Twsbi Eco Or Lamy Al-Star

[Waltz For Zizi]

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.

Edited June 7, 2018 by Waltz For Zizi

[benbot517]

My personal preference is the Eco. I have both, and the Eco makes it into rotation despite more expensive pens being around. It's a solid pen at any price that I thoroughly enjoy.

Edited June 7, 2018 by benbot517

[james3paris]

This site has many reviews on these pens. My preference is piston, but I don't own either one.

 

 

https://www.gouletpens.com/collections/twsbi-eco-fountain-pens

 

https://www.gouletpens.com/collections/lamy-al-star-fountain-pens

[akrohn2010]

My Safari (same nib as Al-Star) wrote on the dry side, and my Eco was quite wet. Both seemed of decent, but not superb build quality. I never liked the Safari; the grip was fine but I just didn't like the clunky, school-pen design or how it wrote. The Eco, on the other hand, I held on to for a long time. I sold it at a low price to a new pen user when I reduced my collection, and slightly regret it. Great little pen for $30.

[countrydirt]

I have 1 of each. I think I like the Eco a bit better. It seems that my hand likes the Eco grip more and I like the XF nib mine has. I've had my Al-star for quite a few years and it is a solid and dependable writer. I do like the increased ink capacity of the Eco but there is something to be said for having less capacity and being able to change ink colors more often.

[raggs]

I much prefer my eco to my Al-Star or Safari. The triangular grip on the Lamy is comfortable only for short periods for me; for longer writing it just doesn't work. I also feel like the eco writes much wetter, and i love that.

[southpaw]

ECO-T for me (have regular ECO too) for the thicker section.

The filling system does matter.

Had an Al-Star that eventually sat unused.

I have several safaris.

My ECO-T is inked right now. Fits me better. Suits me better.

 

As to which is wetter, that will vary from nib to nib with both companies in my experience with both of them.

[Dont_Flexme]

I'm late to the Eco and enjoyed the All-Star a lot. Having said that I have one All-Star and two Ecos (a medium and 1.1 nib). I've had no problem with the Ecos and would recommend them over the All-Star to anyone who wants to choose just one.

[DrDebG]

The Lamy Al-Star all the way! While I do love TWSBIs, they are "finicky" in dry climates - at least all of mine were. I ended up giving them away to my daughter. I've had several Lamy Al-Star and have never had a problem with them. I love that I can easily interchange nibs. I like the black ones - they seem smoother to me. And I love the 1.1 stub in black. I have one on my Lamy Pacific and it looks really awesome. Even though the Eco is a piston filler, I find that I want to change colors fairly frequently. So for me, converters work well.

[Runnin_Ute]

Both. Ultimately that is what I did.

I bought the Al Star first. Probably 15 years or so before the Eco. Both have the 1.1 mm nib. Currently only the Eco is inked, but I often only have one or the other inked.

[Eitan]

Eco fo shiz. ESP with a 1.1.

[Pichak]

+1 for the ECO.

[tinto]

I like Al-Star better. Choose which one first, since you will get both.

 

My preference for the Lamy is because the interchangeable nibs, mostly.

[dragondazd]

Well my Eco arrives this week so I can try it out.

 

I don't often use the Al-Stars. I picked up a few of the colors but I don't want to scratch them.

[ErrantSmudge]

Both. I have both and I appreciate each for their own qualities. If you have to choose just one, you can't go wrong either way.

Edited June 11, 2018 by ErrantSmudge

[ac12]

I have both and like both.

But I carry the Eco . . . just because I can see the Noodler's Gruene Cactus ink inside.

 

Actually, I prefer the Lamy joy even better, because the taper balances the pen well. But at the same time, the tapper makes is NOT a practical carry pen, unless you carry it in a bag.

Edited June 16, 2018 by ac12

[max dog]

ECO offers the most value. My ECO 1.1 writes wetter than my Safari 1.1. Hopefully the ECO wont crack.

[Driften]

As owning both, the Eco is a better pen and will not dry out as easy.

[Almu]

I much prefer Lamy Al-Star. Much steadier ink flow (all my Ecos go from wet to really dry quickly) and nibs can be easily swapped.

 

I do like the threaded cap on the Eco though. Other than that, I don't really like them.

[Honeybadgers]

Lamy's al star is a great feeling pen in the hand with one of the most underwhelming nibs on the market today. Lamy really, REALLY needs to up their game with the finish quality on the Z50 nib. I like my charged green al-star, but I have a dozen lamy nibs and all of the EF/F nibs are just terrible with drastically different line widths.

 

the TWSBI eco also just feels a little cheap.

 

My recommendation is to spend a tiny bit more ($40) and get a Faber Castell Loom.