Seduced By The Kaweco Steel Sport Fountain Pen

January 8, 2018

When United Inkdom asked me to do a pen review, in all honesty, I wasn’t too sure about it as my knowledge of fountain pens is sketchy at best. However, when they mentioned that it would be the Kaweco Steel Sport, well, that was a game changer. As a graphic designer, by profession, I appreciate 'form and function' and I also appreciate the big difference between fashion and style - and in my humble opinion, Kaweco most definitely sits with the latter as well as being one of the oldest brands in the market. For more than 125 years Kaweco pens have been making quality writing instruments consistently focusing on the thin line between tradition and innovation and since 1883 Kaweco pens have been a favourite of Stylophiles everywhere - including the inkophile reviewing here. The fountain pen range is fundamentally underpinned by the Sport, a uniquely styled Octagonal pen originally designed for ladies, officers and sportsmen as a ‘carry anywhere pen’. Little changed since it first appeared in 1935, it is a fabulous piece of product design with a worldwide cult following.

Skilfully crafted, the Steel Sport fountain pen is manufactured from a solid block of stainless steel and has a brushed finish with the distinctive Kaweco logo displayed in a 2 tone matt/gloss finish on the cap. This pen is 135mm long with the cap posted, but just 105mm long when closed, making it the ideal choice for either pocket or handbag. Stainless steel does not alter or change colour much over time, unlike other raw materials such as brass, copper and bronze, meaning this superb pen will still look good after years of use. The polished stainless steel nib, manufactured by Bock of Heidelberg, is available in extra fine, fine, medium, broad or extra broad. The pen weighs in at 40 grams and comes supplied with one blue ink refill in the classic Kaweco vintage tin with the old-school iconography. A matching mechanical pencil, rollerball and ballpoint are also available.

So how does it feel? Fortunately I have the entry level Classic Sport for comparison and although very fond of this pen, the first thing I noticed was the weight. The Steel Sport is heavier - but a nice heavy. In fact it feels fantastic in my hand - really comfortable! As for writing, the experience is one of sheer joy. The medium steel nib allows the ink to flow perfectly through it allowing for a smooth easy hand action when writing. I do not claim to be a stylophile but I do understand and enjoy both handwriting and calligraphy. The Kaweco Steel Sport, is in my opinion, a lovely fountain pen - it demonstrates 'form and function' to perfection.

The other key issue is money. Sadly, I don't have the funds to spend on high end fountain pens - all my spare cash is ploughed back into my ink and bleach project. But here we have a pen that in my opinion is good value for money, not just in terms of the classic design, the Kaweco track record and high craft - which will make any fashionista look great - but it honestly feels good, writes beautifully and hey, hang on a moment... I think I've been seduced! I'm actually going to treat myself.

If you like what I'm up to, you can also follow me on social media:
Instagram: @quinkandbleach

Twitter: @nickistew
Facebook: Fountain Pen Inks & Bleach

AND, just for the record – I do this for myself, I receive no remuneration what-so-ever and I tell it exactly how I see it.

January 8, 2018

Nice review! Glad you're enjoying your Kaweco. I have a white plastic one with a B nib; looks like yours is M. I also have a vintage, piston-filled Sport (also with steel nib but I wish it had gold) as well as two or three non-Sport vintage models. Suffice to say I like Kawecos and I enjoy reading other perspectives on them.

January 8, 2018

Thank you for your review of this new Kaweco pen. I have numerous plastic Sports, including several that were editions for special markets, purchased merely for their colors & luckily I was able to purchase an Art Sport in Amber, even though it was discontinued prior to my discovering it. I also added the AL Sport in "raw" finish because the aspect of change in it's patina was intriguing to me. I fell for the Brass Sport for similar reasons & yet did not like it's weight & consequently gave it away; I will not add this Steel pen for the mere reason of it's obvious weight, although I agree the material is tempting. I have also ordered the 14KT nib & have fun switching it among the different pens; the italic stubs that are available are also fun & you might enjoy them as well.

I think these are extremely fun pens & unlike other user's concerns, have found my feeds to be quite adequate & likewise have not had issue with the piston converters as have many others. (The plastic Sports have also been excellent writers when eyedropper filled for me.) I am very glad to meet another person who appreciates these iconic pens.

January 19, 2018

Great review. Ive been eyeing a metal pen for my edc and have been going back and forth between the Liliput and Sport. I have some Classics but they wont hold up to what Im going to put it through. Youve made my decision much easier. Cheers.

Edited January 19, 2018 by Mullen88

January 19, 2018

Since I discovered the Delike Alpha, I will never go back to kaweco. That little half inch of extra barrel is world-changing (and the pseudo-architect nib is far more interesting than any regular old kaweco nib)

January 28, 2018

Thanks for the thorough review, and good to see I'm not alone in adoring these little pens. Here's mine, which has been in constant daily use for about a year now, averaging 5 or 6 densely scrawled A5 pages a day. I occasionally use a more expensive fountain pen, but the little Kaweco is the one I gravitate towards. Two downsides: I dont't like the slide-on clip (it comes off too easily) and how well the pen writes seems to depend on the ink used (I love Kaweco, but not their ink).

Edit: can't get image to show, don't know why. Anyway, doesn't matter. Everyone knows what they look like :-) .

Edited January 28, 2018 by TheDutchGuy