(Please Vote) Has Your Twsbi Cracked?

[jcrowemag]

Every TWSBI pen I have ever had has cracked or had some kind of small problem. I love them but it is really frustrating. I have a few Lamy demonstrator Safaris that I have had for years and they have never cracked. I hope TWSBI figures this out and starts to address the actual problem.

[adatse]

The cap cracked by the finial on my clear Eco

[Amory]

I have seen this brand, written with a sample one in a pen shop. Only differences I could determine twixt the twisbi and the 99cent pen from China in my pocket seemd to be:

a. It cracks

b. It is around 20 times the price

 

What am I missing - I can see no sensible reason to purchase one?

[Karmachanic]

Don't own one. I hear it's a cracking good pen though Grommit!

I'll stick with the 698. It's so good Pelikan did a knock-off!

[TSherbs]

These cracking rates suck.

[Inkysloth]

My TWSBI Eco Turquoise cap is now cracking, just above where the clip enters the cap. I’ve never clipped it to anything bulky - just inside a pen sleeve.

 

I live in the UK and haven’t put it in the oven or freezer!

 

This is the second TWSBI I’ve had that’s developed cracks, the first was a Diamond Mini that cracked in multiple places, including in a replacement barrel.

[Nellie]

In the last twelve years every single part of my Diamond 530 has cracked: First the barrel (in 2015), then the section (noticed it last year; no idea when it really happened as I don't even use the pen that much), and now I've inspected the cap and found that has cracked too (for now the cracks are contained by the metal band around the cap, so the pen is still usable, but who knows what's going to happen next). 

Edited to add that most of my pens would be considered "vintage" by Goulet Pens' standards and for the most part they're absolutely fine! 

[Mark from Yorkshire]

so far my TWSBI Swipe is holding up 12 months and counting

[Misfit]

No cracks. 

[tde44x]

4x 580's, 1x Swipe - no cracks

[Lamy4life]

My Eco cracked in around a year, I was quite rough with it too. 

My Vac Mini hasn't cracked! 

[Rebbe]

My TWSBI Swipe cap has cracked along the clip retention line having only ever fought against the lip of a shirt pocket for 2 months. Lovely little writer but their material science on resin is weak-garbo.

[inkstainedruth]

None of my TWSBIs has cracked (a 580-AL, 580-ALR, and a 700 Vac).  But they were all purchased after the changeover of materials used for the barrels and caps.  

I do have other issues with them; the fact that on the piston filler 580s, the piston does not extend all the way to the back of the feed?  That can cause air bubbles that will block the ink flow.  And I've had a lot of trouble in flushing out the 700 Vac, because it's hard to get the last of the liquid out, even with draining into paper toweling.  But no cracks that I've noticed.  

Of course I don't use any of them very much because of the issues I noted....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[SCPaul]

I have had 2 580 ALs for over 8 years with no cracking or any other problems. I have had one or the other in almost constant use since I got them. I like them and would replace them.

[The Elevator]

On 8/26/2015 at 2:23 PM, Hellmark said:

My 580 hasn't cracked, but it has the problem with the feed leaking into the grip. It has done it since new, but has been getting worse lately. Yesterday I cleaned it out and applied silicone grease, as that fixes it for most people, but it has a good amount of ink under the grip already.

Take a good hard look at the barrel on that 580. I had one do the exact same thing to me and it drove me mad because it was leaking ink all over my fingers and I couldn’t figure out what the problem was. Then I had it apart for cleaning one day and noticed this:

 

That blue line in the threaded area where the nib unit screws in is a crack. I decided not to worry about the crack (for now) and instead 3D printed a grip section with O-ring seals in it to prevent the ink leak. Something about completely sealing the grip section seems to have changed the ink flow in the pen, because it hasn’t leaked under the grip since I did the job. Let me know if you want the 3D priint files or the specs of the O-rings I used. 

 

[seymour]

Hi

I have 2 530s both in mint condition. Is that a record?

Chaim Seymour

[Nellie]

On 6/23/2023 at 10:52 AM, seymour said:

Hi

I have 2 530s both in mint condition. Is that a record?

Chaim Seymour

😮 No cracks at all? Not anywhere?! None? What colour(s) are yours?

[seymour]

Hi

One is transparent and the other green. No cracks at all. I don't know if the plastic is identical to that of the 580. They look the same to me

Chaim

 

[Nellie]

On 6/29/2023 at 3:58 PM, seymour said:

One is transparent and the other green. 

Mine used to be green too. Now it's mostly transparent, because they don't make the newer plastic in green. I think it's been transparent only since the 540(?) or at least since 2015 when I got my new barrel.

[jchch1950]

Does Twsbi Co. sell replacement parts? Sometimes pens get cracks as a result of a fall or wrong assembly process that is not really the fault of the company but of the owner.