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thagbert
March 21st, 2013, 10:42 PM
Just got my 580 today in the mail. I ordered it from their eBay site. It arrived promptly. I also ordered their really cool inkwell and some ink from Goulet Pens.

The ink well is awesome! See the video about it on the Goulet Pens site;

www.gouletpens.com/TWSBI_Diamond_50P_Orange_Ink_Bottle_p/tw-m7443380.htm

Can't wait to ink it up. I figured out that this pen is made in Taiwan.

This also my first piston filler. (oops)

KrazyIvan
March 22nd, 2013, 10:10 AM
Congratulations. The 580 is looking like a winner for TWSBI. I am trying hard to not get one since I have the 530 and 540 already. Oh, and the 580 is a piston filler not a vac filler. :)

snedwos
March 22nd, 2013, 02:39 PM
It's sort of a vacuum... Or rather, it's playing on the principle of horror vacui "Nature abhors a vacuum".

KrazyIvan
March 22nd, 2013, 03:21 PM
It's sort of a vacuum... Or rather, it's playing on the principle of horror vacui "Nature abhors a vacuum".

Yes but then all pens, except eye droppers, would be vacuum fillers and that's no fun.

snedwos
March 22nd, 2013, 06:14 PM
Yes but then all pens, except eye droppers, would be vacuum fillers and that's no fun.

And cartridge fillers.

Wolfeeh
March 25th, 2013, 02:37 PM
My First Post :)

I picked up a Diamond 580, clear, fine nib today with some Noodler's Bulletproof Black ink from http://purepens.co.uk as I snapped my Lamy Al-Star in half where the grip meets the barrel :( and I needed a replacement quality pen in a hurry. Turns out the office/headquarters of PurePens is less than 5 minutes drive from my house and I've been driving past it every day for the last five years without even knowing it was there!

Anyway, fantastic pen, very happy with it, top notch build quality, killer good looks, writes like a dream.
I think it would also be appropriate to say that PurePens offered top notch customer service, bearing in mind they do not have a shop front, this is their office but they welcomed me in, let me have a good look at the product, test it out and even filled it up for me prior to leaving (I'd never used a piston-filler before). Good Stuff.

But yeh, back to the pen.... don't hesitate, buy it!

writingrav
March 25th, 2013, 02:52 PM
Welcome. Excellent choice.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Wolfeeh
March 25th, 2013, 03:57 PM
Hehe, hello, thank you.

I vaguely felt like I was going out on a limb a little as I'd only seen one video review of the pen by some guy called sbrebrown but it looked good so I thought what the hell. It was that, another al-star or a lamy studio.

To be honest I will be trying to get the al-star exchanged as I only bought it last week, but I've lost the receipt, if not I will see if lamy will repair it and if they won't I will eventually buy a replacement as that was meant to be my work pen. The studio appeals a lot but the diamond 580 looked so crazy I had to try it first and I'm glad I did.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Eclectica
March 25th, 2013, 06:39 PM
Ditto: Got my Diamond 580 in the mail a few days ago. Really exciting :dance3: ! Went for F nib in the end.

Took a few days to find some quality peaceful time to calmly fill it and try it - impressed.

Smooth, good flow, comfortable, ahhh... sweet!

thagbert
March 26th, 2013, 11:09 AM
This sucker is huge compared to my Pilot Prera! Seven (177mm) inches long with the cap posted! I think I'm going to order a TWSBI Diamond Mini. I have a proclivity for demonstrators.

19291930

KrazyIvan
March 26th, 2013, 11:35 AM
It's not really meant to post.

thagbert
March 26th, 2013, 11:53 AM
I figured that out. Yet it still posts.

KrazyIvan
March 26th, 2013, 02:45 PM
It is a good way to crack the cap threads.

Wolfeeh
March 26th, 2013, 05:37 PM
I saw the mini in the shop. It was fantabulous. if I'd had another £42 I'd have bought one then and there. but that said they had black only and i fancy a clear one like my 580.

Freddy
March 27th, 2013, 09:59 PM
I saw the mini in the shop. It was fantabulous. if I'd had another £42 I'd have bought one then and there. but that said they had black only and i fancy a clear one like my 580.

