What do you think of the TWSBI Go?

[Doc Dan]

I was thinking of buying a TWSBI Go as a cheap pen by which to test inks. It seems simple to operate and to clean. I think it has the same nib as the Eco so I hope it also writes well. What do you all think of this pen? Are there better alternatives?

[ruby.monkey]

Can't say I liked the proportions, but it's a tough pen and easy to fill. From experience I can warn you that the plunger knob may come adrift, and if it does then it's a left-hand thread when reattaching.

 

Having said that, I've always found something like an Esterbrook Dip-Less dip pen to be a better choice for ink testing, since I'm usually trying a paragraph of ink at a time.

[GingerPen]

Doc Dan, I thought the same as you, good for testing new inks. However It has quite a thick section which doesn’t fit far into Diamine 30ml ink bottles. Only fills from nearly full bottles, otherwise ink level too low. Haven’t tried other makes, I only have Diamine. I sold mine for this reason.

[ruby.monkey]

2 minutes ago, GingerPen said:

It has quite a thick section which doesn’t fit far into Diamine 30ml ink bottles. Only fills from nearly full bottles, otherwise ink level too low. Haven’t tried other makes, I only have Diamine. You could remove the convertor and fill that separately but for me that’s a PITA. I sold mine after a few months. It was an OK writer though.

Are you talking about the Swipe? The Go doesn't take a converter.

[GingerPen]

@ruby.monkey - No I did mean the TWSBI Go, I just mistakenly remembered it having a spring convertor, not a piston. No longer have the pen and memory not what it was!. Above post edited to avoid confusion. Sorry!

[TSherbs]

The piston spring in mine broke within two months. And the tapered angle of the section did not work for me. 

 

 

[Doc Dan]

I bought one yesterday, along with some Diamine Bougainvillea ink. It has a broad nib. It writes very nicely and is large enough in diameter to be comfortable in my large hands. Filling was a snap. TWSBI needs to use this in more pens besides the Swipe and the Go. 

 

I looked at the Swipe and preferred the Go for my purposes, though I may get a Swipe one day. It is a nice pen and I liked it better than the Eco. 

 

I compared the Go to the Swipe, Eco, Pilot Tank, MR, and Lamy AL-Star. The Lamy was too much money for what I wanted (to test inks). The Tank and MR were too thin, though I did like the MR and may end up with one. The Eco wasn't as nice as the Swipe. So it came down to the Swipe and the Go. I chose the God because of price, feel in my hand, and nib choice. I got the all clear. I didn't like the blue or smoke. 

[jchch1950]

The Twsbi Go is an all-around pen, easy to fill and use, and has several nibs to choose from. Relative cheap, but it lacks a clip. The plastic can be better but the spring charging system is fun. Mine is almost never used because of the clip question.

[Doc Dan]

Since I tend not to use clips that is no issue to me. I have a small faux leather zipper case just large enough for the pen with a keyring attachment. I also have a leather pen slip. 

 

I remember the good old days of pocket protectors. Nowadays a pen slip is just the ticket. 

[MBDostoevsky]

I got 3 today, all with Fine nibs and they are a disaster. Skipping, scratching, misaligned feed, springy feedback. 

I am using ECO fine nibs side by side, and huge difference between ECO/GO nib experience. Even with aligned feeds and a bit of tinkering the nibs have a totally different experience. They are purported to be the same in claim/theory/actuality, but the experience is just the opposite.

 

The best place for them is in Trash.

 

 

[gone]

1 hour ago, MBDostoevsky said:

I got 3 today, all with Fine nibs and they are a disaster. Skipping, scratching, misaligned feed, springy feedback. 

I am using ECO fine nibs side by side, and huge difference between ECO/GO nib experience. Even with aligned feeds and a bit of tinkering the nibs have a totally different experience. They are purported to be the same in claim/theory/actuality, but the experience is just the opposite.

 

The best place for them is in Trash.

 

 

This matches my experience. It became a TWSBI Gone within a month. 

[Doc Dan]

That's odd. They are exactly the same nib. I hate that you had that experience, but since you know the nib is great, maybe yours was damaged, somehow. Jowo nibs are noted for being smooth and TWSBIs especially. They use that same nib in the Go, Swipe, Eco, Diamond Mini, and Mini Vac. The major difference between the Eco and Mini versus the Go is the ink loading mechanism. 

[MuddyWaters]

Not a fan of the body shape and the pen is too wet for my cheap work paper. 

[MBDostoevsky]

15 minutes ago, MuddyWaters said:

Not a fan of the body shape and the pen is too wet for my cheap work paper. 

 

You are lucky to have them too wet... the ones I have are blazing dry

[Doc Dan]

Yeah, that nib is known to be wet, for sure. When I use lesser quality or thinner paper I use the fine nib. I don't have an extra fine, as yet, but that will change. My favorite is the 1.1 stub and it is really wet. 

[Maurizio]

I got mine with a stub nib for sketching with inks like Platinum Carbon Black and Noodler’s Old Manhattan Black that I won’t put in my gold-nibbed pens. 

 

I like mine and so far it has worked flawlessly ( I’ve only had it for about 2 months ).

[MBDostoevsky]

Have pulled each of the three GOs apart.

Soaked them over night in a diluted solution and have cleaned them inside out including brushing the feed as well as passing brass shim between the tines.

The nibs are much better now. The flow is adjusted but I have a feeling that the tipping might also need work. 

Probably use them for Iron Gall inks. 

 

 

 

 

[Doc Dan]

I am amazed that you got three that weren't right since TWSBI has the reputation of being one of those pens you can count on and buy blindly. I also wonder why you didn't contact TWSBI or send the pens back to where you bought them. I bought a Pilot 74 that skipped, scratched, and hard started and I immediately sent it back to the store and got a new pen. With three Goes I would have done the same thing and asked them to pay shipping back to me. 

[Doc Dan]

8 hours ago, Maurizio said:

I got mine with a stub nib for sketching with inks like Platinum Carbon Black and Noodler’s Old Manhattan Black that I won’t put in my gold-nibbed pens. 

 

I like mine and so far it has worked flawlessly ( I’ve only had it for about 2 months ).

Yeah, they do write very well. TWSBI is the only brand I will buy a pen blindly without having tried it first. I know I can count on the quality of TWSBI and also of the Jowo nibs. TWSBI is the brand I like to give as gifts because I know the writing experience will be wonderful. 

[Maurizio]

3 hours ago, Doc Dan said:

Yeah, they do write very well. TWSBI is the only brand I will buy a pen blindly without having tried it first. I know I can count on the quality of TWSBI and also of the Jowo nibs. TWSBI is the brand I like to give as gifts because I know the writing experience will be wonderful. 

 

I agree. I’ve got 3 of them I’ve been accumulating since 2021:

A Diamond 580 with an extra fine nib; this has worked nicely from day one. 

An Eco with a broad nib I got in May or June this year; I like the juicy wet nib for sketching  and,

A Go with a stub nib I got about 2 months ago, also used for sketching, and some cursive practice. 

 

As I do with all new pens, each of these got a thorough flush with diluted dish soap and then plain water before being inked for the first time.