Kaweco Student 70’s Soul Fountain Pen

Kaweco Student 70’s Soul – Bohemian Rhapsody

Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, side burns, the Godfather, bell-bottom pants, the Frisbee, Sears Tower, the Emergency in India, Rocky, Deconstructivism, platform shoes and the Concert for Bangladesh have one thing in common – they are all “gifts” to us from the 1970’s, the Me Decade!

Even through the mist of time, the decade comes across as one that was bright, perhaps not 60’s psychedelic bright, but bright, none the less. And it is to these heady times, that the Kaweco Student Fountain Pen, 70’s Soul is dedicated. As a matter of fact, it I knew I had to have one, the moment I set my eyes on it in the PenSpecials ecommerce site. It was another “imagine” moment, many decades on.

There is nothing that I can say about Kaweco pens that the world does not know already. For a quick recap, the Heidelberger Federhalterfabrik (Heidelberg dip pen factory) was established in 1883 by Luce and Enßlen. The first safety fountain pen was patented by Kaweco, D.R.G.M. 224101 way back in 1908 and the entity had Transformed into a PLC (public limited company) in 1921. At that point in time, Kaweco employed 600 people and produced about 130,000 fountain pens annually. Lever fountain pens were added to the production and were the rage of the day. It will not be out of place to mention that Kaweco pens were not only celebrated for their unique designs, but also almost fail-proof functionality which had, even then, given rise to a dedicated pool of admirers with even the major pen manufacturing companies looking towards Kaweco for inspiration. 

The second coming of Kaweco began in 1994 with h&m gutberlet gmbh acquiring the “KAWECO“ name and re-launching a new Sport series based on the Kaweco Sport design from 1935. These nifty pocket writing instruments were made available as fountain pens, rollerballs, ball pens, push pencils and clutch pencils. Diplomat was then the exclusive sales partner. This business relationship was maintained until 1999, when Diplomat was sold.

Today with a continuously expanding product range Kaweco is a major force in the world of penmanship. The classic designs and high-quality manufacturing are still at the core of the brand’s philosophy with Kaweco pens incorporating the best of both worlds – the nostalgia of an era when the fountain pen ruled the popular imagination with the functional brilliance of modern technological advances. Little wonder that Kaweco writing instruments are now available, and widely used in over 40 countries around the world.

There is nothing that I can say about the Kaweco Student 70’s Soul that a million lovers have not already said before. Suffice to say, it has Woodstock written all over it and brings flashes of memory from an era when the flower children ruled the popular imagination. The colours are bright, vivid and bold, just like the youngsters were then and the moment I slip it into my shirt pocket, I feel that I am being transported across the universe. Imagine.

I bought the Kaweco Student 70’s Soul from www.penspecials.com and must say, they made me, even a nowhere man like me, feel mighty special. The site is neatly arranged and the prices are very reasonable. There is a signing up discount for first time customers as well. But what really floored me was the super-fast, no-nonsense delivery and the fact that my package came with a personal, handwritten note that wished me good writings. Beat that! Yes, for I am a lifelong fan of the nostalgia encased tin boxes that most Kaweco writing instruments come in – the note floored that too.

 

The 70’s Soul is a beautiful writer – but then again, one expects nothing less from any Kaweco product. The material, the nib, the balance, the weight, the writing comfort, the flow of ink, the design, the look and feel – there is no chink in the armour that I could find, the pen performing like the love that the soul of the generation it symbolises.  

The Kaweco Student 70’s Soul is a cartridge / converter pen which makes it virtually hassle-free and I bought the converter too from www.penspecials.com. Here’s my two bit: check out the site, if you wanna Tie a Yellow Ribbon round the Ole Oak Tree or even if your heart wants to take you By the Rivers of Babylon!

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For Kaweco and other must-have’s visit: www.penspecials.com