Stuck Between A Twsbi 580 And A Lamy Al Star

[Blue_Moon]

 

I guess I'll go with the Al Star. I don't want to risk a defective pen or just something that could break often.

 

Good choice! I've got both, and I think you're making the right decision. You don't hear of so many pens, of a certain brand, cracking so frequently (I know, you TWSBI lovers, yours didn't break. I didn't say they all do).

 

Also, if you haven't gotten it yet, you may also want to consider the Lamy Vista. The Safari, Al-Star, and Vista are essentially the same pen. The Safari is plastic; Al-Star is metal. The Vista also plastic, is a demonstrator and looks very cool.

[esteboune]

TWSBI from my point of view.

piston, ink capacity, nib, design, are better in the TWSBI

 

moreover my grip does not fit on the lamy safari and Al Star.

[Koshy]

I have both the pens. Both are excellent pens. It is a difficult choice to make. I suggest you hold both pens in your hand and try them both. Persoanlly, I prefer the TWSBI!

[SignalboxCat]

Personally I'd go for the Al-Star, because it's bomb-proof. Had too many cracked TWSBIs and also a couple needing nib adjustment, whereas everything that I have from the Safari/Al-Star stable was spot on out the box. Also can easily hot-swap between nibs on the Safari/Al-Star and the nibs as cheap as chips, so if you want a nice smooth nib or the occasional change of nib it's very easy.

 

'Cat

[Blue_Moon]

So, have you gotten your Al-Star yet?

[Legal Eagle]

Honestly I've owned some crazy nice pens over the years(multiple Nakaya's, Montblanc's, Namiki, Pelikan, Waterman, etc.) and find TWSBI's to be the best value out there. Lamy is one of the few brands I haven't owned so I can't speak from experience about them. I really like the fact that TWSBI's are user serviceable, so if something does go wrong or you get a bad nib(which happens with ALL brands from ALL price ranges) you can easily and cheaply swap parts out.

[Bisquitlips]

I change inks often so having a massive ink reservoir is not necessarily a desirable feature. It may be easy to remove ink from the 580, but trying to remember what ink I was using and which bottle it goes back into can be a challenge.

 

I vote the Lamy Al-Star as I also like the triangular section grip, the inexpensive nibs (about $10.00), and the overall weight and feel of the pen.

 

I remember when I picked up and wrote with my Al-Star 1.1 italic for the first time. I still recall the experience. Just auspiciously good stuff on every count!

[Mr. Dante]

Don't have a TWSBI, but have owned an Al-Star M nib for about 10 years. Left it in my pen case for a few years while inked (bad), with Pelikan Blue Black I think (very bad). When I rediscovered the pen, after about a week of soaking the section in plain water, I realized that the old ink had solidified, and was taking too long to dissolve. I gave it an overnight soak in diluted windex, followed by repeated flushing with plain water. Most people recommend against using windex for FPs, but it worked with no ill effects, although I wouldn't try it with my other pens. I have since purchased a 1.1 stub and really like it. Nib change is quick and easy. I now keep the Al-Star inked most of the time with the 1.1 stub.

 

The other good thing about the Al-Star is that you can get a matching RB, BP and/or MP, which I don't think you can with TWSBI. With the RB, you can use a less expensive Pilot G-2 refill with a spacer. As for the BP, Monteverde makes an inexpensive refill.

Edited April 12, 2015 by Mr. Dante