What Is All The Fuss About Twsbi Pens?

[dizzymizzy]

Is there any word on when the smoke grey 540 will be available? And wasn't an italic nib going to be available, either with a pen or separately? This has probably been asked and answered elsewhere, but I've lost track of the Twsbi threads. It's a very popular pen!

Yes! It will be shortly after the New Year, to all of those things. No new TWSBI products are expected in 2011, we'll see them all early in 2012. That includes the colored 540's, vac700, Micarta, italic nibs, and whatever else they get ready for production!

 

OK, I have to hijack this thread long enough to take my hat off to a dealer who will direct a customer to the competition just to be helpful. That's a darn nice thing to do.

ron

Hey, it's no problem. I love (and appreciate) the business when we can get it, but if we don't have stock and someone else does, not much we can do about that!

 

 

OK OK OK

 

I broke down and got a TWSBI, with an extra fine nib. But this italic nib really piqued my interest. What sizes will they come in? Got any more insider info? :-)

Edited December 10, 2011 by dizzymizzy

[dex138]

Although they aren't available yet, and probably won't be til early 2012 gouletpens.com (no affiliation) had a 1.1 mm and a 1.5 mm listed showing "'out of stock' but available soon" for $20 a piece.

 

Hmmm.... they don't seem to show up anymore... probably pulled them til the new year. We'll just have to wait and see I guess. Don't you just hate all this "hurry up and wait" carp? :embarrassed_smile:

Edited December 10, 2011 by dex138

[lovemy51]

you can all keep your TWSBI, i got an Ahab!

[Joshua J.]

Is there any word on when the smoke grey 540 will be available? And wasn't an italic nib going to be available, either with a pen or separately? This has probably been asked and answered elsewhere, but I've lost track of the Twsbi threads. It's a very popular pen!

Yes! It will be shortly after the New Year, to all of those things. No new TWSBI products are expected in 2011, we'll see them all early in 2012. That includes the colored 540's, vac700, Micarta, italic nibs, and whatever else they get ready for production!

 

OK, I have to hijack this thread long enough to take my hat off to a dealer who will direct a customer to the competition just to be helpful. That's a darn nice thing to do.

ron

Hey, it's no problem. I love (and appreciate) the business when we can get it, but if we don't have stock and someone else does, not much we can do about that!

 

 

OK OK OK

 

I broke down and got a TWSBI, with an extra fine nib. But this italic nib really piqued my interest. What sizes will they come in? Got any more insider info? :-)

 

Believe it or not FPN is the inside news. The Goulets are always saying how they know about products before the companies making the products do, and they just read about it here (that is, any time information is let out at any level the internet gets saturated with it instantly, while it could be weeks or months before most people inside the company actually become involved with the product).

[XiaoMG]

I haven't much of a collection, but among what I have, the TWSBI Diamond 540 holds its own. I am not a huge huge fan of the nibs, but I'm not a huge fan of my Edison nibs either (I read that it's easy to swap a #5 Meister/Edison nib in, but I don't know if I'd want to spend the money on it, if my experience with #6 Edison steel nibs are any indication). The body appears to be the most durable fountain pen I have (the exception being the nib section which is being redesigned), and certainly feels good in the hand. With the 540, the cap tightens down in a very very satisfying way, and the pen holds quite a lot of ink. Repairs and maintenance (and cleaning) are easy.

 

I have played with a few other demonstrator pens, and none of them felt nearly as durable as the TWSBI. It's a carry pen, rather than a desk pen, in my opinion. If I liked stiff Western steel nail nibs more, I'd love my TWSBI. As it is, it's a good pen that I like to carry, but don't love to write with.

[PinarelloOnly]

Just received my 540 and ROC100 in the mail yesterday and in short, I am very impressed

and would like to see more of these awesome pens.

 

These pens have a true extra fine nib and write just as good and smooth as any other

expensive extra fine out of the box. I am impressed with my TWSBI's and it is actually

pretty incredible what this company has pulled off for the money.

[Dave the brew guy]

you can all keep your TWSBI, i got an Ahab!

LOL, not quite the same thing. The Ahab is a nice pen for $20 but it's not close to being in the same league with the TWSBI. I'd put the Ahab about halfway between the TWSBI and a Pilot Varsity.

[MrsGouletPens]

Although they aren't available yet, and probably won't be til early 2012 gouletpens.com (no affiliation) had a 1.1 mm and a 1.5 mm listed showing "'out of stock' but available soon" for $20 a piece.

