Twsbi Advice

[Sydney]

Hello,

 

I have been using fountain pens for a while now but have only used what I guess would be regarded as starter pens. I am also not very knowledgable. I have read a lot but have a very narrow range of practical experience.

 

I have three Preppys for art as I use carbon/ pigment ink and I didn't want to risk a more expensive pen. They also appear to be dry-out proof.

 

I recently bought a Plaisir thinking it may make my most used art pen look a bit nicer but I am not keen. I bought the gunmetal thinking it was grey but it appears to be the same colour as the band at the bottom of the cap. I am also not particularly keen on just how shiny it is.

 

My other pens are Kaweco sports which I love. I feel happy to have them in any bag/pocket, they never leak and always start straight away.

 

However, after seeing various demonstrator pens I feel like I would like just one to use with my more attractive inks. I have researched for a month or so and have seen a couple that I like-

 

Pilot ch92 but I can't afford it so that is out.

 

Twsbi diamond mini. I really like the look of this but the reviews etc. that I have seen have made me hesitate. There seems to be a lot of issues with cracking etc.. Is this still an issue with them or have they addressed this adequately?

 

I have used my Preppys for a year or two and have never had one break or clog- have never actually cleaned one out. (I have loads of unused ones in a drawer because I thought with using pigment ink and the likelihood they would crack I would be needing a new one every month!). As, breakages with these is commonly reported is it no more risky to use a Twsbi?

 

Are they messy? I kind of feel like a piston filler is more likely to leak. No evidence for that, it just looks like it... I currently fill cartridges with a syringe but that is the messiest I deal with. Once it is in the pen, that is it, no more mess.

 

Finally, as is probably evident from above I am not really hot on the maintenance side. Would the Twsbi need a lot more maintenance than the other pens I have? I see mentions of silicone and o rings which I understand but don't have any idea how regularly these are applied/ changed respectively. I am willing to put in a certain amount of effort but I will admit if it is hugely time intensive then I wont keep it up, so I would rather know now rather than after I have spent money.

 

Thanks in advance for any and all advice.

[Frank66]

Buy any TWSBI you like or can afford, you can't go wrong with a TWSBI. I personally have an ECO with some extra #5 nibs, and I change them around whenever I feel like it.

[PaganArcher]

I have a TWSBI that I haven't cleaned out in nearby a year. Use it every few days in rotation and it's been through hel and then some. Long distance travel, camping trips, primitive hunting trips, and day to day abuse. Personally, I wouldn't think twice.

[ac12]

I have an Eco, which for $30 is very hard to beat. (The only thing that could beat it is a Pilot Metropolitan.) My Eco has been inked continuously for about 1-1/2 years. I don't baby the pen, but nor do I treat it rough (not dumped inside a school pack), and it has worked just fine for me.

 

WARNING, in general the finer the nib, the more sensitive it will be to the texture of the surface of the paper. I have an EF nib. I do not like writing with it on some paper, because of the increased scratchy feel that comes up the pen. I like my pens to write SMOOTHLY, with little or no scratchy feel coming up the pen. A wider F or even better a M nib would be for forgiving of less than smooth paper.

 

I have Noodler's Gruene Cactus in mine. Nice color

If you do not use a highly saturated ink, you should be OK, with minimal maintenance.

The highly saturated inks will sometimes clog the feed or nib, and that requires periodic cleaning to prevent. I have had Diamine Sherwood Green and Noodler's Liberty's Elysium clog several pens. It was a matter of finding a pen that would not constantly clog with those inks. And you have to use the pen. If you leave the pen sitting for a week or more, the liquid in the ink could evaporate from the feed, drying and clogging the pen. That is the problem I have with Diamine Red Dragon. I use the ink so infrequently that the ink dries up in the feed.

 

If the piston moves easily, leave it alone. I only put a "very tiny smear" of silicone on the cylinder wall or O-ring, only if the piston is tight. And that applies to ALL pistons, including converters.

[rwilsonedn]

Lots of people love their TWSBI pens. I think there are several reasons for this. First, they sell attractive pens with interesting filling systems at a very good price. Second, they figured out very early that there is a subset of fountain-pen owners who love to mess around with their pens, even when it is unnecessary. Third, they figured out that for this market, some spare parts plus excellent customer service could take the place of final inspection and testing. One unintended consequence of this strategy is that TWSBI pens can be unnecessarily intimidating if you aren't one of the people who likes to take their pen apart every week. Don't worry about it: the odds are in favor of you getting a pen that works perfectly. And if you don't, their customer support is excellent.

And by the way, no, piston-fillers don't leak more than other kinds of pens unless they are defective (in which case, see customer service above.)

I'd say pick one, order, and enjoy.

ron

[AAAndrew]

After buying and using dozens of new and vintage pens, my two favorite every-day carry pens are TWSBI. Both are mini's: diamond mini in rose gold and a new vac mini. Love them. Solid, hold tons of ink, great size and dependable.

[Sydney]

Thank you all, I appreciate your time and advice. It seems that there must be enough people out there who do enjoy the TWSBI pens with no hassle for me to give it a shot. I think I will give the diamond mini a go. It will be my stay at home pen as I want to use it with the colour inks that I don't generally use out and about. I share a desk with my husband, but if I can get away with it I may find a way to display it. I know some don't find it attractive but I think, when inked, they look great.