Kaweco Student 70s Soul Fountain Pen: A Review

I saw the Kaweco Student 70s Soul Fountain Pen a few months ago on the Vanness Pens website. It was love at first sight--I mean who wouldn’t love a pen that looks like a creamsicle? Unfortunately, Vanness was out of stock, and I decided that it wasn’t meant to be. But, a couple of weeks ago there it was! The 70s Soul back in stock! So I ordered one immediately.

The pen comes in the usual Kaweco tin box with one blue cartridge.

Fortunately, I had a Kaweco converter in my stockpile, so I loaded it up with my favorite orange ink: Kyoto Kyo-Iro Higashiyama Moonlight (reviewed here).

The Student is a small pen, though it is not pocket-sized. It measures 5 and 1/8 inches/130mm capped; 4 and 3/4 inches/121mm uncapped, and 6 and 1/4 inches/159mm posted. Although the pen writes fairly well posted, I always feel like posting throws off the balance unless the cap posts deeply. This one does not.

I love the shade of orange used on the 70s Soul. It really does look like a creamsicle alongside the cream-colored barrel. The cap has a gold Kaweco finial, a gold clip engraved with the Kaweco name in cursive, and a gold band engraved with “Kaweco Germany.” The back of the cap also has “Kaweco Student Germany” printed in gold lettering.

The body has no branding at all, just a clean, uninterrupted line. I love how it tapers near the bottom. The grip is gold (presumably over steel). I normally don’t like metal grips, but this one isn’t heavy and my fingers don’t slide all over it. That said, it is a thin grip. I don’t own a caliper, so I can’t state the diameter of the grip, but it’s too thin to be comfortable for long writing sessions, at least for me.

I chose a steel, gold-plated fine nib for this pen. It’s a tiny nib, but, fortunately, it’s smooth and the tines are aligned. Kaweco nibs are often hit or miss, and I lucked out on this one.

Unfortunately, the converter is just okay. Ink tends to pool near the piston end, so I have to open the pen up and manually push the ink down toward the nib to keep things flowing. I’ve read that Kaweco pens work best with cartridges, but, dang it, I like using my matchy Japanese inks!

The Kaweco Student 70s Soul Fountain Pen is adorable. I love the colors, and it’s fun to write with (at least in short spurts). At $70 (converter not included) I think it’s way overpriced. I guess you’re paying for the Kaweco brand and . . . I’m not sure what else. It’s a plastic pen with a steel nib. I think $30 would be more reasonable for a pen of this size and quality. Vanness Pens has this pen in stock if you need some 70s soul in your life.

(I purchased this pen with my own funds with a reviewer’s discount from Vanness Pens.)

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Posted on May 10, 2019 by Susan Pigott and filed under Kaweco, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Pen Show Afterglow: Chicago Pen Show Recap

Ralph Reyes of Regalia Writing Labs says “Welcome to Chicago!”

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her first novel, The Bone Weaver’s Orchard, now available where books are sold!)

The Chicago Pen Show is my annual family reunion, and every year the family grows a little more. This year there were more people and more new vendors than I've ever seen there before and it was an absolute delight. The first thing I did when I arrived was race around the rooms saying hello to everyone and sticking my camera in people's faces like the Pen Show Paparazzi. I didn't have to ask anyone to smile, though. Everyone was already smiling!

I went with my best pen friend, Moriah, as usual. She's always excellent company and we now have our pen show system down to an art. We arrived on Saturday just after nine. After we said our hellos, we did a browsing lap, a buying lap... another buying lap. She took Azizah's lettering class, which by all accounts was amazing. I took a nap--also amazing. We then grabbed a quick dinner and headed to the Pen Show After Dark in the bar. It was quieter there than last year, and didn't have the mixer event, but it was still lovely to gather and chat and show-and-tell our purchases. We got to try fun nib grinds and new inks and papers. I thought I was done shopping Saturday, but after trying a few things at the bar that night, I added some to my list to pick up on Sunday.

I wish I could recount every moment in detail, but I'll list (in no particular order) a few highlights and let the pictures do the talking.

