Ok, so I’ve been teasing pictures of this pen for a couple of weeks now, and it’s only fair that I go ahead and write up this new fountain pen from Galen Leather. As Galen expands their retail offerings outside of traditional leather goods into desk accessories, paper, and now fountain pens, what better way to launch a new product category than a collaboration with Kaweco!
The Galen Leather + Kaweco release is a special edition from the Classic Sport “Transparent” line, meaning that it’s a demonstrator version of Kaweco’s Classic Sport workhorse. Galen has chosen a “cognac” acrylic, which Kaweco has paired with their gold-plated trim. I’ve never owned one of the transparent Sports, so this is a first for me and I’m enjoying the look.
In addition to the standard Kaweco logo, Galen Leather has included their own branding.
I’ve previously reviewed the Kaweco Sport fountain pen in multiple iterations on this blog (additional links below), so I’ll only briefly recap the specs. The Sport is intended as a pocket pen, and it lives up to Kaweco’s slogan, “small in the pocket; large in the hand.” Once you unscrew the cap and post the Sport, it becomes a full-size writing instrument that’s as comfortable as any standard fountain pen, even for long periods of time. Kaweco Sports use a small No. 4 Bock nib, which over the years has had its share of quality control issues, but recently Kaweco and Bock seem to have figured things out and the last few Kaweco nibs I’ve used, ranging from EF to B, have been solid. The medium nib on this particular pen is an excellent writer, and I will go ahead and mention that the best Kaweco nibs I’ve used have all been mediums. It’s become my default for this brand.
As you might expect, the “special” attribute on this edition is the cognac acrylic. Kaweco absolutely killed it, and the pen is stunning to look at. For whatever reason, I like to pair translucent brown pens with dark red or burgundy ink, and I inked this one up with a Diamine Oxblood cartridge. It’s a perfect pairing, and Oxblood might be the ink for this pen (at least until my cartridges run out).
For a cognac or whiskey-colored pen, gold trim is really the only option.
Takeaways and Where to Buy
You can’t go wrong with a Kaweco Sport, and if you’re looking to rejuvenate your office space with some elegant wood and leather accessories from Galen Leather, I would encourage you to consider adding one of these pens to your order before they sell out. Currently, you can purchase the Galen Leather + Kaweco special edition fountain pen directly from Galen Leather in their online store, as part of their growing selection of fountain pens. Since this is a special edition, pricing is slightly higher ($30) than you would otherwise find on a standard Sport, but still reasonable.
Many thanks to Galen Leather for providing this item for review!
Further Reading
I’ve previously reviewed several iterations of the Kaweco Sport, including not only the Classic but also the Art Sport, the AL Sport (aluminum), the AC Sport (Carbon Fiber), and the all-metal Brass Sport. I even reviewed a vintage Kaweco Sport with a piston filler a couple of months ago. Check out these reviews to learn more about Kaweco’s Sport series.
Disclaimer: I received the pen featured in this review from Galen Leather for review purposes, free of charge. I was not otherwise compensated for this review.