I Cannot Be The Only One Who Isnt Drinking The Twsbi Coolaid.

[brewsky]

I honestly don't get all the hype. I own a diamond 530 and the pen is mediocre at best. The build is okay for the price but overtime I screw onthe cap it feels like cheap plastic that is going to snap if I turn it too far. Don't even get me started on the nib.. I can't even call it that. Like the title asks I cannot be the only person on here who rolls their eyes eveytime a new twsbi topic gets posted. Its like joining a cult, everyone thinks they are awesome because everyone else does. You won't catch me wasting anymore money on that brand.

[Aslan]

One man's kool aid is another man's fine wine.

 

[CountryDoc]

I honestly don't get all the hype.

 

I'll pass on the Koolaid, and have a pint of Guinness instead

Edited January 1, 2013 by diverdoc

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

Not everyone has the same preferences or experiences. Many people here write with whatever they like to write with, not what everyone expects them to write with. If a specific brand doesn't work for you, you don't need to buy it. There are hundreds of different kinds of fountain pens for you to choose from. Personally, I don't have a TWSBI. I have a lot of other pens. I might try one out one day, but that day isn't today.

 

Either way, have you spoken to TWSBI about your experiences? They seem to be happy to work and make a better pen/make what isn't right right.

 

Dillon

[Harlequin]

Is it possible you just got a bad 530? Keep in mind, I do not have any TWSBIs, but from the amount of (forgive the pun) digital ink they get here and elsewhere, it seems like they try their best to upgrade the experience with each model- from the 530 to the 540, from the 540 to the Vac700 (not quite the same thing, but still), and soon (?) from the 540 to the 580. From what I've read of the history, each new step has remedied old flaws, such as the overall "cheap" plastic used on the 530- which you mentioned- to the the new nibs for the Vac700 and fixing the specific barrel cracking due to over-torque on the current 540.

 

By no means should you give your money for a product you don't like, but it could be beneficial to, with the reasons you disliked the 530 in mind, check to see if those problems have been addressed to your satisfaction on the 540, Vac700, or mini.

 

EDIT: I don't know how they would handle it specifically, but another really good aspect of TWSBI that I have seen oft-repeated is their high level of customer service. Maybe email one of the representatives (I'm not sure, but I think there is at least one here on FPN) may be able to help "rectify" your issues with their products.

 

 

 

Edited January 1, 2013 by Harlequin

[CapeClear]

I've had a Mini since about launch and I found it underwhelming I had hyped it up in my own mind after reading all the praise across the net. It feels like a cheap pen and I am unsatisfied with the quality of the nib. I see countless threads about how great TWSBIs customer service is because they replace parts so readily....I find it quite alarming personally.

[Koyote]

My 540's nib is one of the best I have ever used...Better than a couple of nibs that I had tweaked by Richard Binder, even. It's also incredibly resistant to drying out, and has never hard-started or skipped on me. The 540 also seems to hold more ink than my other piston filler, an Aurora Optima, which is not a cheap pen.

 

Sure, the TWSBI's construction does look and feel a bit cheap. What do you want for fifty bucks or so? I'd rather have a piston and a stellar nib/feed than fancier plastic.

[inkynib]

I stick with fountain pens made in the USA, Japan, and Germany. Simply put, I will not buy a pen made in Taiwan, no matter how reasonably priced. There are plenty of choices in budget priced pens that meet my "made in" criteria.

[tonybelding]

I honestly don't get all the hype. I own a diamond 530 and the pen is mediocre at best. The build is okay for the price but overtime I screw onthe cap it feels like cheap plastic that is going to snap if I turn it too far.

 

I have never gotten that impression from mine. They all work nicely. (More smoothly than my Pelikan M200, in fact.)

 

 

Don't even get me started on the nib.. I can't even call it that.

 

They are German-made steel nibs. I've found them to be pretty typical of modern, German-made steel nibs. Some have been dry and needed adjustment, others didn't. I find the Jowo nibs are usually the best. The one that came on my latest Vac 700 was perfect. If you get a Bexley or a Taccia or an Edison, I believe they come with Jowo nibs too, but those pens all cost more than the TWSBI.

[Laura N]

I stick with fountain pens made in the USA, Japan, and Germany. Simply put, I will not buy a pen made in Taiwan, no matter how reasonably priced. There are plenty of choices in budget priced pens that meet my "made in" criteria.

 

How sad for you.

[Harlequin]

Dern, seems Dillo beat me to the punch while I was composing that reply, lol.

[olivier78860]

I stick with fountain pens made in the USA, Japan, and Germany. Simply put, I will not buy a pen made in Taiwan, no matter how reasonably priced. There are plenty of choices in budget priced pens that meet my "made in" criteria.

 

How sad for you.

Indeed. S.T. Dupont, Oldwin, Waterman, Parker, Onoto, Conway Stewart, Conid, Aurora, Visconti, Stipula, Caran d'Ache...

[EKE]

I love my 540. Great pen. To each his own.

 

Do you really think that anyone who really likes something you don't like is acting like a member of a "cult"?

