(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!.)
I am a fan of pocket pens, and especially the Kaweco Sport and AL Sport. But I never really wanted to get a Liliput before. Maybe it was the diminutive size, maybe it was the very rounded ends (I have a preference for #teamflattop), I don’t know, but I was never really eager to get my hands on one. Until now. When Kaweco announced their new Spring releases, I finally saw a Liliput I had to have … or at least try out!
Earlier this year, along with the Iridescent Pearl Sport and Turquoise cartridge holder, Kaweco released a new color for the Liliput, Green (this is the most creative name they could come up with?). It comes in a Kaweco metal tin with a bright, spring green sleeve, labeled “Kaweco Collection”. The top of the Liliput cap also has “Kaweco Collection” written in white.
True to its name, the Liliput is a very small pen. The body is shorter than its Sport counterpart, the cap is also shorter, and the whole pen, but the grip section in particular, is also narrower. When posted, it is closer in length to the capped Sport, and even to a Schon Dsgn Pocket 6. The latter’s Jowo 6 nib makes it feel noticeably longer/bigger during writing. The Liliput’s cap screws to the end of the barrel for posting, as does the Pocket 6.
Schon Pocket 6 (in Dagobah), Kaweco Liliput Green and Paladin Evergreen AL Sport. You can see that the Liliput is a brighter spring green compared to the AL Sport.
I was surprised how similar in size the Liliput was to the Pocket 6 when uncapped.
I’m one of those crazy people who uses their Kaweco Sports unposted but I wasn’t sure if I would be able to do so with the Liliput. Turns out, I can, but it does feel weird after a while, like I’m writing with a golf pencil.
The Liliput is meant to be used with cartridges only but I thought I’d see if the mini piston converter was usable. As you can see, more than half of the piston is pushed in as soon as you screw the barrel all the way down. This was about the perfect amount to prime the feed with, so that’s what I ended up doing.
Like the AL Sport, the nib unit is screwed in, making nib unit swaps easy. The Liliput uses the same nib units as the AL Sport and the same nib/feed as the plastic Sports. As such, I’m not going to spend any time talking about the nib/feed/etc as that has been covered in past reviews. I have a broad nib and it wrote perfectly out of the box when inked up with Papier Plume Marina Green ink, from the 2019 SF Pen Show.
Writing sample on Clairefontaine Triomphe 90gsm.
The Kaweco Liliput is a very convenient pen due to its small size, but its very slim grip may be uncomfortable for folks who prefer a larger section. It’s great for taking short notes, but screwing/unscrewing the cap for posting makes it a bit less convenient for frequent capping. Would I buy another? Probably not, unless it came in a must-have color (anyone know where I can get my hands on the purple one that came out years ago??). With a retail price of $60, it’s not too pricey for a metal pen and I’m glad I now have one, but I would much rather reach for my acrylic and AL Sports, and Pocket 6s.
(Disclaimer: All of the pens in this review were purchased by me. No compensation was given by any vendor or brand for inclusion in this review.)
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