Being the bonafide Pen Addict that I am, there are many cases where I can't wait to get my hands on a pen to try out, and this red body Kaweco Sport Ice Roller Ball definitely had me at hello. The idea of a liquid ink cartridge roller ball is not a new concept, but is a setup I have never used before.
The pen tip is your standard medium rollerball (right in the 0.7mm range), and the ink cartridge snaps in as if you were using a cartridge based fountain pen. I hear on the internets that these types of situations are called a "mash-up".
Kaweco has done a great job with the Sport line, building a barrel that is lightweight, durable, and very functional. With the cap on, the pen is a compact 10.5 cm, but when posted it expands to a comfortable 13 cm. Writing with the cap posted is just about perfect.
I already had the Aubergine Purple Kaweco refills for my Kaweco Sport AL, but I wanted to try a different shade than the blue that comes with it, so I went with the blue black. I honestly wasn't thrilled with my ink selection when I first started writing with it. The ink was a little watery, but the more I wrote with it, the more solid it became. I'm thinking it is a case where it took a little priming, just like if you were putting a fresh ink cartridge into a fountain pen.
Speaking of fresh ink, you can also convert the Kaweco Sport Ice Roller into an eyedropper style pen and use any fountain pen ink you want. Check out the how-to on the JetPens Blog.
The Kaweco Sport Ice Roller Ball Liquid Ink Pen is available in four different body colors for $16.00 at JetPens.com.
Updated for the Doane Paper fans!
