Educate Me On The Kaweco Liliput

[Shangas]

It's been a while since I've posted in this place. Long story short, I'm thinking of possibly buying a Kaweco Liliput (or possibly one or two!).

 

I have a few questions first, though:

 

1. Are they a cartridge-only pen? Or do they have a converter as well?

 

2. Can they be converted to eyedropper-mode?

 

3. How smoothly do they write? And wet? Or dry?

[Thunderpants]

Hopefully someone who has actually used one will chip in, but from I have gathered:

1) yes they are cartridge only

2) No, because they are metal and the metal will react with the ink.

3) Your guess is as good as mine. I have been very happy with my Kaweco Sport AL - which writes ever so slightly dry, I would say. But generally it's a nice nib and I think the two are related.)

 

Take it with a pinch of salt and hopefully someone wiser will turn up.

[Orpilorp]

I have had a Lilliput for a year. I like it for what it is, a pocket pen. Thunderpants' reply above is correct: regular international cartridge only -- no converter -- and making the pen an eyedropper is out of the question.

 

I have run several brands of inks through my pen and never noticed it feeling dry. My inks have neen Waterman, Sheaffer, Diamine, Private Reserve, J Herbin, and Parker.

 

My nibs are M and 1.1 stub. Vanness Pens sells replacement nibs. Steel nibs cost $15. There are black nibs available for $36. The 14k gold nibs are a bit more costly.

[mhguda]

I have one, although it's been a while since I used it - moved away a bit from small pens, I guess.

Thunderpants answers are correct, in my view: cartridge only and no eyedroppering this one, as it's all metal.

It's a nice writer, fairly wet but not too much, IIRC. No clip, but posts securely.

[mhguda]

Oops, sorry, double post...

Edited July 14, 2016 by mhguda

[Out0Mind]

Just to add a few thoughts. You can buy a clip for the Liliput if you'd like; they sell them separately (Goulet Pens sells them, for example). Additionally, make sure you try the pen in person. I've received three terrific examples, but have had two with nib issues out of the box.

 

Additionally, make sure you check out the Supra, as well. It's a new release and a little longer than the standard Liliput, which you might find suits you.

[ISW_Kaputnik]

Just to add a few thoughts. You can buy a clip for the Liliput if you'd like; they sell them separately (Goulet Pens sells them, for example)...

 

Are you sure about that? They sell them for the Sport, but those would be much too large for a Liliput, and I didn't find any other Kaweco clips at Goulet's when I checked just now. If anyone sells one for the Liliput specifically, it would be interesting to know. Of course, there are various third party clips out there and it's conceivable that something might fit. Or perhaps something scavenged from a different pen.

 

Anyway, my Liliput is a nice enough writer, nothing at all special, and I haven't used it for some time. Although I like small slim pens, this one is just on the edge of being too small. As other responders noted, there is no converter for it. Even a home made squeeze converter that I made with a cut off cartridge and a bit of sac wouldn't fit, because it was wider than just the cartridge, and there is almost no spare room inside the barrel. I don't know if the latest version of Kaweco's squeeze converter for the Sport would fit the Liliput, but I haven't seen anyone make that claim, so it probably doesn't. The older version with a metal shell would not fit.

[Out0Mind]

 

Are you sure about that? They sell them for the Sport, but those would be much too large for a Liliput, and I didn't find any other Kaweco clips at Goulet's when I checked just now. If anyone sells one for the Liliput specifically, it would be interesting to know. Of course, there are various third party clips out there and it's conceivable that something might fit. Or perhaps something scavenged from a different pen.

 

No, you're right. My mistake. I have the clip mounted on my Sport, not Liliput. Apologies!

Edited July 14, 2016 by Out0Mind

[aeba]

Just to add a few thoughts. You can buy a clip for the Liliput if you'd like; they sell them separately (Goulet Pens sells them, for example). Additionally, make sure you try the pen in person. I've received three terrific examples, but have had two with nib issues out of the box.

 

Additionally, make sure you check out the Supra, as well. It's a new release and a little longer than the standard Liliput, which you might find suits you.

It's interesting that there is hardly any mentions of Supra around. Okay, Gourmet pens has made a pretty good review about it, but that's it mostly.

 

tl:dr: A Kaweco, but with a #6 nib.

[Heck9821]

I have a Liliput and I have used the Kaweco Mini Fountain Pen Converter in it.

 

However, you cannot extended the plunger all the way out. Only as far as will fit in the barrel. You are not going to have a lot of ink in the convertor, but it works.

 

Mine has a Fine Nib and writes very smoothly. Starts every time even though I don't use it that much.

[Out0Mind]

It's interesting that there is hardly any mentions of Supra around. Okay, Gourmet pens has made a pretty good review about it, but that's it mostly.

 

tl:dr: A Kaweco, but with a #6 nib.

