Jump to content

Twsbi Diamond first impressions


mahkie

Recommended Posts

The other day I was provided a pre-production Twsbi Diamond gratis by FPN member speedy, and also got a chance to write with the one he was carrying at the time. I felt I owe it to FPN to share my impressions, although this is not a review since:

 

1) I am not in any way unbiased. Although based on my impressions from this model, I will be buying a couple more Twsbis in different trims/nibs with my own money at retail prices.

 

2) This is not the final production model. Apparently, there are kinks to work out still. My pen works great, but I assume the people at Twsbi know more about quality control and launching mass market products than I do, so I trust their judgement roflmho.gif

 

Background: The Twsbi Diamond is an inexpensive (estimated retail price will be ~$40 USD ) piston-filling fountain pen. The featureset was mostly picked by the fountain pen community (with input being given here on FPN and on other BBSes), with the aesthetic design being done through the Twsbi corporation. The design has already won a red dot design award.

 

Appearance and Design:

post-36420-127017850805.jpg

 

 

The pen is modern looking, but not so modern that it might be considered unprofessional looking. It is a definite close cousin of the Lamy Safari Vista and Pelikan m205 in design, but also very unique, blending modernist aesthetic with some eastern design cues. I really like the thick cap band. It looks even better on the clear demonstrator with "gold" trim (it's actually titanium coating that looks gold and is great at avoiding scratches). I know many others in the Twsbi threads have professed admiration for the design, and I would say that it looks even better in person.

 

Construction & Quality

The construction quality is really good. The body is resilient plastic of some kind, and the cap band feels pretty solid. All parts are removable, so clean freaks can clean the ink out of the inside of the caps, and replate the trim if desired. Also, the "diamond" shape of the barrel makes the barrel feel substantial and very stiff, which I really like.

 

Oh, and when posting, the cap doesn't wriggle. And there is an o-ring on the cap threads that makes capping the pen more pleasant and eases my worries about leaking ink/cap coming unscrewed.

 

Weight & Dimensions

The pen is a bit heavy, mostly due to the amount of ink held, and the piston filler. The pen is slightly heavier and longer than my Lamy Safari, and the only pen heavier is my Waterford Claria (seen in black). The pen feels real substantial, and becomes quite long when posted.

 

post-36420-127017924327.jpg

 

 

Nib & Performance

The nib is a steel chrome plated nib. The nib is pretty good. It doesn't skip, and is very "neutral". It's not my driest or wettest nib, but it lays down a good line smoothly. I am using it with Baystate Blue with no problems (the feed has not melted lol). I also briefly tried an EF nibbed Twsbi, and it was surprisingly thin, and about as smooth as my fine nib.

 

Filling System & Maintenance

The filling system is a piston that holds a lot of ink. As for maintenance, the entire pen can be broken down by the user for detailed cleaning. Cleanfreaks rejoice! Engineers who take things apart and can't put them back together lament! Even the cap can be broken down to clean ink off. The piston seems very confident, though this is a pre-production model, and is subject to change. Seems like a winner though.

 

Cost & Value

I think this pen is a stellar value. Even if Twsbi decided to sell this pen for $75-100, many people here would consider it a pretty good deal. But they are planning to price it incredibly competitively, somewhere around $40 USD. It's a step up from Lamy build quality, but at a similar price, with a killer featureset.

 

post-36420-127018022298.jpg

 

 

 

Conclusion

I think this pen is going to be a really disruptive pen given the price point and featureset. It's a fountain pen lover's pen, which isn't surprising given the community involvement with feature selection. I can imagine this being a huge hit when it is released, so i'm going to run to the store and buy all the gold trimmed ones before you guys get to them drool.gif

Follow TWSBI and the Diamond Project on Twitter!

