Fountain pens are considered the epitome of writing culture. With just a little pressure, they glide across the paper as you write, and their nib—unlike a ballpoint tip—allows for an individual writing style. This promotes the development of personal and, in most cases, neat handwriting. But the nib width—fine, medium, broad—also influences the type of handwriting. Among fountain pens, the piston-fill fountain pen can be described as primus inter pares. It can be filled with “loose ink” and does not rely on ink cartridges. This saves plastic, is ultimately more cost-effective, and offers a wider selection of ink colors. One minor drawback: Due to their filling mechanism, piston-fill fountain pens are only available in the sizes of standard writing instruments and are less commonly found in a pocket-friendly format.

Kaweco, a manufacturer known for its compact writing instruments, has filled this gap in its (and our) lineup by developing a piston-fill fountain pen suitable for carrying in a pocket—and thus ideal for travel. The compact barrel, in the classic format typical of the Sport series, is made of black anodized aluminum and features a gold-plated bronze clip. By attaching the cap to the barrel, the fountain pen can be extended to 13 centimeters and then fits comfortably in the hand. With its smooth-operating piston mechanism, you can refill it directly from an ink bottle—the semi-transparent viewing window shows the ink level. The ink flows evenly and richly onto the paper through a gold-plated stainless steel nib with an iridium tip—available in fine, medium, and broad widths to suit your personal preference. For refilling, we recommend our Manufactum writing inks, which we offer in various colors—even with a burgundy or coffee scent: for a touch of home while traveling.

Founded in 1883, fountain pen factory Koch, Weber & Co. based in Heidelberg used to be one of the most important manufacturers of fountain pens and accessories. And it was one of the most ingenious, too. They invented the first German truly leak-proof stylograph: the “safety fountain pen”. In the middle of the 1930s, they designed the stylograph model “Sports”, a small fountain pen which (slightly modified over time) was successfully sold until 1970. This is not particularly surprising considering the compact length of 10.5 cm of the closed fountain pen – a commodity when travelling. Over and above the ready-to-use stylograph – with the cap attached to the end – is very comfortable to hold and writes agreeably. Inspired by the model of 1935, we initiated its production relaunch. Like its archetype, our model “Sports” has a gold-plated nib with an iridium writing tip. As Kaweco did in later years, we also offer a series of writing instruments for travelling. In addition to the fountain pen, you find a ball pen, retractable pencil and clutch pencil in pocket-size in our range. In this version (with a black case featuring guilloches), these writing instruments are exclusively available at Manufactum.