Kaweco AL Sport Fountain Pen Black Body F Nib Review

The depth and breadth of my fountain pen collection is small, but growing. For the past year or so, one of my favorite fountain pens has been the grey body Kaweco AL Sport. It is a beautifully designed pen with a smooth nib and portable build. I came into the black body version of this pen recently at work so I thought I would quickly compare the two.

The build and nib size are obviously identical, so if you want to read more about those things please check out my original review. There is a difference in the barrel finish though, which made it difficult to pick a favorite.

The grey AL Sport, which I have used for a while, has a smooth finish, while the black has what I would call a satin finish. I wouldn’t say it is a matte finish - it is not that rough - but there is definitely an audible sound when you run your finger across the barrel. With the grey, there is no sound at all.

It may seem nitpicky to compare these two pens on barrel finish alone, but I want readers to know that there is a difference, especially if you are considering spending this much money on a pen. Gun to my head, I prefer the smooth finish of the grey, but man, the black is a real looker.

Decisions, decisions.

Lamy Nexx Fountain Pen F Nib Review

(This is a guest post by Bryan Gushikawa.)

Lamy pens are most well-known for the affordable battle-ready Safari and Al-Star lines, but Lamy is one of the few companies out there that is willing to break the mold and experiment with radical new designs (their Dialog 3 is a beauty!) and ideas … but you don’t always need to spend $400 to get a hip, new design! The proof is in the Lamy Nexx.

The lightweight aluminum body is a rounded, triangular shape that makes for easy holding, with a tacky grip area that is also triangle-molded elastomer. The best part about the grip is that it is soft enough to cushion without being squishy and also a dust magnet. The pen body itself is supremely well machined and will be quite durable. The cap is heavy plastic with an aluminum clip that is secure, sturdy and features a lanyard hole. Although the cap looks bulky, it’s needed to balance the lightweight body of the pen when writing and you’ll notice that there’s very little weight in the hand and strain in the wrist when writing. Combine that with the standard Lamy steel nib (which is legendary for smoothness) and you’ve got a pen that you can write ALL DAY with. No joke! I’ve sat in seminars and written for a solid hour with this pen and had no cramps to speak of. The fatter barrel really does help in reducing hand fatigue and also allows people with larger hands to really feel comfortable.

The only real downside for me is that a Lamy F is like a Japanese B nib, but that’s true for most Western vs. Eastern pens. I like to print graph paper from Incompetech.com or use graph notebooks with bigger squares and use this pen for seminar notes or brainstorming. The ink flow is so smooth and consistent that the pen doesn’t stop until you do. When you pair Lamy’s legendary ruggedness with a smooth nib and a VERY ergonomic body, you get a real innovation in the way that people write and Lamy has really outdone themselves with this pen. I’d recommend trying it out just to see for yourself how it feels to be able to write with no pressure or hand strain. This would also be excellent for people with tendonitis or wrist problems.

Alvin Penstix No. 3013-EEF 0.3 mm Review

My friend Alex from Economy Pens recently reviewed the Alvin Penstix and was kind enough to send one my way to check out. Alex wasn’t too high on the Penstix, and after spending a short amount of time with it, neither am I.

The Alvin Penstix has potential. My handwriting looked as good as I have seen it in a long while. The plastic fiber tip leaves a sharp, clean line but there are too many oddities in the overall package to put it in the regular rotation.

First of all, the black ink color is almost brown. My photo doesn’t do it justice but this is not a dark ink. I joked in the handwritten review that they should just called it sepia. It is not that bad but it is by no means black.

Secondly, this is one of the most overdone barrel designs I have ever seen. There is too much text, a horrible clip, and a weird cap. I’m not sure what the designers of this pen were thinking but none of it is flattering. This is a simple pen with an overblown design.

If Alvin could fix the ink darkness I could overlook some of the barrel flaws. If they could fix the ink darkness and some of the barrel issues, I might kick my Bic Z4 to the curb.