Koweco AL Sport (Thoughts?

Is this a good pen to start out with? I've read good reviews, but would like to hear from some of you. I would be using this for signature use, note taking & journal entries. That said, what is a good nib selection for those uses? Please let me know your thoughts. Any other suggestions for a good quality starter welcome.

Thanks

I have an M nib on mine, and I enjoy using it for all of the purposes you mention.

Well that's a positive start. Thanks.

I've heard good things about it... Ton of positive reviews on Jetpen. Never tried it as I favor Pilots though.

I have an EF nib and it's just about right. An M would be too much for me. No complaints about performance.

I carry it in my pocket sometimes when I'm out and about, but for use at home I prefer a full sized pen. It's not that it doesn't fit in my hand when posted, it's just not what I'm used to. But it might be fine for everyday use if you're not used to something else.

PS - Just noticed that you were talking about the AL Sport. I have a plastic Skyline Sport.

It's an excellent pen but it's small. More suited as a stick it in your pants pocket pen rather than something for taking notes at a meeting or lecture.

A great pen, I have a couple of the regular (plastic) Kaweco Sports. Really like the EF nib.

Word of warning, if you go with the AL sport, don't eyedropper it. The ink reacts with the metal....

Snargle said:

It's an excellent pen but it's small. More suited as a stick it in your pants pocket pen rather than something for taking notes at a meeting or lecture.

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Good advice here. It's small, not what I'd call a signature pen or something you'd use regularly at your desk.

I have several, but regular/ice sport pens (plastic) not aluminium. I have them all eyedroppered, which you can't do with the AL Sport due to the metal body. That said ...

... great pen, great nib.

... small. Small hands don't mind at all. Guys with big meat-hooks might do best to avoid.

... the add-on clip never really appealed to me. It's very stiff, and the amound of force needed to slide the pen/clip on and off a pocket is a bit more than the force needed to slide the clip on and off the pen itself. (No problem at all if you don't want the clip.)



IMHO, the carts for the Kaweco are very small and not practical ... but if you eyedropper the plastic sports, you get a lot of ink and the pen becomes a beast.

I've always liked the weight of the AL sport but for that price point it just never felt worth it over the plastic version. A round the same price I would vote for a TWSBI 580 AL or at a little higher a pilot VP Decimo or Sailor pro gear slim from a Japanese retailer on Ebay. I tend to favor slim pens with extra fine nibs but a f or m would work well.

Andy said:

A great pen, I have a couple of the regular (plastic) Kaweco Sports. Really like the EF nib.

Word of warning, if you go with the AL sport, don't eyedropper it. The ink reacts with the metal....

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Can you expand on "eyedropper it" for me? I'm not sure what that means or what you would do it for. I'm new to this and what to get the right first pen. Thanks.

dwsteen said:

Can you expand on "eyedropper it" for me? I'm not sure what that means or what you would do it for. I'm new to this and what to get the right first pen. Thanks.

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This link explains it pretty well: https://wonderpens.wordpress.com/2013/05/11/kaweco-sport-eyedropper-conversion-a-how-to/

I've done it... I've entered the nib world. Too much positive and not enough negative. Black AL Sport en route. I bought a pocket clip and a couple ink packs to go with it. No plans on eyedropping it, now that I know what that is. Thanks for the heads up on that one.

Looking forward to mail day!

dwsteen said:

I've done it... I've entered the nib world. Too much positive and not enough negative. Black AL Sport en route. I bought a pocket clip and a couple ink packs to go with it. No plans on eyedropping it, now that I know what that is. Thanks for the heads up on that one.

Looking forward to mail day!

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Congrats! What nib size did you get? Keep in mind that the Kaweco nibs are inexpensive and easily changeable, so if you don't love one nib, it's simple to try a different size.

Thanks all. Your recommendations and cautions have all been taken on board.

Snargle said:

Congrats! What nib size did you get? Keep in mind that the Kaweco nibs are inexpensive and easily changeable, so if you don't love one nib, it's simple to try a different size.

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Thanks! I figured Medium was a good starting point. I like bold, but not too bold.

Its a short length pen which you will have to necessarily post. Also check if you're getting a pocket clip with it.

The medium nib is as with most western nibs a true medium and wet nib. Very impressive writing but needs time to dry.

Congrats on the purchase! I hope you enjoy yours as well as I do mine.

I have the gray AL Sport with a M nib as well. When you first see the pen you may be a bit surprised at how small it is when capped. I know I was. However, when posted, it is a very nice length for writing. FWIW, I'm a 6' guy with above average sized hands, and as I said, its size works very well for me.

Mail day!

Looks great!