About To Order My First Twsbi, Which Model Do You Recommend Most?

[gammada]

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?

 

[almoore]

Hi

I have the Eco, 580 and the Vac 700R and of all of them I keep using the 700R, I liked it so much I have three of them and have retired my other TWSBI's.

 

The thing to consider is size, the 700R is a bulky pen compared to its siblings so if you prefer slimmer pens I would say look at the others. The Eco has two versions one has a round nib section the other is shaped in a similar way to a Lamy.

 

Al

[Erik Dalton]

Hi

I have the Eco, 580 and the Vac 700R and of all of them I keep using the 700R, I liked it so much I have three of them and have retired my other TWSBI's.

 

The thing to consider is size, the 700R is a bulky pen compared to its siblings so if you prefer slimmer pens I would say look at the others. The Eco has two versions one has a round nib section the other is shaped in a similar way to a Lamy.

 

Al

What Almoore says is true for me as well. I have all of the TWISBI line but seem to keep going back to my Ecos. I have one with a standard medium and one with a 1.1mm stub. The echo is lightweight medium sized, hold a ton of ink, writes first time,every time. Plus it’s very inexpensive, and feels good in your hand.

Start with the Eco I don’t think you will be disappointed.

[akrohn2010]

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?

 

+1 for the Eco.

 

I have tried the Eco and Vac Mini. Of the two I would also recommend the Eco based on what youre looking for. The price is right and its probably the only pen I regret selling or passing on.

 

And as for the nibs - friction fit, so you can (carefully) pull the feed and nib out to swap. Nothing to it, so dont let that stop you. However for the low price of the Eco it might be worth just buying two vs. a spare nib!

Edited May 26, 2018 by flyingpenman

[Driften]

I have eco, 580, and 700r. I would say start with the eco. I would not worry about swapping nibs for the price of a replacement nib for the others you can have a second eco. If you were thinking about non-twsbi nibs for swaps search here for what is comparable. It's not a lot of nibs that are on the Eco and 580. The 700r uses standard #6 nibs which are easy to swap, but it is a bigger pen then the others. You might not care for a pen that big.

[AmandaW]

+1 on the Eco.

 

I have a 580AL Rose (which I like very much), but six Eco: one of each colour released (all EF) and two in clear (an EF and a 1.1). The price is good, yes, but they are also reliable pens. I live in a hot, dry climate so my biggest problem is pens that evaporate ink, the TWSBI never do that so I can continue to collect, load them up with inks to match and know they'll work no matter how long between uses.

[goodpens]

+1 for the Eco.

 

I have the TWSBI Mini (EF) and the Eco (broad). For the price and quality, the Eco is really great. Since you're leaning that way, anyway, go for it. You'll enjoy it!

Edited May 26, 2018 by goodpens

[Eitan]

If you like the size and feel of the Al Sport by Kaweco, the mini is a great alternative pocket pen. The 1.1 stub is a beaut.

[Torrilin]

I don’t post my ecos and 580. They are heavier than my Kaweco Sport, but they feel similarly good in my hand. I don’t have a vac, and I don’t have any mini models. The only complaint I have about my TWSBI pens is the tendency of the caps to unscrew themselves.

 

I do post my Safaris, but the triangle grip section can be annoying, and all 3 of my Safari bodies are FAR more prone to the nib drying out than the TWSBI and Kaweco.

 

The 1.1mm italic/stub nib on my eco is a bit iffy on hairlines. Not hideous, but I’d definitely prefer a touch crisper. Too easy for it to look blobby and sad. It’s probably a great starter italic, but if you’re fussy about hairlines you might prefer a different nib. The two xf nibs I have are extremely close in size, and they vary more based on ink than anything else. If you like a fine line and aren’t addicted to Platinum and Pilot xf nibs you’ll probably love them. I haven’t tried any other sizes, just my two favorite.

[EBUCKTHORN]

I have an ECO, a Vac-Mini and three Mini's. I carry any one of the Minis almost daily because I prefer that size. Except for a minor problem or two they're excellent for my purposes.

[Powree]

Maybe get the Eco T, since they have a better pronounced section grip. I have an Eco and I have trouble gripping it for long because of oily fingers. Lamy on the other hand never gave such problem, very secure grip. I still use my Eco, just that once in a while I have to wipe the oils of the section.

Vac Mini may give you trouble with ink flow. I sometimes had to fiddle for a bit to get the ink going. and when I accidentally pulled the pump too far, there's very little way to prevent ink burst when I try to get the pump back to its secure position. It is very secure for flight travel though.

 

The best thing of owning a TWSBI is that you could buy a mod JOWO #5 or #6 nib from fpnibs (or any other place that provides the service). I bought a custom JOWO PO nib and it's a great alternative to Pilot PO Nib!

Edited May 28, 2018 by Powree

[gammada]

Thank you all for sharing your great knowledge and advice. I will definitely go for an Eco, maybe even two. I'm thinking of getting me a fine and a stub nib.

 

You all really rock!

[akrohn2010]

Enjoy! I loved my EF Eco - very smooth - and have heard nothing but good things about the stubs. Just so you are aware, some have reported that the Eco and Mini stubs run a tad thinner than the 1.1 advertised, closer to a 0.9.

[gammada]

Enjoy! I loved my EF Eco - very smooth - and have heard nothing but good things about the stubs. Just so you are aware, some have reported that the Eco and Mini stubs run a tad thinner than the 1.1 advertised, closer to a 0.9.

