Posts filed under Fountain Pens

Kaweco Special Fountain Pen in Brass: 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 Fountain Pen in brass is indeed special—a definite step up from the usual plastic and aluminum offerings by the company. This pen is made of solid machined brass in the octagonal shape favored by the brand. The words “Kaweco Special FP Germany” are etched on one side.

The pen comes in a Kaweco tin and includes one blue cartridge.

The screw-on cap has a silver finial embedded in the dome-like top. There’s a grooved ring beneath this. These details give the pen a steampunk look that keeps it from being boring.

The bottom of the barrel has threads for posting the cap. However, I found that posting the cap made the pen too unwieldy. It is a nice detail for those who like to post their pens, and threaded posting means the cap will remain secure.

This pen came with a steel EF nib. It writes smoothly with no scratchiness at all, and the ink flows well.

I’ve bought several Kawecos, and all but two had absolutely horrible nibs. So, I was pleased to get one with a great nib.

The grip unscrews to allow access to the cartridge or converter.

There’s also a rubber ring at the base of the threads to insure that the cap seals well so the nib won’t dry out.

Although this pen is brass, it isn’t too heavy (the body weighs 20 grams). That’s because it is so thin. The grip is only 8.2mm wide and 15mm long, so there’s not much room for your fingers. The threads hit right where I normally position my fingers, and that is uncomfortable. I’ve been holding the pen by the barrel rather than the grip, but writing this way feels a bit awkward.

When you first open up the Kaweco Special, it is gloriously shiny, and the facets gleam in the light. But it doesn’t take much handling for the brass to show fingerprints. And, it only took a few days of use for a patina to form. That’s to be expected with a brass pen, and many people like the way brass looks with a patina. If you don’t, plan to polish your pen frequently.

Although I like the octagonal shape and the brass finish on the Kaweco Special, this is not the pen for me. It is much too thin. My hand starts cramping almost immediately, and long writing sessions are painful. Now that I’m in my 50s, I’ve found that I do better with larger pens. But that’s just me. I know many people prefer thinner pens and this is certainly a nice one.

You can purchase the Kaweco Special Fountain Pen from JetPens for $89.50.

Pros

The Kaweco Special is a gorgeous brass fountain pen with Kaweco’s unique octagonal shape.
The pen is balanced (unless you post it) and is not too heavy even though it is made of metal.
The nib on this pen works well, but I’ve found Kaweco nib quality to vary from pen to pen.
The rubber ring creates an airtight seal between the cap and the barrel when the pen is closed.

Cons

The Kaweco Special comes with only one blue cartridge, so plan on buying more cartridges or a converter if you buy this pen.
The pen is way too thin for my comfort, but as I said in the review, many people prefer slender pens.
The brass doesn’t stay shiny for long, so you’ll either need to love patina or be willing to do a lot of polishing.

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

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Posted on October 27, 2017 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Kaweco, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Caran d'Ache 849 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.)

If you've been to a pen show, you've no doubt seen the iconic Caran d'Ache ballpoint pens floating around. They have a unique and striking design with a range of subdued to loud colors available. The Caran d'Ache 849 ballpoint pens are a classic, so it's no surprise that there's also a fountain pen version of this beautiful pen.

The Caran d'Ache 849 collection is a minimal fountain pen from Switzerland. The hexagonal body is captivating and simple, and when paired with the beautiful colors, you find yourself taking a second look without realizing it. They're unique, and they're hard to put down because the writing experience is equal to their good looks.

The fountain pen versions are available in EF, F, and M nib sizes, and the EF model that I have is a fantastic example of the lineup. Even though it's a small nib, it's smooth and produces a very crisp line. I wasn't sure what to expect given the price range, but I was definitely impressed upon first using the pen. The ~$50 range of pens can sometimes be challenging when it comes to big brands, but the Caran d'Ache does an excellent job with this model. The nib is plain and simple, but it does its job well. It would appear that all the design and aesthetics went into the body on this one. The grip section is undeniably cheap, slim plastic, but it feels great in the hand when writing. In this way, it's very similar to the Retro 51 fountain pens, but I prefer the feel of this plastic grip section over the Retro 51 models.

The pen accepts international short cartridges, but will also accept a converter. I chose to use a blood orange ink in this pen, and I think the red on white combination is stellar. The ink flow is fantastic, even though it's a small nib. I haven't had issues with skipping, spitting, or hard starts with this pen, and it can last about two weeks in storage without having any issues starting again. Despite being small and plain, this steel nib is a great performer.

The body, which is a simple hexagonal shape, is simultaneously angular and soft. Given the light weight, it gives the pen a more airy feel than I imagine a heavier steel version of this pen would have. The cap connects crisply to the pen and stays put securely. You can post the cap, but it makes the pen a bit long and it's also a tiny bit wobbly. I don't post this pen when I'm using it, but I rarely post anyway.

