The Kaweco Thread

[Claudel Xerxes]

Thanks in part to this thread, and all of the fine enabling that goes on around here I went ahead and ordered my first Kaweco - a Kaweco Sport Special Edition in Cognac with a fine nib. I guess I just have to see what all of the fuss is about. In my defense however, it is a birthday gift to myself...

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I do think [MENTION=92596]Claudel Xerxes[/MENTION] is right - if it doesn't come with a clip I'll need to get one.

Congrats! I love Cognac colored demonstrators. In terms of performance, I don't think that the pen will blow you out of the water (it should still hold up to your Preppy and Metro, though), but it's relatively inexpensive and can be converted into an eyedropper. Not to mention that it's light, small, and easy to carry. Let us know how it works out for you.

 

[nemo]

Now there's a cappuccino colored Sport Skyline. Looks more like a flesh color to me.


Stole pic from Jet pens. No affiliation, yada yada

 

[tankerjohn]

This thread is worthy of a bump. Here’s the Kaweco Student I just received.

It’s a really nice pen. I especially like the black. Very classy. Work appropriate, but not too stodgy. I absolutely adore the cap. Gracefully curved clip. Medallion on top.

The nib is nice too. I’m a sucker for the decorative scrollwork.

Here it is next to my Pilot Metro for comparison.

The Kaweco was a very dry writer out of the box with the fine nib. I wanted to start this pen with black ink, so I used a cartridge from another pen that I presume is Monteverde ink. The first scribbles looked almost like pencil. The nib opened up a little bit for this comparison, but is still very dry.

I find it very comfortable to hold, especially posted. We’ll see how it handles long writing sessions. It’ll definitely be fine for jotting notes at work.

It’s a good size for work, being very similar to the Metro. Here it is my pen pocket for you military types.

So there you go. Nice pen. I’m looking forward to getting it into action. Kaweco replacement nibs are only like $11 or so on Jetpens, there might be an stub nib in the future for this guy.

 

[nemo]

Nice pen, @tankerjohn . I've got to get a modern Dia one of these days.

I see I mentioned here I wanted a burgundy Sport in a post about 5 years ago. Finally got one!

 

[tankerjohn]

Nice pen, @tankerjohn . I've got to get a modern Dia one of these days.

I see I mentioned here I wanted a burgundy Sport in a post about 5 years ago. Finally got one!

Thanks! Yours is nice too. I love that burgundy color.

 

[StuMcB]

One thread for me to drewell over. I do like the Kaweco range. And you Dia looks super.

Hee my collection of sport models

Brass is a no name from Aliexpress, fine nib a really nice writer and with quink black-blue.

Burgundy classic sport roller ball and biro both with kaweco black inks.

Ice sport with a medium nib and an ink roller with quink black.

Black classic sport fine nib and red quink.

White classic roller ball, black kaweco ink.

And my favourite, raw AL fine nib with quink black.

I do have a sketch up grip ball point coming to go along side my Sheaffer award and C'aren D'ache 889 ball points. No FP allowed at work you see.

 

[StuMcB]

Sorry that should say C aren D'arche 849 not 889.

 

[tankerjohn]

Nice collection. The scuffed up raw alum pen is sweet!

 

[BMWRider]

I am glad this thread popped up on my feed, I am a fan of Kawecos (along with Karas and Lamy). Here is my modest Kaweco collection.

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• BMWRider
• Jan 6, 2019

Kaweco

From l to r, Dia, Student, Classic, Brass, Classic Sport, Lilliput, Lilliput Fireblue

 

[StuMcB]

Those lilliputs against the sports really do show how all they are. Love the fire blue btw.

 

[tankerjohn]

I am glad this thread popped up on my feed, I am a fan of Kawecos (along with Karas and Lamy). Here is my modest Kaweco collection.

01cef420bce3b2e7186b90b4c674bdc5881559fc6c

• BMWRider
• Jan 6, 2019

Kaweco

From l to r, Dia, Student, Classic, Brass, Classic Sport, Lilliput, Lilliput Fireblue

Great collection. Is your Dia vintage or a modern Dia 2? How does it compare to the Student? I am really enjoying my Student and wondering if the Dia 2 is worth step up in price.

 

[StuMcB]

Just got the sketch up grip ballpoint tonight . It shipped with a blue G2 refill so swapped it out for a Parker quink black 0.8 fine G2 refil. It'll do till I order up something better. It's a solid pen with some weight to it. So here's a pic next to an AL raw sport with cap.

