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Twsbi Overload


wnclee

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Hello. Hope your well. I recently purchased my first Japanese made pen: Pilot Prera, demo "M" nib. I believe I'm now hooked. All of my other pens are American, German & French made. I'm now looking into TWSBI as my next but, but my research on this brand is a bit more difficult & confusing than the Prera hunt. I just need some simple answers. It seems the 500 series ( Diamond ?) and the VAC 700 series are the most popular. Are their size differences in the 500's and what is the difference between them and the VAC 700? I have seen that the 530 & 540 are being phased-out. Not sure. Does the VAC 700 offer any other options? Also, are their nibs in line w/ other Japanese makers: on the finer side? My Prera was bought w/ M nib = a US F nib. Is this so w/ TWSBI nibs? Sorry about so many questions. If there is a link that may help me, I would be happy to follow...If I've stated any facts that are false, please correct me. Also, I've spent quite a bit lately on all things writing related, so am looking for a good starter TWSBI at a reasonable price just to kick-the-tires so to speak. But, one that is as good a writer than the Prera. The nib is akin to mercury: liquid metal. That smooth...Again, thanks for your help and my best, LeRoy

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Hi, forgive the short format!

 

The 530 and 540 are previous incarnations of the current model, the 580 (a version with an aluminium mechanism is on the way), the 5xx series has a piston filler, the Vac700 is a vacuum filler, that's the big difference. I own 580s but not a Vac700, so I cant comment on the size difference of the pens themselves.

 

The TWSBI nibs are made by German manufacturers, so thier width are a little wider than eastern nibs (TWSBI is based in Taiwan). I would suggest going for a size larger nib if you want the same sort of width as your Prera. A 580 will be a little cheaper, a Vac700 will have a cool vacuum filling system :)

 

Let us know what you go for.

For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love. -Carl Sagan

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I own 3 Vac 700s, 2 540s, 1 580, 1 Mini, and 1 Classic. I can say that the differences between the 540 and 580 are minimal, but the 580 is supposedly more durable than the 540, so go with that model if you're looking for a piston filler in the 5xx range.

 

The Vac 700 is a vacuum filler and is very, very different than anything else in TWSBI's lineup. I adore the Vac 700 as it holds a massive amount of ink and feels great in my hand, but you may feel differently. There are many photo comparisons of TWSBI pens out there along with measurements, so I'd advise comparing them at TWSBI's own store to get an idea of the dimensions.

 

If you're looking to save a little money, I must highly recommed the Classic. For $50.00USD you get a great piston filler with a normal TWSBI nib in what I believe to be an attractive package.

 

As for the nib sizes, TWSBI uses German nibs, so a TWSBI Medium is the equivalent of a Pilot Broad. That means that if you're looking for a line the same size as Pilot's Medium nib, buy your TWSBI pen with a Fine nib.

 

I'll happily admit to being a huge fan of TWSBI's products, but I will openly state that their quality control is not perfect and duds slip through from time to time. I haven't encountered one in my experience, but others have. If you want a pen that you'll never need to adjust, open up, or fiddle with, stick to more established brands like Pilot and such (not to say that there aren't Pilot duds out there). TWSBI does have excellent customer service, but many people (myself included) prefer to have a pen that works perfectly the first time instead of having to fiddle with it yourself of send it away for a nib exchange or cracked part. I find these instances to be much more rare than is sometimes stated on the forums, but it shouldn't be overlooked when considering your next pen purchase!

 

Feel free to ask any more questions and I'll be happy to answer them the best I can. You can also e-mail the folks at TWSBI and I'm sure they'll to their best to explain their different models to you in as much detail as you can handle.

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I have 4 530's, 3 540's, a 580, vac 700 and minis. My favorite are the 5xx series then the classic finally the vac. The vac is just a bit large for my hand, and the nib is larger than I like, but it holds a ton of ink. I've had a few barrel cracks and other issues but always great service from TWSBI, new repair parts in a few days.

TWSBI 530/540/580/Mini, Montblanc 146, Pelikan M800, Tomoe River paper, Noodlers inks ... "these are a few of my favorite things"

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If you really liked the prera, I think you may be disappointed by the TWSBI. The TWSBI is a great pen but pilot nibs are better IMO. Why not a Pilot Custom 74 or 91. Can get one for <100 delivered with a gold nib and many more choices with nib sizes etc.

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I have a 580, a Vacc 700 and a Micarta. All of them less that 1 year old. Albeit I have read about complains with them, until now they all work perfectly. The nib of the 580 and the Vacc are 1,1 stub, very smooth, good line variation, the only bad thing might be that the 580 just a little bit skipper. The micarta has a bold nib, I just in love with it. It is big, smooth, reliably.

IMHO, very good purchases. I am enjoying them all.

After reading all these post, I will need a Prera to test.

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The 500's and 700 use different nib sizes

The 700 uses a #6 and the 500's a #5

 

TWSBI nibs are manufactured by Germany so the sizes run the Western scale

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I have a 540 and Custom 74, both are great pens. But I only said "I shoulda bought one of these sooner...." with the TWSBI.

