Kaweco Liliputs: My Buddy Pens
If you’ve been here for more than one post or have followed my Instagram for any amount of time, it becomes blatantly obvious that I love the Kaweco liliput fountain pen. I have owned four of them, released two, and the two that remain are my desert island pens. If my collection disappeared out of existence tomorrow, the first pen I would buy would be a Kaweco liliput fireblue with a M or B nib. The Kaweco liliput hits the spot for me and since I’ve written out both pens this week due to them constantly being in my hand, I wanted to share why these are my favorite pens. And specifically the copper model and the stainless steel fireblue model (I don’t have the plain stainless steel, but I’m fairly certain the only difference between it and the fireblue is the finish).
Size
The form factor of the liliput is miniscule. It comes in at 3.8 inches when capped and 5 inches when posted. The barrel is narrow, only a little wider than a wooden pencil. Consequently, the nib is the smaller of the Kaweco nibs, the 060, the same nib used on the Kaweco Sport models. This is definitely not a pen that would work for everyone. I have small hands and I prefer pens with narrower diameters. While I like a chunky traveler’s notebook, I don’t like a chunky pen. The little size was also part of the initial appeal before the fireblue came into my life in 2018. Tiny things are just fun. They fit in pockets, they can go everywhere without taking up space. I keep the copper and the fireblue in my pocket at all times in a liliput-sized Rickshaw duo pensleeve. When they get pulled out, their form factor always makes people curious.
And an extra Ferris Wheel Press Carousel for one more comparison.
Weight
The two liliputs that I released into the wild were a brass wave and the green aluminum editions. Why? They were too light for me. The copper and the stainless steel on the other hand? They have a great weight. I’ve handed these pens over at plenty of pen shows and even to friends and they are shocked with how substantial they feel although so small. According to the JetPens website, the stainless steel weighs in at 22 grams and the copper at 24 grams. For comparison, a Lamy Safari is 15 grams and a Pilot Kakuno is 11 grams, despite both of those pens being significantly larger. Material weight matters when it comes to these tiny pens. While I enjoyed the look of the brass and aluminum models, they were ultimately too insubstantial in weight for me, unlike their heavier metal cousins.
Material
And speaking of the material, the copper and fireblue models get beautiful patina and show their use over time. Granted, when I look at old pictures of my fireblue from 5 years ago (when I bought it used, unknown how long the other person had it) it had a lot more of the “fireblue” coloring, it’s become subtle over time and makes me smile when the light catches it. I enjoy the smooth feel of the stainless steel. Copper pens in general are just beautiful to me, but most are too heavy. One of my good friends has a Karas Kustoms K in copper and that thing could keep a stack of papers from blowing away in a strong wind. While the copper liliput can’t do that, the copper not only lends it the aforementioned weight, it also adds a unique patina that varies from person to person.
Warm grip section, a rubbed pink spot where it sits against my hand and the old penny color throughout. I love watching it change through the seasons or get a new patina to it when I shine it.
I love meeting other people with copper liliputs, because it’s immediately possible to figure out whose pen is whose. The different oils from our hands create unique discolorations. I’ve shined my copper liliput a few times with copper cleaner, and love watching it regain the warm glow. One of my friend’s pens, on the other hand, always seems bright new penny pink, despite not constantly polishing it. I love that the liliputs come in these materials, because I often can’t enjoy them in other pens because they become too heavy in the larger forms.
The metal also makes them sturdy. I can see myself writing with these for decades.
Nibs/Easy Nib Swapping
This is one of my favorite features of Kaweco pens in general. I know I’m in the minority, but I like the form factor of the 060 nib. I like that it’s small. I like how much control I have over the shape of my letters. I like that they aren’t terribly expensive and I can have a whole arsenal of different options. I wrote a post on Kaweco nibs back in March and I still feel that way about the different options. I have also had Kaweco nibs ground over the past few years into various nib grinds and I’ll flip flop them often in my pens. Right now my 14K M ‘journaler’ by Custom Nib Studio is pretty much the one and only for the fireblue liliput at the moment, but the copper gets switched out pretty regularly. My first stub nib was a Kaweco 1.1 stock nib, and that definitely set me up for a love of stub grinds down the line.
Overall, these pens just make me smile when I see them. I tend to use my Sports when I’m at work because of how busy things get and the liliput does need a little more ceremony than just unscrewing the cap (while my hands are small enough to use it unposted, my handwriting becomes a mess if it’s more than a few notes), but I look forward to using them for writing when I can slow down.
One recommendation I have for getting along with liliputs is definitely having a case for them. Due to their sleek design it is very easy for them to slip out of the pockets they were meant to be stored in. I’ve had single and duo liliput pen sleeves from Rickshaw Bags and they are great once broken in. Kaweco also makes their own cases for single or double liliputs as well, I just haven’t tried them. The clip works pretty well, but not if you roughly pull it in and out of things - although to be fair, the Sport clips are similar.
What are your thoughts on the Kaweco liliput?
Currently Inked
Rainy day lighting… but pretty pens and inks - the sparkle on Wearingeul the Black Cat is so fun!
Papier Plume The Count - Kaweco Sport Iridescent Pearl M CSI - This ink is marching into its second week. It’s a really pretty color, a little on the dry side. Next time I fill it up I might give it a touch of white lightning to see what that does.
Ferris Wheel Press Song of Scarlet - Kaweco Art Sport Tiger’s Eye 14K M ‘selvedge’ - Another ink on its second week and I’m still enjoying the deep red. This ink is bold and it looks great in this nib.
Ferris Wheel Press Hearty Harvest - Kaweco Sport Macchiato 1.5 - I’m having way too much fun with this as a header ink… I might actually have to refill it before the end of the month!
Wearingeul x Endless Pens The Black Cat - Kaweco liliput copper 14K B - An impulse buy when I saw it and not one I’m regretting. This is a black-purple with purple shimmer and is a beautiful moody ink. I am getting a fondness for Wearingeul inks… between Anubis, Romeo, and The Black Cat I’ve got a pretty good set of brooding sparkle inks.
Upcoming Ferris Wheel Press Release (not pictured) - Kaweco liliput fireblue 14K M ‘journaler’ - not allowed to talk about this one until next week… but it’s very pretty and might quickly fly up into my top 5 Ferris Wheel Press inks.