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  1. Hi, I was thinking about buying my first TWSBI pen and I'm confused about which one I should buy. I've shortlisted the TWSBI Eco, TWSBI 580 and TWSBI Vac 700. If it were up to you, which pen would you buy and recommend?
  2. Hi, is there anyone in India who is willing to sell the TWSBI diamond 580 or Vac 700r? I'm in for buying some Twsbi pens and wasn't sure where to look for them. I want to try them out. If you're interested in selling yours, message me:)
  3. Hello! I live in India and I am looking to buy the Pilot custom 74. Is there a good website where I can buy Pilot pens and Inks for a reasonable price? Amazon sells some of them, but I was wondering if there is better, more direct way of buying them?
  4. Hi, I've been involved with foulntain pens for the last six months, and so far I have one Metropolitan, one Vista, a few Jinhao pens and a Parker Frontier. I am looking to expand my collection. I prefer fine nibs that write moderately wet and give a little bit of feedback, I don't care much for the body of the pen as long as it's comfortable. What pen would you recommend under $45?
  5. 1nkulus

    Cult Pens 10% Off For Fpd

    Cult pens are offering a 10% discount for FPD. Some prices have increased since the last promotion especially Pelikan. https://www.cultpens.com/c/q/explore/events--occasions/fountain-pen-day
  6. evaisnotonline

    New Twsbi Eco-T Piston Problems

    Hi all, This is my first post - it's so great to finally make an account after lurking for so long! I bought my third beginner fountain pen recently, a clear TWSBI Eco-T, which I have been lusting after for a long time, and finally arrived yesterday! I've already used one ink fill, and was screwing the barrel down to the refill it, and now it won't screw back up. the piston is at the bottom of the pen, near the nib, however there is no gap at the top of the pen where you should insert the wrench to unscrew the top. When I turn the top one way, it tried to press the piston further down into the pen (and it can't move any farther) and when I twist it the other way, it simply tightens the end cap! I've tried taking out the nib and using a thin crochet hook to push the piston up from the nib end of the pen, but it isn't moving and I don't want to force it. Attached is a picture of the pen body, nib attached but cap off. Any advice would be helpful, I'm new to piston pens and don't want to damage it! Thank you for your time! Eva.
  7. NJEF

    Twsbi 1.1Mm Stub Or Medium Nib?

    Hi. I'm planning on buying myself a Twsbi Eco just after Christmas, and I'm torn between which nib to get - A stub or a medium. Typically I write quite quickly, and reasonably small with a medium nib, but I really love the look of writing with a stub. There is a photograph of my handwriting written with a Waterman Gentleman with an 18k gold Medium nib, inked with Waterman Black ink. What do you think? Thanks!
  8. LemurInk

