TWSBI Vac Mini Fountain Pen Review

I appreciate TWSBI as a company. They aren’t afraid to experiment and do things other companies don’t, or can’t. Does that lead to issues sometimes? Without question. TWSBI had many quality issues in the early days that turned customers off their product completely, and rightfully so. But they keep pushing forward and innovating, and have improved the quality of their products as the years pass.

The TWSBI Vac Mini is a prime example of their innovation. What other company is able to manufacture a pen like this, or even want to? A vacuum filling mini fountain pen? “Not possible,” I imagine most companies saying. And for many reasons, not only technical. TWSBI is positioned well the sub-$100 pen market, with only Lamy and Kaweco as real threats. Most companies don’t compete here, which has allowed TWSBI to do things no one else would consider.

But enough of why I like TWSBI as a company, let’s get into this pen. If you have never used a vac filling system in a fountain pen, here are some things to know before purchasing:

• It is simple to fill.
• It is difficult to clean.
• It can be sealed off for travel.
• It needs to be open when writing.

It is far from hard to use, but beginners need to keep these things in mind. It is a different animal than a cartridge/converter pen. I wouldn’t recommend this pen as a first fountain pen for example. But for a fun, unique fountain pen I am all over it.

In comparison to the TWSBI Mini, which I am also a fan of, the Vac Mini is longer, including a longer grip section, and has a larger ink capacity. I’ve never had an issue writing with the regular Mini unposted and the added length of the Vac Mini makes it even better for me. For those who like to post their pens, the cap screws on the back to give you a more full length pen writing experience. The nibs are the same size, but the nib units are not, so it will take more effort than unscrewing to swap nibs.

On the negative side of the ledger, the only issue I have is with the clip. It wiggles too much and I would worry about it eventually breaking if I carried it clipped to my pants pocket. In a shirt pocket or a pen case it’s fine, but for a portable pen the clip needs to be stronger.

I don’t see the $60 price tag as a negative, but that does put the TWSBI Vac Mini in a strange place amongst the rest of TWSBI’s lineup. If you have never owned a TWSBI and are looking for the best pen of the brand, I would recommend the 580AL, which is their full length piston filler and is the exact same price. For beginners, the TWSBI ECO is the clear choice at half the cost. The standard Mini runs between $50-$55 depending on the nib, but I would pay up for the slightly larger and more ink capacity in the Vac Mini.

To me, the Vac Mini is your second TWSBI. You’ve bought a 580 or an ECO, enjoy the style and performance of the pen, and want to add something a little different to your collection. This is that pen.

(Goulet Pens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Pilot Stargazer in Ruby Red: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

The Pilot Stargazer is a beautiful little pen made of lacquered brass. It comes in a presentation box with a clear plastic cut out. It's not as glamorous as some boxes, but it's nice enough that you could certainly give the pen as a gift.

The Stargazer is a small pen that requires posting to feel well balanced. Even though it's small lengthwise (120mm capped; 134mm posted), it has quite a bit of heft to it since the barrel and cap are made of brass. At 27 grams, it feels substantial in the hand.

It's smaller than a Pelikan M600 when it's capped. But when you post it, it's about the same length as the Pelikan capped.

The ruby red lacquer is gorgeous. It's a deep red with a luminous finish.

The pen boasts a number of decorative details. The cap sports a rhodium-plated clip. The bottom of the cap has a large rhodium ring, set off by engraved black rings above and below. The words "Pilot Japan" are also engraved in the ring.

Rhodium rings circle the grip where the nib is inserted and the area between the grip and the barrel. Another ring is near the base of the barrel. These details accentuate the pen quite nicely.

The grip appears to be made of plastic, not brass, which makes it easy to hold. Sometimes metal grips make for sweaty fingers and slippery writing. But not with this pen.

The nib is 14K gold plated in rhodium. It's a tiny nib, but still features beautiful scroll work along with Pilot's name, the gold content, and the nib size (this one is a fine).

The nib is fantastic. It writes like an extra-fine (Japanese nibs tend to be more narrow than their Western counterparts). Even so, it writes smoothly with no scratchiness, hard starts, or skipping. Pilot nibs are almost always trouble free in my experience.

