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fountainpenkid
April 20th, 2013, 02:26 PM
Anybody else find this pen VERY uncomfortable? The convex section combined with the light weight and thick grip makes it an awful experience for long sessions. (for me) How do other people feel about this pen for long writing sessions?

gylo
April 20th, 2013, 03:21 PM
Each to there own, I don't have the same problems, however I love the fact I can stick the mini in my jeans pocket and take it anywhere. For quick work like notes the fact it's a screw top and needs posting is not helpful, so I use the pilot VP, but that's not as pocketable, can't win!

snedwos
April 20th, 2013, 04:13 PM
For longer sessions I'd rather use a 540/580, but I think it's rather comfortable.

fountainpenkid
April 20th, 2013, 04:25 PM
Each to there own, I don't have the same problems, however I love the fact I can stick the mini in my jeans pocket and take it anywhere. For quick work like notes the fact it's a screw top and needs posting is not helpful, so I use the pilot VP, but that's not as pocketable, can't win!

I like the pocketability as well, though I still find my Slender Vacumatic to be the better pocket-pen.

woosang
April 22nd, 2013, 09:31 PM
I actually prefer the mini to the vac 700
sometimes I post it for more comfort
Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 2

fountainpenkid
April 23rd, 2013, 02:11 PM
I actually prefer the mini to the vac 700
sometimes I post it for more comfort
Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 2

If I'm not mistaken, doesn't the vac 700 havea straight section? If so, I can certainly see why.

woosang
April 24th, 2013, 09:16 AM
The body is long and straight and just sits slightly awkwardly when I write.

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 2

79spitfire
April 24th, 2013, 08:07 PM
I find my Mini very comfortable to use

menunes
April 25th, 2013, 03:16 PM
I tend to agree with you. I love the pen, but itīs a bit small and I have to post, and i don't like posting. Otherwise it's my first twsbi and I really love the pen (1.1 stub). Today I would have chosen the 580. I also find it slippery when you get sweaty hands, maiby because the grip section is smaller? Otherwise I love the pen. I hope they can come out with other colors in the next iteration of the 580, it's one pen i would consider getting.

klpeabody
April 25th, 2013, 06:26 PM
I find this pen very comfortable! It is always in rotation. =)

caleath
April 26th, 2013, 10:18 AM
I love mine and I have large hands, xl large gloves are tight . I am a height gripper though, just above the treads. I got mine to keep in a pocket at work, any serious letter writing I use a larger pen.

kaisnowbird
April 28th, 2013, 08:00 AM
I also find it slippery when you get sweaty hands, maiby because the grip section is smaller?

I had the same problem when I first received mine. Mr Eric Schneider suggested sandpaper the section; I took a buffing stick to it instead and it did the trick. Now the traction is fantastic.


Anybody else find this pen VERY uncomfortable? The convex section combined with the light weight and thick grip makes it an awful experience for long sessions. (for me) How do other people feel about this pen for long writing sessions?

Hmm... I didn't find the section convex, but it is a bit short. The posting can be a little bit finicky because I would prefer to screw it on so the clip is aligned with the face of the nib and that takes an extra couple of seconds. As such, I often pass it up and choose another pen (eg. my Pilot VP) if I only need to write a couple of words/sentences. I do agree with you that it is not a brilliant pen for longer writing sessions either.

It's also a little chubby, which makes it not really all that portable.

Having said all that, I do love the pen and have both the EF and the 1.1 Stub nibs. ;)

fountainpenkid
April 28th, 2013, 05:58 PM
I had the same problem when I first received mine. Mr Eric Schneider suggested sandpaper the section; I took a buffing stick to it instead and it did the trick. Now the traction is fantastic.


Anybody else find this pen VERY uncomfortable? The convex section combined with the light weight and thick grip makes it an awful experience for long sessions. (for me) How do other people feel about this pen for long writing sessions?

