The depth and breadth of my fountain pen collection is small, but growing. For the past year or so, one of my favorite fountain pens has been the grey body Kaweco AL Sport. It is a beautifully designed pen with a smooth nib and portable build. I came into the black body version of this pen recently at work so I thought I would quickly compare the two.
The build and nib size are obviously identical, so if you want to read more about those things please check out my original review. There is a difference in the barrel finish though, which made it difficult to pick a favorite.
The grey AL Sport, which I have used for a while, has a smooth finish, while the black has what I would call a satin finish. I wouldn’t say it is a matte finish - it is not that rough - but there is definitely an audible sound when you run your finger across the barrel. With the grey, there is no sound at all.
It may seem nitpicky to compare these two pens on barrel finish alone, but I want readers to know that there is a difference, especially if you are considering spending this much money on a pen. Gun to my head, I prefer the smooth finish of the grey, but man, the black is a real looker.
Decisions, decisions.
