Kaweco Allrounder Extra-Fine

August 11, 2013

Kaweco Allrounder, Extra-Fine Nib, Blue Finish

I bought the Allrounder because I’m going to be away from home for about a month and want a pen to take with me that is decent quality, but not too precious, has an extra-fine nib and uses international standard cartridges for convenience. Kaweco wasn’t a brand that had blipped on my radar before, but after a bit of research the Allrounder seemed to tick the boxes so I decided to give it a go. This review is based on my initial impressions, so I’ll come back with an update if anything new or different comes up when I’ve spent a bit more time with the pen.

Appearance & Design (7/10) - Funky Fusion of Fancy and Functional

The Allrounder arrives wrapped in the regulation white cardboard sleeve. When you slip it off, instead of the normal textured plastic or faux leather presentation case, there is an illustrated retro-style hinged tin box. It’s a nice touch, and could be genuinely useful for carrying your pen, pencil, cartridges etc. around in your bag.

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Taking the pen out of its protective baggie, the initial impression is of smooth, satin, blue bodywork and shiny chrome fittings. It reminds me a bit of a new car.

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Looking at the pen more closely the cap is really quite fancy. There’s a shiny ring with a ‘...IOIOIOI...‘ pattern engraved in it, and a swoopingly curved clip which is again engraved with some swirly lines and the Kaweco name. The cap also has ‘Kaweco Allrounder Germany‘ in discreet white writing on the opposite side to the clip. Topping it off there is a round, silver, metallic jewel emblazoned with the Kaweco logo. Close up, this jewel is a shade cruder in its detail compared to the delicate engraving on the clip and band.

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In contrast to the cap, the pen itself is quite plain. The nib is polished to match the cap detail and has the Kaweco name engraved on it. The Kaweco logo is also stamped on the underside of the feed in case you were in any doubt. The section and barrel are plain, rounded, satin finish aluminium, and the end of the barrel has a slightly odd looking dimple in it. You could almost be looking at two halves of different pens - the fancy cap and the functional body.

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Construction & Quality (8/10) - Feels Like It’s Made of Metal...

...which is just as well because it’s solid aluminium. The whole thing feels strong and dependable. The cap screws off with a quick three-quarter turn, and is lined with threaded plastic to soften the action. The barrel and section are firmly screwed together, metal-to-metal this time, and easily unscrewed after considerably more than a three quarter turn (lost count, got bored).

The only thing that spoils the impression of solidity is that when you have it inked with a short cartridge, and another tucked into the end of the barrel, you can hear the spare rattling around a bit. This isn’t evident when you’re writing, just when the pen is waved about a bit or moved from hand to hand.

Weight & Dimensions (7/10) - Suits Me Sir

Here are a few numbers, unverified but snaffled from a reputable vendor’s website:

136mm capped,

121mm uncapped,

164mm posted,

32g weight.

Consistent with its solid construction, the Allrounder has a bit of weight to it. I’m a big fella and I like a pen that won’t blow away in a strong wind, so that’s fine with me. About 40% of that weight is in the fancy cap, so when posted the package feels a bit top heavy.

I’d call this a medium sized pen. If you line it up alongside a Pelikan M600 with their caps on the two are almost identically sized. Take the caps off and the Allrounder is shorter in the nib, longer in the barrel. Post them and you’ll find that the cap sits much higher on the Allrounder, making it noticeably longer than the M600.

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Nib & Performance (8/10) - Extra-Fine and No Mistake

All my observations are based on using the cartridge that came bundled with the pen, which is presumably Kaweco’s own brand. You can see (but probably not read) my initial scribbles in the attached image.

The Allrounder started up immediately when the cartridge was inserted, and gives a reliable, well-defined line. I can’t trick it into skipping, blotting or any other sort of misbehaviour.

There is a bit of springiness in the nib but no sign of any line variation, not that I’d expect any. I do believe that there is a little bit of shading in evidence which comes as a pleasant surprise.

