Another Twsbi 540 Review From A Newbie

[rajatbhardwaj]

So I recently got hooked onto fountain pens, with my first purchase being a Lamy Safari with a Fine nib. And even thought that was supposed to be the *only* fountain pen I got, I got hooked.

 

So the next step up for me, naturally seemed to be the TWSBI 540 Diamond with a Fine nib. It came in the mail today, and here are my thoughts.

 

- I like the brown box it comes in. Having the logo on top instead of a blank box already tells you this company cares about the details:

 

 

- The inside is padded so you can be assured that your pen arrived safely:

 

 

- The case that the pen sits in is pretty great. It reminds me of the Apple Magic Mouse case (http://designapplause.com/wp-content/xG58hlz9/2009/11/apple-magic2.png):

 

 

- I love that the packaging is simple. They don't put too much on the back either:

 

 

- Up until now, I'm thoroughly impressed with the packaging. I work at a company that takes product packaging very seriously and so I like to see another company give so much attention to detail. But, and now I'm just being nitpicky, I didn't like having to get the tape off:

 

 

The Magic Mouse packaging solves this problem not by removing the tape altogether, but by having a tiny sliver of it not glued to the box, that way, it's easier to take off. But, I'm just trying to find something wrong at this point

 

- Opening the box, you're greeted with the pen sitting on top of two plastic pieces, very reminiscent of Japanese sword cases:

 

 

- And the bottom of the pen:

 

 

- An obligatory shot of the nib:

 

 

So how does it write, especially compared to my Safari? In one word, wet. This pen lays down a lot more ink than the Safari does. And I enjoy that! So far I've used Private Reserve Black Magic Blue in it. Using that in my Safari yielded a much lighter color, and I'm a fan of darker colors.

 

- The same ink in my Lamy Safari vs the TWSBI 540 (the last two lines are with the 540, don't mind the terrible handwriting):

 

 

Overall, I like this pen. Although I'll probably have to try an EF nib since this one lays down more ink than the Safari, I think I'll use this pen quite a bit.

 

This was my first time writing a review. Hopefully, I gave *some* new information that hasn't been covered before and helped make someone's decision easier. If you have any questions, I'd be glad to answer them.

Edited June 14, 2012 by rajatbhardwaj

[adrianb1066]

Thanks for the review and great pictures - Ive wanted this pen for a while and thewritingdesk.co.uk will have them back in stock next week. Order placed for a 1.1 nib - Enjoy!

Edited June 14, 2012 by adrianb1066

[Fabienne]

Real nice review. I am a great fan of this pen and I believe that you nailed this one!

[myn]

Very nice review. Great photos.

 

I am "patiently" waiting the arrival of my TWSBI 540 - well maybe not all that patiently.

[senzen]

Nice photos, it's interesting how they seem to have cornered the market for a clear FP for not much money. I'll have to look into the narrower nib as I'm trying to get lighter hues...

[kinchi]

Nice review and photo's Raj.

 

I went from a Lamy Safari EF nib as a starter to the TWSBI Vac 700 EF nib as I'd heard the 540's had issues with the plastic material cracking. I'm hoping that the 700 being that little bit more expensive is better made.

 

How did you get to watch Prometheus a year early than everyone else? I'm jealous.

 

k-c

[rajatbhardwaj]

How did you get to watch Prometheus a year early than everyone else? I'm jealous.

 

k-c

 

Haha, good catch. It was a quick note I jotted down and forgot we were in 2012

 

More fun answer, I'm actually Ridley Scott and I saw it because I made it. Also, I wrote down how there's no character development

[rajatbhardwaj]

Found my first problem, when I clip the cap inside my pocket to my jeans, after a few hours, it comes unscrewed and the pen leaks

[NKessler]

Be VERY careful when keeping any pen clipped to your pants pocket. That's one of the easiest ways to wind up with a broken pen or a pocket full of ink. There are very few pens designed to be kept in a pocket like that.

 

You might want to invest in a pen sleeve or even just think up a new place to keep it on your person. I find that the 700's cap stays closed very tightly under normal circumstances, but all the jerking and shaking that can occur in a pants pocket is enough to take the cap off almost any pen.

[goldiesdad]

Thanks for the review and nice pics ...

[Mags]

I enjoyed reading the review and seeing the pictures. Well done. Je vous remercie.