I have the demonstrator Mini and love it. I also have a demonstrator 540 that writes like a dream so really have no need to consider the 580. However, I'm always on the lookout for new TWSBI products. :)

Tracy Lee
March 29th, 2013, 06:04 PM
My 580 arrived earlier than expected. I have inked and played and have to say I rather like it very much. Thick wet lines, good ink flow. 1.1 stub nib, my first real nib of this type. I think it will be a well used addition to my collection. Who knew? Of course, pretty much everyone but me. :)

Saintpaulia
March 29th, 2013, 07:09 PM
I am (perhaps alas) totally immune to the blandishments of TWSBI's 500 series pens - they are all much too large for my hand. Hence when they came out with the Mini I was, all of a sudden, no longer immune to TWSBIs. They finally got me. I know this thread is about the 580 but I've seen some posts that have snuck in mentions of the Mini, so... I bought one a couple of weeks ago in a medium from the Ebay TWSBI store, and when I got it I found it wrote as a fine. Since TWSBI would not take it back, despite being basically new (inked once to determine, yes it is a fine), I said, "OK, I'll sell it". Which I did. With the proceeds of that and a bit of extra cash I turned around and bought the same pen, another Classic in a BROAD nib. And I got it from Goulet Pens this time and not TWSBI's store on Ebay. It arrived today and I inked it up this hour with J. Herbin Larmes de Cassis, breaking my own habit of always inking a new pen with my 'tried and true' Waterman Serenity. Anyway, it writes as a medium thank you very much. Not very smooth yet, but it is a new nib.

thagbert
March 29th, 2013, 10:29 PM
I agree that the 580 is large. I ordered the mini yesterday.

Tracy Lee
March 30th, 2013, 05:31 AM
Size does matter. I am off nominal in my enjoyment of oversized heavy pens so the 580 struck me as almost the right size, a little light. But it wrote well on my Doane paper scribbling last night. Deliciously wet. Gonna be an ink sucker!

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Wolfeeh
March 31st, 2013, 02:56 PM
Surely you can never have enough pens? and it really is worthy of your hard earned dollah.



I have the demonstrator Mini and love it. I also have a demonstrator 540 that writes like a dream so really have no need to consider the 580. However, I'm always on the lookout for new TWSBI products. :)

Saintpaulia
March 31st, 2013, 04:31 PM
Truly the TWSBIs are a great value for one's money. To me they are the "anti-Pelikan", which, in my view, are over-priced and over-rated.

KrazyIvan
March 31st, 2013, 05:03 PM
I have both a 540 and a few Pelikan pens. The broadest TWSBI nib barring the stubs are still not as wet, flexy or broad as a Pelikan medium nib. As much as I like my TWSBI pens, and I recommend them to anyone, my Pelikans are higher quality pens.

Saintpaulia
March 31st, 2013, 05:49 PM
Of course they are higher-quality. That was not my reasoning. They are not higher enough quality to warrant what they want for them. I believe people have become subconsciously convinced that Pelikans are wonderful pens worth every penny of what they cost, so naturally, when they get them, they are pre-disposed to say, "Great pen. Wondeful. Such quality!" etc. I think that the emperor has very few clothes. Not naked, but not opulently decked out either.

Now granted TWSBIs are not flexy. If you want that then TWSBIs are not for you. TWSBIs have greatly increased the nib breadth offerings howoever. Just be sure to order an extra size up for what you want (i.e. order a broad for a medium, etc.). I can get good flex nibs for alot less money than buying a Pelikan if that's what I wanted.

writingrav
March 31st, 2013, 06:21 PM
I will say that the Broad nib on my new 580 is as wet as any I've seen, wetter than my classic Pelikan nib from the 80's

jfsisler
March 31st, 2013, 08:02 PM
Oh sweet Lord, I finally succumbed....after buying my new vacuum with my bonus check, I had some left over and of course you know how taht goes. Good to know not to post the cap - it's not a problem one way or the other for me, but I'd rather not break it and learn that tidbit the hard way. Also finally found a broad nib for my Esterbrook so I'm happy. Easy come easy go with the bonus check but Liberty Mutual was good to me this year:)

KrazyIvan
April 1st, 2013, 08:56 AM
Of course they are higher-quality. That was not my reasoning. They are not higher enough quality to warrant what they want for them. I believe people have become subconsciously convinced that Pelikans are wonderful pens worth every penny of what they cost, so naturally, when they get them, they are pre-disposed to say, "Great pen. Wondeful. Such quality!" etc. I think that the emperor has very few clothes. Not naked, but not opulently decked out either.

Now granted TWSBIs are not flexy. If you want that then TWSBIs are not for you. TWSBIs have greatly increased the nib breadth offerings howoever. Just be sure to order an extra size up for what you want (i.e. order a broad for a medium, etc.). I can get good flex nibs for alot less money than buying a Pelikan if that's what I wanted.

