Kaweco Piston Sport - A Quick Review

(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!.)

Those of you who know me, know that there are a few brands where I am a little crazy about and the Kaweco Sport is one of them. I have them in gold trim, silver trim, clear, frosted, and aluminum (the other metal versions don’t really appeal to me), so I was super stoked about the Kaweco Piston Sport fountain pen when it was announced over a year ago. It was only released in Black and as of this writing, there aren’t any other colors announced either. So I finally caved and asked the Bossman if I could borrow the one he used for his review of the AL Piston Sport. He said no because he had already given it away, but he ordered the Classic one for me from sponsor Pen Chalet so I could review it.

In looking up details for this pen, I realize that vendors had different names for this pen, so I went to the Kaweco website for the definitive name, which is the Kaweco Piston Sport Classic. There is also the Piston Sport AL (aluminum) which is what the Bossman reviewed, but this review is for the Classic, aka plastic, version. Classic also means that it has gold-colored trim, as opposed to Skyline, which is silver trim (other series also have silver trim, like Frosted or Ice, etc.).

Kaweco Piston Sport Classic.

The way to tell that you have a Kaweco Piston Sport (left) as opposed to a regular Kaweco Sport (this one is Honey), is the gold ring by the blind cap.

At the beginning of April 2025, I inked up the Kaweco Piston Sport with Franklin-Christoph ATL ‘23 ink, and I’ve used it 8 times over the last three months. It wrote without issues upon inking with the F-C ink, which has average flow, and I’ve had no issues with it despite not using it consistently during that time. It would write immediately regardless of how long it had been since I last used it - I’m sure there was at least a one month stretch in there (also, another shout-out to Fountain Pen Companion for making it easy to have these stats).

Uncapped, you can see that there is an ink window, which makes it easy to see ink levels.

Inking the pen requires removal of the blind cap, the presence of which prevents users from accidentally turning the piston knob.

I had wondered if the piston filler would make the nib write wetter/broader, but it gave me the expected line width for a Fine (it is available in Extra Fine to Double Broad). I was able to remove the nib unit from the Piston Sport, which also has an o-ring to prevent leakage. As I am currently traveling, I don’t have any of the non-plastic Sports with me to confirm, but it looks to be the same nib unit that is swappable with those models. You can also pull the nib and feed from the housing and swap it with other Sports as well (I don’t generally do this since I have other Sports I can swap from, and the Piston Sport is still inked up).

The Piston Sport’s nib unit unscrews easily. (Pardon the “fancy” backdrop, aka paper towel, lol.)

The Piston Sport nibs (left) next to the regular Sport.

Used both the Piston Sport (Fine) and the Honey Sport (Broad) to continue writing out Hamilton lyrics. The line widths are what I expected for both. The ink in the Honey Sport is Diamine Candlelight from the 2021 Inkvent.

With the regular Kaweco Sport costing around $28-30, I expected the Piston Sport to cost more, and it does, coming in at $75 MSRP. I know that there are other piston filler pens that cost less (TWSBI Eco/Swipe/Go, Nahvalur Original, Monteverde MP 1 are some that come to mind), but if you really like the form factor of the Kaweco Sport with the added ink capacity (1.2ml vs 0.7 ml cartridge or 0.5 ml mini converter), the Kaweco Piston Sport is a pretty good choice, especially when the AL Piston Sport comes in at $160. If Kaweco starts offering this pen in other colors, my wallet will be in trouble, but until then, I’m good with this one.

(Disclaimer: The Kaweco Piston Sport was purchased by the Bossman at a discount from sponsor, Pen Chalet. I purchased the Honey Sport separately.)

The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 673 - Majoritively

A binder clip, that lights up! (via Bungu Store)

What am I looking for in a pen purchase these days? Montegrappa is always a choice, or how about a hand-engraved Kaweco? We discuss both brands this week, and then dig into the recent International Stationery of the Year announcements.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

Enigma Stationery: Unique items, top brands and hard-to-find imports. Get a free gift and free US shipping on orders of $50 or more.

