Twsbi Diamond 580

[spondin008]

wow i came here just to read another test of the 580 and i find out that i m not the only one who have problems with the drying out twsbi`s, i thought it was the inks i used, i have a 540 stub 1.5 and a 580 stub 1.1 and when they are drying i usually turn the piston 1mm down to create pressure behind the feed...On the other hand my 530 m nib is working perfectly fine. I will try as mentionned plus haut to widen the gap between the tines...lets see if it works

[andreamcantu]

I love my 580. I also highly recommend this pen. I have the 1.1 stub and it is a dream to write with. I found that the skipping problem only happens with certain inks, yet with others it behaves great. Even though it is pretty much un-postable the big size makes up for that. For the price I think it is a great pen. Thanks for the review.

[hilltr01]

I love my new 580. No drying or skipping with Pelikan Royal Blue and decent paper.

 

Here is a thought about feed problems..........

 

When I first received my pen, and it was still capped, I tried to operate the piston. To my amazement, the piston sometimes moved back toward the nib all by itself !!!! It happened when I created a vacuum in the piston by withdrawing the piston with the cap on tight. Could the feed problem be caused because ink coming out, but inability of air to get back into the resevoir?

 

As someone has already suggested, the feed channel may be too small. After all, ink and air must flow simultaneously in opposite directions in that channel. Hmmmmmmm.

Edited February 7, 2014 by hilltr01

[Edwaroth]

Ok, here is what I did...took pen (Mini Classic) completely apart and siliconed ALL the sealing parts and the piston, then inked. My pen has never "burped", skipped or dryed out. Has EF nib with Diamine Eclipse. I love the little blighter.

Edited February 11, 2014 by Edwaroth

[Pen2009]

I have not picked up TWSBI since my last 540 pen. I like the serviceability of the pens by the users. It is a great touch that a tool and silicone grease are included in the box. My TWSBI's EF nib had to be adjusted at one of the Sailor pen clinics. Without such a clinic, I would've just put the pen in a drawer.

[cjjohnst]

I think TWSBI has a problem with their new 580 Rose Gold pen.I bought a fine nib,and it starts out as a nice ,wet-writer.After a few sentences it dries out considerably.I have tried 1/2 a doz different inks and it still does it.It was flushed ,scrubbed and all the stuff you can do to a new pen.Very disappointed.I mean i could buy 10 Hero 68 for the price of this thing ,and at the moment the 68 is in my pocket.TWSBI is sitting on my desk.

[cjjohnst]

I didnt give up on the TWSBI 580 Rose Gold.Skipping and drying out issues are FIXED.I bought a 10x loupe and found 2 small hairs sticking out from under the nib.They were between the nib and the feed .I removed the nib and feed.Carefully romoved the nib and found a piece of the feed material,black plastic,stuck in the top feed channel.I removed it and replaced the nib and feed.This pen now writes perfectly.I am not saying this would work for everybody ,but I do think removing the nib and thoroughly cleaning the feed channels might be key.Good luck to those of you who have been TWSBIed like me.BTW the 2 hairs were tiny slivers or wisps of feed material.

[Koyote]

I think I can summarize this old thread: if you like futzing around with your pens, buy a TWSBI; if you like just writing with your pens, look elsewhere.

 

That has been my experience with the brand, too.

[sotto2]

IMHO, there is no substitute for pen futzing.

[Pendantic]

I bought a TWSBI Diamond 580 last week. I opted for the medium nib, and so far I am very pleased with it, however i will monitor the problems listed above.

[OLD TIMER]

....

Edited July 14, 2014 by OLD TIMER

[inn3rs3lf]

Is anyone having any problems even after the Pendleton fixing? As in, does the nib fall back into its misbehaving ways?

 

I am seriously tempted on getting one, but with me living in South Africa, it will be a great hassle if it falls back into its 'non-writing' ways even after the panache!

 

*This is not taking anything away from the custom work, but merely asking if the nib itself is the actual problem, even after being worked on.

[Blue_Moon]

Is anyone having any problems even after the Pendleton fixing? As in, does the nib fall back into its misbehaving ways?

