Review: Supreme x Kaweco AL Sport Mechanical Pencil

The Supreme x Kaweco AL Sport mechanical pencil is probably the most interesting mechanical pencil I own. The mechanical pencil is from a collaboration between Kaweco and the well-known brand Supreme from their Fall/Winter 2018 collection. This special edition AL Sport was released for $72 on August 16th, 2018, during Supreme's peak moments of popularity. However, I got lucky and won it secondhand on an eBay auction for a fraction of the retail price.

The pen comes in a pretty unassuming box – well, as unassuming as a box plastered with the Supreme logo can be. It features the Kaweco logo to the left and the Supreme logo to the right. It would have been cool to see the pencil come with one of their vintage-style tins modified with the Supreme logo, but considering the small scale of this release, it probably wouldn't have been possible.

The pencil is a standard Kaweco AL Sport mechanical pencil, aside from the special lead refill and branding on the barrel. Considering the standard AL Sport mechanical pencil retails at $69, the upcharge for the Supreme branding is significantly less than I expected.

The Supreme x Kaweco AL Sport mechanical pencil features an aluminum body and clicker (hence the AL part of the name). On paper, this pencil looks amazing, but in use, it's a little disappointing. The pencil constantly rattles during use and is noticeable audibly and haptically. The Supreme x Kaweco AL Sport, just like other Kaweco mechanical pencils, has mostly plastic internals.

The internal mechanism can be easily separated from the aluminum body of the Kaweco AL Sport by unscrewing the plastic feed at the back of the mechanism. After a few twists, the whole mechanism should easily come out.

This pencil's mechanism seems pretty decent in quality. However, I don't like how it fits into the pencil. After screwing the components in, everything is hidden except for the plastic tube. As you have to place the aluminum cap onto this tube, it creates opportunities for rattling as the plastic easily sways under the aluminum cap's heft.

In terms of writing with this instrument, it's not my thing. It's too thick to comfortably use, and its metal body digs into my fingers. However, I still think it writes extraordinarily well. I enjoy the writing feel and think it's smooth. Granted, it's still not the most comfortable, but it seems reliable.

I'm unsure if I will use this mechanical pencil frequently, but I know it's a pretty decent deal, especially if you want to try something different. Although many people see Supreme as pretty tacky and despise this pencil, it's still a limited edition and should be taken seriously in the stationery community. There's also a Supreme x Rotring 600 (the 3-in-1 version) releasing soon, and I may be covering it, depending on the price.

Do I recommend this product? Probably not. Is it cool and unique? Yes. As a stationery lover, this pencil will be one of the most unique items in my collection.