Twsbi 580Alr With Mark Bacas Blade Turk Grind

[JunkyardSam]

Hey guys! Normally post in the Japan pens forum but I picked up a TWSBI 580ALR from Mark Bacas with a special nib grind and I wanted to share some info about it.

 

 

First off - the ALR is just like an AL except the cap band has a difference finish(?) and most importantly the grip section is 'ribbed.' The lines on the grip section feel amazing, really good to the touch. I consider it an upgrade from my AL, but you do have to be careful not to get ink in those lines because you would have to clean it out.

 

Mark Bacas is a popular nibmeister. You can see his work at https://www.instagram.com/nibgrinder/

 

I got the 580ALR with a Blade Turk grind and if I had it to do over again I would send him my nicest pen because it's an amazing grind. The Blade Turk is a mini-architect grind with a gentle curve so you get a controlled gradation of line width from Platinum UEF to Japanese M.

 

It's a really versatile tool. Anyone could just pick it up and write with it, but if you vary the angle up or down you can variation in width. An artist could probably build a whole career around this nib, as the more you use it the more you get to know what it can do and get the line widths you want without even thinking about it.

 

 

Here's a video demo I made of the pen & nib:

 

And here's an additional photoset: https://imgur.com/fpngallery/eXPLoO9

 

Mark Bacas deals TWSBI pens so I think you can just order a nib from him already ground to load into your TWSBI. This gives some additional options for nib types normally only found on Japanese pens, for example... or various architect grinds.

 

Anyhow, I really love the pen and I'm considering sending him my King of Pen to work on next. This Blade Turk is just such an interesting and unique grind. I'd recommend it for any artist but also anyone who just wants an interesting fountain pen nib that is still appropriate for every day use.

 

[Driften]

Thanks so much for sharing it! He did do a great job and as always you did a great job on the art showing it off.

[JunkyardSam]

Thanks, Driften. Good to see you BTW, it's been a while since we chatted!

 

The only thing I should note is I'm a left handed 'side writer' so the thick/thin is going to be the opposite for someone who is right handed or is an underwriter, etc.

 

Now I just have to make a final decision as to which gold nib to which I should have this grind done... I want it on my King of Pen because I feel like I would use it a lot -- but there's also this blasphemous feeling I have about altering a King of Pen nib.

[inkstainedruth]

Interesting. How different is it from a Sailor Zoom nib? I just got a Pro-Gear Slim Purple Cosmos (came in the mail today! ) with a zoom (I waited till I got a chance to try one because I wasn't sure I'd get used to changing the pen angle).

I tried someone's architect grind a while back at a pen club meeting, and while I understood how it worked on an intellectual level, I didn't like the way the architect nib wrote. Wondering if I would do better with a architect's nib which was ground from something like a broad nib.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[JunkyardSam]

Unfortunately I don't have a Zoom nib so I can't compare. I will say this isn't by any means a normal architect grind. It is really very fine, and it has a curve so line variation can vary according to angle. I believe Mark Bacas considers it a "hybrid" nib.

 

Here's a photo from the @nibgrinder instagram page that shows a Blade Turk in progress of being made - SUPER closeup:

 

https://www.instagram.com/nibgrinder/p/BIl6-yDh7M5/

[mbacas]

This is very different from a Zoom nib. The Zoom nib is basically a large triangular pad. The Blade Turk is shaped like the curved edge of a knife. I do a Hyrbrid grind where I take the Architect and apply the blade shape to the lower tip. This allows architect style at a higher angle while still allowing lower angle use. You loose a little on the side stroke line with compared to a regular Architect.

 

Interesting. How different is it from a Sailor Zoom nib? I just got a Pro-Gear Slim Purple Cosmos (came in the mail today! ) with a zoom (I waited till I got a chance to try one because I wasn't sure I'd get used to changing the pen angle).

I tried someone's architect grind a while back at a pen club meeting, and while I understood how it worked on an intellectual level, I didn't like the way the architect nib wrote. Wondering if I would do better with a architect's nib which was ground from something like a broad nib.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[peroride]

Thank you for sharing @JunkyardSam your review and beautiful artwork which i think would still look terrific even if you used a rusty nail.

 

I have a Sailor Zoom that does a scratchy fine at 90 degrees and at regular 40-45ish degrees does a big blobby broad (3B, i don't have a broad so i don't know) I've trained myself to change angles to get line variation but it is not comfortable so maybe I see a @mbacas blade turk in my future.

[1nkulus]

A novel and interesting nib. IMO, seems more usable than the zoom.

[inkstainedruth]

This is very different from a Zoom nib. The Zoom nib is basically a large triangular pad. The Blade Turk is shaped like the curved edge of a knife. I do a Hyrbrid grind where I take the Architect and apply the blade shape to the lower tip. This allows architect style at a higher angle while still allowing lower angle use. You loose a little on the side stroke line with compared to a regular Architect.

 

 

Thanks. That's the information I needed. But because the results on the page were similar (i.e., the steeper the angle of the pen to the paper, the finer the line got), I wasn't sure what the actual differences were.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[inkstainedruth]

Thank you for sharing @JunkyardSam your review and beautiful artwork which i think would still look terrific even if you used a rusty nail.

 

I have a Sailor Zoom that does a scratchy fine at 90 degrees and at regular 40-45ish degrees does a big blobby broad (3B, i don't have a broad so i don't know) I've trained myself to change angles to get line variation but it is not comfortable so maybe I see a @mbacas blade turk in my future.

I haven't had a chance to try my zoom nib yet -- the pen just came yesterday in the mail. But when I tried my friend's pen, I found that there was a fair amount of feedback in general on somewhat normal paper (an Eco Qua A5 dot grid notebook I had picked up a while back at the local Dick Blick), to the point of being somewhat scratchy. But when I tried the same pen and ink (not sure what -- some brownish orange Kingdom Note ink my friend had) on Tomoe River paper? It was just smooth as silk, no matter what angle. Just lovely to write on.

Right now I've got the pen inked up with old formula Sailor Jentle Sky High; but I think this will be a good pen for drawing with, so after the fill of Sky High is done, I may try something like Iroshizuku Yama-guri (which is a lovely wet sepia brown).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Tiggercat]

Thank you for sharing - this is really interesting, especially with the idea of just picking up an extra nib unit.

[NeverTapOut]

I have used Mark in the past. He does amazing work.

I am getting ready to send him off some pens...especially for the Blade Turk on a 149.

I also does an amazing PO (Posting) Nib.

Regards,

David

Edited April 24, 2019 by Jesus1

[NeverTapOut]

JunkYardSam,

What ink was used in the above example.

Thank You,

David

[Ka Yuklim]

I'm a LH underwriter. For my daily writing needs I switch between English and Chinese. My handwriting is small - and I really like EF (0.2) nibs that aren't too feedback-y. The mini fude nibs on some Chinese pens are very pleasant to write with, but they give me a FM line. I'm wondering if the Blade Turk would be a good fit for me.

[hairlame]

I'm not a left handed writer, but I can say that the blade turk from Mark Bacas can produce a very fine line. I have mine tuned to be a wetter writer, and it produces a line that is as crisp and fine as a Sailor EF nib. 

 

The nice thing about working with Mark is that you can specify exactly what you want in terms of smoothness, wetness and the like (within the limits of the grind). He'll send you a link to a video of him writing with your pen prior to sending it back to you so that you can get a sense of how it writes and whether any further modification is needed.  If you're interested in the grind, I'd recommend contacting him to discuss your needs and wants, and he should be able to tell you if its possible.

 

-h