Thank you for pointing this out. Are there any other stub offerings, like 1.5 or 1.9?

[Jamerelbe]

Thank you for pointing this out. Are there any other stub offerings, like 1.5 or 1.9?

 

TWSBI used to offer a 1.5mm stub nib (at least for their Diamond 580 range), but haven't done so for quite some time. My experience with the Diamond Mini pens is that they tend to write a bit dryer - which (perhaps) explains why the stub nibs lay down a narrower line. The Eco generally (in my experience) lays down a wetter line - so I expect the 1.1mm stub will be quite adequate!

[Torrilin]

My pilot plumix nib is the finest italic I have. Claims 1.0mm, havent measured the line but its fine enough for about a 6mm x height. Good hairlines for how narrow it is.

 

The eco 1.1 seems about on par with my Lamy 1.1. Less crisp, but both nibs can handle a 7mm x height. I dont have a Kaweco 1.1mm, and I havent seen any reviews comparing it with competitors. But Id guess its in this range. Sheaffer fine italics both the old no nonsense and the new viewpoints are in this range.

 

Ive got a kaweco 1.5mm. Havent done a comparison with the Lamy 1.5 yet. They feel pretty similar and are a good size down to maybe an 8mm x height tho thats a bit tricky. 9 or 10 is easier. The Sheaffer medium italics are around this point.

 

Ive only got a Lamy 1.9mm. The feed isnt quite up to it mostly, and it takes a fairly large x height. I havent measured exactly but Id guess more than 10mm. I do most of my drill on ruled paper but I am pretty flexible about the leading I use so I can use standard stuff and not screw around with drawing guidelines. Lazy equals more practice time. Pilots 2.3mm parallel nib has inferior hairlines but superior ink flow and Im positive it writes narrower than the marked width. Id put it in this size category.

 

If you want to do any flavor of formal italic, Id avoid the TWSBI nibs or get a nibmeister to crisp it up for you. But for drawing or regular writing and for basic drill its fine. Assuming you can handle a broader line anyway.

 

I havent used any pen that takes a jowo 1.5 or broader nib. And I havent seen any comparisons of the inexpensive italics with music nibs. But my rough vibe is if you want broader in jowo definitely think about a pen with a #6 nib before trying to hack your #5 pen to take a broader italic nib.

[Iani]

I have Eco, 580, 580 mini, vac700 mini and Precision.

My most used model is the 580 mini, followed by the 580 al. But I love them all honestly. The medium and fine nibs are my favorite, I'm not a fan of the stubs, the ones I tried were way too wet for my taste.

Edited June 1, 2018 by Iani

[gammada]

 

TWSBI used to offer a 1.5mm stub nib (at least for their Diamond 580 range), but haven't done so for quite some time. My experience with the Diamond Mini pens is that they tend to write a bit dryer - which (perhaps) explains why the stub nibs lay down a narrower line. The Eco generally (in my experience) lays down a wetter line - so I expect the 1.1mm stub will be quite adequate!

 

 

Will order the stub and F nib then. Just about to place the order!

[gammada]

My pilot plumix nib is the finest italic I have. Claims 1.0mm, havent measured the line but its fine enough for about a 6mm x height. Good hairlines for how narrow it is.

 

The eco 1.1 seems about on par with my Lamy 1.1. Less crisp, but both nibs can handle a 7mm x height. I dont have a Kaweco 1.1mm, and I havent seen any reviews comparing it with competitors. But Id guess its in this range. Sheaffer fine italics both the old no nonsense and the new viewpoints are in this range.

 

Ive got a kaweco 1.5mm. Havent done a comparison with the Lamy 1.5 yet. They feel pretty similar and are a good size down to maybe an 8mm x height tho thats a bit tricky. 9 or 10 is easier. The Sheaffer medium italics are around this point.

 

Ive only got a Lamy 1.9mm. The feed isnt quite up to it mostly, and it takes a fairly large x height. I havent measured exactly but Id guess more than 10mm. I do most of my drill on ruled paper but I am pretty flexible about the leading I use so I can use standard stuff and not screw around with drawing guidelines. Lazy equals more practice time. Pilots 2.3mm parallel nib has inferior hairlines but superior ink flow and Im positive it writes narrower than the marked width. Id put it in this size category.

 

If you want to do any flavor of formal italic, Id avoid the TWSBI nibs or get a nibmeister to crisp it up for you. But for drawing or regular writing and for basic drill its fine. Assuming you can handle a broader line anyway.

 

I havent used any pen that takes a jowo 1.5 or broader nib. And I havent seen any comparisons of the inexpensive italics with music nibs. But my rough vibe is if you want broader in jowo definitely think about a pen with a #6 nib before trying to hack your #5 pen to take a broader italic nib.

 

Are you a professional calligrapher? You seem to be very knowledgeable on this matters.

 

My experience with stub nibs has been limited to a Lamy 1.5mm stub that I grind down to about 1.1. Since am a lefty, I have to rotate the pen while writing to obtain the best line variation but the grip is kinda limiting, since I get to hold it a little skewed. My guess is that I will have more fun with the TWSBI, save for that dryness everyone points about. Can it be hacked into having a better flow?

[gammada]

I have Eco, 580, 580 mini, vac700 mini and Precision.

My most used model is the 580 mini, followed by the 580 al. But I love them all honestly. The medium and fine nibs are my favorite, I'm not a fan of the stubs, the ones I tried were way too wet for my taste.

Is the 580 Mini still on sale?