Vintage Kaweco V12 & 619 Set Review

[Mafia Geek]

So ever since I found out that there were vintage Kaweco Sport pens that had 14k nibs that are piston fillers, I was on a mission to get one. I really like the modern Kaweco Sports, but really wanted one with a 14k nib (use Iron Gall inks) and wanted a self filling one. Long story short, about 10 years later I finally got myself a V12 and 619 (ballpoint) set after moving to the UK (easier to get in EU than in North America). The following is the review of these pens and to show how amazingly lucky I got with the pens.

 

I got the pens off eBay after doing one of my regular checks for the pen and filtering through all (yes, ALL) of the results from a search of Kaweco on eBay that are in the EU. I found a set of the V12 and 619 with a red pouch that was unrestored for a low price of £40 (including shipping). The set was unrestored and there was only one picture with not much description, but it showed the nib and I could see the piston inside the ink window, so I took the plunge.

 

 

The pen was shipped the next day and arrived from Germany three days later (REALLY impressed by that). I very anxiously opened the parcel up and pulled the pens out and was VERY impressed. The first thing that struck me is that the pens are smaller than modern ones and have 12 sides rather than 8. This meant two things, they wouldn't fit modern pouches or clips, which was a little disappointing, but I thought I could get past that. The second thing that hit me was how much nicer these pens are than the modern ones. The modern Sport Luxe I think might compare, but the pens have a more refined look and feel to them. I took the cap and blind cap off and did a quick inspection before soaking the pen to clean it. Fortunately, the water went blue, that was a VERY good sign as most blue inks are very gentle. After only a few hours of soaking I pulled it all out and started to take it apart and restore it (have another post which I will link to once it's up on how to do that with full pictures). I was really amazed at the condition, a little silicon grease and a little more cleaning and it was good to go (I did do a little nib alignment real quick too).

 

First here's a photo of the two pens in the pouch they came in with the coin.

 

Here's the pens next to the pouch:

 

The fountain pen uncapped then posted. You can see the oblique nib here. I was a little confused at first as I couldn't see a second letter next to the O on the barrel showing what size of oblique nib, but I think it's a medium. It has lots of tipping material left and has a little bit of flex to it, but because the tines are so small it's not much and I don't want to push it.

 

 

 

Here's the pen compared to a modern Kaweco Sport Al-Raw, capped then posted. You can see the difference in the size of the pen, both length and girth, but also how it looks a little more refined.

 

 

Here's the 619 ballpoint (great to have for carrying around, really don't expect to use it much). The ballpoint takes Schneider 75M refills, but you need to cut a portion off the back end to get them to fit. The ballpoint had the original refill so I was able to use that as a comparison for how much to cut off. It also had the original spring in it, which was really great.

 

And finally, a writing sample. This is with J Herbin Cacao du Bresil ink on Rhodia paper. The nib is really smooth if used at the correct angle for the oblique nib, I'm used to normal nibs so I have to pay attention until I get used to it. One thing you'll notice (which made me REALLY REALLY REALLY happy) is that vintage oblique nibs are not only oblique, but italic. This made me so happy because my handwriting looks MUCH better with an italic nib than it does with a round one, so this made me over the moon happy. Writing with the pen is a little dry, but I might have a look at making it wetter, though I'm nervous about taking it too far so might not push it, or find a wetter ink to use. I have a number of inks that I know are on the wet side, so I will certainly try those before adjusting the nib.

 

 

The size of the pen for writing is really great for me. As I said, it's a little smaller than modern Kaweco pens, so some people might find it a little too small, but I really like it. The pens in the pouch are really awesome for carrying around in the pocket. The pouch is small enough that it will fit in almost any pocket without filling it up fully so can carry other things in it and gives me the confidence that nothing will really happen to the pens. The coin pocket that some dress pants for men have in them are perfect for these pens, they fit just perfectly. I really think that these pens will be my daily use pens from this point forward. The pen really has everything I was looking for in a pen:

1. Easy to carry
2. 14k nib
3. Italic nib
4. Piston fill
5. Blind cap to avoid twisting piston knob
6. Easily taken apart for thorough cleaning (see other post)
7. Doesn't burp ink into the cap when carrying around (have carried it in my pocket almost every day since I got it)
8. Hooded nib so can have it uncapped for a bit if not writing a lot without ink drying

I would really highly recommend anyone that is looking for a great carry around pen to give the vintage Kaweco pens a shot, I don't think you will be disappointed, I most certainly was blown away at how much I like it.

 

Hope you found this useful, sorry for the picture heavy post, but I really like this pen and there are not many reviews on it so wanted to do it justice.

[DylanKeefe]

Great review!! I'm happy you found what you were looking for. I've been trawling the American side of EBay looking for something similar, but haven't found any deals good enough to make me bite. That piston filler is something Kaweco definitely needs to bring back.

[gmax]

Thanks for the review. I'll look forward to your second post on disassembly and refurb

[kazoolaw]

Well done!

[nicholasyeo]

Very nice Kaweco! Now... If only they were to make modern versions..

[lancecreeks]

Wow, Mafia Geek, you have two of the pens I've always coveted - vintage Kaweco and a Sport AL raw! Thank you so much for this review and great pictures. Does the cap post and balance well?

[Mafia Geek]

It posts and balances on the vintage pen very very well. On the modern it's not as good, I roughened it up a bit to make it post better. It's well balanced, but didn't stay posted very well.

[Mafia Geek]

Unfortunately it won't let me edit my first post, but here's a link to my post on how I restored the pens (also picture heavy). Includes full details on how to take them apart (including the nib and feed) and all the parts of the pen.