Hombre x Kaweco Edition Pen and Pencil Set Review

A funny thing happened on the way to this review.

I’ve had my Hombre x Kaweco Edition set for months now, using and enjoying both the AL Sport Gel Roller and Special S Series mechanical pencil (more on them in a moment) that are part of this collaboration. When it came time for me to type up this review, I went to grab the product link to insert into this article, and noticed something strange. The price of this set, directly from Kaweco (where I bought mine) has increased drastically.

I had it in my head that I paid around $90 for the set, and now I’m seeing it listed at 123.75€, or approximately $150. Is my memory failing me? That’s always a valid thought, but in this case, it wasn’t. I paid 85€ ($103) for this set in August 2020:

So what gives? I have no idea, but I sent Kaweco an email to see if something changed. I do know that it recalibrates some of the thoughts I have around this product.

(Update: There are many Country settings, language setting, and VAT setting to get set in your website cookies, so make sure you are seeing the 99 Euro version of the pen if you are interested in it.)

Let’s get one thing out of the way up front: This is a charity-focused product. All proceeds from these 500 sets go to a children’s hospital in Germany, and will help to build a school in Kenya. Raise all the money you can! But, maybe along the way, clean up the product copy a little bit:

But enough about the pricing - for now - let’s talk about the product itself.

Pablo Fontagnier, aka Hombre, is a graffiti/street artist after my own heart. His art style is wonderful, with colorful, clean, and poignant works, made to scale from a computer screen to the wall of a warehouse. 25 years in the game have earned him a reputation to match the name. And this collaboration with Kaweco came out great.

The product packaging is traditional Kaweco, with the full-on Hombre treatment. The black tin features the HOMBRE tag, which is housed in a paper sheath of Hombre artwork, and the hand-numbered serial number of the set. Both the pen and pencil feature the Hombre logo etched in white on the black base of each barrel. A+ on packaging and presentation across the board.

The pen is the classic Kaweco AL Sport Gel Roller, in a black satin finish, with an 0.7 mm Parker style (international G2) black gel ink refill. I adore this pen, and it is the main reason I made this purchase. I didn’t own a Kaweco gel roller pen prior to this one, and this one matches my style to a tee. I will mention that when writing, there is a little tip rattle from the metal on metal contact between the refill and barrel, but not enough to be a real problem.

If you have used any pocket Kaweco fountain pen, then you know the size of this model. It is small and pocketable when capped, and when in use, extends to a full-length writing instrument.

If it is love for me and the AL Sport Gel, it is only like for me and what is the Kaweco Special S 2.0 mm Push Pencil in this set. I love the idea of this pencil, and the aesthetics are spot-on, but this is a mini Kaweco that in unable to transition into full-length for writing. It is great for freehand sketching and art, so maybe it really is perfect for this set, but for regular writing, it just isn’t long enough for extended sessions.

I may shop around for 2.0 mm graphite with a little more texture to see if that works better for me. The graphite included with the pencil has a slight clay feel to it, which is used to help bind the material into the sticks that we use as refills. I prefer ones that are more scratchy than glassy, which is what this one is.

Still, I’m not sure I can work with the shorter length of the pencil in the long term, not to mention having to hunt down a sharpener (not included) if I want to put a point on it. Again, if you treat this as an art pencil, I think you will be happy.

So, is it worth it? Heck yes - at the original price I paid for it. If bought separately, the pen is around $60, the pencil around $40. Add in nice barrel etching, great packaging, and all the proceeds going to charity? It’s fantastic. At $150? Maybe I wouldn’t have been so quick to pull the trigger, especially if I’m not certain how much use I will get from the pencil. If it settles back down to the $120 as listed in the website copy, I think that is completely fair, and would recommend it if it fits your needs.

(I purchased this pen at full price from Kaweco Germany.)

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Left-Handed Pencils

Did you know there was such a thing?

It seems that many of you had no idea. Neither did I until a few years ago, when I saw a pencil in my right hand with the text printed upside down. Yes, it is that simple. The legible orientation of a pencils stamping determines its “handedness.” Pretty cool, right?

Well, except if you actually are left-handed and would like a pencil to not look backwards in your hand. Lefties comprise approximately 10% of the worldwide population, but only a fraction of one percent in my admittedly unscientific study of the pencils in my collection.