Maybe it's because I got mine before the ridiculous price hikes, through the Goulet Outlet Bottom Shelf deals and/or off eBay for a lot less than street prices. As Doc brown stated, value is in the eye of the beholder. I can respect your point of view. I was there a couple of years back. After purchasing over 100 pens (I just took a count this past weekend) It wears off and I just buy what catches my eye and is what I consider affordable. Eric alluded to this in one of the broadcasts. The longer you stay in the hobby, the easier it gets to start seeing pens you used to consider off limits as more attractive and attainable. I have not broken the $200 barrier. :)

A large majority of my pens are budget pens. You can see almost all of my pens at my Flickr page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/). I feel fortunate to have been able to purchase or trade for what I would consider expensive pens.

Don't get me wrong, TWSBI is a great value. TWSBI not only listens to their customer base, they use the customer base as a resource to develop and improve their pens. Something I don't think I have seen other pen companies do so overtly and something that I find admirable.

Tracy Lee
April 1st, 2013, 01:18 PM
Maybe it's because I got mine before the ridiculous price hikes, through the Goulet Outlet Bottom Shelf deals and/or off eBay for a lot less than street prices. As Doc brown stated, value is in the eye of the beholder. I can respect your point of view. I was there a couple of years back. After purchasing over 100 pens (I just took a count this past weekend) It wears off and I just buy what catches my eye and is what I consider affordable. Eric alluded to this in one of the broadcasts. The longer you stay in the hobby, the easier it gets to start seeing pens you used to consider off limits as more attractive and attainable. I have not broken the $200 barrier. :)

A large majority of my pens are budget pens. You can see almost all of my pens at my Flickr page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/). I feel fortunate to have been able to purchase or trade for what I would consider expensive pens.

Don't get me wrong, TWSBI is a great value. TWSBI not only listens to their customer base, they use the customer base as a resource to develop and improve their pens. Something I don't think I have seen other pen companies do so overtly and something that I find admirable.

Upon buying my TWSBI this last week, I realized I hadn't broken the $200 barrier in years either, but in the reverse direction. :eek::beer:

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

snedwos
April 2nd, 2013, 04:13 PM
I thought the €90 I paid for my M215 at a brick and mortar store was pretty good bang for my buck for a really nice pen. Does it feel twice as nice as my 540 which cost about €50? Nope. Straight out of the box, anything not TWSBI feels like a ripoff.

Skip ahead 10, 20 years and I'm confident my Pel will still be around and oft-rotated. My TWSBI has already needed a replacement part.

But my main reason for wanting pelikans is an aesthetic one. They just look great.

thagbert
April 2nd, 2013, 07:03 PM
It's not really meant to post.

I just got the TWSBI Mini and it appears to be made to post.

KrazyIvan
April 2nd, 2013, 07:05 PM
I just got the TWSBI Mini and it appears to be made to post.

Yes, it even has threads. Convenient isn't it. :)

jor412
April 9th, 2013, 06:28 AM
After purchasing over 100 pens (I just took a count this past weekend) It wears off and I just buy what catches my eye and is what I consider affordable. Eric alluded to this in one of the broadcasts. The longer you stay in the hobby, the easier it gets to start seeing pens you used to consider off limits as more attractive and attainable. I have not broken the $200 barrier. :)

I don't want to hijack the thread but this is an interesting idea and probably deserves its own separate discussion.

fountainpenkid
April 9th, 2013, 03:19 PM
Hmmm....I must decide...TWSBI Mini or 580...for my "weird inks" pen.

thagbert
April 9th, 2013, 03:31 PM
Hmmm....I must decide...TWSBI Mini or 580...for my "weird inks" pen.

The Mini. The 580 is huge.

fountainpenkid
April 9th, 2013, 03:41 PM
The Mini. The 580 is huge.

From what I gather, the 580 is the size of a Pelikan m800 in many ways, and the m800 is the size of my paragon, who's size doesn't bother me in the least. I had a mini before, and didn't like the o-rings.
The 580 holds more ink as well, so I think I'll go with the 580.

thagbert
April 24th, 2013, 06:51 PM
I just ordered a Broad nib for my 580. I currently have a Fine nib.

writingrav
April 24th, 2013, 06:59 PM
I just ordered a Broad nib for my 580. I currently fave a Fine nib.

