twsbi vacuum filling system fountain pen project

[beginnersmind]

Titanium nibs are available from Bock, I believe. But I suspect a minimum order would be something on the order of. . . 50 identical nibs, perhaps. You'd have to ask them. I have no idea what sort of production volumes you are contemplating, so that's something you'll have to figure out.

 

I do think it might be time to consider leaving gold behind, especially the way gold prices have been going. Stainless steel nibs are quite good now, unless you want flex -- and if you want to offer flex, then titanium is superb.

Sort of off topic but I have steel dip pen nibs with fantastic flex and have known vintage steel nibs (Pelikan) that had wonderful flex. It seems that if someone asked Bock, they could make a flexible steel nib. It must be a matter of using a different steel alloy or tempering/hardening the steel differently. I can't imagine that it would really make that big a difference in the production process. Has anyone ASKED Bock to make a flexible steel nib?

Edited April 17, 2011 by beginnersmind

[beginnersmind]

Hello Speedy, I am living in Taiwan and am wondering when you might release these and what the price might be in NTD

 

This pen looks promising, and I would love to have a Taiwanese pen to buy! I will probably buy a couple if the price is right!

Thanks for your support. I am think to target the retail price at around NTD1,500, that's about US$50.

That is AMAZING!

[Surnia]

Hello Speedy, I am living in Taiwan and am wondering when you might release these and what the price might be in NTD

 

This pen looks promising, and I would love to have a Taiwanese pen to buy! I will probably buy a couple if the price is right!

Thanks for your support. I am think to target the retail price at around NTD1,500, that's about US$50.

That is AMAZING!

Wait is that the V700 pricing? that's a lot lower than the original estimate!

[ticoun]

Hello Speedy, I am living in Taiwan and am wondering when you might release these and what the price might be in NTD

 

This pen looks promising, and I would love to have a Taiwanese pen to buy! I will probably buy a couple if the price is right!

Thanks for your support. I am think to target the retail price at around NTD1,500, that's about US$50.

That is AMAZING!

Wait is that the V700 pricing? that's a lot lower than the original estimate!

50$? now i want one so badly. guess i'll have to wait.

 

oh and my brother now also wants one.

[Wyre]

It has been very quiet... almost too quiet...

[adi2009_0812]

Hi Speedy,

 

I am putting this out there but is it possible to use a silver nib. Silver is malleable like gold. However, silver corrodes easily with ink... as I understand it.

 

 

Maybe a special alloy of silver which is resistant to ink corrosion?

 

I would have thought this would have much of the characteristics of gold at a fraction of the price and would definately be "cool" and cheap.

 

 

Nobody else in the market has silver nibs and I have always wondered why anyone hasn't given it a shot yet. (Cheap, characteristics of gold, and they age very elegantly!)

[Ernst Bitterman]

Sheaffer was using palladium-silver alloys as a "next-best" in some models in the 1950s and '60s and they seem to have cracked the corrosion issue with them, but that also does away with the patination of age silver is subject to. I expect that, while less expensive than gold, a slightly exotic silver alloy like that would still drive a pen's price up, relative to steel.

Edited April 21, 2011 by Ernst Bitterman

[Sullybob]

It has been very quiet... almost too quiet...

 

 

Lets hope that the vacuum filler is about ready to hit the Ebay store.

[jniforat]

I think the vac is not going to be offered soon. we still have the 540 and aluminum pens that have yet to be released.

[ticoun]

I think the vac is not going to be offered soon. we still have the 540 and aluminum pens that have yet to be released.

 

i assume the 540 is almost done, as they're only making a new piston mechanism and a few modifications on the existing parts, for the aluminum pens, idk, but speedy (please correct me if i'm wrong) last said the vac would be ready in a few months, so maybe this summer. i'm waiting...

[Jimmy James]

The 540 is a few weeks out (maybe 3 now?) and is apparently mostly only being held up by the new 1.7 piston design if I understood Speedy's posts right.

 

The 550 (aluminum pen) hasn't really been mentioned recently, and neither has this pen. I know they're still on the horizon to my knowledge, but who knows when they might be.

