My Twsbi 530--a Great Daily User

[Ron2]

First of all, I love the look and feel of this pen. It is uncanny how well it fits my hand so perfectly.

I can hold the plastic section, which to me has a warm, comfortable feel, and write for long periods without my hand getting tired.

The F nib has written wonderfully smooth from day one and I hope it writes even smoother with more use, as I break it in.

I like to post my pens, but this TWSBI feels better unposted--and while I have posted it, I swear that I will never post it again!! (See Item 3 below.)

I have brought out my TWSBI to use in front of several non-FP people, and they all "oohed and awed" about my "neat looking pen".

It has quickly become one of my favorite daily users and I am so happy that I got one. Thanks to Mark and Speedy and all the TWSBI people for delivering us a really great pen,

which I am very satisfied with overall.

 

 

However, it's not perfect, so here are my issues and comments.

1. My pen is one that leaks between piston seal 1 and 2. (pics 1 & 2)

It has not (so far) leaked into where the piston is in the back (top) of the barrel.

I currently have Aurora Black (boring color, yes; but wanted to try out a non-barrel-staining ink first.)

I guess I will need new piston rings to be sent one of these days.

 

Pic 1

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e362/tabijin/TWSBI-leakigring3.jpg

Pic 2

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e362/tabijin/TWSBI-capped.jpg

 

2. Being a newbie, I am not sure if this next concern is a real issue or is a natural part of FP design and physics.

This is my first demonstrator pen with a clear section. If you look at pics 3 & 4,

you can see that there are places where black ink is collecting (the very dark black areas) in the section.

Again, if this is a natural occurrence in all FPs, then let me know.

But because all my other FPs have black/dark sections, I can't ever see if ink collects there or not.

However, if this is an issue, what is the solution so that ink doesn't collect there?

Regardless, I think that these dark spots detract from the overall, nice clear/clean look of the pen.

 

pic 3

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e362/tabijin/TWSBI-leakingnib1.jpg

pic 4

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e362/tabijin/TWSBI-leakingnib2.jpg

 

3. Please look at my stained, ruined pants (pic 5).

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e362/tabijin/TWSBI-pantsink.jpg

 

Luckily, on the day I had this mishap, I was wearing these pants that I was going to throw away last week, but I put them on Saturday,

thinking it would really be "the last time" that they would get worn. Little did I know, it truly was the last time once and for all without a second thought.

What happened was that I posted the pen. Then, when I couldn't get the cap off easily, I unconsciously started twisting the cap to release it from the barrel........

and OH OH, it was too late!!

Instead of pulling the cap off straight, I twisted the cap that sits on the piston (as in "filling") knob. You guessed it, the pen shot out ink all over.

 

Well, yes, I am careless, you could say; and even down right lucky too, since I didn't have on good slacks. But I have never had a fountain pen (least not a piston fountain pen) where the posted cap rests on the turning filling knob. I am not a designer, but it might save some mishaps (and ruined clothes, table cloths, furniture, etc.) if in the future, the cap posts not on the filling knob, but a little lower down on the barrel. In my opinion, this issue should have been considered in the design stage.

 

Anyway, I am glad to be an owner of this neat pen.

And in spite of the few concerns, I really think that for the price, it's hard to beat, with it's terrific looks, functions, and feel.

Edited July 25, 2010 by Ron2

[farseer911]

Looks like mine, but I have a bit more ink in the cap section.

 

I will wait till they get all the kinks worked out and then perhaps buy another one. right now I flushed it and threw it in the waster box (the box for pens that are inexpensive and do not work well...)

 

Regrettably, I can not give this away be cause it leaks. I know there is a seal kit available, and when it gets around to being mailed out, I will get around to fixing it. So hopefully in a few months that will happen.

Edited July 25, 2010 by farseer911

[stevlight]

The whole posting problem you had is why I have not used mine! My first fill I did the same thing over my desk.

[Lloyd]

I use mine posted by resting it in the webbing between my thumb and forefinger; it's quite comfortable. I don't press the cap onto the tail so it easily lifts off the knob.

[rwilsonedn]

I guess I've been very fortunate with mine. I performed the piston-seal test as soon as I received the pen, and it leaked a drop of water. So I requested the seal kit. Now I'm using the pen every day, and there is no sign of ink getting past the seal. Maybe it just needed to be worked with some liquid to seat properly. Anyway, I've dropped my request for the replacement seal.

As for posting, I know that there are may pens out there designed not to be posted. This is the first one I've used with any frequency (most of them are out of my price range) and I've found that not posting the pen has been no problem whatsoever. It is quite a nice size and well-balanced for my hand unposted.

