I’m digging into the TWSBI ECO stash this week, and joining the rave with the Glow Purple Fountain Pen. It’s Purple on the outside, and glows Blue in the dark - which is where we all do our best writing, of course. I have one with a Steel Extra Fine nib to give away this week, so read the rules below and enter away!
Posts filed under TWSBI
TWSBI 580ALR Black Fountain Pen Review
(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
TWSBI has been up to a lot over the last few years, including the amazing GO and Eco, but I've been sleeping on the 580 ever since the AL models were introduced. Aside from new colors, what could I be missing, right? Turns out, TWSBI have made some small improvements that make this old classic something to consider.
The TWSBI 580 has been around for years. It replaced the 540 with more reliable parts and slightly higher quality finish. Instead of offering colored acrylic materials like the 540, the 580 just adds in accents of color at the section, band, and a few other small places. With the introduction of the aluminum (580AL) models, it's been a regular cadence of fresh new colors every year. I still use the orange 580AL that I picked up almost 10 years (!!!) ago. The ALR models add a little something special to the already great 580: texture.
The Black TWSBI 580ALR I have looks awesome on my desk, and I really enjoy using it. Just like previous models, it has dashes of aluminum accents around the grip section, cap band, and piston grip. The differences in this model are that the aluminum is a matte finish, and the grip section has a microscopic milled surface that provides plenty of traction while still looking smooth. Every time I pick this pen up, I have to squint and try to make out the tiny lines that wrap around the diameter of the section. You can see them if you look close enough, but they're seriously small and provide an excellent amount of grip. This small change on the grip section has renewed my love for this classic pen that I discovered early on in my fountain pen journey.
Everything else about the design of the pen is the same as older 580s. The length and diameter are the same, the ink capacity is the same, and the fit and finish are great. I'm really digging the matte finish on these accents, and the size feels really good in my hand when writing. This is a workhorse, and the better grip elevates it to a different level of comfort and control.
The fine nib in my unit worked flawlessly out of the box. The line width is what I'd expect, and the flow is good. Like all demonstrators, you have a full view into the status of your ink supply, and the piston filling mechanism works great. The clip on this version is a bit stronger than my old 580AL, and that's a welcome change.
There's no mistaking this pen for anything other than a TWSBI, and that's before you even look for any branding. Looking a little close, there's a TWSBI on the front side of the cap band, and a DIAMOND 580 AL R TAIWAN on the reverse side. And on the top of the cap there's a lovely TWSBI logo jewel nestled inside some more of the same textured aluminum used on the grip section. Aside from this and the grip, the other aluminum bits are a smooth matte finish — no milled texture.
Overall, the 580ALR is a solid pen that builds on the success of the previous models. Honestly, when Brad sent me this pen for review, I wasn't really excited because I assumed it would be just like the 580AL that I've had for years. I was wrong, and I'm here to tell you that this small change that the 580ALR brings with it is enough to merit another look if you already have a 580AL, and it for sure merits some serious consideration if you haven't had the opportunity to pick one up yet.
The TWSBI 580 is a classic vehicle for getting into the piston-filler game at a great price, and TWSBI's quality is to a point nowadays where you'll get plenty of use out of the pen before anything breaks (assuming you treat it well). If black isn't your thing, there are many, many colors to choose from. Whatever color you pick, you'll be getting a solid pen that packs a ton of value, utility, and whimsy.
(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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Who Wore It Better? Pilot Custom Heritage 92 Clear vs TWSBI 580 ALR Black
(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
The TWSBI 580 ALR Black arrived this week and I couldn’t help but notice the similarities with the Pilot Custom Heritage 92 Clear that was inked up in my pen binder. So, just for grins, I thought I’d do a little showdown to see “who wore it better!”
Aesthetics
Both the Pilot CH 92 and TWSBI 580 ALR Black are demonstrators with smoke or black accents, respectively. The Pilot has translucent black, aka smoke, finial and piston knob but the grip is clear, though the nib housing is black. The TWSBI has black aluminum accents on the finial, black trim ring around the piston knob, as well as a black ridged grip section. The TWSBI’s black matte aluminum cap band makes the white lettering of the branding very obvious, and not necessarily in a good way. Both have black plastic pistons which makes them look even more similar. I like the black furniture a bit more on the TWSBI but the white lettering is a bit of a turnoff for me. The Pilot is classic and understated, almost too much so.
Winner - Tie, but with a wee lean towards Pilot.
Pilot Custom Heritage 92 Clear (left) and TWSBI 580 ALR Black (right). At a casual glance, these two could be siblings but take a closer look and decide for yourself if they are similar enough to own both.
The white lettering seems harsh against the black cap band.
