After years of experimenting with writing implements – from the cheapest of the cheap to the most iconic fountain pens to digital notebooks – I've returned (for now) to the plastic embrace of my old standby warhorse, the Papermate Flair: it's nice to come home.

Kaweco Original 250 medium nib

Wanted to give the new pen a few days before I proclaimed it to be my new beloved, but, within a few hours...

I've loved the Kaweco AL-Sport for awhile, but, because of the very thing that made it so appealing (stature and portability), I couldn't use it on a regular basis; the nib was also too scratchy for my taste.

But I loved the look and the feel and now I'm ecstatic that not only has Kaweco has released the Kaweco Original, a full-sized iteration of the AL-Sport, but that the Original is possessed of a wider (250 or the standard 60; I went with a medium 250) nib that has, – within a few hours of tearing open the box – made it among the smoothest I've experienced. Perfect weight and balance.

Probably should give it a few more days before deciding if it's a simply a shiny new dalliance or the one that brings my long-term Lamy relationship to an end – though I'm reasonably certain I already know where this one is heading.