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Tell Me About Your Kaweco Experiences


kansaskyle

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As far as converters go, I the original Kaweco converter wasn't designed for the Liliput. That said, the Monteverde Small-International converter fits in the Liliput. It doesn't hold much ink, but it does fit! I have it currently in my brass example, if you really want more than standard cartridge ink.

 

That said, for maximum capacity, you might be best off filling your cartridges with an eyedropper or syringe.

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I carry two Kaweco SPORT fountain pens in the pocket of my jeans in the classic leather pouch for 2, so I have a backup when one runs out of ink (I use cartridges now, after some distressing experience with the squeeze converter).

 

As for cartridges, I've only tried J.Herbin and Kaweco so far. To the best of my knowledge I don't think either company offer permanent ink cartridges. I find the kaweco inks to be more on the dry side, while J.Herbin inks is really wet and takes a bit longer to dry. I've got some Parker purple ready for the next pen that goes dry...

 

I also have encountered some problems with nib QC, where two EF nibs turned out fine but one F nib writes like a waterfall... Again, it seems more like the draw of the luck when you purchase the pens.

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As for cartridges, I've only tried J.Herbin and Kaweco so far. To the best of my knowledge I don't think either company offer permanent ink cartridges. I find the kaweco inks to be more on the dry side, while J.Herbin inks is really wet and takes a bit longer to dry. I've got some Parker purple ready for the next pen that goes dry...

If you want some permanence in international short carts, try the Pelikan 4001 blue/black. It's very dry but has good water resistance. I get mine at Cult Pens in the UK (no affiliation).

Edited by tinta

*Sailor 1911S, Black/gold, 14k. 0.8 mm. stub(JM) *1911S blue "Colours", 14k. H-B "M" BLS (PB)

*2 Sailor 1911S Burgundy/gold: 14k. 0.6 mm. "round-nosed" CI (MM) & 14k. 1.1 mm. CI (JM)

*Sailor Pro-Gear Slim Spec. Ed. "Fire",14k. (factory) "H-B"

*Kaweco SPECIAL FP: 14k. "B",-0.6 mm BLS & 14k."M" 0.4 mm. BLS (PB)

*Kaweco Stainless Steel Lilliput, 14k. "M" -0.7 mm.BLS, (PB)

 

 

 

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If you want some permanence in international short carts, try the Pelikan 4001 blue/black. It's very dry but has good water resistance. I get mine at Cult Pens in the UK (no affiliation).

 

Yeah, 4001 is on my "to get" cartridge list (especially the royal blue, since lots of people seem to be raving about it), though I still have to wait for them to appear at my local pen shop. How does the 4001 ink behave compared to the standard Kaweco ink (say, blue-black or purple)?

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The Pelikan 4001 b/b is much drier than Kaweco's Austrian made blue/black ink. I prefer the richer blue/black colour of the Kaweco b/b over the greyish 4001 b/b. Pelikan ink works best in my wet pens.

*Sailor 1911S, Black/gold, 14k. 0.8 mm. stub(JM) *1911S blue "Colours", 14k. H-B "M" BLS (PB)

*2 Sailor 1911S Burgundy/gold: 14k. 0.6 mm. "round-nosed" CI (MM) & 14k. 1.1 mm. CI (JM)

*Sailor Pro-Gear Slim Spec. Ed. "Fire",14k. (factory) "H-B"

*Kaweco SPECIAL FP: 14k. "B",-0.6 mm BLS & 14k."M" 0.4 mm. BLS (PB)

*Kaweco Stainless Steel Lilliput, 14k. "M" -0.7 mm.BLS, (PB)

 

 

 

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I like my Kaweco Al Sport Stone Washed fountain pen. It adds much needed weight to a pen of its size, but one cannot convert it to an eyedropper as inks are corrosive to many metals, including the one used in my Stone Washed Kaweco.

