I think I've grown about as fond of Kaweco as I have rOtring... well, almost. Let's just say it's getting there.
I absolutely love the Kaweco AL Sport line, but decided to branch out further into the Classic Sport section and pick up a demonstrator fountain pen with a medium nib. Picked this one up from our friends at JetPens, and the Classic Sports really are a decent price at just around $20 or so.
On a side note, there is another color of the Classic that I have my eye on too, the Bordeaux, which is more of a maroon/burgundy color. It seems very vintage to me, so at some point I'll probably own that one too.
I opted for the demonstrator in this go-round because it seemed cool. It is a cartridge filler so it doesn't have any neat reservoir to see, but its fun to see the inner workings of a pen.
The Classic Sport line as opposed to the AL Sport has a lighter, plastic barrel instead of the machined aluminum. They are very small pens so the plastic versions are REALLY light, but writing with them doesn't seem to be a burden at all. Granted, the AL feels much more substantial (and a bit nicer), but costs nearly 4x as much. If you're not sure about jumping straight to an AL or if it would be your first Kaweco, buying the Classic is a great option as they use the exact same nib. See how it writes for you before dropping about $80 (although worth every penny in my opinion).
The Sport fountain pen line really is amazing, considering it has withstood time. What a perfect setup having a small, pocketable fountain pen that writes as well as the Kaweco does. Although it isn't their most expensive line, the Sport series is sort of the "flagship" for the brand and they've done really well at creating a good variety of options for it.
This is my first time using an M nib from Kaweco and I must say that I like it. Great flow like my other Kaweco and starts up great each time. I loaded it up with the standard Kaweco blue ink which can come out a bit light for some people's tastes. Once you get the ink flowing, I find it to be plenty dark.
Now, I'm kind of a fountain pen novice, but I do know that I'm seeing more ink shading with the M than with my EF. I know that's an ink thing (I think...). Starting to talk the lingo, but trying not to sound stupid, you know?
The Sport is designed to have the cap posted as to extend the length of the barrel for a more comfortable grip. Superb.
With the demonstrator, one thing I miss is how the light catches the different facets of the cap. It is octagonal in design and on the AL models (the raw version especially), you find yourself spinning the pen to see the different sides reflect the light back to you. It really is a beautiful design.
Now, there is one thing about the Classic Sport line that I do not prefer, that being the gold accents. I'm not really into gold, and prefer the silver accents of the AL series, but perhaps it will grow on me. I don't hate it, but gold is never my first choice usually.
I still stand behind my opinion that the Kaweco Classic Sport is a great little fountain pen. I'd even say you could honestly have a toss up between it and the Lamy Safari and still come out happy either way. They both run about the same price and are a great entry pen to get started with.