TWSBI ECO Fountain Pen Review, From An Artist’s Perspective

(This is a guest post by Nick Folz. You can find more of Nick and his work on his blog, Smallberry Drive, Twitter, and Instagram.)

I am a waking, talking pen cliché of 2016. I bought my first fountain pen last year, along with bottle of ink. Which pen and ink? The TWSBI ECO and J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor. See what I mean about cliché?

The ECO is a beautiful instrument. I got the white model and love the look of the white details with the clear barrel. The vacuum is super intuitive and easy to use. The clip is solid enough to be an everyday pocket carry. The pen is a bit long when the cap is posted, but not so much that I don’t post it anyway. The whole thing is pretty durable. From drops onto concrete to shoving the cap on instead of threading it, it has taken a beating but is no worse for wear. The weight is good, and it feels as good as it looks. I often found myself just holding it or fiddling with it in meetings. It grabs attention as well, a whispered “what pen is THAT?” or “can I try writing with it?” were not uncommon. At this super forgivable price point, I can’t think of a reason not to recommend this if you are interested in the least.

I went with the 1.1 Stub nib. I write rather large, so the thick width doesn't bother me, but I can see how some might dislike it for writing. My first impression was that it is a joy to doodle with. I found myself sketching on post-its constantly. The ink flow is consistent and smooth. The nib is no doubt a huge factor here since stubs tend to have a juicier feel, or so I’ve heard.

Drawing is just like writing; people have different priorities and preferences. I value line width variation above almost everything else. I love the dynamic range of the stub. Being mindful with the nib can get you fine detail lines or thick bold ones. I love pulling straight down and getting a wide line and then, not lifting the pen, changing the direction of the line 90 degrees to get a hair thin line. Changing direction to dictate line thickness is fun and adds a ton of variety. I imagine I would really dig a flex nib, but I like the predictability of the stub. I often would sketch freely, without being mindful of line weight, then going back in with adding thickness later.

My main draw to fountain pens was bottle inks, I use lots of India inks and acrylic inks with brushes, but wanted to try out the other side ink world. Plus I really like the atheistic of bottle inks and fountain pen inks are some of the most beautiful bottles in the world. J. Herbin really outdo themselves in packaging. The box is wonderfully decorated but nothing worth saving, the bottle is the main show, with it’s wax seal, gold string, and cube angles. I have mine on my desk at all times; it is too pretty to put in a drawer. Filling the pen is a joy, the barrel of the ECO fits perfectly into the bottle opening. It is a pleasant ritual that I enjoy, and have a hard time believing that I would ever find similar joy in replacing a cartridge. It is not waterproof, but that’s not the end of the world. It can actually be blended with water if you are careful about it. The stub nib really lets this ink shine, literally. It is a thing of beauty just to watch the ink dry as you make lines. I filled sheets and sheets of hatch marks when I got this pen, almost hypnotized. It dries quick enough to sketch with and looks like nothing else out there.

I’m a doodler first, writer second. If something doesn’t work for drawing it doesn’t last in my pocket. I had the TWSBI ECO as my pocket pen for about 3 months, then I went to switch back to a lead holder. It lasted two days before the TWSBI was back in my pocket. I missed it too much. I don’t have much negative to say, even my criticisms have positive notes:

· I sometimes hate that I have to twist off the cap, but I love the security of a twist cap.

· I wish I had an erasable option, but I love watching the liquid ink dry before my eyes as I draw.

· I miss the utilitarian metal pencil body, but not as much as I love watching that beautiful emerald ink slosh around the clear barrel of the ECO.

The ECO has lasted over six months as my main carry, and if it broke tomorrow I’d be placing an order for another of the exact same. The J. Herbin bottle sits proudly at my desk, and even after several refills I have so much left that I haven’t gotten wistful yet. I can’t think of a better recommendation than that.

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

---

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

TWSBI Classic Turquoise Fountain Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter.)

I must preface this review by saying that I came into it with the TWSBI jitters. I, like many others, have a TWSBI tragedy in my past, so when I am introduced to a new TWSBI, I always have one question on my lips: Are you going to break my heart? I've got baggage. But it doesn't stop my heart from fluttering at the sight of a snazzy new pen.

The TWSBI Classic isn't new, but it has been slightly redesigned. It now has two O-rings at the end, which are meant to allow the pen to post--which was one of the biggest issues reported by users of the previous design. It's a simple solution--but effective. The pen posts nicely and the cap feels secure. It does feel a little back-heavy to me when posted, but I have small hands. I can't speak, yet, to the longevity of those O-rings--but they should be fairly easy to replace, if needed.

The Classic has also been given some fresh, new colors to choose from--including this fetching turquoise. I love the color. The chrome accents and smooth octagon shape give the whole pen a sweet mid-century vibe. The bottom chrome of the piston knob is etched with "TWSBI Classic" and the finial has the red TWSBI logo. The clip is plain, and a little stiffer than I like, but at least it's sturdy. The center band has no decoration.

The cap unscrews to show metal threads cushioned with another O-ring. Above the threads is a clear, plastic ink window. The grip section and nib unit unscrews from this ink window. The section is turquoise plastic like the body, though that plastic sleeve slides off of the feed and nib unit. It's a narrow grip, but long, and comfortable to hold. The feed itself is the part that screws into the ink window, where the threads are carved into the inside of that clear plastic. This is the achilles heel of the pen. More on that later.

The disassembly of all these pieces makes the pen easy to clean--a very nice feature for a piston-fill pen. A few minutes of rinsing is all it takes, as opposed to the seemingly endless fill-and-purge routine that most piston pens require. The piston assembly itself is designed to be taken apart for maintenance, and the packaging includes the necessary wrench. The packaging also includes a small vial of silicone grease, which you are going to need immediately. More on that later.

