The Kaweco ART-Sport Fountain Pen

in Amber Acrylic

– Handwritten Review –

• Review Ink: Kaweco Sepia Brown
  
• Review Paper: Kyokuto F.O.B. COOP B5 Dot Grid
  

Specs:

• Description: The hand polished acrylic version of everyone’s favorite pocket pen.
• Nib: Interchangeable Steel nib (EF-BB)
• Filling Mechanism: Cartridge / Converter (now available from Kaweco)
• Weight: ~12 grams – this one’s really light.
• Measurements: 4.1″ closed, 5.3″ posted – same as classic and AL version
• Ink Capactiy: Intl Short Cartridge, ~.75ml
• Color Options: Several colors of acrylic, check them out here!

Handwritten Review Scans:

Intro/About:

This one’s a real beauty. Kaweco has taken their iconic pocket pen, and fashioned it out of AWESOME looking acrylic. This particular pen is the “Amber” and the light reflects off of this pen in so many stunning ways. The format is nearly the same as the Classic Sport and the AL Sport, but some slight changes in threads and cap, which were probably done to adjust for making the pen out of acrylic. I had not heard of this pen before getting one, and availability is not widespread yet. This review is a little light on words for a few reasons. The pen writes exactly the same as the Sport and AL Sport models (which is quite good) because all of the nib sections on new Kaweco pens are interchangeable. The ART Sport is also a very familiar format for me, if you would like to read more in depth about the feel of the pen, check out my reviews of the Classic Sport and the AL Sport.

I would also like to thank Sebastian at Kaweco for sending over a huge box of goodies, this pen included. I’m really enjoying the ART-Sport and I’m happy to call it a part of my collection.

Appearance & Packaging:

Packaging here isn’t too important to me, however, if you plan on purchasing this pen as a gift, it does come in a nice little tin. The part about this pen that stands out is the beautiful amber acrylic that the pen is made from. The acrylic is made of several different colors with varying degrees of shine to them. Bring this pen out into natural light, and you could end up staring at it for an hour. It really is a fantastic looking pen. The amber acrylic is paired with gold accents and a gold-plated nib. This color choice makes sense, as it adds to the overall warm feel of the pen. The ART Sport is small, in fact, just as small as the Classic Sport and the AL Sport. Don’t be alarmed when you take it out of the box, it’s shocking at first, but the pen is very comfortable to hold and write with. 

Nib Performance & Filling System:

This pen came with a broad nib out the box, and I’m not going to lie, it gave me some problems. The flow wasn’t right and when I tried to adjust the nib and the feed, the nib was stuck. My best guess is that it didn’t get fully stamped to the curvature of the feed, and got jammed in there. I had to do some surgery to get it out, and when trying to use it on a different Kaweco, the nib didn’t sit right. The good thing is that the Kaweco nibs are very easily swapped out. I unscrewed the double broad nib from another pen, and it went right in and started writing no problem.

The flow was a little dry at first, but some quick tweaking got the pen writing just how I like it. The interchangeability of the nib units make for a quick and easy switch, and as far as regular steel nibs go, these write quite well. Out of the bunch (EF-BB), my favorite is the medium. The ART Sport fills just like the rest of the Sport line, with either a cartridge or converter. I didn’t have the best of luck with my Kaweco squeeze converters, but it could have been the ink too. I loaded up a Kaweco Sepia Brown cartridge, and it perfectly compliments the color of the pen. I’m happy with the BB nib, and the pen is a pleasure to write with.

Feel:

The first thing I noticed when handling the ART Sport is how great the acrylic feels in hand. It’s much smoother than its plastic counterpart, and it’s a bit lighter as well. The fit and finish are 100% on point, and the pen feels quality. Usually people associate quality with weight, but that’s not the case here.

Picking the pen up, I was reminded of the first time I handled an Edison Collier in acrylic – I was shocked at how light it was for the size of the pen. The same goes for the ART Sport. In hand, the Kaweco Sport is great. It’s the perfect size for my hands when posted, and is comfortable for long writing sessions and great for quick notes. I don’t like throwing the ART into my pocket like I do with the Classic and AL models, but even in a slip case, it disappears until I need it.

Pros:

• Great pocketability
• Beautiful amber acrylic
• Build quality is impressive
• Swappable nib/feed section

Cons:

• Not widely available in the US yet
• The converter didn’t perform as expected
• B nib had issues out of the box

Conclusion:

If you want a premium upgrade to the Sport, look no further. Of course there’s the Carbon Fiber AL Sport, but if you want a more classic look, then the ART is your pen. The premium feel, great looks, and smooth finish make the pen a joy to use and even just look at. The swappable nibs give all the more reason to add a few Kawecos to your collection too. While I think the AL Sport is still my favorite out of all of them, I have no doubt that people will love it’s acrylic brother.

Thanks again to Kaweco for sending me this pen, make sure to check out the rest of the Kaweco line, my review of the Kaweco Sport, and a list of online retailers where you can pick up this pen.

Gallery:

Disclaimer: This pen was provided to me as a review unit, free of charge, by Kaweco, Germany. I was not compensated for this review, and this did not have any effect on my thoughts and opinions about the pen. Thank you for reading!