Glad I Stuck To My Guns And Went With My Instincts When It Came To My First Pen!

[Behike54]

While tastes vary and one's overall writing experience can differ due to a number of variables, some pens are just extremely polarizing.

 

 

When I started reading reviews about this particular pen, it seemed like there was no middle ground, people either loathed it or loved it, and the only thing people could agree on was that the customer service was good, because so many things had to be replaced due to cracking (everywhere, all the time, or so it seemed) or line feed issues that stopped ink dead in its tracks, like there was some sort of cloaked coagulant that was purposely bred into the materials that made up the construction of the pen.

 

I am of course referring to the TWSBI Diamond series of pens.

 

I thought the pen was a good value and it struck me one day that given the pen was ABLE to be dismantled (NOT required), one had to at least CONSIDER the possibility that there could be a number of variables that contributed to these cracking issues.

 

Three things happened in one day that made me say the equivalent of damn the torpedos, I'm buying this pen.

 

1) The reviews started to improve

2) They came out with the AL version

3) I noticed ONE person on every forum, page, or blog, really had an ax to grind about this pen (including one person on THIS very forum). Ironically, it was obvious the gripes weren't about the pen at this point.

 

Anyhoo.........I ordered my TWSBI Diamond 580 AL, filled it upon receiving it, and it has not cracked, showed even a hint of flow-related ink issues, and for the money, it's a damn good writer and smoother than I anticipated. Moreover, this pen motivated me to start writing more often, which I thoroughly enjoyed, in spite of the deterioration of my hand-writing. It was like waking up from a long nap and realizing my right fist was just short of a club.

 

I would say that in the two weeks after receiving my pen, I had another pen, thanks to a PIF, and bought my first used FP. Moreover, what started out as buying one pen for one task, turned into an almost devout refusal to write with anything BUT a FP.

 

Late last week, my Pilot Falcon arrived, tuned by JM, and was I ever floored. All this due to the little pen that could, from Taiwan.

 

I would be remiss if I didn't mention my wife was from Taiwan and that country has been very good to me, and continues to do so, as evidenced by the consistent pleasure-inducing experience of the TWSBI 580 AL.

 

SUCK IT, HATERS!!!!!!

[SujiCorp12345]

Nice. One of my first purchases was a TWSBI Diamond 580, and its still in my rotation. I haven't had any issues with it either. (What's the difference between the 580 and the 580AL?)

[Behike54]

Nice. One of my first purchases was a TWSBI Diamond 580, and its still in my rotation. I haven't had any issues with it either. (What's the difference between the 580 and the 580AL?)

 

The section and parts of the piston mechanism are made out of aluminum.

[Quantum]

I got a TWSBI 580 as one of my first pens as well and it has been very good to me as an every day writer.

[cpark2005]

I grabbed a TWSBI 580 earlier this summer, and I absolutely love it. As it would happen, I was just using it earlier this evening to write a few letters. Great, durable, reliable pen. It won't be the last TWSBI I own.

[DaveBj]

Count me among the lovers, not the haters

[doggonecarl]

My recently purchased TWSBI 580 USA was not my first pen, but rather my seventieth-something pen. And I was impressed by it as well. From the packaging, to the design and construction of the pen, to how it wrote.

 

Saving up for my next one.

 

[richardandtracy]

I think the TWSBI is beautifully engineered. It uses a difficult material to best effect.

 

I just wish I liked the feel of polycarbonate in my hand. I don't. As a result the TWSBI is one of my less favoured pens, along with the equally well engineered Lamy Vista. Both are superb pens that I just don't like the feel of.

 

Ah well, takes all sorts.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[purplepen]

Love my TWSBI too. No problems at all.

[wastelanded]

I love my TWSBI Minis dearly: they're constantly inked. Only thing is, the clear barrel keeps developing vertical stress cracks on the back threads, where you post the cap.

 

I always thought all these cracking issues were from people over tightening things. But on this, second, barrel, I have not used the piston once. Strange, I know, but I use the pen for testing samples so always unscrew the section (those threads have never cracked) and fill with a syringe. Maybe posting does it, but I stop screwing the cap as soon as it contacts the rubber washer

 

I have a third barrel on the way, thanks to the always excellent customer service. I'm not going to even post this time, and see what happens. Like I said, love the pen to bits, just wish for our (and Speedy's) sake the instability issues would stop. As an aside, the black barrel hasn't had any issues at all.