I have the broad and it is really nice. Writes lusciously wet.

jfsisler
April 24th, 2013, 07:00 PM
Writes lusciously wet.

I have the 1.1 stub and it is the wettest nib I have....fantastic

thagbert
April 24th, 2013, 07:43 PM
Writes lusciously wet.

I have the 1.1 stub and it is the wettest nib I have....fantastic

I have Noodler's Purple Heart loaded in mine. It's beautiful!

UK Mike
April 26th, 2013, 02:36 PM
At the risk of derailing the love for TWSBI, I purchased a 580 not long after they were released in spite of not liking demonstrator pens. There is no doubt it has become a cult pen - I doubt there are many being used outside the world of the "Pen Geek."

The pen I got was a medium nib and a poor writer with many hard start events and frequent skips. Thanks to TWSBI's superb customer service, I was sent a replacement nib and feed - the new feed is much better but the nib is not as good. It is wet enough but not my favourite pen by any means.
I don't need a large ink capacity because I change colours quite frequently and the nib is a standard German JoWo which along with Schmidt and Bock equip the majority of low to medium price European pens - so its ok but nothing special.

The TWSBI is very nicely packaged but I have a feeling you are buying a £35 pen with £15 worth of packaging.

Everyone's opinion will vary but for me the heart of the pen is the nib rather the filling mechanism, so for me the 580 is an ok pen but nothing special. As a writing instrument, in the same price range I prefer the feel of my Monteverde Prima which takes a converter, has none of the TWSBI gadgets, but has a delicious vintage feel and a very smooth nib.

This is just my take - I realise many people love the features of their TWSBIs but I don't feel the pens are exceptionally good, just good.

msolok
May 1st, 2013, 10:23 PM
UK Mike:
I have to agree with you. I recently bought 3 TWSBI pens, a VAC700 with M nib, a 580 with M nib and a 580 with 1.1 stub nib. All had issues writing out of the box. All skipped and had flow issues, and the 580 with M nib would even gush ink onto the page. Thinking it could just be the pens had manufacturing gunk in them from the factory, I pulled them completely apart and cleaned them (even used a soft toothbrush to scrub the feeds). I put them all back together and re-inked and the same issues existed. So apart all the pens came again and I gave them an even more thorough cleaning. Then when I was reassembling I tried to slightly adjust the nibs to give a better, more consistent flow, made sure the nibs and feeds were all correctly aligned, and then went back to using them. Still the same issues existed.

So I figured I would send an email off to TWSBI with the issues. They responded advising me to try and adjust the nibs by first squeezing the Nib wings, and then to take the nib and push it down hard on a flat surface in order to spread the tines. I had issues with this, as it seemed a very imprecise and dangerous way to adjust the nibs, and will be meaning there is more of a gap between the feed and the nib. But I followed their advice and I gave it a go, and when I tried writing again I found that I STILL had the flow issues and the ink would start and stop, but now my nibs felt more scratchy (obviously as they are slightly misaligned). So I carefully readjusted the nibs so they were smooth again, and replied to TWSBI's email saying I was still having the issues.

The next response was for they asked that I send them my pens and they will adjust them for me. I have 1 major issue with this, and that is I am based in Australia. So I had already paid to ship the pens to me here (which was around $40 from memory), and now I would have to pay $60 to send the pens back (we get hit with far higher costs down here, and while this was not the cheapest option to send the pens it was the cheapest which includes insurance and signature on delivery). So I was faced with having to stump up an extra $20 a pen to get QC issues fixed by the manufacturer.

At this stage I made a decision that the pens were not worth the cost. It was driving the costs of each of these pens way up. If that's the choice I had I saw no point in throwing good money after bad. So I replied to TWSBI saying that I found it hard to stomach having to stump up an extra $20 a pen to send them back for repairs when they simply would not work out of the box. I have yet to receive any sort of response from TWSBI to this last email, and it has been several days.

I do like the size and weight of the TWSBI pens. They are maybe a little smooth for me, but still I find them nice to hold. However they are really letting themselves down with the QC. The nibs clearly have an issue (and I am wondering if the nibs aren't able to keep a good flow of ink as well, causing the nibs to run dry after a few lines), and the issues with cracking which have plagued the Diamond series from the get go (and I am not convinced that they are solved in the 580. The plastic grip section looks to be VERY likely to crack, due to it being sandwiched between the hard metal collar and the plastic pen body).

And, in all honesty, I have found nothing in TWSBI's service that makes it outstanding. They are average, at best.

