The last fountain pen review in this batch is for the Kaweco Allrounder in red, with a fine nib.

The pen was sent to me by Kaweco for the purposes of this review, and will be returned once the review is completed. I was not paid to write the review. The review itself is my honest assessment of the pen, and is not influenced by the fact it was lent to me.

Packaging

The pen was provided with the now familiar Kaweco tin box with cardboard sleeve, which, at the risk of overstating the point, is the kind of minimal packaging that I like. The pen finish is unlikely to be scratched, but the faux-velvet insert would not have done that anyway.

Appearance

This is the most classically-styled pen in this batch of reviews, and as such the one that would be most likely to suit my tastes. It is also the most ornate, although all the decoration is reserved for the cap. Apart from the Kaweco finial, there is also the curved clip, which is quite secure, if a little stiff: it also has “Kaweco” written on it. On the opposite side of the cap from the clip, are the words “Kaweco Allrounder Germany”. There’s no chance of mistaking who made this pen (unless you misplace the cap). The last item of furniture is the band around the cap – I’m not sure if the pattern has any significance, but regardless it does complement the rest of the pen. All the furniture is in chrome finish, which is fine by me.

It’s not a small pen, but is reassuringly weighty, and appears well made. The metallic red finish looks resilient, although I did find it a little slippery, most significantly on the grip. When using the pen my thumb rested (not uncomfortably) on the threads, so the slippery finish was negated. However this might be more of an issue for those with a different grip.

The cap screws onto the barrel, but is push fit to post, and due to the finish does take an extra push to make it secure. However, when posted the pen is very long and the cap sits so high that the weight leaves the pen unbalanced (at least for me). Unposted, the pen is an ideal weight and balance for me, so I would prefer to use it this way, which is against my usual preference.

The pen was provided with a short international blue cartridge and there is room for a second one. The pen was not supplied with a cartridge convertor but as I already have one I could try a selection of my other inks. It will come a no surprise that I would usually use a red ink with a red pen.

The nib does appear slightly small in proportion to the rest of the pen, but not obtrusively so.

Performance

For the writing tests I tried a Kaweco Ruby Red cartridge, along with my three current EDC inks (Noodler’s Heart of Darkness, Pilot Iroshizuku Asa Gao and Diamine Crimson).

I found that the Kaweco cartridge performed well with this ink, as did the EDC inks.

As with the other Kaweco nib units I have tried, this one was easy to clean.

Conclusion

As can be seen from the Rhoda Dot Pad writing test, I already own a Kaweco Dia2 with a fine nib, and this is one of my EDC pens (currently with Noodler’s Heart of Darkness ink). The nib in the Allrounder was consistent with the nib in the Dia2. In the spirit of full disclosure I opened up the flow of the nib in the Dia2 slightly because I found it a little on the dry side. After that I was happy with it. Had I been keeping this pen I would have done the same, as I also found it a little dry, but not uncomfortably so.

What are my favorite features? The overall styling and the bright red metallic finish.

Is there anything I don’t particularly like? The slippery finish, and the weight of the cap which unbalances the pen when posted.

If I had paid for the pen would I regret it? Probably not, but I do prefer to post my pens. That being said my current red EDC pen is a TWSBI Classic which physically can’t post. I would rate the two about equal on that level, but I am on the lookout for a new EDC red pen. Now that I’ve tried it would I buy one? Not for the time being. I think I’ll check out a few others first – including the Kaweco Student, which is made from acrylic so the cap may not have such a detrimental effect when posted.

The post Kaweco Allrounder Red Fountain Pen Review appeared first on Stationary Journey.

The second in this batch of pen reviews is for the Kaweco AL Sport Stonewashed Blue Fountain Pen, with a Medium Nib. That’s a long name, giving a very long title for this post!

The pen was sent to me by Kaweco for the purposes of this review, and will be returned once the review is completed. I was not paid to write the review. The review itself is my honest assessment of the pen, and is not influenced by the fact it was lent to me.

Packaging

The pen was provided with a separate tin box and cardboard sleeve. As I mentioned in the last fountain pen review I prefer minimal packing, especially when it can be reused, as in this case. The faux-velvet plastic insert is present again, although I doubt even the scratchiest plastic could harm the finish on this pen.