The pen uses a cartridge/converter filling system and comes with a Con-50 converter.

The Stargazer is an impressive little pen. It is well made and has more decorative features than some more expensive pens. It would make an excellent pocket pen and/or small notebook pen. The cap snaps on securely, and the pen is small and substantial enough to be an EDC.

You can find the Pilot Stargazer in Ruby Red, Sapphire, Black, and Pearl for $152.00 at Goulet Pens.

Pros

• The Stargazer is a small, balanced, well-made fountain pen.
• The nib is excellent.
• Ruby Red is a beautiful lacquered color.
• The pen works well as a pocket pen and/or as an EDC.

Cons

• It is a small pen, so people with larger hands may find this pen too small for comfort.
• The Con-50 converter only holds .84ml of ink.

(Goulet Pens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

OMAS Limited Edition Calligraphy Set Review

When Kenro Industries reached out to me last year about reviewing some products I jumped at the chance. Who wouldn’t want to get their hands on beautiful pens like the Omas Ogiva Cocktail, Arte Italiana London Smoke, and Arte Italina ART? I had high expectations for these pens, and was blown away across the board.

What I didn’t expect from Kenro was the inclusion of the OMAS Limited Edition Calligraphy Set in my reviewer box of goodness. This is no ordinary calligraphy set mind you. This is where the big boys and girls play, and Omas has put together a package that is hard to beat for serious writers and fans of the Omas brand.

Image via Kenro Industries

To get started, let’s discuss everything that is included in this kit. There is but a single pen barrel: The Omas Milord, limited and numbered as part of the 331 sets released. Along with the pen barrel, the four nibs included are the stars of this show. They are as follows:

• 14kt gold – Broad
• 18kt gold – Italic
• 18kt gold – Fine
• 14kt gold – Extra Fine, Extra Flessible

The pen and nibs are held in a soft Italian leather case that also holds a converter, ink cartridges, and an Omas notebook. Everything you need to get writing, all in one package. And what a package it is.

If you read any of the previous Omas reviews you know my thoughts on their nibs. I don’t think best in the business is an understatement. I have yet to use an Omas nib that hasn’t impressed, and the nibs in this set are no different.

The standouts in this set are the non-standard nibs: The Italic and the EF Flessible. They are both buttery smooth, with crisp lines from the Italic and wonderful line variation from the flex nib. You need to get these nibs in your hand one day to see how superior they truly are.

The stock Broad and Fine nibs are wonderful in their own right, but I would have liked to see even more variation in what is included in this set. It is a calligraphy set after all, so how about a finer stub and and even wider italic? Increase the variety and make this set even more special.

The idea behind the set is wonderful, the products are beautiful, but when putting the whole set in use in one sitting I ran into some roadblocks. The first is that it ships with only one converter. For a set that retails for around $1500 you could toss me a few more converters, right?

That brings us to the next issue. I have four nibs and I want to use four different ink colors. No problem, I grab three more standard international converters to fill with ink, along with the one provided. I have fun using all the nibs, swapping them in and out of the barrel as needed, writing a wonderful letter with amazing artwork. When it is time to pack up, I cap one nib in the barrel…and have three left with ink and converters in them.

If I am out and about and not at home, this is an issue because I cannot store those inked nibs back in the case cleanly. There is no way to seal them off, and rolling them up in the case will make a mess. I don’t want to clean them either because I have full converters and want to use them again tomorrow for more creative awesomeness. I’m stuck.

At home, I temoprarily solved this problem but putting the three remaining nibs and converters in a ziploc bag. An inelegant solution for an elegant product. That is fine in the very short term, as in a day or two, but any longer and the ink starts to evaporate.

It’s clear that this is a luxury set created for a luxury market. I’m good with that. Actually great with it because getting to use all of these nibs was a treat. But it is not a functional set in that it works as a portable calligraphy kit.

For the price, I would like four complete barrels in the set, even if you have to sacrifice on the barrel quality just a bit. The majority of the cost is tied up in the four gold nibs anyway, so why not allow the nibs to be in use AND stored at the same time a priority? That would be a big improvement in my eyes.

My thanks to Kenro Industries for loaning this, and all other Omas pens to me for review. I’ll miss them all when I ship them back this week!