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On 8/26/2021 at 3:52 PM, stephanos said:

Like many others on this thread, I like my Swipe and am glad that I bought it.

The writing experience is fine, the grip-section is comfortable and although the spring-in-converter converter doesn't fill up all the way, it still holds plenty of ink. It is decent value

 

BUT, buyers based in Europe should manage expectations. Your money buys you less than it would in the US.

In the US, you get a fountain pen, a spring converter, a piston converter and an ink cartridge. These items are all listed on the packaging sold in the US.

In Europe, you get a fountain pen, a spring converter and an ink cartridge. Only these items are listed on the packaging sold in Europe. The packaging is otherwise identical to that sold in the US (as shown in the Inky Rocks review). No piston converter is included.

 

This isn't a deal-breaker, but it annoys me for two reasons.

First, information flows are international, as TWSBI well knows. Why should I get less while paying more? A Swipe costs Eur.25, which is US$29-US$30, depending on the current exchange. If I'm going to be paying more anyway, I should at least get the same kit. I don't understand the point of printing two sets of packaging.

Second, if I was going to get only one of the two converters, I would far rather have had the piston converter, not least because the spring converter can leak a bit out of the back (see also the Inky Rocks review on this).

 

I live in Switzerland and bought my Swipe directly from the TWSBI.com site, and I got the full kit (2 converters, spring, cartridge). I suppose the European version is if you don't buy directly from them? 🤷‍♂️

Rev. Gina

Yeah, I'm a pastor, but I like Fountain Pens, so I must be cool, right?

Writer, Pastor, Priest, Geek

revginapond.net

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RevGina: Did you get hammered for Customs charges on top of shipping? US-Europe shipping is awful. It usually amounts to more than the value of the item.

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4 hours ago, Dip n Scratch said:

RevGina: Did you get hammered for Customs charges on top of shipping? US-Europe shipping is awful. It usually amounts to more than the value of the item.

 

No, but I usually use the FedEx expedited shipping, and I think that usually covers VAT. Also, Switzerland isn't part of the EU, so there might be some differences for me than other folks in Europe. 

Rev. Gina

Yeah, I'm a pastor, but I like Fountain Pens, so I must be cool, right?

Writer, Pastor, Priest, Geek

revginapond.net

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I got my fingers burnt by Customs in the UK for a handful of #6 nibs from Fountain Pen Revolution. It just makes me think twice about ordering anything from the US.

 

I bought two TWSBI Go! Expecting the nibs to be a bit on the broad side I first had a Fine, then got a Medium after all.

Any UK FPN member wants the Fine nib version send me a Private Message.

 

With the piston fill converter: Do you find you need to expel a drop or two of ink to avoid a little flood? This is only after filling, not any other time.

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I just pulled the trigger for a Swipe from TWSBI.com.

I had looked at other TWSBI models but the section dimensions discouraged me. The Writing Desk in the UK gives dimensions, which is very useful.

Otherwise it's like buying shoes without knowing the size & width fitting.

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30 minutes ago, Dip n Scratch said:

I got my fingers burnt by Customs in the UK for a handful of #6 nibs from Fountain Pen Revolution. It just makes me think twice about ordering anything from the US.

 

 

Oh, yeah, I get that. It's hit or miss for me, depending on the shipping method. 

 

Re: piston converter: I've only used it a couple of times, but didn't have to expel any ink. 

Rev. Gina

Yeah, I'm a pastor, but I like Fountain Pens, so I must be cool, right?

Writer, Pastor, Priest, Geek

revginapond.net

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That was only my experience with the Go. I was not sure whether it applied across the TWSBI piston-fill range. The Go (F) was my first experience of the TWSBI fountain pen.

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On 8/26/2021 at 3:52 PM, stephanos said:

BUT, buyers based in Europe should manage expectations. Your money buys you less than it would in the US.

In the US, you get a fountain pen, a spring converter, a piston converter and an ink cartridge. These items are all listed on the packaging sold in the US.

In Europe, you get a fountain pen, a spring converter and an ink cartridge. Only these items are listed on the packaging sold in Europe. The packaging is otherwise identical to that sold in the US (as shown in the Inky Rocks review). No piston converter is included.

 

 


I bought a Swipe on the strength of Stephen Brown‘s review, and expected to get a full kit, as he described. But the only seller in EU that I could find was in Italy, and when the pen arrived I was very irritated to discover that the piston converter was not included or listed on the box.

 

I must add that the pen works ok, but I am not impressed with it in any way — I prefer my Lamy safaris. “TWSBI: been there, done that!”

 

David

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12 hours ago, Dip n Scratch said:

I just pulled the trigger for a Swipe from TWSBI.com.

I had looked at other TWSBI models but the section dimensions discouraged me. The Writing Desk in the UK gives dimensions, which is very useful.

Otherwise it's like buying shoes without knowing the size & width fitting.

Why from overseas with the risk of VAT/handling charge? Just curious...

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I agree it sucks that the 2nd converter isn't included outside the US (and I have absolutely no idea why other than to try to alienate buyers from the rest of the world), but it's pretty inexpensive to buy on its own, and for the sake of a couple of pounds more, next day delivery and no risk of being caught out by border control, I jut bought mine here. I got a double discount, so mine cost, from memory almost exactly £20 (delivered) with both converters, and I don't have a problem with that at all.

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TWSBI.com order of the Swipe. From US to me in UK. Ordered 22nd Sept, arrived 24th Sept. Takes that long for goods in England!

Are the nibs standard #5 in the Swipe & are they changeable?

