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This pen arrived today, and I was pleased to find it a much lighter blue than the royal blue I had been expecting. Its verging on an ice blue. Is this a change, or have all the photos Ive seen of this pen misrepresented the colour? Even this picture makes it look several shades darker and more vivid than it really is.

I was about to review this pen for united inkdom, when I noticed that it had gone missing. It turns out that my wife, Cherry, who's not into fountain pens at all, saw it and allegedly had an instant attraction to it and stole it. So what does she like about it? "The design and colour are what initially caught my attention. So I popped the red ink cartridge in and had a play. It feels really nice and classy. That Kaweco Steel Sport you have is cold on the skin. This is warm and just the right weight in my hand, really comfortable. The ink colour is divine too and the way it flows through the nib is amazing. It's just so smooth. I've never had a writing experience quite like this before. I also like the red leather pen pouch with the mechanical pencil. They look great together, can I keep them? Please?" So there you have it. She's reviewed it. The images are all taken by Cherry and the handwriting is hers too and it looks as though the deep red Kaweco AL Sport Fountain Pen and the Kaweco AL Sport Mechanical Pencil in the red leather pouch will be staying in her handbag. I can fully appreciate how appealing this set is. And that colour is something else!

Pen Pit Stop : Kaweco AL Sport Raw This is my first attempt at a fountain pen review. I've been active on FPN for a couple of years now, but mainly over at the "ink review" forum. My personal pen collection has expanded in that time, so I thought it would be fun to contribute some pen reviews. Here we go with the first one... Welcome to the Pen Pit Stop. Here you will find reviews of pens that already have some mileage on them. More specifically, these reviews are of pens that are in my personal collection, and that have been in use for at least a year. I thought it would be fun to do it this way - no new & shiny pens here, but battered vehicles that have been put to work for at least a year. Let's find out how they have withstood the ravages of time. The fountain pen that arrives at the pit stop today is the "Kaweco AL Sport Raw Aluminum". Kaweco is a well-known German pen company, whose history dates back to 1883 with the foundation of the Heidelberger Federhalterfabrik (Heidelberg dip pen company). The brand is best known for its pocket pens of the Sport and Liliput range. As early as 1905 Kaweco had already manufactured the first writing instruments made out of metal. The AL Sport range is made of high-quality aluminum, and this particular "Raw" incarnation uses untreated aluminum which quickly develops a nice patina. I bought this pen in February 2015, and it has been in rotation as an EDC (Every Day Carry) pen since that time. This is one of my older pens, which has been in use for over 3 years now. Let’s take a closer look at it. Pen Look & FeelThis is a great EDC pen with an industrial look: no ornaments for this pen, except for the Kaweco logo on the cap's finial. Etched on the side of the cap is the pen's designation "Kaweco AL Sport Germany". The pen is small enough to easily fit in your pocket (about 10cm capped). Because it's a workhorse pen, you don't have to worry about it getting scratched or dented by keys or coins. This pen is meant to take a beating, and gets its character from the scratches it accumulates during its lifetime. When you're ready to use the pen, just unscrew the cap and post it. You then get a full-sized fountain pen that is very comfortable in the hand. The cap has an octoganal design, which means that the pen easily stays on your desk without fear of it rolling away. Kaweco does sell separate pen clips if you absolutely want one, but I never used them - in my opinion they don't match with the industrial look of this pen. The nib on this pen is the same as that of the Liliput - and on this Sport model it looks a bit small. I would have preferred a slightly bigger nib, like the one on the Kaweco Supra. Being made of aluminum, the pen is very lightweight. It doesn't feel like a metal pen at all. The pictures above illustrate the size of the AL Sport as compared to a standard Lamy AL-star. With the cap on, the Kaweco is indeed a very small pen. In actual use though, the posted AL Sport is almost exactly the size of the uncapped Lamy pen – i.e. a real full-sized fountain pen. Pen CharacteristicsBuild Quality: a very sturdy pen, that can really take a beating. I typically carry it around in my pocket together with my keys. As such, the pen accumulates lots of scratches, but it is designed for this, and this abuse gives the pen its character. As the pictures of my pen show, it has accumulated lots of scratches, clearly showing a pen that's been in use for some time.Weight & Dimensions: about 10cm when capped - and as such a small pen to carry around, perfect for an EDC pen. Being made from aluminum, this is also a real featherweight. Myself, I prefer a bit more heft in metal pens, but that's just a personal preference.Filling System: this is a cartridge convertor pen, that fits small-size international cartridges. Kaweco sells a mini-convertor, but I have never used it. I find it much more convenient to just syringe-fill small cartridges. Nib & Performance: I find the steel nib a tad too small for this pen, and would have preferred a slightly larger nib. A big plus though is that the nib units are user-changeable. Kaweco sells separate nib units in the sizes EF-F-M-B-BB. I really appreciate that you can easily replace the nib unit. You don't have to fear damaging your nib, since you can easily replace it. You can also experiment with different nib sizes. Nib units cost about 10 EUR - not too expensive.Price: about 65 EUR, including taxes. Great value for money. ConclusionThe Kaweco AL Sport Raw Aluminum is a great pocket pen, with a really nice industrial look. This is a very sturdy pen, that's meant to take a beating. My pen has scratches all over it, but they just give it character: this pen ages gracefully. The big question remains: would I buy this pen again, if I could go back in time? To this, my answer is a resounding: YES. The Kaweco AL Sport Raw Aluminum is a keeper.

