Jump to content

Twsbi Go Review (Brief)


essayfaire

Recommended Posts

I recently have become very interested in the different filling mechanisms used in fountain pens. As a result, when the TWSBI Go was introduced with a spring-loaded piston mechanism at a reasonable (under US$20) price, I decided to order my first TWSBI.

 

The Go is made of solid-feeling plastic. I like that everything on it feels nice and tight. The pen is a bit short, and I find the width a bit wide for the length of pen. It doesn't really seem to be intended for use posted, which is how I usually write (unless the pen is Capless).

 

This is a demonstrator pen, so everything is on display from the spring that is responsible for drawing the ink to the large ink reservoir (making it easy to see what color is inside). it feels much more substantial in the hand then similar clear plastic pens.

 

I purchased an F nib, which seems to be appropriately labeled. Not particularly smooth, but not scratchy either. I also like that the pen is tapered towards the nib; it makes the width of the pen more suitable (at least for my hand).

 

Pros: LARGE ink reservoir, interesting and fun filling mechanism, price, seems pretty leak-proof

 

Cons: A bit inelegant, a bit wide, the nib is just adequate

 

Bottom Line: Though I like the filling mechanism and ink capacity of this pen, I don't expect to use it often. I did fall in love with the new ink I opened at the same time, however!

 

 

post-136377-0-17538200-1562195923_thumb.jpg

post-136377-0-12062600-1562195943_thumb.jpg

Festina lente

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 8
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • essayfaire

    3

  • Honeybadgers

    2

  • pararis

    1

  • almoore

    1

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

I have several TWSBI Eco model pens. They're all adequate in every way.

 

I have several TWSBI 580 pens. They're all very good in every way.

 

I ordered a GO. It did not write properly, skipping, poor ink flow. I sent it back to TWSBI.

 

TWSBI returned the GO to me saying it was fine. It still did not write properly, skipped and ink would not flow.

 

I threw the GO in the trash, where it belongs.

 

I can buy a Pilot Varsity for well under $5, and it will write reliably and well. No excuse for the GO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had one a while and I like it; I particularly liked the fact that it is the easiest pen to flush I own - clean in seconds :)

 

Al

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have several TWSBI Eco model pens. They're all adequate in every way.

 

I have several TWSBI 580 pens. They're all very good in every way.

 

I ordered a GO. It did not write properly, skipping, poor ink flow. I sent it back to TWSBI.

 

TWSBI returned the GO to me saying it was fine. It still did not write properly, skipped and ink would not flow.

 

I threw the GO in the trash, where it belongs.

 

I can buy a Pilot Varsity for well under $5, and it will write reliably and well. No excuse for the GO.

 

 

It's the exact same nib as the Eco.

 

You just got one of the rare duds.

 

Sucks that their customer service let you down though.

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have several TWSBI Eco model pens. They're all adequate in every way.

 

 

 

 

I can buy a Pilot Varsity for well under $5, and it will write reliably and well. No excuse for the GO.

I feel that adequate is an apt description for my Go. I have not had skipping issues with the nib; it just isn't anything special.

 

As for the Varsity, I give them away to people who seem to take an interest when they see me using an FP. The GO does feel more solid than the Varsity, but is shorter and stubbier, which could be good or bad depending on one's preferences. I do prefer the Pilot nibs.

Festina lente

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really, really like the EF in my Go and the stub in my eco. The only other nib I've used is broad in the 700R. I can definitely see how the F and M could be seen as underwhelming. I only start to see that feedback I really like in the EF.

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Update: This pen has been growing on me. The ink reservoir has just now run dry: this is the longest I've ever gone without having to refill a reservoir. The slight chubbiness of the pen has not caused me hand or wrist issues. I have used this as an EDC for signing into offices, etc. and have had numerous people ask about it because they were all intrigued. I wrote down the name of the pen for them, the name of some merchants, and handed each of them a Pilot Varsity so they could have a fountain pen to try. I have been able to successfully write on lousy paper with this.

 

I'm sure it hasn't hurt that I've fallen in love with the ink I had filled the Go with, Diamine's Cherry Sunburst from the Guitar line.

Edited by essayfaire

Festina lente

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe I'm lucky, but I've liked mine since the beginning. The 1.1 stub works well enough. The main drawback is the cap - its plastic is very thin and I'm afraid it will crack. It hasn't yet, though.

I'm glad it has grown on you. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the brand, but I think they've played an important role in making piston fillers more affordable and desirable, especially to a younger crowd, ever since the 530. This economy model with the spring-loaded piston is rather cool. But it's the kind of design that you either love or absolutely hate. I love the fact they are trying stuff, instead of just copying existing models from other brands.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 years later...
On 7/4/2019 at 9:50 AM, pararis said:

I threw the GO in the trash, where it belongs.

 

 

I can't echo this any more. It is 2024 (almost) and I would have expected TWSBI to enhance the GO Experience. 

I have just bought 3 x TWSBI GO with Fine Nib and they are a disaster. No where near the ECO pens though purported to have the same nibs (and it appears to be so). 

The nibs on GO are rough with misaligned feeds, scratchy writing (most probably tipping) and horrible feedback. I have been using the ECO fine and the experience is totally opposite. 

 

The seller i purchased from, are very well renowned UK Sellers and I am not sure if they do a quality check. I assume not, since these pens are bought in forward as boxed packed relying totally on manufacturer's quality check. I have written to the seller, but the postage cost of returning the pens, and the import duty I have already paid will cost the replacement ones more than ECOs. 

 

TWSBI GO really belong in Trash. Horrible Purchase...!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...