KAWECO SKETCH UP CLASSIC LEADHOLDERS

Kaweco makes a couple different leadholders, most of them pretty affordable and made out of metal (often brass). However my personal favourite from Kaweco's hand is either of those two things. It's a bit more 'high-end', and it's made out of stylish black acrylic: The Kaweco Sketch-Up Classic.

This particular product line has been around for quite a few years that I know of. But very little people actually knew of its existence. On top of that (or maybe because they weren't that popular?), they are quite hard to get a hold of, as they aren't sold by most retailers that sell Kaweco's products. Kaweco recently released a new version of the classic, but that doesn't really seem to have changed anything about its popularity so far. Why the Classic has remained rather unknown is a mystery, but at least here's my try to get the word out on what I consider to be one of the best leadholders around!

Old vs. New

On first sight, the revised version of the Sketch-up Classic isn't that different from the original. The diameter was reduced quite drastically, and the acrylic pushbutton has been replaced by a metal one (still with integrated lead pointer). The appearance is still typical for Kaweco, with an octagonal barrel that strongly resembles the shape of the Sport pens. The old model was really chunky, a lot wider compared to the other sketch-up leadholders and sport pens. The reduced width of the new model is much more comfortable to hold and use. It's definitely still nowhere near skinny though, if that is your concern. Think of it as a normal version, similar to most leadholders around, whereas the old model was to be considered oversized. The final, and probably most obvious difference, is that the new one now also comes in a chrome-plated finish, whereas the old one was only available with gold trims.

The Kaweco Sketch-Up Classic is a great, comfortable size, both compact and functional.

Kaweco didn't change anything about the length of the SketchUp Classic, which is good because the length already was pretty perfect. Something that can't be said about all leadholders in Kaweco's catalog. The new SketchUp Classic is definitely a step up from the old one when it comes to comfort. It's a nice size, long enough, and with a more pleasant girth, to be used comfortably for both sketching or writing. The original classic isn't that bad though. Its shape seems more like something you'd use for drawing or sketching because of that added girth.

The Classic is a sexy leadholder. Whoever says pencils can't possibly look as good as fountain pens, clearly hasn't seen this one. The 'Kaweco-style' shape, combined with the use of classic and materials (acrylic and rhodium or gold trims), makes for a timeless, classy appearance. It looks expensive and high-end, which is not something you'd typically say about a leadholder.

The cool thing about this leadholder is that it's not a drop-lead type 'clutch' leadholder, but an automatic pencil. That means it works just like a mechanical pencil would. I wouldn't say it's better than the usual deal, but it's something different, and it sure looks clean. My only gripe with this system is that the knock is quite heavy, it requires quite some force (much more than with a normal mechanical pencil) to operate, but that's just a minor issue though.

The laser-engraved branding on the barrel is larger than average, but it looks good. The usual Kaweco logo medal also made its way into the design again, as usual it rests incorporated on top of the pushbutton.

The writing experience was really good. It's definitely one of the more comfortable leadholders I can think of. The leads provided by Kaweco are quite soft and smooth, however not as dark as I expected. Point retention is above average though, which is quite neat. The leads Kaweco includes in their leadholders can also be bought separately in packs of three, so I'd suggest checking those out if you feel like the usual leads can't keep their sharp point long enough.

The pushbutton doubles up as a sharpener, but they make a really blunt point so I usually try to find a better way to get a sharp point. I usually stick to sanding paper, which is still the easiest and most precise manner I can think of.

The Classic, especially the new version, has soon become one of my personal favourites. If you want a a nice leadholder to match a luxury fountain pen,

Convinced? If you feel like giving this hidden treasure from Kaweco a try, I'd suggest searching for it online. Recently, a few internet retailers started carrying the Classic collection, which is good because I doubt you'll see one in a b&m store anywhere soon (at least I haven't!). As for the price, these come in at around 50 EUR / 65 USD, which is a fair price for a product as well made as this. 

Note: Kaweco Supports this blog. I received this product free of charge, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared here are completely my own! This review does not contain any affilate links.