Kaweco Liliput Review
The Kaweco Liliput Brass is true to its name, a tiny, portable, lilliputian pen that fits easily in the palm of your hand.
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Kaweco Liliput Brass Design
What you notice first is it’s small size. This pen is easily HALF the size of the other pens on my desk for upcoming reviews.
This little guy is just cute with a short barrel and weight that feels just right. I’m not a huge fan of plastic pens, they tend to feel too lightweight, but the brass liliput is a well-balanced pocket pen.
Kaweco Liliput Germany is engraved in white on the back of the rounded cap. The rounded cap itself is engraved with the round Kaweco logo on top in white.
Specs:
Steel Nib
Nib Width: 7mm
Nib Length: 17mm
Cartridge Fill:
Screw Cap: 4 rotations off/on,
4 to post cap on back
Capped Length: 96mm
Posted Length: 121mm
Uncapped Length: 84mm
Total Weight: 24g
Cap Weight: 9g
Mid-Grip Width:4mm
Cap Band Width: 6mm
Liliput Lacks Clip, Comfortable Section
The other end has about three treads used when posting the cap.
When you uncap this little beauty, you notice it takes a full six rotations to get the cap off… probably a function of its narrow diameter at 6mm where the cap threads sit.
Okay, I’ve never wanted to hug a pen but when you uncap it, its small stature is just so cute, I contemplated it. Like a little puppy, this fountain pen just screams to be held.
The nib is an undersized version of a typical Kaweco nib with the same scroll work and logo engraved into it. Even though this is an almost miniature pen, they designed an ergonomic, concave shape to the section that is wide enough for my fingers to caress it comfortably.
The Kaweco Liliput Brass comes in many finishes: brass, brass wave, fire blue, copper etc.
There is no clip on this little guy. He’s great for a pants pocket, he’d fall over in a shirt pocket.
Because of its small stature, this is a cartridge pen, a converter wouldn’t fit unless you went with a bulb converter, which are messy and rarely fill all of the way up. It’s just easier to syringe refill the cartridges or use a fresh cartridge.
The brass will patina with oxidation as the oils in your hands react with the unfinished brass to give it a worn look, rather quickly. These photos were taken after only using this pen (albeit heavily,) for a little more than a week.
The section is super comfy and although an average woman’s hand could write with this unposted, it’s not comfortable without the cap posted on the back. The back of the pen sits directly in the webbing of your hand. Not my favorite position for writing!
Sport vs the Liliput
I do like the weight of this pen. The brass makes it 3g heavier than the larger metal pocket pen Kaweco makes, the Aluminum AL Sport. It’s more than twice the weight of the Classic Sport.
I had a #2 pencil on my desk and the Liliput is only 2mm wider than the standard pencil, so this is a no-brainer for those who love skinny fountain pens.
Regarding build quality, the threads are metal, not plastic, so I have a feeling this pen will outlast me in every way. It’s sturdy, well-made and super FUN. It’s just so small, my only concern is keeping my eye on it so I don’t lose it.
Liliput and Kaweco Special – Size difference
The Liliput and Special are similar widths. The Liliput is only 1mm skinnier than the Special, another thin pen by Kaweco.
How Does The Nib Perform On Paper?
The Liliput nib is undersized but writes very well. I’m reviewing the Medium nib here and it’s writes like a true medium. The line width is exactly what you’d expect and the pen is juicy but doesn’t dump ink on the page, more of a controlled lusciousness of ink to page.
This nib is smooth and such a pleasure to write with. Even on cheap, spiral bound notebook paper, there is no bleedthrough to the back of the page with the medium Liliput nib. I could even use the back of the page for more notes without any ghosting on the page.
On higher quality paper, the nib performs well. No skips, hard starts or any other issues, this is just a smooth pen.
The Cap – Screw/Pull/Post
Okay, here’s the only catch with the Liliput… the cap. It’s not the cap itself that’s the problem. It’s how long it takes to get it on/off and posted. Because the pen has a narrow diameter, it takes more rotations to get the cap on and off the barrel.
Many people like the ceremonious tradition of uncapping their pen by enjoying slowly screwing it on and off. I, however, am more of a pragmatist. I appreciate a turn or two and away we go writing. For me, the luxury of using a fountain pen is in the writing with it, not the capping and uncapping, but you may be different.
Capping this little guy takes 4 rotations but once it’s on there, it isn’t going anywhere. That cap is on until you decide to take it off, no chattering, no issues. Lovely!
Who is the Liliput Good For? Is It a Good Overall Value?
This pen is good for anyone that wants a lovely, medium-heavy weight pocket fountain pen.
I LOVE this pen. I mean it’s smooth, juicy, small, portable and an every day carry. The balance is great posted, I wrote forever in my journal with no issues. The only downsides if you want to call it that are quick notes are a pain because of the rotations to unscrew the cap, but most people enjoy that. Oh, and the fact that there’s nothing to keep it from rolling off the table when you set it down, no clip.
What’s great about no clip is that if you have a journal with a pen pocket, this little guy fits GREAT into a pen pocket.
But, those aren’t really cons so much as awareness pieces. Get the Kaweco Liliput on Amazon and you will not regret it.
It’s SO FUN and it will make you smile every time you use it.
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