The 1.1 stub nib on my pen was really nice right out of the box. It's a #4 Jowo nib (also available in EF, F, M, and B). It's smooth, but with a good bit of feedback. There's no dragging or scratching, and it starts up right away every time. It's just enough stubbiness to add character to my writing without being so bold that I can't use it for everyday tasks. It's not too wet, but doesn't feel dry. I'm very pleased with the nib--and that will keep me writing with this pen despite the issues I've had so far.

The main issue I encountered was that those plastic threads between the ink window and the feed leak. Like, a lot. Fill-the-cap-with-ink leaking. Open-it-over-your-notebook-and-ruin-the-page leaking. I've been able to slow it down by applying silicone grease to those threads--but when you apply it, be careful to only get the grease on the threads of the feed, and not on the part where ink needs to flow through. If grease gets inside the feed, it will likely be ruined. This isn't a huge undertaking as far as pen set-up goes, but there's nothing about the pen itself that indicates that this step should be necessary. And perhaps it won't be necessary on every pen--but I suspect it will on most. The threads are fairly shallow, and it's two different types of plastic coming together. Even with the grease, I'm finding the occasional bead of ink on the section. I don't mind inky fingers--I think they're stylish--but I would never put this pen in a pocket.

There is another foreboding element to the ink window that has me a little bit nervous. There is a visible seam in the plastic that goes right from the lip of the opening all the way through the threads. I can't tell if this is the actual seam from the molding of the plastic, or if it is the start of a hairline crack. It's this kind of plastic threads that have cracked on me before, so be careful to screw the feed in gently to avoid putting extra strain on the threads.

As it stands now, I can't complain--after a little tinkering, the pen works great. It's a good writer. At $52, it's a decent price for a piston-fill pen. It's not my favorite of the TWSBI designs, but it's cute and would be a nice piece for someone who doesn't care for demonstrators. I'm looking forward to continuing to use mine, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this'll be my TWSBI happily ever after.

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

TWSBI Diamond Mini AL Blue Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Way back in 2013, I wrote my first review for Brad on this site. It was a review of one of my favorite pens at the time, a TWSBI Mini. The first generation of Mini, like the larger 540 and 580, were mostly plastic and sometimes had issues. Luckily, I've never had any problems with my TWSBIs, and I still really enjoy them. Now, here we are almost 4 years later and I have my second TWSBI mini, but this is the new AL Special Edition Blue.

Like the original, the size and form factor are stellar. It's a small pen, but behaves like a full-length pen when you post it. It was a delight in 2013, and it's still a delight today.

If you're unfamiliar with the Mini AL, it's a small piston-filler demonstrator (apart from the section and piston mechanism, which is aluminum) fountain pen that comes in a variety of nib sizes. Another fun thing about TWSBI is that you can swap out the nib units if you want another size without buying another pen. For the price, the TWSBI is one of the most affordable ways to try out piston fillers. And, they're just loads of fun.

The Mini AL is largely unchanged from the original, apart from the aluminum parts that were swapped in to provide a higher-quality good. It's a great pen that feels steady in the hand and writes beautifully.

The pen feels sturdy and well-made. I couldn't always say that about the plastic model, but the AL model is stout. The plastic is sparklingly clear, and the chrome and aluminum accents give it a classic and distinguished look. Being plastic and aluminum, it isn't very heavy. This makes it ideal for long writing sessions, because it won't tire your hand.

There's a small bit of branding found on the band of the cap that indicates the TWSBI brand and model, and there's the iconic red and silver TWSBI jewel in the finial. And, of course, you can see your ink sloshing around in the reservoir, which is always fun.

The piston mechanism is smooth and sure. Like every other TWSBI, they provide a small container of silicone grease for doing your own maintenance, but that's really something that you'll need down the road. Out of the box, the pen works flawlessly. I don't have an exact measurement, but I estimate this pen can hold about 2 ml of ink.

The cap fits snugly on the pen when closed, and the clip has a nice spring to it. It's not too tight, but it gives easily enough to make clipping onto things an easy action. Some pens lean toward the "too strong is better" camp when it comes to clips, and I appreciate the balance this Mini achieves in that regard.

When writing, the cap can be posted to provide a more comfortable pen length for writing. Posting is very stable since the cap screws onto the back of the pen. And, the cap threads onto the pen without affecting the piston knob.

When capping or posting the pen, both ends feature a small o-ring at the base of the threads that provide a very snug seal when screwing down the cap. It's a nice feature that adds a level of quality and security to the pen.

The pen looks and feels great, but how does it write? Like a champ.

I've always had really good experiences with TWSBI nibs out of the box. I'm sure there are some duds out there, but you can generally expect good things from the TWSBI nibs. This EF is no exception. It's smooth, crisp, and reliable.

The line width that this pen lays down is smaller than most of my other German EF nibs. It's closer to a Japanese F, which is fine in my book. The line is also very crisp and well-defined. There's no burping or feed problems when writing, and the ink flow is very consistent without being dry.

The nib writes well from the start with no stuttering or skipping. Even after being uncapped for a while, it only takes a couple of light strokes to get the ink flowing again.

The steel nib is very rigid, which means there's no flex to speak of. If that's what you're looking for, you'll have to look somewhere else as TWSBI nibs are known to be very stiff. It's a reliable, good writer, and that's what matters!

Overall, the TWSBI Mini AL in Blue is a solid iteration on an already great pen. The added aluminum parts not only increase the quality of the pen, but the aesthetic as well. It costs a bit more than the regular Mini, but it's well worth it. The blue edition will likely sell out soon, but there's always the standard silver AL! For most other piston-filler pens, you're looking at spending well over $100, so the price point (sub-$70 range) of the TWSBI Mini is unbeatable, especially considering the quality you can expect from them.

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

---

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!