I carry it loose in my work tote. It's the fountain pen I use while "on the go" for if I drop it, it will only add character to the pen and replacing the nib will cost me but $13.

Ink, a drug.

― Vladimir Nabokov, Bend Sinister

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Having 3 Kaweco sport, 1 classic, one ICE in the red (for red ink) and finally a brass. Both plastic ones write well, while the brass (F nib) has hard start and skipping problems. I've done some grinding and deepened the feed, but not changing much the behavior of the nib. Eventually I gave up and ordered a new nib unit (EF), in the hope it will work out.

 

I prefer writing with Pelikans esp the gold nibs. But they are relatively vulnerable to DC wear, shock etc. I ultimately need a rugged and compact pen with me all the time, meaning not in the bag, but with me in my pants pocket. The sport line fits perfectly for this need. My worry with the plastic sports is mainly their vulnerability to shocks as plastics are plastics after all. I don't care that much about scratches so I don't carry them with any case or pouch. Hence the purchase of the Brass. The problem with it, however, is its obvious heft. As I'm used to plastic and resin pens (10-15g), the 44g weight is a real challenge for me. I do like very much the brass look though.

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I only have a Kaweco Sport in M. Lovely nib and a perfect pocket sized pen. Like others have mentioned the nibs vary my M was like B so I ground it down to what is now a fine cursive italic (more by luck than judgement :mellow: )

 

Sadly though, despite it being a pocket pen, mine as luck would have it always leaked from the nib. Every ink and no matter how hard I shoved the feed back in. It is now a desk pen. :(

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Having 3 Kaweco sport, 1 classic, one ICE in the red (for red ink) and finally a brass. Both plastic ones write well, while the brass (F nib) has hard start and skipping problems. I've done some grinding and deepened the feed, but not changing much the behavior of the nib. Eventually I gave up and ordered a new nib unit (EF), in the hope it will work out.

 

I prefer writing with Pelikans esp the gold nibs. But they are relatively vulnerable to DC wear, shock etc. I ultimately need a rugged and compact pen with me all the time, meaning not in the bag, but with me in my pants pocket. The sport line fits perfectly for this need. My worry with the plastic sports is mainly their vulnerability to shocks as plastics are plastics after all. I don't care that much about scratches so I don't carry them with any case or pouch. Hence the purchase of the Brass. The problem with it, however, is its obvious heft. As I'm used to plastic and resin pens (10-15g), the 44g weight is a real challenge for me. I do like very much the brass look though.

I agree that the Brass Sport is very heavy compared to the plastic ones, but before the Brass was introduced I bought the AL (in "raw" finish) Sport & quite like it's additional weight compared to the plastic & prefer it's weight to the heavier Brass. I want a Copper now........even if it is as heavy as the Brass. I fear these little devils are similar to potato chips, it's hard to stop @ ONE! If you get a chance to handle an AL you might enjoy it's "intermediate" weight.

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I agree that the Brass Sport is very heavy compared to the plastic ones, but before the Brass was introduced I bought the AL (in "raw" finish) Sport & quite like it's additional weight compared to the plastic & prefer it's weight to the heavier Brass. I want a Copper now........even if it is as heavy as the Brass. I fear these little devils are similar to potato chips, it's hard to stop @ ONE! If you get a chance to handle an AL you might enjoy it's "intermediate" weight.

 

I totally agree that the metal pen having the better writing experience. The two I have as pocket-carry are AC-sport and ART-sport. I definitely prefer the feedback I get from the AC Sport (which I'm hoping to improve by installing a gold nib someday) thanks to the heavier weight.

 

But carrying around two metal ones might be too heavy in my pocket, so I settled for 1 of each as a compromise... Though I must admit the AC definitely saw more use (and it's not because of the ink color).

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I totally agree that the metal pen having the better writing experience. The two I have as pocket-carry are AC-sport and ART-sport. I definitely prefer the feedback I get from the AC Sport (which I'm hoping to improve by installing a gold nib someday) thanks to the heavier weight.

