tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post1593024735832210618..comments2024-01-19T03:42:09.902-08:00Comments on A love for fountain pens, inks, and handwriting - Peninkcillin: TWSBI Diamond 530 fountain pen reviewPeninkcillinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00848625062603548050noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-2114722575496133132015-04-11T03:38:29.145-07:002015-04-11T03:38:29.145-07:00Yeah~ I am now searching ways to buy Yeah~ I am now searching ways to buy Ki Jun Kimnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-41467910232294779972015-04-04T16:57:24.053-07:002015-04-04T16:57:24.053-07:00Are you from Korea? These pens are Taiwanese so it...Are you from Korea? These pens are Taiwanese so it shouldn't be too hard for you to get your hands on one. They have an eBay store. Yeah, these days they have the 580. I would highly recommend it, especially the 580AL. That one has aluminum parts, including the section, which is very important because the 530 had some issues where the plastic section cracked after a while. But the 580AL seems to be very solid. I will probably buy a 580AL at some point.Peninkcillinhttp://peninkcillin.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-41293469867122894462015-04-04T16:00:12.219-07:002015-04-04T16:00:12.219-07:00Wow! I read this post toooo late! I wish I had rea...Wow! I read this post toooo late! I wish I had read this ealier, especially before buying parkers. Ki Jun Kimnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-69940650626781609482013-03-26T17:59:29.713-07:002013-03-26T17:59:29.713-07:00Hey Drew and sorry about the very late reply. I...Hey Drew and sorry about the very late reply. I've been out of touch with the blog for a while. That's quite a lot of questions you have for me there but I'll try to answer them even though I'm not an expert in fountain pens. Oh and thanks for your kind words!<br /><br />1. This varies from pen to pen. It boils down to a few variables: how big the ink reservoir is, how thick the nib and how freely the ink flows. The bigger the reservoir, the finer the nib and the drier the ink, the more pages you will get. I don't write so much so I can't give you an exact number but I would estimate that a fountain pen with a decent reservoir and a medium nib should last you about as long as a typical ballpoint pen.<br /><br />2. I wouldn't worry about replacing nibs, unless you damage them intentionally. A nib will last you for years under normal writing conditions.<br /><br />3. That's too much for me to explain and I'm not very knowledgeable myself so here's a good link for you:<br />http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/nibs/primer.htm<br /><br /><br />4. Well, that can vary wildly. Depends a lot on how much you want to spend on your fountain pens. You could buy a cheap $20-30 pen and a bottle of ink and the ink could last you a couple of years. Or you could buy a $1000 pen every year, that's up to you. But typically you would get a lot of pages out of a bottle of ink. For example, for everything I have reviewed on this blog I must have spent not more than $250.<br /><br /><br />5. Fountain pens are great. If you care about your handwriting, there's nothing that beats a fountain pen. It teaches you how to write properly and is especially great for writing cursively. Unfortunately cursive writing is a dying art but a fountain pen can really help. The nib doesn't slip on paper the way ballpoints do. Besides, I get joy from feeling and seeing the fresh wet ink on paper and then watching it dry up. And then, of course, there are hundreds of ink colors out there to experiment with. Not least, it makes you part of a select club of cool people who still appreciate a classic and elegant instrument.Peninkcillinhttp://peninkcillin.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-16354028652226794102013-01-24T12:30:22.031-08:002013-01-24T12:30:22.031-08:00Hey Peninkcillin!
