Twsbi Eco Extra Fine

April 12, 2016

Fellow FP lovers,

I have decided to go for the TWSBI Eco EF as my first piston filler (hopefully of many😄). Love the aesthetics and the ink capacity of the pen. However, most of my pens are japanese F, namely pilot, so I'm used to very fine lines for my small handwritting. I have 2 lamys EF which produce too thick lines comparing to the metro.

So, My concern with the Eco is the line width of the EF.... Can you guys help me decide if the eco Ef is similar to the metro fine (my usual EDC)? If you could upload some pictures that would be awesome.

Many tks!

April 12, 2016

I think the Metro F and Eco EF are very similar in width... The Eco EF is somewhat in between the Japanese EF and Western EF.

However...have a look for yourself at the Goulet nib nook http://www.gouletpens.com/nib-nook

April 12, 2016

I find that ink and paper play a significant role in the line width. (this is where somebody chimes in"obviously").

With Rhodia paper + Waterman Intense Black, I get a really fine line.

With Fabriano EcoQua paper + Noodler's Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham, I get a line comparable to the TWSBI Classic Fine. (as a reference, the Classic Fine is wider on Rhodia vs. The EF).

April 12, 2016

Most Western EF, including TWSBI which has its nibs made by JOWO (German), are actually substantially wider than Japanese F.

The common saying that Japanese is one measure finer than the equivalent Western is not actually true, maybe it was once upon a time, but it's not now for most European manufacturers (with some exceptions, for example Aurora steel nibs, but not the gold ones, are finer than most and there an EF would indeed more or less correspond to a Japanese F. Faber-Castell also has pretty fine steel EF nibs).

Edited April 12, 2016 by Feanaaro

April 13, 2016

I have no experience with eco in EF as it is not available here in India. I wanted to buy it in EF as I also thought that being jowo EF would write like Japanese F, but was not able to get in EF. Then I bought eco in F which actually writes equivalent to Japanese F. So I'm happy with it and am happy that I didn't get an EF.

April 13, 2016

I would go with the TWSBI Eco F nib.

When I was to order my TWSBI Eco, I too pondered about which nib to get. I usually like writing with the EF nibs, so I got my TWSBI Eco in EF nib.

In retrospect, I would get the F nib, as my TWSBI EF seems too fine and too dry for my taste. I currently have exchanged the TWSBI Eco EF nib with a #5 Baoer F nib from another fountain pen. The TWSBI Eco EF nib remains currently unused.

The TWSBI Eco is a great pen. I am sure you would like it. To me it seems like it is going to be as much as a bestseller as the Lamy Safari used to be up till now. The only thing I do not like is the red plastic finial, I think a mirror-colored finial like that of the inexpensive Jinhao 15 would fit the TWSBI Eco much better. Hope someone from TWSBI is reading this.

Regards,

Photios

Edited April 13, 2016 by Frank66

April 13, 2016

I've got an EF Eco, and it's enough thinner than my M Metropolitan that I think you'd be happy with it. The points may be coming from a German maker, but they appear to be leaning closer to Asian notions when marking the widths.