Kaweco Dia2: Dual Pen Review

Laura: Mine came with a stock steel extra-fine nib, and I also tested it with a 14ct gold Kaweco replacement nib.

Chris: Mine came with a steel medium nib. I also tested it with a Kaweco steel 1.1 calligraphy nib and a 14ct gold Kaweco fine nib.

1.  Appearance and Design.

Laura: I like how the Dia2 looks.  It’s based on a traditional design from the 1930s, but the chrome-colored trim looks sleek, cool and modern against the shiny black resin of the pen body.  I like the extra design touches that set the Dia2 apart. Knurled rings on the end of cap and barrel are a retro echo from the original design.  Chrome trim rings look classy.  And the shape of the clip is gorgeous.

The Dia2 sort of reminds me of my Montblanc Agatha Christie, sans snake clip.

Chris: The Dia2 is a full length pen based on a classic 1930’s Art Deco design. It comes with either chrome or gold plated trim. The chrome version comes with a steel nib, and the gold version comes with a gold-plated steel nib.

I decided to try the chrome trim as it brings modern styling to a classic designed pen. The shiny black CNC acrylic also gives it a modern look, while the knurled bands on the ends of the cap and barrel, plus the beautifully shaped, all brass clip, echo the Art Deco period and the original Kaweco Dia pen. The barrel is shaped so that it tapers towards the end knob as well as the section and has 3 chrome bands on it. The cap has 2 decorative inlaid chrome bands at the base.

2.  Construction and Quality.

Laura: The Dia2 seems very nicely built.  The body is acrylic but the section coupler and screw threads are brass, which gives a feeling of weight and solidity without making the Dia2 too heavy.  That also makes those areas seem stronger and more robust.

There is a spring inside the pen barrel, at the end, so when you load an ink cartridge and a spacer cartridge, you can feel them seat firmly in place. The pen body screws firmly onto the section, as does the cap onto the pen body.  Everything feels solid.

Chris:  Everything about the Dia2 suggests a high quality pen. It is not a flimsy, lightweight, pen in your hand, as the barrel has inner brass screw threads, that gives it some heft and a good balanced feel. The black CNC acrylic has been highly polished and has cleanly cut and smooth screw threads. I like my pens to have a bit of heft to them, but I never post caps when I’m writing. Some users might find this pen a little heavy or slightly unbalanced when writing with the cap posted.

I love the way that there is a built in spring loaded action for cartridges. You insert one cartridge into the section, and a spare one the other way up inside the barrel. The spring loading is reassurance that the cartridge won’t fall out when you screw the barrel onto the section. I had to keep remembering there was a cartridge in there though, and make sure I always had the section nib up when screwing the barrel into place.

3.  Weight and Dimensions.

Weight of pen capped: 27.8 grams (inked with cartridge) or 28 grams (inked with converter).  Weight of body only: 18.6 grams (inked with cartridge).

Length: Body only, unposted: 125 mm or about 5 inches.  Posted: about 160 mm or just over 6 ¹⁄₄ inches.  Capped and closed: almost 135 mm or 5 ¹⁄₄ inches.  Nib from tip to section 16 mm.

Section diameter 9.5 mm. Barrel maximum diameter 12 mm. Cap maximum diameter 14 mm.

Laura:   I found the Dia2 to be a nice size, which feels balanced and comfortable in my hand, even for longer writing sessions.  I used it unposted.

Chris: I only used it unposted and found the grip comfortable between my fingers, and the pen nicely balanced in my hand.

4.  Nib and Performance.

Laura: The Dia2 has the same removable, swappable nib unit as the AL-Sport.  Mine came with a steel extra-fine nib.  I really like these nibs; all of the ones I have tried wrote perfectly out of the box.  The extra-fine nib is thin but smooth, with a touch of feedback, and no flex, but it doesn’t feel stiff.  It’s excellent for fast writing and just how I like a nib.

One thing to note is that Kaweco fountain pen nibs are smaller in size.  That doesn’t bother me, but it might be an issue for some.  The Kaweco nib size is closer to a Pelikan M200 or a Lamy Safari.  Here is a comparison photo.  The Kaweco Dia2 is in the middle, with the Pelikan M200 and Lamy Safari on the left, and an Aurora Optima and Edison with #6 nib on the right.

Kaweco also sent me a 14ct gold nib to try.  Those aren’t standard but can be purchased separately and swapped in.  I wanted to see if my long-standing preference for gold nibs held true with Kaweco nibs.

The short answer is, no, not for me.  Now, that might have been because the gold nib I was sent came in double-broad size.  That’s not really a nib width I use.  The gold BB was very nice, and it probably was slightly softer than my steel BB, but I didn’t find the gold nib significantly different to write with.  Kaweco steel nibs suit me, and they provide great bang for the buck.