The writing experience is smooth, with just a bit of feedback to keep things interesting. My test page was in a pad of fancy Rhodia 80gsm paper, so I also gave it a whirl on cheap-as-chips copier paper and the Allrounder still behaved well.

I’d say it’s a fairly dry writer. I’ve provided a swift comparison to the M600 which is also extra-fine and inked with Herbin’s Sapphire Blue (Eclat de Saphir si vous parlez francais).

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Filling System (8/10) - Standard Stuff

The Allrounder is supplied with a dummy cartridge inserted into the section and a single short cartridge parked in the reserve position at the back of the barrel. The live cartridge pushes easily and securely into place, and as mentioned above starts up immediately.

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I plan to use the pen with cartridges so haven’t tested the piston converter that’s part of the bundle. It looks well made and the action is smooth enough so I expect it would be fine. The only thing I’d point out is that it doesn’t have an agitator like you find in e.g. a Montblanc converter. Personally I’m not convinced they achieve much, just thought I’d mention it.

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Cost & Value (7/10) - A Decent Pen for the Price

I paid 75 pounds sterling for the Allrounder, bought new from a UK-based online vendor with free delivery, and so far I’m happy that it represents decent value for this money. I’m fortunate to be able to afford this without too much pain, and the pen sits mid-table in my collection in terms of price, poshness, snob-value etc. If I’d saved long and hard for it, I might get a bit picky about the slight crudeness of the Kaweco logo on the cap, and the comparative lack of embellishment on the barrel.

Conclusion (45/60 = 75%) - Does The Job Nicely

Checking back against what I was looking for, the Allrounder definitely ticks the boxes. It’s solid, looks pretty good, writes well, and accepts standard cartridges. I’m pleased to add it to my collection, and would encourage anyone who is after a similarly priced pen to give Kaweco some consideration.

August 11, 2013

Great review, well written!

Nice pen I do like the colour.

August 11, 2013

Great review, well written!

Nice pen I do like the colour.

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated.

I agree about the colour. I've found myself carrying the pen from room to room just to glance at it now and then, which is very odd behaviour!

C

August 12, 2013

The pen looks much nicer in your photos than the company's photos.Thanks for a great review! I love Kawecos, and this one I hadn't paid much attention to. Until now.

One good thing about this converter is that it unscrews, so you can take it apart and clean it.

August 12, 2013

The pen looks much nicer in your photos than the company's photos.Thanks for a great review! I love Kawecos, and this one I hadn't paid much attention to. Until now.

One good thing about this converter is that it unscrews, so you can take it apart and clean it.

Thanks for the kind words, and that's a very good point about the converter.

Apologies to your wallet if I've led you into temptation!

C

August 12, 2013

Thanks for the kind words, and that's a very good point about the converter.

Apologies to your wallet if I've led you into temptation!

C

I'm done buying pens for a while, after I pay for my Esterbrook this weekend: time for more inks. But it's on the list for next year!

August 13, 2013

I will never cease to be fascinated by what price points people consider to be "not too precious." It's a lovely pen, and one that I'd possibly consider looking into sometime, but I think I'll stick to my Lamy Safari or the Nemosine Singularity that's on its way to me now if I need a "travel" pen. Food for thought.

August 13, 2013

I'm done buying pens for a while, after I pay for my Esterbrook this weekend: time for more inks. But it's on the list for next year!

Phew - guilt lifted! Enjoy the Esterbrook

C

August 13, 2013

I will never cease to be fascinated by what price points people consider to be "not too precious." It's a lovely pen, and one that I'd possibly consider looking into sometime, but I think I'll stick to my Lamy Safari or the Nemosine Singularity that's on its way to me now if I need a "travel" pen. Food for thought.