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On 9/20/2021 at 10:29 PM, mizgeorge said:

I agree it sucks that the 2nd converter isn't included outside the US (and I have absolutely no idea why other than to try to alienate buyers from the rest of the world), but it's pretty inexpensive to buy on its own, and for the sake of a couple of pounds more, next day delivery and no risk of being caught out by border control, I jut bought mine here. I got a double discount, so mine cost, from memory almost exactly £20 (delivered) with both converters, and I don't have a problem with that at all.

Lucky you! I have given up buying anything from the UK because of delivery and customs charges to Austria, and bought mine in Italy. With VAT and postage it came to €35.80 without the second converter. (It is too early in the morning to convert that to £££!).

 

My mistake was to assume that Stephen Brown was speaking from a European perspective in his review and that the second converter was part of the deal here also -- why would it not be? Upon reflection, it seems that Stephen may now live in Canada.

 

I was looking forward to comparing the converters. Generally I am not a fan of those converters that need to be twisted (e.g. LAMY safari), particularly with small unstable bottles of the Diamine 30ml variety, as I need to hold both bottle and pen with the left hand and twiddle the knob with the right hand. The Parker slider, or plunger type suits me better.

 

David

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I know what you mean about those Diamine 30ml bottles in inking my Swipe for the first time with Diamine Oxford Blue.

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On 9/23/2021 at 1:14 PM, Dip n Scratch said:

TWSBI.com order of the Swipe. From US to me in UK. Ordered 22nd Sept, arrived 24th Sept. Takes that long for goods in England!

Are the nibs standard #5 in the Swipe & are they changeable?

How on earth do you get something from usa to uk in two days -- Was it flown in the diplomatic bag? Were customs on strike?

 

David

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I don't care if it came in James Bonds jacket pocket in order to achieve that feat. So long as 'Q' removed the third convertor. The one that shoots gas.

You'd never see James Bond using a TWSBI. So maybe I got lucky.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was looking at the converter in my Swipe today, realized how much larger it looked visually from other converters, then went capacity hunting. All capacity numbers for converters is the Goulet website, Pelikan is pelikan-collectables.com

 

Swipe piston 1.50ml

Swipe spring 1.48 ml

 

Pelikan 400NN 2.0 ml

TWSBI 580 1.98

TWSBI Eco 1.76

Pelikan 140 1.50

 

Pelikan M800/M1000 1.35 ml

M400/M600 1.30

M200  1.20

Con 70 1.06 ml

Std Intl .86 ml

Lamy Z28 .80

Platinum  .47

Pelikan 120 Merz and Krell .65ml

 

The large capacity converter was brilliant. Especially when compared to other pens. Standard International nipple, proprietary capacity. 

 

Will we see other companies follow suit?

 

My first fill was the cartridge.  Nice black. High praise coming from me as I rarely use black. Nice and dark.

 

I have only filled my Swipe with converter a few days ago. This fill is with Krishna Jungle Volcano 

Brad

"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind" - Rudyard Kipling
"None of us can have as many virtues as the fountain-pen, or half its cussedness; but we can try." - Mark Twain

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I think the large converter was a great idea, too.

 

I love the pen... BUT I've found the clip to be the crux that prevents me from making it my Daily Driver, my EDC, my Work Pen.

The clip was so tight that it was starting to wear out the fabric of my clothes where ever I clipped it.  And if I clipped it enough so that it wasn't protruding, it became hard to unclip,
And since the clip is sharp along the edges, it was unpleasant to deal with the clip.

The pen as a whole was a great idea but TWSBI substantially sacrificed the functionality of the clip for its aesthetics, and for me a good clip is a must have.

 

I'll still keep it, maybe use it, at home where I don't need a clip, but it does prevent me from buying more than one and purchasing it as a gift for others.

I hope they fix the clip and not have it be so overly stiff.  I think they could even keep the Aesthetics and just make the clip less tight, with a more springy material, otherwise the clip is terrible.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I can't make up my mind about the Swipe. I'm partial to the color (I got the Prussian Blue), and I like most of the aesthetics -- opacity, the round ink window, the relative lack of bulk compared to some other TWSBI models. I don't love that the cap and barrel are three different shapes, and I don't like that the logo is raised, but uncovered (though that's minor). I really like the variety of filling options, the big ink capacity, the price point, and the nib. I like that TWSBI is making a less bulky snap cap than the go. A couple of other quibbles I have are that it hard starts and skips more than my other TWSBIs -- though still not often, and that the section feels thinner than on the ECOs, though I think they're technically comparable.

 

But my main complaint is the same as what I've seen many people make -- that clip. People seem divided on the aesthetics of it, and while I dislike the way it looks, I could deal with it in exchange for the other benefits of the pen, if only it worked. My experience has been that it's extremely narrow, stiff, tight, thin, inflexible, and sharp. It actually hurts my hand to pull it up. I don't usually clip pens to my clothes, but I do clip them to the front covers, spines, and binder rings of notebooks all the time, and I just can't do it with my Swipe. If I could use the clip, I'd probably order another in gray for an EDC. But as it is, it's not ideal.  I don't dislike it enough to move it along, at least not yet, but I also don't like it enough that I'm really content with it.

 

I bought it to keep inked with blue ink, and If I were going to do it again, I'd probably buy an Eco in blue instead. But in the time since the Swipe came out, the Navy ALR got released, which I'm seriously considering.

 

Regardless, I think it's a really nice pen for the price, but that clip and the narrow-feeling section are dealbreakers for me.

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