In the Curated Shop: TWSBI Inks (Swatches Included!)

While most are familiar with TWSBI pens, the TWSBI ink lineup receives less attention. TWSBI initially released a series of basic colors - Black, Blue-Black, Blue, and Red - in 70 ml bottles, and later added “Midnight Blue.” If you’re looking for work and wallet-friendly inks in an attractive frosted bottle, consider these. The blue-black has some water resistance, and I’ve found that it’s a great ink for the office because (like many traditional blue-black inks) it writes well on cheaper paper, even in broader nibs.

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What’s the difference between “Midnight Blue” and “Blue-Black”? Midnight Blue lacks the water-resistance of the Blue-Black, but definitely leans more blue, whereas Blue-Black has more steel grey undertones.

TWSBI later released a series of six brighter colors in 18ml bottles: Emerald Green, Prairie Green, Royal Purple, Sky Blue, Orange, and Pink. What surprised me about these inks is the saturation. When I first saw the announcement, I expected colors such as Prairie Green, Sky Blue, and Pink to look a bit washed out, but I was pleasantly surprised at how bright and legible they are.

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You can currently purchase 70ml bottles of TWSBI Ink individually in the Curated Shop for $15.99, along with a set of six 18ml bottles for $34.99. If you’re an experienced fountain pen user, these are well-behaved inks that should cover most of your writing needs. If you’re purchasing your first fountain pen or new to bottled ink, the six-bottle set is a great way to experiment with the wide range of available ink colors and broaden your horizons beyond black and blue! Remember that TWSBI pens only fill from the bottle, so if you pick one up be sure to grab some ink to go along with it.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of TWSBI and all brands sold in The T.G.S. Curated Shop.

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All ink swatches done with a q-tip in a Write Notepads Dot Grid Notebook, exceptionally ink friendly paper that showed no feathering or bleed-through even with these wet swabs. Writing samples were done with this glass dip pen purchased from Papier Plume.

Sunday Reading for April 25, 2021

1. Ultem and Urushi (via UK Fountain Pens). Anthony takes a look at two gorgeous new arrivals, both unique and different.

2. Colorverse Season 7 Full Line (via Well-Appointed Desk). Jesi reviews all of the inks in Colorverse Season 7. I’ve given up on trying to keep track of all the different options Colorverse has now, but if you’re a fan of sheen and shimmer inks, be sure to check these out.

3. Desiderata Pen Co. BAMF (via Left Hook Pens). Desiderata, based in Chicago, makes small-batch pens featuring handmade filling systems and a nib section that can accept Zebra G calligraphy nibs.

4. Schon DSGN Ultem Fountain Pen (via Gourmet Pens). I need to get my hands on one of these once demand settles down. Another hit from Ian!

5. Visiting the Visconti Homo Sapiens Tuscan Hills (via Penquisition). I’m not a huge fan of swirled acrylic - it has to be done exactly right to tempt me - so for that reason I’ve never picked up one of these special edition Homo Sapiens fountain pens. This green one might be the first, but I’d like to see it in person.

6. Esterbrook Journaler Nib (via Rants of the Archer). I didn't realize that the Esterbrook Journaler nib was actually the first of an anticipated series by Esterbrook. The Journals, by Gena Salorino of Custom Nib Studios, is a medium stub/cursive italic.

7. Replacing the Sac in My Father’s Parker Duofold Senior (via Dapprman). Learning how to re-sac vintage fountain pens can absolutely change how you approach this hobby, since you no longer have to pay for expensive restoration yourself. Just be sure to read up on instructions before beginning work and leave the extremely valuable/sentimental pens to the pros until you have enough experience.

8. Finished a Pilot Hi-Tec-C Refill (via Writing at Large). Huge accomplishment! I’ve never done this.

9. A Few Thoughts on Getting Started with a Bullet Journal (via Fountain Pen Love). Bullet journaling is wildly popular, but it can be intimidating to get started. John’s guide has suggestions for both techniques and notebooks.

10. Opus 88 Omar (via Pen Addict). Sarah reviews the Omar, Opus 88’s giant “ink tank” of a pen that’s becoming one of my key recommendations for those who want something that will let them write for basically forever.

In Case You Missed It….

The big news from this week is that I did a hands-on post with the relatively recent TWSBI Diamond 580 Smoke and Rose Gold II fountain pen, which I’m now happy to be offering in The Curated Shop. (More on that below). I also updated my previous review revisiting the Pilot G2, to discuss some recommendations for pen bodies that take the G2, plus I figured out how to get a Pentel Energel into my Sunderland Machine Works MK1. Finally, this week’s Deals & Drops featured an Earth Day theme, focusing on Earth-inspired and eco-friendly products.

