Favorite Fountain Pens: Is There a Specific Color You Gravitate Towards?

People approach this hobby/passion/calling from many different angles. Some love pens because they’re collectors, and amass impressive archives of a specific brand or model that cover every variant released over decades (if not a century). Others take a purely utilitarian approach, treating their pens as tools, often settling on a single pen that meets their writing needs and never feeling the need to branch out to anything else. I take a middle approach: I definitely have my favorites that I use more than others (75% of the time, perhaps?) but I also have a bit of “collector” in me as well.

If You Make It In Yellow, I Will Probably Buy It

I collect in two ways. First, I try to have at least one example of major vintage pens in my personal collection, and sometimes more if different variations - usually colors - of a specific model interest me. For example, I currently have one Parker Vacumatic, and a handful of Parker 51s. While I might add some more Vacumatics after my prized blue one broke during a botched vintage pen repair (long story that I will tell later), I don’t feel the need to collect and example of every Parker, and the ones I do have are very much user-grade examples. To me, part of the fun of writing with a vintage pen is the idea that I can use an item in the same way that it was used by the original owner 75-100 years ago, and remark on how little has changed. The pen doesn’t need to be pristine or valuable to give you that experience. As I noted in this recent video, the Parker 45 I showed off cost me $65, even with a 14k nib!

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Some of these fall into the “almost yellow” category. From left: Nakaya Long Piccolo, Kasama Una in Ultem, Mark’s Tous Les Jours metal gel pen, Leonardo Momento Zero Maestro in Omas Burkina Celluloid, and my Conway Stewart Model 100 in Honey Noire.

Second, I tend to accumulate and, yes, “collect” pens by color. You might think from the overall visual theme of T.G.S. that most of my pens are some combination of red and black. While I do have a lot of red pens, and a deep red is one of those tones that makes me happy, so does yellow. Not necessarily a bright yellow, but anything that’s a more muted mustard, saffron, or even a yellow-green is more often than not an insta-buy. There isn’t any real strategy behind this collection. It’s not organized my model, brand, or even type of pen. It’s just something I enjoy, and these days I’ll take that because it’s exactly what I need.

That said, I do my best to avoid mindless accumulation. I currently have several binders of pens, most of which I own not because they fit into some overall “theme” but simply because the design/color/backstory makes me happy. I’ve been thinking about this issue a lot lately, as I’ve made a commitment to unload a significant number of pens (5 per month) throughout 2025. While there will be some harder choices in the year to come, right now the standard is “does this particular pen make me want to use it, and does it make me happy when I use it?” (I refuse to use the phrase “spark joy.”) Through March, I’ve sold off 15+ pens and have only added two or three. I’m actually excited to see what my collection looks like by year-end!

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Those pens I have added this year haven’t been very expensive, including the new Kaweco Sport Honey (right) and one of the remaining Kaweco Perkeo “Indian Summer” fountain pens. The mechanical pencil is the Uni Kuru Toga Alpha Gel Switch. The yellow and black version is my favorite.

SO WHAT’S next for the collection? A couple of recent additions

Do I really need another Kaweco Sport? No, but since the new “Honey” color is the exact shade of yellow that I enjoy, I added one to the collection anyway and inked it up immediately. No regrets. I also had the opportunity to re-acquire a pen that I regret selling: the Kaweco Perkeo in the yellow/green and black “Indian Summer” colorway that was so popular a few years ago. At NY Now in January, I found out that the distributor had a few remaining in stock and I managed to acquire some mediums. What do I think I’m going to pass on? The Lamy Scarlet fountain pen. While they’re great looking pens, and I’m glad to see Lamy move to more muted shades like Scarlet and Steel Black in the standard lineup, It’s not really that exact shade of red that speaks to me. I may claim one of the mechanical pencils, though, as I really love my Lamy AL-Star mechanical pencil and I don’t have a Safari version.

