Kaweco + Kakimori = Perfect Swatching Tool!

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

When I wrote this article on ink swatching over two years ago, I was using a glass dip pen, the back end of a plastic paintbrush, and a ruling pen for my swatching. Since then, I traded the glass dip pen for a Kakimori stainless steel dip nib and a few months ago, I recalled seeing an IG story where someone used a Kaweco SketchUp clutch pencil to hold their Kakimori dip nib and I knew I had to try it.

I bought a Kaweco SketchUp 5.6mm clutch pencil in Chrome on eBay, though you can find them from a variety of vendors including JetPens. Kaweco also makes the clutch pencil in 3.2 mm, so be sure to get it in the 5.6mm size as that is the one that can fit the nib.

The Kaweco SketchUp 5.6mm clutch pencil in Chrome.

Replaced the lead with the Kakimori steel dip nib.

For the past 4 months, I have been using it as my go-to for writing samples on swatch cards as well as making the lined swatches in my Endless Recorder. I had forgotten my trusty paintbrush when traveling for the holidays, so I used it to do the Col-O-Ring swatches too. Here are some things discovered:

1. It is SO easy to clean the Kaweco + Kakimori! I don’t swish my Kakimori (because I don’t want it in dirty water), but I could swish if I wanted to and wipe it clean afterwards. Instead, I use a syringe at my desk to clean the nib into a dirty cup. I don’t have to worry about getting it onto the clutch mechanism since it is chrome-plated brass, and I can easily release the nib further if ink got past the clutch.

2. The pencil’s clutch mechanism along with the long parallel sides of the nib makes it easy to adjust the Kakimori nib to be further in or out. Just don’t push it too far in because it could get stuck (you’d have to push the nib from the other end but it could potentially scratch/damage the sides of the nib).

3. The clutch pencil is very sturdy and hefty without being overly heavy. It has a nice weight to it 1.56 oz/44.16 g) and I know it could withstand being dropped on the floor, though my hardwood floors might not appreciate that. Since I’m only using it for a few moments at a time, the weight isn’t something I really notice. That said, if you don’t want a nib holder that’s on the heavier side, you might prefer something lighter like this Tachikawa T-40 nib holder which also has the added of bonus of a cap to protect the nib. I have a similar Tachikawa holder without the cap for the brass Kakimori and that one weighs 0.39 oz/11.04 g with the nib. Kaweco also has the SketchUp 5.6 mm in other materials, like acrylic, which is lighter than the metal ones; they just aren’t as easy to find.

Kaweco SketchUp in Chrome and Brown Acrylic (note that the button is depressed further on the Chrome because the clutch is opened further to fit the nib.)

4. Relatively inexpensive - Considering the heft and clutch mechanism, the clutch pencil is pretty affordable and retails for ~$40-45 depending on finish. The aluminum nib holder from Kakimori, on the other hand, goes for $72. Of course, you can also buy nib holders that are much less expensive, like the Tachikawa above, but they also won’t feel the same as the clutch pencil.

5. I prefer the compact size of the Kaweco clutch pencil since other nib holders tend to be much longer. It fits easily in my pen accessories pouch which I take to meetups.

Here’s the clutch pencil next to a Kaweco AL Sport (The Little Witch) for comparison.

6. You can “scratch” the paper when making swatches if you are using the tip (as opposed to the sides), especially if you go back and forth too quickly. Normally, I would say this isn’t because of the nib holder, but I think it happened more with the clutch pencil because the weight of it naturally put more pressure on the nib. I noticed this more if I didn’t change my writing angle while swatching. I have to remember to use the sides of the nib more when doing so, but it’s great for making clean lines for smaller swatches. Also, I can end up with a lot more ink than I want, so I’ve gone back to using the back end of a paintbrush for larger areas so the ink isn’t as concentrated.

Compare the relatively straight lines from the Kakimori (left) vs back of a paintbrush (yes, I am VERY backlogged with swatching.)

It is a little exaggerated here but you can see the scratchy lines that were pretty easy to make when using the tip of the nib to swatch the ink.

Swatching lines of ink (like Robert Oster’s Romeo & Juliet) is easy with the Kakimori.

I don’t remember exactly whose bright idea it was to share this combination on IG, but I thank them for it because both the pencil and nib have held up quite nicely. Now to keep working on my swatching backlog!

(Disclaimer: All items in this article were purchased by me.)

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Kaweco Perkeo Infrared Fountain Pen Review

The Kaweco Perkeo is one of the best starter fountain pens on the market. At $18, it provides a great bang for the buck, and adds fun colors that break the traditional fountain pen mold. That combination of price, functionality, and style is right on the mark, so why would you add $11 to that total and spend $29 on what is ostensibly the same pen?

Have you seen the Kaweco Perkeo Infrared? Throwswalletatcomputerscreen

Kaweco excels at making stationery fun, and the Infrared, at least for me, is funner than most. I’d like to think that if I were given a day in the Kaweco laboratory that this is exactly what I would come up with.