 

Currently inked pens:

Pilot M90 F- Iroshizuku Tsuyu-Kusa

Sailor 1911 EF - MB Blue

Twsbi Diamond 530 F-Noodler's "Taiwan Eternally Free" Black Strait

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 46
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • mahkie

    5

  • jleeper

    3

  • speedy

    3

  • Feanor

    2

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

No fair, where's mine!

 

Great review, can't wait to get one.

I woul dpre-pay for one to get on the list.... but no such luck....

A gentleman is one who puts more into the world than he takes out.

 

http://clipart.usscouts.org/library/BSA_Character_Counts/thumbnails/cub_scouts_char_counts_co.giffpn_1364474496__woundedwarriorlogo03.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No fair, where's mine!

 

Great review, can't wait to get one.

I woul dpre-pay for one to get on the list.... but no such luck....

 

 

I may organize a pre-sale through FPN once shipment is verified close enough. I would need to make a plan for price and logistics, and clear it with the appropriate people. I have a pretty killer plan in mind to offer a good deal to the community.

 

Follow TWSBI and the Diamond Project on Twitter!

 

Currently inked pens:

Pilot M90 F- Iroshizuku Tsuyu-Kusa

Sailor 1911 EF - MB Blue

Twsbi Diamond 530 F-Noodler's "Taiwan Eternally Free" Black Strait

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When you say its a step up from Lamy build quality what do you mean?

 

Isn't it a little early to be saying the quality of a pen that isn't even out yet is greater then a company who has decades of quality behind their pens. Nothing against TWSBI or whatever (they really need a new name), but let's not be blinded by the newest gadget to show up under the christmas tree.

 

I am excited about the pen just like everyone else, but I think we need to be a little realistic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh man! That's a nice pen. I can't wait for them to be available. I'd probably buy 4 and give 3 (oh, lets be real, maybe 1) away. :)

Science is a way of skeptically interrogating the universe with a fine understanding of human fallibility.

-Carl Sagan

http://mark.intervex.net/fpn/images/LetterExchange_sm.pnghttp://mark.intervex.net/fpn/images/PostcardExchange_sm.pnghttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qVJOiluU9_4/THp4f_4pakI/AAAAAAAAA14/_d-MITGtqvY/s320/InkDropLogoFPN2.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ever since I first saw these I wondered how they would be in person. Thanks for the review and comments. This is a pen that I am sure many of us will be watching. Best wishes and luck to the team who makes this possible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When you say its a step up from Lamy build quality what do you mean?

 

There's a couple things I could say about that. First of all, the pen is "tight" feeling and heftier than my Lamy Safari (yes I know that weight doesn't equal build quality). Also, there are far more small parts used in the construction of a more complex pen. In addition to that, the design is incredibly well thought out to address common complaints. The pen can be completely disassembled to fix minor issues like ink stuck in the clear cap. Also, the plastic used seems less flexy than the lamy

 

I agree that it is somewhat subjective as to what better build quality is, and that what I have may not necessarily represent a final product, but I think people will be pleasantly surprised

Follow TWSBI and the Diamond Project on Twitter!

 

Currently inked pens:

Pilot M90 F- Iroshizuku Tsuyu-Kusa

Sailor 1911 EF - MB Blue

Twsbi Diamond 530 F-Noodler's "Taiwan Eternally Free" Black Strait

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No fair, where's mine!

 

Great review, can't wait to get one.

I woul dpre-pay for one to get on the list.... but no such luck....

 

 

I may organize a pre-sale through FPN once shipment is verified close enough. I would need to make a plan for price and logistics, and clear it with the appropriate people. I have a pretty killer plan in mind to offer a good deal to the community.

 

Looking forward to hearing about your deal -- eager buyer here!

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/606/letterji9.png
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking forward to hearing about your deal -- eager buyer here!

+1 (or more)

"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination."