    Twsbi Pastels - December 14Th Release

    The pastel pink and blue ECOs were a China exclusive earlier this year, but will now be released worldwide December 14th. Only available in extra-fine and fine nibs, this will be a limited edition with maybe two production runs, and that's it.
  9. Pen Pit Stop : TWSBI Micarta v2 Welcome to the Pen Pit Stop. Here you will find reviews of pens that already have some mileage on them. More specifically, these reviews are of pens that are in my personal collection, and that have been in use for at least a year. I thought it would be fun to do it this way - no new & shiny pens here, but battered vehicles that have been put to work for at least a year. Let's find out how they have withstood the ravages of time. The fountain pen that enters the pit stop today is the "TWSBI Micarta v2". According to Wikipedia, micarta is a composite material of linen, canvas, paper or other fabric in a thermosetting plastic. It was originally used in electrical and decorative applications. Definitely a somewhat exotic material to use for constructing a fountain pen. The Micarta v2 is the second iteration of this pen, which was introduced in spring 2014 and solved some problems with the v1 version (specifically, the v1 version had problems with its cap seal, resulting in nibs drying out). The manufacturing process with this material is supposedly difficult, and TWSBI abandoned this experiment. These pens are now true collector's items. I bought this pen in September 2014 - shortly after it appeared on the market. It has been in use for a bit over 4 years now. This pen is in my regular rotation, and always filled with some matching brown ink. Let's have a closer look at it. Pen Look & FeelThis is a truly minimalistic pen without much in the way of ornamentation. Some subtle branding is present, with the TWSBI logo on the finial, and a faint engraving on the cap spelling TWSBI both in English and Taiwanese. TWSBI also sold a version with a golden clip, but in my opinion this breaks the elegance of the design - so I got me the clipless version. The pen is a real looker, and the micarta material gives it a very organic look & feel. The pen has a screw-on cap, and is really meant to be used unposted. You can post it, but I would not recommend it - posting feels rather unsecure. The pen also has some girth to it, and feels very comfortable in the hand. The gold-coloured steel F-nib on my pen writes very smooth, and is a true pleasure to use (out-of-the-box, no tuning required). I like this nib a lot. The pictures above illustrate the size of the Micarta v2 in comparison with a standard Lamy AL-star. Capped, posted as well as uncapped, both pens are roughly equal in size. I personally prefer to use both pens unposted. Pen CharacteristicsBuild Quality : the pen is well build, and still looks great after more than 4 years of use. The micarta material looks especially nice, and looks & feels very organic. There is some visible darkening of the material on the grip section - probably due to the oils in my hand. Overall though, this pen has aged gracefully. Weight & Dimensions : about the same size as a Lamy Safari - capped, posted and uncapped. The pen is rather light-weight, and very comfortable for longer writing sessions. Filling System : this is a cartridge convertor pen, that uses standard international cartridges. Be aware that micarta is a material that stains easily. I wouldn't recommend using a converter and filling the pen by dipping its nib in the ink bottle. My advice: use empty cartridges and syringe-fill them. Nib & Performance : the gold-coloured steel nib on this pen is well-proportioned for the size of this pen. According to info on the web, it's a standard #6 JoWo nib. The F-nib on my unit writes like a dream, and produces a wet and well-saturated line. Price : I paid about 100 EUR for the new pen. Given the untraditional material, and the stunning looks of this pen, I'd say this is very good value for money. The Micarta pens have been discontinued by TWSBI, so today this is probably a collector's item. ConclusionThe TWSBI Micarta v2 is a stunner - a very nice-looking minimalistic pen, constructed from a very unusual material. I really like its organic look & feel. This is one of my top 5 pens, and in regular rotation. The pen has aged well, showing only some discolouration on the grip section. The crucial question is: would I buy this pen again? To this, my answer is a resounding YES. This pen totally fits my taste, and is also a very smooth writer. It is definitely a keeper - the Micarta v2 entered my pen top 5 the day I bought it, and has never left this position.
  10. adatse

    New Twsbi Eco - Transparent Blue

    Came across this: https://purepens.co.uk/acatalog/TWSBI-Eco-Fountain-Pen-Blue-Transparent.html Picture from PurePens. I saw an Instagram post from them about a release date in September, but I can't find that post anymore. What do you think?
  11. visvamitra

    Lierre Sauvage - J. Herbin

    Lierre Sauvage was my first green ink. I still like it and use it more or less regularly. The ink isn't extremely saturated but that's fine for me, I like it this way. If you like green inks you can check my comparison of 48 green inks. http://imageshack.com/a/img537/7125/AthRm1.jpg INFO Producer: J. Herbin Color: Lierre Sauvage Bottle: 30 ml, nice, not practical Saturation: good Flow: very good in all pens I've ever filled with it Shading: beauty INK SPLASH http://imageshack.com/a/img537/7453/BuXuRN.jpg DROP OF INK http://imageshack.com/a/img745/9185/wKwBmN.jpg CHROMATOGRAPHY http://imageshack.com/a/img745/5954/eXjEdw.jpg SOFTWARE IDENTIFICATION http://imageshack.com/a/img910/9012/tLJqkY.jpg COLOR RANGE (made with PS gradient tool) http://imageshack.com/a/img674/2565/ofszRi.jpg Calendar - TWSBI, 1,1 stub http://imageshack.com/a/img537/8592/OIjQFm.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img674/2854/sltQcw.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img538/4458/2o5uAQ.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img905/9355/QgfNlB.jpg RHODIA http://imageshack.com/a/img538/4934/sKW7ZA.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img901/5100/sKgm8T.jpg And here's THICK layer of ink on Clairefontaine 120 g paper http://imageshack.com/a/img908/4900/CyGdOq.jpg
  12. I have a friend who goes there a lot, hence the question.
  13. Hello, I am new to fountain pens and new to this forum but glad I found it. I'm the proud owner of a Diamond 580 AL Rose and I've got a Gold mini on the way to me now. Anyways, I was listening to the Pen Addict Podcast and they mentioned a new TWSBI coming out next month, the Precision. I think I'm going to get it right away. Thoughts on it? https://www.instagram.com/p/Bggn8z0HDX7/?hl=en&taken-by=twsbi https://www.gouletpens.com/twsbi-precision-fountain-pen-extra-fine/p/TW-M7446200
  14. lisq199