New In the Curated Shop: TWSBI!

I dropped some big news (well, at least for me) yesterday: I’m now authorized to carry TWSBI and have added certain select products to the shop, including Diamond 580 fountain pens, ECO fountain pens, and bottled inks. In terms of limited and special edition changeovers, I’m down to my last batch of this year’s Caran d’Ache Claim Your Style pens, which won't be coming back after the new ones arrive, and still have a few of the latest Crayons de la Maison Caran d’Ache pencil sets.

TWSBI

Caran d'Ache

Pencils

Notebooks

Consider Joining TGS Patreon for Access to Monthly Meetups and More!

You can read more about T.G.S. Patreon here. This year I’ve rolled out some new features in 2021 that will be exclusive to Patreon subscribers, including monthly online meetups, the next of which will take place this coming Friday, April 30 at 8:00pm Central Time (it got bumped a week due to my second dose of Covid-19 vaccine) and will feature a special announcement. The last few have featured some really fun discussions! I will also continue with periodic “sample sales” of gently used review items, to which Patrons will have first access. The current sale is now live!

Hands On With the TWSBI Diamond 580 Smoke and Rose Gold II Fountain Pen

Disclaimer: I am an authorized TWSBI retailer and sell select TWSBI products in my shop. My goal, as it has always been, is to offer detailed discussions and overviews of products so that you can make an informed decision about what you ultimately decide to purchase. I strongly encourage readers to do as much research as they can, including from sources other than me, before making any purchasing decision.

The original TWSBI Diamond 580 Smoke and Rose Gold quickly became something of a coveted collector’s item, alongside the TWSBI Micarta, since it turned out to be one of TWSBI’s “experimental” runs intended to test a new design element. Dissatisfied with the look of the original rose gold plating and its durability over time, TWSBI did not re-release a rose gold pen for several years. The latest version, dubbed the “Smoke and Rose Gold II, features the same improved plating found on the rose gold ECO fountain pens, modified to increase both durability and visual warmth, and in my opinion looks much better. It might be my favorite TWSBI currently on the market.

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The nibs on the Rose Gold ECO, left, and the Rose Gold 580, right. While the 580 does feature the replaceable nib units, as of the time of writing TWSBI does not sell rose gold units separately.

Rose gold trim has grown in popularity in recent years, and has made up a sizable percentage of my own recent acquisitions. In addition to the White/Rose Gold TWSBI ECO, I’ve also added a Montblanc 149 and a Leonardo Furore. While I don’t dislike standard yellow gold on fountain pens, and have plenty in my personal collection, the reddish warmth of the rose gold (created by adding copper to the alloy) gives the pen some character and makes it look, well, a touch less ordinary. Here, the combination of TWSBI’s rose gold plating and transparent smoke black acrylic on the grip section, cap, and piston knob looks fantastic.

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Obligatory dramatic low-light photo.

I don’t intend to re-review the TWSBI Diamond 580 fountain pen - you can read my comprehensive review here, as well as the “Workhorse Pens” writeup in which I discuss how I remain a devoted TWSBI 580 fan even as the TWSBI ECO sometimes seems to take center stage as the latest internet darling. Let’s just say that as TWSBI has reiterated and improved upon the design of its flagship piston filler over the years, I personally think it’s gotten to a point where I have a hard time justifying purchasing similar-looking transparent demonstrators at five to six times the price. As a result, I have a lot of TWSBIs in my collection, and usually have at least one in rotation.

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The TWSBI ECO has been attracting more and more attention for good reason: The inexpensive piston filler fountain pen comes in a wide array of colors and finishes, and sits at a price point that makes it easy to rapidly expand your collection.

In addition to just showcasing how good this pen looks, I do want to talk a bit more about the 580’s overall value proposition and why I continue to love TWSBI as a company. TWSBI has always striven to position itself as a manufacturer that creates fountain pens that punch way above their price, offering a great writing experience, a generally high level of quality control, and responsive customer service. The Smoke and Rose Gold II presents a case in point: here you have a piston-filling fountain pen with rose gold plated trim priced at $84.99. To me, that’s a very attractive offering, even if it does nudge this particular pen a touch above the standard $50-60 for a standard TWSBI Diamond 580 Clear or Diamond 580 ALR. Pricing is always relative - what is inexpensive for some is not always the same for others - which is why the having the ECO as a lower-cost alternative presents such a great option.

