Twsbi Just Announced Their New Limited Edition

[Memory]

Goulet's Q&A mentioned that the next limited edition TWSBI Mini-AL will be gold. I searched for an image online and found one posted to TWSBI's instagram account.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZjTGMIjNTb/

 

They estimate they'll be in stock at the end of October. Decisions, decisions......

[KKay]

I think that one is pretty!

[inkstainedruth]

Not a color for me. I don't care what color they *call* it -- it's not gold, it's yellow orange....

Sort of kicking myself that I didn't get one of the light blue ones, though. And I'm pleased as punch about the pink 580 -AL.... Even have gotten used to the weight of the thing, now.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Memory]

I love the "pink" one as well, and I hate pink. To me, it's more of a red color.

 

@inkstainedruth: did you want the mini "new blue?" Or the 580-Al in turquoise? I have both, and could part with one if you're interested.

[Bluey]

I like Twsbis styles. I really do. it's just their crappy nibs that let them down.

[Memory]

That's interesting. For a steel nib, I love them. I feel like they're smoother than some of my gold nibbed pens. That said, I was just reading a thread about putting #6 nibs on some models, and even putting some wet noodle vintage mobs in order to get increased flow. I'm totally going to give it a shot I love my italic TWSBI nibs, but a wet noodle with more flow? That sounds so fun!

[Bluey]

When I had mine I tried to put the one from my Pilot Custom 74 on it, but no joy. Although I've read that there's a way. The stub nib tends to start and stop - I would be writing and it would just run dry of ink, mid sentence. No amount of altering the flow made it any better with the tines or feed. I just think the nibs are badly designed, like a poor man's IPG.

Edited October 9, 2017 by Bluey

[Memory]

Interesting. Thanks for shared by your experience. I've heard that with the old 540, the 1.1mm and 1.5mm nibs could run dry. I actually prefer the 1.5mm on my mini-AL and my 580-ALs as daily writers and they've performed timed well with a wide variety of inks. Maybe their build quality improved? I'm not 100% sure.

 

Now that I have accounts of vintage flex nibs that guzzle ink, I'm going to try transferring them over to a Franklin-Christoph or TWSBI body. I definitely love my vintage nibs, but it's hard for me to love pens with an ink sac. I'm always worried I'm not cleaning the sac enough or that it's about to run out midwriting session.

[inkstainedruth]

I love the "pink" one as well, and I hate pink. To me, it's more of a red color.

 

@inkstainedruth: did you want the mini "new blue?" Or the 580-Al in turquoise? I have both, and could part with one if you're interested.

 

Thanks but at the moment money is really tight. But just for the record it was the "new blue" -- didn't really care for the turquoise.

At the moment I'm trying to figure out how to pay for a hotel for the weekend at something I'm supposed to be teaching a class at (and haven't even paid for the event yet either). And then figure out a hotel for OPS....

The light blue Mini is sort of on the wish list, but there are other pens that are higher up on the list.... And most of what little budget I will have for OPS will probably go towards repairs.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[minddance]

TWSBI ought to work on their nibs and ink flow problems before releasing new designs and colours that stem from crappy foundation.

Edited October 11, 2017 by minddance

[dapprman]

TWSBI ought to work on their nibs and ink flow problems before releasing new designs and colours that stem from crappy foundation.

I've got a diamond 580 (not AL) and 3 ECOs - no flow problem with any of them, even the one with the 1.5 nib. Having said that, the 1.5 is on an ECO and their designs have improved over time, plus they did change nib manufacturer between the 540 and 580 (think ti was that period), which would also mean new feeds, which could have made a difference.

[inkstainedruth]

I've got a diamond 580 (not AL) and 3 ECOs - no flow problem with any of them, even the one with the 1.5 nib. Having said that, the 1.5 is on an ECO and their designs have improved over time, plus they did change nib manufacturer between the 540 and 580 (think ti was that period), which would also mean new feeds, which could have made a difference.

 

The only issue I have had so far with my 580 AL is that the piston does not got all the way down to the feed. I got an air bubble and couldn't get the ink to flow when I refilled the pen with distilled water to try flushing the ink. Someone in my local pen club said that this was a design issue -- but between us handling the pen when I showed it to her we were able to either break up the bubble or move it around in the chamber enough that I was able to then write again.

Oh, and when I did flush the pen finally, I now have some discoloration on the section from soaking in ammonia solution. But that's just cosmetic, as far as I'm concerned. Still would not buy this new LE pen, but that's strictly because of the color.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[yeepers]

I wish I could love the mini but I really hate the stupid rubber o-ring that sits just below the piston filler knob. That thing comes loose if I even look at it for more than a split second and there's no way I can have the pen in a pen loop sliding in and out because I'd lose that o-ring in a flash.

[sdbruder]

let me hijack a little this topic: someone with more time on fountain pens

than me can tell normally how many limited editions TWSBI come up

during a year?

 

—
Today I received pens that I didn’t bought.