Show Us Your Kaweco

[tinta]

Well Thomas, I will have to Bookmark all this for future reference. Thank you. Great stuff.

 

Occasionally a Canadian pen enthusiast friend & I meet to look at, to write with & to talk about our pens. I prefer modern pens & my game is getting the best custom ground edged nib (Usually a stub or CI) from one of three renowned favourite nib-techs in the USA. So, I've got less pens in my stable but more nice nibs.

 

My good friend on the other hand enjoys buying mostly vintage pens, with nibs that are able to accommodate his left handed writing. It is he who's got me started on my present modern Kaweco Dia project. My friend showed me his first generation modern Gutberet Dia2, released just before my current Dia2 must have been.

I remember going over his pen with a strong magnifier. I was very impressed with the build quality of this relatively inexpensive mid/full size pen. Brass female threads inside the barrel, chromed metal male threads with an O-ring for the section, gear-cut four-start cap threads on the barrel, close tolerances, engraved writing on the cap filled in with contrasting paint, possible 14K nibs. (A bit disappointing, but now the "Kaweco Dia Germany" inscription seems to be only printed onto the cap's surface.)

What's surprising is that, I'd expect some of these details on a 750.00 CAD Nakaya Poccolo, but not on a 119.00 CAD Kaweco Dia2. (About 350.00 CAD with a custom 14K nib.)

There seemed to be an aura of quality & dependability about the Dia, a pen that could easily be my cartridge-only EDC pen.

 

This got me interested in Kaweco pens in general, even though my nib & feed experiences on two modern cartridge-only Sports models were less than positive.

During our informal pen meetings I was fortunate to be able to handle some fine vintage Kaweco pens that had excellent nibs & a great writing ability.

 

Thomas, I guess I know how to pick them. I could see that the (fat) pen's material may be celluloid & those chevron patters are beautiful, quite Deco (maybe, pre-war).

Are all the pens you've put before us in good working order? I would love to see writing samples with as many of these vintage Kawecos as you can. Others would enjoy it too.

 

Cheers, István

Edited July 1, 2016 by tinta

[Kaweco]

Hello Istvan

Alas, I am not the "writing type". Like your friend I collect old fountainpens............ now for more than 26 years. There are some accumulated writing articles in shoe boxes, possibly they will go to a museum in the future. I will never have the time to make all the pens writing and I will never have the money to purchase any nib tuning. I only write with a Pelikan M250 and a Pelikan 140.

My goal is to learn more about fountain pens and how they had been made in the old times, I made some fp exhibitiones especially in primary schools, not to promote a trade mark but to show the kids the pleasure of writing with good fountainpens. (In Germany the use of fountain pens is obligate in schools since the 2rd or 3th degree. Yet.) Surely, I had never seen an auditorium listening to the historic stories more interested in and writing more careful but creative than these young pupils.

I do not have one of these modern Kaweco Sports and I actually own only one of these new Kaweco Students(?) I bought it more accidentally because nobody overbid my low bid at the bay. I think, a fountainpen must have a piston. I need this functional gimmick.

If you want to read a little bit more, try here. (Yes, sorry, these inputs are 10 years old and will have to be renovated...)

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/14104-kaweco-history-part-1/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/14106-kaweco-history-part-2/

Kind Regards

Thomas

 

[tinta]

Thank you Thomas for the very informative links on Kaweco history. I would love to have been one of the students listening to your pen history presentations.

 

On a little different vein, I have been told that there has been collaboration between the present Kaweco's Mr. Gutberet & a Japanese manufacturer to produce sub-assemblies of some current Kaweco fountain pens (my Dia2 being one of them). Would you know if this is true?

 

I do not see any negative aspect in this, as the Japanese have had a long tradition of making quality fountain pens. Most of my few daily writing pens come from there.

Best, István

Edited July 5, 2016 by tinta

[sciumbasci]

I really like the liliput, but the lack of converter really disturbs me. Anyone knows if is it possible to mod it to Earthdawn's bulb filler?

[aeba]

Thank you Thomas for the very informative links on Kaweco history. I would love to have been one of the students listening to your pen history presentations.

 

On a little different vein, I have been told that there has been collaboration between the present Kaweco's Mr. Gutberet & a Japanese manufacturer to produce sub-assemblies of some current Kaweco fountain pens (my Dia2 being one of them). Would you know if this is true?

 

I do not see any negative aspect in this, as the Japanese have had a long tradition of making quality fountain pens. Most of my few daily writing pens come from there.

Best, István

 

Either Cult Pens has false info, or Kaweco does outsource something to Japan.

 

http://www.cultpens.com/i/q/CU46157/cult-pens-mini-fountain-pen-space-grey

[Kaweco]

............

 

On a little different vein, I have been told that there has been collaboration between the present Kaweco's Mr. Gutberet & a Japanese manufacturer to produce sub-assemblies of some current Kaweco fountain pens (my Dia2 being one of them). Would you know if this is true?

 

I do not see any negative aspect in this, as the Japanese have had a long tradition of making quality fountain pens. Most of my few daily writing pens come from there.

