an introductory price of $400 for a pen with this nib, the cost is admittedly steep, and currently the nib can only be purchased fitted to a pen rather than on its own. It is best to think of it the way you would any new technology entering the market: early adoption carries a premium, and part of the appeal is supporting a workshop willing to innovate in a space where playing it safe is easy.

Conclusion

The Monarch is a genuinely different nib with a distinctive, pleasant writing feel, and the Full Size pen is a well-executed aluminum body that does not get in its way. The $400 price and limited monthly production make it a considered purchase rather than an impulse one, but for anyone drawn to an in-house titanium monocoque nib, this is one of the more interesting things happening in fountain pens right now.