Buying my first TWSBI pen

[lionelc]

give the TWSBIs a try asteris.  For the price they are hard to beat.  My Eco spontaneously cracked a section however had nothing but good backup from TWSBI taiwan - they sent me a new barrel as soon as their pandemic situation calmed down a little - it took 6 months but after just a query from me at the very start, it arrived having piggybacked a bigger order for a retailer.  i use the twsbi vac 700r with a custom stub from pablo at fpnibs as a travel pen - it has thicker plastic and has survived sun, sand and salt water.  no cracking.

[maclink]

On 1/16/2022 at 1:52 PM, Asteris said:

A little backstory so you could understand:

My first pen is a Pilot mr and now I'm currently looking for a step up. I have been looking for Pelikan and sailor pens, but also TWSBI (for it's relatively low price). The pen I'll get will be my workhorse pen and for Twsbi I'm between the 580 and the vac700r. I want to hear the experience of people who have used these pens for prolonged writing, if they recommend TWSBI and if yes, which one of them. Note: I know the difference between european and japanese nibs

I've tried all the TWSBI models and my favourites are the Eco and the 580.  The Vac models are novel with the filling mechanism and as a result, do hold a lot of ink, but they can be finicky to work with and for me, the extra ink capacity isn't worth it.  Finicky in the sense that the plunger after a good flush, can develop a lot of friction with the inner aspect of the reservoir necessitating some lubrication.  Additionally, I currently have issue with the plunger's rubber tip not moving away from the opening to the primary ink chamber, even after unscrewing.  I have to tug on it a bit after unscrewing.  

I've never had issues with leaking and I think this may well have to do with my reluctance with disassembling the pen in any way.  The fact that a pen can be disassembled, doesn't mean that it's good to be disassembling/reassembling after each fill and/or because there's a little ink staining somewhere that activates my OCD side.  Each disassemble/reassemble cycle invites leakage because of worn seals or threading that loosens easily.  Tightening too much invites cracking.  etc.

 

IMO, TWSBI's marketing their pens as easy to disassemble, providing a wrench and lubrication has a dark side to it.  

[Asteris]

39 minutes ago, maclink said:

I've tried all the TWSBI models and my favourites are the Eco and the 580.  The Vac models are novel with the filling mechanism and as a result, do hold a lot of ink, but they can be finicky to work with and for me, the extra ink capacity isn't worth it.  Finicky in the sense that the plunger after a good flush, can develop a lot of friction with the inner aspect of the reservoir necessitating some lubrication.  Additionally, I currently have issue with the plunger's rubber tip not moving away from the opening to the primary ink chamber, even after unscrewing.  I have to tug on it a bit after unscrewing.  

I've never had issues with leaking and I think this may well have to do with my reluctance with disassembling the pen in any way.  The fact that a pen can be disassembled, doesn't mean that it's good to be disassembling/reassembling after each fill and/or because there's a little ink staining somewhere that activates my OCD side.  Each disassemble/reassemble cycle invites leakage because of worn seals or threading that loosens easily.  Tightening too much invites cracking.  etc.

 

IMO, TWSBI's marketing their pens as easy to disassemble, providing a wrench and lubrication has a dark side to it.  

Thanks for the advice!

[davidtaylorjr]

I bought an Eco after a Metro and HATED it.  I would not consider buying another TWSBI. Go with the Pelikan or even step up to entry level Gold Nib.

[maclink]

In contrast, I have several Pelikans and many other gold nibbed pens.  I can still very much appreciate a Diamond 580 or a TWSBI Eco.   It's really unfortunate if you spend a lot of money that you'd rather not spend, on a gold nibbed pen because you thought you wouldn't be able to get ample satisfaction from a steel-nibbed, such as a TWSBI Diamond 580 or Eco, both of which are pens with a much lower price point.

[inkstainedruth]

4 hours ago, maclink said:

I've tried all the TWSBI models and my favourites are the Eco and the 580.  The Vac models are novel with the filling mechanism and as a result, do hold a lot of ink, but they can be finicky to work with and for me, the extra ink capacity isn't worth it.  Finicky in the sense that the plunger after a good flush, can develop a lot of friction with the inner aspect of the reservoir necessitating some lubrication.  Additionally, I currently have issue with the plunger's rubber tip not moving away from the opening to the primary ink chamber, even after unscrewing.  I have to tug on it a bit after unscrewing.  

I have had the same issue with my Vac 700.  I'm used to it now, but would NOT recommend one to a newbie -- they are NOT beginner pens by any stretch of the imagination.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Asteris]

23 hours ago, maclink said:

In contrast, I have several Pelikans and many other gold nibbed pens.  I can still very much appreciate a Diamond 580 or a TWSBI Eco.   It's really unfortunate if you spend a lot of money that you'd rather not spend, on a gold nibbed pen because you thought you wouldn't be able to get ample satisfaction from a steel-nibbed, such as a TWSBI Diamond 580 or Eco, both of which are pens with a much lower price point.

I might get a duragraph in the future, since for me they offer more with less money,  they have good quality nibs and some really nice finishes.

