Have both in my 45 pen collection and love both. Kaweco (medium nib) is in my pocket all day every day and is only used for quick notes in a pocket notebook. I have a converter but also have eye dropperd and syringe filled cartridges, all work great. Both pens write first time every time and have done well with a large variety of inks. I also have the all metal Cross Bailey as well as several Cross Classics and one Cross Townsend, all but one with 14k fine or medium nibs and most received as gifts. I think Cross is an under appreciated workhorse pen for EDC. Thanks for a great review.
Thanks. I'm finding the Kaweco a much nicer pen safer I syringe filled the cartridge with the Diamine ink. I think my issue was more with the ink than the pen. I haven't used the Cross too much yet, but enjoy the feel when I do. It also sits well and starts writing straight off even when left unused for a couple of weeks.
1. Ill-fitting cartridges with the Kaweco Sport is a known thing, which I also have experienced. 2. I like to refill cartridges. When I do, I follow by dipping the pen in the bottle of ink for a few seconds. Doing this drastically reduces new cartridge flow issues. 3. Plastic Kaweco Sports were born to be eyedropped.
Thanks for the suggestion of dipping the end of the cartridge. I may eventually eyedropper it, but at moment I am looking forward to trying a number of different inks to see how they behave in the pen.
A tip for inky fingers, especially when they are stained by blue inks : rub your fingers with a little bit of OxyClean powder and a few drops of hot water; brush stubborn stains away; and finally, rinse thoroughly with ample water until the slick oily feel disappears.
My wife is often chastising me for ink on my fingers. When it's particularly bad I use some Gumption, which I think is similar to the OxyClean. I will keep my eyes open for OxyClean when I'm shopping, thanks for the tip.
I have a Cross Bailey light in turquoise with silver coloured trim. Writes everytime and no issues with at all. My Kaweco Sport Classic is in navy with a gold-plated medium nib. I carry it in my pocket and and use it every day at work. No problems at all. 😃😃
Hi,on the kaweco classic sport been using it daily for year +, with lamy inks and it's very good no hard starts,no skips etc .only issue is the threads inside the cap gets worn out
You should get a Cross Bailey Light in a green colour. They don't have quite as many colour choices as Kaweco but they have a nice turquoise you would like. 😀
Nice review Gary I had both Pens from cult pens as well,I agree with you about the cross bailey but defintely kaweco Pens have something special in them..
The Kaweco is definitely growing on me as I use it more. I think my main issue was with the ink, as once I put the Diamine ink in it the whole experience changed. I've now ordered the Cult Pens mini, which is made by Kaweco, and have added an AL-Sport to my "to buy" list.
I have three Kaweco Sports all with fine nibs and I really like them, especially the brass Sport. I refill cartridges with a syringe as the convertor is tiny. My favourite inks to use in them are Diamine Imperial purple and Diamine Green Umber (in the brass). I returned my first Kaweco to Cult pens because the nib was (to me) unusable, dry and very scratchy - their customer service (as always) was wonderful. It was a while ago and I’ve since heard that the nibs could be a bit hit and miss but I think it’s sorted now. I also have a Kaweco Perkeo which I don’t like as much as the Sports.
I did find the nib was very dry. I have put in a Diamine ink now, which is much wetter, and the pen writes a lot better. I've received a convertor but have not had the chance to install it yet. I like the idea that the convertor only takes a small amount of ink as it will allow me to try out a lot of different inks in it.
Thanks for the review, Garry. I am now exploring economical pens after spending far too much on higher end pens and have found the ultra cheap pens to be too small and of low quality. There are undoubtedly some Chinese bargains to be found but they usually lack style and, as you say, have very few nib options. I have found that Laban offer very good quality acrylic pens, and Lamy, Stilform and the Good Blue offer excellent aluminium pens at very reasonable prices. It is a very rewarding hobby with an abundance of styles and prices to suit everyone.
I’ve Bailey light in Burgundy (M) with gold trim.. It’s really a good writer even though gold trim is a little too shiny for my liking.. Incidentally I’ve ordered my first ever Kaweco Sport Classic (F) in White color along with Clip and converter..
Nice, I like the sound of a burgundy Bailey light. I hope you enjoy the Kaweco. Although I had a rough start, once I put in a wetter ink I am finding it a lot more enjoyable to write with.
Hi Garry. Thanks for the interesting review even if these pens didn't quite suit your taste. I've heard good reports about the Cross Bailey Light but I don't own one. I have one Cross Fountain pen, the Beverly, I believe. It's OK, but nothing to rave about. The Kaweco is, of course, a bit of a legend. However, I've spoken to one or two pen reviewers and I believe Kaweco changed nib suppliers. I have a Kaweco Sport Classic (in Bordeaux colour) but mine has a Fine nib so difficult to compare with your broad nib version. It's not too bad. I went for the Fine nib because I thought a pocket pen shouldn't run out of ink every day or two and possibly let you down at the worst moment. To be honest I'm seriously thinking about getting a Kaweco Liliput.