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Pen Review: The Kaweco Perkeo, On Its Own Merits

Today’s review looks at a lower-priced pen that seems to be growing in popularity as a sleeper workhorse: the Kaweco Perkeo. I sometimes see the Perkeo dismissed as Kaweco’s “other inexpensive pen,” for those who feel the Kaweco Sport is too small, or as a “first fountain pen”. I’ve tried the Perkeo many times over the years, but have never fully reviewed the pen until now. It tends to fall off my radar because other pens in this price bracket receive more attention and publicity, like the Pilot Kakuno and Platinum Prefounte/Preppy/Plaisir. As you’ll see, I think this sort of oversight is unwarranted, as the Perkeo is quite a nice pen for the money and stands on its own merits.

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First, the Perkeo has a distinct look and arguably more “style” than other offerings at the sub-$20 price point. You can rarely say that an inexpensive fountain pen looks distinctive, but the Perkeo does, with the faceted design lending it a classical look, reminiscent of architectural columns. The cap includes the signature Kaweco medallion on the finial, and the nib bears Kaweco’s signature engraving.

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Kaweco’s signature finial medallion is one of my favorite design touches, across all their product lines.

Second, I found the writing experience excellent, and the Perkeo to be a functional, if no-frills, daily driver. It’s an extremely lightweight pen, but long enough and adequately balanced so that it doesn’t feel flimsy in the hand. The facets on the cap keep the pen from rolling off your desk, and the even narrower facets on the barrel give the pen a comfortable, “grippy” feel in your hand. Like the TWSBI ECO-T and the Lamy Safari, the triangular grip section will be something that either works for you or not, but I personally don’t really notice it.

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Those who enjoy the light weight of the Sport line, but wish it were longer, even posted, should give the Perkeo a try. The Perkeo posts easily, and I think it feels most balanced with the cap posted on the back.

In my experience, standard Kaweco nibs write best in the fine and medium widths, and the Perkeo is no exception. Actually, the Perkeo is only available in a fine or medium, and this medium I chose for review is an excellent writer, with a moderately wet, classic medium line. Perkeo nibs are slightly larger than Sport nibs (Bock No. 5s, I believe), and have a smooth-but-still-tactile writing feel that I enjoy. The model that I’ve chosen for review is the “All-Black”, which has a matching black-plated nib. Clips are also available, and the Perkeo also takes a full-size international converter, with both sold separately.

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The black plating has almost a “steel blue” cast to it.

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

I’ve been quite surprised at how much I’ve enjoyed the Kaweco Perkeo. While not an official “TGS 2025 resolution,” a goal of mine is to better familiarize myself with the entry-level and lower-priced fountain pen market, as I’ve recently had many new customers come into the shop looking for their first fountain pen. Every time I do a deeper dive into this particular market segment, it amazes me just how good the pens are. The Perkeo is an exellent writer, not just for beginners, but for anyone looking for a no-nonsense everyday fountain pen. (Now if only Kaweco would bring back the old “Indian Summer” color pattern with the black and gold/green color combination….)

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The Perkeo comes in a great selection of colors. I believe the bicolor models are being phased out in favor of solids, but hopefully they will bring them back.

We’ve begun stocking the full line of Kaweco Perkeos in our own shop. As you can see above, I chose the sharp-looking “All Black” model, which retails for $18 (the standard price). Kaweco has also started to release Kaweco Collection special editions in the Perkeo range, including last year’s “Infrared”. Like the Kaweco Sport line, the Perkeo can be customized with clips made especially for this pen (coming soon!), as well as a standard full-size international converter.

Thank you for reading! The Gentleman Stationer is supported by the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you’d like to visit our in-person location, you can view directions and up-to-date hours here.

Kaweco Sport Piston Filler: Initial Impressions of a Long-Awaited "Upgrade"!