[Asteris]

On 1/30/2022 at 4:58 PM, davidtaylorjr said:

I bought an Eco after a Metro and HATED it.  I would not consider buying another TWSBI. Go with the Pelikan or even step up to entry level Gold Nib.

Thanks for the advice. Looks like the Duragraph is going to be the next pen.

[marcelo]

On 1/30/2022 at 11:58 AM, davidtaylorjr said:

I bought an Eco after a Metro and HATED it.  I would not consider buying another TWSBI. Go with the Pelikan or even step up to entry level Gold Nib.

 

Hi David.

If you don't mind telling, what you didn't like about the TWSBI?

[davidtaylorjr]

22 minutes ago, marcelo said:

 

Hi David.

If you don't mind telling, what you didn't like about the TWSBI?

The Nib was terrible. I also did not like the grip, it has these weird "ticks" on it that were annoying.

[marcelo]

6 minutes ago, davidtaylorjr said:

The Nib was terrible. I also did not like the grip, it has these weird "ticks" on it that were annoying.

 

Thanks for the reply! 👍

[davidtaylorjr]

26 minutes ago, marcelo said:

 

Thanks for the reply! 👍

Your welcome. I should have been a little more descriptive about the Nib. It is very scratchy, not smooth at all. Has skip issues (this was the EF). I was coming from the Metro (F) nib which was a joy to write with and it was just a bad experience.

[marcelo]

2 hours ago, davidtaylorjr said:

Your welcome. I should have been a little more descriptive about the Nib. It is very scratchy, not smooth at all. Has skip issues (this was the EF). I was coming from the Metro (F) nib which was a joy to write with and it was just a bad experience.

Got it. Mine has a very bad habit of getting dry even if capped. In fact I think the feeding system clogs.

[davidtaylorjr]

28 minutes ago, marcelo said:

Got it. Mine has a very bad habit of getting dry even if capped. In fact I think the feeding system clogs.

Sounds like a similar experience.

[marcelo]

7 minutes ago, davidtaylorjr said:

Sounds like a similar experience.

 

And unfortunately for the both of us...

[Chi]

@Asteris if you are ever curious gold nib pens, I recommend vintage Japanese pocket pens. That was how I got into gold nib pens. Somehow, a lot of vintage gold nib pens are more affordable than those on current market. You can spend way less and get the same quality pen that will last you a lifetime.

Japanese vintage gold nib pocket pens (Pilot, Sailor, Platinum) are around $40-$100 USD on eBay. My first gold nip was a Japanese pocket pen from Center Pen Co. It was 14K Fine nib, $45 USD.   

[Asteris]

45 minutes ago, Chi said:

@Asteris if you are ever curious gold nib pens, I recommend vintage Japanese pocket pens. That was how I got into gold nib pens. Somehow, a lot of vintage gold nib pens are more affordable than those on current market. You can spend way less and get the same quality pen that will last you a lifetime.

Japanese vintage gold nib pocket pens (Pilot, Sailor, Platinum) are around $40-$100 USD on eBay. My first gold nip was a Japanese pocket pen from Center Pen Co. It was 14K Fine nib, $45 USD.   

Pilot pocket pen (can't remember the name) is good option.

[Chi]

15 minutes ago, Asteris said:

Pilot pocket pen (can't remember the name) is good option.

Pilot Elite S95, is a remake of their vintage model, and yes it is a very solid option for entry level gold nib pen.

I do have one and love it.

 

I also have a 1980s Sailor 21K Zoom nib pocket pen that cost me less than that specific Pilot, lol. 

 

It's personal preference I would say. Some may prefer to spend $350-$500 to get a 21K zoom nib on new Sailor pens. I like the vintage designs and its budget-friendly quality more.

[Kilrymont]

The vac mini is a real swine for spontaneous parts breakages. After I replace the now two piece cap NONE of its main structural components will be original. The ink chamber cracked inside weeks of purchase.  Caps and piston controls shear off at the chrome ring. I'm a week short of 70 and have never broken any valued item from overstressing it or otherwise mishandling it. I'm careful with stuff, Did not stop these parts from breaking. No ECO in my possession has failed in any way, although I found their nibs to be less reliably pleasant to use than the Diamond or Vac nibs. I have one with a M nib that writes nearly as well as my Souverans, and for the price has to be the best value piston filler I have. But its stablemate has an F nib that's torture to use.

I think that ECOS are a lucky dip, Structurally, they seem better than their rich relations, but with less reliably good nibs.

But ALL Twsbi pens benefit from a bit of silicone grease once or twice a year. Unless you are confident don't strip out the threaded piston advancing pushrod as its reassembly can be challenging. Keeping the cylinder clean and lightly lubed will preserve the airtightness of the piston, which if too dry can let in air from above and give rise to the puzzling dripping-nib syndrome that has caught out many users.

[1nkulus]

Try it at a B&M store, if you can.

Treat it as a punt and only spend what you are prepared to lose.

 

My advice, plenty of other brands to consider unless you MUST have it. IMO, their QC is still sketchy.