When pen lovers start digging into the "nicer" writing instrument realm, brands that often come to mind are Pilot, LAMY, and maybe even Pelikan. A brand that is right up there in pedigree and history is Kaweco, but often is a brand people learn about a bit later.
I really enjoy Kaweco pens. The most iconic pens of theirs are a bit quirky, like the Sport series, but that is what makes them stand out.
The smallest pen in their lineup, the Liliput, is a tiny pocket fountain pen (or ballpoint) that many love due to its compact size. Although, its minimal size often makes it a miss for those of us with larger hands.
If you've always thought the Liliput design was appealing, but too darn small, Kaweco may have come up for an ideal solution for you. The Supra.
Kaweco was kind enough to send me a Supra to check out, so special thanks to them.
The Supra was released within the last year or so and, in essence, is a Liliput but on a much grander scale.
The standard Liliput we've known for several years is machined from aluminum making it extremely light, but Kaweco decided to branch out into new materials like brass, stainless steel, and copper for added "heft" and opted to use brass for the Supra's debut. I really hope they decide to release this pen in other materials.
Kaweco's metal pens are always top notch, and the Supra is no exception. Mine has since acquired some patina which has dulled the pretty new brass finish, but the feel and quality of how this pen is made leaves nothing to be desired in my opinion. Everything is tight and intentional. No missteps or cut corners.
Being larger in size, the Supra can take a full international standard converter or long cartridge (currently in mine), but with a bit of a catch. Rather than being only the cap, barrel, and section like the Liliput, the Supra has an added extension tube that fits between. This is a pretty fantastic feature of the pen as it also allows you to omit the tube to use a short cartridge and make the pen even more pocketable.
In general, most of the popular Kaweco fountain pens like the Liliput or Sport series are small which means they have small nibs. Kaweco does have a few larger pens that incorporate the same small nibs, but they always seem to be a bit out of place.
With the Supra, Kaweco gratefully didn't fall into the same formula and opted to use a larger nib which fits perfectly. (this seems an odd way to say thank you to Kaweco, but "thanks!")
The larger nib gives the pen a grander presence, which it certainly deserves.
The model I received has a medium nib which writes nicely. Not as much flow out of the box as I usually like, but no skipping or hard starts, nor is it "too dry". I did find it has a bit of a sweet spot though.
With the added extension tube, I find posting the cap to be manageable, but I'd say a bit on the lengthy side for what most people might be comfortable with. Although, without the posting could seem a bit short (but, again, manageable). Its sort of a weird place really, but doesn't deter me from liking the pen immensely.
Without the tube, it posts comfortably.
Overall I think this is a dynamite pen. It's portable, hefty, well made, and has a bit of "interesting" due to its overall design. Bravo, Kaweco.
One thought I had was for another model of the Supra that takes a ballpoint/rollerball combination. It could take either Parker style or longer Pilot G2 style refills simply by adding or removing the extension tube. #micdrop
The Supra comes in at a retail of $140 which could seem steep, but is actually in-line with Kaweco's overall pricing model. And for the fit and finish, I'd say the price seems fair. Pen Chalet carries these in their shop and have an ongoing CLICKYPOST promo code for 10% off if interested in picking one up.
Special thanks again to Kaweco for sending the Supra my way for review.