 

Hmmm.... they don't seem to show up anymore... probably pulled them til the new year. We'll just have to wait and see I guess. Don't you just hate all this "hurry up and wait" carp? :embarrassed_smile:

Yep, it'll be a 1.1mm and 1.5mm. Same price as the other nib units, I believe (list $25, usually sold around $20). I had them up on our site a few months back to start the wait list (when I thought they were coming out soon), but as they kept getting delayed, I got tired of all the questions so I took them down. Haha. I'll put them back up here soon. :roflmho:

 

OK OK OK

 

I broke down and got a TWSBI, with an extra fine nib. But this italic nib really piqued my interest. What sizes will they come in? Got any more insider info? :-)

 

Believe it or not FPN is the inside news. The Goulets are always saying how they know about products before the companies making the products do, and they just read about it here (that is, any time information is let out at any level the internet gets saturated with it instantly, while it could be weeks or months before most people inside the company actually become involved with the product).

 

FPN is a great source for 'inside' news... although my primary TWSBI news comes from their Facebook page. Lots of great pictures of prototypes, and they're pretty responsive to comments. And obviously I talk to them directly too, to coordinate my orders! That's how I knew for sure about the timelines.

[Stanley Cheng]

I have an M200 Pelikan Fine nib. It is good and write smoothly.

 

But frankly, when I received my first TWSBI 540, I put the M200 into the drawer.

I use the 540 (extra fine nib) with Sailor Blue-Black ink for daily usage. The capacity of ink, price, smoothness are some major factors. But the most important factor for me is the size of hand grip. It gives me a comfortable feeling when I have to write many stuff.

 

Indeed, I can't resist myself to buy another 540 filling with Sailor Black ink for usage when not in office.

 

Then, see the new design of 850.....sigh....the only reason, if there is one, for me not to buy 850 may be the way to fill ink.

 

oh, BTW, I bought the 50 ink bottle from TWSBI as well. The 540 and the ink bottle are the perfect match to fill the pen, IMHO. :roflmho:

[belia]

you can all keep your TWSBI, i got an Ahab!

LOL, not quite the same thing. The Ahab is a nice pen for $20 but it's not close to being in the same league with the TWSBI. I'd put the Ahab about halfway between the TWSBI and a Pilot Varsity.

 

 

Hmmmmmmmm, . . . . . . I've never owned or even used a TWSBI, so I can't really agree (or disagree) with your appraisal of Ahab vs. TWSBI, but I do own a number of vintage pens (P51s, Esterbrooks, Sheaffers and some other 2nd tier pens) as well as some moderns (mostly Pelikans and Watermans), and, IMO, the Ahab compares very favorably to almost all of them, with the possible exception of some vintage Watermans with flex nibs. I guess if you see the TWSBI as being that much better than the Ahab, . . . . . . I owe it to myself to check them out!!

[saskia_madding]

I cannot adequately express my love for my TWSBI 530 and 540 with mere words. I love everything about them - the size and shape fit my hand perfectly, the weight is perfect, I adore demonstrators with silver trim, and I love to fiddle with things, so its ease of dismantling is a bonus for me.

 

I love that the nibs are great (after writing for a few pages) but that you can easily substitute another nib in.

 

I love that it's cheap enough I won't be devastated if I lose or break it, but that it's amazing enough to always make me happy.

 

Among my modest collection, which includes at least 10 pens that cost around $1500 each, the TWSBI one of two pens that is always, always inked.

Edited January 3, 2012 by simonerodrigue

[ever onward]

Great, folks. Thanks for all your input. I'm thinking about picking one up, but they're out at Goulet's. Anyone know a different site with the 540s in stock? Speaking of which, what other ink/pen sites are there?

 

www.shopwritersbloc.com

 

Odd fact, though: if you look for TWSBI under the Writing Instruments or Shop by Brand pages, it's not there, but if you type TWSBI in the search box, the page comes up. I see they're selling only the Diamond 540 model. [No affiliation, etc.]

[Albertine]

Hi, I'm thinking about purchasing a low-end TWSBI after all the random and positive comments I've read. However, I don't know anything about the pens. If you are a TWSBI pen fanatic, why do you like it so much? Is it because of the ink capacity? The grip? Oh, and please don't forget to let me know to which model you're talking about.

 

Looking forward to hearing more!

 

I think most people would enjoy a TWSBI but I also think that the TWSBI is best appreciated by those who don't need to be "sold" on it. It's for all the people who, when told, "Here's a beautiful, reliable, reasonably-priced piston filler," immediately raised their hands to the air and shouted, "Hallelujah!"

[saskia_madding]

It's for all the people who, when told, "Here's a beautiful, reliable, reasonably-priced piston filler," immediately raised their hands to the air and shouted, "Hallelujah!"