Esterbrook Cube Pen Case Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

Your trinkets, gadgets, and doodads have a new ride. This new pouch, The Cube, from Esterbrook is a library of pockets, offering some top-tier organization in a design that looks both fun and classic.

First of all, look at that box. Esterbrook is always good with their packaging, and here, again, they have provided us with another box that's too good to throw away. More than one drawer in my house is organized with repurposed Esterbrook packaging. This one is definitely a keeper.

The butter yellow nylon of the case makes a fantastic impression on first sight. It's such a good color, and the styling is very retro. Maybe it's the windbreaker, track-suit fabric that's taking me back to the early 90s--but I'm happy to go there. The case is also available in blue and dark green, though all have the bright orange interior.

On the front of the pouch, there is a zipper pocket with a soft interior perfect for keeping glasses scratch-free. Behind that is a slip pocket (though the two pockets share volume, so if you put something fragile in one, you wouldn't want to use the other). Below it is a stretchy band that could serve as a handle, or a way to affix the pouch to another bag.

On the back, there are two voluminous pockets with elastic tops. One is nylon and one is mesh. They hold a surprising amount, and are the perfect size for a charger or earbud case.

The main part of the case opens like a clamshell with a smooth zipper. The inside right has divided pen trays for up to six sizeable pens. They are held in place by an elastic band that stretches across the width, threading through the walls of the soft tray.

There is a flap that divides the main compartment in two, and on the side of the flap facing the pens, there is a clear folder pocket perfect for stickers or a small notepad. On the other side of the flap there is a zipper mesh pocket for keeping any loose bits secured.

On the other side of the clamshell opening, there is a mesh pocket and a length of elastic across the width that is sewn into small segments.

The roomy interior also allows for a slim pocket or A6 notebook to be placed on either side of the central flap, or in some of the larger elastic pockets.

Every inch of this case is full of storage. A lot of it is cleverly laid out so that it can all be used, though some pockets interfere with the use of others.

There's so much versatility that it takes a little while to figure out how to use it. Is it a tech pouch? And EDC case? Just for pens and stationery? You could even use it as a makeup or toiletry case, or for other craft supplies. This is one of those cases that might end up in my knitting bag.

Will it fit?

I decided to see how much of my daily carry items I could fit inside it. The answer was, most of them! However... When fully packed out, it may not fit in your bag. It gets thick! If you're carrying a good backpack, you'll be fine, but it doesn't fit in an average purse, which makes its use as a daily carry pouch a bit un-useful, for me.

But that does not worry me, because it has a thousand uses other than as a daily carry pouch. It would be perfect as a pen show kit! Bring some pens to show off, leave some spaces empty to fill with new pens. Collect business cards and stickers. Gather paper swatches, and bring a testing notebook. Fill the elastics with ink sample vials. Everything you need in one cube!

Because of the endless possibilities, I've had a lot of fun unpacking and repacking it for different purposes.

One downside to the case is the price, which did shock me a bit when I saw it. The MSRP is $65, though you might find it for less. It's more than I'd expect to pay for a nylon case, but it does have a lot of construction and design to it. I don't think it's extremely overpriced, just a bit more than I was expecting. That being said, if I hadn't been sent one, I'd buy one. I might have to buy one, anyway, because my husband, who typically goes glassy-eyed whenever I start talking about anything pen-related, actually tried to claim this one.

The retro vibe and bright colors certainly won't be for everyone, but I think this is another great accessory from Esterbrook. I'd actually love to see these design elements and materials used in a full-sized bag. Like the Cube as a messenger briefcase, chock full of stationery organization? If you do that, Esterbrook, please call me.

(Disclaimer: Brad bought this case from Florida Fountain Pen at the 2025 Atlanta Pen Show.)

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