Fountain Pens
LAMY Safari vs Kaweco Sport
Both German, both around the same money, and they disagree about the most basic question a pen can face: how big should it be when you are not using it.
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These two come up against each other constantly, and the comparison is more interesting than most because they are close on price and quality and far apart on purpose. One is designed to be a good pen. The other is designed to be a good pen that fits in a pocket, which is a different problem with different compromises.
| LAMY Safari | Kaweco Classic Sport | |
|---|---|---|
| Size capped | Full length | Short — genuinely pocketable |
| Size posted | Long | Full length |
| Usable unposted | Yes | Not for most adult hands |
| Grip | Molded triangular section — one hand position | Plain round section |
| Cartridge | LAMY T10, proprietary, 1.25 ml | International standard, SHORT only |
| Converter | LAMY Z28, sold separately | Kaweco mini, 0.47 ml, sold separately |
| Nib change | Friction-fit unit, pulls off by hand | Screw-in nib unit |
| Left-hander nib | Yes, a dedicated grade | No |
| Cap | Snap | Screw |
| Clip | Yes | No — sold separately |
| Barrel shape | Round with a flat section | Octagonal |
The question that settles it
Where will this pen live? If the answer is a desk, a pen cup or a bag pocket you open deliberately, the Safari is the better pen and the size advantage of the Sport buys you nothing. If the answer is a jacket pocket, a jeans pocket or a small bag where a full-length pen simply will not go, the Sport wins on the only axis that matters and everything else is secondary.
That sounds glib but it really is the deciding factor. Both write well. Only one of them fits.
Quick picks
Ranked for the beginner buying their first setup. Every pick names who it is wrong for.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No image LAMY Safari A molded triangular grip forces the pen into the right position, which is either the best or the worst thing about it. | Learning a correct grip | Check price on Amazon #ad No live price right now. How this is funded |
| 2 | No image Kaweco Classic Sport Short enough to vanish in a pocket, full-sized once you post the cap, and it takes the cartridges everyone else's pens take. | Carrying a pen in a pocket | Check price on Amazon #ad No live price right now. How this is funded |
1. Learning a correct grip
LAMY Safari
A molded triangular grip forces the pen into the right position, which is either the best or the worst thing about it.
#ad No live price right now. How this is funded
The grip section is the entire argument. It is molded into a triangle, so there is exactly one way to hold the pen, and it happens to be the way that keeps the nib flat against the paper. For someone who has spent twenty years white-knuckling a ballpoint, that is a genuine teaching aid.
It is also the reason some people hate it. If your natural grip is unusual, the Safari will fight you every time you pick it up, and no amount of practice makes a molded plastic triangle move.
Everything else about the pen is deliberately easy. The nib pulls off and pushes on by hand, so if you buy a Fine and want a Medium later, that is a five-dollar part rather than a new pen.
| Nib grades offered | Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, plus a dedicated left-hander nibSource: LAMY Safari, Fine (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
|---|---|
| Nib width in mm | Not published |
| Nib | Interchangeable steel nib unit — pulls off and swaps without toolsSource: LAMY Safari, Fine (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
| Filling | LAMY T10 proprietary cartridge, or the LAMY Z28 converterSource: LAMY Z28 converter (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
| Body | ABS plastic with a molded triangular grip sectionSource: LAMY Safari, Fine (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
What it does well
- Swappable nib units mean one pen can change its line width
- A dedicated left-handed nib grade exists, which is rare
- Nearly indestructible plastic body
What it does not
- The triangular grip is not optional and does not suit every hand
- LAMY cartridges are proprietary — the Z28 converter is a separate buy
- German Fine is wider than a Japanese Fine, which surprises people
Skip this if you hold a pen unconventionally, or if your handwriting is small enough that a German Fine will fill in your loops.
2. Carrying a pen in a pocket
Kaweco Classic Sport
Short enough to vanish in a pocket, full-sized once you post the cap, and it takes the cartridges everyone else's pens take.
#ad No live price right now. How this is funded
Unposted, the Sport is uncomfortably short. Posted, it is a normal pen. That is the whole design: it folds down to something you can genuinely carry and unfolds to something you can genuinely write with.
It takes short international standard cartridges, so refills are available anywhere and are not tied to Kaweco. The mini converter that fits the short barrel holds very little ink and is worth skipping unless you are committed to bottled ink.