Well, it's here! After years of speculation, and much anticipation, Kaweco has released the piston filler version of the Kaweco Sport. Rather than design a completely new pen, Kaweco adapted the existing AL Sport fountain pen by adding an integrated clip and, of course, the piston filler. What are my initial thoughts? Let's take a closer look.

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The pen ships in this commemorative tin, complete with a vintage-style bottle of ink.

Initial Impressions of the Design

From the moment you open the box, there's no confusing this pen with anything other than a modern Kaweco Sport fountain pen. As mentioned, the body design draws on the existing AL Sport line, though Kaweco has added the integrated clip from the current Art Sport lineup and the now-discontinued “Luxe” model. There's also a gold band at the blind cap, which you remove to access the piston mechanism.

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I’m sold on the integrated clip. It’s a matter of preference, but I was always a fan of the now-discontinued “Sport Luxe” pens that had this same look.

In terms of size, feel, and overall setup, you shouldn't notice much of a difference between the Sport Piston Filler and the existing AL Sport line. My red AL Sport shown below weighs 18g, and my 3/4 full Kaweco Sport Piston Filler weighs 24g. While the piston adds some weight, given the Sport's small size, I don't really notice it.

The pen posts nicely, and the ink window allows you to see how much ink you still have in reserve.

The biggest difference in the body is the vintage-style ink window, which allows you to see the ink level in the pen. The piston filler holds more ink than a cartridge, certainly holds more ink than the small Kaweco Sport “Mini” converter, and while it's not quite at eyedropper level, you don't have to deal with silicone grease, ink burping, and other considerations that pop up when you pour ink directly into the barrel.

Remove the blind cap to access the piston knob and refill the pen.

The piston design on this pen is a bit unique. You access the piston by removing the blind cap to reveal the piston knob. Why would Kaweco do this? I suspect it’s because nearly everyone posts the cap on the back of the Kaweco Sport as they write, and this design minimizes the risk of the piston accidentally engaging and expelling ink while writing.

Nib and Writing Experience

The first thing I noticed after inking up my medium piston Sport for the first time was how much the standard Kaweco nib benefitted from the increased ink flow the piston mechanism offered. Piston fillers often deliver a more consistent flow of ink to the nib and feed than cartridge/converter pens, which in turn makes the pen feel like a smoother writer. I find this effect more pronounced with smaller No. 4 and No. 5 nibs. Again, this is strictly a matter of personal preference, but the medium nib in the pen I chose for myself is excellent. (It's also possible that a higher degree of quality control went into the nibs on the $165 pen than goes into the standard $28 Sport. One would hope so.)

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The Kaweco Sport Piston Filler uses the same nib as the other Kaweco Sports, but the nib unit is different. My understanding is that Kaweco will start selling replacement nib units specific to this pen.

I won't write much more on the writing experience - I've previously reviewed multiple versions of the Kaweco Sport and the feel of this pen in the hand as you write isn't significantly different. You either like these smaller pens or you don't, and nothing about the filling system really changes that.

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"But I Like the Vintage One Better...."

Initial reactions to the Kaweco Sport Piston Filler have been mixed, not necessarily due to the pen itself but rather because nobody knew what to expect, with expectations all over the place. Some, frankly, were wildly unrealistic. (I'm not sure in what world people were expecting an inexpensive piston filling Kaweco fountain pen with a 14k gold nib, or an exact replica of vintage pens featuring materials that can’t be sourced.)

Keep in mind that the modern company we know as "Kaweco" is different from the legacy company that produced vintage “Sport” fountain pens. Much like "the new Esterbrook", the rights to the Kaweco name were acquired by a new manufacturer who began making modern pens inspired by the heritage designs.

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My vintage Kaweco Sport from the early 1970s (right) next to the modern pen. For a more fulsome comparison, check out this YouTube video, which includes writing samples.