  • Reuniting with my Kanilea Ohana! It's always wonderful to see Hugh and Karol.
  • Browsing wonders of the pen world at Sarj's table.
  • Jessterbrook's hugs.
  • Getting to meet Azizah for the first time and getting to squish her NutriGrain bar.
  • Chatting with Pierre of Desiderata about porridge (hope you got some porridge, Pierre).
  • Seeing Patrick from Papier Plume again, and buying the ink I wanted to buy in New Orleans but couldn't because I only had carry-on luggage. At last, Bayou Nightfall is in my collection.
  • Watching Nik Pang work.
  • Trying Ralph's Sequel nib again (one of these days I'll get one).
  • Having my name written by the gentleman who has learned to write in Abraham Lincoln's handwriting. I missed his name, so we'll call him Abraham Lincoln II. Chatting with him about how people used to learn handwriting and how he uses those principles to mimic their styles was fascinating.
  • Picking up a box of blanks from Jonathon Brooks of Carolina Pen Company for my father, who has just started making pens. I formally declare Jonathon one of the kindest people in the pen world. When I send these blanks to my dad, I'll be declaring dibs on a few of them--they're gorgeous.
  • Talking about flowers with Matt Armstrong and Lisa Vanness.
  • Asking for a glass of water at the bar and having the bartender ask if it was for drinking or ink (I think they're getting used to us).

There were a lot of people I wanted to spend more time with, but alas, I had to leave Sunday morning. I hope I'll get to see those folks again next year! I'm already excited. And if the show keeps growing the way it has been, we'll soon have to take over some additional event rooms! Saturday the ballroom was packed like inky sardines. I hope it was as successful for the vendors as it was for the attendees. I certainly did my part. And I hope you'll all join us there next year!

Posted on May 9, 2019 by Sarah Read and filed under Pen Shows.

Kamio Japan Paco-Tray Case Review

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

One of the many side effects of collecting lots of pens, pencils, and other writing instruments is amassing a similar collection of cases to carry everything around. Like writing instruments, cases come in a variety of sizes and shapes to meet specific needs and niches. The latest case I've been carting around falls into the category of "case meets tray," and it's called the Paco-Tray.

I've tried other cases and pen cups that convert into a handy tray when opened, but this is a unique take on the category because it offers up three distinct trays for your writing instruments. On the outside, it looks like any other rectangular pen case complete with tidy zips and a minimal logo tag, but the inside has a couple of surprises that will delight most people.

Before we jump into the inside, let's take a closer look at the outside. The case is made entirely of polyester, which makes it both strong and light. The bright red version I have here has a great texture and looks great under the light. There are several other variants to choose from, so you're sure to find something that suits your personality. The fabric has a soft but tough feel, and the overall construction feels solid. The zips are very smooth and don't make a lot of noise when opening and closing the case. I'd recommend adding some paracord or something else to the zip pulls since they tend to jingle together when the case is closed.

Once you open the case and take a peek inside, you're greeted with the three separate compartments. The middle compartment seems to be lifted up as an offering as you fold the case walls down. It reminds me of the old cantilever tool boxes or tackle boxes that my grandfather had strewn around his basement. The three compartments offer ample room for different pens, pencils, and art supplies. The middle compartment is closed in on all four sides, while the outer compartments have a small slit on the top and bottom to allow everything to compress. I've found that some smaller pens can slide out through the slit if you're opening the case in a hurry. Not a terrible thing, but something to be mindful of when opening the case.

The great thing about the trays is that they make it easy to see all the various things, but it also closes down and zips up into a small overall package. This makes it great for storage and transportation, but also superb for working.

As an added bonus, there are a few magnets in the bottom of the case that snap together to keep the trays open. This is helpful with the amount of objects and weight that the trays can hold, and the magnets add an extra bit of structure and delight that add to the overall design of this nifty little case.

In all, the premise of the case is ingenious, and the execution is nearly flawless. Combine this with the accessible price of just $16 and you've got a solid product offering. I'm sure that almost any Pen Addict reader could find a use for this case — and if not, they probably know someone who would love it, making it a great gift.

The Paco-Tray case is available in ten different colors and styles to suit every taste.

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

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!

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Kamio, Pen Case.