“I want a pocket pen that someone set on fire, but which one?” (QUIZ)

Helping you decide between the Diplomat Traveller Flame and the Kaweco Liliput Fireblue

Like all right-thinking people, you have practical concerns about buying any pen more expensive than a Bic. Concerns like:

• Is it well-made, built for the long term?

• Can I carry it in my pocket for everyday use?

• Has someone set it on fire?

A careful consideration of those concerns has led you to two pens: the Kaweco Liliput Fireblue and the Diplomat Traveller Flame.

the liliput is the smaller one duh

At first glance, these pens have a lot in common:

• Both are pocket-sized

• Both are made of metal

• Both are German

• Both were set on fire

While this seems like a good problem to have, it can also lead to decision paralysis, resulting in you owning zero fire-treated pens. But don’t worry: here’s a short quiz you can take to discover which one is right for you. Write down or remember your answers—the scores follow!

The Quiz

1. How important is it that you can afford to buy two of the same pen and use them as drumsticks?

   1. Extremely important

   2. Regular important

2. How often do you need to frantically write something down before you forget it, telling everyone to please shut up so you don’t lose your train of thought?

   1. Shut up shut up shut up GREAT NOW I FORGOT IT

   2. Not so much

3. How rough are you on pens?

   1. I keep them in a pocket of my cargo shorts with loose Cheerios

   2. I keep them in a glass case at home

4. How often do you write on a naval vessel in choppy waters?

   1. Constantly

   2. A normal amount

5. Is it important to you that the pen looks like it is actively on fire?

   1. Yes, I need it to look like it’s on fire to keep the urges at bay

   2. Oh, no thank you

Scoring

If you answered mostly A, you should go for the Diplomat. Mostly B, the Kaweco. Let’s break down what’s going on in each question.

Question one is about pricing. You can buy two-plus Diplomats for the price of one Kaweco, and their longer design makes them better-suited to use as drumsticks. A clear victory for Diplomat.

Image credit/pricing: Goldspot

Question two is about closure. The Kaweco is threaded, the Diplomat is a pull/push pen. The Diplomat also can be more easily used without posting, so if you’re in a rush it’ll be faster to deploy.

Question three is about durability. The Kaweco is blued and then left raw, which has a neat texture but will wear off over time per my fountain pen forum research (though mine hasn’t experienced this yet). The Diplomat is flame-treated and then coated with lacquer, which has a less interesting texture but should stand up over time.

Question four is about a clip. The Diplomat has one, the Kaweco does not. If you find your pens rolling off a desk a lot, you may want to go with the Diplomat.

Question five is about color. The Diplomat Flame looks like its namesake with dominant red tones; the Kaweco Fireblue is, you know, blue.

Your Turn: Discussion Questions

How’d you do? I have both but find the Fireblue is more my thing. 

One of the early quiz questions was “which Captain Planet power is the best one—fire or water” but it didn’t make the cut. What’s your take on that? If you answer “heart,” I’ll know you’re an AI.

I know pen design goes through trends; does anyone know what prompted the “screw it, let’s set it on fire” thinking that led to these?