So, Has Anyone's Twsbi Not Broken?

[Fabienne]

Love mine! I have a 540 and an ROC and both are beautiful writers!

[JefferyS]

I just loaded mine with Baystate Blue. BSB has never harmed my Platinum Preppy in the past 6 months, so I felt confident putting it in the TWSBI.

[foxtail1]

Well, I just decided to take a closer look, and both of my 540s (ROC and clear) have cracks in the sections. Time to email Speedy.

[bumpyroads]

My section broke as well. It was my fault as I was careless when taking out my nib and feed. But, Speedy (Philip) sent me two replacements so all is well. I would not worry about buying a TWSBI as the post-purchase customer service is top notch.

[foxtail1]

Yep. Philip has already answered and is sending out replacement sections.

[Orange25]

I've got the 540 ROC and it's fine. I use it sparingly and treat it carefully (as I do with all my pens). There's a small crack that's purely cosmetic in one of the threads for the cap, but aside from that, it's in good condition.

[JefferyS]

Does this issue seem to be with the 540 model and not the 530 model?

[Jimmy James]

Yes, this applies to the 540. Section cracks seem to have to do with something slightly different they did as I understand it with the coating on the pen that makes it scratch resistant. As the pens actually continue to cure for a month or two after they are made, it didn't become apparent immediately.

 

This issue was corrected by TWSBI changing the way the part is made by moving the injection point to the opposite side of the section. It is a problem that is at this point resolved. It was resolved before the color pens were released.

Edited February 20, 2012 by Jimmy James

[JefferyS]

Yes, this applies to the 540. Section cracks seem to have to do with something slightly different they did as I understand it with the coating on the pen that makes it scratch resistant. As the pens actually continue to cure for a month or two after they are made, it didn't become apparent immediately.

 

This issue was corrected by TWSBI changing the way the part is made by moving the injection point to the opposite side of the section. It is a problem that is at this point resolved. It was resolved before the color pens were released.

Thanks for the reply!

 

 

 

[foxtail1]

Does this issue seem to be with the 540 model and not the 530 model?

 

Actually, no. Two of my 530s have cracks as well. Philip is sending me a red section (I guess they're interchangeable between the 530 and 540 models), but he doesn't have a green section. Fortunately, the cracks are not bad at all. If I hadn't looked really closely I would not have seen them, and they do not interfere with use at all.

[JefferyS]

I checked and I actually just received a 540, not a 530. But it seems moot. I really do like that pen. The nib is a smooth as a Visconti Dream Nib. I'll keep an eye out for cracks.

 

It also has a great box. More substantial than the satin-lined things, and not as decadent as the high end Italian pen boxes.

[foxtail1]

Jeffrey, I'd buy them again without a second thought. I love the packaging too!

 

I mentioned to Philip when I emailed about the sections that I was trying to decide on a color for another 540 (thinking blue!). He told me that the Vac700 will be available in blue, so I'll probably wait the 3–4 weeks for a blue vac. (That's what he said for the time frame, btw, for those who are waiting for the Vac.)

[CountryDoc]

Two 530's and a 540; no trouble. Also gifted a 530 and have heard no complaints from the recipient.

 

What you're seeing is "selection bias". People whose pens are fine have no reason to complain, so you only hear from the people whose pens aren't doing fine.

 

This is a corollary of "newspapers don't report the buildings that DON'T burn, right? Then the same phenomenon should be seen with many (most?) other pens too. I'm not seeing other brands with so many reports breakage under normal daily use. After all, it's a pen, not Venetian glass.

[JefferyS]

The only pen that gets more criticism is the Homo sapiens. I've never had an issue, but based on the problems voiced here, they are the worst of the high end pens. I have yet to have problems with TWSBI (1 day, and counting), Homo sapiens, or Baystate Blue.

[krbmsw]

I had a cracked barrel on Thursday and a new one by the following Tuesday. I didn't have to send anything back. I didn't even have to send a photo.

 

I hadn't dropped it or hit it or even compressed it against something...but the service was great. And while I was skeptical at first, the repair was easy and even a little fun to do.

 

I'll eventually be back for another. Probably the Vac.

[Chrontius]

I own a 530 from the prototype run. "It leaked like a sieve", to paraphrase its first owner. I changed from the provided silicone grease to "Magic Lube", a heavier silicone grease sold for sealing O-rings on swimming pool equipment, stopping all problems (but I did get a 1.5 piston, just in case). I've carried it more or less constantly since just before the 530 saw a full commercial release in my laptop bag. It's never quite taken the top spot for long, but it still pretty much goes everywhere I go.

 

Teething issues aside, it's never even hiccuped at me, though occasionally I'll discover that the cap is juicier than I remember leaving it. I blame Florida's temperature swings, however; going between air-conditioned buildings and outdoors at a hundred degrees is a pretty brutal gradient for many things.

[Redbarchettayyz]

I had a cracked barrel on my 540 right before Christmasa , fired off an email to TWSBI asking to buy a new barrel and a day later they asked for my shipping info, ready to send out a new barrel free of charge. I haven't had any issues since, and I did use my 540 as a bit of a "knockaround pen", but the service TWSBI showed makes me completely confident in their pens. The bigger companies could learn a thing or two from TWSBI.

[vans4444]

I have two, including one from the first batch that was sold. I use them almost daily at work and so far I have had no problems at all

[ZaphodBB]

I had a cracked barrel on Thursday and a new one by the following Tuesday. I didn't have to send anything back. I didn't even have to send a photo.

 

I hadn't dropped it or hit it or even compressed it against something...but the service was great. And while I was skeptical at first, the repair was easy and even a little fun to do.

 

I'll eventually be back for another. Probably the Vac.

I totally agree; I'm on my third grip and second barrel assembly. Their customer service is exemplary, two days after the email the part's in my hand and I get to pretend I'm a pen "craftsman" putting it back together!

 

I don't know what it is about the 540, I just keep going back to that pen, stylishly industrial and writes better than all of my others, on anything with any ink...

[chris.hale]

I have a 530 and a 540 bought from TWSBI and The Writing Desk respectively. I've had cracked sections on both, and a barrel crack on the 540. The customer service from both TWSBI and TWD was excellent, with both quickly sending out free replacement parts.

 

Despite the cracked parts, I still think that the TWSBI is an excellent product, and am considering buying another.