Result is that the TWSBI is rapidly becoming one of my favorites.

ron

[speedy]

The ink mark inside the section (grip area) is not suppose to have.

The only situation ink will goes into celar section is when the section is not closed tight enough (but over tighten though) to the barrel, so when you accidentially turn the blind cap, the ink will leak through section/barrel join first and stayed in the section.

Or the o-ring #3 was missing or not tighten, so when filling the ink, ink goes in through front joint into the section.

 

It is easy to resolve by turn the section off the pen, disassembly clear section from nib/feeder holder(black parts), clean them, put back again.

[farseer911]

The ink mark inside the section (grip area) is not suppose to have.

The only situation ink will goes into celar section is when the section is not closed tight enough (but over tighten though) to the barrel, so when you accidentially turn the blind cap, the ink will leak through section/barrel join first and stayed in the section.

Or the o-ring #3 was missing or not tighten, so when filling the ink, ink goes in through front joint into the section.

 

It is easy to resolve by turn the section off the pen, disassembly clear section from nib/feeder holder(black parts), clean them, put back again.

 

How do you stop the ink from going into the cap itself?

[speedy]

you mean some of the moisture or condensation type of ink sign you once a while see inside the cap?

if yes, I think it come by nature due to the surrunding temperature changes....

I believe it happened on all the pens, just if they are not demonstrator, you don't see it.

correct me, if I ma wrong.

[fpman]

I think the (tiny dots of) ink in the cap is pretty normal, at least in my (limited) experience. As you said, here it's visible. I just swab it out with cue-tip or a rolled up tissue. I'm a bit more bothered by the condensation I've found a couple of times in the pen - the first time I could dismiss it because I'd just cleaned and flushed the pen, but the second time was about a week later, after some use.

 

I've experienced the binding problem on my pen too, but have caught myself in time to prevent any accidental ink discharge. I too would vote that either the pen cap or the bind cap be changed to prevent this from happening. Most folks don't seem to like to post the pen, saying it is unbalanced posted or better balanced un-posted, but I like posting mine.

 

I bought two pens, a fine and a medium. Both showed signs of leakage with the water test, one much more than the other. I filled the one with less leakage up and like rwilsonedn didn't have a problem with real ink. I'm still waiting for the seal kit for the other pen.

 

Great pen for the money, super writer, well made despite the few issues mentioned. I'm really looking forward to more pens from TWSBI.

[mahkie]

Yeah, ink in the cap is just condensation. I don't think it's easy to eliminate that without defeating the goal of the cap. Fortunately it's pretty easy to clean every part of the cap and make a "clean freak" pen

[Bo Bo Olson]

If you stop using that Old Fashioned and Obsolete Pinch hard grip method , and use the Modern Up to Date Forefinger Up easy grasping method , you could post that pen with no problem.

 

By knowing both systems you are flexible to making a pen balance for you, instead of being locked into a single limited method of holding a fountain pen, and having to try many pens before one finds one that "balances".

Forefinger Up, takes a long time to learn; up to two minutes. So I can understand many not having so much time. Once learned, one can balance a real heavy pen with a full 1/4 of an inch up barrel adjustment.

One does have to be rather athletically inclined to learn the Modern Way. Being able to snap one's fingers and sway to the music; at the very same time, is a great help to know if one's as athletic as needed for learning something new.

 

Well, if you are a teacher you can forget it...after all no teacher ever taught that method; having not learned it.

 

Forefinger up is of course a Fountain Pen only method of writing, one can't use that with a ball point. One don't get a fatigued hand either using the modern method.

 

It also places the fountain pen in the web of the thumb automatically with out trying to find a real top heavy pen (Townsend or Persona) to do so like that finger fatiguing "quill age" Pinch method.

[OMASmaniac]

you mean some of the moisture or condensation type of ink sign you once a while see inside the cap?

if yes, I think it come by nature due to the surrunding temperature changes....

I believe it happened on all the pens, just if they are not demonstrator, you don't see it.

correct me, if I ma wrong.

 

All my pens accumulate a little bit of ink in the cap.

It's normal, I think.

I've had some demonstrators in the past, and they were all like that.

[dizzypen]

I don't think this pen is really designed to be posted. It is large enough to use it without the cap on the back. With the cap on the back the pen is completely off balance.

 

Ink in the section is the result of the nib not being screwed down tight. I had the same problems. There is an o-ring between the nib collar and the clear section. Make sure the nib is screwed in tight.

