First, let’s state the obvious: this is a cheap Chinese? knock off of the Kaweco AL-Sport. Some people do not ever use blatant knock offs, out of respect for the design and development costs the initial brand invested and their ongoing investment in customer service, etc. So if that is you, you can stop reading now. (I generally do not use knock-offs instead of the main brand item, for those very reasons – but I will sometimes use them alongside.)
This pen came with a mini converter, and wrote well out of the box. It came in a thin metal box secured by foam padding. It takes standard international short cartridges if you don’t like the converter.
For me, the problem with pocket pens is by definition they don’t usually live in my portable pen case, but rather my pocket or loose in my purse, and so I am prone to misplacing them, or occasionally sending them through the wash.
I would rather risk that with a $20 Hongdian pen from Amazon than a $80-92 Kaweco AL Sport or $125 Schon Design Pocket 6. My favorite Pocket 6 is “house lost” at the moment, in fact.
And personally, I have a real hard time with smooth metal sections, which this pen and the AL-Sport both have. Metal section pens are fine for me for jotting quick notes, which is the purpose of a pocket pen, but I can’t use one for a long writing session. Another reason for me not to spend as much money on a pocket pen with a metal section.
Enough about why this pen serves a function for me even though I also own multiple genuine Kaweco AL-Sports.
The one thing that I really like about this pen more than the Kaweco is its clip. It is an integrated part of the cap, and it is a spring clip—much better on both counts than the Kaweco clips, which need to be bought as an added accessory, and which will easily slide off your pen. To me a clip makes a pocket pen much more usable – I almost always reach for those with clips over those that do not have one. So I think this is actually a better pen for its function than its pricier Kaweco inspiration.
OK, another thing I really like about this pen is just particular to me – its finial has an adorable design of two cats, black and white, curled together in a yin yang shape. I will post a picture of my two cats, Coconut and MoonPie, and you can see why I had to have this pen. It sits on my bedside table, ready in case I have any middle of the night thoughts to jot down. And ready to be shoved in my pocket as I get dressed.
Ratings:
Function: * * * * *
Value: * * * * * At $20 it’s cheaper than the plastic Kaweco Sport not to mention than the aluminum Kawecos, and it comes with a converter and has a integrated clip.
Rank in my collection: * * * * *
Will always need knock around pocket pens I don’t mind damaging or losing. Plus–that finial!
Curation 