    Twsbi 580 Navy Limited Edition

    My TWSBI 580 Navy Limited Edition just arrived. It's almost identical to the regular 580. In fact, the pen body is 100% identical. The only difference is the cap. I personally prefer the blue finial, because red is one of my least favorite colors. Anyway, enough has been said about the 580, and I just thought I'd show you guys this limited edition. I'm by no means a photographer. I just took some pictures with my phone.
  15. Hey! I'm new to posting on FPN but have been reading for a while. I wanted to ask for recommendations of my next pen. I started out with the varsity and preppy and since have expanded my collection. I have the following pens: Platinum 3776 14kPlatinum BalancePlatinum PlaisirPilot MetroTWSBI Eco (lost this )Wing-Sung 3008Wing Sung 6359Monteverde MonzaJinhao Shark I was considering buying the following pens but have not heard as much about them. Diplomat MagnumSailor LecoulePilot e95sFaber Castell Loom I wanted to add that though I have a lot of Platinum pens, I don't really enjoy the writing experience. I like the pilot though it's a bit dry. The pen i've enjoyed the most is maybe the TWSBI. Also, I have smaller hands and typically like lighter pens. Any advice on what to buy next?
  16. sdbruder

    New Twsbi Eco-T

    From facebook and Instagram: (https://www.facebook.com/TWSBI/photos/a.211267958915326.48144.117058861669570/1715668108475296/?type=3&theater) "TWSBI ECO-T BLUE will be coming Nov. 27th. It has a more pronounced grip area to help with learning correct writing posture for kids, new enthusiasts, and anyone who likes a little bit more structure to the grip area. Cap and end cap also has a rotary triangular shape. #twsbi #twsbiart #ecot #twsbiecot #fountainpen #fountainpens" A triangular grip Lamy-inspired TWSBI ECO ?
  17. MsTeacher

    An Inky Problem

    Hello inky friends! I have a trusty TWSBI (?eco) piston refill pen and it is wonderful. I use diamine ink, which is lovely. However, now the little bottle is getting lower and lower, I can't get the pen in low enough to suck up the ink. I feel like there must be an obvious solution, and it probably isn't what I tried (tipping the bottle, dropping the bottle, mopping up ink). Feeling rather foolish, and the worst thing is that I have no ink in my pen!!
  18. uemuraw

    Twsbi Diamond 580Al Colors

    Through Pendleton Brown's Butter Line Stub~Italic nibs, I was introduced to the notion that TWSBI issues different colors now and again for this model. I seem to be accumulating them. These are really nifty pens! I've exhausted my capability for sleuthing out the various colors before I have to return to the real world. I am aware that blue is relatively recent, but all I know is that I ordered one from Pendleton on Fountain Pen Day 2015. I am aware of these colors: - Silver - Purple - Blue - Orange (which I appear to have missed) Are there other colors I've missed in the Diamond 580AL line? Any knowledge of when they were issued?
  19. tvradio

    Eco-T's Triangular Grip

    I'm a lefty with an oddly angled grip, where the nib ends up aimed almost at my right shoulder when I write. With the placement and angle I hold my pens Lamy triangular grips just don't work for me. However the Pilot Kakuno does, because the nib unit can be rotated (unlike the Lamy). So: is the nib unit in the Eco-T set in place in relation to the section, or like the Kakuno can it be rotated (slightly) to accommodate my weirdo writing style?
  20. Twsbi eco or Lamy Al-star. Which one should I get...and I don't care that one is a piston filler and the other c/c. I just want the better built one, and the wetter one.
  21. I want to dip my toes into the TWSBI world but am really not sure what pen would be best for me. My current stable of pens comprises a mix of current and vintage pens: -Lamy Safari, Al-Star -Parker Vector -Duke 902 Fude -Kaweco Sport Classic and AL -Sheaffer Triumph 550 -Sheaffer Targa Lacques -Parker Vacumatic Debutante with flex nib What am really looking for, is to have a pen with a filling system other than cartridge and the looks of a demonstrator eyedropper -hence TWSBIs seem to fit the bill almost perfectly. I use my pens for two specific purposes; writing and doing calligraphy/ lettering with them. With this in mind, I was thinking of a transparent Eco, due to price and looks, but I understand that its nib is not as easy to swap as that of a Vac. Yet I'm not entirely sure that I want to spend $70 on the first plunge. What do you all guys recommend?
  22. Inferno2Inferno

    Twsbi Vac Mini - Smoke Leak/crack?

