This is exciting! Kaweco, the distinguished German brand renowned for its premium writing instruments, has just relaunched the much-anticipated Kaweco Piston Sport. And for those who appreciate classic taste and style, read on.
Designed in 1911 as a pocket fountain pen to be carried everywhere, the Kaweco Sport featured an oversized cap which, when posted, turned a small pocket pen into a full-sized pen for writing. In 1937, the Kaweco Sport fountain pen was launched as a piston filler called #612, and has been further developed in many different versions over the years with the last V16 piston filler launched in 1973.
Thanks to its clever compact mechanism, the Kaweco Piston Sport is one of the smallest piston filler pens available and yet it still holds circa 1ml of ink (more than a standard international cartridge). Piston fillers allow for an infinite choice of bottled inks, (many of which are showcased on this blog), as only limited ranges of standard inks are available as cartridges! Piston fillers are also, arguably, a safer option than pens with converters, which are known to disengage and leak when pens encounter ‘rough conditions’ while travelling. The pen can be refilled quickly and easily with the smooth-running refill mechanism. A transparent ink window allows you to monitor the ink level at all times.
The Kaweco Piston Sport has a matte black anodised aluminium body, which is durable and gives the pen an ideal balance between the weight and diameter of the fountain pen, ensuring comfort during long periods of writing. The matte black surface contrasts perfectly with the shiny metallic accents of the gold integrated clip, the gold ring that abuts the screw cap and not forgetting the fine gold Bock nib, all of which enhance the functionality with a stylish elegance. In fact this pen has many of the fabulous qualities of the Kaweco Originals which I have also reviewed and you can access here. And if you’re interested in the Kaweco Piston Sport history here’s a link to a pdf document you may find of interest too.
The Kaweco Piston Sport is available either as a ready-to-use starter set, complete with a 32ml bottle of Royal Blue ink, or on its own. As a set it is presented in a circular retro Kaweco tin, which also features a place inside it to stand the pen upright on your desk. I’ve opted to keep mine in a black Kaweco Sport pouch with the gold medallion and chain (this is a separate purchase), which, looking back at the Kaweco adverts of yesteryear, the original piston fillers were advertised alongside.
Michael Gutberlet, the current CEO of Kaweco is quoted as saying in the recent edition of Stationery News: “For more than 10 years I was hoping to bring the piston filler Sport back to life, so this is a dream come true. I have a new favourite in my pocket.“ And after a 50 year absence, he’s done a fabulous job!
As a keen Kaweco fan, this pen, in my opinion, is the best Sport edition so far. Not only do I adore the retro look and feel – this pen oozes history, style and craftsmanship. Now, I could get emotional here, but in a modern age where many of the tangible and traditional memory anchors including: photographs, books, books, art, music etc are being converted to, and increasingly created in, digital formats, the Kaweco Piston Sport is more than just a pocket fountain pen. It’s a reminder that memories are recalled through tangible anchors not digital.
Here’s two links to the Cult Pens web site if you’re interested: Kaweco Piston Sport (on its own)
Kaweco Piston Sport and 32ml Ink Set
Oh! And just in case you want a Kaweco German Shepherd Pen Holder and Money Box.
Many thanks, as always, to Nikki and Lizzie at Studio Pens.
And HEY! I’m running a fountain pen ink art workshop on Saturday 27th April 2024 and have 2 spaces left if you’re up for something very different?
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 