My TWSBI's will probably be relegated to a draw somewhere as they simply don't write in any sort of reliable or useable fashion. My $20 Kaweco's write PERRFECTLY out of the box and are a pleasure to use, yet are cost less than half what the TWSBI's do. And my $20 Noodlers pens simply blow the TWSBI's out of the water (and I have spent less time tinker with my 20+ Noodlers pens than I have my 3 TWSBI's).

woosang
May 1st, 2013, 11:39 PM
At the risk of derailing the love for TWSBI, I purchased a 580 not long after they were released in spite of not liking demonstrator pens. There is no doubt it has become a cult pen - I doubt there are many being used outside the world of the "Pen Geek."

The pen I got was a medium nib and a poor writer with many hard start events and frequent skips. Thanks to TWSBI's superb customer service, I was sent a replacement nib and feed - the new feed is much better but the nib is not as good. It is wet enough but not my favourite pen by any means.
I don't need a large ink capacity because I change colours quite frequently and the nib is a standard German JoWo which along with Schmidt and Bock equip the majority of low to medium price European pens - so its ok but nothing special.

The TWSBI is very nicely packaged but I have a feeling you are buying a £35 pen with £15 worth of packaging.

Everyone's opinion will vary but for me the heart of the pen is the nib rather the filling mechanism, so for me the 580 is an ok pen but nothing special. As a writing instrument, in the same price range I prefer the feel of my Monteverde Prima which takes a converter, has none of the TWSBI gadgets, but has a delicious vintage feel and a very smooth nib.

This is just my take - I realise many people love the features of their TWSBIs but I don't feel the pens are exceptionally good, just good.

I also agree with you. I do have the mini (ef) the 540 (f) and the vac 700 and I love the mini, the others aren'ty favourites the 580 with the 1.5 is dry and hard to start. It's smooth but the ink can't keep up. Shame. Also like you, I don't need a massive ink capacity to my poor Twsbis lie unused. I should contact twsbi about my dry nib though.

cwent2
May 13th, 2013, 06:08 PM
Received my Twsbi 580 today m nib - more like a m +1/2 - had an everlast 14kt on a dip pen, so I tried it nice fine line with an added bonus - line variation or the gold nib is a little flexie.

Don't know whether I should just use the everlast or purchase another nib unit?

Nonsensical
May 14th, 2013, 12:21 AM
I guess there are several parts to it:

1. The customer service.
2. The FP community gets a big say in the design of new products - it becomes like your baby, if you follow it enough.
3. Piston filler at that price point. Same goes for the Vac.
4. Demonstrator pen. (Love hate sort of thing).
5. Being able to completely take it apart to clean, etc. Some people, like me, love taking things apart just to see how it all fits together.
6. The hope that next time maybe I'll get lucky, and it will work perfectly out of the box - all 4 of mine have, at least.
7. Innovation - TWSBI has been willing to take on projects that not many other companies have been willing to. Eg. Low price point piston filler, Vac filler, Micarta as a material for FPs.

I guess I have been lucky in general, and have also bought enough pens that don't work well straight out of the box that I've learned how to adjust my own nibs etc. So far only one pen has managed to defy all my attempts to get it working perfectly - a Parker Sonnet that just won't stop skipping a little.

And yes, I am a big fan of TWSBI, so I may or may not be a little (or very) biased.

CapeClear
May 14th, 2013, 12:03 PM
I kinda fancy a mini with the 1.1mm stub but I see there's gonna be a Vac mini so I'm half looking out for that. The customer service sounds grand and all but the talk of that kind of eclipses the pens themselves sometimes imho. It definitely makes me think twice about purchasing a TWSBI. I don't really want to have to engage with the manufacturer after purchase, I just want whatever I buy to work. Maybe the magic is lost on me though :)

thagbert
May 21st, 2013, 08:06 PM
I got the broad nib for my 580. Not feeling the love. I think I might go to the 1.1 Stub like I have on my Mini. I love that nib!

Anyone wish to share their experiences with current TWSBI nibs?

writingrav
May 22nd, 2013, 04:44 AM
Sorry to hear you're not happy. I love my 580 Broad.

thagbert
May 30th, 2013, 03:50 PM
Proposed color for TWSBI Diamond 5803111
From TWSBI Facebook page.

thagbert
May 31st, 2013, 05:47 PM
If you are a UT fan that color might excite you. It looks like a burnt orange. Anybody know the Pantone color number for UT burnt orange?