    So I recently purchased a TWSBI Vac Mini in Smoke from my local fountain pen store. I must say the filling mechanism is super cool and it writes really well, however, I am having an issue with it and I am seeking FPN community input. Today when I was writing, I noticed some ink drops on my thumb and the side of my middle finger where the grip section/cap threads would normally rest on my hand. My immediate thought was that there was a crack in the pen and that it was leaking onto my fingers. However, when I ran that section of the pen across some paper, there was no ink left behind nor was there any additional ink drip after more writing. I inspected the grip and cap threads with a flashlight and a laser pointer to see if there were any cracks and failed to see anything (in a way this was perhaps unsurprising as I never dropped the pen before). This left me thinking, could it just be ink trickle from being bounced around in my knapsack, or is there actually a crack in the pen I should look to get repaired? Has anyone else experienced something similar before? Thanks for any input!
  23. All, I'm in a dilemma with my current TWSBI pen. Bottom line: I have a Vac Mini which I enjoy but am wondering if I would appreciate a 580 more. I love the design of most of TWSBI's pens (Precision notwithstanding...) and I like having a demonstrator with swappable nib units (though I have yet to buy an extra). As for the Vac Mini itself, I do enjoy the novelty of the plunger/vacuum filling system though it's not a selling point to me, and the nib writes very well. But...my Vac mini has been very "fiddly" which I don't love: the plunger knob keeps coming off when I unscrew it despite my best efforts and help from Philip Wang on how to reattach. I had to order new barrel O-rings because one just fell off, so it doesn't post well at the moment, and it's a PITA to clean. I bought it as a "travel pen" and the one time I flew with it, I had ink leak significantly despite a full fill, ink chamber sealed, and storing it nib-up (thankfully it was in a Ziploc bag). Finally, it's reasonably comfortable to write with posted (I have relatively small hands), I don't find myself reaching for it because of the effort to post/unpost constantly when writing, and the section is a bit narrow. Do any of you own both a 580 and a Vac Mini? If so let me know if you think I'd enjoy the 580 more over the Vac based on my issues with it -- I've made a decision to self-limit my pen collection so this would be a "swap" -- I'd likely sell or trade the Vac Mini to any interested and buy a 580. I don't like the look of the Vac 700 but am reconsidering it as well. ~AK
  24. Aditkamath26

    Twsbi Eco Dripping Ink!

    Hi guys, There is a problem with my TWSBI Eco of dripping ink from the feed. While I had emailed TWSBI they said to wipe the feed after filling the pen and that seemed to have solved the issue, but only for a while. What happens is when I write for a long time, ink rushes into the feed making it very saturated and it starts to drip. Is there any solution for this? It may be the heat from my hand and I live in UAE (it is summer here) but I have my ACs on. Can anyone help me? Regards, Adit
  25. kittywonghf

    Twsbi Vac Mini Review (Ef)

