Twsbi eco

[writingrav]

Any reports out there yet? Mine is in the mail. Really, who could resist?

[TerraNoir]

Where did you order yours from?

[Lady Onogaro]

You can buy them off of the TWSBI site. They are @28.99.

http://www.twsbi.com/

[writingrav]

Where did you order yours from?

Yes. Directly from Twsbi.

[TerraNoir]

Well I feel sheepish. Haha! I will definitely have to do that today!

[ThorCW]

Mine should be here Monday !!!

[Jon Szanto]

I've only seen a couple preliminary reports, but they were from fanbois on reddit. I love them, but I'll wait for just a tad more objectivity. :)

[migo984]

You can buy them off of the TWSBI site. They are @28.99.

http://www.twsbi.com/

TWSBI want to charge silly prices (more than the cost of the pen) for shipping to Australia, for some reason, even though they are fairly close to us. I'll give this one a miss for now, for that reason.

[Jeph]

Well, that is not a bad looking pen for the price. For less than $30 you can overlook that the nibs are not screw-in units. I imagine that the nibs will still be replaceable by normal nib change methods though. Goulet should have them at the end of the month.

[ThorCW]

I can only order from goulets when its a big order. 7.95 shipping eats up my budget for pens and ink.

[manoeuver]

Got mine saturday. Solid. Looks nice, smooth piston, 100% performance writing so far.

[Laura N]

I can only order from goulets when its a big order. 7.95 shipping eats up my budget for pens and ink.

I think I saw this at isellpens, and Todd's shipping is very reasonable -- usually $3, or free for purchases over $75.

[ThorCW]

I ordered mine from twsbi got it yesterday. The medium nib runs a bit fine but ohhhhh sooooo smooth.http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/07/21/6d296bdd02833132e2be624ccf3dd614.jpg

[gbryal]

I got mine a couple of days ago. All of my other TWSBIs are fine, extra fine, and broad, so I thought I'd try a medium on the Eco.

I was surprised at the smooth nib. It's smaller than TWSBI's other nibs, but really skates on fountain pen paper. I used it on some cheap post-its at work and it wrote pretty well on those also.

I had trouble getting a complete fill, and I wonder if it's because I didn't lubricate the piston; I don't know if they do it at the factory or not. I got it around half full after two attempts, though, and that's a lot of ink.

It feels lighter than say, the 580, but is about the same size. All in all a pretty good pen and something to consider if you are in the Safari and Metropolitan price range but don't want a C/C pen.

[Costanza]

I had been resistant to TWSBI for a long time and I really don't know why. I guess it was all the talk of cracking, etc. . . I ordered a 580 about 6 months ago and have not had any trouble with it at all. I actually quite enjoy it.

Since that worked out, I ordered an ECO on Thursday in black with a 1.1 Stub. I plan on using it when I get some Herbin Emerald of Chivor ink. Well - obviously, I plan on using it before that, but I bought the pen specifically with that ink in mind.

[writingrav]

I've been using mine for two days and I'm very pleased with it. Obviously, can't speak to its long term viability, but out of the box it worked great, nib is better than expected on a Twsbi, piston is smooth and easy and it writes with a nice flow. I have Stormy Grey in it (its the white model) and still can't get those gold flecks to show up consistently. Very frustrating. I may still buy the Emerald Chivor because I like the looks of the color gold or no gold.

[Lady Onogaro]

Have you guys seen Dan's Review of it? Also, you might take a look at Ed Jelley's. I would just like to know whether your experience is the same as theirs.

[gbryal]

Have you guys seen Dan's Review of it? Also, you might take a look at Ed Jelley's. I would just like to know whether your experience is the same as theirs.

I think I concur with Dan for the most part. The cap doesn't post terribly deeply, and while it hasn't come off while I have been writing, it seems perfectly possible. In my hand, the lip of the cap is a bit above the edge of my hand so doesn't contact. There are obvious o-rings on the pen, and that isn't a bother for me, but it's something to consider. They are in recesses and don't appear to be going anywhere.

I can't say much about Ed Jelley's aesthetic complaints about the cap and piston knob. To me they look fine.

And again, super smooth writer.