First off, I really appreciate...Hey Peninkcillin! <br /><br />First off, I really appreciate your blog. It's been very helpful to me! Secondly, I'm completely ignorant on fountain pens, but I want to pursue getting one. I love the TWSBI pens, but I'm wondering if you could answer a few questions for me about fountain pens in general (and maybe about the TWSBI in specific). <br /><br />1. Typically how many pages of writing could you get out of one fill? For reference, your last image on this post (with "Rhodia 80g" in the top left corner)--how many pages of JUST writing could you get?<br /><br />2. How often do nibs need to be replaced? <br /><br />3. Can you explain the nib sizes to me?<br /><br />4. How much do you spend on ink/nibs per year outside of testing purposes? Basically I'm trying to get a feel for what the cost would be to maintain using a fountain pen yearly with perhaps...400 standard, letter-size pages filled yearly. <br /><br />5. What are some of the benefits, in your opinion, of using a fountain pen over a roller ball pen? <br /><br />Thanks so much!Drewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-48784424756174351552012-04-30T16:27:28.366-07:002012-04-30T16:27:28.366-07:00Well, I mentioned some of the flaws in my review. ...Well, I mentioned some of the flaws in my review. So far mine hasn't cracked although I've heard of people complaining of that. Customer service has been outstanding for those folks and their defective parts were replaced promptly, at no cost to them.<br /><br />I'm not used to expensive pens so the EF and B nibs on my 530 are excellent, to me.<br /><br />I'm a bit disappointed that the price has gone up. Like you said, I doubt I'll be buying another TWSBI because there are pens from more established manufacturers for the same price or less.<br /><br />I continue to believe that at $40, this pen was a steal.Peninkcillinhttp://peninkcillin.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-62306355483340425652012-04-30T04:37:15.139-07:002012-04-30T04:37:15.139-07:00I'm suprised there is no mention to the many a...I'm suprised there is no mention to the many and repeated flaws of this pen and its sequel the 540. Pistons leak no matter what improved version they are. The policabonate cracks but itself, even in the box. For a pen that advertised itself with a video and throwing it to the floor, and now hammering it, well....The nibs still are quite poor, no matter if Smith or Bock. Price has gone up susbtancially, and if you live outside the US or Taiwan, it gets ridiculous for such a pen, you can buy Pilots and Sailors with gold nibs even for less. And yup, it's a piston filler. That hold at maximun 1.3/1.5ml of ink, like any long international converter ( less than the usual two small ones combo that so many student pens feture in Europe). <br />My money won't be going to this company anymore, despite repeated changes, the replacement pieces still break.Mediahttp://pulse.yahoo.com/_6RTNEA55JKUNNLXS6CP4L35UC4noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-32994888273584364802011-09-24T12:26:31.178-07:002011-09-24T12:26:31.178-07:00Thanks! I've seen even bigger articles though....Thanks! I've seen even bigger articles though. If you can imagine...Peninkcillinhttp://peninkcillin.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-48261772949270074792011-09-23T17:48:55.433-07:002011-09-23T17:48:55.433-07:00I am just amazed that so much can be written about...I am just amazed that so much can be written about one pen! Congratulations.Rozlynnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-27387573503048398912011-07-29T21:01:00.566-07:002011-07-29T21:01:00.566-07:00Thanks for your impressions! What size nibs did yo...Thanks for your impressions! What size nibs did you get?Peninkcillinhttp://peninkcillin.