 

I am seriously tempted on getting one, but with me living in South Africa, it will be a great hassle if it falls back into its 'non-writing' ways even after the panache!

 

*This is not taking anything away from the custom work, but merely asking if the nib itself is the actual problem, even after being worked on.

I'm also interested.

[bardiir]

I've got a Pendleton nib for my TWSBI - I wrote a 8 on mylar paper from the goblets to smooth it down onto my writing angle a bit and it's writing perfectly now.

 

What I've also done was widening the ink channel a little bit as an experiment, I got multiple feeds anyway so depending on the ink I can choose a wetter/drier feed, very tiny amount, just used a sharp knife to cut on the top of the feed channel once to widen the top a little and I've opened one of the feed windows towards the fins so the inkflow is a bit wetter now. No skipping, misbehaving or anything in any way now.

[bardiir]

These are the cuts I made

[EKE]

I bought one of the new 580 AL pens. I have to say that I think they really nailed it with this one. TWSBI has addressed two of my biggest design gripes with the 540. First, the aluminum section solves one of the weak parts in the design - I have cracked two plastic 540 sections. The other gripe I had with the 540 was aesthetic: I think the black plastic screw shaft of the 540 looked crummy in a demonstrator... Especially in the clear version. The 580 AL simply looks beautiful. All is now clear or metallic - it really hangs together as a design statement. I know some folks have a problem with metal sections, but I don't share that opinion. The aluminum section is lightweight, and warms to your touch rather quickly. Its finish is not slick or slippery at all. And I think it looks much better than the transparent plastic section. Feels like a more substantial, higher quality product.

 

They should make the 580 AL the standard 580 going forward. It's simply an awesome pen, especially at the $60 price point. My broad nib was wet and smooth right out of the box. Highly recommended, in my opinion.

[Richwright]

I am surprised to read of people having trouble with the TWSBI 580. I have had mine for about a month, have been using it every day, and I love it. Big, smooth, comfortable and reliable. I use a B nib, which is fatter than some people like but it works beautifully for me. And maybe the beefier nib is why I haven't had any of the problems others seem to have had with skipping and dryness. Who knows. But IMHO this is an excellent pen, a terrific value for the money, writes every bit as well as far more expensive Pelikans. Love the transparent barrel too.

[bullet08]

leave the screw little open. mine dried up after about 2-3 pages. i took the nib and feed out and cleaned it with soap and water, then ran brass shim to floss the nib and feed. that helped, but the ink was still drying out. so i searched the net and found that with Vac 700, if you leave the knob at the end little open, there is no issue. i tried with my 580, and now it's not having any issue what so ever. the nib is amazingly smooth, and wet.

[jdc4]

I have a few TWSBI pens that I have picked up in Taiwan. The nibs are not too stiff and the writing experience for the most part has been pretty good. I would remind readers of this post that the pens, I think, are good value for money. I picked up a Diamond Mini. For me, it's been one of my best writers. Good ink flow and generally avoids bleeding through moderately good paper. I really enjoy using the pen. I can manage the Mini size even without the cap posted. All in all, I think it's a great addition to anyone's collection for everyday use at a moderate price. I should also add that Taiwanese quality control ensures for the most part that these pens will perform more or less as expected. Nobody is perfect!

Edited August 17, 2014 by jdc4

[Aschecte]

I have to say this is an excellent review ! I luckily happened not to have the same drying issues you experienced. I apologize if this has been said before, but have you tried flushing the pen ? maybe even a different ink ? The only reason I ask is I find my TWSBI Diamond 580RG to actually be a bit on the wet side, not sloppy wet but it really is a juicy pen that lays down tons of ink and that is with a medium nib and I use Noodler's inks mostly. Great review and before I say goodbye I want to comment on your writing. Your writing is beautiful and near perfect I was looking at spacing, height, and consistency and you are near perfect ! I only hope to someday write as well as you though I am dedicating myself to only writing in chancery Italic. Do they still teach penmanship in India ? Penmanship in the USA has become a lost art.