Galen Leather Co. x Kaweco Sport Fountain Pen Review

I think it is common knowledge at this point that any mention of a Kaweco Sport Limited Edition is my “You had me at hello” moment. And who is the latest to take advantage of that? My good friends at Galen Leather, that's who.

They sent me a stack of items that have been, and will be, reviewed on The Pen Addict. Most were parceled out to the review crew, like Sarah's recent look at the Slip-N-Zip, but I pulled rank on one item. Specifically, the Galen Leather Kaweco Sport in Cognac.

Galen created their own custom packaging for this pen.

Look, I have soft spot for this pen. What can I say? I mean that literally. What can I say that haven't already said about this awesome pen. Over and over and over again. It's the best and most fun pocket fountain pen on the market.

The interesting thing about this pen is that it is my first translucent barrel Kaweco limited edition. There was a standard issue Ice Sport release a few years back, but I don't recall another see-through LE. I feel like I have to be overlooking something obvious so please let me know. (Update: I knew it!) Regardless, this is my first, and I'd wager that it won't be my last.

Galen Leather nailed the color on this collaboration. As a primarily leather goods company, a brown hue makes perfect sense, but I'm not sure a solid brown plastic would have delivered the richness in color that Cognac does. It is warm and bright, yet fits in perfectly with the many different shades of leather Galen offers.

And I even love the gold trim and accents!

The one question I had was which ink I was going to use with it. Specifically, which short international cartridge will I pull from the stash that would compliment this pen the most? I discounted any blue right out of the gate, and even oranges didn't make it past the first cut. Then I saw the winner for this initial journey: Graf von Faber-Castell Olive Green.

It's as good of a match as I was going to get with what I had on hand. The only competition in my mind would have been a purple ink, but alas, I had none around. Put some on the list! And I'll need them, too, as I see myself using this wonderful collaboration for quite some time.

Thank you Yusuf, and the entire Galen Leather team, for sending me this pen. You can get yours for $30 directly from Galen, but move quickly if interested - only Medium, Broad, and Double Broad nib sizes remain!

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

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Kaweco Supra Stainless Steel Fountain Pen Review

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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Kaweco Skyline Sport Ocean Blue Limited Edition Review

You don’t have to twist my arm very hard to get me to review one of my all-time favorite pens. Make that pen in a limited edition color? Well, when Cityluxe asked me if I would like to check out their store exclusive Kaweco Sport Skyline in Ocean Blue that was about an easy of a “Yes!” As I could give.

What is it about the Kaweco Skyline Sport that I love so much? It is the best pocket carry/full-sized writing experience on the market. That’s accounting for everything from build, to performance, to price. Add it all up and it equals excellence.

My favorite feature of this pen is its main feature: It is compact when you carry it or store it away, but provides what I consider a standard pen writing experience with the cap posted. This is my most commonly used pocket fountain pen, by a pretty good margin.

When I say pocket, I mean it. This pen goes where I go, and despite being lightweight, the barrel holds up to all the dings and drops I put it through. In fact, I think this pen almost looks better in a well-loved state than brand new.

It may be tough to see on the yellow pen, but this is what a well-loved Sport looks like.

This Ocean Blue model doesn’t quite have the wear and tear as some of my older Sports have due to the Quarantimes we are currently living in. It travels in my pocket from desk to couch, but hasn’t had a chance to cohabitate with keys, pocket knives, phones, and any of the other mess normally in my pockets. I’m anxious for the day it gets to leave the house with me.

I inked up the Ocean Blue with the supplied Kaweco Midnight Blue ink cartridges - probably my favorite of their ink lineup. This package ships with a six-pack of cartridges in a built-in area of Kaweco’s traditional tin box. I hadn’t seen this packaging design before, and thought it was a nice touch.

The use of short international ink cartridges present one of the drawbacks pocket pens have, and this Kaweco is no exception. If you are looking for large ink capacity, this is not the pen for you. And don’t bother with any of Kaweco’s attempts at converters for their Sport pens, unless you want to use them strictly for syringe filling your bottled inks.

The other drawback often mentioned around the Kaweco Sport is the inconsistency of their nibs, but that is something I rarely, if ever, experience - especially after a switch in manufacturing plants a couple of years ago. I normally use an EF nib in my Kaweco pens, but chose a Medium for something different. It’s just as consistent and smooth as any of my other Kaweco nibs.

Currently priced at $32, it is right in line with all other Kaweco Sport limited edition releases, especially since it includes a pack of cartridges instead of a single. You can get another 10% off by signing up for the Cityluxe newsletter, and Cityluxe offers a free gift of a 30ml bottle of Monteverde ink with the purchase of this pen, making the entire package a downright steal.

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

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!