Edited by lahlahlaw

@arts_nibs

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Do you have a Lamy Vista? Or any other pen made from polycarbonate?

 

Both the TWSBI 5xx and 700 series are made from it. I want to like the material, but it does nothing for me. The pens made from it just seem plasticy to me. While it's a great material to make pens from (durable, impact resistant, injection mouldable, dimensionally stable, may be coloured with opaque or transparent colours etc. etc), I personally just don't like the feel of it. Much prefer acrylic or (heaven forfend) polystyrene. Neither material is as durable, but I prefer their feel.

 

The Vac 700 is a moderately large pen, while the 5xx series is about the same size as a Parker 51.

 

The Vac 700 uses the filling mechanism invented by George Sweetster in 1905. He sold the patent to De La Rue, and virtually all Onoto pens from then until 1954 had the same filling mechanism. Onoto also licenced the mechanism's use to Sheaffer for some of their pens. So the filler has a long history and is the only style of plunger filler I know of that fills on the down stroke. It is very, very clever, even more than a century on. The combination of that filler & a modern feed should make for a good pen - I say 'should' because I've not tried one. As I said above, I don't get on with polycarbonate & I don't wish to spend my money on a pen I would not enjoy using.

 

If you have no objection to polycarbonate, then I think the Vac 700 is the more interesting pen by far.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

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This is what I had inked up yesterday.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2014-Inklings/slides/2014-Ink_125c.jpg

 

So, that's 6 TWSBIs. 3 are the new 580s and 3 are the 540s 1 with a 580 nib.

 

I have three (or maybe 4) Vac 700s. I never use them anymore. I find them frustrating. I love the fill system.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/INK/attachments/IMG065.jpg

 

The 580s are by far my favorites. I have more TWSBIs than anyone else in Nevada, (but it's a small state), and I use them every single day. My hearty recommendation is to buy the 580. The price is terrific, the customer service is stellar, the performance on the 580 has been spectacular.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I actually like posting and ended up getting the mini instead of the 580 for that reason. It's roughly the same pen (though a smaller, No. 5 nib) but with a shorter barrel and threads on the body below the blind cap for posting. I'm very impressed with the pens so far. My EF is a true Western EF and is the second smoothest nib I own (first is a Faber-Castell F).

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I own 3 Vac 700s, 2 540s, 1 580, 1 Mini, and 1 Classic. I can say that the differences between the 540 and 580 are minimal, but the 580 is supposedly more durable than the 540, so go with that model if you're looking for a piston filler in the 5xx range.

 

The Vac 700 is a vacuum filler and is very, very different than anything else in TWSBI's lineup. I adore the Vac 700 as it holds a massive amount of ink and feels great in my hand, but you may feel differently. There are many photo comparisons of TWSBI pens out there along with measurements, so I'd advise comparing them at TWSBI's own store to get an idea of the dimensions.

 

If you're looking to save a little money, I must highly recommed the Classic. For $50.00USD you get a great piston filler with a normal TWSBI nib in what I believe to be an attractive package.

 

As for the nib sizes, TWSBI uses German nibs, so a TWSBI Medium is the equivalent of a Pilot Broad. That means that if you're looking for a line the same size as Pilot's Medium nib, buy your TWSBI pen with a Fine nib.

 

I'll happily admit to being a huge fan of TWSBI's products, but I will openly state that their quality control is not perfect and duds slip through from time to time. I haven't encountered one in my experience, but others have. If you want a pen that you'll never need to adjust, open up, or fiddle with, stick to more established brands like Pilot and such (not to say that there aren't Pilot duds out there). TWSBI does have excellent customer service, but many people (myself included) prefer to have a pen that works perfectly the first time instead of having to fiddle with it yourself of send it away for a nib exchange or cracked part. I find these instances to be much more rare than is sometimes stated on the forums, but it shouldn't be overlooked when considering your next pen purchase!

 

Feel free to ask any more questions and I'll be happy to answer them the best I can. You can also e-mail the folks at TWSBI and I'm sure they'll to their best to explain their different models to you in as much detail as you can handle.

 

Sir, I do thank you so much for your help and for being willing to help guide me further...I'm going to clip and print your comments for reference. I'll certainly take you up on your kind offer. I'm very impressed w/ this site and it's members. I wish the general public could be so kind and helpful. My best to you, LeRoy p.s. I do thank all of you who posted...Again, my best, LWL

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I thank you all for your most helpful comments and recommendations. From your comments, I believe I'll get the 580, or classic in an "EF" nib to give me a Western "F" equivalent...I've learned this thru my purchase of German pens...Thanks again so much and I'll let you know how it goes. Your a great bunch and so helpful...Regards, LeRoy

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"but I will openly state that their quality control is not perfect and duds slip through from time to time"

 

Yep. The price you pay for getting a great pen is the risk that you'll get one of the duds. I have two 580s. One is a great pen. The other is one of the duds.

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