I think this isnt said enough. The quality of work, the variety and the durability at that insane price point is sooo ridiculously good. I have a lot of different pens (and to be honest, twsbi isn't one of my 2 daily drivers) but i always compare them to the first time i wrote with a twsbi eco. If a twsbi can write that good at that pricepoint i started to expext this of more expensive pens. Ps TWSBI PLEASE RELEASE A MAT BLACK DIAMOND 580 AL
You reminded me of this post. Like i said i have 2 daily drivers a Ti Ultra (my everything fountainpen) and a kaweco brass sport as backup. Now i can say that i use a twsbi nib. Found out a vac 700 nib and feed fits a bock housing. So thats what i have been using for a month and will be for the foreseeable future. Even bought an extra bold nib to make it in to an architect nib.
@@schwestersven3406 bought it the day it released hahahaha. Ow and btw took out my premium nib in the kaweco brass sport i had en put an twsbi eco nib in the brass sport pen. Fits like a charm!
I’ve had a Twsbi Diamond 580 for almost two years now as one of two daily writers. My dad bought it for me for Christmas. He’d had a stroke in the year prior that has caused him to be delusional much of the time. His personality has changed a bit and his memories are somewhat scrambled. He hardly feels like my dad a lot of the time now and it makes me miss him even though he is right there. But he remembered that I like fountain pens. And he managed to go online and buy one for me, which wasn’t easy given his physical state. It let me know that my dad is still in there.
The TWSBI is how I got back into fountain pens. I used them in my teens, & early twenties, , but then got very busy with kids. Still dabbled a bit. Then at 66 I had a mild stroke. Right-sided, and I'm left-handed. Small motor skills were affected a bit. Then at a ladies' Bible study, a friend was using a TWSBI ECO-T. I bought one. Then another. I'm back into fountain pens. I write to aid in learning & memorizing. My handwriting has improved, and I'm having a great time. All my grandkids have been gifted fountain pens now, too. The hobby doesn't have to break the bank - there are a lot of very good pens for under $100. I've gone over that only once for the Bronze Sport, but got it for under $160. (Loved your review.) Thanks for the fun TWSBI video.
As someone who has plenty of homework I have to agree that this has been the best nib to not dry as I think/study and write notes. Thank you for sharing.
Another TWSBI fan here. I kept watching you twist the pen around, showing off its facets and waiting you to mention how beautiful they are in real life, and also how lovely the ink looks sloshing around in the barrel. So, the diamond facets on the Diamond 580 are visually satisfying, especially when you have a lovely ink in the barrel behind them. I also like the logo and the finial, like an angular triskelion.
I am SO glad you are sharing that you love the TWSBI pens...they are my favorite to write and sketch with. I love the price point of them as well. They are very consistent for me.
I just got myself a TSWBI Diamond last week. I'm glad to hear that the pen is ready to write. This was my pet peeve when I last picked up a fountain pen.
Yes. I have that same model and it’s great. Also same problem with my Taroko drying up. I keep an inkwell of water on my desk and just dip it (and others that dry) - that reopens flow instantly.
TWSBI was one of my first fountain pen purchases besides office store cartidge pens (Cross, etc.). I selected it mainly for its reputation to not dry out as I used to not handwrite very frequently, and my pens would always be dry and hard to start when I took them out of my laptop bag. I have the Prussian Blue ALR and a Diamond Mini, and I love them so much it has inspired me to do more writing. I also have introduced two of my daughters to fountain pens. They use them more for drawing than writing, and we are having a blast trying different inks. Thanks for a great review!
I have five and love them all!! One had a cracked cap and TWSBI replaced it for free. Another had a cracked barrel and again, they replaced it for free. Love these pens and your review!!
I couldn't agree more, these fountain pens are definitley one of the bests I have found out there. In terms of quality of the materials and the design of the fountain pen I can say that TSWBI is a solid option for everyone! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts about it!