The lettering on the ALR Punch Pink and Navy Blue is also white, but it just looks more drastic to me on the black cap band. Maybe they should have done something more subtle like they did with the AL Smoke Rose Gold and White Rose Gold.
Nib
I got the TWSBI with a steel 1.1 stub while the PIlot has a 14kt gold, number 5 Medium nib. I do have many other 580s with other nibs and the writing experience is similar among the steel nibs. They are firm and generally feel fairly smooth, though I wouldn’t call them buttery. Their Fine is about as fine as I like, with Medium being my favorite nib size from TWSBI. They are similar in feel to steel Jowo nibs. The Pilot is lovely to write with, and the Medium is buttery smooth. It feels wee bit softer than the 580 without being bouncy or flexy. For me, it’s not even a contest nibwise.
Winner - Pilot.
Pilot (left) inked with Sailor 50 States Texas, TWSBI (right) inked with Pennonia x Amarillo Stationery Rosa Mexicano - Can’t tell from a picture how they write but they are both solid writers, but the feel is different. Gotta try it for yourself, or just take my word for it. ;-)
Ink Capacity
The Pilot has an ink capacity of ~1.28ml while the TWSBI can hold almost 2ml of ink. Both of these hold way more ink than I ever want in a pen, so for me, ink capacity is fairly unimportant. But if you want more ink in your pen, gotta go with the TWSBI.
Winner - Tie, unless you care about ink capacity in which case, TWSBI
Feel in Hand - Grip
The Pilot is a bit slimmer than the TWSBI and has a very subtle shape to the grip which prevents your fingers from slipping on the smooth plastic grip section. The TWSBI has the textured grip section which gives it a more tactile sensation to the grip and the flare on the end is more pronounced than on the Pilot. This one was tough to choose but as I prefer slightly girthier pens, I went with the TWSBI, but both are comfortable for long writing sessions.
Winner - TWSBI
Pilot (left)’s grip is straighter and the smooth, unintrusive threads are relatively flush to the barrel. The TWSBI’s flared grip section is more noticeable next to the near-parallel Pilot grip and the texture of the ridges is subtle while providing a non-slippery grip.
Feel in Hand - Weight
Uncapped and empty, the Pilot weighs about 0.4 ounces (12 g) while the TWSBI weighs 0.60 oz (~17g). I can definitely tell the difference in weight but it isn’t something that made much of a difference to my hand when writing for a long time. Since I don’t have a preference weight-wise between these two pens, there is no winner. Winner - Tie
Length
Unposted (which is how I use pretty much all my pens), the Pilot CH 92 is a bit shorter than the TWSBI, 4.8” vs 5.2”. The length of both pens were fine in my hand. The Pilot can be posted while the TWSBI wasn’t designed to be; as such, the TWSBI is absurdly long and back-weighted if you attempt to post it and you may, over time, scuff and damage its piston knob.
Winner - Tie (unless you like longer or shorter pens)
The Pilot (left) is a bit shorter than the TWSBI.
Both pens were comfortable in hand and I didn’t notice the difference in length or weight.
The length difference when posted is pretty significant.
The TWSBI is ridiculously long when posted and imbalanced.
Price
The US price for the Pilot CH 92 is $240 vs $65 for the TWSBI ALR. Yes, there’s a gold nib on that Pilot, but for reasons unknown to me, the clear CH 92 has always had a premium compared to the other colors of the CH 92, which aren’t readily available in the US market. This pen can be found for 100-120 shipped from Japan and this is one of those times when the price difference is so big that it’s hard to justify the higher US price tag. If I had to pay $240 for the Pilot CH 92, the reality is, I probably wouldn’t own one. The TWSBI 580 ALR at 65 is a good price for a workhorse of a pen (just don’t do stuff like store it with your keys, bang it around in a backpack or crank on the cap or grip or piston knobs.) However, if you’re able to get the Pilot for $100 or even $150, it would be Pilot, hands down because I like the nib so much more, but if you can’t, then it’d have to be the TWSBI.
Winner - It’s complicated.
In the end, there were a lot of ties and some complicated answers with respect to pricing, as well as personal pen preferences. While they may look similar and share some similar qualities (piston fillers, demonstrators, not too heavy or girthy,) they don’t write similarly enough for me to hands-down pick just one of them. I love my TWSBIs for everyday writing and there is almost always one (or more) inked up in my binder but the Pilot really elevates the writing experience for me. So if you can, get them both, but if you already have a TWSBI, consider saving up for the Pilot Custom Heritage 92.
(Disclaimer: Both pens are my own. The Pilot was bought second hand, possibly on eBay, 4-5 years ago. The TWSBI was purchased from Lemur Ink.)
Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.
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