The Brass and the Bronze Kaweco Sport pens.

When buying the very first Kaweco, the Brass Sport shouted out of the iPad screen ‘Buy me! You’ll love me!’ Myself and certain pens have some sort of harmonious Lovejoy divvy telepathy from time to time. Some of the others though tell me the same, but are telling porkie pies (Lies in London Cockney rhyming slang). They just want to be owned. I can live with that though. A bit of TLC and they may come up smelling of roses. As long as they’re not made of casein.

Talking of smell. You have to like the metallic brass smell. For myself? Reminds me of my Nan giving me the brasses to polish with Brasso when I was a boy in short trousers. So, yes, I don’t mind. Brings back memories of apple pie and hot sweet tea in China cups. The brass Sport does transfer the brass odour to skin when handling, albeit for a short period.

Here begins what is unique between brass and bronze.

Brass Kaweco Sport fountain pen. (Lead free eco brass).

Wrote about this pen back in February 2022.

https://graysummerstwo.com/2022/02/04/kaweko-brass-sport-fountain-pen/

Speaking of separation. The pen’s cap does not cap post snuggly. Well, not at all actually. It rolls around the barrel in its looseness nature. I have read that Brass Kaweco pens do post well. For those unaware, posting is putting the cap onto the end of the barrel to create a better harmonious writing balance. Pen owners can have posted/unposted preferences. It’s just that some pen caps don’t or can’t be posted. I bought the pen second hand, so who knows its story background. Telepathy doesn’t stretch to one to one conversations. Its purpose is that of a conversational deliverer of others’ words onto paper. A veritable and efficient go-between. But I enjoy the challenge in keeping it posted. The barrel is short on its own and not comfortable for myself to use in the hand when writing. For an elongated period that is. Short pens I own are great to dis-attach the barrel and quickly write messages, shopping lists, phone numbers down, etc. without posting the cap. They are perfect pocket pens for such considerations. Kaweco does have that advertising slogan stating ‘Small in the pocket. Great in the hand’.

The Brass pen is indeed in the top five of my favourites. It is just so reliable. I carry around ink cartridges in the Musette man bag so can grab and change quickly when needed. It does not have the length of barrel to carry a cartridge spare inside to lay behind the attached cartridge in use. Cartridges are the international short standard ones. I use Diamine mostly in the Kaweco. There is the option of buying an ink converter, but some customer feedback states that they can leak. Because the brass can ink tarnish, I don’t want to take the chance. I can syringe bottled ink into an empty/run out of ink cartridge if needs arise anyway. Sometimes do when eco concerns re: plastic use stab at my conscience. Which is, indeed, often. I have bought more choices in bottles of Diamine now to perform this task more often.

As an aside. If ink does get on the pen’s surface, advice read is to wipe it off straight away. It stains. There’s patina love……and there’s patina hate!

It’s a cold pen to handle at first, but should warm with longer use. Unless your cold hands, warm heart orientated. Me? It does warm up. That situation doesn’t make my heart very happy. But does make the experience a nice writing one. Brass being a copper and zinc alloy has good thermal conduction. I hold the pen just above the barrel screw threads. Being metal they can be uncomfortable. Not so for myself as I don’t finger tip hold and press into this area. The nib is sublime. Chrome plated steel with iridium tip. Depending on cartridge colour and therefore wetness consistency it writes sometimes wet or drier. I tend to use wetter choices in the Brass Sport. Old copper (burnt red) by Diamine is an oft inherent visitor. A broad nib. A stamped indicator (B) letter on the nib.

As said, always a top five choice and often carried around. Bought second hand with a Kaweco mechanical pencil and the leather case as a ‘bundle’ buy. The Bronze? Top five too. Definitely now I have used it for a few days.

The Bronze Sport.

An email arrived informing of the new Bronze Sport Limited Edition being released. I looked at the price and my eyes popped out. Literally turned into a Tex Avery cartoon drawing for full on ten seconds. It took ten seconds for the penny to drop. And a few hours for a shed load of pennies to drop by buying it. I’m not a cheapskate and have bought some pens at around eighty to around ninety pounds. But counted on four fingers. Never broke the hundred pound barrier. I’ve been lucky in vintage buys getting them at low cost and working on them. This Bronze retailed at various prices upwards from a hundred and twenty nine pounds. If it wasn’t for the Limited Edition tag alongside the advertising sell, I would have waited. But your brain nags at you with the word ‘limited’. No telepathy of ‘Buy me because I’m lovely’……just panic.

Please tap on the individual photos to enlarge.

On receiving it felt a joy. Worth the price really. Came in that familiar Kaweco box (above photos) with the little info leaflets. It can hold two pens too. The Bronze finish is more matt and burnished than the Brass. A beautiful sheen. It will get better looking with age too. Surprised at the weight when holding. Slightly heavier, but definitely noticeable, than the Brass. Equally as surprised that it felt great writing with it despite that weight. It didn’t feel the same ‘heavy’ when used. Balance, when posted, is wonderful. Posting is definitely a snug fit. No movement at all. Also, the pen’s weight let’s the pen nib do the work. No pressing down onto the paper.

It’s not as cold as the Brass. Feels softer when handling too. As the Brass design allows too, it doesn’t roll when laid down. The cap shape keeps it steady. The Bronze ink delivery performs as well as the Brass. Never a start up problem. Even after non use for hours. The Brass starts straight away despite not being used for days on end. But I have historical experience. This Bronze is new, so haven’t the knowledge. It is a little drier, but I did choose the fine nib.

Brass/Bronze differences are few.

Brass Length: Capped 10.9cm Posted 12.7cm Uncapped 10.1cm

Bronze length: Capped 10.9cm Posted 13.3cm Uncapped 10.1cm

Comment. The loose fit of the brass cap determines dropping down further on barrel. Hence shorter posted length. The barrels look short when capped. 3.7cm seen. This gives an aesthetically pleasing quirky nature. Seen in photographs.

Both feature a screw on cap (Brass is two turns; Bronze is one and a half turns). The caps both have a silver coloured metal jewel with the Kaweco logo stamped in. A clip is available to buy as an additional item. Fits snuggly onto the pen’s cap shape. Available in different metals to suit the same pen metal owned. The cap diameter is 1.38/9 cm.

Nibs are chrome plated steel and iridium tipped. Brass is broad; Bronze is fine.

Weight. Brass 42 grams Bronze 46 grams.

Both the same metal (barrel, cap and section) all over. Therefore all Brass and Bronze accordingly.