The brass Liliput has been on the scene for a few months now and was a really nice surprise from Kaweco. I've been excited to get my hands on one for review.
I want to first thank Frank from Fontoplumo in the Netherlands for sending this pen my way to try. He has a great selection, pricing, and excellent customer service. Always a pleasure to do business with.
One thing that excited me about the release of the brass Liliput is that it meant Kaweco was making new pens or at least some of our favorites in new materials and finishes to enjoy. There was a time when they seemed to have a lot of the same selection, but they are on their way with new things. I'm excited to see what they have up their (pen) sleeves! Patrick Ng even posted some pics of a copper and stainless steel version awhile back at a show...
Being used to the regular aluminum Liliput which is just a wee pen coming in at only 8 grams without ink. Crazy. The brass version (inked in my measurements) came out to 23 grams and you can definitely feel the extra heft. Personally, the aluminum Liliput comes in a little light for my tastes, but the brass feels fantastic. For the size, the brass seems to be where it is at.
The wave design of the barrel is really unique. I'm not quite sure what to think of it. Is it for design only? Function? Needless to say, it definitely adds some eye catching flair to the pen.
Of course, being made of brass, the pen has already started to obtain a nice patina from use which over time gives the pen an aged look and a bit of character. Like any raw brass pen, if you are a stickler for things looking pristine all of the time, this particular Liliput may not be right for you.
I've been carrying the Liliput around with me over the past few weeks in my pocket (with no protection or sleeve) and haven't worried a bit about it leaking. Being so small it is perfectly pocketable. There were even times I had to do a pocket pat down as I thought I might have misplaced it! I'd say this pen is a good pocket pen for those that get freaked out about the idea of having a fountain pen inked in your jeans, particularly being brass. It feels substantial and the threads are smooth and tight.
There is a lot of debate about whether the Kaweco nibs are good or bad as a lot of my friends have run into trouble straightaway with theirs. Personally I've found the nibs EF and F to be pretty fantastic with M, B, or BB to have some trouble from time to time. I opted for an F nib with this one and it is ok. I've had others that were smooth as silk, but this one has a bit of feedback and the flow isn't as wet as I'd like. It does write and the nice thing is that it is interchangeable with nibs that fit other Kaweco pens like the Sport, Student, or Allrounder. I may switch it out with others to see if I have one that is "perfect" or I may try to run other ink through it.
My "noticeable" misspellings...
I've been using the Kaweco Sepia (brown) ink which I felt matched up nicely with the pen. Maybe a nice orange would too although I've yet to take the plunge on an orange ink...
The brass Liliput is a pricey little pen coming in around $85, but it is a unique little piece and is very well made. These have been a hot commodity being sold out at most retailers with a lead time of about a month. Even with the price, that says something for the appeal of the pen. Frank from Fontoplumo also has a promo code I've used (from The Well-Appointed Desk) WAD2014 for an extra 10% off which would probably cover most of the shipping as he is extremely reasonable.
I really like the brass Liliput. There is nothing really quite like it on the market and it feels great in your hand. Thanks again, Frank, for sending me the Kaweco!