Thanks. I haven't spent too much time with the Cross yet, but the few times I have it's performed quite nicely. The Kaweco has now grown on me. Once I put in the Diamine ink the writing experience increased so much, it's now quite enjoyable. I keep it in my gym bag with a Fabriano notepad, they make a really nice combo for jotting down notes about my exercise patterns.
Thank you for the review. My kaweco skyline sport has hard start issue and sometimes skipping, but I find that diamine cartridges work very well with it.
Thanks. Once I put the Diamine ink in it I did fond the pen wrote so much better. It's now enjoyable to use. I'm going to try a few other Diamine inks in it over the next few months.
Hi Garry, Nice video as always! I have an idea/request. I noticed you inky fingers (we all get that at some point) and I would like to hear your tricks on getting your hands clean. I’ve been using a fluid by CMT to clean pitch from saw blades.
Thanks. If I'm going to be doing a lot of messing with inks I put on disposable gloves. For particularly bad amounts of ink, I use Gumption paste - which takes it off really nicely. For lighter stains, I wash my hands using dishwashing liquid and then forget about it and let time take its toll. Inky fingers - a badge of honour.
Honestly, for the Kaweco pens, I find that the nibs aren't consistent in quality. I have three sport because they are great for lugging around, and bought spare nibs for two for replacing and found the spares were much better quality even for being extra find and fine nibs for my tiny writing.
I have two Kaweco Sport pens both came with a medium nib, which to me feels like Lamy fine nib. I have a feeling that they are on the drier side. The tiny converter is great to use for ink testing, it's so easy to clean out. I now eyedropper the pens, a 2ml ink sample fits in nicely. I find that if I dip the nib and feed first into the ink sample it starts writing straight away. I have bought a double broad nib and at the moment I am using Van Dieman's Parrot Fish, a turquoise blue with purple shimmer🤓 it writes great and it's easy to keep the shimmer agitated. That Kaweco Blue is such a ho hum blue. I really like that type of green of your Kaweco! Did you find the pen wrote smoother with Deep Dark Green or did still feel a bit "scratchy"🤔?
@@GarryEves Great😊I am glad it's working for you now. Is the Fabriano notepad part of the Fabriano paper review you did recently? (still have to watch it)
Have both in my 45 pen collection and love both. Kaweco (medium nib) is in my pocket all day every day and is only used for quick notes in a pocket notebook. I have a converter but also have eye dropperd and syringe filled cartridges, all work great. Both pens write first time every time and have done well with a large variety of inks. I also have the all metal Cross Bailey as well as several Cross Classics and one Cross Townsend, all but one with 14k fine or medium nibs and most received as gifts. I think Cross is an under appreciated workhorse pen for EDC. Thanks for a great review.
Thanks. I'm finding the Kaweco a much nicer pen safer I syringe filled the cartridge with the Diamine ink. I think my issue was more with the ink than the pen.
I haven't used the Cross too much yet, but enjoy the feel when I do. It also sits well and starts writing straight off even when left unused for a couple of weeks.
1. Ill-fitting cartridges with the Kaweco Sport is a known thing, which I also have experienced.
2. I like to refill cartridges. When I do, I follow by dipping the pen in the bottle of ink for a few seconds. Doing this drastically reduces new cartridge flow issues.
3. Plastic Kaweco Sports were born to be eyedropped.
Thanks for the suggestion of dipping the end of the cartridge.
I may eventually eyedropper it, but at moment I am looking forward to trying a number of different inks to see how they behave in the pen.
A tip for inky fingers, especially when they are stained by blue inks : rub your fingers with a little bit of OxyClean powder and a few drops of hot water; brush stubborn stains away; and finally, rinse thoroughly with ample water until the slick oily feel disappears.
My wife is often chastising me for ink on my fingers. When it's particularly bad I use some Gumption, which I think is similar to the OxyClean. I will keep my eyes open for OxyClean when I'm shopping, thanks for the tip.
I have a Cross Bailey light in turquoise with silver coloured trim. Writes everytime and no issues with at all.
My Kaweco Sport Classic is in navy with a gold-plated medium nib. I carry it in my pocket and and use it every day at work. No problems at all. 😃😃
Hi,on the kaweco classic sport been using it daily for year +, with lamy inks and it's very good no hard starts,no skips etc .only issue is the threads inside the cap gets worn out
You should get a Cross Bailey Light in a green colour. They don't have quite as many colour choices as Kaweco but they have a nice turquoise you would like. 😀
Nice review Gary I had both Pens from cult pens as well,I agree with you about the cross bailey but defintely kaweco Pens have something special in them..
The Kaweco is definitely growing on me as I use it more. I think my main issue was with the ink, as once I put the Diamine ink in it the whole experience changed. I've now ordered the Cult Pens mini, which is made by Kaweco, and have added an AL-Sport to my "to buy" list.