Oscar Wilde

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can definitely see me owning 4 or 5 of them, having them loaded with different inks. :-)

 

 

Dave

Pilot VP 'Stealth', .8mm Stub - Waterman Florida Blue

TWSBI, F Nib - Noodlers Habanero * Online, M Nib - Waterman Florida Blue

Mont Blanc 144 Platinum, F Nib - Waterman Florida Blue * Lamy 2000, XF Nib - Nano Black

Lamy Safari, 1.1, 1.5 & 1.9 mm Italic Nibs - Baystate Blue

 

Seti At Home Member since 2006 - setiathome.berkeley.edu - www.NiteSiters.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a thought - not having had much chance to say the name out loud, are we all pronouncing TWSBI in our heads as 'Twisby'?

 

Edward Gorey fans (surely not just Limesally and I) will remember that Augustus's twisby* is found disembowelled near the edge of the lake by Fenks the butler towards the end of 'The Other Statue'.

 

A great name, anyway - and I want at least two of the pens and have bookmarked the ebay shop. Everything about them seems just right, but of course it will all come down to the nib in the end. If that has all the excitement of an IPG, then design awards will count for nothing.

 

John

 

*it's a small, sinister looking soft toy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a thought - not having had much chance to say the name out loud, are we all pronouncing TWSBI in our heads as 'Twisby'?

 

Yeah, that seems to be the way to say it haha

 

 

A great name, anyway - and I want at least two of the pens and have bookmarked the ebay shop. Everything about them seems just right, but of course it will all come down to the nib in the end. If that has all the excitement of an IPG, then design awards will count for nothing.

 

 

I like the nib. I like it better than the nibs on my Lamy Safaris, but then again, people have different tastes than me. Once some more experienced collectors than me pick these up and comparing and airing their grievances I think people will get a better idea.

 

When I met with speedy, he confirmed that many people have asked him to make the pen so that it would be possible to screw in Pelikan mXXX nibs. That would be pretty cool if something like that happens in the future. I would buy one and then promptly order a nib from Mr. Binder thumbup.gif The design of the pen seems to be sort of like a Pelikan m800, so it might even be possible with slight modification.

 

 

Follow TWSBI and the Diamond Project on Twitter!

 

Currently inked pens:

Pilot M90 F- Iroshizuku Tsuyu-Kusa

Sailor 1911 EF - MB Blue

Twsbi Diamond 530 F-Noodler's "Taiwan Eternally Free" Black Strait

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not being fond of clear pens, I'm really hoping this one will be available in solid colors. If so, I'll be purchasing a few of these.

A pen is a good deal like a rifle; much depends on the man behind it. Paraphrased from John Philip Souza

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like it. Does anyone else know of a piston filler in this price range?

Montblanc 145, F nib
Faber Castell E-Motion in Pearwood, F nib
Montblanc 149, F nib
Visconti Divina Proporzione 1618, S nib
Montblanc Cool Blue Starwalker, EF nib
Montblanc Solitaire Silver Barley BP
Montblanc Rouge et Noir Coral, M nib

Link to comment
Share on other sites

mahkie - being able to fit different nibs might be cool. I suppose it would be easy and cheap to make a range of tiny plastic adapters, whose outside thread fitted the TWSBI, and inside thread suited a given nib.

 

If you prefer the TWISBI's nib to that of a Safari, then that is surely a good sign. Although it would become monotonous, I think I could quite easily spend my life writing with just Lamy nibs.

 

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No fair, where's mine!

 

Great review, can't wait to get one.

I woul dpre-pay for one to get on the list.... but no such luck....

 

 

I may organize a pre-sale through FPN once shipment is verified close enough. I would need to make a plan for price and logistics, and clear it with the appropriate people. I have a pretty killer plan in mind to offer a good deal to the community.

 

I can't wait for the pre-sale. I've been waiting for the Diamond to go on sale for half a year now. :puddle:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like it. Does anyone else know of a piston filler in this price range?

 

Thats built like this one? No. There are a number of cheaper "student" type of piston fillers like the Dollar and Reform pens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...