Hi all. I fancy a new Kaweco, having both a Classic and Skyline Sport and being pretty impressed with them. To be honest, I think I prefer the looks to the writing experience but the latter certainly isn't bad. I also like the portability and durability of the pens, so am thinking of adding another to my collection. I'm torn between the black stonewashed AL Sport and one of the eco brass Liliputs. http://d15bv9e9f3al6i.cloudfront.net/imgs/products/cp/950_constW/KW30868-ZZZ~Kaweco-AL-Sport-Fountain-Pen-Black-Stonewashed_P1.jpg http://d15bv9e9f3al6i.cloudfront.net/imgs/products/cp/950_constW/KW41940-ZZZ~Kaweco-Liliput-Fountain-Pen-Eco-Brass_P1.jpg http://d15bv9e9f3al6i.cloudfront.net/imgs/products/cp/950_constW/KW41946-ZZZ~Kaweco-Liliput-Fountain-Pen-Eco-Brass-Wave_P1.jpg I love this description from Cult Pens: And I also like this idea: But the the stonewashed AL Sport just looks badass from the off, although the idea of a brass Liliput that is totally unique due to my own filthy hand oils and pocket dirt is possibly even more badass. But which of the two to choose? And, to make things worse, both pens are £62.99 (is this a thing in the USA too? Why the hell do they not round up to the nearest pound?) on Cult Pens and have the same nibs. I like the copper Liliput best of all: http://d15bv9e9f3al6i.cloudfront.net/imgs/products/cp/950_constW/KW40964-ZZZ~Kaweco-Liliput-Fountain-Pen-Copper_P1.jpg But that's £89.99, which is officially 'silly money' for a pen with a steel nib.

Hi, I have bought a Skyline sport a few weeks back and I love the pen. I would like to buy a metallic version of Kaweco Fountain pen. I saw that there is the Al Sport and the Lilliput. Please suggest me which one will be the best one to buy because I want to use it for a long long time. I love full metallic fountain pens as they last a lifetime.