Totally agree with you Alicia .I feel that the diamond 580 al, lamy 2000 & the pilot 823 are the trifecta of daily writers. Dependable, reliable and durable. If you are starting out in this hobby and you have some money but not a lot you can definitely get by with these fountain pens. I missed the boat on getting an 823. And now because I'm retired and on a limited income can't really splurge as I use to, Did and have the pilot custom urushi, 149, dolcevita oversize , pelikans m1000 & m805s and I could embarrassingly go on and on. If I had to it over again it would be the twsbi/2000/823. For vintage I love my pfm/goldfink oversize/ aikin Lambert Capitol cabinet that's over a 100 years old which I got from Peyton Street pens.
I wouldn't call myself a pen expert. I currently own an Edison Collier, a TWBSI Eco, a Pilot Preppy and an Ancola. The two I like the best are the Edison, and strangely enough, the Pilot Preppy. The TWBSI is probably in third place when I reach for a pen. I agree with all the points that you make, although I am neutral about the finial. I guess my next pen purchase will be either a Sailor or an Edison. Thank you for posting this excellent video. You present extremely well. The videography is excellent. I especially appreciate seeing the details of your handwriting and how you use the pen. The "set" is well thought out and does not distract from the pen and paper. You, the camera, and the pen all work together and offer a very interesting, worthwhile presentation. Lastly, I am impressed with the watch you are wearing. Thank you.
I only have one TWSBI, it happens to be the Eco with the extra fine nib. It even glows in the dark! I agree with your summary, they are a unique brand and I can confirm mine writes without any problems every time.
Great video. I like the Minis. They just fit my small hand. They write smoothly. I appreciate the VAC Mini when travelling, as it did not leak when in the plane.
Spot on review - one with which I agree. Thank you! I have two Diamond 580's (one is the ALR in Prussian Blue that is far more pleasing to the eye than I expected). I also have the same Mini that you do plus a couple ECO's (one ordered by mistake, but I will keep it or gift it) and one GO "knock around test pen." They are also the only pens I have bought for others as gifts. The 580's are exactly as you stated: Robust, Reliable and ALWAYS Ready to write. I'll add that they're also comfortable and easy to maintain. I have other pens I use more often (perhaps because they are more gracile??), but these are attractive work pens that I KNOW I can rely upon! Plus, the incredible clarity of the transparent barrels kind of astounds and pleases me each time I pick one up! Btw: "Gracile" is a new word to me. It's perfect in the sense you use it here and is another thing with which I agree. "Refined" might be another appropriate and somewhat similar description but these also have a certain "engineering" beauty to them too -- especially their 580 line.
I'm glad you enjoy your TWSBI's so much. Personally, I find them decent and for me the 580 ALR (Prussian Blue!) is my favorite TWSBI but it's always a very close second to my Narwhal (now Navhalur) "Peter Draws". The cost was similar, the Narwhal writes just a bit more smoothly for me and it's a bit less bulky.
I 💯 agree with you that TWSBI pens are special pens. Mine always start after long periods of non-use and have performed well with shimmer inks. Thanks for sharing 💕
I agree with your thoughts on TWSBI pens. They‘re easily serviceable and great wet writers. Mine were all perfect out of the box. I have the 580s and ECOs. Sure, there are prettier pens out there, but TWSBI‘s definitely have their place in my collection and daily use.
I love when you do pen reviews. I like that Diamond 580 and the VAC700r. I have had Diamonds that I haven’t used for months and they work the moment I pick them up. The nibs feel really good too. I think better than some gold pens. I have had a few issues with the Eco and cracking.
I like the fact that the TWSBIs don't dry out. I use them for keeping my checking account up to date and I don't use them that often. The only time one even starts to dry is when I have archival ink in it, and just using it for a second solves the problem.
TWSBI is the way I recently entered the fountain pen world. I purchased 2 so far and I use one for general writing and another to add color with a stub nib. I like the fact that they are rugged and leak proof that I can carry around in my pocket and not worry that they will leak. I like the way the nib just floats on the paper and has no problem with me twisting the nib around. In this of everything digital, it’s nice to write, illustrate and do caligraphy.