[writingrav]

I thought Dan's review was very fair and would agree with it except that I so far haven't had a problem posting The o rings don't bother me. I thought Ed's review was not really a review, but just first impressions and didn't help much. I don't find the cap hideous at all, in fact just the opposite. Taste I guess. As tot he worry about cracking, anyone who has owned a Twsbi is aware of that risk and only time will tell.

[reprieve]

I bought two of them--one in black and one in white with a 1.1mm nib and a fine nib. They arrived yesterday, but I haven't inked them yet.

Aesthetically, I like the modern look. I think it's an attractive pen. The clear section allows you to see the entire feed and nib. It feels sturdy and well-made. The piston moves smoothly. It's a good size unposted and feels nicely balanced in the hand. For the price point, the Eco is pretty impressive. The Lamy Safari better watch itself. :)

I plan to use mine with higher-maintenance inks. We'll see if they write as well as my other TWSBIs.

[Freddy]

I ordered two from Goulet Pens, a white with a 1.1 stub nib and a black with an extra fine nib. I have only used the white/stub but I have to say I am very impressed. The nib is incredibly smooth, the pen feels comfortable in the hand, even when posted (and it is really lonnnng when posted), and I like the look of it. I have mine filled with Diamine Oxblood and the flow is very good. I have had no skipping or starting issues. Time will tell how the pen will hold up but my immediate thoughts are quite positive.

[KrazyIvan]

I ordered the 1.1 in black from Andersonpens.com and it is sitting on my desk at work, waiting for me to get back in the office. Been working from home as my car is in the shop. :(

[inklord]

Recently I paid a visit to Anderson Pens here in WI, USA, and had the pleasure to hold the new Eco for a bit (by the way - if you live anywhere near Appleton, WI and haven't been to Anderson Pens, you are depriving yourself of a serious treat - wonderful store, staff, and merchandise!!).
It seems to be a real high quality pen, not just for the money, but in general. The friction fit nib/feed assembly actually makes this pen more attractive in my view since you can now see the ink trickle into and through the feed and over the base of the nib. It is also more simplistic and minimalist in a positive way when compared to the rather complex and a bit 'baroque' looking Diamond 580. The piston's action is as smooth as on any of my (much higher priced) piston pens - in fact, it made a $400.- pen used for comparison look so-so when it came to piston smoothness and ink capacity. If the durability is as good as my initial impression, this would be an ideal starter pen, especially for the youth market.

[manoeuver]

I've been rocking a hacked-up G comic nib in mine.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3998985/2015-07-29%2010.04.32.jpg

Nib swaps are way, way easier than on any other TWSBI. The feed/section design eliminates the Achilles Heel of the 5X0 series- the section being held on to the pen by the feed collar, a part that TWSBI doesn't even manufacture. Ugh- I've broken more of those than I care to say.

We shall see if the ECO has any weak or brittle spots in due time, but between the section redesign and the vastly improved posting situation, it seems to me the Eco may be a better pen then the 580.

[inlovewithjournals]

Thanks to everyone who posted. I'm excited - Canada Post says mine will arrive today! I ordered the white with a medium nib from Wonderpens.ca.

[reprieve]

I've been rocking a hacked-up G comic nib in mine.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3998985/2015-07-29%2010.04.32.jpg


What ink is that?

[manoeuver]

What ink is that?
my dearly departed Sailor Jentle Epinard.

[Zhivago]

I got mine today. My only real complaint/question is why did TWSBI make them so that the piston stops further away from the nib and feed than is normal? My picture below shows the Eco next to a Pelikan M200. I couldn't get a full fill without doing as Dan did in his video review. After inverting the pen and pushing the air out, I got the same fill I get normally in a Pelikan or my Pilot 92 without the extra step.

http://i59.tinypic.com/abnk0o.jpg

[manoeuver]

I got mine today. My only real complaint/question is why did TWSBI make them so that the piston stops further away from the nib and feed than is normal? My picture below shows the Eco next to a Pelikan M200. I couldn't get a full fill without doing as Dan did in his video review. After inverting the pen and pushing the air out, I got the same fill I get normally in a Pelikan or my Pilot 92 without the extra step.