I have three Kaweco Sports all with fine nibs and I really like them, especially the brass Sport. I refill cartridges with a syringe as the convertor is tiny. My favourite inks to use in them are Diamine Imperial purple and Diamine Green Umber (in the brass). I returned my first Kaweco to Cult pens because the nib was (to me) unusable, dry and very scratchy - their customer service (as always) was wonderful. It was a while ago and I’ve since heard that the nibs could be a bit hit and miss but I think it’s sorted now. I also have a Kaweco Perkeo which I don’t like as much as the Sports.
I did find the nib was very dry. I have put in a Diamine ink now, which is much wetter, and the pen writes a lot better. I've received a convertor but have not had the chance to install it yet. I like the idea that the convertor only takes a small amount of ink as it will allow me to try out a lot of different inks in it.
@@GarryEves The three I have now are not dry. Great idea for using the converter!
Thanks for the review, Garry. I am now exploring economical pens after spending far too much on higher end pens and have found the ultra cheap pens to be too small and of low quality. There are undoubtedly some Chinese bargains to be found but they usually lack style and, as you say, have very few nib options. I have found that Laban offer very good quality acrylic pens, and Lamy, Stilform and the Good Blue offer excellent aluminium pens at very reasonable prices.
It is a very rewarding hobby with an abundance of styles and prices to suit everyone.
I have a Laban 325 - it's a very nice pen.
I’ve Bailey light in Burgundy (M) with gold trim.. It’s really a good writer even though gold trim is a little too shiny for my liking..
Incidentally I’ve ordered my first ever Kaweco Sport Classic (F) in White color along with Clip and converter..
Nice, I like the sound of a burgundy Bailey light.
I hope you enjoy the Kaweco. Although I had a rough start, once I put in a wetter ink I am finding it a lot more enjoyable to write with.
Hi Garry. Thanks for the interesting review even if these pens didn't quite suit your taste. I've heard good reports about the Cross Bailey Light but I don't own one. I have one Cross Fountain pen, the Beverly, I believe. It's OK, but nothing to rave about. The Kaweco is, of course, a bit of a legend. However, I've spoken to one or two pen reviewers and I believe Kaweco changed nib suppliers. I have a Kaweco Sport Classic (in Bordeaux colour) but mine has a Fine nib so difficult to compare with your broad nib version. It's not too bad. I went for the Fine nib because I thought a pocket pen shouldn't run out of ink every day or two and possibly let you down at the worst moment. To be honest I'm seriously thinking about getting a Kaweco Liliput.
Thanks.
I haven't spent too much time with the Cross yet, but the few times I have it's performed quite nicely.
The Kaweco has now grown on me. Once I put in the Diamine ink the writing experience increased so much, it's now quite enjoyable.
I keep it in my gym bag with a Fabriano notepad, they make a really nice combo for jotting down notes about my exercise patterns.
Thank you for the review. My kaweco skyline sport has hard start issue and sometimes skipping, but I find that diamine cartridges work very well with it.
Thanks. Once I put the Diamine ink in it I did fond the pen wrote so much better. It's now enjoyable to use. I'm going to try a few other Diamine inks in it over the next few months.
Hi Garry, Nice video as always! I have an idea/request. I noticed you inky fingers (we all get that at some point) and I would like to hear your tricks on getting your hands clean. I’ve been using a fluid by CMT to clean pitch from saw blades.
Thanks.
If I'm going to be doing a lot of messing with inks I put on disposable gloves.
For particularly bad amounts of ink, I use Gumption paste - which takes it off really nicely.
For lighter stains, I wash my hands using dishwashing liquid and then forget about it and let time take its toll. Inky fingers - a badge of honour.
Honestly, for the Kaweco pens, I find that the nibs aren't consistent in quality. I have three sport because they are great for lugging around, and bought spare nibs for two for replacing and found the spares were much better quality even for being extra find and fine nibs for my tiny writing.
The nib is slowly growing on me. I have put a wetter ink in it and now quite like the pen.
I have two Kaweco Sport pens both came with a medium nib, which to me feels like Lamy fine nib. I have a feeling that they are on the drier side. The tiny converter is great to use for ink testing, it's so easy to clean out.
I now eyedropper the pens, a
2ml ink sample fits in nicely. I find that if I dip the nib and feed first into the ink sample it starts writing straight away. I have bought a double broad nib and at the moment I am using Van Dieman's Parrot Fish, a turquoise blue with purple shimmer🤓 it writes great and it's easy to keep the shimmer agitated. That Kaweco Blue is such a ho hum blue. I really like that type of green of your Kaweco! Did you find the pen wrote smoother with Deep Dark Green or did still feel a bit "scratchy"🤔?
After changing the ink the pen is so much nicer to use. I now carry it in my gym bag with a Fabriano notepad. It's a joy to use now.
@@GarryEves Great😊I am glad it's working for you now. Is the Fabriano notepad part of the
Fabriano paper review you did recently? (still have to watch it)
@@tanjablume6343 Yeah, they are approx A6 size so fit nicely with the pen.
@@GarryEves Thank you😊
I have the full metal bailey and the nib is horrible. I think the cross pens are made in China. I prefer my Jinhao Chinese pens
Thanks. I do like my Jinhaos, they make some really nice pens - I just wish that they had more choice in nibs.