Posts filed under Fountain Pens

Kaweco Supra Eco Brass Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

A while back, I purchased my first Kaweco Liliput. It was the Brass Wave model with an EF nib, and I immediately fell in love with the form factor. A little later, I also picked up a stainless steel version, which strengthened my affection for the little Liliputs even more.

Fast forward a bit to 2016, and we have the Kaweco Supra. The name caught my attention when the pen was first announced because the only Supra I'm familiar with was one that Toyota made back in the day. Let's just they don't have much in common at all.

The Kaweco Supra take the idea of the Liliput and adds a bit of size and flexibility. An all copper body? Check. Threaded rear for posting the cap securely? Check. Slim size and cigar-like shape? Yep. So what does the Supra have that you can't find in the Liliput? Several things.

Size

The Supra is quite a bit larger than the Liliput. When you compare the Supra with a brass Liliput, there's an entire ounce of difference. That's significant when comparing pens. The Supra is 5.1 inches when capped, and the Liliput is 3.8 inches. Both are pocketable, but the Supra has a more normal diameter compared to the Liliput. I've always felt that the Liliput isn't ideal for long writing sessions, but the Supra take care of that concern with no problems. This is a full size pen that still breaks down to a small, pocketable superstar of a pen.

Flexibility

The Supra has another trick up its sleeve, though. Unlike the Liliput, it has an additional section piece that can be removed to reduce the overall size and weight of the pen. The extra section is 3 cm long, which is about a quarter of the overall length. When you remove this extra section, the Supra really is a big brother to the Liliput. But, I love the flexibility that this additional piece offers. For one, you can store an extra short cartridge in the pen, or you can use a full-size converter with the extra space. It also changes the weight and feel of the pen depending on the configuration you're using. For me, I prefer to use the pen unposted when the extra section is installed, but I prefer to use it posted when the extra section is removed. You can certainly post the cap with the section installed, but that makes for a pretty long pen. For me, it threw the balance off too much.

I love the Supra for its flexibility and quirk. It can be a bit hefty since it's solid brass, but it's still a good weight for writing. Of course, the brass will take on a new personality fairly quickly after you start using it. In just three weeks of use, I have some patina starting to show on the more heavily used areas of the pen. Over time, it will develop into a duller, warmer finish.

Personally, I would love a stainless steel version of the Supra as well. It would be a tad lighter, but wouldn't develop a patina. I have a love-hate relationship with brass pens. On one hand, I love the unique and aged look they take on over time. On the other hand, I sometimes feel annoyed by the texture that the oxidation creates. It makes the pen feel dirty in some cases.

But, don't let that bother you. Cleaning off the patina is a simple matter of letting it soak in white vinegar for 15 minutes followed by some mild scrubbing. After that, it's shiny and new again.

Writing

By now, you know I'm a fan of the exterior of the Supra, but let's talk a bit about the important part — the nib.

The nib on the Supra is also a step up over the Liliput (and many other common Kaweco models). It uses a large #6 nib that fits perfectly on this pen. It makes a statement and plays well with the overall aesthetic of the pen. I love the large nib, and I'm also very happy to report that it's an excellent writer. I've had trouble with Kawecos needing minor (and not-so-minor adjustments) in the past, so it was a relief to find this one worked well straight away.

The nib is smooth and delivers ink with constant flow. It's a stainless steel nib, so there's not any flex to report. What I can say is that it's a sturdy, reliable, and enjoyable nib.

Again, depending on how you configure the Supra, it will feel different when writing because of the changes in weight and balance. I look at that as a benefit, but I'm sure others would disagree.

I've used this pen for a solid three weeks and have been very happy with it so far. It does very well for extended writing sessions, but also is the perfect size for going along for off-site adventures in your pocket or bag. The brass material also means you'll pick up dings and scratches that add more character to it over time.

Conclusion

Overall, I'm really happy with this pen. It's a great product from Kaweco that is a "larger than life" take on one of my other favorite Kaweco products, the Liliput. Of course, the Supra is a bit more expensive than the Liliput, but that's easy to explain with the larger size and larger nib. I look forward to other variants of the Supra from Kaweco in the future!

Goldspot have the Supra in EF, F, M, B, and BB nib sizes.