Kaweco AL Sport F and Dia2 GT F Though I’ve always been drawn to fountain pens, I never used to bond with them. I’ve tried many Shaeffers, Parkers, a Cross… after some time I always gave them away - they’d either be leaky, or scratchy, or have starting issues, or they’d be skippy, or roll of my table, or fall from my shirt pocket… it’s always been kind of a fight. I’ve still got the Cross, a rather nice Townsend Medalist with M nib, but I’ve never really bonded with that pen, either. It’s a leaky pen, always gives me blue fingers and it’s too big and heavy to carry it around in my shirt. Two 2 years ago I fell for the design of Kaweco pens. I loved their stonewashed AL Sport fountain pens from the moment I laid eyes on them. I got myself a blue one with an F nib and it literally has not left my side since. For 2 years, I’ve averaged about 6 densely scribbled A5 pages a day (I rather write a lot) and the pen is always in my shirt pocket. I’ve never even cleaned it. It has never leaked, it’s always worked flawlessly and it writes beautifully. You can see the underside of the nib on the photo (the chrome-coloured nib) - all the writing definitely changed its shape, but it’s perfect for me. No feathering, no showthrough, super-smooth. You can also write upside down with it, for small scribbling in the sideline (thanks Wim, for learning me this trick!). It’s a rather dry nib so I use Schneider Königsblau, a lovely-coloured wet ink that costs next to nothing (never had much luck with Kaweco ink). This pen works for me because of a variety of reasons. First, the screw-on cap means no pressure pop when releasing the cap, so no leakage, nothing, never, not even a little bit, not even when the pen falls on the floor. Awesome. That Cross will leak if I so much as look at it. Second, it’s absolutely indestructible. Third, how can a nib this good cost just 10 euros? It’s so smooth and pleasant. Fourth, it’s a very small pen when not in use and it makes for a great ‘take-it-everywhere-except-the-shower’ pen. Fifth, you can’t write with it unless the cap is posted. And the cap is ridged. Meaning, if you put down the pen for a second, it will not roll, not even on a moderately angled surface. Meaning it will not fall. Yet if it should fall, the cap is the heaviest part, so it never hits the ground nib-first. The only downside for me is the clip. it’s a mystery why Kaweco used a slide-on clip, so to speak. The pen is aluminium, i.e. rather soft. The clip seems to be stainless steel, i.e. tough as nails. The clip moves, thereby gradually eroding the ridges of the cap. And if you put the pen in a pocket, there’s a good chance the pen will go in while the clip will slide off. Many times I’ve gone back to conference rooms to look for the clip. Not good. As a writing instrument, this is my all-time favorite pen. It’s part of me. It beats my Cross hands-down, even though a nibmeister from FPN was kind enough to optimize the Cross’s nib for me. The Kaweco still wins! (I still use the Cross at home from time to time, as a desk pen it’s rather nice). At some point I acquired a cheaper, plastic Kaweco Sport F to use with a different colour, in this case Schneider Grün (that green is just so lush and rich!). I use it for underlining, annotations and the like. Same nib, same great writing experience, costs all of 20 euros. How do they do it? This weekend I went out to buy another pen, not because I need one but because it’s nice to change it up a little and to be able to give my trusty blue AL Sport a little breather from time to time. My criteria were as follows: -screw-on cap -fixed clip -understated, timeless design (preferably Art Deco), not too much shiny metal, not too many fancy colours -under 120 euros (hey, if the AL Sport can be this good for under 70 euros, then why pay more?) -F nib (I have show-through issues with heavier nibs) -good results on a variety of paper -smooth nib, no scratchiness -no ink flow issues, not at start-up, not skipping -no leakage whatsoever -must fit in shirt pocket and must not fall out (i.e. a good, strong clip) -must be well-made and built-to-last I tried a few TWSBI models and I liked them. Nice pens. But a little bit too gadget-y for me, with that see-through plastic and that mechanism in there. Clever, contemporary, nice nib. I’ll get one, one day, just for fun. I tried some Lamy’s. Well-made. Good value. Didn’t bond with the design (too modern), nor with the nibs (they’re good, but not for me - I have bad handwriting and need a certain kind of nib to write well). Long story short, though I kind of intended to buy another brand for the sake of variety, I ended up with a Kaweco Dia2 GT F. It meets all my criteria, and then some. What a beautiful, classic pen. And so well-made. Same nib as my trusty AL Sport, only faux-gold-plated. See photo - the gold-coloured nib is the Dia2 GT. Feels different, though. Slightly more feedback, but not scratchy at all. Just a slight sense of “smooth resistance”, for lack of a better description. I wonder how this nib will feel a year down the line. In daily use, I intend to alternate between the AL Sport and the Dia2 - let’s see what happens once the Dia2’s nib settles in. I do 90% of my writing away from home, mostly on trains, buses and at the office. I move around a lot. The Kaweco’s are exceptional pens for that lifestyle. The Cross? That Townsend Medalist is a rather fickle pen, more of a desk pen, a luxury item where class and looks take a backseat to dependability. Treat it gingerly, and it’s a true pleasure to write with it. But it’s not an all-day, every-day pen and in almost every aspect it the Kaweco’s are better pens. To finish off, my wish list is short. I’ve good things about the super-affordable Pilot Metropolitan, but I’ve yet to find one in a pen shop. There will be a TWSBI one day. That’s about it. I don’t collect pens, instead I write them into the ground :-). Best regards, Oscar