The clip isn't super strong, but it gets the job done. It's also easy to remove if you prefer the clean look, but I prefer the look of the clip against the body. Apart from the Caran d'Ache name, a small "849" stamp, and an equally small "SWISS MADE" stamp on the cap, there is not branding on the pen. The top finial has a Caran d'Ache logo, but no words. The same logo is found on the nib along with the nib size indicator. Despite the minimal branding, this pen is instantly recognizable.

The length of the 849 is very similar to a Lamy Safari, but the diameter of the pen is similar to the body of a Kaweco Sport (not the cap). It's slim, but still comfortable to use due to the length.

When it comes to picking and using a pen, it all comes down to how well it writes and how it makes you feel. For me, I'm delighted by the aesthetic of the pen and then equally pleased by the writing experience. It's a great match that can sometimes be difficult to find. If you like the look of this pen, I'm sure you'll also love how it writes.

There are several colors available, along with EF, F, and M nib options. They retail for about $65, but you can usually find them for $10 cheaper.

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

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Posted on October 25, 2017 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Caran d'Ache, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

The Wancher Crystal Fire Opal Demonstrator Fountain Pen: 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 Wancher Crystal Fire Opal fountain pen is a demonstrator pen with a couple of unique features that make this pen stand out from other pens in its price range.

First, the cap uses a “double compact” mechanism to insure that the pen does not dry out between uses. The inner cap is built so that you push and twist to mount it and that creates a seal.

Second, this pen can be inked using a cartridge, converter, or an eyedropper (provided with the pen). There’s a rubber ring between the grip and barrel that seals the barrel, so if you choose to eyedropper the pen no silicone grease is necessary. As an eyedropper, this pen holds a whopping 4ml of ink.

The Wancher Crystal comes in five colors: Indigo Sapphire, Smokey Quartz, Emerald, Fire Opal, and Light Smoke Topaz. The pen I received is Fire Opal which is an orange acrylic. This pen reminds me of the Aurora 88 Minerali in terms of its design, though the Wancher is considerably less expensive and doesn’t come with a gold nib.

The pen is an intriguing mix of colored acrylic and clear. The cap finial, the grip, and the barrel bottom are all mosaic-colored acrylic. The cap is black acrylic and the barrel is clear.

The cap is adorned with a chrome clip and its band is engraved with the name Wancher. As stated earlier, the cap boasts a push and twist mechanism that seals the pen so the nib doesn’t dry out. I don’t always get the cap affixed on the first try because the threads don’t catch, but I like the concept.

The nib is a stainless steel fine with some scroll work and the nib size etched on the surface. It writes smoothly and is fairly wet, but I have experienced a few hard starts with this nib.

The pen I received did not come with an eyedropper (because Brad left it out of the package!), so I can’t comment on that accessory. But the converter works well and holds a decent amount of ink.

I consider this pen to be medium sized, measuring 152mm capped, 141mm uncapped, and 172mm posted. Posting this pen throws off the balance, so I don’t recommend writing with it posted. Overall, it’s a light pen, weighing only 23 grams capped.

I’ve been using the Wancher Crystal for journaling, grading, and general writing. It’s a comfortable pen, and I’ve been mostly pleased with how it writes. It performs best on fountain-pen friendly paper, but it handles cheap copy paper fairly well too. As a grading pen, the fine is a little wider than I like since I need to write in tiny spaces, but for general writing the nib is a good size.

This is my first Wancher pen, and I’m really quite impressed. I like the design (though if it were up to me I would’ve gotten the Indigo Sapphire color because: blue). The fact that it can be used as an eyedropper is a definite plus. I also like the twist and seal mechanism in the cap.

You can purchase the Wancher Crystal Fountain Pen from Wancher Pens with a fine or medium nib for $70.00.

Pros

The Wancher is an interesting pen design with both colorful accents and a clear demonstrator barrel.
You can use three different filling methods with this pen: cartridge, converter, and eyedropper. The rubber seal means you don’t need to use silicone grease to eyedropper the pen.
The special cap design means that the nib should not dry out between uses.
The pen comes with several accessories: an eyedropper, a converter, and a cartridge.
The stainless steel nib is smooth and mostly trouble free. I experienced a few hard starts in the course of writing (usually on cheaper paper, but I had a few hard starts on fountain-pen-friendly paper as well).

Cons

The Wancher pen retails for $70.00 which seems a bit expensive considering that this is not a piston filler and the pen is acrylic. But it can be eyedroppered, and in the photos on Wancher’s website, it comes packaged in a really nice, hinged wooden box (though the site says packaging may vary).
The Wancher is an acrylic pen. People who prefer weightier pens will probably find this pen to be too light.
Occasionally I experienced hard starts with this pen, usually on cheaper paper.

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

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