The octagonal barrel does the same job as the Kakuno's hexagon — it stays where you put it.
| Nib grades offered | Extra Fine through Broad, in a screw-in steel nib unitSource: Kaweco Classic Sport, Fine (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
|---|---|
| Nib width in mm | Not published |
| Filling | Short international standard cartridge; a Kaweco Sport mini converter is sold separatelySource: Kaweco Sport mini converter (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
| Body | Octagonal plastic barrel, screw cap that postsSource: Kaweco Classic Sport, Fine (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
What it does well
- Genuinely pocketable without being a novelty
- International standard cartridges
- Screw cap, so it will not pop open in a bag
What it does not
- Has to be posted to be usable for most hands
- The mini converter holds very little ink
- No clip on the Classic Sport unless you buy one
Skip this if you dislike posting a cap, or if you want to fill from a bottle and expect a useful ink capacity.
Where the Safari is genuinely better
Nib flexibility
LAMY's nib is a friction-fit unit you pull off with your fingers. Buy a Fine, decide you want a Medium, and that is an inexpensive part rather than a new pen. LAMY also makes a dedicated left-handed grade, which is rare enough to be decisive on its own — see inks and setups for left-handers.
The Sport's nib unit screws in and can be changed too, but the grade range is narrower and there is no left-hander option.
Ink capacity
LAMY's T10 cartridge holds 1.25 ml, a published figure. Kaweco's mini converter holds 0.47 ml, also published. Both makers stating a number is unusual, and the comparison is unflattering to the Sport — though a short international cartridge does better than its converter does.
Where the Sport is genuinely better
It takes cartridges anyone sells
This is the Sport's quiet advantage. The international standard fits most of the non-Japanese market, so refills are available from many brands in many colors. LAMY's T10 is proprietary — nothing else fits, and your cartridge colors are whatever LAMY chooses to make.
The cap screws
A snap cap can work loose in a bag. On a pen designed to be carried loose in a pocket, a screw cap is the correct engineering choice, and the Safari does not have one.
It does not tell you how to hold it
The Safari's molded triangular grip is a teaching aid for some hands and an argument you cannot win for others. The Sport's section is plain and round, so it imposes nothing. If you already know the LAMY grip does not suit you, this comparison is already over — the Safari review has the honest test for that.
Verdict by buyer
| If you are | Buy | Because |
|---|---|---|
| Carrying it in a pocket every day | Kaweco Sport | It is the only one of the two that actually fits. |
| Writing at a desk | LAMY Safari | Full size unposted, bigger cartridge, cheaper nib changes. |
| Unsure which nib width you want | LAMY Safari | Nib units swap by hand for a few dollars. |
| Left-handed | LAMY Safari | LAMY makes a dedicated left-hander grade; Kaweco does not. |
| Wanting the widest ink choice | Kaweco Sport | International standard cartridges from many brands. |
| Bothered by a molded grip | Kaweco Sport | Its section is plain and round. |
| Writing several pages at a time | Neither, really | Both have small reservoirs — see pens for writing. |
What they have in common
Both are German, both grade their nibs to German conventions — so a Fine from either is wider than a Japanese Fine — and both need a separately-purchased converter if you want bottled ink. Neither is the pen to buy if capacity is your priority.
And as always: whichever you buy, buy paper at the same time. It will change your experience more than the choice between these two.
Questions people actually ask
Is the LAMY Safari or Kaweco Sport better?
It depends on where the pen lives. For a desk or a bag you open deliberately, the Safari — full size unposted, a bigger cartridge, and nib units that swap by hand. For a pocket, the Sport, because it is the only one that fits.
Do the Safari and the Sport use the same cartridges?
No. The Safari takes LAMY's proprietary T10 and nothing else. The Sport takes short international standard cartridges, which many brands make.
Which holds more ink?
The Safari, on published figures: a LAMY T10 cartridge holds 1.25 ml against the Kaweco mini converter's 0.47 ml. A short international cartridge in the Sport does better than its converter.
Which is better for a left-handed writer?
The Safari, because LAMY makes a dedicated left-handed nib grade and Kaweco does not. Pair it with a fast-drying ink — see inks for left-handers.
Does the Kaweco Sport have to be posted?
For most adult hands, yes — unposted it is too short to hold comfortably. The Safari is full length without posting, which is one of the clearest practical differences between them.