I'm late to the party, but I wanted to chime in and echo your admiration for this excellent pen. All very well said. Real quick, however, the 580 can break, unfortunately, (below the clip-points) just at/above the cap's circular "collar." I'm not sure why. Though I am careful, it is possible that when posted, the cap wedged too tightly and cracked. It was only a matter of time before it literally detached. Not a design-flaw, I'm sure, but a word to the wise is always helpful. On the 'pen drying' note, in my limited experience (three pen brands, half a dozen inks, and three ink companies), I've always found an ink's drying time a factor on how quickly a pen nib dried and needed additional encouragement to flow. Thanks for your observations. Excellent. Godspeed to you and your entourage on your next adventure!
I completely agree with you on TWSBIs. I own several and they are a good, reliable, workhorse of a fountain pen. The mini Vac is the pen that is always with my planner, always. I also have the Vac Iris, now that is a heavy pen, but I prefer the Diamond 580, it is better balanced and has a good size/weight. I have several Ecos and I have learned that the Eco-T works really well for me on days that my hand is acting up, although I never liked a triangular grip before. That's the beauty of a not-so-expensive pen, it gives you the opportunity to try different options. I always thought the Eco was a bit ugly when I saw it in pictures, but I was actually pleasantly surprised when I saw one in person. I liked it much better than I thought I would and I really like to see the ink, sloshing around in there, especially red ink 💉😄 I prefer Fine and Extra Fine nibs, and all my non-Eco TWSBIs (the more expensive ones) were really good writes, right out of the box. But for some reason I have had no luck with the Fine or Extra Fine nibs of the Eco/Eco-T. They were all scratchy and not in a good way. But that was a few years ago, and it could be that I just had some bad luck 🤷♀️ Maybe I should test that out soon (or at least that's the excuse I'll tell myself when I order a new pen 😉). How is school going? Do your students like (your) fountain pens? I actually had to use a fountain pen in elementary school (it wasn't the norm in schools). I don't remember how old we were, but at one point we all got a fountain pen at the beginning of the school year and we HAD to use it. It felt so special, I loved it 💚
My first fountain pen of my adult life was the TWSBI 540 when it first came out. Back then there was cracking issues and mine was fine for a long time before it finally gave up and the barrel cracked 😢My next purchases have all been stupid in terms of cost and I still agree with you Alicia when you say for the price, TWSBI are incredible pens. Although I have the 580 ALR and I hate it with a passion. That aluminium grip section does my head in, it's so slippery and too thin for me, BUT the nib is divine. It writes like a dream and is wet enough and feels great and I enjoy it but that damn grip 😠 Anyways, good to see you, thx for another superb chatty video, I do enjoy your 'thoughts' on all things stationery. Hi to Bryon, Fig & Bean and I hope you're all well. 👍🏻😄
Agreed on all counts, finials included. I have two Diamond 580's (both EF), but they, along with my two Opus 88 Demo's (flex EF Franklin Christoph nibs), are my most reliable and most used pens. I am relatively new to the pen world, but I do have some much more expensive pens, some of which have been somewhat to completely disappointing. I am really glad to have found TWSBI (as well as Opus) as I want to concentrate more on the words written and not on the pens themselves!
This makes me want to do a pen video 😜 Also is makes me want to try a TWSBI. I never much cared for the way they look but hearing how much people love them does make me want to try one!
My gosh thank you so much for this video, I have one pen that you have to coax into writing any time you let it sit for 30 minutes or longer and it drive me crazy. I thought there was something wrong with the pen. I have been very fortunate to not have this issue in any of my other pens……wait I do have 2 more that do this and I rarely use them because of this! I feel so much better now to know this is normal for many fountain pens
I love TWSBI, and, in particular, the Diamond 580, for all the reasons that you have mentioned. I also agree with the “cons” that you have stated. (I don’t mind the chunkiness, though.) I have a Diamond 580 in every nib width! I think that the calligraphy nib on the Diamond 580 is more precise than many that I have used. A would also love it if the Diamond 580 came out in different colors. My five are identical to each other, and I can distinguish them only because I affixed a tiny piece of colored tape to the end of each one. Daisy from Yoseka Stationery does a wonderful breakout of all the nib widths in the ECO and Diamond 580 lines.
I loved my TWSBI Eco. It had all the traits you covered. I stopped using it though when the plastic section holding the nib cracked and began to leak. It is an fairly inexpensive pen, but I haven't chosen to replace it.