Update:
UT Burnt Orange is Pantone 159c. The TWSBI color is Pantone 1585c. They are next to each other on the Pantone color chart.

Sorry, not everybody is from Texas! UT = University of Texas. It's in Austin, Texas. 50,000 students.

Jeph
July 3rd, 2013, 09:29 AM
I have used my TWSBI 580 with EF nib now for 3 days at work. I am very happy. My Sheaffer Prelude M was a little too wide so I decided to try the EF on the TWSBI. I am very happy with the results. The nib is very smooth and actually provides a little flex and I have had no flow problems with Diamine Denim. I inspected the nib under magnification and saw (and more importantly felt) nothing to change. When I write with my normal pressure, the line is a crisp .5 mm about exactly what I want. When I write "properly," the line is more like .35 mm (more than 3 and less than 4) and slightly dry. When I apply a little pressure the line is about .7 mm or the same width as my Prelude M. I am not particularly fond of demonstrators but I do like this pen. The grip is comfortable for the way that I write and the pen does not feel heavy, it just feels like it is there. I use it unposted.

thagbert
July 3rd, 2013, 04:21 PM
I have used my TWSBI 580 with EF nib now for 3 days at work. I am very happy. My Sheaffer Prelude M was a little too wide so I decided to try the EF on the TWSBI. I am very happy with the results. The nib is very smooth and actually provides a little flex and I have had no flow problems with Diamine Denim. I inspected the nib under magnification and saw (and more importantly felt) nothing to change. When I write with my normal pressure, the line is a crisp .5 mm about exactly what I want. When I write "properly," the line is more like .35 mm (more than 3 and less than 4) and slightly dry. When I apply a little pressure the line is about .7 mm or the same width as my Prelude M. I am not particularly fond of demonstrators but I do like this pen. The grip is comfortable for the way that I write and the pen does not feel heavy, it just feels like it is there. I use it unposted.

Yeah, you're not supposed to post the 580. Otherwise it would be monstrous. Nor is it designed to be posted.

KrazyIvan
July 5th, 2013, 09:53 AM
I wonder if all the cracked caps come from people posting the cap.

tandaina
July 5th, 2013, 11:35 AM
Maybe, I adore my 540, it lives in the loop of my Midori notebook and has never had a single issue with cracking. But then I never post caps... Hmm.

I'm not a fan of that color, despite living in Austin for five years. But I like TWSBIs partly for their totally clear bodies, so I'm probably not the person to ask!

velo
July 21st, 2013, 11:16 PM
Well I just broke my Lamy Vista and have come to realise that I want at least one demonstrator in my small collection.

So an order for the TWSBI 580 1.1 stub has gone through. Come on international post!

writingrav
July 22nd, 2013, 04:21 AM
You won't regret it. Enjoy!
Well I just broke my Lamy Vista and have come to realise that I want at least one demonstrator in my small collection.

So an order for the TWSBI 580 1.1 stub has gone through. Come on international post!

thagbert
July 22nd, 2013, 04:30 AM
Well I just broke my Lamy Vista and have come to realise that I want at least one demonstrator in my small collection.

So an order for the TWSBI 580 1.1 stub has gone through. Come on international post!

I love the TWSBI 1.1 stub nib.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

velo
July 22nd, 2013, 08:07 AM
It's my first stub nib so hopefully it writes a little easier than my Lamy italics. Actually it's my first piston filler as well.

Fun times ahead.

paultyler_82
July 23rd, 2013, 04:12 PM
So far on my 540, I've had the cap threads crack, the piston-end of the barrel crack, and I had the threaded end of my nib unit shear off. That said, TWSBI was very good to me on the customer service front and posted replacement parts very quickly. The pen itself is one of the easiest pens to disassemble, repair, tweak, clean, etc. I have no complaints whatsoever and despite some growing pains, I think the company is doing pretty well.

Jeph
July 25th, 2013, 12:16 AM
I have now had a chance to try my 580 with the 1.5 nib and confirm what others have said. The feed cannot keep up with that massive nib. When it does write it is very nice, but even writing slowly letters that start with an upstroke you can forget about. It is a beautiful, smooth line when it writes though. I may work on the nib some but I am pretty sure that is not the problem.

southpaw52
July 25th, 2013, 11:43 AM
It is a good way to crack the cap threads.

The 580 cap is meant not to post?

Jeph
July 25th, 2013, 12:12 PM
It is a good way to crack the cap threads.

