Kaweco Student Blue Fountain Pen - F Nib

I, like a few other bloggers, was given the pleasure of receiving some sample goods from Sebastian and Sabine directly from Kaweco for review on the blog, so I will likely have a lot to say about the brand over the coming months!  I'm excited about this as Kaweco is one of my favorite brands so this should be a treat.  Thanks again, Kaweco, for providing some samples for me to review on The Clicky Post.

My first round of these Kaweco reviews rest on the Student model fountain pen.  The Student is one of Kaweco's larger models closer to your average full-sized fountain pen.  It is a bit above your entry level fountain pen price coming in at about $50-60 depending on where you buy from, but based on my experience with the pen it seems reasonable.

The barrel of the pen is made from molded acrylic so the pen overall isn't extremely weighty.  The grip section is made of chromed brass and is the heaviest part of the pen and when unposted it is heavier on the front end.  Due to the added length with the cap posted, I've found myself writing without it but with it didn't seem a terrible bother.  This is primarily due to the light weight acrylic.  If the barrel was metal I could see it running a bit top heavy.  

The cap posts securely with a good push, but doesn't go on very far at maybe only an inch.

This particular pen was loaded up with an F nib which started up quick and smooth as is the usual experience with Kaweco.  I've been using an EF in my blue AL Sport and thought I was sold on it, but using the F might have just swayed my sweet spot...  Although, I've got a few nibs to get through still before I can set that in stone.  I loaded it up with the the standard Kaweco blue cartridge and it writes beautifully.  The Kaweco nibs are so pleasant to work with.

The color of the barrel is advertised as "blue", but in some lighting could be observed as being a bit on the violet side.  Not purple by any means though.  For me, this is kind of a distraction as violet pens aren't really my forte, but perhaps a deeper blue composition would change the look of the pen completely?  

If you are familiar with the Allrounder, the Student is kind of like it's little brother.  It carries primarily the same shape, but is slightly shorter and is acrylic rather than aluminum.  They share the same clip, but have different decorative chrome bands around the cap.  At half the price, you get a similar feel, but with less weight.

Like the Allrounder, despite being a larger pen it shares the smaller nib of the Sport line.  Some of the other bloggers that have done reviews of the Allrounder found this to be a bit disappointing, but I don't really mind it.  Perhaps I just need more time with larger nibs to feel differently.  I'm most concerned about how the pen will write and as mentioned, the Kaweco nibs (even the smaller ones) write awesome. 

All in all, I really like the Student and I think it is a pretty good value.  I enjoyed the writing experience particularly with the F nib.

New Offering from The Clicky "Trading" Post - The Display

I'm always excited when some inspiration hits while working out in the shop.  Often times it even stops me from completing what I'm currently working on because I have to pursue the idea.  That's what is fun about the creative process I suppose.

I'm pleased to announce the newest offering from Dudek Modern Goods:

The Display

Very similar to it's cousin, The Groove, The Display is a combined pen and notebook holder that leaves a small footprint on your desk, but offers some elegant yet minimal storage.  The inspiration hit when I wanted to offer something that took most of the showcasing away from the notebooks and shifted it to the pens put on "display".  

The Display holds a few less pens than The Groove, but has a nice cutaway that allows you to see not only the caps of your pens, but more of the barrels all lined up in a row. 

Like my other products, The Display is handmade from a single piece of walnut and finished in a soft, satin polyurethane.

I want to again express my thanks for all the support I've received and for those that have ordered my products thus far!  Please let me know if you have questions about The Display or my other products found in The Clicky "Trading" Post.

- Mike Dudek

An Idea - The "Small Business Showcase" on The Clicky Post

A theme that has come up on The Clicky Post since it's inception is the idea that I love small business and I love manufactured goods, particularly of the handmade variety.

There are quite a few small businesses that have been "showcased" here on The Clicky Post and I wanted to provide a recap on some of them for you all (click header for past review):


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Doane Paper Goods

One of my favorite paper brands ever.  Owned and operated by the man himself, Chad Doane, creator of the now iconic blue grid+lines.  One of my go-to products of his is the Large Idea Journal.


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Karas Kustoms -

A local favorite of mine.  Creators and machinists of awesome metal pens and products like the Render K, Bolt, and Retrakt.  They are a small machine shop that not only does pens, but also cool machined Apple product cases.


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 One Star Leather Goods - 

Owned and operated by a one man show, Keegan.  Creator of exquisite yet highly functional leather products.  One of my favorite products is his wallet/notebook cover called the Park Sloper Sr. 


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Bas & Lokes - Leather Makers

Hailing from Australia, this duo (with the help of their dog Soda), create beautiful leather goods that are chic and elegant.  Really top notch stuff.  Shown right is the "Reynolds" pen case.


So, the idea is, I'd like to provide a place on The Clicky Post for small businesses like these to receive some review and exposure if they'd like.  There will be some "rules" so-to-speak, but I'd love to do about a review or two per month showcasing a new small business I've met.

Now, not every small business is a good fit for The Clicky Post audience and not everyone will be selected for showcase, but that doesn't mean if you're interested that you shouldn't reach out to me.  I'd love to discuss your thoughts on it.

The "Rules/Guidelines" -

- needs to be an existing business (Kickstarter projects may find their way to The Clicky Post from time to time, but not in the Small Business Showcase)

- preferably handmade products/goods that fit the general theme of the blog and audience: pen, paper, "writing", or every day carry related

- can choose to provide samples for review or giveaway on the blog

- the actual owner(s) of the small business contact me (sorry, referrals and links to cool stuff are appreciated, but not for this unfortunately.)  :)

If you are interested, please shoot me an email through the Contact page with the subject "Small Business Showcase" and tell me a bit about yourself and your business.  Provide links to products, images, etc and I'll get back to you about my thoughts too.  I think it will be fun.