Kaweco Sport vs Traveler's Company Fountain Pen: My Pick

I want to talk about these two pens, the Kaweco Sport, the collection edition, a really new pen that Kaweco came up with, and the Traveler's Company pen.

Watch the full video for everything shown on camera.

Short answer: pick the Kaweco Sport for the choice of materials and the easy refill, and pick the Traveler's Company fountain pen if you want a slim brass pen that feels closer to full size once it is posted.

The Kaweco Sport

Mine is the Kaweco Sport Olivine.

I've had other Kawecos in the past, like my green one. This was actually my first fountain pen.

It's pretty well worn out and still one of my favorite pens that I own, how it fits in the hand, how it writes.

If you're not familiar with this pen, it's a screw top, so you screw it to close it and you screw it to open it.

It has two options to refill this pen. I put one of the Kaweco converters in mine.

It doesn't have a ton of capacity, but I really enjoy having just the bottle ink and being able to get a lot of it.

They also sell cartridges, the short international cartridges. I bought a pack of six and that's all I used for the longest time.

It's a really small pen, really comfortable in the hand.

The olivine collection edition is aluminum, so you can hear how nice it sounds when you open and close it.

They also have the plastic ones, really affordable.

Same functionality, screw, but plastic, so it doesn't sound as nice. They have all sorts of different materials.

It's my favorite pen by far to write with, to journal on the go.

I've seen a lot of people use these as their EDC pen that they use on a daily basis.

I actually enjoy a ballpoint pen or gel pen when I'm out and about. It's a little more versatile. But this one is one I keep near a lot of times.

Best for journaling on the go and for choice of materials. Skip it if you want a pen that feels full size in the hand.

The Traveler's Company fountain pen

Let's talk about the Traveler's Company pen. It's brass. You get the patina on it.

I got this one shortly after I got my Traveler's Notebook.

What attracted me to this one was how short it is. It's even a little shorter than the Kaweco.

But when you extend it, it's even a little longer than the Kaweco. It's just because that closure mechanism allows it to be a little longer.

So it felt more like a full size pen when it was posted.

Really comfortable to write, really slim. And for being a brass pen, it is not super heavy, which is nice. They can get really, really heavy.

Best for posted comfort and balance. Skip it if you do not want to hunt for a shorter converter.

Refilling the Traveler's Company pen

This one also uses the same type of cartridges. And this is what I used for the longest time.

When I first got it, the converter that I have on the Kaweco was a little too long for it and I wasn't able to make it fit.

I was browsing on JetPens and stumbled upon this new converter that Kaweco has. Really clever design.

The piston is a little shorter on this one, and this is where the magic comes. It actually folds, and that allows it to fit in such a small pen like this Traveler's Company fountain pen.

Really easy to use and refill.

I was so, so happy when I figured out there was a shorter converter. It made this such a more capable pen, in my opinion.

The nib swap

I really enjoyed the Kaweco nib. I actually swapped the Traveler's Company nib and I put a Kaweco fine nib in it.

My favorite nib by far, the thickness of the line, how it writes, really makes at least my handwriting a lot better.

I also had issues when this pen first came and the nib wasn't really working well for me.

The swap made the writing experience so much better. And since I made that change, this has lived in my pocket, on my notebook. It's what I use for a lot of my journaling and it's really a joy to write with.

Inks

One is inked with the Kaweco black ink. I'm going to be inking the green one with Kaweco Palm Green, one of my favorite colors as well.

The greens that it produces are exceptional, one of my favorite colors.

I haven't experimented a lot with different types of inks and colors, but obviously there's an infinite amount of inks out there.

Which one I reach for

When capped, they're about the same length, but what really makes a difference to me is when they are posted, with the length and the feel in the hand.

These two definitely take the cake for my favorite fountain pens.

The gear worth a look

• Kaweco Sport: my first fountain pen, and still the one I journal with on the go.
• Kaweco Sport Olivine: the aluminum Collection Edition of the same pen.
• Kaweco Palm Green Ink: the green I ink my Kaweco with.
• Traveler's Company Notebook (Regular): the notebook the brass pen lives on.

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Related reading

• Two Fountain Pens, One Journal: My Daily Conklin Setup
• Monteverde Innova Ti Review: Titanium Pen for Daily Carry
• Best Field Notes Alternatives for Fountain Pen Users

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is more comfortable, the Kaweco Sport or the Traveler's Company fountain pen?

When capped, they're about the same length, but what really makes a difference to me is when they are posted. Posted, the Traveler's Company pen feels more like a full size pen.

Do both pens take short international cartridges?

Yes. This one also uses the same type of cartridges, and this is what I used for the longest time.

Does a Kaweco converter fit the Traveler's Company fountain pen?

The converter that I have on the Kaweco was a little too long for it and I wasn't able to make it fit. The new folding converter that Kaweco has does fit.

Is the brass Traveler's Company pen heavy?

For being a brass pen, it is not super heavy, which is nice.