introducing the kaweco skyline classic sport mint EF

So, a few weeks' ago, I talked about the Pilot Kakuno and Lamy Safari and now, I want to talk about another fountain pen: the Kaweco Skyline Classic Sport. I'll confess, I was never the biggest fountain pen fan but the Lamy Safari changed that in early-2013. The Pilot Kakuno only reinforced this new-found love of fountain pens.

The Kaweco Skyline Classic Sport was a pen that had been on my want list for a long time and when revision time came around, I decided to treat myself to it (and because I'd just finished a super stressful surgery placement). I'm glad I did - Tiger Pens' service has been nothing short of excellent as the first pen I received had a nib that didn't write very well and they offered me a prompt exchange.

I chose the extra fine nib because I've grown an affinity to a fine line over the last two years. My Lamy Safari also has an extra fine nib but it is still a bit too thick for me (although it is ideal for those high speed revision scrawlings) but my Pilot Kakuno fine is perfect. Having done some research online, I've since found out that Japanese fountain pens do tend to have finer nibs which explains why a fine Kakuno writes finer than an extra fine Lamy.

As a fairly new user of fountain pens, I only use cartridges supplied by the respective companies because I can't be doing with converters and bottled ink at the moment - I just don't have the funds or time (read: patience) at the moment.

So, onto the business end of this blog post: the actual review. The Kaweco is a lovely petite pen that is light and well designed. I opted to purchase the pen clip too and chose the silver version. Because of it's size, I find it easier to use when it has its cap on. This not only adds some much needed length, it also helps balances out the pen's (minuscule) weight.

My nib writes perfectly and the ink doesn't skip. It is smooth and glides wonderfully over even the roughest of paper without any hint of scratchiness. In terms of price, I paid £17.99 for this pen and I think that's perfectly reasonable for an entry-level fountain pen although it isn't as cheap as the Pilot Kakuno (which I think writes a fair bit smoother). Also, I find that the cartridges don't last as long as the Lamy or Pilot ones.

Overall, I would give this pen a 7.5/10 based on its affordability, design and nib. I'm still not a total fountain pen convert but these entry level ones suit me so well that I can't ever imagine myself paying more than £20 for a fountain pen in the future.

And just as a side note, I paid for this pen myself.