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Thread: Kaweco Ice Sport (Red) Review

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    Default Kaweco Ice Sport (Red) Review

    Spoiler alert; my search for the ideal beginner's pen is over. Well at least for now 😅

    This was a pen I got from the proprietor of one of UAE's two pen shops, Pens Corner, at the Pelikan Hub 2019 in Abu Dhabi. Though people consider this as an insanely inexpensive pen, I had to think over it for a while since my pen budget is pretty low and I am not accustomed to pens this size. People who know me well would know that I love oversized pens the most as majority of my pens are Indian oversizes in ebonite. So this pen was really a gamble, but I totally hit the jackpot with this one.






    Design and Appearance:

    The Kaweco Sport debuted in 1911 as a pocket pen. The modern iteration has an octagonally faceted cap and a round barrel that ends in a slight conical shape. Both of these are almost equal in length, however, the cap is much wider in diameter. This allows for the cap to post, rendering an otherwise puny pen totally usable. The cap tapers slightly towards the top and has a conical insert on it. It also bears 'Kaweco Sport' on one of its facets. The barrel ends with an edge is ridged. Mine has an aged appearance and I feel adds a nice vintage charm. The section is designed to be concave and is proportionally aesthetic to the body. This pen is not going to win any beauty contest, but that's not the point. This pen is meant to be functional. And functional, it highly is.

    The pen doesn't come with a clip but you can buy them separately. They are available in two designs, and I got the vintage styled curved clip. This clip is IMHO one of the best looking clips out there. The end is diamond shaped and has a few engravings. The clip attaches with a ring like thing that is also faceted to match the facets on the barrel. The facets on the clip has 'since 1883', the Kaweco logo, and GERMANY engraved on them. I'll be entirely honest here and say that I got the clip only for the looks. The functionality is somewhat limited as the clip tends to come off the cap when you apply more force to clip the pen. I avoid this problem by putting my index finger against the top of the clip and then it clips with no issues.




    Construction and Quality:

    This pen is made of a sturdy plastic that I recall reading as ABS. At this price point, you shouldn't really expect any remarkable finishing and this pen certainly shows it was made to fit a price point. The polishing isn't the best, as there were a few visible micro scratches on the barrel that has accumulated even more scratches where the cap posts. I baby all my pens so this hasn't scratched up as heavily as a friend's Ice Sport that he carries around in his pencil pouch along with other things.


    Filling System:

    The pen is designed to take both cartridges and converters. But the size means that it can only take some of the mini converters out there and I'm not sure it'll even take a long International cartridge. You can eyedropper fill this pen but it dose have a caveat, that ink seeps in through the section and friction fit nib collar and leaks out through the end of the section. But this does have a fix. Using the cartridge that came along or any empty cartridge as a knockout rod, you can knock out the nib collar and grease it with silicone grease. Now you can safely ED your pen and enjoy the high ink capacity and increased ink flow


    Nib and Writing Comfort:

    Here's where the pen doesn't kid you. The nibs on these are stainless steel, from Bock and are engraved with all the things as on the clip, and also the nib width. The feed is plastic. My medium nib came perfectly writing with average wetness and a light feedback. While totally usable as it was, I smoother it a bit and increased the ink flow since I prefer uber smooth nibs with a really wet, almost gushing ink flow. The writing sample is with Camlin Blue.

    Since it is a pocket pen, the section on it is a bit small for me and feels a bit thin but I also have bear paws for hands 🤷*♂️






    Final Thoughts:

    This pen is appropriately priced but I really cannot understand why the clip isn't provided and costs as much as it does. I mean there are pens much cheaper that come with sturdy clips. I wouldn't consider this a fair argument though since the pen is meant to be tossed around and not clipped to your pocket, so I'm not complaining.

    I also get that some people have had terrible experiences with their nibs with dryness and baby's bottom being the most common. But I cannot deny that I love this pen. Much more than the Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy Safari and family, or the TWSBI Eco. In fact, I've got a second one, the Goldspot exclusive turquoise demonstrator that is currently with a friend. Just waiting for this coronashit to die down and normalcy return to this world.