Appearance

The design of the Sport series is unique, and definitely not the “classic” style. Rather than sleek, it’s chunky. The oversized octagonal cap screws securely on the barrel, but there is a substantial overlap. This is all fine though and the overall effect is very pocketable.

The finish is also unusual – deliberately going for a distressed effect. The “stonewashed” term is highly appropriate, and I can imagine that with time the more chips, nicks and dents it picks up to more character the pen will acquire.

The Kaweco logo is present on the finial on the cap, along with name and country of origin on the side of the cap.

The cap is push fit when posted, however the matte finish and overlap means this is very secure. Once posted the pen is a comfortable length and is well-balanced. Unposted, the pen is just long enough for me, but I much prefer it posted. This is another metal pen which feels light in the hand.

The pen was provided with a short international blue cartridge. There is no room for a second cartridge. The pen was not supplied with a cartridge convertor but one is available – unfortunately it’s only a squeeze convertor. I already have one so I could try my EDC inks. There’s also an optional pocket clip, which I didn’t think to ask for.

As this is a blue pen, I would normally use a blue ink and the equivalent of a European fine nib. In this case I asked for a medium nib to try out as a comparison with other nibs from Kaweco.

Despite being a small nib, it looks in proportion to the rest of the AL Sport.

The grip section is comfortable and the matte finish helps. The threads were not sharp and did not detract from the grip.

Performance

For the writing tests I tried a Kaweco Royal Blue cartridge, along with my three current EDC inks (Noodler’s Heart of Darkness, Pilot Iroshizuku Asa Gao and Diamine Crimson).

I found the flow from the Kaweco cartridge to be a little restricted, although it had been in the pen for a couple of weeks before I actually carried out the writing tests. The EDC inks flowed well and the nib was very smooth in all cases (even when using the cartridge). The medium nib showed shading with Asa Gao and Diamine Crimson which doesn’t normally show with finer nibs.

The pen was easy to clean. The nib unit unscrews (so is easy to flush) and can be dismantled if necessary.

Conclusion

Another unusual but highly functional pen from Kaweco. I would like to have tried it with a clip, but it’s size means its highly pocketable if you don’t need (or want) to use a clip. Despite this, it still works as an everyday desk pen, but probably better posted for extended writing sessions (which is fine for me).

What are my favourite features? The pocketable size, quirky finish and secure posting (without the need to screw on the cap).

Is there anything I don’t particularly like? I’m not a fan of squeeze convertors, but that’s about it.

If I had paid for the pen, would I regret it? Absolutely not. Now that I’ve tried it, would I buy one? Yes, but I may want to try a different finish or material (e.g. acrylic). There’s a lot of choice in the Sport range, and it seems almost churlish not to give some of the other options a try.

The post Kaweco AL Sport Stonewashed Blue Fountain Pen Review appeared first on Stationary Journey.

The first in this batch of pen reviews is for the Kaweco Special Fountain Pen, with an Extra Fine Nib.

The pen was sent to me by Kaweco for the purposes of this review, and will be returned once the review is completed. I was not paid to write the review. The review itself is my honest assessment of the pen, and is not influenced by the fact it was lent to me.

Packaging

The pen was packed separately from the boxes provided by Kaweco, but for the purposes of the photos I have included the pen to show the relative size.

The retro-styled tin box comes in a cardboard sleeve. I have something of an aversion to overly ostentatious packaging which serves as momentary eye candy before being thrown away and I am pleased to say that Kaweco doesn’t fall into that trap. Okay, the tin is metal, but it is small. light and could be used for other purposes.

The thin, flexible plastic insert has a velvet-like finish so is unlikely to damage the pen finish in transit.

Appearance

The pen itself is anything but classically styled. Instead it’s sleek, straight, octagonal and with minimal “furniture” – the only real decorative feature is a silver Kaweco finial on the cap, along with the name of the pen and country of origin on the side. The length and the shape are strongly reminiscent of a lead pencil. The black finish has a some shine, but is not piano black. It does however pick up finger prints and smudges easily. Despite being metal the pen feels light in the hand.

The finial is fixed in a roughly finished, knurled setting, which adds to the grip, but the octagonal shape makes that largely redundant.

There’s a corresponding threaded end (again with a rough finish) on the opposite end of the pen, which the cap posts to. The first time I tried the screw the cap on, it found it tricky because of the short thread. However, I don’t know if I was just being particularly clumsy on that occasion but it was not a problem that I had again.

