The Kaweco Supra is one of those products I am happy exists, but I am unsure how it fits into my day to day use of fountain pens.
The Supra is a modular pen, meaning it is built to be taken apart and configured to fit your preferred writing style. It can be a full length, metal barrel, postable cap, standard converter fountain pen, or it can be a shorter, pocketable, short cartridge, EDC-type fountain pen.
I love having all of this choice, but in the case of the Supra, I wonder if it is too much.
My preferred build of the Supra is the shortest build, with the center barrel section removed. In this configuration, it looks like a supersize Kaweco Liliput. Maybe that’s where the name comes from? Who knows, but this is a great setup. It allows for a shorter, more portable pen, with the benefit of the larger #6 sized nib. When posted, like the Liliput or any Kaweco Sport model, it turns into a full-length writer.
One issue I’m having with the Supra - which is common with metal-barrel pens - is that the threads are very sharp. My fingers often land on the threads at the top end of the section where the cap screws on. The sharpness of those threads is noticeable. Maybe with repeated use the edge gets knocked off, but right now I have to adjust my grip to stay clear.
The long-barrel setup of the Supra is an interesting one. It bulks up the pen with the barrel section in place and turns it into more of a desk pen. It’s definitely heavy in this scenario, but usable. Just don’t consider posting the cap on the end of the barrel unless you are looking for a post-workout cool down session.
Number 6 nibs aren’t the norm for most Kaweco’s and I appreciate the decision to build around it for the Supra. The downside is that the nib performance itself isn’t good. Kaweco’s nib manufacturing has been a source of conversation for years: Are they Bock? Are they Jowo? Are they Kaweco? The best answer I’ve been able to get is that their nibs are a combination of all of the above.
Kaweco used the Bock factory in the past, and now uses the Jowo factory, to make Kaweco’s own proprietary nib and feed design. Once plagued with inconsistent nibs, the past couple of years have been better from a QC perspective, at least as far as all of the #5 nibs I’ve tested go.
The nib in the Supra is a throwback to the bad old days. To me, this is 100% a Bock nib, with all of the inconsistencies that come along with that. The nib feels thin, which makes the tines flex, which leads to line inconsistency, and sometimes scratchiness. In short, typical Bock steel nib performance. I’m sure I can manipulate it into something better, but I’m not sure I will.
There is a lot to like about the Supra, but if I were in Kaweco’s shoes I would break up the party and turn this into two pens. One would be in the short configuration - a Liliput XL or a Sport Supra - with similar metal materials in use. The second would be a more traditional long Supra, but with acrylic materials and no separate middle section.
I think Kaweco could fit a pen in their lineup that’s a step up from the Perkeo, and more fun than the Student, with a price point in the middle to match. How about a nice, long test tube-looking eye dropper?
Whatever they decide to do with the Supra - keep it as-is, reimagine it, or scrap it completely - the one choice they need to make is to apply the changes to their #5 nib manufacturing to their #6 nibs. That alone would make a world of difference in this pen.
At $135 for Stainless Steel, and $130 for Brass, I think the Kaweco Supra is fairly priced. In fact, if this pen only came in the short configuration I would happily pay that for what is essentially a Liliput XL. Anyone considering this pen will need to determine exactly how they will use it, and decide if the small issues will turn into major annoyances.
(The Pen Addict purchased this pen at a discount from Goldspot.)
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