The Kaweco Liliput

The Kaweco Liliput, specifically in Copper, is one of my favourite pens of all time. I sometimes contemplate a life where I am without a shop or family but living in a hotel like Count Rostov for the rest of my life and this copper Liliput figures heavily. Someone wrote a review of a different Liliput and wrote: “I can't stop carrying this cute little pen.” And this is me exactly.

There is something about this pen that I just connect with. The wand chooses the wizard, and all. I use lots of other pens more and generally more heavily—I have lots of Safaris and TWSBIs—but this Liliput is my old friend who has come on all sorts of adventures with me, waiting in the car to pick up the kids, walks around the neighbourhood, and maybe a little farther afield as well.

Other things:

• Back of the barrel has threads to screw post cap
• Clip is available separately, removable, also acts as a roll-stopper
• Does not take a converter
• Accepts only standard international cartridges

The Liliput comes in a bunch of different materials and colours, aluminum, brass, and I know a couple of people who love their hand-fired Fireblue, which I admit does look great, but for me it’s always been the copper and I have never been really tempted to get another.

It is not a super workhorse pen for sitting down and writing pages and pages because it doesn’t have a huge ink capacity, and yet I use it all the time. I’ve turned into a person who has extra cartridges kicking around in little tins or tucked away in pockets specifically for this pen. It takes standard international (short) cartridges. I do occasionally refill a cartridge with ink from a bottle, but more often I just use a cartridge.

The metal of the Liliput develops a patina with use, which I know for some is give or take. You can buff it out and get that fresh copper shine again, which I sometimes do just for fun, but it’s been a while and look at this patina against a brand new copper Liliput. It’s like a pen unearthed from the secret garden.

It’s a very small pen, which is not for everyone. Here it is next to two other pocket pens (TWSBI Mini, Pilot E95S), and it’s without a doubt tiny. And it writes so well! So smooth, so delightful.

Surely, it must be the perfect camping pen.

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In any case, the summer is racing by. How is it almost over? Still a few good weeks left, and I hope to make the most of them. We have been watching Chinese soap operas, eating fruit for lunch, and squeezing baby Junia until we can hear her ribs creaking and groaning with delight and concern.