[heraldstorm]

Very nice review. I especially enjoyed seeing the contrast between the drier safari and the wetter 540. I'm the image of serenity as I await the arrival of my 540. Alright, serene may not be the best description. My wife and colleagues might describe my demeanor as hostile, crabby, and irritable. I want this pen. I want this pen quite badly. My current pen is a Bulow X750, and is nothing short of underwhelming. It feels nice enough in the hand, but it tends to be a bit hesitant at the start, and is prone to skipping. I ordered the TWSBI based on the wealth of positive reviews of both the pen and TWSBI's customer service. They seem to stand quite solidly behind their product. Hopefully I'll never need to test their commitment! Oh, balls, where is my 540 already?!

[breaker]

nice review and pics!

thanks!

[Pen2009]

I see yours came with the previous version of barrel. I hope yours don't crack like all of mine did.

 

The new barrel does not have the inner silver colored sleeve, as you can see in the photo below.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y115/YS2003/IMG_3753.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y115/YS2003/IMG_3747.jpg

[heraldstorm]

I see yours came with the previous version of barrel. I hope yours don't crack like all of mine did.

 

I just received my TWSBI Diamond 540 from Goulet Pens. My pen does have the silver threads inside the back portion of the barrel. How were you able to obtain the 'newer' version of the barrel? Did TWSBI send you replacement barrels when yours cracked, or did you have to buy a new pen?

 

Thanks,

Herald

[Pen2009]

I see yours came with the previous version of barrel. I hope yours don't crack like all of mine did.

 

I just received my TWSBI Diamond 540 from Goulet Pens. My pen does have the silver threads inside the back portion of the barrel. How were you able to obtain the 'newer' version of the barrel? Did TWSBI send you replacement barrels when yours cracked, or did you have to buy a new pen?

 

Thanks,

Herald

I got mine as a replacemnt from Twsbi. I think you can only request a replacement after yours cracks. My guess is it would be a matter of time before the barrel cracks in the same area like I reported.

[sparkyhx]

I see yours came with the previous version of barrel. I hope yours don't crack like all of mine did.

 

I just received my TWSBI Diamond 540 from Goulet Pens. My pen does have the silver threads inside the back portion of the barrel. How were you able to obtain the 'newer' version of the barrel? Did TWSBI send you replacement barrels when yours cracked, or did you have to buy a new pen?

 

Thanks,

Herald

I got mine as a replacemnt from Twsbi. I think you can only request a replacement after yours cracks. My guess is it would be a matter of time before the barrel cracks in the same area like I reported.

 

Both my Demonstrators have cracked in exactly the same place - i thought it was just me - so is this a problem? I've just ended up supergluing the barrel and the 'insert' into place - so it no longer comes apart - not that I ever had it apart other then when it fell apart - which is when I noticed it was cracked. does that make sense.

 

Can you get a replacement then?

[nottmbantam]

Nice review and some nice pics.

 

I bought this pen a few months ago and loved it, and still love using it every day. I bought it with an EF nib as I do with all my pens, and really like the rich colour it lays down. I was so impressed I bought the limited edition ROC and also the blue transparent. But as I've enjoyed using the 549 so much, the goeth two are still boxed and unused. I also use a Pelikan Souveran M805 and those two pens are my every day workhorses. I've since bought a 1.1 stub italic nib and at the low cost for a job, it's daft not to try them, so the pen still has the 1.1 nib in at the moment, using it with a home made concoction of a dark red ink. Diamine MAtador darkened a little, love it.

 

Great pen, and at least people at my office have asked me about the pen, where I got it from , the make, model, etc.Great value as well at that price.

[heraldstorm]

I got mine as a replacemnt from Twsbi. I think you can only request a replacement after yours cracks. My guess is it would be a matter of time before the barrel cracks in the same area like I reported.

 

Thank you for the information! I have only had my pen disassembled for the initial pre-ink cleaning, but I'm working through my sample of Aurora Black, and I'll soon need to clean it for the next sample. I fear you're correct that I'll eventually need to have it replaced. As long as TWSBI honors the replacement request, I think I'll be fine. I'm considering ordering another in the smoke or blue, but this has me holding off at the moment.

[anklebrambledom]

I see yours came with the previous version of barrel. I hope yours don't crack like all of mine did.

 

The new barrel does not have the inner silver colored sleeve, as you can see in the photo below.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y115/YS2003/IMG_3753.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y115/YS2003/IMG_3747.jpg

 

Unfortunately, one of the barrels of my 540s cracked too. It had the older version barrel. The other two 540s and the 530 however have not yet cracked. Have yet to buy a 540 with the newer barrel.

 

I love TWSBI and I hope they eventually solve their cracking problems. In addition to the barrel crack, I've had three section cracks and a cap crack. Each time, however, Phil Wang sent me a replacement immediately and with no hassle. Great customer service.

 

Gabe