Karamel Braun - Kaweco

[visvamitra]

http://imageshack.com/a/img538/6158/11Pc6j.jpg

Founded in Heidelberg in 1883, as Heidelberger Federhalterfabrik, the company started by producing a modest range of wooden dip pens. The Kaweco brand name, originally developed as a model name and coined after Koch, Weber & Company, the owners, was adopted as the company name in the early 1900’s. By the 1930’s over 600 staff were producing a huge array of fountain pens and pencils, including the popular Sport range of pocket pens. The company's survived almost one hundred years but in 1980 its operations were closed.

Happily that wasn't the end of the brand. Horst Gutberlet - owner of H&M Gutberlet GmbH and pen enthusiast and his son Michael were able to but the brand name in 1994. They started working on reviving the brand. It took many years of dedicated work. The brand was initially distributed by Diplomat however over the years their line-up has extended and they were able to create their own international network of distributors.

As with most big dreams the realisation took many years of dedicated work. The Kaweco brand was initially distributed by Diplomat. Over the years, the model line-up has expanded and Kaweco has created their own international network of distributors.

http://imageshack.com/a/img661/7232/sBiTQO.jpg

Today Kaweco offers wide variety of fountain pens and accessories. They have eight inks in their line-up. I don't know makes their inks, however I've read somewhere it was Dr. Pflug from Aratrum (creator of Caran d'Ache inks). If anyone has some data on this topic, I'd like to learn it

Anyway the inks are sold in generic glass bottles (30 ml) and their price is steep. The inks are rather good but other premium inks offer interesting bottles. Here the bottle is boring, the price is high. But let's take a look at the colors:

1. Karamel Braun (Caramel Brown)
   
2. Konigsblau (Royal Blue)
   
3. Mittertnachtsblau (Midnight Blue)
   
4. Palmen Grun (Palm Green)
   
5. Paradies Blau (Paradise Blue)
   
6. Perlen Schwarz (Pearl Black)
   
7. Rubinrot (Ruby Red)
   
8. Sommer Lila (Summer Burple)
   

Karamel Braun is nice and rich shade of brown that I enjoy a lot. Good ink, but the price is just too high.

Ink Splash

http://imageshack.com/a/img912/2433/cgVU6w.jpg

Drops of ink on kitchen towel

http://imageshack.com/a/img540/2204/PzSXmI.jpg

Waterproofness

http://imageshack.com/a/img538/774/qLoZea.jpg

Software ID

http://imageshack.com/a/img673/702/bI4GNX.jpg

Oxford Recycled, Kaweco Sport Classic, B

http://imageshack.com/a/img901/1226/kJGbax.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img911/4108/lzUdId.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img912/4933/S1zp53.jpg

Cheap notebook, Waterman Phileas, M

http://imageshack.com/a/img673/9717/4xEgsQ.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img538/5953/MklRUh.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img909/1159/yzZKPW.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img673/7227/70Zdxi.jpg

Comparison

http://imageshack.com/a/img912/1851/pd0rK7.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img909/3847/R8as6T.jpg

Edited June 1, 2015 by visvamitra

[Bemo]

Hmmm. Like that. Don't think I'll get it as it looks very close to OS Boron which I really like.

[Cyber6]

Is a nice brown... (reminds me of Yama-guri)..but not the "Karamell"brown I was expecting....

 

I was thinking something like this... ..... :puddle: :puddle: .. GREAT review as always Vis!!!...

http://ambush.cachefly.net/brandImages/Famous-Caramel_drizzle.jpg

[visvamitra]

I prefer the way Kaweco seas Caramel

[Morbus Curiositas]

DR Who ???

 

What was the price?

[visvamitra]

Hi Peter - I read somewhere here it's Dr. Pflug from Aratrum. And now the price. For me Kaweco inks price is bad joke given that in Poland Kaweco ink price per 1 ml (1,46 PLN/1ml) is higher than Edelstein ink (1,08 PLN/1ml) or Graf von Faber-Castell (1,07 PLN). For me premium priced product should offer premium experience and here Kaweco doesn't deliver. I enjoy their inks but they could do better (bottle) for the price. I know this way they secure higher margin but I'm more interested in what I get and not that much in what Kaweco gets I would expect that for the price their should offer one of the following: bigger volume (50 ml), more interesting bottle, trully unique colors.

 

By the way - as native german speaking guy - are these names written together (karamelbraun, sommerlila) or separated (karamel braun, sommer lila)? I've seen both versions.

[visvamitra]

Quick price comparison from Goulet site:

 

http://imageshack.com/a/img633/1124/BRw8Nw.jpg

[inkstainedruth]

Thanks for the review. I had been wondering what this one looked. Still trying to make up my mind about it.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Frank C]

This appears to be, well, brown. No other shades to speak of. It reminds me of Akkerman Bekakt Haags, also known as "dirty diapers".

[lgsoltek]

Quick price comparison from Goulet site:

 

 

http://imageshack.com/a/img633/1124/BRw8Nw.jpg

Here in China I can get Kaweco inks for 55 CNY that's less than 9 USD. That's about the same price of regular J. Herbin.

[jmccarty3]

I agree with Cyber6--it looks very much like Yama-Guri, which I like very much.

[ethernautrix]

Another nice review!

Have to admit that the Bung Box Nostalgia and Octopus Pinie (Pinic?) caught my eye. Will go look those up.

[visvamitra]

Pinie is really nice.

[Morbus Curiositas]

Here in China I can get Kaweco inks for 55 CNY that's less than 9 USD. That's about the same price of regular J. Herbin.

Cannot find Kaweco bottles here in EU

[visvamitra]

It took me three minutes to find these I'm sure you'll find more.

 

UK

 

Cultpens

 

Poland

 

F-pen.pl

WiecznePiora.eu

twojepioro.pl

Ami.net.pl

 

Germany

 

Seitz-Kreuznach

 

Austria

 

http://www.domg8.at/autor/Kaweco/s20n10/

[visvamitra]

And here: Kaweco Shop locator

[Manalto]

Is a nice brown... (reminds me of Yama-guri)..but not the "Karamell"brown I was expecting....

 

I was thinking something like this... ..... :puddle: :puddle: .. GREAT review as always Vis!!!...

http://ambush.cachefly.net/brandImages/Famous-Caramel_drizzle.jpg

 

You beat me to it! I think it's honorable to hire the disabled, but ink companies really shouldn't assign the task of naming inks to the colorblind.

 

Thanks for a great review. Love the shading on this cocoa-colored ink.

[Cyber6]

 

You beat me to it! I think it's honorable to hire the disabled, but ink companies really shouldn't assign the task of naming inks to the colorblind.

 

[ethernautrix]

Pinie is really nice.

 

I'll have to look up Octopus ink. *Off to Google*

[Bo Bo Olson]

I was at my B&M...looking for a bottle of Pelikan Aquamarine....now on order, got the expensive 6 pack of cartridges.

I saw a display case of Kaweco inks. The first time I had seen a Kaweco ink.

So I sat down and wrote them down. They were 9.90E...30ml.....not more expensive than 35ml DA inks...going for or did before they were discontinued E14.00. Which is about the order on the net prices....which go from depending on the inks...9.90-14.

 

This looks sepia. It appears a very good shading ink.