Just a guess, but using their existing piston, they could either do what they did or make the barrel that much shorter. Redesigning their already very good piston would likely have added $$ (and years.)

as it is, with a single piston swish the thing holds more ink than I like to put in a pen. That's just me.

[sgtstretch]

I got mine today. My only real complaint/question is why did TWSBI make them so that the piston stops further away from the nib and feed than is normal? My picture below shows the Eco next to a Pelikan M200. I couldn't get a full fill without doing as Dan did in his video review. After inverting the pen and pushing the air out, I got the same fill I get normally in a Pelikan or my Pilot 92 without the extra step.


Just a guess, but using their existing piston, they could either do what they did or make the barrel that much shorter. Redesigning their already very good piston would likely have added $$ (and years.)

as it is, with a single piston swish the thing holds more ink than I like to put in a pen. That's just me.

Not sure on the Classic or Mini, but the 580 is designed the same way. I didn't understand it either, seems like having the piston come almost to the feed would be a better design, like the Pelikan.

[KrazyIvan]

The piston rod is too short, it would fall out if it went further. Making the rod longer would make so it would hit the inside of the piston housing cap when retracted. It's a compromise.

[sgtstretch]

The piston rod is too short, it would fall out if it went further. Making the rod longer would make so it would hit the inside of the piston housing cap when retracted. It's a compromise.

Yes, but at the other end of the pen, if the barrel was a bit shorter, the empty space in front of the fully extended piston wouldn't exist.

[KrazyIvan]

The piston rod is too short, it would fall out if it went further. Making the rod longer would make so it would hit the inside of the piston housing cap when retracted. It's a compromise.

Yes, but at the other end of the pen, if the barrel was a bit shorter, the empty space in front of the fully extended piston wouldn't exist.
I see your point. Maybe similarities in size to the 580 has something to do with it. I also see that if it were shorter, you would risk hitting the back of the feed with the piston seal. That can be a catastrophe when full of ink. My ahab does that and while I have not had an accident, it's annoying.

[carlos.q]

I've been rocking a hacked-up G comic nib in mine.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3998985/2015-07-29%2010.04.32.jpg

Nib swaps are way, way easier than on any other TWSBI....

Do you know what other nibs may be swapped for the Eco nib?

[Zhivago]

I should have added that I'm very pleased with how mine is writing. The M nib is smooth and writing flawlessly with De Atramentis Document Dark Blue. A big thumbs up to that ink as well. The Eco is a bit of an ugly duckling looks wise, but perhaps that is part of its appeal.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I just ordered a white with F nib. We'll see how well it writes outta da box!

[manoeuver]

I do.

[KrazyIvan]

Fwiw I asked TWSBI about the space at the bottom of the piston, it was on Instagram. I checked today and it looks like it was either erased or maybe there was a glitch. I asked again today.

I like my 1.1

[writingrav]

I've been rocking a hacked-up G comic nib in mine.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3998985/2015-07-29%2010.04.32.jpg

Nib swaps are way, way easier than on any other TWSBI....

Do you know what other nibs may be swapped for the Eco nib?

I would be interested in knowing this also.

[KrazyIvan]

I've been rocking a hacked-up G comic nib in mine.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3998985/2015-07-29%2010.04.32.jpg

Nib swaps are way, way easier than on any other TWSBI....

Do you know what other nibs may be swapped for the Eco nib?

I would be interested in knowing this also.
It looks to be a #5 nib

[manoeuver]

Do you know what other nibs may be swapped for the Eco nib?

Nibs from the Mini or Classic swap into the Eco, you have to wiggle them out of the feed housing, which is tight. The 5X0 nibs do not fit in the Eco (I tried.)

The G nib I'm using is heavily modified to fit the eco.

Woulda been nice for pen hackers if TWSBI would have gone with the #6 size nibs; we'd have tons of options for swapping then. As it is we are mostly limited to TWSBI nibs (which makes more sense for TWSBI of course.) The #5 nibs aren't remotely proprietary either, it's just that #6 nibs are more plentiful.

[inklord]

Do you know what other nibs may be swapped for the Eco nib?

Nibs from the Mini or Classic swap into the Eco, you have to wiggle them out of the feed housing, which is tight. The 5X0 nibs do not fit in the Eco (I tried.)

