Just Received My Twsbi Vac 700

[Vshin]

There is a LOT of silicone grease coating the inside of the pen and perhaps a little may have found its way into the feed/tube. I recommend flushing with water and a couple drops of dishwater detergent. Make sure you actuate the plunger briskly to push any particles out.

 

These Bock nibs are also hard as a nail and the tines are pressed very tight. It's so hard that I can't increase wetness using the traditional method of pulling them with my fingers. I wound up force-flexing the nib a bit to widen the tines and now it flows very well.

[novarider]

Do you still let this pen dry after flushing it before filling with ink? If so how? Do you take it apart?

[imahawki]

I had my first real mess with this pen... I filled it with Rouge Hematite without flushing it first and it kept running dry/stopping, even on copy paper which normally sucks ink out of the pen. Likely oil/grease in the feed from manufacturing which is why I should have flushed it as a new pen. But any way, after flushing I tried to fill it from a sample vial because the opening in the RH bottle is so small. I got ink all over. On my kitchen counter, some on the floor, all over the pen, and all over my hand (like a LOT) which after washing was bright magenta. I probably won't fill this with any ink where the pen won't fit well in the bottle going forward and really want to get a couple of the test tube fillers when they come out.

[SamCapote]

So are these having skipping issues? Should I wait to order one?

 

Experience seems to be variable. Mine was awful out of the box, very dry, inconsistent ink flow, extremely poor starter and yes, when it decided to write, it skipped plenty. It took me a while but I've got it working nicely now, smooth but still not 100% skip free although it doesn't happen often. I have a medium nib and it's not as wet as the 540 medium but I think just a littler smoother, at last.

 

Maybe TWSBI will improve their quality control so we can all get a more consistent experience and make it worth waiting. It depends how much you want one I guess.

 

The 540 is a dry writer with both medium nibs. I suggest that the 700 is the same way. Feeler gauges and a light flossing with acetate makes a world of difference. Try it on the 700 and you'll be very happy I'm sure. Sounds like a big pen. Perhaps I won't have to post

 

All these problems being reported....but shouldn't all pens work perfectly out of the box? I keep hearing in other threads that TWSBI always works perfectly out of the box. The irony is pungent.

 

Since I have been the one speaking up most about the posting issue, I compared my Vac700 posted with my Pilot 823 posted. While better than the 530/540, the Vac700 still has a back heavy imbalance making it irritating for longer uses if posted.

 

However, the bigger VAC700 issue which I REALLY do not like is the amount of the abrupt circumference step-down from the barrel to the section, and then again from the section threads (that the cap screws onto) to the smooth part of the section. The drop-off edges of these two locations are very sharp and scrape against your finger in a way I have not experienced with any other fountain pen. The 530/540 does not have this sharp edges issue. I cannot recommend this pen as a result.

 

I

[novarider]

According to some people on this Site if a pen writes one word it works correctly. Doesn't matter if it skips after that it still "worked". I just went through this discussion in another thread. Imo a pen SHOULD write properly out of the box. It shouldn't need the tines separated in order to flow properly it should just work.

[Lady Spencerian]

I had my first real mess with this pen... I filled it with Rouge Hematite without flushing it first and it kept running dry/stopping, even on copy paper which normally sucks ink out of the pen. Likely oil/grease in the feed from manufacturing which is why I should have flushed it as a new pen. But any way, after flushing I tried to fill it from a sample vial because the opening in the RH bottle is so small. I got ink all over. On my kitchen counter, some on the floor, all over the pen, and all over my hand (like a LOT) which after washing was bright magenta. I probably won't fill this with any ink where the pen won't fit well in the bottle going forward and really want to get a couple of the test tube fillers when they come out.

 

You are not alone. I made a fine old mess too - even getting ink on the little brochure with the filling diagrams. First, I had the same difficulty getting the pen far enough into the small opening of the ink bottle. Having finally succeeded in filling the pen (without getting ink all over myself), I stupidly twisted the nib unit instead of the knob at the top of the plunger to allow the ink to flow. The ink flowed all right! Apparently, I don't speak diagram. Quite a traumatic experience for a gal who normally fills her pens with a syringe and rarely spills a drop.

 

Pen, me, and the counter cleaned up, the pen writes pretty nicely, but is a bit dry and prone to the skipping that others have mentioned. I remember having similar woes with the 530 for the first few fills. It should all settle out.

[liapuyat]

Fortunately mine doesn't skip, it just writes a dry (but very acceptable) line.

[tonybelding]

All these problems being reported....but shouldn't all pens work perfectly out of the box? I keep hearing in other threads that TWSBI always works perfectly out of the box. The irony is pungent.

