When United Inkdom asked me to do a pen review, in all honesty, I wasn’t too sure about it as my knowledge of fountain pens is sketchy at best. However, when they mentioned that it would be the Kaweco Steel Sport, well, that was a game changer. As a graphic designer, by profession, I appreciate ‘form and function’ and I also appreciate the big difference between fashion and style – and in my humble opinion, Kaweco most definitely sits with the latter as well as being one of the oldest brands in the market. For more than 125 years Kaweco pens have been making quality writing instruments consistently focusing on the thin line between tradition and innovation and since 1883 Kaweco pens have been a favourite of Stylophiles everywhere – including the inkophile reviewing here. The fountain pen range is fundamentally underpinned by the Sport, a uniquely styled Octagonal pen originally designed for ladies, officers and sportsmen as a ‘carry anywhere pen’. Little changed since it first appeared in 1935, it is a fabulous piece of product design with a worldwide cult following.
Skilfully crafted, the Steel Sport fountain pen is manufactured from a solid block of stainless steel and has a brushed finish with the distinctive Kaweco logo displayed in a 2 tone matt/gloss finish on the cap. This pen is 135mm long with the cap posted, but just 105mm long when closed, making it the ideal choice for either pocket or handbag. Stainless steel does not alter or change colour much over time, unlike other raw materials such as brass, copper and bronze, meaning this superb pen will still look good after years of use. The polished stainless steel nib, manufactured by Bock of Heidelberg, is available in extra fine, fine, medium, broad or extra broad. The pen weighs in at 40 grams and comes supplied with one blue ink refill in the classic Kaweco vintage tin with the old-school iconography. A matching mechanical pencil, rollerball and ballpoint are also available.
So how does it feel? Fortunately I have the entry level Classic Sport for comparison and although very fond of this pen, the first thing I noticed was the weight. The Steel Sport is heavier – but a nice heavy. In fact it feels fantastic in my hand – really comfortable! As for writing, the experience is one of sheer joy. The medium steel nib allows the ink to flow perfectly through it allowing for a smooth easy hand action when writing. I do not claim to be a stylophile but I do understand and enjoy both handwriting and calligraphy. The Kaweco Steel Sport, is in my opinion, a lovely fountain pen – it demonstrates ‘form and function’ to perfection.
The other key issue is money. Sadly, I don’t have the funds to spend on high end fountain pens – all my spare cash is ploughed back into my ink and bleach project. But here we have a pen that in my opinion is good value for money, not just in terms of the classic design, the Kaweco track record and high craft – which will make any fashionista look great – but it honestly feels good, writes beautifully and hey, hang on a moment… I think I’ve been seduced! I’m actually going to treat myself.
Just to give you the heads up – I am also reviewing the Kaweco calligraphy nibs (for which I used the Sport Steel) and the 2 new(ish) additions to the Kaweco ink range – Sunshine Orange and Smokey Grey which also swatch tested well. I’ll be posting both articles in the next couple of days.
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