The G nib I'm using is heavily modified to fit the eco.

Woulda been nice for pen hackers if TWSBI would have gone with the #6 size nibs; we'd have tons of options for swapping then. As it is we are mostly limited to TWSBI nibs (which makes more sense for TWSBI of course.) The #5 nibs aren't remotely proprietary either, it's just that #6 nibs are more plentiful.

Would be interesting to extract a #5 Mike Masuyama ground stub or italic from Franklin-Christoph from its JoWo feed assembly and try that in the Eco... one might end up with a sub $90 top-notch nibbed piston filler.

[manoeuver]

Would be interesting to extract a #5 Mike Masuyama ground stub or italic from Franklin-Christoph from its JoWo feed assembly and try that in the Eco... one might end up with a sub $90 top-notch nibbed piston filler.
That's a great idea. I've got one of those, hold on a minute.

[KrazyIvan]

Well my second request was deleted also, so maybe TWSBI does not care to answer the question. A bit off putting.

[manoeuver]

Good Thinking Inklord.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3998985/20150801_100100.jpg

[Laura N]

Do you know what other nibs may be swapped for the Eco nib?

Nibs from the Mini or Classic swap into the Eco, you have to wiggle them out of the feed housing, which is tight. The 5X0 nibs do not fit in the Eco (I tried.)



So does this mean the Eco doesn't have TWSBI's usual screw-in nib assembly?

But one could still swap nibs, as with a Prera nib and other low-end Pilots, by removing the friction-fit nib and feed and then pushing a new one back in place?

I'm sorry I may seem dim but I'm just trying to understand. This TWSBI seems different than the ones I've owned in the past.

[manoeuver]

So does this mean the Eco doesn't have TWSBI's usual screw-in nib assembly?

That is correct.


But one could still swap nibs, as with a Prera nib and other low-end Pilots, by removing the friction-fit nib and feed and then pushing a new one back in place?

Also correct.


I'm sorry I may seem dim but I'm just trying to understand. This TWSBI seems different than the ones I've owned in the past.

Not dim, but wise to ask questions until you're sure you understand. This TWSBI is​ different than all their previous models, in precisely the way you describe. In my opinion it's a better design.

[Ares_92]

Good Thinking Inklord.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3998985/20150801_100100.jpg

Whoa....I'm starting to get ideas haha

So far my Eco has worked very well. I bought a extra-fine nib and have taken it to the daycare I work at and my Biology class for labs. So far so good and I get in a couple minutes of soccer with those kids at work. No problem for the Eco. Great pen, very glad I got one.

Angel

[dannzeman]

I've been rocking a hacked-up G comic nib in mine.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3998985/2015-07-29%2010.04.32.jpg


This is sick, bro.

[dannzeman]

I see some of you have seen my review. I plan on posting an update in the next week or so as I've been using it everyday. I haven't had a problem with it posting but wanted to show how little effort was required to get the cap to release. I would have liked TWSBI to have made it so it would post on the barrel. Maybe next time.

[top pen]

So it the Safari beater that it was touted as being?

[reprieve]

I inked up the white Eco with the 1.1mm stub nib this morning (I still haven't inked the black fine nib yet). The 1.1mm nib has good line variation and is super-smooth. I'm using Sailor Sei-boku and I've had zero issues with skipping or hard starting. I like the clear plastic section more than the 580AL's section--since it's plastic, the Eco is less slippery. I like it better aesthetically, too, being able to see the ink saturate the feed. It's really balanced in my hand and isn't back-heavy or front-heavy. It's large enough that I don't want to post it but isn't so big that I feel like I'm wielding a baseball bat.

I'm really impressed so far.

[reprieve]

So it the Safari beater that it was touted as being?

That's how I plan to use mine. I bought two of the Ecos, one white and one black, and am going to use them with high-maintenance inks (Platinum Carbon and Sailor Nano) and toss them in my pencil case to use at work. We'll see how they hold up. At least so far, my initial impressions are very positive and I don't expect to have any issues.

[KrazyIvan]

2058120582

[dannzeman]

So it the Safari beater that it was touted as being?