 

Realistically? Many new pens sold today aren't adjusted for correct ink flow -- the most common problem being that they're too dry. You're going to run into that with a lot of the mass-produced fountain pens, particularly (it seems to me) the ones that come with German-made nibs. You can dodge the issue if you buy from a nibmeister who adjusts them individually before shipping, such as Richard Binder. Otherwise it's just going to be a roll of the dice.

 

I have two TWSBIs plus one spare nib unit. Two out of those three nibs were dry (though usable, not actually skipping) and needed adjustment. The last Monteverde that I got (another inexpensive pen with a German-made steel nib) required the same. So did my Pelikan M200. It just goes with the territory, apparently.

 

To be fair... It's easier to increase flow than decrease it, so it makes some sense for the manufacturers to err on the side of dryness. Also, there's a lot of crummy paper out there in the world today, and a dry-ish pen won't bleed and feather as badly on it.

[Vshin]

I have never had a single fountain pen work perfectly out of the box. All of them required some adjustment to the nib to flow properly. This is normal as far as I can tell, unless I happen to be the unluckiest pen customer on the planet.

[Zanshin]

All these problems being reported....but shouldn't all pens work perfectly out of the box? I keep hearing in other threads that TWSBI always works perfectly out of the box. The irony is pungent.

 

Realistically? Many new pens sold today aren't adjusted for correct ink flow -- the most common problem being that they're too dry.

 

And therein lies the problem. What is the prime function of a pen? In fact what's the sole function of a pen? To put ink on a page. Nothing else.

 

I could understand if a cheap Chinese pen that only cost £5 including shipping all the way from China didn't write perfectly out of the box, but for a pen that cost best part of £70 not to work out of the box is pretty much an insult to the customer. I'm not talking about being a little bit dry. I'm talking about being utterly unfit for purpose without a considerable amount of effort from the purchaser.

 

What if TWSBI made lawnmowers? They'd have the shape, the styling, the colour scheme that everyone told them they preferred. But what's that blunt steel bar in the box? "Oh that's the blade. We cut it to the right length but thought we'd let you, the customer, grind it, shape it and hone it yourself to get the cut you prefer." Hmmm.

 

I like the way TWSBI as a company operate, with their involvement of the pen community, the open and transparent way they have dealt with manufacturing problems, use of social media etc,. Speedy and co have read all the right Marketing textbooks, but they seem to have forgotten the fundamentals. To ship out a product that plain doesn't work is just wrong at the most basic level.

[tonybelding]

To ship out a product that plain doesn't work is just wrong at the most basic level.

 

No. Shipping out a product with flaws is NORMAL. It happens all the time, with all sorts of manufactured goods (not just pens) and you can get a bad pen of any brand from any company. Not one of them has perfect quality control.

 

I once got a $400 OMAS with multiple flaws that I had to send back for a replacement. Fortunately, I'd gotten it from a reliable seller and had no difficulty exchanging it.

 

I got a NOS semi-vintage Sheaffer Imperial (touchdown filler) with a defective nib. Usually they're known for lovely nibs, but this bad one had slipped through. That was from eBay, and I was out of luck.

 

I got a New Postal Junior from Richard Binder, with the hand-adjusted (Binderized!) nib. The flow was too wet and it was very scratchy. Mr. Binder apologized and quickly fixed it.

 

I once had a new Sheaffer Intrigue that was too wet and skipped a lot, so I made the mistake of sending it to Sheaffer. They apparently sent it on an excursion through deep space for six months, then returned it to me with a repair bill (warranty? what's that?) and, as far as I could tell, no work done on it. (Obviously I won't be buying any more new Sheaffers!)

 

I'd heard stories about Lamy 2000s with problems, so I ordered mine from a vendor I could trust. It turned out to be perfect, but I was glad I never had to worry about that.

 

If your TWSBI really isn't working right, I can certainly understand your annoyance. It's a feeling I've had numerous times -- but TWSBI are known for having responsive customer service. Run your problem past them, and give them a chance to straighten it out! I doubt they'll leave you hanging with a pen you can't use.

[Nonsensical]

I have had to adjust almost all of the pens that I've bought for greater ink flow (modern ones, of course). The only ones that I've had no problem with have been vintage pens...Then again, Japanese pens tend to be dry writers out of the box, apparently.

 

Oh, and here's just a short list, so you know just how many I've had to fix up...

Pens requiring increased ink flow: fine out of the box

Sailor: 7:1

Pilot: 7:0

Platinum: 2:0

Lamy: 3:1

TWSBI: 2:1

Pelikans: 3:3

 

From my experience so far, it seems like most pens just don't write perfectly out of the box. The only reason Pelikan pens scored so well was because all 3 of my Pelikanos wrote perfectly straight off the bat :roflmho: . Not so lucky with some others...

