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.
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.
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.)
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.
"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.
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+.
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.
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!
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