Tom’s Studio have sent me one of their new pocket fountain pens to play with. Sending me stuff to fiddle with doesn’t guarantee a positive review and to send a pocket fountain pen to a known champion of the Kaweco Sport?
So, a little bit of context first. Circa 1911, the Kaweco pen company created an iconic pocket pen for ladies, officers and sportsmen. With its octagonal roll stop cap engineered to post perfectly with the mini barrel, this magnificently designed pocket fountain pen is still selling in huge quantities some 112 years later and has fans worldwide. And there are countless other pocket pens out there too, of all shapes and sizes, many of which are based around, or are direct facsimiles of the Kaweco Sport.
Now, I strongly believe that we are living in what I term a ‘decadent age’. I’ve even written about it here, please click if you want the full read. In short, it’s an era at the end of a golden age where good ideas are a little thin on the ground, plagiarism and repetition are rife and where people plunder the past for inspiration. Now I don’t have an issue with that, so long as people who borrow from the past give their influence due credit and add their own unique twist to make the new decadent age creation something special.
The Tom’s Studio pocket fountain pen alongside the Kaweco Sport
So, looking at the new pocket fountain pen I think we can all agree that there is definitely some Kaweco Sport influence here BUT, I’m delighted to say, with some contemporary, innovative and pleasing twists. First and foremost, when the pen is unposted, the length of the pen is 99mm which is 8mm shorter than the Sport and with the cap posted, the pen measures 163mm while the Sport measures 126mm. So, if you happen to have large hands and have always craved a pocket pen, here you go.
When posted, the pen is longer than the Sport and will benefit people with larger hands
The nib I used was an extra fine from the Tom’s Studio nib collection. Any from the range will fit this pen. Unscrew the nib section from the barrel and you have a choice of using a small ink cartridge OR filling the inside of the barrel and using the pen in eye dropper mode. Please note that a mini converter cannot be used. A spring loaded syringe is supplied for filling the cartridge and/or barrel. If using in eye dropper mode, a little bit of silicon grease is recommended on the screw threads to ensure a good seal.
With regards to the actual look of the pen, the body is minimalist in design and finished to a very high standard. When posting the cap onto the barrel or posting the barrel and nib section into the cap, there is no screw twisting. There are two black rubber rings near the end of the barrel section that allow both actions with a simple push or pull. The only screw section in this pen is between the nib section and the barrel. Both these sections are finished in a micro rib texture which is both comfortable and ideal for gripping. The octagonal roll stop cap is a smooth finish and longer than the Sport. The look of the pen is what I would call slick and from a visual continuity perspective fits perfectly with the Tom’s Studio house style.
Using the pocket fountain pen was easy. It felt comfortable in my hand and wrote well. I chose to employ the eye dropper mode as it’s just slightly more inky with the extra fine nib. Of note, when I initially started writing I did detect a slight movement from the cap when I first applied pressure to the nib. If the end of the barrel was made just slightly thicker or the rubber rings spaced out a bit more, or a bit of both, this micro movement would cease. So what’s my verdict? In the spirit of the decadent age this is a job well done. With respect duly given to the great Kaweco Sport there are more than enough contemporary updates to warrant your attention. It’s a proper little pocket pen, intelligently put together and it might even be the most compact pocket fountain pen on the market.
Click here for further information: https://tomsstudio.com/collections/fountain-pens
And HEY! If you’re interested to know more about how to use fountain pen inks in more creative ways – whether it’s simply to observe their chromatic behaviours, or, to recreate one of my swatch cards, or, to learn how to use them in watercolour painting, illustration and calligraphy, why not check out my online course or, even better, sign up for a workshop?
FOUNTAIN PEN INK ART 