 

It's basically the same thing, only a tad longer, a tad bit fatter, and with a #6 nib, as you said. I really like the slightly larger nib. It looks less like a toy and more like a full-sized pen. That said, you lose a little portability. One of my favorite things about the Liliput line is that I can carry it in my coat pocket (which I do; it lives in my coat pocket horizontally with no leakage all winter long, and I, honestly, forget about it until I need it) and not think about it, while carrying a full sized pen as well. I'm afraid the Supra line is more of a full pen and would be just inconvenient enough to notice.

 

On the other hand, if you love the Liliput and enjoy the shape and feel, it's a win. I've used them both and like them both for different reasons (I have three Liliputs, so who'm I to tell you otherwise?), so I don't think you can go wrong.

[sciumbasci]

I asked in another thread and had no answer, so I'll try my luck here again, as I am on the fence for the liliput

 

Can you mod it to Bulb filler, as per fpn member Earth dawn's instructions?

[aeba]

Offtopic:

 

 

It's basically the same thing, only a tad longer, a tad bit fatter, and with a #6 nib, as you said. I really like the slightly larger nib. It looks less like a toy and more like a full-sized pen. That said, you lose a little portability. One of my favorite things about the Liliput line is that I can carry it in my coat pocket (which I do; it lives in my coat pocket horizontally with no leakage all winter long, and I, honestly, forget about it until I need it) and not think about it, while carrying a full sized pen as well. I'm afraid the Supra line is more of a full pen and would be just inconvenient enough to notice.

 

On the other hand, if you love the Liliput and enjoy the shape and feel, it's a win. I've used them both and like them both for different reasons (I have three Liliputs, so who'm I to tell you otherwise?), so I don't think you can go wrong.

Oops, I don't have the Supra listed in my signature. My bad. I bought one with a BB nib about three months ago. Nib was quite typical Kaweco / Bock. At the moment I have a titanium B nib in it, and while it has habit of squeking, it has better grinding than the steel ones. (For the £54 it ought to...)

 

I do carry it in my jackets pocket, but I am that guy who wears a hunting jacket to everywhere because it has plenty of pocket space. Interestingly with out the extension piece, Supra is shorter than AL-sport which is what I used to carry.

 

In fact, because I own a Cult pens / Kaweco "mini", I don't haven't bought a Liliput.

[Water Ouzel]

I've had a Liliput, two of them actually. The little beggars are easy to mislay...

 

There is a converter that fits it, but you can't fill it all the way, and it contains less ink than the standard cartridge.

 

Both of mine, EF nibs, wrote more than adequately smoothly, very close to the EF nibs on the Kaweco Sports I have (not yet lost any of those).

 

Nope, no eyedroppering with the Liliput. A nice pocket pen, so long as you don't drop it anywhere.

[kansaskyle]

I picked up a Lilliput and an AL Sport in Raw Aluminum a couple months ago. I use both as pocket pens and enjoy their compact nature. Both feature fine nibs, and I find them a tad on the drier side compared to say some Pelikan's I've used.

 

One thing on the Lilliput to consider is the cap. Unless you have tiny hands, you will need to post both the pens. The Lilliput takes longer because you have to unscrew the cap, then screw it back on to the end of the barrel. It takes three to four full turns to uncap/post as compared to the AL Sport where you can just slide the cap on/off the end of the barrel.

 

See this post I created when I was looking for info on the Sport and Lilliput.

Edited July 15, 2016 by kansaskyle

[John UK]

I have a Lilliput fireblue; lovely little pen. Medium nib is a faultless starter, smooth and reliable - an the pen is very well made and beautiful in the fireblue finish.

 

However, I also have Sport brass with a medium (same nib?) that is a bit less good .... though seems to be more of a feed flow/surface tension issue rather than nib, but still also a very nice writer.

[Avetikus]

I like this thread but now have a question which I hope someone can answer, or point it to someone else who can answer:

 

Can you fit a #2 vintage flexible nib from an old Ringtop onto the lilliput? The exterior dimensions of the two pens seem similar.. TINY.

[82Greg]

I have the Lilliput Wave and the Lilliput Supra. Nibs are steel and okay, but could easily be improved (alot) by a tuning. $30 to a nibmiester would be well invested. Kaweco nibs tend to be relatively broader even by European norms.

 

As solid brass pens, they should not (repeat NOT) be converted into eyedroppers. Eventually the results would be bad (for your clothes, for your pen).

 

Great pocket pens. I like the brass finish for the patina it develops. The longer you keep it in your pocket and the more you use, the better it looks.Slight dings and dents only add character. Do not polish or you ruin the patina.

 

Cartridges are preferred, but Kaweco does (or did at one time) make a squeeze converter. The squeeze converter actually holds less ink than the cartridge and is not very good quality. If you get a syringe, you can refill cartridges for immediate use. Do not attempt to travel with a refilled cartridge--there will be bad consequences.

 

I haven't tried yet, but I believe the Supra is large enough for a standard international converter.

[Ecriveur]

As its name implies, the Lilliput's niche is to be just about the tiniest fountain pen one can realistically be. It's tiny enough to be carried in that little coin pocket on the right hand side of a pair of jeans. I have two of them, one brass, and one very nice looking fire.