 

[BMWRider]

Great collection. Is your Dia vintage or a modern Dia 2? How does it compare to the Student? I am really enjoying my Student and wondering if the Dia 2 is worth step up in price.

It is a Dia 2, I bought it on Massdrop. Comparing the Dia 2 to the Student, the Dia is a much nicer pen. The Dia has a better feed and the body is more refined. The nib looks the same nib as the Student, except it has an iridium point. It does not sound like much but it is. It is a much smoother writing pen (I am an EF guy so I notice scratchiness). The pocket clip is fancier and the chrome accents are well done. Now the question is, is it worth $85? I do not regret the purchase at all, it is a great mid-grade pen. But, if you told me you were only buying one pen in the midrange this year, I would suggest you hold out for a LAMY Studio Fountain Pen w/ 14K Gold Nib. It was only $35 more (again on Massdrop) and it is dramatically more pen. Just my humble opinions and I am only a customer on Massdrop and have no connection with them.

 

[BMWRider]

Just got the sketch up grip ballpoint tonight . It shipped with a blue G2 refill so swapped it out for a Parker quink black 0.8 fine G2 refil. It'll do till I order up something better. It's a solid pen with some weight to it. So here's a pic next to an AL raw sport with cap.

Dangit, I swore off ballpoint pens yeas ago, but I may have to get one of these. It is a looker.

 

[nemo]

Here's a vintage Kaweco Dia (with blue tape holding the cracked cap together) alongside a Pelikan 140.
It's a smaller piston filler pen, model № 803

 

[BMWRider]

Here's a vintage Kaweco Dia (with blue tape holding the cracked cap together) alongside a Pelikan 140.
It's a smaller piston filler pen, model № 803

Love them both, I will eventually start "acquiring" Pelikans.

 

[tankerjohn]

It is a Dia 2, I bought it on Massdrop. Comparing the Dia 2 to the Student, the Dia is a much nicer pen. The Dia has a better feed and the body is more refined. The nib looks the same nib as the Student, except it has an iridium point. It does not sound like much but it is. It is a much smoother writing pen (I am an EF guy so I notice scratchiness). The pocket clip is fancier and the chrome accents are well done. Now the question is, is it worth $85? I do not regret the purchase at all, it is a great mid-grade pen. But, if you told me you were only buying one pen in the midrange this year, I would suggest you hold out for a LAMY Studio Fountain Pen w/ 14K Gold Nib. It was only $35 more (again on Massdrop) and it is dramatically more pen. Just my humble opinions and I am only a customer on Massdrop and have no connection with them.

Thanks! Exactly the feedback I was looking for. I didn’t know that Massdrop sold pens. I’ll have to check it out. Since you brought up the Lamy, it did occur to me that the higher end Kawecos are getting into that three-figure territory where the entry-level gold nibs and piston-fillers live. So what’s Kaweco’s “secret sauce” at that level? I guess just great design and easy nib swapping (although other brands have that too). For some reason, I am not drawn to Lamy pens. I guess I’m not a Bauhaus guy. I read they are great pens and maybe I would love one if I got it. But they just don’t call to me the way other pens do.

 

[tankerjohn]

Here's a vintage Kaweco Dia (with blue tape holding the cracked cap together) alongside a Pelikan 140.
It's a smaller piston filler pen, model № 803

Nice! That vintage Dia actually looks more like the Student to me.

 

[BMWRider]

Since you brought up the Lamy, it did occur to me that the higher end Kawecos are getting into that three-figure territory where the entry-level gold nibs and piston-fillers live. So what’s Kaweco’s “secret sauce” at that level? I guess just great design and easy nib swapping (although other brands have that too).

Kaweco has style. Looking at my own collection they just do a few things really well. There are a few pens they sell that are up in the $150 range, the Elite and Supra come to mind. But really in the world of pens that is mid-range (and also my upper limit).

As for Lamy, they are amazing writers (and the nib is the easiest to change of any pen I have owned). A 14K Gold nib in the low hundreds is an amazing bargain. But there are so many great pens out there, there is no need to settle.

 

[StuMcB]

Just got the sketch up grip ballpoint tonight . It shipped with a blue G2 refill so swapped it out for a Parker quink black 0.8 fine G2 refil. It'll do till I order up something better. It's a solid pen with some weight to it. So here's a pic next to an AL raw sport with cap.

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I couldn't resist this one either. A grown up Kaweco, it's the Special long with a kaweco fine black refill.

It's going to complement my other work ball pen, the bright red Caren d'Ache 849 really well I think.