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My New Twsbi


dcwaites

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I have decided not to do a full review of this pen, as I am sure that others will take up that challenge. These are just some of my thoughts and observations.

 

The packaging is delightful, especially the two little slide-on clamps that hold the pen in place. Unfortunately they are small, transparent and have a mind of their own. I have lost and found them twice already today. One must also not forget that the 'maintenance kit' of spanner and silicone oil is stored away under the white plastic shelf.

 

The nib is smooth, writes from any reasonable angle, and came with a small 'toothy' spot if I rotated the nib a little to the right. As well, it was a little dry. However these two problems were easily fixed with a little tweaking when I disassembled the pen. The dryness was fixed by opening up the tines a little, till there was a minute, but visible air gap between the tines all the way to the nib tip. The scratchiness was caused by the tines being the tiniest little bit out of alignment. Re-aligning the tines fixed the scratchiness. My nib is now very smooth, at least as smooth as my Sailor ProColor 500's and is wet enough to give me shading with the right ink on the right paper. I feel that those who think their nib might not be smooth enough, should look to see if the tines are perfectly aligned.

 

The only manufacturing 'imperfection' I could find was two minute injection stubs at the very front end of the section. Any others appear to have been polished out.

 

I like the idea of having a deliberate step at the end of the barrel before the blind cap. It means I don't have to fiddle getting the blind cap flush with the body after filling, like I have to with my Lamy 2000.

 

This is a biggish pen. You can write with it posted, but it looks, and feels, unbalanced. However, the section isn't all that thick. Because of the lightness of this pen, and the not-so-thick section, this pen should suit those who like a narrower pen, as well as those who like one that feels larger.

 

A couple of notes on dis-assembly/re-assembly.

 

  1. There is a little o-ring that appears to both hold the nib assembly in place, and to seal it. You need to make sure that when you insert the nib assembly, that the o-ring is in the proper place, and that it clicks firmly when you push the assembly back into the section.
  2. The piston should have a travel of 2 cm. when the barrel and blind cap are re-assembled. If it is less than that, you need to pull the whole lot apart, and fiddle with the number of turns the blind cap makes before you put the piston shaft back in its thread.

Finally, as jonro said in his review, this is "a high quality fountain pen at a price that nearly anyone can afford".

 

Well done, mahkie, speedy and team notworthy1.gifcloud9.gifclap1.gif

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“Them as can do has to do for them as can’t.


And someone has to speak up for them as has no voices.”


Granny Aching

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How is "bi" pronounced, like 'bye' or 'bee' or something else?

I'm hung like Einstein and smart as a horse!

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How is "bi" pronounced, like 'bye' or 'bee' or something else?

 

The chinese character 筆 (bi3) is pronounced with a third tone, meaning it falls and then rises. The full name for fountain pens is 鋼筆 (gang1 bi3), so you when you say "gang", it's a steady high tone, then when you say bi, you let your voice drop (tone) then rise again.

 

Phoenetically spelled, it's pronounced like "bee", but make sure you get your tones right

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

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This is why I'm not trying to learn Chinese. The whole tone thing confounds and frightens me.

 

No kidding, like a good American, I've completely forgotten my high school French and my college Mandarin. And I wonder what insult or stupid thing I'd communicate if I tried to pronounce "bee" with the wrong intonation.

Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society. -- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Justice of U.S. Supreme Court (1902 -1932)

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The only Chinese I "know" came from (Joss Whedon's) Firefly! :thumbup:

 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2733/4099344983_b9b628dddb.jpg

-mike

 

"...Madness takes its toll."

 

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4120/4954883548_bb6177bea0_m.jpghttp://www.clubtuzki.com/sites/default/files/icon24.gifhttp://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/5152062692_8037fd369c_t.jpghttp://farm5.static.flickr.com/4088/5152115656_e8d75849f1_t.jpg

 

"Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger." – J.R.R. Tolkien

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