Hmm... I didn't find the section convex, but it is a bit short. The posting can be a little bit finicky because I would prefer to screw it on so the clip is aligned with the face of the nib and that takes an extra couple of seconds. As such, I often pass it up and choose another pen (eg. my Pilot VP) if I only need to write a couple of words/sentences. I do agree with you that it is not a brilliant pen for longer writing sessions either.

It's also a little chubby, which makes it not really all that portable.

Having said all that, I do love the pen and have both the EF and the 1.1 Stub nibs. ;)

I agree with you that the posting is a bit annoying...they should re-design the threads. I think that the short size would be very helpful if not for the fact that the pen is too fat to fit in a ring binder or other small spaces.

kaisnowbird
April 28th, 2013, 08:05 PM
I agree with you that the posting is a bit annoying...they should re-design the threads. I think that the short size would be very helpful if not for the fact that the pen is too fat to fit in a ring binder or other small spaces.

Totally! So far, the ideal pocket pen for me is Pilot MYU or one of its look-alikes.

fountainpenkid
April 28th, 2013, 08:21 PM
I agree with you that the posting is a bit annoying...they should re-design the threads. I think that the short size would be very helpful if not for the fact that the pen is too fat to fit in a ring binder or other small spaces.

Totally! So far, the ideal pocket pen for me is Pilot MYU or one of its look-alikes.

Those or the Montblanc Noblesse, Aurora Hastil, Parker 180, Parker Vacumatic Slender...the list goes on and on...

kaisnowbird
April 28th, 2013, 09:07 PM
Those or the Montblanc Noblesse, Aurora Hastil, Parker 180, Parker Vacumatic Slender...the list goes on and on...

Yep, my answer to Noblesse and Hastil is an S T Dupont Classique. They are a bit tall though. MYU and its cousins are shorter when capped, which is why I rate them higher. ;)

ethernautrix
May 3rd, 2013, 01:12 PM
I really like the Mini, find it very comfortable.

(My most comfortable pens are Nakayas, though.)

Susan3141
May 3rd, 2013, 01:31 PM
I like my TWSBI Mini, but now it's leaking from both the nib end and the piston end. No idea why. I've emailed TWSBI about it, of course. If I can get it working properly, it will be my go-to grading pen.

kaisnowbird
May 4th, 2013, 10:55 AM
I like my TWSBI Mini, but now it's leaking from both the nib end and the piston end. No idea why. I've emailed TWSBI about it, of course. If I can get it working properly, it will be my go-to grading pen.

The Mini is the only pen I have that burps ink mid-sentence. My gut feeling is that there's a problem with the feed. Its first barrel also had a crack near the piston end and Speedy sent me a new one pronto. Still adore the pen though.

fountainpenkid
May 4th, 2013, 11:16 AM
The feed system is quite weird. I don't like the thin design AT all. They should've made it more like pelikan or vintage aurora, where the nib assembly screws into the SECTION not the barrel. That way you would be able to get all the water or ink droplets out of the barrel as well as grease the piston much more easily, and there wouldn't be little creaking sounds every time you hold the grip because of the way its put together. This would also increase the ink capacity and the feed system could be more complex to prevent more leaks. If there is one thing that I still hate about the mini, it is the section/nib design. I believe it is the same for the 580/540/530...ugh. I guess they won't change now.

Susan3141
May 4th, 2013, 12:18 PM
I like my TWSBI Mini, but now it's leaking from both the nib end and the piston end. No idea why. I've emailed TWSBI about it, of course. If I can get it working properly, it will be my go-to grading pen.

The Mini is the only pen I have that burps ink mid-sentence. My gut feeling is that there's a problem with the feed. Its first barrel also had a crack near the piston end and Speedy sent me a new one pronto. Still adore the pen though.

How does one get in contact with Speedy? I've gotten no reply from TWSBI customer service.

Susan

kaisnowbird
May 4th, 2013, 08:21 PM
I like my TWSBI Mini, but now it's leaking from both the nib end and the piston end. No idea why. I've emailed TWSBI about it, of course. If I can get it working properly, it will be my go-to grading pen.

