Fountain Pen Review: Kaweco DIA2

Did you know that Kaweco makes full-size fountain pens, too? Yes, Kaweco makes other pen models aside from the famous pocket-sized Sport series. Kaweco makes several full-size fountain pens including the Dia2, a handsome nostalgic fountain pen made of high-grade precious resin with gold or chrome trims. The design of the Dia2 is based on the Kaweco Dia that dates back to the hard rubber and celluloid pens from the 1920s.

The Kaweco Dia2 is packaged in an elegant pen case.

The Dia2 is a handsome pen. It is available only in black with chrome or gold trims. It has knurling in the cap and barrel ends that is so unique to the old Dia model. Though I am drawn to colorful pens, I love the black Dia2. It has a simple design, but it looks elegant and stylish. The high-grade precious resin is hand-polished to an exceptional gloss and shine. The chrome trims (clip, cap band, barrel band) also look so perfect with black! 

Kaweco Dia2 fountain pen with chrome trims.

The Dia2 fountain pen has an excellent design using high-quality materials. The barrel has a metal lining and is slightly larger in the middle and tapers off towards the end. The Dia2's cap design is similar to the Student's cap except for the double band on the Dia2. The clip, made of solid brass, has the Kaweco logo. The Dia2  has a nice heft and is well balanced in the hand even with the cap posted. It's not a light pen, but it's not too heavy, either.

The Kaweco DIA2 fountain pen has the following measurements and specifications:

• Length, capped: 5.23 in | 13.28 cm
• Length, uncapped: 4.91 in | 12.47 cm
• Length, cap posted: 6.24 in | 15.84 cm
• Full pen weight with full short ink cartridge: 27 g | 0.9 oz
• Weight, cap only: 10 g | 0.3 oz
• Weight, barrel and section: 17 g | 0.6 oz
• Body material: Precious resin
• Trim: Chrome
• Cap: Brass, screw-on, postable
• Clip material: Metal 
• Nib: Stainless steel in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, and Double Broad (BB)
• Filling mechanism: Standard international cartridge included in the pen package

The Kaweco Dia2 can be filled with ink using a standard international cartridge or a converter if filling from bottled ink. Unfortunately for this full-size pen, Kaweco does not include a converter in the package but provides only a short international ink cartridge.

The Dia2's parts: barrel, nib assembly and section, ink cartridge, and cap. This fountain pen doesn't come with a converter, but a short international ink cartridge is included in the package.

The Dia2's screw-on cap has knurling on the top similar to the vintage Dia's cap. This pen's cap has two chrome bands and the brass clip bears the Kaweco logo. 

The Dia2 has a metal section and the barrel has a metal (probably brass) lining underneath the precious resin.

The cap's finial and barrel end are both installed with the signature Kaweco logo disc. Notice the knurling in both cap and barrel ends.

The steel nib on the Dia2 is an excellent one. It shares the same nib as the ones installed in the Sport and Student series, and they can be easily swapped with one another. This pen came with a Broad nib and it wrote well out of the box. I didn't need to prime or modify it before writing with it. 

Kaweco has designed the Dia2's section really well. The barrel and section are smoothly joined after the threading without a noticeable step or crease which can cause writing discomfort. The section is smooth and comfortable to hold while writing.

The Kaweco nib wrote smoothly out of the box.

Having used this fountain pen for some time, I would have liked it to be a piston filler. The cartridge filling is fine with me, but the Dia2 is in the same price range as some piston filling pens and it will be a nice design touch-up. Still, I am happy with this pen and the cartridge fills do not bother me in any way. 

The Kaweco Dia2 is a full-size pen but still looks smaller compared to some standard pens. It is smaller than the Lamy Safari and 2000 but is the same length as the Otto Hutt design 04. It is a bit longer than the Esterbrook JR.

Black pens look handsome, don't you think? From top: Lamy Safari All Black, Lamy 2000, Kaweco Dia2, Otton Hutt design04, and Esterbrook JR Tuxedo Black.

To test how the steel Broad nib on the Dia2 writes, I used a Kaweco Sunrise Orange cartridge, to give this black pen a happy vibe. The Broad nib wrote smoothly and wet without the need for priming, adjustments, or tuning. It wrote very well, and there were no hard starts, skipping, or inky blobs. I had no trouble writing with it at all. The Dia2 fountain pen is such an enjoyable pen and one that can be used for long periods of writing without any discomfort.

The steel Broad wrote smoothly out of the box. I love the thick, wet lines from this nib. The Sunrise Orange ink is the perfect happy vibe for this pen's blackness.

Kaweco Dia2 is an enjoyable fountain pen. It is simple, elegant, and looks very classy. The shiny precious resin of the barrel and seems resistant to scratches and the section is designed well for comfortable writing. The steel nib writes very well, too, and I'm glad that it is the same nib that Kaweco uses for the Sport series. Swapping nibs with other widths is easy with a quick and easy pull-out. I recommend the Dia2 to anyone who wants to experience writing with a Kaweco fountain pen. Get one for your collection!

Rants of The Archer thanks Kaweco for providing the Dia2 fountain pen for review purposes. The Dia2 and other Kaweco pens are widely available in many reputable sellers worldwide. For a list of sellers, visit Kaweco's Store Locator.

I received the Dia2 fountain pen in this review free of charge from Kaweco Germany for review purposes. For more details, visit the Kaweco website.

In the Philippines, Kaweco pens are available from Scribe and Stationer Extraordinaire.