Kaweco Liliput - A little look

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

I am a fan of pocket pens, and especially the Kaweco Sport and AL Sport. But I never really wanted to get a Liliput before. Maybe it was the diminutive size, maybe it was the very rounded ends (I have a preference for #teamflattop), I don’t know, but I was never really eager to get my hands on one. Until now. When Kaweco announced their new Spring releases, I finally saw a Liliput I had to have … or at least try out!

Earlier this year, along with the Iridescent Pearl Sport and Turquoise cartridge holder, Kaweco released a new color for the Liliput, Green (this is the most creative name they could come up with?). It comes in a Kaweco metal tin with a bright, spring green sleeve, labeled “Kaweco Collection”. The top of the Liliput cap also has “Kaweco Collection” written in white.

True to its name, the Liliput is a very small pen. The body is shorter than its Sport counterpart, the cap is also shorter, and the whole pen, but the grip section in particular, is also narrower. When posted, it is closer in length to the capped Sport, and even to a Schon Dsgn Pocket 6. The latter’s Jowo 6 nib makes it feel noticeably longer/bigger during writing. The Liliput’s cap screws to the end of the barrel for posting, as does the Pocket 6.

Kaweco Liliput — *I was surprised how similar in size the Liliput was to the Pocket 6 when uncapped.*

I’m one of those crazy people who uses their Kaweco Sports unposted but I wasn’t sure if I would be able to do so with the Liliput. Turns out, I can, but it does feel weird after a while, like I’m writing with a golf pencil.

The Liliput is meant to be used with cartridges only but I thought I’d see if the mini piston converter was usable. As you can see, more than half of the piston is pushed in as soon as you screw the barrel all the way down. This was about the perfect amount to prime the feed with, so that’s what I ended up doing.

Like the AL Sport, the nib unit is screwed in, making nib unit swaps easy. The Liliput uses the same nib units as the AL Sport and the same nib/feed as the plastic Sports. As such, I’m not going to spend any time talking about the nib/feed/etc as that has been covered in past reviews. I have a broad nib and it wrote perfectly out of the box when inked up with Papier Plume Marina Green ink, from the 2019 SF Pen Show.

The Kaweco Liliput is a very convenient pen due to its small size, but its very slim grip may be uncomfortable for folks who prefer a larger section. It’s great for taking short notes, but screwing/unscrewing the cap for posting makes it a bit less convenient for frequent capping. Would I buy another? Probably not, unless it came in a must-have color (anyone know where I can get my hands on the purple one that came out years ago??). With a retail price of $60, it’s not too pricey for a metal pen and I’m glad I now have one, but I would much rather reach for my acrylic and AL Sports, and Pocket 6s.

(Disclaimer: All of the pens in this review were purchased by me. No compensation was given by any vendor or brand for inclusion in this review.)

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Posted on April 1, 2022 by Kimberly Lau and filed under Kaweco, Liliput, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Enough is Too Many is Just Right

(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 latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

We Pen Addicts spend a lot of time talking about finding the right notebook and paper to best use our nice pens. But there are days when I think what I'm really doing is searching for the right pens to use for my tower of notebooks. I'm just as enchanted by a nice notebook as I am by a nice pen, and I love a plain and simple notebook as much as an ornate one. It's very possible that I own too many notebooks. I'm not even sure how many there are... But it's also true that I use them. A lot of them. Constantly. Here's what I'm using right now.

This stack is just what I'm using on a weekly/daily basis right now. There's a separate stack for ones I'm using slightly less often.

The Lineup:

A hardcover Cognitive Surplus notebook with their insect pattern that I'm using to outline and research a new novel. These are gorgeous notebooks. The recycled paper is not the best for fountain pens, but they are still among my favorites. You just can't beat the cover designs.

A Barnes & Noble Italian Leather notebook that contains the draft of the novel I'm currently writing. These are my go-to novel books because they have lots of pages, durable but flexible covers, and the paper is thick and great for fountain pens.

A Field Notes Dime Novel edition that contains the outlines and research for the above novel.

A Graphilo slim notebook that contains the research, outlines, and notes for the novel that is finished, but which I am currently editing.

