I have a pair of Kawecos coming up this week, and this is the first. Audrey bought this pen at the San Francisco show from
Vanness, and she picked a version called "Bad Taste." I dunno about the name. It seems like a pretty tasteful combination of colors to me. The black and pink look is a little punk rock, and the black nib is a cool addition. I might get
one of these Indian Summer pens with my next Jet Pens order.
I had wanted to get my hands on one of these new pens, and I'm glad she brought one home. (And that she let me use it for the last week to get a feel for the pen.)
Think of this as a larger version of the Kaweco Sport. I hope it sticks around. It's an excellent entry level pen that will give all of the others a run for their money.
SpecsLengths: Capped: 5.5 inches
Uncapped: 5.1 inches
Posted:6.2 inches
Diameter at the section: 10.5mm - 11.8mm
Materials:
Body: plastic
Nib: steel
Filling System: Cartridge or converter
The added size makes this a pen you can use with a standard int'l converter.
Unfortunately, you can't eyedropper this one. This ring at the end has a hole behind it. Odd design choice, really.
AppearanceI like the look. There are currently
four different color combinations available, and they go from fairly staid to cotton candy and bright pink.
The grip section is triangular, and very comfortable. Audrey doesn't usually like the triangular thing, but I don't think she minds this one. It's not as drastic as the one on a Lamy Safari, and the plastic feels softer.
The embossing on the cap and the finial are the branding on the pen, and both are subtle and cool.
Nib PerformanceI think these are the same Bock nibs that Kaweco uses on the Sports, and they're pretty good nibs. I've heard stories from people who have gotten bad ones, but I have several Kaweco nibs, and they've all performed well. This one is a Fine, and it's a pretty broad fine. More like a medium, really. Anyway, it seems to have good flow and it's smooth. No complaints.
How's it Feel?It's a light pen, but the length and width are very nice. The plastic of the pen seems like it's sort of "soft" somehow. It's not flimsy, and it doesn't bend, but it's an interesting feeling. It's plenty long enough to use without posting if you're not into that, but the cap is so light that you'll be able to post without any issues.
ComparisonsI've lined this up against a couple of other Kaweco pens as well as a couple of other starter pens that you might have experience with.
Left to right: Platinum Plasir, Kaweco Special, Kaweco Perkeo, Pilot Kakuno, Pilot Petit1, and the Kaweco Sport
Wrap up!I really like this new pen. It's available from several retailers, but you'll find it
cheapest at JetPens where it's selling for $14.75. That puts it in at a price point that is cheaper than all of the other starter pens aside from the
Pilot Varsity and the
Platinum Preppy, and those are (more or less) disposable.
My advice? Buy a few and get your friends hooked on this quirky little workhorse pen. It's a great pen for the money.
