Review: Kaweco Supra Fountain Pen @AppelboomLaren

Kaweco produced its first Liliput from ebonite in 1910. The Liliput models we are more familiar with now (most likely) are the metal versions - aluminum, copper, brass, and the Fireblue (super cool). The Supra is larger; thicker and longer, with the 2.5 cm extension in place, than the Liliput. It can be a pocket fountain pen, or a full size one!

ABOUT

Body Material: Brass
Trim: None
Nib material: Steel
Nibs available: EF, F, M, B, BB
Nib size: #6
Cap: Threaded
Posts: Yes, threaded

WITH EXTENSION
Length (capped): 129.6 mm/5.10''
Length (uncapped nib-end): 124.3 mm/04.89''
Length (posted): 163.8 mm/6.34''
Barrel Diameter: 11.6 - 12.4 mm/0.46'' - 0.48''
Section Diameter: 9.7 - 10.4 mm/0.38'' - 0.41''
Weight (all): 50 g
Weight (cap): 10 g
Weight (body): 40 g

WITHOUT EXTENSION
Length (capped): 99.2 mm/3.90''
Length (uncapped nib-end): 94.0 mm/3.70''
Length (posted): 133.6 mm/5.26''
Barrel Diameter: 11.6 mm/0.46''
Section Diameter: 9.7 - 10.4 mm/0.38'' - 0.41''
Weight (all): 38 g
Weight (cap): 10 g
Weight (body): 28 g

Fill type: Cartridge/Converter
Price: €95,00 (Excluding VAT outside the EU: €78,51)
Where to buy:

Appelboom

 Discount code for 10% off: 'friend' (excludes Montblanc)

PACKAGING

I like Kaweco's tin packaging. This larger metal tin is decorated with a Kaweco fountain pen and the Kaweco logo. Inside, the pen sits in a felt lined plastic bed. There is also a small pamphlet with details of your pen, including the warranty information. I really like these tins because they are sturdy, not excessively large - especially considering the size of the pen, and they can be reused.

How can you reuse it? Store more pens in it. Paperclips. Pencil shavings. Jewelry. Cables. Earphones - the small ear bud kinds. Ink cartridges. Converters. Spare nibs. Batteries. Mini poems on tiny pieces of paper.

APPEARANCE

The Supra resembles the regular Liliput in its shape - it has a round cap and barrel, and rounded off ends. The finial is laser engraved with the Kaweo logo. The upper side of the cap is also laser engraved with Kaweco Supra Germany in a small, tasteful script. It's subtle and I like it. The end of the barrel has threads for posting the cap. The section is short, but relative to the size of the pen without the section, it looks good. When posted, it only looks a little small. The cap threads are located at the end of the section.

The barrel is made of two parts: the removable 2.5 cm extension, and the back end. The extension is ever so slightly wider than the barrel, but sits flush with the cap when it is capped. The extension screws on to the back of the section, and the back of the barrel screws into the back of the extension. If you remove the extension, the back of the barrel has threads inside the barrel to thread on to the section. Capped, it's almost flush with the cap.

Upon arrival, this all brass pen was shiny and bright. The pen is developing a patina now - not as fast as with my experience with copper pens, and not as obviously either. The material darkens a little, so if you like patina but not a huge amount, a brass pen is nice for that.

Overall, the pen looks pretty cool. It's what I like about the Liliput, in a bigger size. The slight difference in the cap/extension diameter compared to the back of the barrel can be seen, but I think it looks okay enough. Of course, it would have looked really cool if it was flush.

NIB & PERFORMANCE

This nib is one of my favorite things about this pen. It's a #6 steel Bock nib in fine. It has a single slit and a round breather hole, and it is engraved with some flourishes, the nib size (F), and the Kaweco logo. I like the look of the #6 nib more than the #5 nibs - it looks less busy as it is larger. It also looks really good, size-wise, for the size of the pen itself.

The fine nib writes well - it is fine and, as is often the case with Kaweco nibs, it writes on the dry side. It does not skip or hard start. I thought that, given it is a dry writer, that it would dry out during longer writing sessions, but it didn't! Drying times are very fast, so I think for an everyday writer/pocket organizer/pen/pocket pen/crappy paper pen, this is a great choice. The nib and feed keep up well with fast writing, and the pen passes the free weight test easily.

This is a very stiff nib, so even with a fair amount of pressure, a tiny bit of line variation can be squeezed out. Nothing to write home about, because it pretty much breaks my hand to see any change in the nib, so I fear for the nib's life. Pressure applied is a waste.

I've had mixed experiences with Kaweco nibs, although the negative ones have been easy to fix, but this one is very decent. I like my pens to write much wetter, but it performs reliably enough.

IN HAND

There is no clip on this pen. I tried to put a Kaweco Sport clip on but it doesn't fit.

The section threads are metal, so they do feel a bit sharp to the touch. There is a slight indent to the section, and it ends in a ridge. The ridge is a bit sharp to the touch, but only if your fingers wrap around the edges. The brass is ever so slightly tacky, so the section does not feel slippery.

WITHOUT EXTENSION

WITH EXTENSION

Unposted, with the extension in place, the pen is heavy, but feels really solid and robust. It is perfectly balanced like this. The cap posts by threading it on to the back of the barrel, which is very secure, but I always take longer than I would like to actually get the tiny threads to line up. When posted, the pen feels a little long for me, and the weight and balance leans towards the front. To find a comfortable grip, I have to hold higher up on the section - right on the threads. As such, I prefer the extended pen unposted.

WITHOUT EXTENSION

WITH EXTENSION

In the collapsed form, the pen is almost too short to use if it's not posted. I'm just going to ignore the comfort (or lack of) comfort in this set up. It works for a quick note, but probably not for those with larger hands. Posted, the pen is well-balanced and feels decent. My favorite conformation is unposted, with the extension in place. Both the cap and extension cal roll though, so keep an eye on them.

Let's not forget this is a brass pen, so the pen smells like metal, and that smell can (and will) transfer to your hand. Not good for those who hate the smell of metal.

PROS & CONS

OVERALL

The Supra has some good stuff going for it: #6 nib (this one writes well), a pen you can adjust a little, a really solid, robust pen, and a cool model. I think it's a better deal and a cooler pen than the Brass Sport, especially because you can fit a full-size converter in it when it's extended.

Nothing makes me dislike the pen so much that it gives me a no feeling. The practicality of the set up you would want to use it in should be considered, because inserting and removing the extension would mean you would have the round extension (and possibly an unposted cap) to keep an eye on.

This pen in the Fireblue finish would be Supra cool.

I received this pen free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion. There are no affiliate links in this review.