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Kaweco Sport


Polyhistor

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This is my first review, so please be kind. :D

 

A few days ago this little pen (EF, steel nib) arrived at my door. Being used to Pelikan M200s, my first impression was kind of like „This thing is microscopic, better send it back“. Well, I didn’t after all, and here’s why:

 

Appearance & Design (7/10)
Color-wise, I chose solid black, although one or two of the other options also looked intriguing. The design is a no frills kind of job. Details, such as the serrated end of the shaft and the octagonal
cap, make the pen look like a sophisticated tool, an impression that compliments its image as a pocket companion. The short steel nib adds to the overall impression of smallness. With the cap posted, the pen is as aesthetically pleasing as it is when closed.

Construction & Quality (5/10)
I am by no means an expert on quality pens. My most pricey pens are my Pelikan M200s, and the Kaweco Sport is no match for these (and still less so for the Rotring Newton). It looks and feels too plasticky. The material is sort of thin and won’t, in my opinion, withstand a serious accident. That’s the reason I made myself a leather sleeve for it. Although the leather is 1.5mm veg tan, I still wouldn’t feel comfortable carrying around the pen in my pants pocket.

Weight & Dimensions (8/10)

This is where the Sport really shines. It’s small, it’s lightweight, and it doesn’t take up much space in your pencil case, or whatever you use. As I have already mentioned, I thought it would be too small for my rather big hands, but posted it’s actually not much shorter than an M200 and the Kaweco’s diameter is only slightly smaller.

Nib & Performance (8/10)
My handwriting is very small, so I prefer EF nibs by far. My F and EF Pelikans are rather wet writers while the Kaweco is much dryer (I’m using Pelikan Royal Blue or Blue-Black) – and more rigid. I hadn’t expected a lot from the cheap Kaweco, but I’m really impressed with how well it suits my own writing style that incorporates lots of loops and flourishes. The short nib considerably changes the angle at which I hold the pen, enabling me to write even smaller. I normally use Leuchtturm and Moleskine journals for my daily writing and with both of these the Sport gives me no trouble. There is also no skipping of any sort detectable during writing. The only down point is that I have a hard time getting the pen to write again when I leave it uncapped and unused for a minute or so.

Filling System & Maintenance (6/10)
I’ve become completely used to piston fillers over the past years so cartridges don’t quite feel natural anymore. For a pen that is designed to be a pocket or bag companion this filling system is only logical, though, as cartridges are readily available everywhere. As for maintenance, I can’t say much. I’m not one to overindulge in cleaning my pens, but if the need should arise, the Kaweco is quickly disassembled.

Cost & Value (7/10)
The Sport set me back about 18€, and for the pice it’s an absolute bargain, a well-designed, smooth writer with a filling system that won’t give you trouble. Only the flimsy plastic is a bit of a turn off. On the other hand, the cheap price makes the Sport easily replaceable. I should have gone with the AL (aluminum) version right away, I guess.

 

Conclusion (41/60)
For the time being, I’m happy with the plastic version of the Sport, but in the end I’m going to buy the sturdier AL model which costs around 50€ and still seems like a bargain to me. For the price, even the plastic model is a mighty fine pen for those who are not looking for a high end writing instrument but an easily replaceable
no-frills daily user for cheap.

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My adventures in leatherwork (now also partly in English! :) ).

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Nice photo and a good review. I have one in black with an M nib. A really great pen. If you want the pen to write wetter and have more ink capacity I recommend turning it into an eyedropper. It increases the flow a bit but you can write for miles with the ink in the barrel.

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M200s are pretty great pens for long term writing sessions its light, great grip, smooth nib and overall a decent performer .

with a cheap price for 18 euros thats a great pen to have and i think these pens are designed to be good performers with normal styling, not a fancy looking pen but a great writer as Kaweco might thought of it.
thanks for the review

Edited by h.farmawi

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Nice photo and a good review. I have one in black with an M nib. A really great pen. If you want the pen to write wetter and have more ink capacity I recommend turning it into an eyedropper. It increases the flow a bit but you can write for miles with the ink in the barrel.

 

SnorriRafn (and h.farmawi), thanks for the kind words. I've read about the eyedropper conversion on the forums, but I'm a little hesitant to try it (haven't done any mods myself so far). Increased flow would even be a problem, I guess. If I could change one thing about the EF, that would be making it even slightly finer ...

13968229573_ae23c291d7_m.jpg

My adventures in leatherwork (now also partly in English! :) ).

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A thorough first review

A thorough first review, Polyhistor.

It looks and feels too plasticky. The material is sort of thin and won’t, in my opinion, withstand a serious accident.

You be surprised what the Kaweco can withstand. Not sure how you would define a "serious" accident, but few pens can take a beating. And you can take the most robust, punishment-proof pen that's made and drop it on its nib...robust goes out the window.

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Damn man, I like that pen but they have in my local,stores are kaweko rollerballs

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A thorough first review

A thorough first review, Polyhistor.

You be surprised what the Kaweco can withstand. Not sure how you would define a "serious" accident, but few pens can take a beating. And you can take the most robust, punishment-proof pen that's made and drop it on its nib...robust goes out the window.

