TWSBI Eco Review - smiling!

“TWSBI” – I pronounce it “Twiz-bee”, is just a great name don’t you think? Just the sound of its name invokes an immediate smile. And the TWSBI fountain pen company seems determined to keep that smile beaming. I don’t have all their pens. I have the original 530, a blue 540 with a big stub nib, and an orange 580AL that I just love. I even have one of their ink-bottles. So when word of the Eco filtered through the social networks it was inevitable that an Eco would filter down to me.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

TWSBI have always been good with their presentation. This time, a few changes: a red box (my others came in clear plastic covered with a cardboard sleeve), a red plastic wrench for adjusting the piston (my others came with a metal wrench –the red one is way cooler!) silicon grease (no change there); and you already have a nice little package.

I chose the white (I thought the black was a little sombre for me). First impression? Looks like the pictures – that’s a good start. Let’s see how she looks inked…

7/10

APPEARANCE AND DESIGN

The TWSBI Eco is not a looker; but there is something about it’s utilitarian stance that is very appealing.

At an attainable $29 or thereabouts; the Eco is set up as an alternative to the Lamy Safari as an entry level fountain pen of substance (of course there’s the Pilot Metropolitan – that I don’t have but many talk about in positive terms -, the Pilot Kakuno -that I do have and is a wonderful writer-, the Pelikan Twist -cute but not for long writing sessions- and more that are available at around this price range).  The Safari has, however, with it’s colours, nib choices and availability, managed to capture what I call the “penbetweeners”: the ballpoint users who are looking to be different but don’t want to be too different, while also flashing a little colour or style in the process. The Eco gives them a new choice and, in my opinion, a more legitimate fountain pen experience.  The Eco colours are the inks you choose, so your choices are limitless (hooray – I don’t have to wait for a purple Lamy, I just have to fill my TWSBI Eco with purple ink!) The fact that the TWSBI is a piston filler also means more ink than the Lamy, and you can watch it at work – cool. That said, the Eco hasn’t quite got the design flair of the Lamy; it’s a touch clunky looking. The Lamy is a better-looking pen in my opinion; the TWSBI however, is the better writer – which way would you go?

 

My last issue here belongs to those of us who like to post our pens (yes that’s me – yes, I know for some that is a travesty – get over it!). Posted, I think the Eco actually looks better than capped. You can see the full effect of your colour choice in the barrel and section (my choice for my first fill was Iroshizuku Yama Budo, which looks great in the pen); you can see the nib; you can see the piston; and the white cap sets off these colours beautifully (something I think the black would not work with as well unless you were going for a stealth, Emo sort of thing - actually there’s a marketing idea: the Eco Emo!). But my one little qualm is that while the cap seems to post comfortably at first, it pops up annoyingly during writing, and has to be pushed back.

My other little qualm about the cap is the logo on its end. The Twsbi logo is really cool; and on my other TWSBIs the logo sits on the top of the cap slightly raised in a clear material with a silver logo on a red background. This is where the Eco looks, well, eco. On the Eco the logo is a flat piece of cheap looking red plastic with a slightly raised logo also in red. It sounds small and insignificant; but I think it would have looked way cooler with the usual TWSBI treatment, which I assume, couldn’t be done if they wanted to keep the price down.

7.5/10

WEIGHT AND DIMENSIONS

The section diameter ranges from 9 mm to 10 mm. The length of the pen capped is around 139 mm and uncapped, from the tip of the nib it comes in at 130 mm. Posted to measures at 166 mm (until it pops up). This makes it only very marginally shorter than the 530s and 540s

Here is a posted size comparison with a Jinhao (which is the same dimensions as a Lamy Safari) and a Pelikan 101n

If you want precise weight here, sorry, it’s not my obsession (and goodness knows I have enough of them). However I can say the Eco is relatively light and comfortable to hold and write with for long sessions.

8/10

NIB AND PERFORMANCE

I chose the 1.1 stub nib following the fantastic stub on my 540. I haven’t been disappointed. While the nib is not as large as my 540 nib; and I notice that the shape of the nib is not as tapered as my other TWSBIs (hopefully you will see what I mean in the photo of my TWSBI family below) it is nevertheless a lovely pen to write with and has been so from the second it came out of the box. I have always liked the TWSBI nibs more than the Lamy Safaris and the Eco has not changed that.

8/10

FILLING SYSTEM

Piston fillers are always my preference, and with the Eco, TWSBI is offering one of the cheapest piston fillers out there. I’m not sure what the full ink capacity is, but it’s good. This piston is smooth to use (no sticking) and draws well – if not to totally full on the first drawer.

8.5/10

COST AND VALUE

It’s called the “Eco”; is it? Yes. Just a few tiny bits (the logo, the popping cap), that suggest its price; but great value and a better fountain pen than many more expensive alternatives.

10/10

 

CONCLUSION

I feel the Eco is going to be one of my staple, go-to-in-a-hurry pens. It’s affordable, engaging, shows off my inks and writes beautifully. Well done TWSBI; keep innovating!

82/100

0-50 = to be avoided at all costs

51-60        = if it’s cheap and you don’t really care….

61-70        = a nice pen with the makings of something better (just don’t spend too much)

71-80        = A better than average pen with just a few flaws that stop it from being really good

81-90        = A good pen, a keeper only a few minor places off being great

91-95        = Now THIS is a pen! If you can get it: keep it, love it, cherish it, and keep it away from the dog

96-100       = Grail