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-25665274505520261672011-07-29T17:33:56.623-07:002011-07-29T17:33:56.623-07:00Great review. I ordered several (one for me and tw...Great review. I ordered several (one for me and two for friends) and it's proved to be a new favorite. The nib is very smooth and the pen is solidly built. The o-rings in the cap make for a snug screw-in fit, but do a good job to keep the nib from drying out. Impressive debut from a new pen maker. It's a very techy looking pen and gets a lot of admiring comments. The main thing is that it writes very well and reliably. One of the best buys on the block, especially if you get it from their eBay store. Thanks!DaMacGuynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-55299698864503937112011-06-12T10:39:08.513-07:002011-06-12T10:39:08.513-07:00Thank you Neill! I guess TWSBI owes me something f...Thank you Neill! I guess TWSBI owes me something for driving so many customers to them :) Nah, kidding.<br /><br />I'm not a big ebay expert but I believe that it's up to the seller which countries they wish to ship to. Personally whenever I sell something I only ship to the continental US (not even Alaska or Hawaii). It's less trouble that way and I won't lose too much on shipping (though I still lose some).Peninkcillinhttp://peninkcillin.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-69409775988593961782011-06-12T07:46:42.915-07:002011-06-12T07:46:42.915-07:00A great review. I ordered one. A great pen at a go...A great review. I ordered one. A great pen at a good price. Ali Ikizkaya seems to be taking Ebay's inability to ship to Turkey rather personally. Ebay will not ship the Diamond 530 to most countries in the world. I had to order directly from TWSBI to get my pen sent to Korea (only positive things to say about their customer service).<br /><br />Many thanks for the detailed and eye-catching review.Neillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-12734927918795713992011-06-06T18:27:07.743-07:002011-06-06T18:27:07.743-07:00Nice! I wish I had the skills to grind more expens...Nice! I wish I had the skills to grind more expensive nibs. I wouldn't risk anything on my TWSBI, but I might give it a try on a Pilot Varsity.Peninkcillinhttp://peninkcillin.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-1061916844307337242011-06-06T07:36:50.093-07:002011-06-06T07:36:50.093-07:00Hello again,
I got one with a M nib cause they di...Hello again,<br /><br />I got one with a M nib cause they didn't come in with the broad pre-installed. Then I ordered a separate broad one. The medium will become a CI and the broad a stub. I've been grinding nibs for a while now and it's super fun... I just ground a B TWSBI nib for somebody else. That's what made me want to get one for myself. The B nibs seem to have a very slight degree of flex. It was nice-n-springy making it very comfortable for writing!<br /><br />I chose clear cause I've always wanted a Pelikan m800 demo but couldn't afford it. This is almost the same and at a fraction of the cost!<br /><br />I hope mine comes in three days. That would be great! :)<br /><br />Regards,<br />777 - Tyler Dahl777 Pen Repairhttp://777penrepair.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-536856899993816392011-06-06T05:24:27.368-07:002011-06-06T05:24:27.368-07:00Thank you Tyler and congrats! Which nib did you ge...Thank you Tyler and congrats! Which nib did you get? Also, clear or colored?<br /><br />Mine was delivered very quickly, I got it in about 3 days. That seems to be the norm.Peninkcillinhttp://peninkcillin.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-33221627194698779212011-06-06T01:55:20.783-07:002011-06-06T01:55:20.783-07:00Thanks for this review! I was so close to buying a...Thanks for this review! I was so close to buying a TWSBI but I hadn't decided yet. Mainly financial reasons. This review was the last-straw. I couldn't resist any longer! So many good pictures you have included here. Very well-done and thorough review! Great job!<br /><br />Now I just have to wait for the mailman... :)Regards,777 - Tyler Dahl777 Pen Repairhttp://777penrepair.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-18693843993845438352011-05-02T04:05:14.922-07:002011-05-02T04:05:14.922-07:00Dear Barry !
Many thanks for the efforts . I will ...Dear Barry !<br />Many thanks for the efforts . I will try the source giving by you for obtaining TWSBI.ALI IKIZKAYAhttp://aliikizkaya.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-25655280885022537602011-05-02T04:01:59.344-07:002011-05-02T04:01:59.344-07:00Dear Peninkcillin !