Last week, I pulled out well over 100 pencils from the Closet of Doom, and came away with one, ONE, pencil that was stamped for a left-handed writer. Do you know why? Because it came from Write Notepads. And Chris Rothe, owner of Write Notepads, is left-handed and wants his pencils to look correct when he uses them, darn it!

With one in every 10 possible pencil users writing from the left side, wouldn’t you think pencil manufacturers would cater to them a little more? Say, 10% of their production to left-handed barrel stamping? Or, stamp the opposite side of the barrel with the opposite oriented markings, making each pencil correct for every user?

Or, is this some type of Big Pencil conspiracy?

Look, I’m not here to pretend I’m a lifelong lefty and have gone through all of the challenges lefties go through. But, I’ve been an honorary lefty for two months now, and there is more left-handed writing in my future, for at least another month or two. I want my pencils to look just as cool in my left hand as they do in my right!

Is 10% of production too much for you, Blackwing? Is the squeeze not worth the juice, Musgrave? How about you, Tombow? Set yourself apart from the competition in this area!

It’s time for pencil manufacturers to get right, and start making pencils for their left-handed fans.

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My Favorite Pencils for Left-Handed Writing

I wasn’t sure there would be any benefit to my newfound left-handed reliance. That’s a close-minded way of thinking, and I gave myself a good shake last week to not let this temporary setback affect my curiosity. Why not embrace the situation, and figure out what makes me smile?

As it turns out, it was a group of stationery that normally doesn’t work for my right-handedness. That group? Softer and darker wooden pencils, such as those found on the B side of the graphite grading scale.

Normally, anything 2B or softer finds its way to the back of my stash. I prefer writing with firm, fine, long-lasting cores, and don’t mind the lighter marks they leave. But that was my right-handed style. Assuming that same style would work when the script was flipped was a mistake.

I’m not sure what made me pick up the Blackwing MMX (Proper name: Blackwing Matte) to test out, but it was a revelation. A pencil core that has traditionally been my least favorite Blackwing core is now my favorite. What gives?

When writing left—handed I’ve discovered that I hold the pencil with a much lighter grip. There is some force behind it, but nowhere near the vise grip surrounding my right-handed writing instruments.

Also, with the softer core, I get a bit of an angle on the tip when writing. That helps with my letter shapes, which still retain the block print style of my normal writing. Unlike the rigidity of a fountain pen stub or cursive italic nib, this edge remains pliable enough to not fight against my strokes, while maintaining character not found with a round-tipped rollerball pen, for example.

The MMX revelation led me to dig into my pencil stash to see what else I have been missing. Here are a few favorites:

Tombow Mono KM-KKS 4B: I’ve raved about this pencil before, but within a drawing/sketching context more than a writing context. It has a smoother, less gritty feel than the MMX, but that’s not to say the MMX is gritty. It’s more that the KM-KKS is viciously smooth. It’s also the best looking pencil of this bunch.

Caran d’Ache Grafwood 2B: I’ve found 4B to be the top of my preferred left-handed writing range, and 2B to be the bottom. Well, except for the next two pencils I’ll mention - for good reasons! The Grafwood has a slightly wider diameter than Blackwings, as well as a slightly wider core. Both of those features have proven beneficial to my left-handed writing.

Musgrave Tennessee Red: I’ve mentioned before that while I found the Tennessee Red to be a beautiful pencil, the core was too soft for me. Well, that softness makes it ideal for me now. Listed as a standard #2/HB core, it is softer and darker than most other HB cores I put it up against.

Ticoneroga Laddie: What is even happening here? I would have never tried the Laddie if a friend didn’t send me one, and I’ll be darned if it isn’t a great pencil. It’s a combination of the three pencils above - the thick core of the KM-KKS, the intermediate barrel diameter of the Grafwood, and the softer/darker than normal #2/HB graphite of the Tennessee Red. That makes it a real joy to write with.

I tested many more pencils than these thinking I might find a few other options, but in the end something about them didn’t work. For example, I thought jumbo pencils with soft cores would be a good choice, but they were too wide. They are a better fit for my casted right hand and pincher grip. Cores softer than 4B failed as well. There were diminishing returns the softer I went, as I couldn’t control the lines as well.

2B to 4B, minus a couple of exceptions, are the pencils I need to be using right now. The Blackwing MMX will continue to dominate my usage, and I look forward to continuing my test for the next several weeks.

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