 

Man, is this statement EVER true. +1 to infinity (and beyond).

[raging.dragon]

The TWSBI is a good enough pen, that is also inexpensive enough to be used and carried daily without excessive fear of loosing or breaking it. My more expensive pens are mostly enjoyed at home (though I take them out pen meets, business meetings, and other occassions I know to be safe).

 

It's for all the people who, when told, "Here's a beautiful, reliable, reasonably-priced piston filler," immediately raised their hands to the air and shouted, "Hallelujah!"

 

Man, is this statement EVER true. +1 to infinity (and beyond).

 

++

Edited January 4, 2012 by raging.dragon

[cchangg]

the 540 (basically the only model they have now) is well-built and robust.

Most of all, the nib has character.

 

I know it's just another Bock nib but I dont find Faber-Castell nibs that interesting.

Visconti will easily go triple the price.

 

not to mention it comes with some interesting innovations and a tool kit that allows you to tear it apart to have some fun.

 

However, I gotta say the price does have a say in all of this.

If it's $100 pen then it's all different.

[nightwing]

Most of all, the nib has character.

 

I know it's just another Bock nib but I dont find Faber-Castell nibs that interesting.

That's good to know. I once owned a Faber-Castell Ambition but sold it because the nib never won me over (the snap-on cap wasn't a huge win for me either, but it really came down to the nib's lack of character).

[liverman]

Guy Clark has this song, Stuff That Works, that pretty much says it all for me. The chorus:

 

Stuff that works

Stuff that holds up

The kind of stuff you don't hang on the wall

Stuff that's real

Stuff you feel

The kind of stuff your reach for when you fall

 

There are several recordings on YouTube.

 

Greg

 

 

[Sasha Royale]

I bought a TWSBI Diamond 540 as a curiosity. It was only fifty bucks.

 

When I unscrewed the cap, the firm o-ring released and the threads were

very smooth.

 

I placed the pen on the work bench, which saggs in the middle, while I examined

the clip and cap ring. The pen did not roll. Fit and finish were excellent.

 

When I picked up the pen, the heft and large diameter were pleasing in the

hand. The length is sufficient without posting the cap. (I collect vintage

pens, and I never post the cap.)

 

Filling was effortless. The ink capacity is huge ! The fine point set down

a smooth, generous ribbon of blue ink.

 

After four weeks, five or six flushes of cool water left me with a clean pen.

The instructions for disassembly are clear and re-assuring.

 

I don't recall anybody asking me what I personally wanted in a fountain pen,

but it all sits on my desk blotter, as one pen. Five Stars !

 

I have since bought a Diamond 530 for comparing, as well as a TWSBI ink

bottle. I have the other three nibs, too.

 

Recommendation ? My mother and my six pen pals each have TWSBI 540 pens this

Christmas. Each was given with a bottle of Noodler's Eel ink. (nice box)

[Brian K]

The more I hear about TWSBIs the more I want one. My budget is very tight and my pen purchases recently have definitely been in the "cheap" range. $50 for anything not absolutely essential is a major layout for me. I do have a 149 (the only thing I own more valuable than this pen is my house!), but that was purchased 25 years or so ago and I had a better job then. It needs resealing and, perhaps, a nib adjustment right now and I am quite worried that it will cost $50 or more to get it fixed. It will be worth it but it involves the potential of a lot of monetary pain for me. Short of winning the lottery, it is unlikely I will ever be able to buy a pen of that quality again. That's fine because it's such an outstanding pen I don't need another of that ilk.

 

Being in love with fountain pens being what it is, I'm sure everyone understands when I say it's hard to resist the allure of acquiring new pens. While $50 still is a lot of money to me, everything I have read indicates that the majority opinion is that TWSBI makes pens that are as good as pens that cost 2 or 3 times what they sell for. They're large (I own a 149, obviously I like large pens), nice to look at (would you deliberately choose a pen you found to be ugly?) and easy to maintain (not being particularly mechanical I really like this part) - what more could the budget pen enthusiast ask for? [Edit} before anyone answers that question, everyone seems to think they write quite well for the money you pay for a steel nib.

 

The only question now is "what model to I start saving for?" People seem to love the 540, but the 700 will probably hit this year, along with the Micarta and the metal TWSBI (?). I'll probably start with the 540, but the others look great also.

 

I'll pass on the Click because I have no interest in a FP that looks like a BP. I mean, really? I understand the convenience angle, but if that is your most important consideration then maybe a ballpoint is your best option.

 

YMMV,

 

Brian

Edited January 6, 2012 by Brian K