Posts filed under TWSBI

Inks for the TWSBI ECO Plum with Onyx Fountain Pen

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

To no one’s surprise, I had to get the latest TWSBI Eco, the Plum with Onyx. It was difficult to tell what the color of the pen would be, since there were Eco photos with different tones of red, pink, purple, and magenta. So I thought it would be fun to walk you through my ink selection process so you can get a sense of the real color (no, I don’t do this for every pen, just some of them). Also spoiler: this pen really is difficult to photograph!

*TWSBI Eco Plum with Onyx on Cognac Girologio writing mat.*

The best I can describe the color of the Eco Plum is that it is a magenta-ish color with a bit of pink and purple. The solo pictures make the Eco look more red than it is in real life, regardless of background (and yes, this is with some post-processing already - definitely not my strong suit). And despite using custom white balance with a grey card, the writing mat colors aren’t truly accurate either. This is one reason why ink and pen color photography can be difficult for us amateurs. Of the four photos, I think the closest is the one on the purple mat.

Next, I pulled a bunch of Col-O-Ring swatch cards from my collection and rather than compare the pen to the swatch card, I opted to swatch the inks in a 68 gsm Tomoe River notebook by Odyssey Notebooks. This way I could make sure the ink looks like it would on paper that I use quite often. As with my ink reviews, the swatches were made with a stainless steel Kakimori dip nib in a Kaweco clutch pencil holder.

Inks from the top: TWSBI Grape, Diamine Amaranth, Vinta Vineyard La Union, KWZ Raspberry, Robert Oster Napa, Monteverde Sweet Life Blueberry Muffin, Colorverse Andromeda, Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-budo, Scribo Rosso Chianti, Diamine Raspberry Rose, De Atramentis Thomas Alva Edison (Black Red), Diamine x Cult Pens Robert, Robert Oster x EndlessPens New Year New Hue!

After I swatched all the inks and set the pen on top, it was pretty easy to see which ones were close but not close enough. Keep in mind that the closeup photos make the pen cap look darker than it does in real life.

*TWSBI Grape, Diamine Amaranth, Vinta Vineyard La Union, KWZ Raspberry, Robert Oster Napa, Monteverde Sweet Life Blueberry Muffin, Colorverse Andromeda.*

As much as I would’ve liked TWSBI Grape to be a match, it was too light and a bit too pink. KWZ Raspberry was more of a hot pink, while Robert Oster Napa and Monteverde Blueberry Muffin had some brown tones that didn’t work with the pen. The other three were possibilities.

*Iroshizuku Yama-budo, Scribo Rosso Chianti, De Atramentis Thomas Alva Edison, Diamine x Cult Pens Robert, Robert Oster x EndlessPens New Year New Hue!*

The Yama-budo was a touch too purple (thank goodness since I already have a pen inked with it), Raspberry Rose a wee bit too brown, De Atramentis was too dark and too purple (reminder that DA’s inks have a “line/theme name” like “Thomas Alva Edison” and a“base ink name” like Black Red). I liked the sheen of Robert and also the shimmer of New Year New Hue! How’s a girl to choose?! Reswatch for the next round!

Since I picked the 1.1 nib for the Eco Plum, I decided to use the Sailor Hocoro 1.0 stub dip nib to see if the ink looks better/different from a stub.

*Diamine Amaranth, Vinta Vineyard La Union, Colorverse Andromeda, Iroshizuku Yama-budo, Scribo Rosso Chianti.*

I already said Yama-budo was too purple but I must have really wanted to give it a second chance and yes, it’s still too purple for me. Diamine Amaranth was nice but it felt dry from both the Kakimori and Sailor Hocoro dip nibs. I really liked the Vinta, Colorverse, and Scribo from this batch.

*Another look at Iroshizuku Yama-budo and Scribo Rosso Chianti, as well as Diamine x Cult Pens Robert, and Robert Oster x EndlessPens New Year New Hue!*

The Diamine Robert was a really good match, but just a bit darker. The green sheen would’ve been fun though! The shimmer in the Robert Oster New Year New Hue! Was also really tempting but the base ink was a bit too light and too pink.