The 580 cap is meant not to post?

Correct, do not post the 580

ypsilanti
July 25th, 2013, 10:11 PM
So sad to hear about all these TWSBI troubles. I love love love my TWSBIs. I've got a 580 with both a M nib and a new 1.1 stub (it's amazing), a VAC700 with a B nib, and a new Micarta with a B nib. They all write beautifully, very juicy. I've experienced some hard starts, but I'm still a FP neophyte and have to figure out the right pen/paper/ink combos that let the individual pens and inks really shine. I've not found myself attracted to mini pens, but the TWSBI Mini might actually convert me.

I like mango pudding
July 25th, 2013, 11:14 PM
It is a good way to crack the cap threads.

The 580 cap is meant not to post?

Correct, do not post the 580

please explain...

I always post even on my largest pens, the 149 right down to my diamond mini

Jeph
July 26th, 2013, 02:34 AM
I don't have a link handy, but several people have quoted Speedy as stating that the pen (540 and 580) was never meant to be posted.
edit: http://fpgeeks.com/2013/02/differences-between-the-twsbi-580-and-540/

Notice that Speedy chimes in and explains the purpose of the ring below the filler knob and does not dispute the "not meant to be posted" comment.

The cap cracking issues on the 540 appear to be directly related to people posting the pen.
You can post it, but if you look at the fit of the cap to the filler knob you can see that it does not exactly look happy. The cap threads are what is holding the cap to the filler. Bad juju.

I frequently try to post my 580 accidentally (habit) and immediately realize that it does not really fit before I cram the cap on there.

YMMV

thagbert
July 26th, 2013, 04:30 AM
Plus, if you post that sucker, it's HUGE!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

jacksterp
July 26th, 2013, 05:31 AM
It is a good way to crack the cap threads.

The 580 cap is meant not to post?

Correct, do not post the 580

please explain...

I always post even on my largest pens, the 149 right down to my diamond mini

DO NOT post the pen - PERIOD. The cap is not designed to fit on/over the barrel-end piston knob.

That's all there is to it.

KrazyIvan
July 26th, 2013, 09:11 AM
Jeph pretty much got it right and jacksterp summed it up nicely. :D You can post it but you are asking for troubles. Leave the posting for the mini and the Vac 700 which were designed to post. The 530, 540, 580 are not designed to post. I own the 530/540 with no cracks nor issues and I don't post.

I like mango pudding
July 26th, 2013, 10:01 AM
okay great.

scratch one more pen off my wishlist.

cwent2
July 26th, 2013, 01:59 PM
The 580 is still 5 1/8 long uncapped from tip of nib to back of barrel and weighs in at 17g again uncaped and inked.

A comfortable pen - (Hand size 7.5 inches from wrist to tip of fingers)

cw

velo
August 1st, 2013, 02:01 AM
My 580 arrived safe and sound.

Verdict?

I like it. It's a really good size and weight. The stub nib is smooth and easier to use than my Lamy italics. I like the design with the faceted barrel and the metal parts on the pen.

I think the price is just about right. A little less and it would be unbeatable. Props to thewritingdesk (no affiliation) for the quick and relatively inexpensive international post.

danyluis
April 11th, 2014, 05:43 PM
My First Post :)

I picked up a Diamond 580, clear, fine nib today with some Noodler's Bulletproof Black ink from http://purepens.co.uk as I snapped my Lamy Al-Star in half where the grip meets the barrel :( and I needed a replacement quality pen in a hurry. Turns out the office/headquarters of PurePens is less than 5 minutes drive from my house and I've been driving past it every day for the last five years without even knowing it was there!

Anyway, fantastic pen, very happy with it, top notch build quality, killer good looks, writes like a dream.
I think it would also be appropriate to say that PurePens offered top notch customer service, bearing in mind they do not have a shop front, this is their office but they welcomed me in, let me have a good look at the product, test it out and even filled it up for me prior to leaving (I'd never used a piston-filler before). Good Stuff.

But yeh, back to the pen.... don't hesitate, buy it!


Hi,

I know it's been more than one year since you posted this comment, but since I'm planning to buy one TWSBI 580 and have been using my Lamy AL-star for the last 10 years, I would like to know how would you compare them in terms of writing smoothness. I still use and love my Lamy, but the demostrator thing is very attractive.