    I bought my TWSBI vac mini a couple of weeks ago, and since I haven't been able to find many reviews of the pen here, I figured I might give my two cents and see what happens http://www.stilografica.it/writable/Penne/TWSBI/TWSBI%20VAC%20mini%20-%20Fountain%20Pen%20-%20Penna%20Stilografica.jpg Packaging: 8/10 The Vac Mini comes in a clear plastic box and is held by two shaped plastic pieces which slots in and holds the pen in place. This makes for a very nice display case even when the pen is put away, however the two pieces that come off are a little troublesome as they are loose and will move about in the box when not affixed. Underneath the white plastic, TWSBI also offers the wrench to open the pen for cleaning, a small vial of silicone grease (which is a bit stubborn in terms of squeezing liquid out), and two spare O-rings, which is really nice. The plastic box is contained within a cardboard box when it first comes and is heavily padded out with foam pieces, so rest assured your pen is well protected during delivery Design: 7/10 I personally think that the TWSBI vac mini is a beautiful, portable demonstrator. The grip, body, and cap are all pretty much translucent resin save for the cap bands, the clip, and accents, and is made of a very nice clear resin. With a lighter ink in the barrel (or perhaps one that clings to the side adequately), the pen becomes beautifully highlighted. Mine is currently inked with Pelikan Edelstein Topaz. The top of the pen is embossed with the red twsbi logo, and a matte "TWSBI" and "vac mini" is laser engraved onto the chrome metal cap band. The pen is opened via twisting the cap, and also posts by twisting. This may be a downside for some people, but I personally do not mind as this ensures the cap is very secure. The threads are not too sharp for the hand either down in the grip section. As this is a vacuumatic filler, the back of the pen will have to be unscrewed during long writing sessions so as to allow ink to flow from the barrel to the nib unit, otherwise this creates a double reservoir. Once again, this might be a disadvantage to some people out of convenience's sake, but as someone who travels on planes at least twice a year (I study abroad), I think this is a handy feature to prevent leaks and such. The vacuum filler works perfectly if you also have the TWSBI Vac 20A Inkwell, giving a full fill in one or two plunges. If you fill it normally, you'll probably be able to get 3/4 of the ink capacity if you do it a couple times. I do not really mind this as the pen has a huge ink capacity (A whopping 2ml, in a pen this size, is a win!) -- plus some space for in demonstrator pens for ink to slosh around in makes it even more of an eye candy. The only qualm I have regarding the design is really the fiddly re-assembly after you took it apart to clean (which by the way is nearly impossible without full disassembly). Although TWSBI gives you all the tools to do so, the process isn't as straight forward as it can be. Because the threads are double-threaded, many components can fit on multiple ways and if you don't do it right, the clip will not align with the nib. With the vac mini, the cap posts in such a way that the clip will face either one of two directions, both 180 degrees opposite. Ideally, this would be in line with the nib, or directly in line with the feed. However, if you don't assemble the pen carefully, the clip will face a quarter turn away from the nib, or an eighth away, etc. and it really got on my nerves the first time I tried to reassemble it. This arduous process really discourages changing inks in the pen, which I think really takes away some points. Construction & Quality: 9/10 The TWSBI vac mini feels like a solid pen in the hand, and it is. The resin looks very clear and of high quality, metal accents are well polished. In the hand it feels just about right for a pen in the £50-60 price range. The threads are smooth and all the components are put together well. The clip wiggles left and right just a little bit, I wish they could have secured it better. As I said the only thing about this pen is that I'd probably just leave it be most of the time and avoid taking it apart. It is really quite a process, often requiring multiple times of taking it apart again and again just to realign the cap and the nib. Also be aware of displacing any O-rings / losing silicone grease in the grip, as this can easily lead to ink leaking into the grip section (nightmare for anyone with OCD! Weight & Dimensions: 8/10 The vac mini was designed to be a portable pen, which makes it quite significantly smaller than most other fountain pens, although it is a little bigger than its close cousin the diamond mini -- and quite honestly, this makes all the difference in the world. For me personally, the vac mini is just the right size that, if I needed a quick note, I could use the pen quite comfortably without posting (whereas the diamond mini is a smidgen too small for that), although I can still see this being a problem for people with bigger hands. Posted, the pen becomes a very very good length for most people, and is extremely well balanced. I am very impressed with how they designed this pen! *For reference, I have somewhat big hands for a female! Here's a comparison to my other pens: (Lamy 2000, TWSBI vac mini, Lamy Al-Star, Parker IM Premium) http://i.imgur.com/nWxXJlb.jpg Nib & Performance: 10/10 2 words: Simply brilliant. The EF nib is a true western EF, made by the German company Jowo... and BOY is it smooth. I would argue that it's even smoother than the established Lamy EF. It's quite a stiff steel nib and doesn't give a whole lot when pressure is applied, I would say it's harder than the Lamy nibs. I love it. It's an absolute joy to write with, I could only imagine how a medium or broad nib would write. The vac mini is also quite a wet writer -- not a gusher, just about the right amount of wetness to show off some amazing shading for an EF nib. It also reverse writes to a degree, but it's quite scratchy. The nib units can of course be swapped out easily, and the nib and feed can be easily removed during cleaning with a tug. Be careful when putting it back together to line it up with the grip section (little ridges) and push it all the way in, otherwise ink blobs will start forming and it's a pain to push it back whilst the pen is inked. Cost & Value: 10/10 For the price, I think this pen is completely worth it. It looks great, is portable, reliable, and is a great writer sized perfectly for the job. It's a workhorse pen that looks damn good, and the vac filler is just so much fun! For the features this pen scores, I think it is well worth the price tag. Conclusion: An extremely solid pen that is both functional and beautiful. Perfectly designed for travel (double reservoir with large ink capacity), writes very very well, and well built. The disadvantage is the lack of quick draw / quick posting, and of course the cleaning / disassembly being quite possibly the biggest hassle ever in order to line the cap up with the nib... But at the end of the day, I genuinely think the performance this pen gives is worth it. Just as long as you keep it inked with the same ink and keep with simple flushing most of the time.





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