Twsbi Nib Size Comparison Questions

[djmaher]

Hi all,

 

I have an ECO with a stub nib that I like, and am looking to buy another Twsbi with a smaller nib.

 

As the pens are sourced in China, how do the pens run, nib size wise, to other Eastern-sourced pens like Pilot or Platinum? Do they tend to be on the narrow side, compared to their Western counterparts?

 

I have a few Chinese-made pens, which have been fairly to extremely narrow, generally speaking. I understand line width has alot to do with ink and writing pressure, as well.

 

Was thinking of an M nib for the Twsbi.

 

Any general advice?

 

And, are all nibs interchangeable on all of the TWSBIs across their line, and are the nibs unique to each pen, specifically?

Edited March 28, 2019 by djmaher

[Jamerelbe]

TWSBI nibs are made by JoWo, so they're more "Germanic" (European) than Japanese in terms of width. That said, the EF is pretty fine, the M is not overly broad.

 

The TWSBI Eco, Classic, Vac Mini and Diamond Mini (and I think also the Go?) all take a narrower nib, that's *close* in size and shape to a standard #5 JoWo nib (though not identical - it's custom made to their specs). You can swap nibs between these pens, but a great deal of care is required disassembling the Diamond Mini nib unit especially: the fins on the feed are *very* fragile, and the nib and feed are *very* firmly wedged inside the tube.

 

The Diamond 580 and its variants take a #5 nib that's a little wider across its "wingspan". You can interchange the nib units (but not the plastic grip sections) between a Diamond 580 and a Diamond Mini, though they don't recommend it!

 

The Vac 700 (and 700R) take a much larger (#6) nib, that's not interchangeable with any of the above pens.

 

I really enjoy my TWSBIs - I find the 580 the most comfortable to use (if you don't mind not posting your cap), and the flow in these pens is reasonably generous. The Diamond Minis tend (in my experience, I have 2!) to be drier writers. The Eco is also a wetter writer, and great value for money. I can't speak for the Go.

 

I used to avoid buying M nibs, because I thought they were a bit 'blah' - give me EF or a stub nib! But I now own a couple of TWSBIs with M nibs, and I'd say it's a good compromise: wide enough to lay down a colourful line of ink, narrow enough not to be too prone to feathering!

[akrohn2010]

Ill second the assessment above. Wider than Japanese nibs but still "true to size," closer to Western sizes but maybe not quiet as wide as most Germanic manufacturers. Nice nibs overall.

[djmaher]

Exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks!!