I believe this context is important to understand because creating a piston filling Kaweco Sport is not as simple as "turning on the old machines". As with most vintage pens, the machines and tooling used to make the pens likely don't exist anymore - much less in workable condition - and the gold nibs and other materials used in the vintage manufacturing are either much more expensive or entirely unavailable to modern manufacturers. A piston-filling Kaweco Sport in a vintage-style body different from Kaweco's current lineup, featuring a 14k gold nib, would easily top $200, and I would probably pitch it closer to $300+.

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On the "Value Proposition" and Appreciating Trade-Offs

Now for some “market discussion”: There has been a lot of talk about the price point of the Kaweco Sport Piston Filler ($165), which many believe is too high. While the pen is certainly not inexpensive, I don’t see how a German-manufactured piston fountain pen from a mainline brand could cost less than $130 given the realities of the market. (At some point in the future, we might see some minor price drop on this pen as we did with the Art Sport, thus I’m calling $130 as the ultimate floor here even thought the price currently sits at $165 for the pen / $175 for the pen+ink set. A cheaper pen would almost certainly be a resin model.)

Will we see more colors of the Kaweco Sport Piston? Probably eventually, but not right away.

Does it represent "good value"? Frankly, I’m not sure how a piston-filling pocket fountain pen, styled in very specific manner, can even be viewed from a “value” perspective. I see this as a niche product that will likely appeal to a smaller number of people than something like a TWSBI demonstrator. The price reflects that. If what you're looking for is a durable pocket fountain pen with a decent nib that easy to refill and costs as little as $28, that already exists in the form of the standard Kaweco Sport. You can also purchase the AL Sport for $90, which is virtually identical to the piston filler (albeit with different trim and minus the integrated clip). Honestly, the price point here surprised me in a very different way from most people, as I was expecting $200+, especially after the $300+ Ebonite Sport release.

And, yes, if you really want a gold nib, and you prefer the vintage styling, those are very much available on the secondary market (an entirely different set of considerations unique to vintage pens and their maintenance).

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I'm enjoying the new Kaweco Sport. Like most Kaweco releases, the build quality feels high, and Kaweco has done a nice job translating the piston filling system to the existing AL Sport format. Because smaller nibs can sometimes be stingy with ink flow, the piston mechanism seems to vastly improves the writing experience for those who enjoy a wetter nib, and for this reason alone the Sport Piston Filler will likely become my default Kaweco for when I want to do a lot of actual writing, as opposed to quicker notetaking on the go.

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You can purchase the new Kaweco Sport Piston Filler at most Kaweco retailers, including directly from us via the T.G.S. Curated Shop. We currently stock the pen in a gift set that ships in a commemorative tin with a bottle of Kaweco Royal Blue ink for $175. The pen on its own sells for $165, and after this initial shipment Kaweco will begin stocking retailers with stand-alone pens. It will be interesting to see whether this takes off, with more colors available, or whether it remains a one-off in the overall lineup!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. We greatly appreciate your direct support!

Thursday Drops: New Kaweco, Kuru Togas, and Tombow Precision Erasers! [Plus An Updated Easter Sale]

While the big news from this week was the arrival of the Kaweco Collection “Apricot Pearl” fountain pen, we’ve also gradually been restocking many of our core brands, including Caran d’Ache, Craighill, and more! The Uni Kuru Toga Elite/Roulette is now available in a silver finish in addition to black, and we have a wide range of mechanical pencils, leadholders, and wood pencils you can choose from. We recently brought in the Blackwing line, featuring their excellent wood pencils and accessories such as sharpeners and pencil caps, as well as the Viarco pencils from Portugal. Happy Shopping!

The print blanket covers feature a unique natural rubber/cotton blend!

