A Handful of Kaweco Nibs
While I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of one of my grail pens (more on that at the end of the post), I was thinking about what mix of nibs and inks I wanted for next week. My currently inked are getting down to their feeds, so it’s a great time to mix things up.
That got me thinking about my Kaweco nibs in general and my experiences with them. I have a decent sized collection of Kaweco 060 nibs. These are the nibs that are found on the Sport, Liliput, Student, Special, and Dia models. They are also a nib that has a little bit of controversy in the fountain pen community for their occasional inconsistency - something that becomes more common the smaller the nib size. Some Kaweco nibs are great and require no tuning and other are, admittedly, more finicky. Despite my adoration for them, I wouldn’t suggest them as a first fountain pen, but definitely a first fountain pen once you know enough to fiddle with your pens but don’t want to risk damaging something really expensive.
Part of the reason I love my Kaweco pens is the variety. It’s pretty easy to get a collection of nib sizes and mix up the pen body and nib combinations. I even taught myself some nib tuning (thank you to everyone who has ever written a post or put up a video about this) so that I could have even more options.
As quick overview there are three types of Kaweco 060 nibs that can be purchased:
Standard Steel - these nibs come with the pens and can also be purchased separately as spares. They come in silver or gold plated, and there is also a black coated version. Comes in EF, F, M, B, BB, 1.1, 1.5, 1.9, 2.0.
Premium Steel - these come in gold or silver-plated and can only be purchased separately (or from a shop that will fit your Kaweco pen with a chosen nib). Comes in EF, F, M, B, BB.
14K Gold - these come in a rhodium, gold, or bicolor gold option. Comes in EF, F, M, B, BB.
I own and have written extensively with all three types.
Thoughts on the standard steel nibs:
Overall, these are great nibs, I’m really fond of the BB size. The narrower you get the scratchier the nib can be. I’ve had a few duds over the years, but all of them except one were EF. What is great about the standard steel nibs is the price for spares, they are usually $10 - $15 from most retailers for the silver or gold-plated nibs. This was great for me since I started with F and EF nibs early on and have since made the switch to the other end of the spectrum. It was really easy to swap my friction fit nibs on the plastic Sport or screw them in and out of the metal bodied pens. The black nibs comes up at higher premium (usually around $30-$40) and generally have a thinner line. My EF was very narrow and the M was much skinnier than my other nibs. The black nibs are also much more rigid than the silver or gold-plated nibs.
Thoughts on the premium steel nibs:
These nibs were a product I was interested in from when it was announced. Supposedly they were a lower end option for someone who wanted a really smooth Kaweco nib experience closer to a gold nib. As an owner of several Kaweco gold nibs and one premium… I would say that it still feels like a steel nib. That being said though, it’s very smooth. I have a B premium that is silver-plated. Despite it being a B, it tends to write a lot more like a BB standard steel nibs. I’m not sure if this extra width is typical of the other sizes of premium nibs as I haven’t tried them. I really like the modern design on these nibs which is more minimalistic than the standard, it makes it very distinct from the other nib options.
Thoughts on 14K gold nibs:
I will preface my thoughts on the 14K Kaweco nibs by saying that I have owned only one other gold nib - a Sailor 14K B. I rehomed that pen after a few months because I realized I was never reaching for it. Therefore, my experience with gold nibs is almost exclusively Kaweco. And I love them. I own a M, B, and two BB. My favorite nib is the bicolor M that I had ground by Custom Nib Studio to a ‘journaler’ or a soft stub. One of my BB nibs is also ground as a cursive smooth italic by Mark Bacas. The other two are round for the moment (although I hope to get my B worked on at the Chicago Pen Show in May). When I first got my bicolor M nib I felt like I’d bought an expensive piece of jewelry and was afraid to use it. But once I started writing I wanted to add more to my collection. The 14K nibs aren’t flex in any way, but they do have a bouncy softness that the steel nibs don’t have. They flow over paper and I love to use them. They are lovely trinkets that really elevate any pen body they are placed in. The 14K nibs come with a premium and they are definitely pricey, you can buy a gold-nib pen from some other brands for the same amount. It’s a mileage may vary, but they are worth it to me.
It’s awesome that there is so much variety with a pen whose shape and design brings me a lot of joy. I plan to keep exploring. I may get a M premium nib at some point if/when my nib tastes swing back to the finer lines.
Currently Inked
Ferris Wheel Press Dusk in Bloom - Kaweco Liliput Green M - This ink came with my recent order from Atlas Stationers and I was not a fan when it arrived. It seemed way too pale, but after a day or so, the color darkened a little and it became much more legible. It’s a great spring shade of periwinkle with a lot of shading.
Diamine Earl Grey + Frost - Kaweco Sport Lavender 14K BB CSI - This ink and shimmer potion combo is a total winner. I’ve had this bottle of Earl Grey for years and rarely reached for it. It’s a great cool gray tone, but it never really hit the right spot. With the blue shimmer it just elevates the color. I’m really enjoying this one.
Diamine Olive Swirl - Kaweco Sport Mellow Blue B - This ink is just fun. I’m not always the biggest fan of green inks in general, but when I am feeling green - it’s this sort of green. The “chameleon” shimmer in this one is also really dramatic. It’s copper at some angles and bright green at others.
Ferris Wheel Press Grand Central Skies - Kaweco Liliput Copper 14K B - I wanted a pop of brightness and I’d been pleasantly surprised by this shimmery green turquoise the last time I used it. It’s not my usual jam, but I can’t seem to stop scribbling with it. Between this and Diamine Olive Swirl I filled quite a few story pages this week.
Ferris Wheel Press Storied Blue - Kaweco Liliput Fireblue 14K M ‘journaler’ - This moody blue is getting added to my “I need a bottle” list. It’s a shade of blue I don’t have in my collection and really gives off a vintage vibe to me. Had a refill last week, but I expect to run out by the end of hte weekends.
And now for the grail pen…
So… after I released the Kaweco Supra back into the wild last week, I got an alert on my eBay… a Kaweco Art Sport had come up for sale. When the latest batch of these were released I wasn’t yet at the point in my collecting where I felt comfortable spending more than $100 on a pen. I enjoyed the look of them, but didn’t think it was something I would want in my collection. They have become rather few and far between brand new. I keep hoping that Kaweco will have another round of them, but in the meantime I was keeping an eye out for them on the secondary market.
And not only did I find one… it also came with a 14K nib! I now have it hand and it’s so pretty. I’m really thrilled to have this in my collection - now to get over the fear of messing it up and get to writing with it!