Chris: The Dia2 uses the same threaded Kaweco nibs that are used for their metal Sport pens, so they are interchangeable. You can choose from threaded steel calligraphy nibs, black steel nibs, or gold nibs as you wish.

My pen was fitted with a Caramel Brown cartridge, and I found my medium steel nib had a dry flow. Although it felt smooth when writing, albeit with some feedback, I experienced some skips and a few hard starts. When I swapped in the gold fine nib with Ruby Red cartridge I found the flow was much better with a softer writing experience. So I’m pleased I was able to write with that nib in this pen.

However, Kaweco only make monotone or two-tone gold nibs, and not a full rhodium version. So if you want to always use a gold nib in the Dia2, I would suggest you might prefer either the gold trim version, or a two-tone nib that costs more than the gold nib.

I found the nib size looked slightly small in the pen, and I felt it could easily have handled a slightly larger nib, but it didn’t make that much difference to me.

 

5.  Filling System and Maintenance.

Laura: I used the Dia2 extensively, but with cartridges.  I didn’t have the special Kaweco piston converter that fits the Dia2.  My Kaweco Sport converters did not fit.  My standard international converters did not fit.  I had a Waterman converter that did fit, but that seemed very snug in the pen body.  So I just stuck with cartridges.  I like cartridges.  But I would appreciate a converter as well.

Chris: I used cartridges in the Dia2, because I have been using them in the Sport pens that I’ve been reviewing. However, Kaweco also sent me a KW23846 converter that fits it, as none of my International sized converters would stay in properly.

The twist action converter that fits the Dia2 is different to the squeeze converter that fits the Sport pens. Interestingly, when I fitted the converter into my Dia2 then subsequently unscrewed the barrel, the spring inside the barrel came out attached to the end of the converter. I believe that one should be supplied with the pen, especially as other brands don’t seem to fit it.

6.  Cost and Value.

Laura: This is the only rub for me.  In the US, the Dia2 in chrome sells for about $100, which puts it up in the higher range among steel-nib pens.  The converter that fits the Dia2 adds about $4.

That makes is more expensive than the AL-Sports, which have the same nibs, and which I adore.  However, the AL-Sports are mini-pens, and their look is more fashion-forward than the traditional Dia2.

The Dia2 price puts it in striking distance of a Pelikan M200, which is a similar steel-nib pen from a German company with a German-made nib.

Both the M200 and the Dia2 are good pens.  I have a lot of piston fillers, and I actually prefer a c/c filler like the Kaweco.  But I realize that many would consider the Pelikan’s piston-filler an advantage.  I find the Dia2 much more comfortable to write with than the M200.  And I think the Dia2 seems like more of a premium pen.  It has nicer trim, it feels more solid and it’s a bigger pen. It’s actually closer in size to the Pelikan M600.

Finally, I’ll admit that I’m not a fan of Pelikan steel nibs, but I really like Kaweco steel nibs.

I guess the biggest difference is that I don’t see much justification, for myself, in buying an M200 instead of saving for Pelikan’s Souverän offerings.  Whereas the Dia2 is one of Kaweco’s higher priced and nicer pens.  The Dia2 feels like a grown-up’s pen.

Chris: In the UK, Cult Pens sell the Dia2 Chrome version for £72 and the Dia2 Gold version for £92. You also need to add £3 for the converter. This compares favourably against the similar Pelikan M200 steel nib FP with an RRP of £120. The Dia2 also comes in a rather classy looking box. I think that the Dia2 looks and feels more of a high quality pen than the Pelikan M200, and I really don’t mind about the difference between the Pelikan being a piston filler and the Dia2 being a C/C filler.

On the other hand if you wanted to have the Dia2 with a gold nib then you are adding at least a further £99 to the UK price. So the price would then be comparable with the Lamy 2000 Makrolon FP. I actually prefer the shiny black classic and more traditional finish of the Dia2, and feel that it is a higher quality pen overall.

7.  Conclusion.

Laura: I really liked the Dia2.  It’s a full-size but not gigantic pen, with traditional looks, that feels very well-made.  I’m a big fan of the steel extra-fine nib.  The Dia2’s only drawback, for me, is that it’s on the expensive side.  And I do think it should come with a converter.

Chris: I liked the Dia2. I like it’s size and solid, high quality, as well as it’s looks and overall performance. However, I wouldn’t be able to live with the chrome version fitted with either a steel or a yellow gold nib and the gold trim version as well as the two-tone gold nib both make it a significantly more expensive pen. I also think Kaweco need to include a converter with the pen for the sake of the insignificant additional price.