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But how do you maintain quality control on a pen like this at the sub-$100 price point? All I can speak to personally is this: In the past two years I have acquired approximately a dozen TWSBI pens from multiple sources, and I have had no issues. And while I have experienced minor issues in the now-distant past (i.e., more than two years ago) I have never had a problem that TWSBI has not promptly fixed, mostly involving dry nibs and one instance of a minor plastic crack. TWSBI has remained on my Recommendations Lists for years, and it wouldn’t be there, much less stocked in my own shop, if I didn’t have confidence in the manufacturer and their willingness to stand behind their product.

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

I love TWSBI pens, and as long as they continue to release knockouts such as the Smoke and Rose Gold II, they will feature prominently in my collection. Personally, I’m still holding out for a Micarta reissue, and maybe another run of the 580 RBT, which was the Taiwan tribute edition with the red cap and blue piston. (Something tells me I may be waiting for that Micarta for a long time.)

I currently stock select TWSBI pens and inks in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, including pens from the Diamond 580 and ECO lines. The Diamond 580 Smoke and Rose Gold II retails for $84.99, and is available in all TWSBI nib widths (EF, F, M, B, and 1.1mm Stub).

Pilot G2 Update: Pen Bodies and Alternative Refills

A couple of weeks ago I re-reviewed one of my favorite gel refills, the Pilot G2, which is not only available at most grocery or drug stores, but fits a wide range of machined pens, including personal favorites from Sunderland Machine Works and Tactile Turn. Following that article, I polled the readership to see how you all used the Pilot G2, and whether there were other alternatives out there that I wasn’t aware of. Here are the results:

1. Pilot G2 Limited. I know I’ve mentioned Pilot’s stock “upgrade” before, but it surprised me how many people love this pen. I’m glad I’m not the only one, because I consider the G2 Limited a sleeper recommendation that most people have been passing up for years, even though it’s right there in front of you in the stationery aisle at Target or Staples.

2. Tactile Turn “Side Click”. My own experience with Tactile Turn has been with the “Mover”, a click pen released on Kickstarter approximately five years ago and now rotated out of the Tactile Turn lineup. The Side Click Standard ships with a .7mm G2 refill, and the Side Click Mini ships with the .7mm G2 Mini refill.

3. TiScribe Bolt. The Urban Survival Gear TiScribe Bolt is one pen I’ve never tried. A versatile machined pen that ships with the G2, yet also accepts favorites such as the Pilot V5, Uniball 207 Gel, Uniball Jetstream, and Schmidt 5888.

4. Ti2 Techliner Shorty. Another heavily recommended pen that I’ve never reviewed! The Ti2 Techliner has long had a robust online following, and I need to put in an order and finally do a write up. The “shorty” version of the pen accepts the Pilot G2 and the Uniball Jetstream, both workhorses.

5. Pilot Metropolitan Rollerball. Pilot’s popular entry-level fountain pen also comes in a rollerball version which accepts - you guessed it - the G2. Fans of the Metropolitan who would like a gel/rollerball to match their Metropolitan fountain pen should consider this one. (I’ve previously reviewed the fountain pen version here.)

6. Lamy 2000 Rollerball. While I understand that this is not an exact fit, you can add a short spacer, such as a small wad of paper or a piece of plastic tubing, to the barrel of the Lamy 2000 Rollerball and use Pilot G2 refills. The Lamy 2000 is one of my favorite pens of all time, and the rollerball option is incredibly versatile and just as comfortable to use as the fountain pen.

7. Ti Arto Ultimate Refill Friendly Pen. The Ti Arto from BigiDesign sits on my desk, loaded not with the G2 but rather a Uni Signo DX, so it doesn’t immediately spring to mind when I think of a G2-compatible pen. That said, this pen does accept the G2, along with 200+ other compatible refills. If you value versatility, you really can’t do better than one of the “Ti” series pens. (The Ti Arto was the original refill-friendly pen - they’ve since released several others, most of which accept the G2.)

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As always, please leave a comment or reach out through the “Contact” link if you have additional suggestions. One further aside: I’ve discovered that with the addition of a spacer, I’ve also been able to use the Pentel Energel refill in my Sunderland Machine Works MK1. The needle-tip Energel is a long-time favorite going all the way back to my school days, and I feel like I should further explore the various options for that one as well. Stay tuned!