The Mini is the only pen I have that burps ink mid-sentence. My gut feeling is that there's a problem with the feed. Its first barrel also had a crack near the piston end and Speedy sent me a new one pronto. Still adore the pen though.

How does one get in contact with Speedy? I've gotten no reply from TWSBI customer service.

Susan

Hi Susan,

I sent an email to twsbiinc@gmail.com with a picture of the crack (as proof, not that they requested it), Speedy replied the next business day and soon organised to have a barrel shipped to me (in Australia) from Taipei free of charge, even though I didn't buy the Mini from an authorised dealer and didn't have the warranty paper.

I hope this helps...

kaisnowbird
May 4th, 2013, 08:39 PM
The feed system is quite weird. I don't like the thin design AT all. They should've made it more like pelikan or vintage aurora, where the nib assembly screws into the SECTION not the barrel. That way you would be able to get all the water or ink droplets out of the barrel as well as grease the piston much more easily, and there wouldn't be little creaking sounds every time you hold the grip because of the way its put together. This would also increase the ink capacity and the feed system could be more complex to prevent more leaks. If there is one thing that I still hate about the mini, it is the section/nib design. I believe it is the same for the 580/540/530...ugh. I guess they won't change now.

Hi Will, I fully agree (though my Mini makes no creaking sounds, which must have been rather disconcerting for you).

My piston often gets stuck real tight after a while and I find myself having to grease it more often than I'd like to.

But if it's any consolation, the section/barrel separation offers us some quirky extras:
1. one can use the TWSBI diamond 50 ink bottle to fill the pen without any mess (I don't have one, but reckon it's a neat idea);
2. I get to have a Mini Classic (black section) and an additional nib with a clear section - ie. a Franken pen option.

Pensivedoc
May 5th, 2013, 02:42 AM
I found mine uncomfortable at first--mainly because I couldn't avoid holding the threads--but I've gotten used to it, and otherwise like it very much.

fountainpenkid
May 5th, 2013, 09:05 AM
The feed system is quite weird. I don't like the thin design AT all. They should've made it more like pelikan or vintage aurora, where the nib assembly screws into the SECTION not the barrel. That way you would be able to get all the water or ink droplets out of the barrel as well as grease the piston much more easily, and there wouldn't be little creaking sounds every time you hold the grip because of the way its put together. This would also increase the ink capacity and the feed system could be more complex to prevent more leaks. If there is one thing that I still hate about the mini, it is the section/nib design. I believe it is the same for the 580/540/530...ugh. I guess they won't change now.

Hi Will, I fully agree (though my Mini makes no creaking sounds, which must have been rather disconcerting for you).

My piston often gets stuck real tight after a while and I find myself having to grease it more often than I'd like to.

But if it's any consolation, the section/barrel separation offers us some quirky extras:
1. one can use the TWSBI diamond 50 ink bottle to fill the pen without any mess (I don't have one, but reckon it's a neat idea);
2. I get to have a Mini Classic (black section) and an additional nib with a clear section - ie. a Franken pen option.

Yes, the creaking is a bit disconcerting, but what can you expect from the way the designed it? It isn't that bad, but it really lowers the quality of the pen in my eyes.
The piston shouldn't get stuck...I wonder why that is.
I don't get exactly what you're saying about the franken pen option.

Tyto
May 5th, 2013, 10:17 AM
I had a mini burp on me once mid-sentence, but it hasn't repeated, and I think I had the feed misaligned. I've used it at meetings, for over an hour on occasion, and find it comfortable enough as long as I posted it. Overall, though I'm sympathetic to the observations of the "creaky" feel of the section, the pen has worked so well for me, it's so perfectly sized for a pocket pen, and it's so handsome ( the Classic, anyway) that it hasn't left my daily carry posse since the day it arrived.

