My Twsbi Vac700... Cracked?!?

March 15, 2013

Hello~ I've been long-time lurker here since a few months ago (so my introduction is probably wayy overdue ^_^''')

Anyway, last night I was busy writing something down in a notebook with my clear Vac700 while watching a show on my laptop. And the next moment I looked down, my fingers were covered in ink. At first I thought my fingers probably brushed against the fins on the underside of the feed (which I sometimes do by accident since I hold my pens low on the grip), but I noticed inky smudges on the metal collar. There was also this tiny gap between the collar and the smoke section (is that what it's called?). I pulled on the metal collar and it came loose with virtually zero effort.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to post images with almost zero post counts so tell me if the images aren't showing up.

The gap between the metal collar and the section, indicated by the darker blue arrow. If you squint a little, you can see the cracked part through the section (pastel blue arrow).

http://i964.photobucket.com/albums/ae130/ellaquine/DSC_0254_zps4c6049ba.jpg

The nib, feed, metal collar and cracked plastic sleeve. D:

http://i964.photobucket.com/albums/ae130/ellaquine/DSC_0255_zps1b86db9e.jpg

The pen all cleaned up so you can see the crack better.

http://i964.photobucket.com/albums/ae130/ellaquine/DSC_0256_zps47d33da9.jpg

http://i964.photobucket.com/albums/ae130/ellaquine/DSC_0258_zps3cb54d6f.jpg

http://i964.photobucket.com/albums/ae130/ellaquine/DSC_0260_zpsb034b6de.jpg

Watched a Vac700 disassembly video a little while ago, and I realised that I'll probably won't be able to get that small plastic bit out ):

http://i964.photobucket.com/albums/ae130/ellaquine/DSC_0257_zpsdc4d4185.jpg

I'm not sure what could have caused this. I've had the pen since it first came out (in December or so? So that means around 3 months), inked it up out of the box (which wrote beautifully OOTB btw), used it on and off, never disassembled or cleaned it. I think I've only filled it up twice in the 3 months that I've owned it, since I have several pens in rotation. I've never dropped it either, since it's mostly kept in a pen roll or used at home.

My fingers are blue now, like 54th Massachusetts blue. I'll probably send an email to TWSBI customer support later about this. I feel kinda bad since this happened shortly after I received the FedEx notification of the clear 580 I just bought :C

March 15, 2013

Welcome to FPN, or perhaps I should say welcome to posting at FPN!

I have had this happen to me (cracked threading in the nib-holder), except in my case it was a 540. I was as surprised as you because I had only ever read about barrel cracks. However, after an email to TWSBI customer service, I was promptly mailed all the replacement parts necessary to fix the pen. I do not have a vac 700, so I do not know if they can or will do the same for you, but I hope and expect that they will make things right for you. TWSBI customer service is wonderful.

March 15, 2013

Welcome to FPN, or perhaps I should say welcome to posting at FPN!

I have had this happen to me (cracked threading in the nib-holder), except in my case it was a 540. I was as surprised as you because I had only ever read about barrel cracks. However, after an email to TWSBI customer service, I was promptly mailed all the replacement parts necessary to fix the pen. I do not have a vac 700, so I do not know if they can or will do the same for you, but I hope and expect that they will make things right for you. TWSBI customer service is wonderful.

Thanks for the welcome! I was rather shocked to see my vac700 develop such a serious crack since none of my 3 other TWSBI 540s have cracked at all. I'm in the midst of sending the email, hopefully I'll get a reply soon.

March 15, 2013

Welcome to FPN, or perhaps I should say welcome to posting at FPN!

I have had this happen to me (cracked threading in the nib-holder), except in my case it was a 540. I was as surprised as you because I had only ever read about barrel cracks. However, after an email to TWSBI customer service, I was promptly mailed all the replacement parts necessary to fix the pen. I do not have a vac 700, so I do not know if they can or will do the same for you, but I hope and expect that they will make things right for you. TWSBI customer service is wonderful.

Thanks for the welcome! I was rather shocked to see my vac700 develop such a serious crack since none of my 3 other TWSBI 540s have cracked at all. I'm in the midst of sending the email, hopefully I'll get a reply soon.

If you've been lurking, than you must have seen that Speedy offer customer service like almost no one else. You will hear back pretty quick.

I have never seen a TWSBI crack like that, let alone any other fountain pen. All I can say is wow...

March 16, 2013

Yesterday I had a problem with my Vac 700 in that the cap ripped off the cap band so now the cap band looks like a ring. Well I guess I am going to have to get that repaired.

March 17, 2013

It's sad to hear Twsbi is still plagued with cracking issues. I have more than 100 fountain pens and none of them except Twsbi has had cracking problems. I understand this thread is just one of the episodic incidents among many pens Twsbi has sold and does not prove the statistical proneness of cracking in general.

Edited March 17, 2013 by Pen2009

August 9, 2014

Have a Vac 700. Tonight the second(replacement) cap cracked completely around the cap ring.

1. I have not posted it.

2. I am positive that I do not overtighten when I screw the cap on.

August 12, 2014

It's poor quality pen, that's it.

August 13, 2014

considering the nib units are UNITS and come from JoWo what could be the reason for the cracking on the collars though does that mean the nib units from JoWo ae the culprit? to justify a poor quality pen has to do with in house production... unless the nibs from JoWo that come to TWSBI are not unit but bare nibs themselves