Kaweco AL Sport Stonewashed Blue FP Review History (reproduced from the Kaweco web-site) The first Kaweco Sport was founded in 1912 as a pocket fountain pen for ladies, officers and sportsmen. In 1930 the brands and models of Kaweco and Aurumia fused and the Ka We Co three part circle emerged. This circle is still used today on nearly all of it’s pens. In 1993 H & M Gutberlet GmbH made it’s first prototypes for a relaunch of the Kaweco Sport under the name Trekking, but gained and registered the rights to rename as Kaweco in 1994. The Kaweco Sport was newly produced as a cartridge holder in 1995, but the design remained the same as the 1935 model. In 2000 the first Limited Sport edition was produced in green celluloid, and the AL Sport as well as the Art Sport were launched in 2003. The Pen Measurements: Closed; 107mm, Posted; 135mm, Nib; 17mm. I think the phrase ‘small but perfectly formed’ could be coined for the Kaweco Sport. It starts off as a small and compact pen until you remove it’s octagonal cap, and replace it on the end of the barrel to make a good sized fountain pen in your hand. The Sport Stonewashed struck me as feeling lighter than it looked, and that’s because both the barrel and cap are made from made from aluminium. It feels light but nice in your hand. I chose a Fine steel nib for this pen. It’s not a new pen that you would feel precious about, as it’s Stonewashed finish makes it look like it’s been rattling about in a handbag or a box, and rubbing against other metal objects, for some time. It starts off with a worn, almost neglected, look that intentionally reminds you of stonewashed jeans, that are tumbled with stones in large drums to get that ‘already worn’ look. The Filling system As I’m reviewing some Kaweco pens and inks, I selected a Midnight Blue cartridge for the AL Stonewashed Blue FP. The cartridges are International Short cartridge size. If you’re looking for a pen with a sophisticated piston filling system, or even a classic type of twist converter, then you might be disappointed with this pocket-sized pen. There is only room for one International short cartridge due to it’s miniature size. However, I don’t find this a problem at all. The Writing Test I may have made a mistake of expecting it to write straight out of the box, but at first I found it to have start, and flow issues, until I removed the cartridge again, and flushed out the pen with some soapy, then clean water. Assuming you are holding the pen in your right hand hold the nib top and bottom (not sides) and it unscrews in a clockwise direction with your left hand. The writing test here shows how it wrote for me after flushing and drying, then spending two days, nib down, with the Midnight Blue cartridge inside. It isn’t at all tiring to write with and I didn’t find the grip at all slippery. Once I got it writing the firm, steel Fine nib gave me a smooth writing experience that rivalled that of some gold nibs in more expensive pens. There is no flex with the nib. The pen comes with a standard steel nib with EF, F, M, B and BB tip options.I am advised by Kaweco that threaded steel calligraphy nibs are available to fit this pen, as are 14ct gold, and black steel options. Overall OpinionKaweco Sport pens have a really good screw cap that prevents their cartridges from drying out, and I have always liked that in this type of pen. I also love the fact that the Sport AL pens come in the Kaweco super metal gift tin that easily takes two pens plus a couple of spare cartridges. If you want a clip or a converter they are available separately, but I find it as easy to refill cartridges from bottled ink with a syringe, as using the tiny squeeze type of converter that is made to fit this pen. All in all, I really like this pen and I would recommend it. The RRP of this pen in the UK is £63, but you can buy it for less. Kaweco loaned me this pen to review, and I really appreciate that. Thank you Kaweco.

I'm not loving the flow on my AL Sport. I love everything about the pen, but the way it lays down the ink. It' doesn't seem to lack in smoothness, but it seems to dry up while I write sometimes. I'd like a wetter more consistent line (I love the thickness of the stroke, so I don't desire a wider nib.) Thanks for your time! Sample image of flow issue, sorry for the lousy focus: https://db.tt/f8va3xAX

Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a number of new lines from Kaweco, including their premium bottled inks, Liliput Brass, AL Sport Stonewashed, Deluxe Octagonal Pocket Clips, and best of all, and exclusively available at Cult Pens, the Eco Wild Raw Leather pouches. Kaweco have given us a number of interesting product finishes over the years, but none have been quite as unusual as the new AL Sport Stonewashed, available in black or blue. The premise is simple, take the popular AL Sport range and stonewash it like you would a pair of jeans. The result is a writing instrument that looks as though it has been well used over the years. Creating the finish in this way also means that no two pens are the same - the pen you have will vary from everyone else’s, perhaps by a little, maybe by a lot. As usual, pocket clips are optional, but the new Deluxe Octagonal Pocket Clips do add to the vintage-look of the Stonewashed. Add in a Kaweco Sport converter for the fountain pen, and you can use Kaweco’s new high-quality bottled ink, available in 7 colours, each in a 30ml bottle. Kaweco inks are a premium formulation, very reminiscent in character and colour of the old rotring inks. 2014 has also seen the introduction of a new super-compact Brass Liliput. Milled from solid brass, the untreated finish means this pen will - like the AL Sport Raw that came before it - wear over time and develop a unique patina depending on use and storage conditions. This finish can either be left to develop its patina or can be restored using brass polish and a liberal application of elbow grease. Available as either a fountain pen or a ballpoint, in smooth or waved finishes. Following these recent future-proof additions to the Kaweco family, comes the Eco Wild Raw Leather Pouch, a high-quality and incredibly strong leather pouch, which will acquire its own unique character over time. Eco Wild Raw leather pouches are manufactured from high-quality cowhide, sanded and oiled to a velvety, rustic richness. As the leather is not artificially coated, it will readily acquire a patina, along with the scuffs and scrapes of daily use adding to the character of the pouch. These pouches go beautifully with most Kaweco pens but especially with the plain metal finishes. The MD of Kaweco carries his richly-scuffed AL Sport Raw in one of these – a superb combination. Available exclusively from Cult Pens now, the Kaweco Eco Wild Raw Leather pen pouch comes in one- or two-pen sizes to suit both the Liliput, and Sport ranges. Get 20% off an Eco Wild Raw Leather Pouch when you buy any Kaweco AL Sport or Liliput, by using discount code FPNK20 at the checkout.