Tuesday, June 20, 2017

KAWECO ICE SPORT BLACK FOUNTAIN PEN REVIEW

Kaweco Ice Sport fountain pen review
During the past year, the release of the über-cool Kaweco Supra (reviewed here) clearly dominated their product lineup when it comes to media attention and reviews. But they haven't exactly been sitting still when it comes to their other product, especially the 'Sport' line of pocket pens. A couple new colorways were released, spread across some of the different finishes (Ice sport, Al sport, AC sport,...), further diversifying the already immense variety of finishes and colors you can choose from.
Kaweco Ice Sport fountain pen review
The one I was most excited about is the new black Ice Sport. The brightly colored Ice Sport pens are nice, but I had been hoping for a more subtle version for quite a while. With the smokey transparent black colorway, they added a stylish, modern and subtle version to the Ice Sport collection, it's definitely one of my favourite colours within their offerings at the moment!
Kaweco Ice Sport fountain pen review
The cool thing about the Ice sport is that the barrel of the pen is made out of clear plastic, and the rest of the pen is translucent. There are no metal parts, which means it can be converted into an eyedropper quite easily.
Kaweco Ice Sport fountain pen review
Eyedropper pens used to be a thing from the past, but they have become increasingly popular over the last few years. Some brands even explicitly focus on this filling mechanism and market their pens accordingly (of course I'm talking about Franklin-Christoph, who make pens like the P40 Ice that I reviewed HERE). The plastic Sport pens can be quite easily converted into eyedroppers with a bit of silicon grease around the threads. I filled mine up with Diamine Asa Blue and I think it looks great combined with the smokey black cap and section.
Kaweco Ice Sport fountain pen review
L to R: Kaweco Ice Sport, TWSBI Eco, Faber-Castell Loom, Lamy Safari/vista, Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy 2000
Kaweco Ice Sport fountain pen review
The Ice sport is of course still the same pocketable pen as we're used to. It measures in at 10.7 cm (4.2in) closed, and transforms into a full-sized 13.4cm (5.27'') long pen when posted. The all-plastic construction makes for an extremely light pen, just 10 grams in total. Yet still if you hold one, it actually feels quite solid (as a testimony to that, I haven't had a single Kaweco break in all the years that I have been using them!).
Kaweco Ice Sport fountain pen review
It's no secret that Kaweco nibs can occasionally be a bit finnicky. Across the board, Kaweco nibs usually run slightly on the dry side, but occasionally you'll encounter a dry writer, or one that skips/has hard start issues. A good rinse before use (the nibs are friction-fit so they can be pulled out to clean them thoroughly), and choosing relatively wet and lubricated inks such as Sailor, Iroshizuku, KWZ, has always solved things for me. It's a matter of experimenting with different inks, to see what works best for you.

Once you get the ink choice figured out, Kaweco nibs are actually very enjoyable to write with. They are relatively smooth, but not overly so, and you can choose from a wide variety of nib sizes. Another benefit is that the nib units can be bought separately for under 10 dollars, and the nibs are friction fit (either directly into the section, or in a screw-fit housing) so you can swap nibs between almost any Kaweco pen!
Kaweco Ice Sport fountain pen review
The Kaweco Ice Sport is a pretty cool pen. Kaweco's continuous effort to bring novelties on the market makes sure that there's plenty of choice in finishes and colors. The black Ice sport has quickly become one of my personal favourites because of its' clean and simple appearance, and the attractive price. At just hese are ideal pens for a first venture into fountain pens. At a retail price of 25 USD (18 EUR), the many varieties of the Kaweco Sport, including the Ice Sport, is a heck of a deal, It'd be crazy not to give them a chance! 

Note: this pen was sent to me by Kaweco, free of charge, so I could write this review.  I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affilate links.
Kaweco Ice Sport fountain pen review

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