Kaweco Sport Nibs: Vintage Models As An Alternative?

[Kalikrates]

I have a problem with Kaweco Sport: I love their design (both in terms of looks and functionality - size, weight, robustness, etc.) but I hate their nibs. I bought one whose nib was just unusable, then I got a replacement nib and it works fine - but still, its feel is just not very good.

 

I have looked at some posts about the possibility of finding compatible nibs from different brands ( https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/325830-kaweco-sport-alternative-nib/ ) but there doesn't seem to be any option that one can just plug in as if it were a Kaweco nib, without being somewhat versed in DIY. I'm not good at DIY at all, and it's not something I want to devote time to.

 

Then I found out that the Kaweco Sport is a very old design, and that Kaweco used to be a different company - so I assume the nibs in vintage models are different. And I suppose they are better, because honestly, I don't think I have tried worse nibs than the current Kaweco ones (even €5 Chinese pens seem to be better in this respect). So I am hatching the plan to buy a vintage model, to see if I can obtain the design I like with a better nib.

 

My question is: am I right in assuming that vintage Kawecos have better nibs, without the problems of the current models? And, since I have observed that they get more expensive the oldest they are, what time period should I aim at to get a decent nib? When exactly did they change from their previous nibs to their current, unreliable ones?

[alexander_k]

I have a couple of Kaweco V15 piston fillers from the 1960s, both with excellent nibs. In all respects they're superior to the current Sport. It's probable that you'll find replacement nibs for your Sport but switching to a vintage Kaweco altogether is probably worth considering, too.

[Gislip]

The nibs they used for the Kaweco Sport in the 30's up theough the 70's were great. They changed a bit during that time, as you might well imagine, but they where consistently good writers.
Your post has me curious. I just bought a modern Kaweco Sport, and i'll attempt to put a vintage nib and feed from a 1931-1939 Kaweco Sport.
I'll post pictures of the results.

On the topic of vintage Kaweco pens as a daily carry, I have had mixed results. The donor of the nib and feed for the modern Sport snapped clean in half one day. As the celulose ages, it becomes very brittle. This is something you have to look out for. Other materials can become embrittled too, but i think celulose is the biggest sinner.
Kaweco made primarily celulose, ebonite and bakerlite pens untill the 80's or 90's. All of these materials become fragile with age.

Edited November 27, 2018 by Gislip

[sansenri]

yes, the early nibs are nicer that the current Kaweco offer.

The nib on my V16 is a very nice OB.

[wastelanded]

The modern Sport nib is #5 size. The vintage Sport is a whole other beast, and a delightful little pen.

[whych]

The modern Sport nib is #5 size. The vintage Sport is a whole other beast, and a delightful little pen.

Unless you are looking for an old style nib in an oblique (like in the picture above) or a vintage flat tipped broad, you may as well stick to the standard #5 Bock nibs that Kaweco use today. The only difference between the nibs is that they are made with Kaweco branding.

 

The early piston fill Sports had open nibs, similar in appearance to the modern ones. The later ones had a semi-closed nib that definitely won't fit your modern feed.

Edited December 1, 2018 by whych

[Gislip]

Your post has me curious. I just bought a modern Kaweco Sport, and i'll attempt to put a vintage nib and feed from a 1931-1939 Kaweco Sport.

So I did that. It was pretty annoying, not gonna lie. I had to make a sleeve out of two short segments of heat-shrink tubing, nested one inside the other, in order to fit the vintage nib and feed in the modern Sport grip section.

 

The results are alright. The vintage nib is a .4mm stub with a fair amount of elasticity. The feed does not keep up with the flex too well, though. It used to do so when the vintage pen was intact, but i think the heat-shrink tubing has conformed to the feed somewhat too zealously and is restricting ink flow from the barrel to the nib.

 

I can post images of the results if you'd like.

 

I will make this my daily writer, for sure. It is the most enjoyable nib in my collection by far. I'm stoked to have in a pen again.

 

Cheers.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I trans-mailed vintage Kaweco Sports to a passed pal in England. He had 10-15 or so...(too small for me).........a Kaweco breaking in half is very rare I'd think.

Didn't notice the they always break in other threads; nor a slew of mine broke too posts.

 

Of course with Kaweco Sports, one never knows how many times they were on the bottom of a soccer slide tackle..........

 

 

If one Hunts in German Ebay, I'm sure there are affordable vintage Kaweco Sports to be had. That will work better than some jury rigged pen. They were once piston pens.

 

Think they were basic stubbed semi-flex also until the '70's. I hadn't paid much attention when trans-mailing, chasing other pens.

Edited December 15, 2018 by Bo Bo Olson