From an aesthetic perspective, it is completely off the charts. The red, almost hot pink, translucent faceted plastic barrel and cap are stunning, with subtle silver lettering on the cap, and a small finial on top. The clear feed underneath the silver plated nib is the final piece of this awesomeness pie, allowing you to see the ink in action.

The only nib options for the limited edition Infrared are Fine and Medium, so of course I chose the narrower of the two. The nib and ink flow have been great, at least on my second go around.

What happened the first time? I discovered that shimmer ink and smaller, #5-sized nibs and feeds, are a questionable combination.

As a somewhat regular user of shimmer ink, I do consider what pens I use them in. When I ordered this pen from Vanness Pens, I added in a bottle of their amazing Robert Oster Shake & Shimmer Free Spirit Ink, which I thought would be a perfect compliment to the Infrared. I was right, except it didn’t flow well. I’m so used to never having any shimmer ink issues that I didn’t even consider the smaller nib and feed area for the ink to flow through, but it was a definite roadblock, and a lesson learned.

The shimmer ink cleaned out flawlessly, and I re-inked it with the equally as bright Robert Oster Blue Lagoon. That’s more like it. The ink flowed through the feed and out the nib perfectly, and the Fine nib was firm and controllable.

There is a ridge inside the barrel that lines up on the last turn to “lock” into place with the notch above the section threads.

The Perkeo barrel itself is lightweight, and comfortable to hold. Like many starter pens, the grip section is molded in such a way to promote a traditional grip, so that could be a problem for some. The cap snaps on and off firmly, so there are no threads to unscrew. The barrel does have threads, and a unique “lock” section to keep it from twisting apart easily. Sounds like a great every day carry setup to me.

Postable, if needed.

That’s what I think of the Kaweco Perkeo as a whole. It’s a great starter pen, while offering enough quality and performance for experienced users to add to their regular rotation.

As I mentioned above, at $29 it is $11 more than the standard Perkeo for no difference other than the unique limited colorway. And neither model ships with a standard international converter, only short Kaweco cartridges. That’s a large price jump that’s absolutely not worth it if you aren’t in love with the color like I am. And honestly, it surprised me that Kaweco priced it as such. That clearly didn’t stop me, and I’ll definitely be getting my money’s worth from it.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Kaweco Original Fountain Pen with 250 Nib Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

There's no denying how prevalent the design of the Kaweco Sport is in the stationery world. There are several different models of the Sport that all feature the same faceted barrel and minimal style. It's a thing of beauty, and I'd bet that most fountain pen fans have at least one in their collection. But what if you're not a huge fan of the pocket pen size, the lack of a clip, or the small nib that comes on the Sport models? In that case, the Kaweco Original Fountain Pen is meant for you.

The Kaweco Original is a modern take on a classic design that looks like a Sport model has been stretched a bit to a more standard length. Oh, and it has a clip built in to the cap. The chrome accents against the matte black body are classic Kaweco all the way, and those facets on the body and cap remind you of all the Kaweco Sport models that came before it.

The branding on the pen is normal for Kaweco; there's a "Kaweco Original Germany" stamped on the side of the body, "Kaweco" is stamped into the clip, and the top finial has the traditional "Kaweco" split into three parts in a circle pattern. This is all standard for all of Kaweco's pens (as long as the pen also has a clip. The nib also features the round logo stamp along with a nib size indicator and some minimal scroll work around the edge of the nib shoulders. All of this is right in line with all the other pens in Kaweco's lineup.

Aside from the additional length, there's one other major difference with this pen compared to other Kaweco pens — the nib size. Most Kaweco pens comes with their 060 size steel nib, which is the smaller sized nib that fits the Sport models quite well. The 250 nib size on this pen is quite a bit larger, but fits the longer and wider body perfectly. I've seen this nib on the Supra, and I know a couple other models come with it, but it's still somewhat hard to find on Kaweco pens. It's a $25 upcharge, but I think it's totally worth it. The nib was buttery smooth out of the box, and the writing experience is great. I've taken to writing without posting the cap since there's a good balance with just the pen body due to the extra length.

Another thing that the longer body affords us is the ability to use a standard size cartridge converter! Another rarity with many Kaweco models, you will have no problems popping a standard converter in here to use your favorite inks. I opted for a Kaweco cartridge this time around, but I tested the fit with a converter to be sure. I've tried all the small Kaweco converter, and they either don't work well, don't hold enough ink to be worth the hassle, or they're just fiddly and unreliable compared to cartridges. Being able to use a standard converter is fantastic. I just wish Kaweco included one in the box at this price.

The Kaweco Original with the larger 250 nib comes in a $125 (the smaller 060 variant is $105.50). The Kaweco AL Sport starts at around $76, and I think the Original is fairly priced given the additional body length, the larger cap and clip, and then of course the large 250 nib. You can save a few bucks with the 060 model, but I'd strongly urge you to go with the large 250. It's perfect on this pen.

You can pick one of these up with an EF, F, M, or B nib in either the 250 or 060 nib size, but matte black with chrome trim is the only color option. If you enjoy the timeless design of the Kaweco Sport but want a little longer body, this is the pen made for you!

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!