Once posted the pen is very long, but I didn’t find that to be a problem as it is very well-balanced. The pen is equally comfortable unposted.

The pen itself was provided with a short international blue cartridge and an empty cartridge to keep the other cartridge in place. The pen was not supplied with a cartridge convertor – different suppliers in the UK appear to have different policies on whether they include one or not. There’s also an optional pocket clip, which I should have asked to be included.

I like to colour match my pens were possible so I would normally use a black ink with a black pen. For black inks I prefer a fine line, but as I have already tried a Kaweco Fine Nib with black inks (with a Kaweco Dia2, which is one of my EDC pens) I thought I would go to the extreme in this case and try an Extra Fine Nib.

Kaweco nibs are quite small, and sometimes look out of place on their larger pens. In this case the nib looks perfectly in proportion to the pen, and I don’t think a larger nib could even be accommodated without making the cap, and consequently the rest of the pen, wider.

When I first examined the pen I was concerned by the very short grip which meant that the screw thread was right under my fingers and thumb when I tested the grip. I thought this could be uncomfortable when using the pen. However, the fears were unfounded – the threads enhanced the grip and were in no way uncomfortable.

Performance

For the purposes of the writing tests I first tried the pen with one of the Pearl Black cartridges provided by Kaweco. As this would be the first time using this ink, for a more consistent assessment I also tried the inks I usually use in my EDC pens, i.e. Noodler’s Heart of Darkness, Pilot Iroshizuku Asa Gao and Diamine Crimson. This required the use of a convertor. Fortunately I had a Kaweco squeeze convertor to hand which fitted, although a twist convertor would have been better for prolonged use.

In all the writing tests I found the Kaweco black ink to have more restricted flow that the other inks I tried. If I had been keeping the pen I would have tried increasing the flow by easing the nib tines slightly, however this is a fine nib, and there is a limit to how much ink such a nib can be expected to put down.

None of the writing tests yielded any surprises. While I am pleased that I tried the fine nib, I think in practice it is a bit too fine for me, even with black inks. Despite this in all cases the pen performed well on all papers, was comfortable and enjoyable to use. The more free-flowing inks did help the experience.

The pen was easy to clean. The nib unit unscrews and the nib and feed are push fit, so the unit can be dismantled if flushing with water isn’t enough to get all the ink out.

Conclusion

This is an unusual pen, but it grew on me very quickly. I couldn’t try it with the clip, so I’m not sure how well it would work as a pocket pen. It would however work well as a desk pen.

What are my favourite features? The metal construction gives the impression that it would be robust, and the finish doesn’t look like it would scratch easily. The lack of furniture suits the minimalist styling.

Is there any thing I don’t particularly like? Nothing I can think of.

If I had paid for the pen, would I regret it? In short, no. Now that I’ve tried it, would I buy one? Probably, although there would be a few pens higher up on my wish list and I would want one with a fine nib.

The post Kaweco Special Fountain Pen Review appeared first on Stationary Journey.

Better late than never I suppose, but my first fountain pen review is unlikely to be typical of the ones to come. Unlike every other fountain pen I have, I didn’t have to pay for this one, and it’s for a type of pen that until recently I didn’t know even existed – a retractable fountain pen. Apparently the Pilot Capless (or Vanishing Point) Fountain Pen has been around since before I was born, but I until I got back into fountain pens last Summer I had never heard of it. However, once I started listening to a certain Podcast I couldn’t really avoid it.

A few weeks ago I received the excellent news that I had won one in a competition. I’ve acquired quite a few pens over the last year, including Pilot pens (some of my favourites), but the Capless wasn’t one of them. If I had to say why, the best I could do would be that the combination of the appearance (which had never looked great to me in photos) along with placement of the clip on the grip made the pen too much of an unknown, especially when taking the price into account. It was on my wishlist, but lower down than a few other pens. So fate intervened when I received the email to say I had won one.

I chose the Matt Black finish (which looked the best of the ones available, especially considering other reviews I had seen) and a medium nib. My preference is normally for Western fine nibs, and Japanese mediums. All the other Pilot pens I have bought in the past confirm me in that view (the two fine nibs I have tried have been just that little bit too fine). So what did I think of this pen?