Same here, I have two, both never left my work desk at home, treated carefully, both cracked :-/ .. too bad, love their look, and the nibs are great. Hesitant to buy another Eco (even if I can get replacement parts for cost of s&h). I wonder if the 580 doesn't have this problem since the section seems much more robust.
I have two diamond minis laying around on mouse pad, and both got a big Dent and chipped on the barrel. I barely handled them, they were just laying on the corner of my mouse pad. My $5 preppy been tossed around everywhere, dropped, handled far more often without scratch
I love the Twsbi eco pens so much and they are at my price level. I had left one somewhere and forgot where .I found it about a year later picked it up and it still wrote beautifully. Love them 🥰🥰❤❤
In Seville and all Andalusia we said that “a person has angel” meaning is one in a kind, and believe me when I say that Alisha has “angel” undoubtly. Inspiring and warm make me feel peaceful and relax hearing her speak with so much interest about her pens (a lot of pens !). To place a BUT, most are very expensive and unaffordable but in any case a pleasure to hear her speak about, also the letter is nice but in my opinion a bigger “lettering” will be a better option for videos…or not. Thanks, be well
Came for the Twsbi, stayed for the Channel! I use the TSWBI ECO-T, I have two of them, in F and EF. The F is more akin to a 0.5 pen and i like that profile better, and then when I go back over my notes later and add details, I use the EF in an orange color =)
Agree on wanting a better finial, I had hoped to glue a Visconti “my pen” stone to the top of my Eco and sadly it still wouldn’t cover all the red, but still might try to paint an easily replaceable one like my Eco clear 🤔😁
I've had a 580 Prussian Blue with a 1.1mm nib for quite some time now and i love it. Delightful writer. I just bought a Twsbi Swipe in Smoke with an extra fine nib, and that's a really nice writer as well. The Swipe is very good value for money. Along the same lines i also love my Narwhal Original in Hippo' Purple. Another great writer and the Hippo' Purply is beautiful to look at.
I recently got a mini vac and replaced the nib for a ultra flex one to draw with it, it’s my most expensive Twsbi now and the quality is amazing! Love your glasses btw 😊
That logo! 😮💨 I totally agree about it... I liked the older style, its low key and not as gaudy as the older style. But otherwise the are definitely solid, affordable, and great performing pens. Can forgive the negatives as it performs so well.
I like the word "substantial." Like you, I like pens that can be used with the weight of them carrying the ink onto the paper and all I have to do is guide it, not "press" on it. That's why I like my Kaweco Steel Sport and Brass Sport pens (both in EF, of course!). I also like my TWSBI 580 ALR in Prussian Blue. It is one of my favorite pens, although it's been out of the rotation for a while now. I need to get it out of it's storage case and use it for a few days! I like my TWSBI mini in silver, too, as well as my TWSBI 580 ALR in silver.
I like the Lamy Safari, too, but I have found that the nib dries up if you don’t use the pen for a few days. Both the TWISBI pens and the Platinums are more reliable because their caps keep air out.
I would also like to see the Twsbi Mini in the smoke color and the whole line in a wider variety! I hope they will do that soon. Thanks for sharing. I really like your pen thoughts videos!
I started my TWSBI journey with a Swipe, The build quality was just not what i was looking for so upgraded to an ECO. The ECO was amazing and sold me on upgrading to the Diamond.
TWSBI's sealing mechanism is superb and puts to shame most big brands (I'm looking at you Lamy). Personally the finial appeals to me but I agree with everything else you noted. Thanks for making these videos.
I too love my TWSBI's. I have 2 580's, a VAC 700R and a mini VAC. I think where me and thee differ is... 1:38... I ain't giving mine away !! THAT'S how much I love my TWSBI's.
I totally agree with your assessment of TWSBI (except I like their fineal 😜). I used to be a gold nib snub but TWSBI fixed that. I now have 2 Vac700 and a Diamond 580 and I know more TWSBI are in my future! Thank you for a nice review.