*It was tough but I whittled it down to these two inks - Colorverse Andromeda and Scribo Rosso Chianti.*

I could have gone either way with these two inks, but in the end, the Scribo Rosso Chianti won out because it was the right color and tone, and the Andromeda was just a teensy bit brighter. It also helps that I have a 90ml bottle of the Rosso Chianti and only a sample of the Andromeda.

*Really happy with this combo - TWSBI Eco Plum with Onyx and Scribo Rosso Chianti!*

(Disclaimer: I purchased the TWSBI at Flax Pen to Paper during Fountain Pen Day, all inks are my own, as well as the dip pens. The Odyssey Notebook was bought by the Bossman at a past pen show at regular price.)

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Posted on November 21, 2025 by Kimberly Lau and filed under TWSBI, Fountain Pens, Ink Samples.

TWSBI ECO Glow Purple Fountain Pen Giveaway

I’m digging into the TWSBI ECO stash this week, and joining the rave with the Glow Purple Fountain Pen. It’s Purple on the outside, and glows Blue in the dark - which is where we all do our best writing, of course. I have one with a Steel Extra Fine nib to give away this week, so read the rules below and enter away!

Posted on February 27, 2024 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Giveaways, TWSBI.

TWSBI 580ALR Black 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.)

TWSBI has been up to a lot over the last few years, including the amazing GO and Eco, but I've been sleeping on the 580 ever since the AL models were introduced. Aside from new colors, what could I be missing, right? Turns out, TWSBI have made some small improvements that make this old classic something to consider.

The TWSBI 580 has been around for years. It replaced the 540 with more reliable parts and slightly higher quality finish. Instead of offering colored acrylic materials like the 540, the 580 just adds in accents of color at the section, band, and a few other small places. With the introduction of the aluminum (580AL) models, it's been a regular cadence of fresh new colors every year. I still use the orange 580AL that I picked up almost 10 years (!!!) ago. The ALR models add a little something special to the already great 580: texture.

The Black TWSBI 580ALR I have looks awesome on my desk, and I really enjoy using it. Just like previous models, it has dashes of aluminum accents around the grip section, cap band, and piston grip. The differences in this model are that the aluminum is a matte finish, and the grip section has a microscopic milled surface that provides plenty of traction while still looking smooth. Every time I pick this pen up, I have to squint and try to make out the tiny lines that wrap around the diameter of the section. You can see them if you look close enough, but they're seriously small and provide an excellent amount of grip. This small change on the grip section has renewed my love for this classic pen that I discovered early on in my fountain pen journey.

Everything else about the design of the pen is the same as older 580s. The length and diameter are the same, the ink capacity is the same, and the fit and finish are great. I'm really digging the matte finish on these accents, and the size feels really good in my hand when writing. This is a workhorse, and the better grip elevates it to a different level of comfort and control.

The fine nib in my unit worked flawlessly out of the box. The line width is what I'd expect, and the flow is good. Like all demonstrators, you have a full view into the status of your ink supply, and the piston filling mechanism works great. The clip on this version is a bit stronger than my old 580AL, and that's a welcome change.

There's no mistaking this pen for anything other than a TWSBI, and that's before you even look for any branding. Looking a little close, there's a TWSBI on the front side of the cap band, and a DIAMOND 580 AL R TAIWAN on the reverse side. And on the top of the cap there's a lovely TWSBI logo jewel nestled inside some more of the same textured aluminum used on the grip section. Aside from this and the grip, the other aluminum bits are a smooth matte finish — no milled texture.

Overall, the 580ALR is a solid pen that builds on the success of the previous models. Honestly, when Brad sent me this pen for review, I wasn't really excited because I assumed it would be just like the 580AL that I've had for years. I was wrong, and I'm here to tell you that this small change that the 580ALR brings with it is enough to merit another look if you already have a 580AL, and it for sure merits some serious consideration if you haven't had the opportunity to pick one up yet.

The TWSBI 580 is a classic vehicle for getting into the piston-filler game at a great price, and TWSBI's quality is to a point nowadays where you'll get plenty of use out of the pen before anything breaks (assuming you treat it well). If black isn't your thing, there are many, many colors to choose from. Whatever color you pick, you'll be getting a solid pen that packs a ton of value, utility, and whimsy.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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