T W S B I Loaner Program

[TheRealScubaSteve]

I've always liked italics which can be somewhat broad, but I've been using a TWSBI B in addition to Amber's 1.1mm and actually kind of like it. I'd take Art's mod over the factory B any day, but it's interesting how broader nibs can grow on you - perhaps with much more practice as in my case. I despised Jinhao M nibs when I first tried fountain pens because they were too broad for my writing! Then again, I was using cheap paper that spread like crazy.

[amberleadavis]

I got one of my pens back that was out on loan with a factory broad.... I was like what the heck...this isn't my wonderful nib, it's nice but WOW, Art has spoiled me.

[conib]

For the past month I've been the lucky borrower of two of Amber's TWSBI loaner pens: a translucent blue 540 fitted with a Pendleton Angel ground on a TWSBI "M", and a translucent amber 540 fitted with an Art's Tomahawk ground on a TWSBI "B".

 

These two pens were my first experience with custom-ground nibs. I am so grateful to Amber for this opportunity. Words really can't express it. Thank you so much Amber!

 

Amber had sent, along with the pens, two Co-Razy View sheets, both already half-filled-out with text written with the two pens and their then currently-filled inks. I completed the right sides of both C-RVs. It's sheer joy to write with those pens and their incredible nibs! I got carried away and ended up filling the right sides with the same ink, instead of using a comparison ink. My bad!

 

Anyway, here's the Co-Razy View of de Atramentis US Constitution, (mostly) written with the blue 540 w/Pendleton Angel:

 

 

And here's the Co-Razy View of J. Herbin Larmes de Cassis, (mostly) written with the amber 540 w/Art's Tomahawk:

 

 

(Both scans were done before their little water tests were performed. The water tests are being done today, and after the sheets are re-scanned I'll be posting them in the Ink Reviews forum.)

 

I then cleaned both pens and refilled them.

 

From the blue 540 w/Pendleton Angel with Pilot iroshizuku tsuki-yo ink:

 

 

and from the amber 540 w/Art's Tomahawk with Noodler's Apache Sunset ink:

 

 

(My ancient scanner is unhappy. I plan to revisit this issue.)

 

And then I cleaned both pens and refilled them again.

 

The amber 540 w/Art's Tomahawk is currently filled with Pilot iroshizuku yu-yake ink. I've been working on a sort-of Co-Razy view with this pen: when it was filled with Apache Sunset I used it to fill the left half of an A4-sized dotPad sheet, and now I'm working on the other half with its yu-yake fill.

 

The blue 540 w/Pendleton's Angel is currently filled with Pelikan 4001 Turquoise ink. Unfortunately it's given me fits w.r.t. the nib drying out and needing a shake to get re-started. After a search on FPN I discovered that this is apparently a characteristic of the 540 when it's been fed with an ink that has too much surface tension.

 

But the good news is that Amber is allowing me to keep the pens for a week or two more so that I can give them each one more fill: the blue 540 with Waterman "Mysterious Blue" and the amber 540 with Nagasawa Kobe #39 "Kobe Brick Brown-Red".

 

-- Constance

[Sinistral1]

Lovely handwriting and nice reviews. Looking forward to seeing your CRV with Yu-yake and Apache Sunset next to each other.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I gotta say that the 540 is the EASIEST piston-filler I have ever cleaned...even considering my limited experience with my Pel 120, MB 32, and a Reform calligraphy pen.

[amberleadavis]

BTW, I like seeing how the same pen / ink / paper combo looks so different with a different writer. Thank you for the review of the pens.

 

So, now that you have used both nibs... which nib do you prefer?

[conib]

Lovely handwriting and nice reviews. Looking forward to seeing your CRV with Yu-yake and Apache Sunset next to each other.

 

Ah shucks …

Thanks sinistra1, you're very kind.

 

I hope to be able to post yu-yake/Apache Sunset soon ... perhaps this weekend ...

 

 

 

I gotta say that the 540 is the EASIEST piston-filler I have ever cleaned...even considering my limited experience with my Pel 120, MB 32, and a Reform calligraphy pen.

 

Yes, super-easy! I love the way the section unscrews and that the bottom of the nib unit fits the tip of an international "cleaning cartridge" (a bottom-less international cartridge), allowing me to flush the nib unit outside of the pen body. A thorough flush of the nib unit without wear-and-tear on the pen's piston: Perfect.

 

 

 

BTW, I like seeing how the same pen / ink / paper combo looks so different with a different writer. Thank you for the review of the pens.

 

So, now that you have used both nibs... which nib do you prefer?

 

Okay then I have to decide. But that's really hard!

 

They are both soft stubs, something that's a new experience for me. But one thing I've discovered is that I *must* *have* *a* *soft* *stub* for my very own.

 

I like the Pendleton Angel's "M" size as it fits my handwriting size better than the "B". It's smooth and puts down a great-looking line.

 

But the Tomahawk has the edge in smoothness and responsiveness. And on my Apache Sunset / yu-yake sort-of CoRazy View sheet I turned it upside down to do a couple of ink wash drawings (one for each ink) and it worked really well for that, too.

