I cannot tell you how long I’ve wanted this pen. Its no secret I’m a big fan of the Kaweco line in general. While I am not generally inclined to be interested in “girlie” tools I like the smaller scale of the Kaweco line for comfort and portability so when I saw the aluminum finish Liliput which looked like a perfect match for my Secretary knife, I had to have it.
Capped, the Liliput is a whopping 3.75″ long (9.5 cm) which is just a half an inch longer (1 cm) than my knife. The Liliput has a smooth aluminum finish while my knife is slightly brushed in finish but they are a perfect pocket pair and also fit exceedingly well in my EDC bag.
The Kaweco Liliput ships in a decorative tin with a paperboard sleeve. Its a nice presentation for a lower priced fountain pen. Inside, the pen is wrapped in a plastic sleeve to protect from nicks and set into a space in the molded flocked plastic that looks as though it was designed to fit a Sport-sized pen rather than the diminutive Liliput. But all in all, its a lovely keepsake tin with classic Kaweco graphics embossed on the lid.
There are minimal graphics on the pen body itself. Etched on the cap near the top is the Kaweco logo type and the text “Made in Germany.” Its quite subtle. The cap can screw on the end of the pen to increase the overall length to 5″ (12.5 cm) from tip to cap. The width of this pen is much narrower than the Sport model pens. I would compare the diameter of the Liliput to that of a round barrel pencil (though it is slightly wider) where the Sport models are closer in diameter to a Sharpie Marker.
The nib looks just like the Sport nibs and performs equally but has a silver finish rather than the gold finish favored by the Sport line. I favor the Kaweco EF nibs so purchased the same in this pen and it works exactly as anticipated.
It weighs a mere 10 gms with cap and full cartridge. In my pocket, I barely feel its weight. I’ve included my chart of other pen weights for comparison:
The Lilliput is 3 gms lighter than my previously lightest pens and is the equivalent of about two US quarter coins. Not going to notice this in your pocket at all.
Because of its tiny size, the Liliput can only take short cartridges and there are no converters that fit it. I keep a stash of random cartridges in my bag and on my desk so I can refill various pens quickly so I don’t mind. When I have the time, I refill cartridges using a syringe to extend my ink options.
The one complaint of this pen is that it does not have a clip and, since it is completely smooth, it does have a tendency to roll off the table. For me though, its smoothness is part of what I like about it. It feels nice in my hand, like a long, slender pen “pill.”
Side note: I had a technical difficulty with the original pen I ordered. It did not write at all. Had this been my first experience with Kaweco I would have felt quite differently about their quality. Having owned four other Kawecos that all performed without issue, I knew this was a defect in the pen. JetPens worked with Kaweco to get me a replacement Liliput and sent me this model. I mention this only because I know people have commented that they are not fond of Kawecos. At these $25-$60 prices for fountain pens, I expect that quality control may not be the same as at higher price points. If you’ve had issues with a Kaweco, I recommend trying another, replacing the nib unit or contacting the seller or Kaweco. For modern, lower priced fountain pens, these are the smoothest nibs I’ve ever used.
I normally am not very fond of plain aluminum or stainless steel tools (which is baffling, since practically every tool I carry is some combination of black plastic and plain aluminum or stainless steel), but the combination of the Aluminiliput and the Secretary just looks great! The capsule look of the liliput goes well with the simple, unadorned finish, too – nothing to interrupt the perfect monotony of the shape and the unbroken surface. There’s something retro-sci-fi about it, like if it had a little blinky light at one end or a little metal sphere on the end of a wire, it might be a prop from some action serial from the 50s.
Thanks for the review!
How thick is the material. I worry it will dent if carried in a pocket or backpack – worse yet if dropped.
David, the material seems pretty solid. I’ll definitely continue to put the pen through its paces and I’ll report back if it comes to any damage.
I had one of those. It was a good size and I thought a pretty neat little pen. However after only about two months the aluminum finish on the section started getting pitted and eaten away by the ink. I was using Kaweco’s own ink cartridges in the pen.
The Kaweco Liliput and the Victorinox Secretary are a great combo. This could be labeled with many attributes like ladylike,gentlemensworthy,retroscifi,minimal design.Very versatile Pen and Knife.