Thanks in advance,
DF

Jeph
April 12th, 2014, 03:09 AM
I don't have an AL-Star but my 580 EF writes wonderfully. It is not THE best, but it is good enough to where I do not think about the way that it writes. I can't remember for sure, but I think that I did not even smooth that nib as it did not need it. I consider myself very picky about the way that my pens write. Also, as it is really too big for any of my pen cases, it gets carried around loose or at most in a backpack pocket and I still have no cracks anywhere. But I do not post it.

It is also a little disturbing that non-FP people are more impressed by my TWSBI than many of my exotics worth many multiples of the cost of the 580.

nigh means near
April 15th, 2014, 10:46 PM
I don't have the 580, but I've got a TWSBI Classic, and multiple Al-Stars and Safaris. The thickness of line between the fine TWSBI's nib and the Lamy's is negligible. The main difference is that the TWSBI writes wetter and much much smoother. I think the 580's nib is produced by the same manufacturer. I did have a cracking issue, but I had a replacement part in my hand a week after I reported it, so I have no complaints in that regard. The TWSBI is currently my most used pen.

earthdawn
April 15th, 2014, 10:49 PM
I bring nothing to the thread... just some TWSBI porn ...

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac10/thevaporcafe/ED78C3CF-5FBF-48F1-A796-0E2CE90CFF6D_zpsiakd57uh.jpg (http://s880.photobucket.com/user/thevaporcafe/media/ED78C3CF-5FBF-48F1-A796-0E2CE90CFF6D_zpsiakd57uh.jpg.html)

changabanga
April 21st, 2014, 07:17 AM
Just adding my quick two cents. I have both the 580 and the Mini, and ever all prefer the Mini mainly because it posts. In all other respects the two are pretty much the same other than size. I got the Mini in the half black half demonstrator version, and I think I like that look better as well, compared to my demonstrator 580.

Cookies
April 21st, 2014, 12:12 PM
Hi,

I know it's been more than one year since you posted this comment, but since I'm planning to buy one TWSBI 580 and have been using my Lamy AL-star for the last 10 years, I would like to know how would you compare them in terms of writing smoothness. I still use and love my Lamy, but the demostrator thing is very attractive.

Thanks in advance,
DF

I have a Mini and a Safari and I would say my Lamy is much smoother than my Mini. Both are xf nibs that write pretty close to the same width. The Mini is probably about 5/10 wetness and I would say the Lamy is 6/10. I've had zero problems with my Lamy and a ton with the Mini. But I do find the Classic color scheme much more attractive than my Safari.

rgperedo
April 25th, 2014, 03:43 PM
My TWSBI 580 is amazing. I recommend it to any and all who are debating, just go for it. I will however say that the "posting" issue is a little irksome, but I am definitely going to get a min as well. The EF nib is excellent on my 580. I don't regret getting the 580 for a second. Not being able to post a pen can sometimes be a deal breaker, but honestly I don't mind so much on this pen, the lines it puts down are great. I feel like the nib is perfect, and it makes me want to improve my penmanship! Everyone should get a 580! and a mini!

Jeph
April 26th, 2014, 02:55 AM
My TWSBI 580 is amazing. I recommend it to any and all who are debating, just go for it. I will however say that the "posting" issue is a little irksome, but I am definitely going to get a min as well. The EF nib is excellent on my 580. I don't regret getting the 580 for a second. Not being able to post a pen can sometimes be a deal breaker, but honestly I don't mind so much on this pen, the lines it puts down are great. I feel like the nib is perfect, and it makes me want to improve my penmanship! Everyone should get a 580! and a mini!

It looks like we have another convert. And I can't disagree with anything that he said. I recently put my EF nib unit back in and it writes a perfect (for me) .4 mm line. I have looked hard at a few higher priced similar pens and so far the result has been the same: "Why bother? I have the TWSBI 580 and other than posting is has and does everything that I want."

rgperedo
May 4th, 2014, 07:55 PM
Yes, I am definitely a TWSBI man. I have 3 Lamy fountain pens (2 x safari, 1 x vista) I am easily much happier with my 580. I do also like my Lamy pens very much as well, but the TWSBi is just what I'm looking for. I have a Diamond mini that should be here tomorrow, and I'm excited to use it everyday. I can give my 580 a rest. I haven't inked up my safaris in a while because I really enjoy the weight of my 580. With that being said, I love the safaris and I am going to perhaps get one more (and AL-Star) just to see if the weight will be better suited to my needs and wants. Of course the 2000 is always in the back of my mind. I wouldn't write off Safaris, but in my opinion and experience my TWSBI 580 is superior. Of course that's all subjective.