Packaging

The pen came in a shiny plastic box with cardboard slip cover. I was a little surprised to find the pen itself has been individually wrapped in bubble wrap, but could soon see why. Straight out the box the matt finish easy picks up what I can best describe as “scuffs”. I dread to think what the hard plastic inset would have done to the finish in transit without the bubble wrap. Good call Cult Pens.

Under the plastic inset is a compartment holding the free cartridge, cartridge carrier, instructions and warranty card. I didn’t test the pen with the cartridge/carrier.

I don’t judge a pen by the box, but Pilot would have been better off with something that concentrated more on protection than aesthetics. The box also picked up dust like nothing else I’ve ever seen before, but again this is a trivial consideration (so is the fact it was murder to photograph).

Appearance

Although it’s not what I would call the most elegant of pens, the Capless looks (and feels) much better in reality than I thought it would from the photos I had seen. Ultimately though its function determines its form, so I have to take that into account when considering its quirky looks. It’s not very sleek with the nib retracted – much better when the knock is pushed in and the nib is out, and the clip placement does look weird, but for the life of me I can’t see how else it could be done. I’m not a great fan of hooded nibs either, but again I can see the necessity in this case. This is all a matter of taste though.
I also noted that the scuffs on the matt black finish quickly disappear under finger prints. While I wonder about the long term durability of the finish only time will tell on that.

Performance

So, as it’s not the most elegant pen in the world, how well does it function? In short – it’s great. The pen feels neither too heavy nor too light. Although the diameter is greater than I would normally prefer this does not make it uncomfortable to hold.

I was actually nervous when I first inked the pen up. I was concerned about both the grip and what the flow would be like with such a tiny nib. However, all my fears about the grip disappeared the instant I started to write. The clip rests comfortably between my thumb and index finger and the matt finish also makes the grip doubly secure, so no problems there. I do wonder if the other metallic finishes would feel so good.

The first ink I tried was Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-Gao which is my favourite all-round blue ink. Not only did I find the flow good, the nib is one of the wettest writers I have used, certainly when combined with Asa-Gao. I prefer wet to dry nibs, so this is good from my perspective. There is some feedback when writing, but nothing uncomfortable. While I could force some line variation out, that’s not one of my main concerns for a general note-taking pen.

Cult Pens say on their website that the Capless medium nib is closer to a Western medium, and I would tend to agree with this. If I wanted to use black ink in one of these pens on a regular basis I would probably want to try a fine nib. I tried Noodler’s X-Feather, which was one of the better performers on Fields Notes Paper, but the line was a little broad for my taste.

After a few days use the convenience of being able to write with just a click really started to appeal, and the pen has become a serious contender for travelling in my jacket pocket on an everyday basis – a place that no other fountain pen has occupied for any length of time before so this will be interesting. The clip feels secure enough to cope, although the edges are a bit sharp. It will be interesting to see how the finish stand up to the rough and tumble of being in the pocket.

For the “everyday carry” test I have changed the ink to Rohrer and Klingner Salix, which is water resistant when dry and I find writes a little drier than Asa-Gao. My hope is to reduce the chances of smudging. I like this combination a lot – the flow is a little drier, but not too much for my liking.

The click of the knock is firm and authoritative, and the mechanism doesn’t rattle when writing normally (unlike a lot of ball point pens I can think of).

Cleaning was a lot easier than I expected. I haven’t attempted to clean the trap door which shields the nib when it’s retracted. The jury is out on whether that will ever be needed and if so how easy it will be.

The only real complaint is the size of the ink window when the cartridge converter is fitted into the metal carrier to keep it in place – that’s assuming it really is intended to be an ink window. If it is, then it’s too small – it’s possible to see ink through the gap, but very difficult to gauge how much is present. I don’t see why slots could not have been cut in the carrier to give a better view.

Conclusion

This has quickly become one of my favourite pens for general note taking – it’s a pleasure to use. I would like a better ink window, softer edges on the clip and a nib that is closer to other Pilot medium nibs (i.e. slightly finer), but these are minor drawbacks and I may try a finer nib unit when funds allow.

It’s difficult to comment on the Value for Money of a pen that I didn’t actually pay for, but if I try to put myself in the position of how I would feel if I had paid retail price for it, then I think I would be happy with the purchase. It’s in a similar price bracket to the Lamy 2000, and while they are very different pens I think they are well matched in terms of build quality and performance (and I prefer the grip on the Pilot Capless).

This is definitely a welcome addition.

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