[beginnersmind]

I know i am posting this just a little late (a lot late). I just received my 530 and LOVE everything about it except the cap screw which seem to be rather stiff. Much stiffer than any other pens I have experienced. it takes quite a bit of torque to loosen the cap. It is nice that the pen will NEVER accidentally come unscrewed in my pocket, but it is a bit hard to open. If future pens could have a cap that unscrews a little bit easier that would be appreciated.

[Surnia]

Hi Speedy,

 

I am putting this out there but is it possible to use a silver nib. Silver is malleable like gold. However, silver corrodes easily with ink... as I understand it.

 

 

Maybe a special alloy of silver which is resistant to ink corrosion?

 

I would have thought this would have much of the characteristics of gold at a fraction of the price and would definately be "cool" and cheap.

 

 

Nobody else in the market has silver nibs and I have always wondered why anyone hasn't given it a shot yet. (Cheap, characteristics of gold, and they age very elegantly!)

 

Palladium-Silver as mentioned before, was one of the alloys used HOWEVER, palladium is now probably worth more than gold these days due to it being a rare metal, as well as its considerable use in the industry.

[Jimmy James]

I know i am posting this just a little late (a lot late). I just received my 530 and LOVE everything about it except the cap screw which seem to be rather stiff. Much stiffer than any other pens I have experienced. it takes quite a bit of torque to loosen the cap. It is nice that the pen will NEVER accidentally come unscrewed in my pocket, but it is a bit hard to open. If future pens could have a cap that unscrews a little bit easier that would be appreciated.

 

It loosens up considerably with a little use.

 

As to palladium prices, I think last time I looked it was like gold $1500 an ounce, palladium $750 an ounce.

[beginnersmind]

I know i am posting this just a little late (a lot late). I just received my 530 and LOVE everything about it except the cap screw which seem to be rather stiff. Much stiffer than any other pens I have experienced. it takes quite a bit of torque to loosen the cap. It is nice that the pen will NEVER accidentally come unscrewed in my pocket, but it is a bit hard to open. If future pens could have a cap that unscrews a little bit easier that would be appreciated.

 

It loosens up considerably with a little use.

 

YEAH! that is great to know! What a great pen!

[Chrontius]

I also wanted to give another two cents about this pen. Generally speaking, I do not like demonstrators. One of the things that attracted me to the TWSBI piston filler is it's design honesty. There is no bling, no fancy trim. It is purely about the mechanism and everything is on view, clear to see. If you must have the filler knob and the grip be dark on the vac filler version it would seem more uniform design wise and more in keeping with the honesty of the design to make the dark parts transparent smoke/ dark smoke rather than completely opaque. Just a thought.

 

I'm not normally a demonstrator person either. On the other hand, I will be getting the 700 in the same clear plastic as its younger brother, if/when that's available, even if it means holding out for the second production batch. There's just something about these pens that appeals to the engineer in me.

[Number3124]

Just one question. Will the pen be avilible as a completely opaque model or will there still be some clear parts? I would be interested in a black opaque one, especially at $50. Also, is there a chance that these will be offered in gold trim?

[Surnia]

I know i am posting this just a little late (a lot late). I just received my 530 and LOVE everything about it except the cap screw which seem to be rather stiff. Much stiffer than any other pens I have experienced. it takes quite a bit of torque to loosen the cap. It is nice that the pen will NEVER accidentally come unscrewed in my pocket, but it is a bit hard to open. If future pens could have a cap that unscrews a little bit easier that would be appreciated.

 

It loosens up considerably with a little use.

 

As to palladium prices, I think last time I looked it was like gold $1500 an ounce, palladium $750 an ounce.

 

Hmm, they've gone abit then, I remember they were pretty high a while back...

[Phormio]

I'm excited about this pen and can't wait until it's released. But I do have one, selfish request.

 

The first 300 of the 530 was released here and they can now be bought from other sellers. If the vac filler pen was to be pre-released here, is there anything that can be done to the pen to make them unique from the subsequent ordinary release?

 

I may be asking a lot but this forum is a big supporter of TWSBI and have offered their advice for free. The pre release of the 530 was great and I love the pen, but it would have been nice to have something that showed it was a limited pre-release.

 

Just something to think about.....

[watch_art]

A numbered series? FPN special release? Sounds pretty cool.