TWSBI Eco (White) - Review

Pen: TWSBI Eco Fountain pen

Nib: Extra-Fine

Color: White (Available in Black)

Other Info: Does not take cartridge or converter.

 Has a piston mechanism

Every since getting my first TWSBI pen about 6 months back, I have sort of fallen for the TWSBI brand. Sure they have a few kinks that get me (but every pen I own does, even my favorite Lamy pens). What makes this pen so great (in my opinion) is that it is well made for an affordable price - which is probably how it earned the name Eco. I have had quiet some time to write with this pen, fill it with different inks, clean it several times, tinker with it and therefore am ready to share my experience and thoughts.

So when I first got this pen, the first thing I did was tinker. I tend to like to fill my pens with a needle and syringe - makes less of mess and quick work of things. That was not going to happen with this pen without getting significant air inside the ink reserve. So, I tinkered with it (and learned how important it is to keep that red wrench around). Once I figured it out, I proceeded with filling it up. Noodler's 54th massachussets is currently inked up and looks good in this pen. I did have J.Herbing Emerald of Chivor in anothe TWSBI - a 580AL with a fine nib - and I do NOT suggest using that ink in a TWSBI or anything with a Fine or Extra Fine. It took forever to clean that out, and even when I thought I had it clean, it still wrote with specks of gold for at least a week. Anyhow, moving on......

This pen cleans fairly easy - which is a plus. The nib does not disconnect (that I know of) like a Lamy or some other pens do. Actually, to my knowledge, the nib and feed are connected and not separable. So you do have to flush this several times to get the ink that was once in it, out. But considering what it takes for some other pens - cleaning is a cinch.


The material of this pen is something different too. This pen does not feel cheap. It is lighter than the Diamond 580AL pens. I would say that it is about the size of a TWSBI Classic - except lighter in weight. This pen is also really comfortable to write with.













One thing I did notice with this pen is that it does not write well or comfortably with the cap posted. It is way too long (in my opinion) and the cap loosens from the posted position real easily. I prefer to just take the cap off and hold it or set it aside. Thus brings me to another point about the cap - it twists off. I am a fan of pull/pop off caps. Sure I have pens that have twist caps and I love them. But for ease and usability, I prefer a cap that just snaps right off. It has the traditional TWSBI logo on the cap as well. I also noticed that at times, the ink reserve will get some moisture in it. I notice this when I see what looks to be like a foggy window in part of the pen. I blame this mostly on the extreme changes we have in temperature up here. It will go from really cold to warm (often).

The nib write fairly smooth - most of the time. There is a tad bit of scratchiness when writing in an upward stroke. I am hoping that some Mylar paper (or something similar) might fix that.It's not enough to make me stop using the pen though. When long writing is required, this pen is comfortable enough to do the job. The price also makes this pen a great and affordable buy! As it retails for around $28.99 and can be found at most pen dealers. The last thing I noticed was that this pen writes more like a Fine, not an Extra-Fine.