I think there's advantages to both. The Safari is nearly indestructible and has a wider selection of cheaper nibs. But it also has that annoying section and uses a proprietary c/c.

I think the Eco feels better and the piston is a huge bonus. I sincerely hope they've worked out the durability issues but it's too early to tell.

[Armstrong]

The quality of the piston is the thing that draws me to TWSBI pens. There are other lower cost piston pens but they usually have a single seal. I like the Lamy Safari, except for the hole in the body. I like the triangular grip. But, the piston with the ability to wet the feed on demand and remove air from the ink chamber is a huge advantage over the Lamy. And I agree, proprietary cartridge systems, and 'view ports' to keep you from doing an eyedropper conversion burn me. That is why I rarely use a Lamy now.

[manoeuver]

So it the Safari beater that it was touted as being?

For the money, it's a good alternative to the Safari. I'll be keeping my Safaris and using them about as much as I always have for numerous reasons, including:


Slip cap is very convenient
I dig the grip section on the Safari.
time-tested durability
easier to flush than any piston pen
sometimes I don't want a ~2ml fill of ink
sometimes I want to travel with an uninked pen and an untapped cartridge.
more colors available
nobody asks me 'is that a vape?'


The eco's potential awesomeness doesn't (can't, really) detract from the strengths of the Safari, which remains a modern classic.

[fountainpenkid]

The funny thing for me is that it took TWSBI to make a budget pen to finally design a functional nib assembly.

[Silverbreeze]

The funny thing for me is that it took TWSBI to make a budget pen to finally design a functional nib assembly.

Grumpy McMuchinton :-)

[Bogon07]

Armstrong - if you like the Safari but not the ink window you could get a rollerball and swap in a fountain pen grip section. Lamy does make a Z24/26 converter if you want to be able to 'prime' the feed piston style.

Every talks about the Safari but not the German Online pens range which includes a large variety at about $10AUD less than the Lamy Safari - which take
international cartridges or converters and have a more rounded less severe triangular grip section. They mostly come with Iridium Point Nibs in M but other options can be sourced including left hand nibs in separate sections. However they don't have the same ABS plastic nor classic design of the Safari.

It will be interesting to see if TWSBI introduce some more colour options in the future for the ECO.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Got mine: a white F. Inked up with Skrip Green. Back-heavy when posted, and doesn't post well, but I LOVE the nib. For the money, iz good pen.

[Mags]

This is a nice economical pen. Mine arrived and the review by Dan was well done. I would add that I prefer the metal wrench over the plastic one. The body without metal parts I think I may prefer the Eco to the 540 and 580. I found a complete fill impossible on the pen so had to push air out of the piston and do the last third fill using the same tip in Dan's video review.

I went to Pendleton Brown for a "butterline stub grind extra soft" on the Broad nib. So I can not attest to the stock smoothness but I am pleased with Pendleton's work on the limited run of 24 ECO's he had on his website.

[alc3261]

This is a nice economical pen. Mine arrived and the review by Dan was well done. I would add that I prefer the metal wrench over the plastic one. The body without metal parts I think I may prefer the Eco to the 540 and 580. I found a complete fill impossible on the pen so had to push air out of the piston and do the last third fill using the same tip in Dan's video review.

I went to Pendleton Brown for a "butterline stub grind extra soft" on the Broad nib. So I can not attest to the stock smoothness but I am pleased with Pendleton's work on the limited run of 24 ECO's he had on his website.
I never see anything on his website eg at present I can see a TWSBI 580Al and nothing else.
Is this correct?

[KrazyIvan]

[speculation]I'm writing my review of the Eco and something just occurred to me about those ridges that don't let the piston all the way down. They look a lot like ink windows. Maybe a future variant? [\speculation]

[Mags]

This is a nice economical pen. Mine arrived and the review by Dan was well done. I would add that I prefer the metal wrench over the plastic one. The body without metal parts I think I may prefer the Eco to the 540 and 580. I found a complete fill impossible on the pen so had to push air out of the piston and do the last third fill using the same tip in Dan's video review.