Been wanting to get one in white/rose gold.Think I'll probably go for the mini. Just returned from the SF Pen Show. Was my first and quite an overwhelming experience. Now wishing that I'd had more bandwith to do and see more, but I'd reached endurance limit. Just a recommendation that it's something to do at least once. See that the California Pen Show, fairly new, will be in February. Thanks for this video.
Bang on Alicia! I love my two TWSBI Ecos... Reliable, robust, and straight bang on the buck pens, that are amazingly reliable; and they check a lot of boxes on what a good fountain pen should write and perform.
the twsbi 580 is pretty much perfect: I have very small handwriting and those JoWo nibs are just a bit too thick for me(I have the F and EF nibs) - love the feel of those nibs but my preference is my collection of Pilot78g+ EF’s which put down a finer line and are not so bulky; thanks for this:)
TWSBIs are the perfect example of a low cost product is designed for performance. Not at all fancy to look at but they work. Well. And the piston fill large capacity 'demonstrator' design is just perfect for a pen geek who wants to enjoy the beauty of the mechanism.
I have some TWISBI Pens too in the meantime, mainly due to your recommendation, since I used to doubt on the qality and sturdyness of a plastic pen from China/Taiwan. They really are good! In quality and usability almost comparable to the Pelican M200 which I use too, and better than some others. For the Price a good deal. However, I find that Pelican has slightly more comfortable nibs. Thanks for the introduction. What I don't like is that they are demonstrators, but I slowly get used to that.
As someone who has had the opposite experience with TWSBI, that they crack, are scratchy, are picky about ink etc. it always makes me happy for people who have not had my experience with them. I do keep trying to like one, but the rainbow vac 700 was supposed to have fixed the cracking and it didn't so I have given up. It makes me really sad, because I agree with you that they are very pretty, very approachable, and pretty affordable.
Guess why you do not try the other Twsbi's meaning the real "insane" priced, 3$ not 30. Get 10 of them, and if still crack guess you better write with a ball pen, with all due respect. Unfortunatly Can't see the beauty of TWSBI'S but I am 70 not 35, and with a very límites budget and I guess That's the reason why. Rather more interesting are, in my molesting opinion, the eyedropered Indian Pens used by scholars in that Country an USA shop was selling them some years ago. Be well
I do like my TWSBI Diamond 580 AL R and I do very much appreciate how it's built and how it feels in my hand. The only thing I really enjoy more in other pens is how it writes. I feel like it's a very rigid nib, without any spring to it. That's down to personal preference ofc, but yeah, I like a softer nib. ; )
I’ve realized that my hands don’t like the Eco as much I once thought. The mini diamond in white rose is one of the most satisfying, comfortable and pretty pens. I have the Iris and it’s too heavy. I’ll try out the larger version. Thanks!
I love my 580s as well. However, for years my daily writer has been and will be my TWSBI Micarta. The best and most beautiful pen ever produced (in my humble opinion). It is simply perfect. Such a pity that it is no longer produced. To admit: my Micarta does have a special nib made by Mr. Pendleton. An amazing stub nib that is. It pushes the perfect pen even one step higher. That pen I would not sell even for 1k $. Seriously.
I love posts where people try to match the wet/dry attributes of the nib and the character of the fountain pen with the color and feel of all the gorgeous and sometimes finicky inks! So beautiful and intuitive and satisfying to watch people approximate some inner truth for their fountain pen babies~ Please do another when you figure out what pens to ink the inks you are trying to not hoard/to use! Also any tips for how you can write so small and neatly with medium nibs?
I was sure I would love my 580, but I don’t. The fine nib it came with was awful, so I replaced it and I still have problems with it. :( it’s scratchy and sometimes the Ink flow just stops. Perhaps I’ll try yet another nib. I’m glad you love yours!
So relaxing to hear you … so elocuent just perfect timing. No more Goulet or Anderson Pens silly and absurds(with all due respect) reviews. Love time ago Vittar inks reviews and JetPens tutorial are good too, in my opinion of course. Thanks again, this is kind@ “pen yoga” review to me. Cheers
The thing is, I don't DIS-like TWSBI pens, but they just don't excite me in any way aesthetically or in the feel/personality of the nibs. No question however about their excellent price point and practicality.