(Goldspot provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on November 9, 2016 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Kaweco, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Sailor Professional Gear Earth Fountain Pen Review

I am a huge Sailor fan. This is known. So when Sailor announced last year’s Sky model, I went big. I went way out of my wheelhouse and bought my first King of Pens model. And it is amazing.

At the time, the Earth model had just been announced as the second in this special edition series, but wasn’t available yet. Did I just lock myself in to buying the complete set of these pens? And what is after Earth? Wind and Fire?

I liked the visual of Earth when I first saw it, but it was a little too gold for me to commit to a King of Pens model once again. I received this Pro Gear model on loan from Goldspot to try out though, and I have to say it is pretty great.

What makes it so great? I think Sailor’s Professional Gear shape and size is one of the best all-around fountain pen models on the market. It is the perfect combination of weight, balance, quality, and choice for nearly anyone. One of the two I own is always finds it way into my rotation.

With the Earth, you get what at first looks like a brown barrel with gold hardware, but closer inspection reveals red undertones, and importantly in my book, some transparency. The body of the pen is generally solid, but the end of the cap and the grip section transition into a lighter, see-through color. It is a really nice effect.

The 21k nib is fantastic. This model is an H-MF so the firmness and line width is nearly ideal for my handwriting. Sailor nibs aren’t glassy smooth, and this one has the normal feedback I expect. It was flawless on the page, but you know the nib is there.

I did have one issue with this pen, and I wonder if it is a one-off situation, or if it appears on other units. In some areas around the gold cap band it looks like the barrel finish or coating went a little wild during manufacturing. I didn’t notice it at first, but if you look closely you can see that there is some bleed onto the gold hardware, giving it a tarnished look. I didn’t try to get it off because I don’t own this pen. If I am spending this kind of money I would ask to have mine checked before it shipped for a clean cap band. (UPDATE: Thanks to the commenters below, this is an issue Sailor caught and has since corrected.)

That bug aside, I love the Pro Gear as a daily writer. It has everything I look for in a fountain pen, Earth, Sky, or any of the dozens of other options.

My thanks to Goldspot for loaning me this pen for purposes of this review.

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Posted on October 31, 2016 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Sailor, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Kaweco Special Nib Holder + Nib: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

The Kaweco Special Nib Holder is made of anodized aluminum with a matte black finish. It has an octagonal shape that tapers at the end. Although the holder is made of metal, the matte finish and octagonal shape make it easy to hold. The metal gives the nib holder some weight, and it feels balanced in the hand–not too heavy and not too light.

The Kaweco Special comes in a plastic box that can be used for storage.

Nibs can be inserted anywhere along the circle of the nib grip. In the photo below, you can see rust on the nib holder. I believe this is rust transferred from the nibs (which rust quite easily) and not the metal parts of the holder rusting.

The nib holder comes with a Leonardt 30 pointed nib. It’s a fairly stiff nib that writes a fine line.

I wanted something more expressive, so I purchased a Brause 361 Steno Blue Pumpkin Calligraphy Nib that has more flexibility.

Both nibs write fairly smoothly, but because the tips are sharp, you can definitely catch the paper on upstrokes. The Brause nib offers a great deal more flexibility and I prefer writing with it. But the Leonardt nib is good for basic writing and sketching.

The nibs are easy to insert into the holder, but I have to use rubber gloves to remove them. The nibs are sharp and slippery. They are also prone to rusting, so you need to rinse and dry them off after each use (I learned this the hard way). The blue plating on my Brause nib is flaking off, but these aren’t exactly high-end nibs. I don’t expect them to last long.

I love dip nibs for ink testing because you can simply rinse the nib off between inks rather than having to fill a piston or converter. It saves time and a lot of ink. The downside of using dip nibs, especially if you’re not accustomed to writing with them (like me), is that the ink can come out much wetter than it would with a fountain pen nib. So the ink appears darker and, in some cases, it feathers, when it would not do that in a regular pen.

The Kaweco Special Nib Holder with the Leonardt 30 nib is $36.00 on JetPens. If you want a more flexible nib, I recommend the Brause Blue Pumpkin which is $1.80 also on JetPens.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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