 

But carrying around two metal ones might be too heavy in my pocket, so I settled for 1 of each as a compromise... Though I must admit the AC definitely saw more use (and it's not because of the ink color).

And you will be very pleased when you get the 14kt nib. I ordered mine for my Art Sport because it only had a B nib. All my others had BBs & the gold BB is really a pleasure.

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I agree that the Brass Sport is very heavy compared to the plastic ones, but before the Brass was introduced I bought the AL (in "raw" finish) Sport & quite like it's additional weight compared to the plastic & prefer it's weight to the heavier Brass. I want a Copper now........even if it is as heavy as the Brass. I fear these little devils are similar to potato chips, it's hard to stop @ ONE! If you get a chance to handle an AL you might enjoy it's "intermediate" weight.

I'm more into lighter pens esp as I write often several pages in one shot. To have a metal pocket pen is purely out of the concern of ruggedness. But the brass version has just too much heft, it's patina is beautiful though. I may carry the plastic sport with me and put the brass in storage or for sale, since with these days of carry and use I find the plastic version also quite durable.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks for all the feedback everyone!

 

I ended up purchasing a Kaweco AL Sport in raw aluminum from Seitz-Kreuznach on eBay.

 

I initially had the same hard starts and skips that several mentioned, and I tried a variety of things to fix it (e.g., flushing, checking nib alignment, cleaning and widenng the feed, etc.), but I never could get it to work 100% of the time. Fortunately, the eBay vendor sent me a replacement nib/feed unit at no cost to me, and it is working great!

 

I found someone selling a used brass Liliput, so I plan to buy it just to satisfy my curiosity.

 

Oh, and I opted for some Graf Von Faber-Castell carts in Midnight Blue and Cobalt blue since they have some water resistance.

Edited by kansaskyle

"I need solitary hours at a desk with good paper and a fountain pen like some people need a pill for their health." ~ Orhan Pamuk

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My Kaweco Brass sport fitted with Monteverde mini converter and fine nib started well and is writing with Noodler red black without any problems for the last one month!

pbhat

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  • 1 month later...

I have just bought a plastic Sport Elite with the gold plated nib and fittings (not because I like gold plated much, but because it was the only version my local pen and stationery shop had) and I must say I really, really like this pen. I can't remember ever having held a pen before that fit my hand so well and so naturally. From the very start I could write with this pen as if I had never held any other pen.

 

The nib is buttery smooth and wrote perfectly from the start, but seems to have a very strong aversion to paper that is greasy to even the slightest degree. Unless you write with a piece of paper under your hand, the pen will absolutely refuse to write once it hits the part of the paper that has come into contact with your hand. I use Rohrer&Klingner Permanent Blau in the pen as I have heard about feeding and ink flow issues with the Elite Sports and the R&K is a good deal wetter than my normal go-to ink, the Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue.

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An update on my cartridge-only Kaweco Dia2 with a 14K B stub:

 

Pendleton recently completed my "B" size (BLS) stub & adjusted the problematic Kaweco 060 feed, to give me a richer flow of ink. I'd guess this beautiful grind to be either 0.6 or 0.7mm, ideal for daily writing chores when a narrower line & a smaller script is required.

 

The biggest positive change with the Dia2 has been that finally I'm getting an adequate amount of ink delivered to a nib that has been adjusted on the wet side.

At last the pen is working as it should. :wub:

The key to this success has been the choice of ink (in cartridges).

Dry inks like Pelikan 4001 b/b or even Kaweco's own Midnight, did not perform as well as Waterman's. At present I am trying out all the Waterman flavours of blue & green carts. My project will be to try out the best behaved, free flowing inks that are available in international short carts.

 

A beautifully stubbed 14K BB (BLS) is now back at Pendleton's shop so that he can work on the feed's channels. I'm hoping to get this other nib back soon.

