BaronFig Lock & Key – Part 2

The Key

BaronFig’s first limited edition release of 2018 blew me away. The Lock Confidant is a beautifully designed notebook with a subtle but complex design both externally and internally. The book checks all the boxes for the quality and utility of the standard Confidant, and it does so in style.

Every Lock needs a Key

The Key is the other half of this limited release, and it compliments The Lock beautifully. The Key is a solid brass version of the classic Squire pen, complete with an engraved antique key logo on the side.

The classic Squire design features are all here; the minimal style, the twist-lock mechanism, the lightly tapered body. Everything that makes the Squire a great pen, rendered in solid shining brass. While the brass pen is a first for Baron Fig, it is very well executed. The Key uses the same Schmidt P8126 refill that generally writes very smooth across a myriad of papers, but runs into trouble with coated paper like Rhodia.

Brass has always been a favorite for the EDC community when it comes to pens. It’s a solid and heavy material that looks better the more it’s used. My only other brass pen is the Karas Render K, so I jumped on The Key as soon as it became available to the public. While the additional weight of the brass body is very noticeable compared to the classic Squire, the compact size of the pen makes it very well balanced and easy to manage.

In addition to looking pretty dang cool, brass also has antimicrobial properties so you don’t have to worry about germs if you’re the type of kind soul who lets other people use your pens. Another feature all brass pens share is the lovely patina that will develop over time, allowing the instrument to become almost personalized to the user. Brass also tends to leave a slight metallic smell with the user when handled, but it’s a minor issue that does not detract from the pen’s overall quality. It’s a fair compromise for a pen that will last for years.

The Code

Another interesting feature of this release is the secret code hidden within The Lock. I speculated wildly in Part One of this review about what these coded symbols could possibly mean, and the code is partially revealed in the pen’s tube with a… well, a key. The symbol key gives you most of an alphabet, leaving a few symbols unidentified so you’ll have to figure them out as you decode The Lock. I’ve had a few days to look at it and, although I believe I’ve identified all the missing symbols, I still can make neither heads nor tails of this thing. Yet, anyways.

Limited Editions

At the time of this writing, The Lock & Key are both still available as a set or individually from Baron Fig. As I mentioned in my review for The Lock, this set was a fresh twist on the standard Confidant and Squire. The shining brass of The Key and the classic look of The Lock make a wonderful addition to any collection.

Check it out while you can over at Baron Fig.

If you enjoyed this review, and want to check out the Baron Fig Lock & Key for yourself, use this affiliate link to get a $10 discount on your order of $20 or more. Using that code will also directly assist me in bringing more products in for review.

Disclaimer: The product in this review was purchased by The Poor Penman for the purpose of review and to feed the addiction. All opinions stated are those of the author.