TWSBI plated nibs excessively wide?

[AmandaW]

I have an EF TWSBI Eco Royal Jade that's been a disappointment from the first inking. It writes more like a medium or broad than the extra fine it's meant to be. Is this to do with the plated nib?

 

The inks I've tried are: Iroshizuku Shin-ryoku, R&K Deep Pine, Pelikan Edelstein Olivine and Sailor Tokiwa Matsu. All are too wet and wide.

 

It has put me off buying any of the other plated Ecos even though they're appealing.

[Doc Dan]

I don't know. I don't have any plated Ecos. I can asked the guy who owns the local brick and mortar, here. Maybe he will know. 

[taimdala]

Speaking from experience with my own TWSBIs, of which nearly all 40+ of them are EF and of which 8 (minimum) are gold plated, I can say this:

 

It feels to me that they are a half-size to nearly a full size larger. So a nib stamped as EF writes like and EF1.5 or an M.

 

I suspect the plating makes the nib just a teense larger where it meets the page. 

 

This seems to be the result no matter what ink I use: Platinum Blue Black (reputed to be a gentler Iron Gall ink); or Diamine, Ferris Wheel Press, J. Herbin, Birmingham Pen Company, or Iroshizuku in multiple colors. No matter what ink I choose, I get the same upsize in line width. 

 

I find it a little irritating, as I prefer to write small to accommodate my preferred notebook size (A6 and smaller). My usual hack-around is to reverse write with my pens, but I can't always get the same flow performance with TWSBIs plated nibs without having the nibs tuned first. 

 

Rather like spending x-amount on a pair of trousers, only to have to add y-amount for hemming/tailoring, this out-of-pocket remedy for line width and flow issue stings. 

 

But having once felt the deliciousness of the results, I just can't go without.

 

I am fortunate that I have a pen tuner who is local(ish) and another who regularly swings by for my town's pen show every year. Getting my gold nibs tuned for reverse writing isn't too much of an obstacle, but I have yet to do it. My unplated-and-tuned TWSBIs satisfy my everyday reverse needs and my plated TWSBI models live more in my desk rotation than in my cargo pocket. Both varieties get plenty of use, so this irritation in nib width difference is bearable ... 

 

For now.

 

But I can see the day fast approaching when it will be intolerable. 

 

TL;DR: Try reverse writing with these nibs and see if it produces the line width you seek. I find that reverse writing generally produces one size smaller than what is callibrated for when used right side up.