Update: Take an extra 10% off your order this weekend using the coupon code “SPRING” at checkout. The code is valid on most orders but due to brand restrictions must exclude Pilot, TWSBI, Roterfaden, Nahvalur, and Kakimori. Orders over $100 this weekend get extra TGS Swag, including one of our new extra-large holographic water bottle stickers! Also, we have two of the A4 Print Blanket Roterfadens remaining after the Arkansas Pen Show. Since I’m changing things up a bit, the next couple of restocks likely won’t include this particular design, so if you’ve been on the fence about these now’s your chance!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the TGS Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

1. Kaweco Sport Fountain Pen in Kaweco Collection “Apricot Pearl”. The new “Kaweco Collection” release hit shelves this past week, and we have this pearlescent orange pocket pen in stock for immediate shipment in nib sizes EF through BB. We also have the rest of the Kaweco Sport “Kaweco Collection” pens available for purchase, including the popular Olive.

2. Kaweco Art Sport Fountain Pens. The Art Sport collection features an integrated clip and turned resin, as opposed to the plastic on the standard Kaweco Sport. The four designs from this year’s release are all good, but after three months the Terrazzo remains my favorite. Read more here.

3. Uni Kuru Toga “Elite” Mechanical Pencil. We now offer the Kuru Toga “Elite” model (also known as the “Roulette”) in both black and silver finishes. The Roulette was my first Kuru Toga years ago.

4. Craighill Caro Keychain/Pocket Pen. As I mentioned in yesterday’s Arkansas Pen Show recap, people were picking up these little pocket pens all through the weekend. The keychain design allows you to keep your pen on you at all time, and the garter-spring cap closes securely. I’ve been carrying my pen for a couple of months now and have not personally had issues with it coming loose.

5. Caran d’Ache “Blue Lagoon” 849 Pen and Pencil Set. Gradient finishes are all the rage this year, and Caran d’Ache has released this cool blue/white/green 849 limited edition, which is sold only as a ballpoint/.7mm mechanical pencil set.

6. Nahvalur Nautilus Ruby Koi and Original Plus Matira Graphite / Lovina Quartz Special Edition Fountain Pens. We have remaining stock of both Nahvalur limited releases, and we’re down to our last couple of Ruby Koi pens! If you’ve been considering this one, I believe we have one gold nib and one steel.

7. E+M Clutch Pencils and Sharpeners. I’ve been really happy with the reception these E+M Clutch Pencils have received, as well as the stand-alone sharpeners capable of handling the wider 5.5 and 5.6mm leads.

8. Kaweco “Sketch Up” Clutch Pencils. For those who enjoy the faceted Kaweco Sketch Up, as well as the black and yellow “Softfeel” finish, we are restocked on all of the various colors, as well as the Kaweco refills.

9. Penco Prime Timber 2.0 Leadholder. Enjoy the functionality of a mechanical pencil but would prefer a thicker lead? This leadholder from Penco features a wood barrel with a click-to-advance mechanism.

10. Caran d’Ache Fixpencil. If you’re into leadholders, or merely looking for a starting point to test one out, the Caran d’Ache Fixpencil is a modern classic. We also have some remaining stock of the limited edition “Creative Nomad” set designed in collaboration with Swiss lettering artist Rylsee.

The new Kaweco Collection release is a light orange finish that’s both translucent and pearlescent!

New Arrivals: Kaweco Collection Sport in Apricot Pearl!

After a bit of a delay due to customs, our allocation of the 2024 Kaweco Collection Sport fountain pens has arrived! This year’s color is “Apricot Pearl,” a muted orange with a translucent, pearlescent finish. Each pen ships with a cartridge of Kaweco Sunset Orange ink. The Apricot Pearl Sports are currently available for purchase, in nib sizes EF through BB.

Kaweco continues to sell the Kaweco Collection releases from prior years, and if orange isn’t your thing, we have plenty of these muted pastel Sports available. We also recently received a restock of the 2024 Kaweco Art Sport releases, which were a huge hit at this past weekend’s Arkansas Pen Show. People couldn’t get over the feel of the turned resin as opposed to the standard plastic on the Sport - it has a lot of warmth to it. Happy Shopping!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of Kaweco Pens.