I admit I hadn't planned to spend quite this much. I started out looking at Lamy, but sticking to my checklist I had to exclude them for the proprietary cartridges. I had a long think about the Faber Castell Basic range, but there's something I really don't like about the design of the caps. I then took a little detour onto eBay and had a look at some bargain Chinese imports, but the build quality looked a bit off and reviews suggested the nibs sometimes didn't flow too well. Back to the mainstream vendors and I had a glance at the Kaweco Sport range. Nice pen, nice price, but not sure I'd get on with the 'short unless capped' concept. That's when I glimpsed the traditionally styled Kaweco pens (Student, Allrounder and Dia2), eventually coughing up the extra for the Allrounder for its extra weight. So there you go - that's how someone with time on his hands talks himself into spending £75!

I haven't come across Nemosine before, and a quick Google suggests that they're not marketed in the UK. Looks nice though, especially some of the marbled finishes. Enjoy!

C

February 27, 2014

I realize that this is thread necromancy, but. I went into Wonderpens in Toronto yesterday with the intention of buying a TWSBI classic, and then I beheld this pen. Which I had never seen, nor seen reviewed before. I always thought the Al Sport looked rather like a mascara so I never looked twice at the Kaweco brand.

Despite the fact that it was twice what I originally intended to spend on a pen, once I held it and tried out the nib (I got an F instead of an EF) I was sold. Smooth loveliness, and yes, just a little bit of shading here and there when I find the sweet spot on the nib.

Obviously I'm not going to do another review of the pen, Colin68 has, of course, nailed it perfectly. I just wanted to give this review a little bump for a beautiful pen that writes wonderfully, looks fantastic, and feels very pleasant to hold.

February 27, 2014

Nice review, KaWeCo makes great pens, I handle an AL-Sport for daily journaling. One thing that you may not realize as first time user is that the nib/feed section can easily be screwed out and replaced with a gold plated version and/or a different nibsize. These sections go for € 8.50 here, about 10 USD, so if you get bored with the steel xf, you can easily put in a golden broad

March 1, 2014

I realize that this is thread necromancy, but. I went into Wonderpens in Toronto yesterday with the intention of buying a TWSBI classic, and then I beheld this pen. Which I had never seen, nor seen reviewed before. I always thought the Al Sport looked rather like a mascara so I never looked twice at the Kaweco brand.

Despite the fact that it was twice what I originally intended to spend on a pen, once I held it and tried out the nib (I got an F instead of an EF) I was sold. Smooth loveliness, and yes, just a little bit of shading here and there when I find the sweet spot on the nib.

Obviously I'm not going to do another review of the pen, Colin68 has, of course, nailed it perfectly. I just wanted to give this review a little bump for a beautiful pen that writes wonderfully, looks fantastic, and feels very pleasant to hold.

Many thanks for the kind words about the review. Thanks for the picture too - that satin finish looks just as good in red as it does in blue. Enjoy the pen!

March 1, 2014

Nice review, KaWeCo makes great pens, I handle an AL-Sport for daily journaling. One thing that you may not realize as first time user is that the nib/feed section can easily be screwed out and replaced with a gold plated version and/or a different nibsize. These sections go for € 8.50 here, about 10 USD, so if you get bored with the steel xf, you can easily put in a golden broad

That's a great tip, thanks. I'll see if I can find a UK supplier, or one with reasonable overseas postage rates.

March 1, 2014

That's a great tip, thanks. I'll see if I can find a UK supplier, or one with reasonable overseas postage rates.

Thought I'd let you know Cultpens stock them for £8 a piece,

http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Kaweco-Chrome-Nib.html

March 1, 2014

Thought I'd let you know Cultpens stock them for £8 a piece,
http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Kaweco-Chrome-Nib.html

Bargain! Many thanks.

June 28, 2015

I've had fun playing with the Student and All-rounder models side-by-side, and although I felt the plastic alternative actually wrote rather better, I have to agree about the looks of the All-rounder. The red version is similarly quite gorgeous to behold!

Edited June 28, 2015 by Scribble Monboddo