Kaweco Dia 803/07 Mini Review

[spirit_stampede]

Kaweco Dia 803/07 Mini Review [Transcript from handwritten review below]

 

I bought this pen on German ebay about a month ago. I always wanted to have a vintage Kaweco but after getting a piston-filler V11 I wasn’t very impressed (the nib was problematic but even if it has been fine, it wouldn’t have been what I was looking for). I stumbled upon this Dia not knowing much about it, but it wasn’t that big of a risk so I told myself ‘Why not?’ The pen came in its original box with a sale receipt dating back to 1958 (!)

 

The pen turned out to be much smaller than I expected but I have small hands and do like smaller/thinner pens in general. Posted, it is perfectly usable. The 803 is a piston-filler and luckily mine didn’t need repairing: It operates quite smoothly for a pen of this age (that hasn’t been restored from what I gathered on the listing description). This is the first pen I have that has a blind cap, which I think is pretty cool. The barrel and cap are made of a plastic-like material that I guess is celluloid. It feels really nice to the touch and I think is a tad heavier than normal plastic. The cap has quite a lot in common with the modern Dia II. The clip on mine is very, very stiff, almost to the point of being unusable but I think it’s only a problem with my specific pen.

 

The nib is very small compared to modern pens I have but not very out of proportion considering the size of this pen. Mine is a 14K nib that says Warranted above the little Kaweco stamp. As it came to me unrestored, the nib is quite scratchy (I think due to a slight bend and misalignment that I need to inspect as soon as I get a loupe and some proper tools). However, it lays down a very charismatic line known to pens from the 50s and 60s that I’ve seen and admired from reading reviews. Part of that charisma is due to the softness and the oblique cut. My only complaint is the section is too short for comfortable writing. That said, there is no large step down between the barrel and section so I can rest my fingers on the threads just fine.

 

Overall, I am very happy with the Dia 803/07 though the nib definitely needs some work. It is a small but fantastic pen that I feel is somewhat underappreciated and often overlooked when it comes to vintage pens.

 

[This is my first review on the forum. Sorry about the image quality ]

 

 

[bobje]

You wrote this review in an elegant script and I love your drawing of the pen. The violet ink appears to have flowed well in the pen. The Dia 2 is a classic design and it’s fun to see an ancestor. Thank you for a well conceived review of an understated pen.

[spirit_stampede]

Thank you for the encouraging words. I was pleasantly surprised at how well-made the Dia 803 is while the V11 piston filler feels quite flimsy. But they are from different eras so it makes sense. The 803 is quite smaller in diameter near the section grip compared to the modern Sport Classic but not uncomfortably small as the Liliput is.

[MuddyWaters]

very nice writing, and these small higher end kaweco pens are indeed intriguing