 

doggonecarl, true dat, no pen will take a massive amount of abuse. What I'm most afraid of is thoughtlessly putting the pen in my pants pocket and just snapping it off when sitting down – the threading seems to be the most vulnerable area here. I'm not talking back pocket, but I usually carry a swiss army knife/flashlight/small wallet in my front pockets and any of these seem like potential threats. I think what I actually wanted to convey in my review was the slight discrepancy between the pens sturdy look and its being made out of plastic ...

 

Damn man, I like that pen but they have in my local,stores are kaweko rollerballs

 

Not to persuade you or anything, but I'd order one from the net in a heartbeat ... :D

13968229573_ae23c291d7_m.jpg

My adventures in leatherwork (now also partly in English! :) ).

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I have both the Sport and AL Sport, and I prefer the former for daily carry. Yes, the AL Sport is prettier and perhaps marginally more robust in the world of hard knocks, though I imagine both will survive Armageddon. But note that it takes three and a quarter full rotations to free the cap on the AL Sport while only one and a quarter on the Sport, which for me means six twists versus two, too fussy for me to get the AL Sport into action. YMMV.

Nihonto Chicken

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I have both the Sport and AL Sport, and I prefer the former for daily carry. Yes, the AL Sport is prettier and perhaps marginally more robust in the world of hard knocks, though I imagine both will survive Armageddon. But note that it takes three and a quarter full rotations to free the cap on the AL Sport while only one and a quarter on the Sport, which for me means six twists versus two, too fussy for me to get the AL Sport into action. YMMV.

Nihontochicken, thanks for the additional info on the threading! I hadn't realized there was a difference.

13968229573_ae23c291d7_m.jpg

My adventures in leatherwork (now also partly in English! :) ).

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Nice review.

 

I really wanted to like the Sport model that I had but I had the same problem as you in that there wasnt enough flow from the nib and the pen was reluctant to restart.

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Nice review.

 

I really wanted to like the Sport model that I had but I had the same problem as you in that there wasnt enough flow from the nib and the pen was reluctant to restart.

I wouldn't really call it a problem. When taking quick notes, for which I use the Sport the most, it's fine. It hardly ever stays uncapped long enough to give me trouble. And when I write something more substantial, I hardly ever pause that long. On the other hand it may well be that mine is just not as hesitant as yours was.

13968229573_ae23c291d7_m.jpg

My adventures in leatherwork (now also partly in English! :) ).

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I too have the Sport and the AL Sport. Like you I was converted by the Sport and decided to 'upgrade' to the AL Sport a few weeks later. The AL Sport is a very robust pen, I'd say, and I thought the nib was better than the Sport version; but the extra weight associated with the all metal construction made it a little less convenient to carry in my pocket and the barrel threads - being harder and 'sharper' - were definitely more noticeable when writing. That said, it's still an excellent - though, for me, perhaps more a desk than pocket - pen. However, if you can live with these 'issues' (I use the term very loosely!) it's a sturdy pen that writes beautifully. The model in the range I'm still very tempted by is the Luxe version though. Now that does look nice!

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I wouldn't really call it a problem. When taking quick notes, for which I use the Sport the most, it's fine. It hardly ever stays uncapped long enough to give me trouble. And when I write something more substantial, I hardly ever pause that long. On the other hand it may well be that mine is just not as hesitant as yours was.

 

My Sport dries out too. So I lick the nib and I'm good to go. :D

Happiness is an Indian ED!
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I have both the Sport and AL Sport, and I prefer the former for daily carry. Yes, the AL Sport is prettier and perhaps marginally more robust in the world of hard knocks, though I imagine both will survive Armageddon. But note that it takes three and a quarter full rotations to free the cap on the AL Sport while only one and a quarter on the Sport, which for me means six twists versus two, too fussy for me to get the AL Sport into action. YMMV.

My AL Sport Hi-Gloss cap unscrews in 1 turn.

http://i59.tinypic.com/ekfh5f.jpg

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Oh, and I converted my Sport Demonstrator to an eye-dropper this week but putting a little silicone grease on the section threads and loading up the barrel with Edelstein Turmalin ink. Worked out great. No leaks at all after several days.

Edited by sotto2

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I can't imagine life without at least one of these pens. Little wonders.

"I was cut off from the world. There was no one to confuse or torment me, and I was forced to become original." - Franz Joseph Haydn 1732 - 1809
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My Sport dries out too. So I lick the nib and I'm good to go. :D

 

I always did that on my ballpoints back in the day. Awful taste, blue-black might have a better aroma by far. :D

 

 

My AL Sport Hi-Gloss cap unscrews in 1 turn.

 

That's good to know. Big hands, I suppose?

13968229573_ae23c291d7_m.jpg

My adventures in leatherwork (now also partly in English! :) ).

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I have a couple of these, including the splendid Green celluloid Limited Edition made by Visconti for Kaweco: a really gorgeous pen (and ballpoint, too).

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In punta di penna.....

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I always did that on my ballpoints back in the day. Awful taste, blue-black might have a better aroma by far. :D

 

 

 

That's good to know. Big hands, I suppose?

No, small hands. A 360 degree rotation removes the cap completely. Has nothing to do with the size of my hands. Last I heard, 360 degrees was one full circle or rotation whether you had big hands or no hands. :-)

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Hi Polyhistor

 

Nice review! Didn't mean to post a review of the same pen next to yours. Sorry for that. Should have checked this forum before posting mine, other wise would have posted mine later or on another forum.

I suppose for the audience, they can benefit from seeing two perspectives of this pen.

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