Saturday, December 27, 2014

Kaweco Sport Classic Review

Appearance & Design - I feel this design to be a very "love it or leave it" sort of pen. It is modern and fashionable, which many pen lovers will probably hate. Thankfully though I am in the "Love it" category. The faceted design paired with the golden highlights make for an overall good pen. That being said it is a very simplistic design that does not exactly bring anything to the table. Score 8/10
Construction & Quality - I have only one complaint about the quality of the pen. When the pen is screwed into the pen there is a slight amount of wiggle that you can get. It makes for a feeling that the pen is not secure. Other than that there are no major gripes, but remember the pen is made out of a plastic and is prone to cracking if not taken care of. Score 6/10
Weight & Dimensions - This is a super light pen, coming in around 10 grams. That being said, the light weight actually does not bother me that much in this pen, it goes with the simplistic aurora then pen puts off. Being a pocket pen, which I adore, the sizing is great. small enough to be thrown into your pocket, yet it is just the right size when you right. Score 10/10
Nib Performance - I have this pen in a medium nib, which I would say is a true medium. Smooth for the cost, and looks good with the gold plating. I have slight issues with fast upright strokes, but they have to be very fast and even then it is pretty minimal skipping. Score 8/10
Filling System - This is where this pen faces some issues. It is a cartridge/converter and is standard international, which means you can choose from the companies who use this size, or just refill a cartridge with an ink syringe. But if you're like me you want just want to get to get a converter and skip all of that mess. But since the pen is so small there is only one or two converters that fit the Sport, and none of them are exactly perfect. Thankfully this pen can also be an eyedropper filled pen, which I have done, and while this is nice it isn't for everyone. Score 5/10
Cost & Value - The pen can be had for around $25 in a multitude of colors and even a few demonstrators. For that price you are getting a great looking, well writing, and fun little pen. I would be hard pressed to find a better pen for the cost. Score 10/10
Overall - Let's be frank, the pen is not perfect, but it isn't acting like it is nor does it want to be. For this price there are a multitude of pens that can be had, yet all of them leave something wanting. The Kaweco checks all of my boxes, and while it has some issues, I would say it is the best sub $30 pen. Overall Score 7.8333..../10

Now for everyone's favorite, the pictures:






TWSBI Mini Review

This is my first blog/pen review so go easy on me. I will set the review into seperate parts which will all have a score of x/10 with 10 being the highest, and a overall score of the averages of all of the number

TWSBI Mini Review
Initial Thoughts - So I got this pen as a gift, and it took my breath away when I first saw it. TWSBI does an amazing job with their pen presentation and  boxing. Score: 10/10
Appearance - Well this one is a little unfair, due to me getting the white and rose gold version, but the looks are almost perfect if you ask me. The only issue I have with the looks is that I wish TWSBI would have opted to put their logo in a matching color, instead of the normal red and silver. Score: 9/10
Weight & Dimensions - So being a Mini pen, many people focus a lot on this section. For me the size is absolutely perfect. I love the smallness of the pen, but when posted it is the perfect for writing, no complaints in size. When it comes to weight there is a little to be left desired though. It feels to be a little lighter than a Pilot Metropolitan. It has a weight of about 19g which is not exactly a light pen, but I would have liked to have seen that number in the mid 20's range. Score: 7/10
Writing Experience - This is the most expensive pen I currently own, and with that it is also the smoothest. it is a joy to write with and it gives you a little feedback, that shouldn't be mistaken as scratchiness, that reminds you that you are in fact writing, yet it is still  unbelievably pleasant. Score:10/10
Filling System - TWSBI is known for their great working piston filling pens, and this pen does not deviate from that norm. It works very well, but it doesn't really add anything new to the scene, like a buttery smooth piston or a vacuum filler would, which is why I don't give it full marks.  Score: 8/10
Cost & Value - Since the pen I got is ~20 bucks more than the standard Mini, but only has aesthetic differences, I am going to base this area off of the $50 price that the regular line can be had at. I would say it is definitely worth the asking price of the pen. For $50 you get a good looking, piston filling, portable, and well writing pen. I think this pen is the best way to get more into "nicer pens" due to it being relativity cheap and offering a lot. But yet for some reason I can't see myself giving this pen a perfect score in this aspect either, but I am not sure why; it is just one of those feelings. Score 9/10
Overall - A great pen that I would suggest to a lot of people out there. I cannot think of a better pen the price range. Overall Score 8.833.../10 
Now for the Pictures!