Best, István

 

Hi Istvan

I do not know about possibly foreign made parts exept the feed and the nib. But notwithstanding that I know Mr. Gutberlet very well I would not ask him about. Your input is right, there is no negative aspect in receiving foreign parts like plastics or clips. There are actually foreign industries who have better knowledge about the durability and long-lastingness of materials. But many people think that all in all had to be made in-house especially expensive fps. It is nothing than a feeling which is hardly to explain.

Kind Regards

Thomas

[mehandiratta]

The thought for today was penned down via Kaweco Sports Skyline inked with Diamine Monaco Red. It is a beautiful mint coloured special edition pen and is now also available in India.

These pen are amazing value for money. And are especially suited for rough usage.

[majorworks]

I think I have four Kawecos, and here are two of them. The white one is a newer Sport from about six years ago. It was a rollerball when I got it but I replaced that section with a B nib when a vendor had them on closeout a few years back.

 

The black one is a 70s vintage piston filler, a V16 with F steel nib. The nib is what I suppose would be called semi-flex, or maybe just "springy."

 

[mehandiratta]

I think I have four Kawecos, and here are two of them. The white one is a newer Sport from about six years ago. It was a rollerball when I got it but I replaced that section with a B nib when a vendor had them on closeout a few years back.

 

The black one is a 70s vintage piston filler, a V16 with F steel nib. The nib is what I suppose would be called semi-flex, or maybe just "springy."

 

How has been ur experience with vintage one

[majorworks]

How has been ur experience with vintage one

 

Very good! I'd been looking for a not-too-expensive vintage Sport when this one turned up in the classifieds a couple of years ago. I was a little disappointed that it wasn't a gold nib, but then of course it wouldn't have been as reasonably priced as it was.

 

I enjoy using it for that hint of flex, but I will say that the nib isn't as smooth as I might like. As long as I write with a relatively light touch, I get along with it fine. There's no skipping or hard starting and ink flow from the feed is quite adequate. It holds a surprising amount of ink. The piston operates well and is smooth. It's pretty much the quintessential pocket pen in my mind.

 

I have it inked at present with a DeAtramentis grey; not sure what the name is. Unfortunately I haven't time to post a writing sample but I will at a later time, even though I'm not crazy about putting my less-than-great hand on display. ;-)

[oneill]

I thought Kaweco is one of the oldest pen brands from Germany and it needs the thread where people can show of their Kaweco instruments.

 

So hereby I request all to show us their Kawecos.

 

Would love to know a lot about vintage ones too.

I think you are a little over exposed

[mehandiratta]

 

Very good! I'd been looking for a not-too-expensive vintage Sport when this one turned up in the classifieds a couple of years ago. I was a little disappointed that it wasn't a gold nib, but then of course it wouldn't have been as reasonably priced as it was.

 

I enjoy using it for that hint of flex, but I will say that the nib isn't as smooth as I might like. As long as I write with a relatively light touch, I get along with it fine. There's no skipping or hard starting and ink flow from the feed is quite adequate. It holds a surprising amount of ink. The piston operates well and is smooth. It's pretty much the quintessential pocket pen in my mind.

 

I have it inked at present with a DeAtramentis grey; not sure what the name is. Unfortunately I haven't time to post a writing sample but I will at a later time, even though I'm not crazy about putting my less-than-great hand on display. ;-)

 

Thank you...

will wait for your writing sample...

[majorworks]

As requested, here is a writing sample from my vintage Kaweco Sport.

 

[mehandiratta]

As requested, here is a writing sample from my vintage Kaweco Sport.

 

Thank you

[markiv]

Couple more safety pens came my way.

In my view, A. Morton made one of the best nibs ever.

http://i.imgur.com/oh0c1yw.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/JrznUTt.jpg

[mehandiratta]

Couple more safety pens came my way.

In my view, A. Morton made one of the best nibs ever.

http://i.imgur.com/oh0c1yw.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/JrznUTt.jpg

 

 

these are just stunning....

[mehandiratta]

The pen in rotation today is Kaweco Classic Sports – Burgundy which has a Broad nib and it is inked with KWZI IG Turquoise Ink. And the paper used is Tomoe River.

The pen is almost inked most of the times. This pen has replaced my Safari as an edc.

[WaskiSquirrel]

My collection keeps growing.

 

 

Top to bottom:

 

• Sport (F), my first one
• Skyliner (M)
• v14s (F), a 1960s pen
• Dia (OF), a 1930s pen
• Dia2 ( B )
• ALsport (BB)

Edited August 4, 2016 by Waski_the_Squirrel

[Jared C]

Just got this Kaweco Diaphan? cleaned up. I'd like some information about it if anyone knows. I can't seem to find anything about it in Kaweco's documentation. I wonder if it came before or after the Dia and Dia2, or concurrently.

 

It has a 14k semi-flex nib, is a corked piston, has a brass rod holding the piston knob to the pen, has an amber/brown ink window and no guide for the clip. The feed appears to be ebonite. It measures about 5 3/8" capped, and 5" uncapped, and is rather fat, 13.6mm in diameter. Bought off of an auction, originally from Romania. Any info is appreciated.

[konis]

Kaweco Elite 6183 with palladium nib.