I went to Pendleton Brown for a "butterline stub grind extra soft" on the Broad nib. So I can not attest to the stock smoothness but I am pleased with Pendleton's work on the limited run of 24 ECO's he had on his website.
I never see anything on his website eg at present I can see a TWSBI 580Al and nothing else.
Is this correct?

Yes looks like his 24 pens are all sold. He is just selling the 580 nib not the entire pen.

[Lady Onogaro]

Armstrong - if you like the Safari but not the ink window you could get a rollerball and swap in a fountain pen grip section. Lamy does make a Z24/26 converter if you want to be able to 'prime' the feed piston style.

Every talks about the Safari but not the German Online pens range which includes a large variety at about $10AUD less than the Lamy Safari - which take
international cartridges or converters and have a more rounded less severe triangular grip section. They mostly come with Iridium Point Nibs in M but other options can be sourced including left hand nibs in separate sections. However they don't have the same ABS plastic nor classic design of the Safari.

It will be interesting to see if TWSBI introduce some more colour options in the future for the ECO.

Well, I for one would love a purple cap! :-)

[RHJ]

[QUOTE=manoeuver;140166]I've been rocking a hacked-up G comic nib in mine.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3998985/2015-07-29%2010.04.32.jpg


What was the original nib you ordered in your Eco? I ask because apparently the 1.1 stub feed has heavier ink flow than the f,m,b feeds. I'm not sure if the f,m,b feeds would be able to keep up

[RHJ]

What was the original nib you ordered in your Eco? I ask because apparently the 1.1 stub feed has heavier ink flow than the f,m,b feeds. I'm not sure if the f,m,b feeds would be able to keep up

[manoeuver]

I got an extra fine originally. Been rocking a 1mm CI in it for a while now, no problem with the feed.

Where'd you hear the feeds were different for the stubs? I'd be surprised if that were true.

[fountainpenkid]

Got mine a few days ago. (white, F nib). Nib is somewhat scratchy (unlike my previous TWSBIs), and the pen is not reliable enough for even normal daily use, as the feed seems to be severely short on surface area and floods even when simply holding the pen nib down. Have others experienced this?

[cwent2]

Got mine a few days ago. (white, F nib). Nib is somewhat scratchy (unlike my previous TWSBIs), and the pen is not reliable enough for even normal daily use, as the feed seems to be severely short on surface area and floods even when simply holding the pen nib down. Have others experienced this?

I can only speak for myself - I have not had any problems with mine, White Medium nib. You are the first person I have read about to have any issues with this pen, also I believe the only fine nib I have seen mentioned.

Cw

[Ste_S]

Got mine a few days ago. (white, F nib). Nib is somewhat scratchy (unlike my previous TWSBIs), and the pen is not reliable enough for even normal daily use, as the feed seems to be severely short on surface area and floods even when simply holding the pen nib down. Have others experienced this?

There's a couple of people over on FPN who've had a burping problem. Also a couple of people who've had cracking issues

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/294197-twsbi-eco-quality-issues/page-3

[writingrav]

Got mine a few days ago. (white, F nib). Nib is somewhat scratchy (unlike my previous TWSBIs), and the pen is not reliable enough for even normal daily use, as the feed seems to be severely short on surface area and floods even when simply holding the pen nib down. Have others experienced this?


Sounds like you should contact Speedy for a replacement. I have two with no issues.
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/294197-twsbi-eco-quality-issues/page-3

There's a couple of people over on FPN who've had a burping problem. Also a couple of people who've had cracking issues

[wascallyrabbit]

Good Thinking Inklord.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3998985/20150801_100100.jpg

how do you get the f-c nib out? are they just pressed fit together?

[Armstrong]

I got an extra fine originally. Been rocking a 1mm CI in it for a while now, no problem with the feed.

Where'd you hear the feeds were different for the stubs? I'd be surprised if that were true.

I have two of them in constant use with 1.1mm stub nibs. The feeds for the stub nibs are different than the feeds for regular ball nibs in that they have a higher flow rate. They work wonderfully even with highly saturated Noodler's inks. Maybe you got a stub feed somehow in a pen that should have the ball nib feed? That would be my guess. The other would be that the feed just needs adjustment because it wasn't seated properly at the factory. In my experience these are very reliable writers, so much so I am making them my work horse pens.