This post contains no third-party affiliate links, and is for informational purposes only. To support The Gentleman Stationer, please consider joining our Patreon, or making a purchase from the T.G.S. Curated Shop. Many thanks!

Sunday Reading for April 18, 2021

1. Sailor 1911 Profit Junior, Profit Jr., and Lecoule (via Rants of the Archer). Sailor apparently is building out their entry-level fountain pen lineup. I have not yet seen some of these pens widely promoted in the U.S., but since the Profit Junior arrived as the Procolor I expect they are on the way?

2. The TWSBI Draco: I Had My Doubts (via From the Pen Cup). I enjoy seeing TWSBI experiment with smaller runs and different designs. That’s how innovation works - testing out small batches of new materials in new formats. Based on Mary’s pictures, the Draco looks great. More rose gold please!

3. TRU RED Mastery Journal Review (via The Poor Penman). For a widely available big-box supply brand, I’ve found TRU RED products to be of surprisingly high quality, though the paper varies depending on the specific item. (Some of the spiral notebooks had great fountain pen friendly paper; others behaved more like the notebook reviewed here.)

4. Sailor Black: Ink Review (via Scrively). It’s uncommon to find reviews of “standard” blue and black inks made by the major pen brands. Here, you not only have a review of a very good standard ink, Sailor Black, but from a lefty’s perspective.

5. Schon DSGN Ultem Pen, Colorverse Space Laika (via Penquisition). I can’t wait to get my hands on one of these. They’re currently in high demand and short supply, so it will likely be a pen show acquisition once shows resume, currently slated for the fall.

6. Let’s Take a Look at Paper Color (via Fountain Pen Love). Color variations in paper is one of those topics that doesn’t get written up very often, if at all, and it made me happy to see this article. I’m in the market for some light blue writing/typewriter paper, btw, in case anyone has any recommendations for me….

7. DIvine Design: The Visconti Divina Elegance (via Penquisition). I had no idea the Divina full size was such a large pen!

8. Caran d’Ache 849 Claim Your Style (via Bleistift). As a huge fan of the Caran d’Ache 849, I really need to look into getting one with my initials engraved. Also, I get a lot of questions about hacking gel refills for the 849. This article includes a brilliant video addressing that topic.

9. Caran d’Ache 849 Claim Your Style (via Well-Appointed Desk). Many thanks to Ana for reviewing the 2020 Claim Your Style release in “Veronese Green”. (Disclaimer: I sent it to “The Desk” for review.). I still have some of last year’s models, but once they’re gone, they’re gone so act quick if you like the 2020 colors. 2021 should be on the way in the next couple of months.

10. Penluxe Masterpiece Grande Koi Fountain Pen (via Pencilcase Blog). Taiwanese maker Penlux has been expanding rapidly over the past several years, releasing different variations of their “Masterpiece Grande” pen last year. It sounds like the quality is good, making this another reasonably priced brand to watch.

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog I started a new project: working my way back through Pilot’s Iroshizuku line of inks. This week I revisited Yama-Budo, Kon-Peki, and Shin-Ryoku, three of the most popular colors. It will take me a while to write through all of these, but please keep an eye on the blog throughout the year because I’m excited for this challenge! I also took an extended look at the Caran d’Ache 849 fountain pen, the first time I’ve given this particular pen a stand-alone post. Finally, this week’s Deals & Drops spotlighted the new Lamy AL-Stars and the Faber-Castell Neo, both available from our friends at Vanness Pens.

This Week in the Curated Shop

Wow, those sold fast: I’m down to one Caran d’Ache Ecridor “Racing” .7mm mechanical pencil. I’ll try to get more, but the ballpoint is already on backorder. I hope they decide to make the black-chrome Ecridor a regular addition to the Caran d’Ache lineup. I also have a bunch of the Rhodia Composition Books in stock, as well as some new stamps and reading accessories from WMS & Co.

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Rhodia

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Clairefontaine

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Caran d'Ache

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WMS & Co.

Consider Joining TGS Patreon for Access to Monthly Meetups and More!

You can read more about T.G.S. Patreon here. This year I’ve rolled out some new features in 2021 that will be exclusive to Patreon subscribers, including monthly online meetups, the next of which will take place this coming Friday, April 23 at 8:00pm Central Time and will feature a special announcement. The last few have featured some really fun discussions! I will also continue with periodic “sample sales” of gently used review items, to which Patrons will have first access. The current sale is now live!