A huge notebook cover system that holds four slim notebooks (one Midori MD, two Kunisawa, and a Kawachiya) that I use for school. One is for general notes, two for class notes, and one for career planning/course schedules, etc. There's also a Field Notes pocket notebook in the back pocket of this notebook cover that I didn't even remember was there. It has random notes in it.

A Midori MD A5 daily planner that started off the year as my planner but has become my commonplace book where I make random lists, take meeting notes, and write down everything that needs to be written down. It follows me around everywhere I go.

My Seven Seas Writer that is my short story notebook. It has just enough pages left in it for one more story, then it will be time for a fresh story notebook. I'm extremely excited to pick out what notebook to use next.

My Hobonichi Techo that has become my day planner. I've found that I can't have my planner be my commonplace book because I need my plans to stay simple and organized, and my commonplace book must endure utter chaos. No one who looked inside the two notebooks would think that they belong to the same person.

A Doane Paper Grid + Lines spiral book. This lives on my desk as scrap paper. Everything gets scribbled here, like doctor's appointments that need to be transferred into the planner, grocery lists, reminders, lists of which fish I still need to catch in Stardew Valley. Things that get written here are either transferred into another notebook later, or thrown away.

A Traveler's Company notebook system in passport size. This is where I jot down new story ideas, the starting lines of new drafts, or outlines before they get written into the Seven Seas. It's also where I take notes when my writer's group critiques my stories. It serves the same function as my novel planning notebooks, but for stories.

It's a lot, right? Maybe too many, but maybe not. It's a system that has evolved over decades and reflects my need to keep different areas of my life organized and compartmentalized. It also allows me to try lots of different notebooks so I can pass my thoughts onto all of you. I really do put all these through the wringer. You can even see some of them are starting to fall apart. But most of all, and most importantly, using this many notebooks lets me justify buying more notebooks.

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Posted on March 31, 2022 by Sarah Read and filed under Notebooks, Writing.

Livework Jam Jam Double Pouch Review

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

The Jam Jam Double Pouch from Livework is a small but useful pouch that features a double opening. All of the small stationery pouches that I'm familiar with only have a single zipper and a single pouch inside to store things. The concept with this pouch is similar, except there are two zippers and two separate compartments inside the slim pouch. This makes it easy to separate different types of items into the two pouches, or simply use one side to store everything since both compartments are part of the same outer pouch.

In my use, I've been putting fountain pens in one side and gel pens in the other. This keeps them separate so I know where to find a certain pen I'm looking for. Regardless of which pouches I'm using, the overall thickness and shape of the whole thing is always the same. And when it's empty, it's incredibly flat and easy to store.

The pouch can easily fit a phone, 3.5x5.5" notebook, note cards, wireless earbuds, keys, and any number of small items that you want to safely store.

Since there's no internal organization in either side, this isn't a great option for any delicate items. Everything in there is being jostled around with everything else, so scratches will occur. There's protection between the two sides because of the inner dividing fabric, but it's thin and only adds minimal protection. Plus, it just feels silly storing only two pens in this pouch.

For me, this pouch is better used with small items that you carry on a regular basis. Writing utensils definitely fit this category, but so does everything else. Cables, hair ties, small tools, medicine, hand wipes and hand sanitizer. The list goes on, and this pouch really excels at adapting to what you put in it.

Aside from the two zippers, there's just a small loop at one end that lets you attach a ring or carabiner so you can attach the case to something else. This is great if you want to attach it to a lanyard inside your bag so it's easy to pull out of the bottomless cavern where all the big objects are stored. You could attach it to a key ring if you really wanted.

Finally, my favorite feature of this pouch: the pattern on the fabric. This one is called "Tree" for obvious reasons, and it just makes me happy every time I look at it. There are four other patterns to choose from, and they're all happy and whimsical designs. I picked Tree because I like the greens that are used in the pattern, and the happy little trees make me think of watching Bob Ross on TV when I was a kid. The fabric also has a smooth coating that feels a bit like wax, but it doesn't attract hair and lint as easily. It's easy to wipe clean and should protect the case from wear and tear a bit over the years.

The Jam Jam Double Pouch from Livework is a fantastic little case that can be just about anything you need it to be. It's versatile, compact, well-made, and easy to pack up and carry along. At just under $12, it's also a great value. If you need a small pouch (and let's be honest, who doesn't?) to organize little bits and pens, give it a shot. The biggest problem is picking one of the colorways.

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

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