Real Pens Sweat

by Tony Sculimbrene

Kaweco Sport 1

I am not what you think. You see me, and you expect a certain level of refinement–a genteel experience. And you get that. But you also probably think I am dainty, that I am a light and fragile fountain pen, but Kaweco means it when they call me the Sport. This isn’t “sport” like you see on some fancy European car. This is “sport” from phrases like “Nice job cleaning out the gutters, sport” or “That was one heck of a roundhouse to the abdomen, sport.” I ain’t no sissy pen–I am the Kaweco Sport. I ain’t even an expensive pen, no aluminum here like my rich brother. I am basic black plastic, one hell of a smooth nib, and I am a tough bastard.

Kaweco Sport 2

You see, I am workhorse for a public defender. They take criminal cases when people can’t afford a lawyer, and as you can imagine, we have a lot of adventures and lots of work that we do. Its not often in a quiet office or a fancy boardroom. I write in court. I scrawl out notes in a hurry during a Probable Cause hearing. I take detailed notes in depositions. I write down facts in jails and prisons. I am used by a dozen different people a day. But I still write like the paper is glass.

Sure, I am little beat up. The gold “Kaweco” lettering is fading away. My plastic barrel is scratched to hell. My nib is a little sweaty, but that’s because I do real work. I ain’t no dainty signing pen. I ride in pockets with keys and when they get physical with me, I get physical right back.

My owner and I, we ain’t got time to waste, so in the 19 months I have been with him, he’s never cleaned me, not once. And its all cartridges for us–no time to mess with wimping converters or eyedroppers. We write, jump in a car, go to the next court, deal with the next crisis in someone’s life, and move on. That’s what we do.

Kaweco Sport 3

Now I am not just tougher than you think, I am really a good writer. 20 pages of notes in an hour is nothing for me and because I need less pressure to work, my owner’s hands don’t cramp up like they used to. I am also quite the looker, so even in rough places, people comment on me being a fountain pen. I get handed someone that has never used a fountain pen, that uses me upside down, and guess what, I still kinda work. My owner shows them the right way to hold me and everyone, every single person comments on how nice it is to write with a fountain pen, even in the rough places.

So I am here to tell you–use us. We can take it. Good fountain pens are tougher than you think. I may look like a belle from a ball, but I am really a tough, rough writin’ SOB. I am not what you think.

Tony Sculimbrene is a Dad and husband obsessed with everyday carry gear and pens. He writes with pens way too much during the day and writes digitally during the evening for his own site, everydaycommentary.com, alloutdoor.com, and a few other places. He also hosts a twice a month podcast on EDC gear, Gear Geeks Live.