Kaweco Dia2 with extra-fine nib. This is another pen I have been using on loan from Kaweco. And it’s another Kaweco pen with an excellent extra-fine nib.
The Dia2 I’m using comes in chrome trim, which I love, but gold-colored trim is also available. I really like some of the design flourishes, like the knurled trim on both ends, and the shape of the clip.
This ink is Kaweco Royal Blue, which of course appeals strongly to the blue fan in me.
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been a principled advocate for dessert first. Why save the best for last? In that spirit, I am going to kick off a series of reviews of three excellent Kaweco fountain pens with my absolute favorite. That is the AL-Sport in raw aluminum.
(click Page 2 below to continue)
Kaweco AL-Sport with extra-fine nib. This Kaweco Sport is made of raw aluminum in a high-gloss finish. It is captivating. According to Kaweco it will show marks of use, but the overall impression is just “shiny.” Not to mention, “gorgeous.” This is a pen that makes me want to write more.
The ink is Kaweco Black Pearl, which is a very dark black. It flows beautifully in the extra-fine nib.
Someone asked on the Fountain Pen Geeks forum for “Fountain Pen Confessions.” Genius! Here are a few confessions, all true, and some a little embarrassing, as confessions should be.
1. I don’t really use the inks that are popular.
Super-saturated, super-dark inks are all the rage. Maybe add “super bright.” I have to confess I’m out of step there. Those types of inks haven’t been good for some of my nice pens. Moreover, I find them uninteresting. Give me shading, give me variation, give me something that invites and rewards close attention.
Yes, you probably will stop reading here.
2. I don’t care about cursive.
I haven’t used it since high school. With relief. Printing does the job just fine. The smart parents I knew were a little put out that our kids were taught cursive that instead of keyboarding, which most of us use daily.
You definitely will stop reading now. Which is good, because …
3. I think fountain pens (which I love) are just things.
“Do I contradict myself? / Very well, then I contradict myself, / (I am large, I contain multitudes.)”
I really like fountain pens, and I spend a lot of time using them and talking about them. Even writing about them here. But there can be a degree of fetishism about fountain pens and ink that turns me off, not to mention cupidity and its sibling greed.
This is just stuff. I love some of my stuff. I keep finding new stuff that I love, too. And I would throw it all overboard, in a second, for any person I know.
And I don’t think those are contradictions.
Sigh. Sometimes I think we should all just read poetry instead.
—————————
Image courtesy of The Tango! Desktop Project
I wanted to share a peak at these three cool fountain pens that Kaweco has been nice enough to loan me to review. They are the Dia2, the AL-Sport Stonewashed in black and the AL-Sport in raw, high-gloss aluminum.
I’ve been having a great time with these. I’ll post reviews in the days to come. But here’s a spoiler: these are really nice.
Montblanc LeGrand Platinum with fine nib. Sometimes when you’re using a lot of colorful, new or exciting inks, you just need to decompress and pick up an old reliable. I went for my LeGrand with platinum trim and fine nib, and Rohrer & Klingner Blau Permanent ink.
(click Page 2 below to continue)
There are those who want their fountain pen inks to be permanent. Then there are those who don’t. I am the latter, since I never write anything important, but I do spill a lot.
Someone mentioned washable black ink to me, and I thought that Seitz-Kreuznach Panthers Black, Stipula Ebony Black and Montblanc Mystery Black would be washable. So let’s see.
(click Page 2 below to continue)
Seitz-Kreuznach Flamingo Pink is a delicate and pretty pink ink at a good price.