Many thanks I will try the sou...Dear Peninkcillin !<br />Many thanks I will try the source giving by you for obtaining TWSBI.ALI IKIZKAYAhttp://aliikizkaya.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-2770166979737592832011-05-02T03:44:01.052-07:002011-05-02T03:44:01.052-07:00Ali might also try the Writing Desk, a UK based su...Ali might also try the Writing Desk, a UK based supplier of fine writing instruments, who hooked me up with my TWSBI. I'm loving it.barry allanhttp://profiles.google.com/barry.allannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-34809861049350333382011-04-30T19:21:10.024-07:002011-04-30T19:21:10.024-07:00I'm afraid the S95 is a bit above the $300 mar...I'm afraid the S95 is a bit above the $300 mark but if you can make the financial effort to get that camera you won't regret it.Peninkcillinhttp://peninkcillin.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-13970596882607350852011-04-30T10:05:12.698-07:002011-04-30T10:05:12.698-07:00Thanks for responding to my question so quickly. I...Thanks for responding to my question so quickly. I will most likely go with the EF, which is my typical preference given my writing size. <br /><br />I've heard many good things about the S95, so I will probably go with that model. The price range I have been considering is under $300.00. <br /><br />I look forward to reading your tutorial, and I am sure many other bloggers are, too.Economy Pensnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-78422624440408782232011-04-28T17:36:17.254-07:002011-04-28T17:36:17.254-07:00Hey thanks Alex! Glad you like my photos.
What si...Hey thanks Alex! Glad you like my photos.<br /><br />What size nib are you thinking to get?<br /><br />About cameras... "inexpensive" is a relative term. It depends on your budget and what you intend to accomplish. Is it for professional use or just for a hobby or for fun?<br /><br />I will assume that you need a point-and-shoot camera for non-professional use.<br /><br />Myself, I have a DSLR with various lenses which cover all possible situations but for all the photos on this site I use a much cheaper setup, in the form of a Canon G11 (P&S), a tripod and a cheap-but-excellent Chinese remote trigger.<br /><br />I was going to write an article on how to take decent shots of pens so if I do that, I will give more details there but I'll try to give you some pointers.<br /><br />Luckily these days most P&S cameras have good macro settings which allow you to shoot from very close up. I'm a Canon guy so I can recommend Canon cameras with confidence. Among the Canon P&S cameras, the best one is the G series (G12 is the latest model). The second best is the S95 which, although produces the same quality as the G12, lacks certain features such as a flash hotshoe and a swivel screen, which is awesome for shooting from a tripod.<br /><br />But the G12 is about $450, so again it depends on what your budget is. If this is too expensive, there are cheaper Canon models which don't have all the bells and whistles but can do the job almost as well. Just remember that these lesser models won't produce the same image quality as the G and S series because the sensor is smaller in physical size (among other things).<br /><br />At the minimum you should get a camera with manual controls (P, A, S, M settings) and the ability to change the exposure compensation.<br /><br />I will try to expand on this in a future article. Let me know if you have other questions.Peninkcillinhttp://peninkcillin.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-79004382800820905042011-04-28T16:58:05.275-07:002011-04-28T16:58:05.275-07:00Excellent and thorough review. Everyone seems to r...Excellent and thorough review. Everyone seems to rave about the TWSBI. The brown ink looks amazing in the reservoir, mostly because of your photography, which I always enjoy. On that note, what are your thoughts on a relatively inexpensive camera that is able to achieve decent closeups? <br /><br />Again, great work on this review. I will be ordering a TWSBI soon.Alex Wittehttp://profiles.google.com/alex.wittenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345867425183730081.post-10328219381486009822011-04-28T05:21:36.422-07:002011-04-28T05:21:36.422-07:00Hi Luke. I don't think you should compare the ...Hi Luke. I don't think you should compare the F in a fountain pen with the F in a ballpoint. Nib sizes are not consistent even in the fountain pen world, much less if we bring in ballpoints into the mix. A manufacturer might call a tip F because it's the finest one they have. F could mean 0.5mm or 0.7mm. It all depends.<br /><br />Second, as I mentioned in the review, the TWSBI nib is European, meaning it is thicker than a Japanese nib of the same designation. So the TWSBI EF is about the same as a Japanese M (at least in my opinion).<br /><br />Third, I've heard people say that there isn't a big difference between the TWSBI EF, F and M. So my advice is this: if you prefer finer tips, go for the EF. If you prefer broader ones, go for the M or even the B. If you're not sure, go for the F.Peninkcillinhttp://peninkcillin.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com