Here is my new B (Butter-Line-Stub):

 

Edited by tinta

*Sailor 1911S, Black/gold, 14k. 0.8 mm. stub(JM) *1911S blue "Colours", 14k. H-B "M" BLS (PB)

*2 Sailor 1911S Burgundy/gold: 14k. 0.6 mm. "round-nosed" CI (MM) & 14k. 1.1 mm. CI (JM)

*Sailor Pro-Gear Slim Spec. Ed. "Fire",14k. (factory) "H-B"

*Kaweco SPECIAL FP: 14k. "B",-0.6 mm BLS & 14k."M" 0.4 mm. BLS (PB)

*Kaweco Stainless Steel Lilliput, 14k. "M" -0.7 mm.BLS, (PB)

 

 

 

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try out the best behaved, free flowing inks that are available in international short carts.

 

Why would you limit yourself to ink that is available in cartridges? Nothing simpler than filling an empty, rinsed cartridge with any ink you please by means of a syringe. I do that with all my pens. I even do that with my pens that have a converter, because that way I don't need to get ink all over the nib ...

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My Kaweco Dia is planned as a travel/DC pen, thus international short carts would be the most convenient way to carry ink. (Unfortunately the long carts do not fit the Dia's tapering barrel.)

In addition, I have found the Kaweco branded converters not as efficient as my Schmidt K5 units (even though they may be made by Schmidt). Frankly, they have been frustrating to use & I have stopped using them all together. In all my other pens I prefer bottled ink with a converter, except for one vintage piston.

 

You are right,...I could of course fill empty cartridges with a syringe, but this operation can be difficult when you're on the go. So, it has to be commercially available cartridges for my Dia. I just have to find the inks that will work best with my Dia's finicky feed system.

Edited by tinta

*Sailor 1911S, Black/gold, 14k. 0.8 mm. stub(JM) *1911S blue "Colours", 14k. H-B "M" BLS (PB)

*2 Sailor 1911S Burgundy/gold: 14k. 0.6 mm. "round-nosed" CI (MM) & 14k. 1.1 mm. CI (JM)

*Sailor Pro-Gear Slim Spec. Ed. "Fire",14k. (factory) "H-B"

*Kaweco SPECIAL FP: 14k. "B",-0.6 mm BLS & 14k."M" 0.4 mm. BLS (PB)

*Kaweco Stainless Steel Lilliput, 14k. "M" -0.7 mm.BLS, (PB)

 

 

 

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Unfortunately the long carts do not fit the Dia's tapering barrel

 

Long cartridges will fit if you remove the retainer spring in the top of the barrel.

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I've noticed that not all internat'l long carts are manufactured to a strict standard. The Waterman longs seem to taper a little at their filling point (at the rear). The Pelikan/Edelstein longs have a straight tube that ends in a squared off fashion. Maybe the tapered end long carts will fit a little better. Thanks for the tip Erpe, I'm going to try fitting a long cart again (spring removed).

 

For now, two small carts, loaded back-to-back as Kaweco suggests, fits the Dia perfectly. The spring ensures that the opened cartridge is tight up against the feed's nipple. It also prevents the carts from rattling inside the barrel.

*Sailor 1911S, Black/gold, 14k. 0.8 mm. stub(JM) *1911S blue "Colours", 14k. H-B "M" BLS (PB)

*2 Sailor 1911S Burgundy/gold: 14k. 0.6 mm. "round-nosed" CI (MM) & 14k. 1.1 mm. CI (JM)

*Sailor Pro-Gear Slim Spec. Ed. "Fire",14k. (factory) "H-B"

*Kaweco SPECIAL FP: 14k. "B",-0.6 mm BLS & 14k."M" 0.4 mm. BLS (PB)

*Kaweco Stainless Steel Lilliput, 14k. "M" -0.7 mm.BLS, (PB)

 

 

 

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