The Kaweco Supra

This is one of the two full sized Kaweco’s I own which I am reviewing; the Dia2 will follow soon.

I find that lately I’ve unintentionally started to collect metal bodied pens, in particular brass pens, so when I came across the Supra it got my attention and I started doing some research; and after a lot of research I bought one.

For me, part of the appeal was the standard of engineering that has gone into this pen, make no mistake this is precision work. Kaweco have produced four individual brass parts that can, in a matter of seconds, be disassembled and re-assembled to form either a full sized or pocket-sized fountain pen.

In appearance the Supra is a very smooth brass pen; at the top of the cap you find, engraved, the Kaweco logo and just below this, on the cap, the company name, Supra and Germany.

On the way to the opposite end you pass the mid-section which has a small step down onto the main barrel and at the end of the barrel it is threaded which allows you to screw the cap on to post it. This has a couple of advantages; firstly, it means the cap is stable and the pen feels solid and secondly if you are using this as a pocket pen it allows you to add a little length that may improve the writing experience.

Whilst this is a relatively normal sized (just a bit shorter than my Pilot Custom 74) pen being solid brass it is heavier than normal; however, I found the centre of balance is nearer the nib section which made the pen feel light and easy to use.

On to the important bit, the nib. Kaweco normally use a size 5 nib but this time they went with a size 6 and I am very glad they did because it makes this a really nice pen to use; it puts down a smooth even line, not particularly wet but well-defined. I would like to see this nib in wider use across the Kaweco range and maybe even a limited edition Sport pen, now I would buy that.

As for the rest of the pen I have mixed feelings. 

On the plus side when it’s assembled as a full-size pen it takes a standard international converter, mine is currently working very well with a Waterman converter in it.

However, the one aspect of the design I take issue with is the step down from the mid-section to the nib section, this is a result of designing the cap to provide a seamless connexion where it meets the mid-section. When the cap is removed there is a very square edge that I find sharp and makes writing, for any length of time, uncomfortable. 

It’s fair to say that none of the reviews I looked at mentioned this, so it may just be my particular grip. I really like this pen so if I can’t adjust my grip to accommodate the step down I might just be tempted to ‘modify’ it by smoothing the edge very slightly.

So, the big question is, ‘Is this pen good value?’. 

Well that depends on what you pay for it; when I was looking there were substantial price differences between sites e.g. one difference I found was the price of a TWSBI Eco. I would say buy it if you like it but only if you can get it at a good price, these are nice pens to add to your collection but I don’t see it as an everyday pen.

Disclaimer: The pen was purchased with my own funds at retail price. The opinions expressed in this review are my own; and I am not connected with either the retailers or manufacturers in any way.