 

Ink in the cap is "normal" especially in the hot summer months when we are all going between hot weather and cold air conditioning. All my pens do that in the summer. A q-tip cleans it up nicely.

[burmeseboyz]

Those pants are still good. Wear them on the weekends.

[777]

Now I really want one of these. Alas, I'm saving up for other things right now. The good side about that is by the time I do buy a TWSBI Diamond 530 all the "kinks" will be worked out so to speak.

[farseer911]

you mean some of the moisture or condensation type of ink sign you once a while see inside the cap?

if yes, I think it come by nature due to the surrunding temperature changes....

I believe it happened on all the pens, just if they are not demonstrator, you don't see it.

correct me, if I ma wrong.

 

No I meen ink in the cap. Like stick a q-tip in the cap and the q-tip show no white when you bring it out, and you have to wipe the front of the pen before you use it ink in the cap....

 

I have stopped using it, because of inky fingers. I have many demonstrators, and none of them have the ink in the cap issue that needs to be cleaned regularly if you use the pen.

 

Any odea when the new piston will ship?

[mprs]

Would you guys recommend this pen to a new user? I honestly have no idea how to perform the seal tests or fix them with the seal kits.

 

Not saying I can't learn (I'm sure there is a tutorial somewhere around here), but probably not something I'd want to be doing on my very first pen

[flodoc]

I just received my Diamond 530 ordered from the ebay store on Friday, shipped Saturday and received today (Monday). I immediately tested it with water and all was sound; no leaks. I then filled it with Noodlers Ottoman Azure; still no leaks. The fine nib writes smoothly with moderately wet flow-perfect (I usually have to tinker with nibs/feeds with other pens to achieve the flow I prefer.). The size and weight are also spot on. I am making a road trip from Kansas to North Carolina this week and this is the pen that will travel with me. It is a privelege to be part of the start-up of what I hope will be a profitable venture both for Speedy and the fountain pen community in having a pen company with such integrity supplying quality pens at affordable prices. While I imagine that success will breed higher end pens from TWSBI, I hope they never forget their roots and continue to provide great basic writing instruments for us.

 

This in no way detracts from quality mid to high-end manufacturers like Brian at Edison Pen Company, another quality innovator. Maybe the competition will wake up the "name" brands and improve everyone's game (and bring sanity back to pen quality and prices).

[riff raff]

you mean some of the moisture or condensation type of ink sign you once a while see inside the cap?

if yes, I think it come by nature due to the surrunding temperature changes....

I believe it happened on all the pens, just if they are not demonstrator, you don't see it.

correct me, if I ma wrong.

 

No I meen ink in the cap. Like stick a q-tip in the cap and the q-tip show no white when you bring it out, and you have to wipe the front of the pen before you use it ink in the cap....

 

I have stopped using it, because of inky fingers. I have many demonstrators, and none of them have the ink in the cap issue that needs to be cleaned regularly if you use the pen.

 

Any odea when the new piston will ship?

I had ink seepage past both piston rings and into the screw mechanism. I got an e-mail from Rebecca asking for my address on July 15. Haven't seen the new piston yet. So, the pen sits on my desk, in pieces, waiting. :blink:

[tonybelding]

I got my pen this morning! Woohoo!

 

I haven't inked it yet, but my first impressions mirror a lot of what I'd already read here on FPN about it. To wit:

 

The storage/display box is so nifty! Looks great, different from any other pen boxes, doesn't take up a lot of space either.

 

Even though the diamond facets are not something I would have thought about putting on the body of the pen, they are very non-objectionable, and actually help grip the pen when unscrewing the cap. They don't impede visibility into the ink reservoir. (edit: They also keep the pen from rolling around too much when I lay it down.)

 

The O-ring seal where the cap screws on is an interesting idea. It seems like it should provide an extra measure of ink safety -- such as when flying -- and also makes the cap stay in place securely. I like it.

 

Posting the cap is awkward. I'm not in the habit of posting. If I was, this pen would probably break me of that habit pretty soon.

 

When peering into the pen, it's possible to see where the piston seals with the interior of the barrel. Where it's in contact it makes a "wet" looking black ring. As I draw the piston towards the rear of the pen, the ring thins indicating that the interior dimension of the barrel increases slightly. By the time it's all the way to the rear, the first piston seal is no longer showing a black ring all the way around, suggesting that it will probably leak. The second seal looks good.

 

The included small vial of silicone "grease" is really more like a thick oil. It's viscous but fully liquid. Having this included with the pen, along with the disassembly tool, is too cool for words.

 

OK, enough typing. . . Time to ink it and see how it writes!

Edited July 27, 2010 by tonybelding