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

I haven't seen many comparisons of these two pens online, so here is mine. The Kaweco Sport I'm comparing is the Olivine Collection Edition.

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 owned Kawecos before, and an older green Kaweco Sport was my first fountain pen.

That pen is well worn now, and it's still one of my favorites for how it fits in the hand and how it writes.

If you're not familiar with the Kaweco Sport, its cap screws on and off.

There are two ways to fill it. I put a Kaweco converter in mine.

The converter doesn't hold much ink, but I like using bottled ink, which gets me a lot more ink for the money.

The other option is short international cartridges. When I was starting out, I bought a pack of six, and cartridges were all I used for a long time.

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

The Olivine Collection Edition is aluminum, and the cap sounds really nice when you open and close it.

Kaweco also makes the Sport in plastic, which is really affordable.

The plastic version has the same screw cap, but it doesn't sound as nice. There are other materials too, including brass.

The Sport is my favorite pen by far for journaling on the go.

I've seen a lot of people use it as their everyday carry pen.

When I'm out and about, I actually prefer a ballpoint or gel pen because it's a little more versatile. Still, the Sport is usually close by.

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

The Traveler's Company fountain pen is brass, so it develops a patina with use.

I bought it shortly after I got my Traveler's Notebook.

What attracted me was how short it is. Capped, it's even a little shorter than the Kaweco.

With the cap posted on the back, it's a little longer than the Kaweco, because of the way its cap closes onto the barrel.

Posting the cap makes it feel more like a full-size pen.

It's really slim and really comfortable to write with. For a brass pen, it is not very heavy, which is nice, because brass pens can get 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

The Traveler's Company pen also takes short international cartridges, and cartridges are what I used in it for a long time.

When I first got it, the converter from my Kaweco was a little too long, and I couldn't make it fit.

Then, while browsing JetPens, I found a newer Kaweco converter with a really clever design.

Its piston is shorter, and the converter actually folds, which lets it fit in a pen as small as the Traveler's Company fountain pen.

It's really easy to use and refill.

I was really happy when I found a shorter converter. In my opinion, it made the pen much more capable.

The nib swap

I like Kaweco nibs so much that I replaced the Traveler's Company pen's original nib with a Kaweco fine nib.

The Kaweco fine is my favorite nib by far. Its line width and the way it writes make my handwriting look a lot better.

The original nib also wasn't working well for me when the pen was new.

The swap made the writing experience so much better. Since then, the pen has lived in my pocket or on my notebook. I use it for a lot of my journaling, and it's a joy to write with.

Inks

My Traveler's Company pen is inked with Kaweco Pearl Black. I'm inking the Olivine Kaweco Sport with Kaweco Palm Green.

Palm Green is one of my favorite colors, and the greens it produces are exceptional.

I haven't experimented much with other inks and colors yet, and there are endless inks out there to try.

Which one I reach for

Capped, the two pens are about the same length. The difference shows up when they are posted: the Traveler's Company pen's extra length and balance make it slightly more comfortable in my hand.

These two are 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?

Capped, the Kaweco Sport and the Traveler's Company fountain pen are about the same length. Posted, the Traveler's Company pen is longer and feels more like a full-size pen, so it is slightly more comfortable in my hand.

Do both pens take short international cartridges?

Yes. The Kaweco Sport and the Traveler's Company fountain pen both take short international cartridges, and I used cartridges in both for a long time.

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

The standard Kaweco converter from my Kaweco Sport was too long to fit the Traveler's Company fountain pen. Kaweco's newer folding converter is shorter and does fit.

Is the brass Traveler's Company pen heavy?

No. For a brass pen, the Traveler's Company fountain pen is not very heavy, which is nice.