 

So yeah, I want a Tomahawk. But in an "M" -- and maybe even an "F" -- if Art will do them for me!

 

-- Constance

[TheRealScubaSteve]

[amberleadavis]

Glad to hear it!

[ScienceChick]

So yeah, I want a Tomahawk. But in an "M" -- and maybe even an "F" -- if Art will do them for me!

 

-- Constance

Art did the Tomahawk stub on a M for me and it's amazing. It's not quite as juicy as Amber's B Tomahawks but every bit as smooth and soft and still a lovely wet nib. You won't be disappointed.

 

Just FYI, Art has also stubbed a few Ms, an F and an EF (which I hated before his ministrations). I'm one happy camper.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I couldn't put the pen down! Come on, people...what are you waiting for?

[TheRealScubaSteve]

I'm going to mail the clear 580 out Monday. Was not quite dry to mail out today. This was the best pen I've ever used. Jump on the offer!

[TXKat]

I tried the blue 540 with Art's 1.1 nib, but if you force me...I'll try another!! (This time I'll refill it!) I didn't use up all of the ink last time!

[TheRealScubaSteve]

Hey, I'm not forcing anyone to do anything. I'd me more than happy to sample all of Amber's TWSBI's since no one else seems to want to try any. Maybe I should not have said that I ordered a TWSBI within a week of trying hers. And contacted Art, too. Do you think that scared people off?

[amberleadavis]

I don't know... maybe because it's buried here instead of in First Stop?

 

Maybe we should post some pics of TWSBIs in use in Don't Just Tell? (That thread is pure Pen-ography).

[conib]

Art did the Tomahawk stub on a M for me and it's amazing. It's not quite as juicy as Amber's B Tomahawks but every bit as smooth and soft and still a lovely wet nib. You won't be disappointed.

 

Just FYI, Art has also stubbed a few Ms, an F and an EF (which I hated before his ministrations). I'm one happy camper.

 

Thanks so much for posting that info ScienceChick, much appreciated.

 

Were all the nibs Art stubbed for you TWSBIs?

 

-- Constance

[amberleadavis]

Art is now had his hands on most of my collection....

 

He entered with Esties; schooled himself with Sheaffer's and he's played with the Pelikans. Most recently, he did an Indian eyedropper for me.

[conib]

Maybe we should post some pics of TWSBIs in use in Don't Just Tell? (That thread is pure Pen-ography).

 

Great thread! Thanks for the link.

 

The amber TWSBI looked absolutely beautiful when it was filled with Apache Sunset, and when it was filled with yu-yake. I now wish I'd thought to try to take a photo of the pen when it was filled with one of them! But it's been emptied of both and cleaned.

 

Anyway, I posted the sort-of CoRazy View of Apache Sunset versus yu-yake here.

 

This evening I will fill the amber TWSBI with Nagasawa Kobe #39 "Kobe Brick Brown-Red". I don't think it will look quite the same, as it's a much darker ink, but I will try to take a photo of it, or else of the inked-up sapphire-blue TWSBI, and post it along with some its writing in the Don't Just Tell thread. (Hopefully within the next week. Cross fingers!)

 

I posted the water-tested CRV of de Atramentis US Constitution here. As Amber comments in that thread, US Constitution is surprisingly water-resistant.

 

The water-tested CRV of J. Herbin Larmes de Cassis is here. Larmes de Cassis seems to have very little water resistance.

 

And here's another sample on Rhodia dotPad from Amber's amber 540 w/Art's Tomahawk ground on a TWSBI "B" nib, this time filled with yu-yake:

 

 

and on Rhodia dotPad from the sapphire-blue 540 w/Pendleton Angel filled with Pelikan 4001 Turquoise:

 

 

The Pelikan 4001 Turquoise was problematic in the TWSBI 540. After some research on FPN, I discovered that what I was seeing (the pen drying up after a short period of writing, but recovering after a hard shake or two) was probably due to the ink having too much surface tension for the particular configuration of the ink chamber of the TWSBI.

 

I did discover that a gentle flip: first nib up then nib down, then watching the bubble form and break before returning the nib to the page, was as effective as a hard shake. Of course, this would not be something I'd want to have to do just to write with the pen, even for an ink as beautiful as 4001 Turquoise!

 

Strangely enough, although this pen-nib-ink combo was equally problematic on 24lb laser paper, I didn't have nearly as much difficulty with it when writing on Rhodia R. (I have no clue why this should be so.)

 

-- Constance

[conib]

Art is now had his hands on most of my collection....

 

He entered with Esties; schooled himself with Sheaffer's and he's played with the Pelikans. Most recently, he did an Indian eyedropper for me.

 

Good one -- love that alliteration!

 

What did Art do for your Pelikan(s)? Did he stub any of them? Did he do any Tomahawks on them?

 

-- Constance

[amberleadavis]

The M200s have a smaller nib so no Tomahawks on them... Hey ART, come answer some questions!!!

 

BTW, that surface tension drove me crazy for a long time while I was trying to figure out the cause.