liliput Hacking Kaweco Liliput pens for the perfect drawing tool

[Juz]

Back in the 1990s I used Waterman pens with #2 nibs for drawing, which seemed to be the most perfect tool — but they frequently leaked and had problems. I didn't get back into fountain pens until recently when I started to hunt for flexible nibs again on a modern, more reliable pen. First I discovered Fountain Pen Revolution flexible nibs, which are great, but then I found that I could also insert vintage Waterman nibs on some modern pens, which was a revelation. The problem was that the FPR pens are so leaky and unreliable, and both nibs always seemed to be starving for ink in various pens I found.

 

Enter Kaweco Liliput. I discovered that their #5 nib/feed was a perfect size for the FPR and Waterman nibs, but I needed to improve ink flow. I also found that the pens are too short for quick sketching (without having to cap them). So I:

 

• Bought a second set of each pen so I can use the cap as an extender
• Drilled a hole through the back of the body so a standard ink converter will fit the pen 

• Altered the feeds so the ink channel/gap was wide enough to accommodate steady ink flow. (I melted the channel with paperclip attached to a soldering iron so the gap was about 2mm.)

• Used a flame to "blue" the stainless steel pen, which made it kind of yellowish and colorful

• Patina'd the copper pens by soaking in an ammonia bath, which has now mostly faded

• Used a cap from a brass "Space Pen" to extend one of the copper pens, instead of another Kaweco cap (and each extra set is not cheap at ~$65, and I am only using the extra cap). Soaked that in ammonia as well, and it's stayed blue-black for a while now 

 

I now feel that these are perfect drawing pens (other than the fact that you cannot cap them on the end, which is a minor issue for me). I love using ink converters with flexible nibs since if it the pens stalls you can just shoot a bit of ink with a turn of the dial on the converter. I also find that converters are the best way to experiment easily with different inks. The feel of the copper is really nice and the color keeps changing. A gold Waterman nib in a copper pen is just sublime!

 

Has anyone else hacked their Kaweco pens? 

 

[OCArt]

Thanks for sharing a unique DIY project.

[txomsy]

Wouldn't it have been simpler to get a Kaweco supra?

 

Tough the supra is not available in as many finishes.

 

Great projects though. Personally I do not have an issue with converter length, indeed I prefer to use it at only half capacity as it allows me to switch inks more often. And I was lucky to get a semi flex nib unit modified by Pedro from FPnibs.com last year, when they still had them, which is a little marvel. But, all the same, the result of your flaming the steel liliput is amazing and is making me lust for one now.

 

Thanks for sharing.

[Juz]

On 7/8/2023 at 11:37 AM, txomsy said:

Wouldn't it have been simpler to get a Kaweco supra?

 

I looked into the Supra but it uses a #6 sized nib, which is larger than the vintage gold Waterman nibs I own. The Lilliput, however, fits these nibs perfectly (I believe the Lilliput is a #5 nib).
I had started with looking for pens that would fit the Waterman nibs, then found that the FPR #5 flex nibs fit the Lilliput well too. 

 

This is the original website that inspired me, BTW:
https://leighreyes.com/2017/06/vintage-nibs-in-modern-pens/

Edited July 11, 2023 by Juz

[txomsy]

Thanks for the link. It is inspiring too.

[MiguelMarcosMartinez]

I was about to mention fpnibs as I’ve just ordered a Kaweco sport with a semi-flex nib. I had watched this detailed video by artist Marc Kompaneyets and I was sold. The line variation is awesome. He uses an aluminum model where as I like the plastic model. I’ll try to remember and report back.
 

Of course this is no solution for the Waterman nibs.