  2. The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to Adit For This Useful Post:

    amk (April 11th, 2020), azkid (April 10th, 2020), damfino (October 11th, 2020), Lady Onogaro (April 10th, 2020), Pterodactylus (April 10th, 2020), Yazeh (April 15th, 2020)

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    Senior Member azkid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kaweco Ice Sport (Red) Review

    Thanks for the review. Well done. I really ought to get one of these. (ha, like I need another pen). All the ones I have tried have been great. I have the Dia 2 and really like it.

    Also I have to say your handwriting is amazing.

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    Default Re: Kaweco Ice Sport (Red) Review

    Quote Originally Posted by azkid View Post
    Thanks for the review. Well done. I really ought to get one of these. (ha, like I need another pen). All the ones I have tried have been great. I have the Dia 2 and really like it.

    Also I have to say your handwriting is amazing.
    Thank you
    About the handwriting, I'm starting to get inconsistencies since school ended and I've got nothing to write 😅

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    Senior Member Lady Onogaro's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kaweco Ice Sport (Red) Review

    Thanks for the very thorough review. I love the varieties of colors and materials, but I have found the nibs to be inconsistent. And yet, I still buy them! I have to work on them, too.
    Lady Onogaro

    "Be yourself--everybody else is already taken." --Oscar Wilde

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    Default Re: Kaweco Ice Sport (Red) Review

    Quote Originally Posted by Lady Onogaro View Post
    Thanks for the very thorough review. I love the varieties of colors and materials, but I have found the nibs to be inconsistent. And yet, I still buy them! I have to work on them, too.
    Thank you
    Yes the varieties make me happy but not my wallet 😅 I first plan to buy all the Ice Sports but Kaweco seems to have discontinued them 😒
    I'm just waiting to collect the Goldspot exclusive from my friend who has only good things to say about the EF nib. I see a pattern of luck here 😁😁

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    Senior Member dneal's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kaweco Ice Sport (Red) Review

    Good review. I’m a big fan of Kaweco, particularly the Sport. It won’t hold a long cartridge or standard converter, and the mini converters (bulb or piston) are less than ideal - to be nice about it.

    The nib and feed are friction fit into the section, and you can just pull them out. A folded up paper towel or napkin makes it easier. Twist slightly clockwise and counter clockwise as you pull.

    I use them with standard cartridges, but you found the other option as an eye dropper. Just be careful of pocket carry, because if it leaks (and it usually will), it’s a mess. Best thing about the Sport is that they never seem to dry out.

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    Default Re: Kaweco Ice Sport (Red) Review

    Quote Originally Posted by dneal View Post
    Good review. I’m a big fan of Kaweco, particularly the Sport. It won’t hold a long cartridge or standard converter, and the mini converters (bulb or piston) are less than ideal - to be nice about it.

    The nib and feed are friction fit into the section, and you can just pull them out. A folded up paper towel or napkin makes it easier. Twist slightly clockwise and counter clockwise as you pull.

    I use them with standard cartridges, but you found the other option as an eye dropper. Just be careful of pocket carry, because if it leaks (and it usually will), it’s a mess. Best thing about the Sport is that they never seem to dry out.
    Thank you! Yes my pen did leak but after I knocked out the nib collar from the section and gave it a good greasing, there's no leaking anymore. And yeah, they do have a removable inner cap which is responsible for keeping it wet all the time

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    Default Re: Kaweco Ice Sport (Red) Review

    Thanks for the review. It is nice to know that you like this pen. I have ordered a Kaweco Classic sport, and hope it will serve me well. I've ordered the mini converter too, which suits me fine as I don't need the pen to hold a lot of ink. Good to know that the eyedropper is an option with this pen.

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    Senior Member Cyril's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kaweco Ice Sport (Red) Review

    Nice review and I have one of these pens and it no doubts one of the best pens and the price we pay is really for what we gat.
    I have an EF nib and planing to get a calligraphy Stub nib unit so it is very handy to use in different use of writing.

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