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If you have to rush into a meeting or just take one pen on a trip, chances are that it will be the most reliable and pleasant pen to write.  For thousands this has been the Kaweco Dia2 or Dia 2.  There are many reasons why it has been manufactured since the early 1920s.  It is and remains the gold standard…

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The simple elegance hides the fact that this is a highly sophisticated design.  Who ever said that there were no ergonomics in the 1920s.  The Kaweco Dia was and still is the epitome of design and engineering, clearly the result of evolution from an era when everybody wrote with a fountain pen.

 

Some of the great aspects of the Dia 2 are the precision manufacturing, attention to detail, and the incredible value of the pen. Every aspect of this model exudes quality.  The metal rings enhance its overall design, just the amount of individual parts alone stands out compared to the competition.

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The cap removes with a single 360 degree rotation: short and positive.  What may feel perfect is without doubt the result of extensive research and testing.  The same can be said about gripping the pen, the curvature is by far the best and most natural feeling.  Weight and balance are perfect for hours of continuous writing.  Reliability is unparalleled.  The nibs are excellent and write smoothly without the need of fancy papers. The Kaweco Dia 2 is a general purpose office paper performer!

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It is difficult to find a flaw with the Dia 2.  The clip is a plain pressure model and this can cause some issues with shirt or suit pockets. The clip may be the only shortcoming of the design.

 

A special edition marbled variant was issued years ago. It was only sold in the U.S. as a set with a ballpoint.  The combination was not ideal for me and I purchased the fountain pen by itself in Germany.

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While my standard Dia 2 pens work fine with international converters, I highly recommend the Kaweco converter, they just work better for some unknown reason. Surprisingly the marbled special edition Kaweco DIA 2 did not work with international sized converters, a small dimensional difference in material requires the Kaweco converter. 

 

I used to buy 3-packs if international Schmidt converters on Amazon but started to suspect that these were Chinese counterfeits. I have since replaced all converters with the Kaweco brand with much better results in all my pens, not just the Kaweco brand.

 

The refined elegance of the Kaweco DIA 2 will grow on you and the best part of this is that it is not a pricey Montblanc.  The Dia2 can be had for about $100 depending on the finish of the metal bands and nib choice. This price point is an incredible value for a German manufactured pen, only the box is sourced in China. 

 

Without doubt the Kaweco Dia2 reflects German precision and quality, both in performance and manufacturing.

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My personal ratings (Scale 1-10, where 10 is a maximum):

 

• Manufacturing Fit and Tolerances: 10

• Finish: 10

• Balance: 10

• Ergonomics: 10

• Reliability: 10

• Writing: 10

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See also my review of the Kaweco DIA2 Premium replacement nibs here

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Note: The images below reflect my working pens, these are not new and were purchased by myself years ago. No part of this review was sponsored.