 

I'm waiting on some more reviews on the TWSBI VAC700, and for my bank account to recover before I make the plunge on this purchase, though. Love the looks, not loving the price as much, but it's still ok.

Edited May 13, 2012 by Nonsensical

[Miketsheehan]

I am reaching out to Philip as both of my Vac 700s stop writing after what's in the nib is gone.

[photobadger]

If you get a good suggestion post here. I'm having the same issue.

 

I am reaching out to Philip as both of my Vac 700s stop writing after what's in the nib is gone.

[Koyote]

Shoot, my TWSBI 540 is one of the few FPs I have bought that actually did work properly right from the start. Though that doesn't mean that my next TWSBI will fare so well. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a single FP manufacturer that thoroughly tests each pen before delivery - unless it's a small custom shop.

[NKessler]

This is my first post on this site, but I've bee writing with fountain pens for quite a while. I'm a college student who takes about 8 pages of notes each day and I have never used anything but a fountain pen to do so. For the longed time I used a Parker Sonnet, but the fine nib was just too dry and scratchy for me to write comfortably. I've heard that Parker's gold nibs are supposed to be fantastic, so I must have gotten a dud. I spent HOURS trying. to adjust it, but wound up deciding to buy a new pen within the budget of a new nib from Parker.

 

The TWSBI Vac 700 fit well within that budget so I decided to get one. I've been using it non-stop for over a week now and have already filled and emptied the pen at least 4 times during the course of preparing for finals this past week. The Vac 700 (with a fine nib) performed perfectly right out of the box and is easily the smoothest, most attractive, and best performing pen I've ever used.

 

It seems that some people are getting caught up with the dryness/wetness of the nibs right out of the box. To me, that's a personal preference rather than a manufacturing error. I do think that all nibs should come performing as close to identically as possible, but I also believe that a feat such as that has never been achieved before in the history of large pen runs. My point is this: the Vac 700 certainly isn't for everyone, but it also isn't wrong at any sort of fundamental level. As far as I've read, the biggest problem anyone's had is a nib writing drier than they'd have liked. While that is a problem, I bet TWSBI would be willing to adjust it for you if you sent it in, or you can do it yourself and make it perfect for you.

 

I didn't have to adjust mine at all, but I like my pens to write dry when I'm using cheap paper. All of that aside, I think its a wonderful pen and I applaud TWSBI for making it so affordable and unique.

[NKessler]

Also, to those having problems with the pen mot writing after the feed has run dry, you need to open the back knob a bit to allow ink flow to the feed. If you look at the diagram, there's a nice picture of it that's very easy to understand once you know what you're looking for.

[Zanshin]

I've just retired mine. Life's too short.

[watch_art]

All these problems being reported....but shouldn't all pens work perfectly out of the box? I keep hearing in other threads that TWSBI always works perfectly out of the box. The irony is pungent.

 

Since I have been the one speaking up most about the posting issue, I compared my Vac700 posted with my Pilot 823 posted. While better than the 530/540, the Vac700 still has a back heavy imbalance making it irritating for longer uses if posted.

 

However, the bigger VAC700 issue which I REALLY do not like is the amount of the abrupt circumference step-down from the barrel to the section, and then again from the section threads (that the cap screws onto) to the smooth part of the section. The drop-off edges of these two locations are very sharp and scrape against your finger in a way I have not experienced with any other fountain pen. The 530/540 does not have this sharp edges issue. I cannot recommend this pen as a result.

 

I

 

Well of course most pens won't work perfectly out of the box. Most people are spoiled by Binder's or Mottishaw's services of tuning when selling, I think.

Oh well.

 

As for the posting - not an issue for me as I normally don't post. So don't care.

 

The section and step though - AWFUL. The section is skinny and straight - seems like an afterthought. One of the most uncomfortable pens I've ever held. Section should be thicker and with some curves.

 

I'll never own one unless it's a gift. And then I'll sell it for inks for my students.

[Angry__Panda]

Welp, mine wrote perfectly out of the both with both J. Herbin 1670 and Noodler's Tiananmen. Now the Tiananmen has been sitting in the pen for a few days (I kind of got a hinkering to bring my Lamy 2000 to work for a few days) and it is skipping and not writing. I stored it in a pen cup with the cap/nib facing up. I just let it sit for a few more days and it wrote and skipped and then went to not writing at all. Somewhat disheartening since I haven't had this problem with any of the other TWSBI pens (530, 540 and Micarta). I do still like the pen and am going to let out a drop of ink and see if that helps the problem. Either way I still like the pen, the weight (I don't post my pens...Sorry Sam ), the feel, the look, etc. and I will probably buy the clear one whenever it comes out.