(This pen was provided to me for review purposes by my friend, Steve, who is not affiliated with any company. The following review reflects my own opinions and mine alone.)
Have you ever put a pen in your pocket then realize that it was pain to have while sitting down? If so, then the Kaweco Ice Sport is for you! The Ice Sport is an acrylic “pocket” pen with a clear barrel and a translucent cap. The pen is extremely small, but once posted, it becomes a full-length pen. The pen fits a standard international cartridge and can be converted to an eyedropper (more on that later).
The pen doesn’t look like much but it definitely performs well. It looks quite modern with it’s angular cap but round barrel. Personally, I do not like the looks of this pen very much but others may disagree. The cap starts off round, but very quickly becomes angular and turns into straight edges. It’s an interesting design aspect, but not for me. It does prevent the pen from rolling around though, so that is a plus! The cap screws and unscrews from the barrel, and posts very securely.
The construction of this pen is durable, as in it won’t completely break under normal use. I did find that the pen’s clear acrylic body quickly develops unsightly scratches from use and posting the cap. Most surface scratches can be taken care of with a little plastic polish, but I haven’t don’t anything to it yet.
The pen is completely made of acrylic or plastic, so it quite light if not done as an eyedropper pen. The weight doesn’t change much if you post the cap. I am generally a fan of light pens, but I find this one a bit too light for my tastes.
Being a pocket pen, it is inherently a small piece. The pen comes in at 4.125” (10.47cm) capped, 3.875” (9.84cm) uncapped, and 5.125” (13cm) posted. Capped and uncapped, the pen is extremely short and practically unusual for people with large hands. However, once posted, the pen magically turns into a decent full size.
Kaweco offers nib sizes from a Fine (F) to a Double Broad (BB). The nib currently in the pen is a BB nib that has been customized by Art of ArtsNibs. The nib has been turned into double broad stub and has been given added flex. I was also sent a stock Medium (M) nib and it was quite smooth and wet. Here is a writing sample of the BB that was customized. It was done with J. Herbin Rouge Hematite
The Kaweco uses standard short international cartridges only or can be turned into an eyedropper. The pen does not fit standard international converters, but it may fit the Monteverde small converter. You can also easily turn this pen into an eye dropper by adding a layer of silicone grease at the threads between the section and barrel. Silicone grease can be easily found at your local hardware store. The eye dropper converted pen holds about 3mL of ink while a standard short international cartridge holds about 0.6-0.7mL of ink. The eyedropper system works well, but Rouge Hematite ends up clogging the nib due to it’s sparkles.
The pen is available for a retail price of $26.50. I find it quite a good deal, especially if you are in the market for a pocket pen!