Kaweco Guilloch 1930 EF Fountain Pen

With my love for all things vintage, I couldn’t resist purchasing the Kaweco Guilloch 1930. Guilloch is term used to describe the technique of emboss that creates the fine lines on the cap and barrel that look so distinctly Art Deco. Other than the decorative case, the Kaweco Guilloch 1930 is the same internally as any other Kaweco Sport or Ice pen — diminutive in pocket, full sized when cap is posted for writing.

I chose the EF nib and added the gold clip. As other have stated, when compared with the EF nibs of the Japanese fountain pens, the Kawecos in F and EF feel more like a medium nib. I have had other people try out the pen to give me their impression. One comment I’ve heard is that the pen is very lightweight especially when compared to other brands of fountain pens. I find that the clip adds a little bit of weight which helps with the balance. In general, I think women find the Kaweco more comfortable to use than men as a result of the diminutive proportions and light weight, though I know lots of men keep a Kaweco for its excellent “pocketability”.

Every time I use a new Kaweco, I am always amazed at how smooth the nib is. I do find that Kaweco pens need to be primed (scribble for a few loops to get the ink flowing) when they have sat for awhile (a couple hours, a day, a week) but otherwise they write smoothly and they don’t skip or scratch, even on a lefty more apt to drag a pen across the paper (that would be me).

The Kaweco Guilloch 1930 takes standard European-sized ink cartridges and no converter is available for it due to the small size of the barrel. I use empty cartridges and refill them with the ink color of my choice using a pen syringe.

If you are looking for your first fountain pen, a Kaweco is a good option. They are quite reasonably priced and good quality.

I purchased my Kaweco Guilloch 1930 EF from Goulet Pens for $27 + $4 for the gold clip. Diamine Hope Pink ink was also from Goulet Pens. This pen was tested on the Miquelrius medium flexible 300 grid paper book purchased from B+N.