Edited January 1, 2013 by EKE

[RuffRydas]

I honestly don't get all the hype. I own a diamond 530 and the pen is mediocre at best. The build is okay for the price but overtime I screw onthe cap it feels like cheap plastic that is going to snap if I turn it too far. Don't even get me started on the nib.. I can't even call it that. Like the title asks I cannot be the only person on here who rolls their eyes eveytime a new twsbi topic gets posted. Its like joining a cult, everyone thinks they are awesome because everyone else does. You won't catch me wasting anymore money on that brand.

 

I don't think TWSBIs are awesome because someone else does, I think they're great pens from personal experience.

 

Perhaps you'd like to fill us in on what you are expecting from a $50 pen? Or better yet, name a pen that's equal in value at the same price point?

[yolrgrand]

I think you've been drinking too much of your "brewsky" rather than cool aid. I have a collection of 60+ pens of every major brand, ranging from Aurora, Bexley, Dunhill, Delta, Montblanc, Conway Stewart, Omas, Pelikan, Parker, Sheaffer, Waterman, Yard-o-Led, etc, and find the Twsbis to be truly innovative and quality pieces. They write every time I pick one up, including the 530, ROC 100, 540, Micarta, Vac 700 and Mini. To get piston fillers and vac fillers for under $100 that can serve as sturdy desk pens is truly a privilege I find. Thanks Speedy and Philip for your steadfast innovation and keep up the excellent work and customer service in 2013 and beyond. And Brewsky and others, consider the concept of not saying anything when you don't have something good to say. Twsbi represents one of the most recommended pens on FPN for newbies and a refreshing addition to more traditional collectors. Touché.

[tonybelding]

Let me just add this too...

 

I recently posted an in-depth review of the Vac 700. It's a demonstrator that holds a lot of ink, it has a novel filling system and a safety shutoff valve, and the nib on mine was perfectly adjusted. It feels solid. The fit-and-finish are good. On top of all that, it costs well under $100.

 

At the end of my review, I praised it highly. That's not "hype" or "coolaid" or "joining a cult". That's simply an honest assessment of the pen after extended use. I have a lot of other fountain pens, old and new, cheaper and much more expensive, so I'm not coming at this from a position of ignorance.

 

Maybe the next one off the assembly line will fall apart, I dunno. The one I got is outstanding. And yes... TWSBI have had a lot of growing pains which have been well reported here on FPN. They haven't been making pens for decades like some other companies, and there is a learning curve, but they are figuring it out.

[RuffRydas]

I stick with fountain pens made in the USA, Japan, and Germany. Simply put, I will not buy a pen made in Taiwan, no matter how reasonably priced. There are plenty of choices in budget priced pens that meet my "made in" criteria.

 

Wow, you are REALLY missing out on some great pens... have you ever tried a Dupont???

[mAnuscript69]

I really enjoy my TWSBI 540 because it is the best writer I own...so far. Until I have tried >$100 pens, I'll reserve my judgment.

Besides, I like TWSBI's design and philosophy and will continue supporting their brand in the foreseeable future.

[pokermon]

I think you've been drinking too much of your "brewsky" rather than cool aid. I have a collection of 60+ pens of every major brand, ranging from Aurora, Bexley, Dunhill, Delta, Montblanc, Conway Stewart, Omas, Pelikan, Parker, Sheaffer, Waterman, Yard-o-Led, etc, and find the Twsbis to be truly innovative and quality pieces. They write every time I pick one up, including the 530, ROC 100, 540, Micarta, Vac 700 and Mini. To get piston fillers and vac fillers for under $100 that can serve as sturdy desk pens is truly a privilege I find. Thanks Speedy and Philip for your steadfast innovation and keep up the excellent work and customer service in 2013 and beyond. And Brewsky and others, consider the concept of not saying anything when you don't have something good to say. Twsbi represents one of the most recommended pens on FPN for newbies and a refreshing addition to more traditional collectors. Touché.

 

Totally agree. I sell alot of vintage pens, and one of my customers that chat with me alot through email asked what is my favorite pen. I told him TWSBI 540 and it blew his mind. He said, "TWSBI?!? You the flex guy love a TWSBI?" I'm paraphrasing, but it was something along those lines. Twsbi diamond series offer serious value for the money. Hey it might not flex like my vintage Watermans, Swans, Blackbirds, or even semi flex like my Conway Stewarts, but I don't have the greatest handwriting, and flex is wasted on someone like me. My gf does all my writing samples. She loves flex. I love a smooth nib in a piston filler that fits MY writing needs. Different strokes for different folks. TWSBI Diamonds are great pens, but they are not for everybody. There is no one size fits all. Maybe that's why I've been getting alot of pm's/emails asking in depth questions about what would be the right pen for them.

 

-Tommy

[K. Cakes]

Mine was also terrible. One of the worst nibs I've ever received, and cracked after a couple of weeks. I assume I just got a dud because of the numerous comments praising the brand, but... I have to admit I'm not jumping at the chance to try another. Maybe if they come out with a non-demonstrator version, but for now there are dozens of great brands I'll probably look toward first.