TMac
May 5th, 2013, 12:07 PM
I love the look of the Mini but still have not fallen in love with it. It is currently out of rotation. I find I go to the 540 when I'm in the mood for a TWSBI.

kaisnowbird
May 6th, 2013, 06:30 AM
Hi Will, I fully agree (though my Mini makes no creaking sounds, which must have been rather disconcerting for you).

My piston often gets stuck real tight after a while and I find myself having to grease it more often than I'd like to.

But if it's any consolation, the section/barrel separation offers us some quirky extras:
1. one can use the TWSBI diamond 50 ink bottle to fill the pen without any mess (I don't have one, but reckon it's a neat idea);
2. I get to have a Mini Classic (black section) and an additional nib with a clear section - ie. a Franken pen option.

Yes, the creaking is a bit disconcerting, but what can you expect from the way the designed it? It isn't that bad, but it really lowers the quality of the pen in my eyes.
The piston shouldn't get stuck...I wonder why that is.
I don't get exactly what you're saying about the franken pen option.

When 'freshly' greased, the piston moves smoothly and easily, after a while, it gets harder and harder, sometimes, I can extend the piston all the way to the end, but it immediately gets stuck and I won't be able to retract it anymore. I've had to take the pen apart and use a blunt tooth pick to push it out, re-grease the piston, etc...

By franken pen option, I meant this:
I have the Classic Mini, which has the black cap, black section, clear barrel and black blind cap. But when I buy a different nib unit, it comes with a clear section. So I now have two section options. With the clear section, it's almost a hybrid between the Clear Mini and the Classic Mini.

BK_Starkey
May 6th, 2013, 07:52 AM
For me, this is not a problem because I tend to hold my pens behind the grip section when writing. For me it gives better control.

I like mango pudding
May 29th, 2013, 01:10 PM
Just got mine a few minutes ago. I greased it up and filled it with Diamine Grape (that's alot darker than I expected, but a pleasant surprise nonetheless). All I can say is wow!!! I got it with a 1.1 stub. I will never go back to M nibs ever again. Just yesterday I had my other pen with an OB nib and I was floored with the ability to write the way how I always wanted to.

I didn't find any problems greasing it up or putting it back together. When posting, you have to aim the cap in certain way to get the clip lined up with the nib. Other than that, it is a really comfortable pen. I don't know what the others have been claiming about cracked plastic, but it seems rather sturdy to me.

what I do find is that the plunger screw (not sure of the technical term for this) for the piston rotates freely about 1/8 of a revolution, back and forth. Not a biggie.

fountainpenkid
May 29th, 2013, 01:54 PM
Just got mine a few minutes ago. I greased it up and filled it with Diamine Grape (that's alot darker than I expected, but a pleasant surprise nonetheless). All I can say is wow!!! I got it with a 1.1 stub. I will never go back to M nibs ever again. Just yesterday I had my other pen with an OB nib and I was floored with the ability to write the way how I always wanted to.

I didn't find any problems greasing it up or putting it back together. When posting, you have to aim the cap in certain way to get the clip lined up with the nib. Other than that, it is a really comfortable pen. I don't know what the others have been claiming about cracked plastic, but it seems rather sturdy to me.

what I do find is that the plunger screw (not sure of the technical term for this) for the piston rotates freely about 1/8 of a revolution, back and forth. Not a biggie.

My pen's piston knob rotates as well, though it is easy to fix. Personally I like the little more ink capacity you get by setting it that way.

fountainpenkid
May 29th, 2013, 04:10 PM
My sister's mini filled with Kelly Green apparently leaked a lot into the cap today...staining her hands all over and ruining (maybe it'll wash out?) her new pants. I don't know why yet.

I like mango pudding
May 29th, 2013, 04:44 PM
My sister's mini filled with Kelly Green apparently leaked a lot into the cap today...staining her hands all over and ruining (maybe it'll wash out?) her new pants. I don't know why yet.

Oh great. Now you have me checking my pen every five minutes of writing. I just wrote for 1 hour continuous and didn't even check it till just now. So far mine is still good to go.