TWSBI Eco Glow Purple Fountain Pen

I've had this pen for awhile and held off on reviewing it as there were problems and I wanted to give JetPens' customer support some time to address it.Confusingly, I eventually bought another in yellow and will be giving that one 5 stars. This one, no. I'm fairly convinced that this one is a lemon, and sharing with other fountain pen users elsewhere convinced me to try another one. Three stars because, frankly, given my early troubles, customer service should have either swapped the pen or given me the information to exercise any warranty. (I still haven't figured out if there even is a warranty for these.)As it is *now*, it writes OK. The newer one is plainly better: same pen, same ink, same nib, only difference is the color of the plastic.After trying the ... MoreI've had this pen for awhile and held off on reviewing it as there were problems and I wanted to give JetPens' customer support some time to address it.Confusingly, I eventually bought another in yellow and will be giving that one 5 stars. This one, no. I'm fairly convinced that this one is a lemon, and sharing with other fountain pen users elsewhere convinced me to try another one. Three stars because, frankly, given my early troubles, customer service should have either swapped the pen or given me the information to exercise any warranty. (I still haven't figured out if there even is a warranty for these.)As it is *now*, it writes OK. The newer one is plainly better: same pen, same ink, same nib, only difference is the color of the plastic.After trying the new one, I tried some mild "surgery". First I had changed inks. I started with Diamine Black Onyx, then Ancient Copper. Much skipping and stops and starts. Customer service suggested it was the ink, so I cleaned it (I had been cleaning it quite a few times trying to get it to work.) and tried Kaweco Black. That saw some improvement. Then the plunger got stuck and with no warning disconnected from the fill knob. After much research I got the plunger out, applied grease, did another full cleaning including disassembling nib and feed, and it worked a little better. Still it liked to skip and just stop writing even with ink in the pen.I rotate pens, but when they're in rotation I write with them daily and they are filled every few days so it was not from sitting too long. Acquired Pilot Syo ro Ink and that was again a little better. But it was not reliable enough, so I shelved it. After getting another ECO which worked out of the box pretty much (I have learned to flush, clean and grease new pens: you can't trust what happens in manufacturing, even with $30, $50 or even $100 pens. Oddly, Platinum's Preppys seem foolproof at $7.)The new ECO I tried with TWSBI Black Fountain Pen Ink. Wrote like a dream. Filled the old one with the same. Better some. But only some. Thought to try with some Pilot Takesumi Ink thinking what customer service said about different inks, and being a bit desperate. That was pretty good. Then the plunger stuck again.Finally, feeling rather desperate, and that I had nothing to lose, I disassembled the thing, got the plunger out. Greased the plunger *heavily*. Reassembled the plunger and knob, assembled that to the pen. Then took a deep breath and dug out my feeler gauges from my metalworking tools (Yes, I really am a Blacksmith.) Reexamined the nib, found nothing wrong but ran the finest feeler gauge -- .015" for the curious -- between the tines. For good measure I drew a honed Exacto blade lightly down the channel on the feed. Put everything back together, filled it with the Takesumi and it *finally* worked. It's about 80% of the other ECO.And I am convinced I got a lemon from TWSBI, and no little frustrated with the lack of help from Customer Service.I will recommend TWSBI ECO. This one gets 3 stars still due to my experience. I will, however, recommend that if anyone gets one of these? Watch the disassembly videos. Take the thing completely apart and clean it. Particularly soap and water on the nib. Do not skimp on the silicon grease on the plunger and check that regularly and reapply often. (It is not uncommon for the plunger to run dry on the grease and stick at the bottom of the barrel when trying to refill. My notice that it was dry was when I tried to turn the knob to fill the pen and the plunger stem just gave a little pop and detached itself from the knob assembly. Then things get interesting trying to get the dry plunger out of the barrel.)I haven't tried other inks with this pen but the TWSBI Black and the Pilot Takesumi seem to work well. I'd give the nod to the TWSBI Ink.

I have ordered this same model of pen, in 2019, except it was the clear model. I ordered this one because I liked the clear so much, I wanted something to keep solely for writing in black/dark inks.Unfortunately. I am really disappointed with my purchase. The pen I received is not like the original I got in 2019. I have taken it completely apart multiple times, stripped and re-lubed necessary parts, tried everything, but I cannot get the end knob to sit flush with the body. It rattles slightly and keeps the cap from posting. I never had this problem with my other pen.My biggest complaint is how it writes, which makes it unusable to me. My other TWSBI ECO writes like a dream. Both are Fine nibs, yet the other pen wrote wet and smoothly out of the box. This pen I ... MoreI have ordered this same model of pen, in 2019, except it was the clear model. I ordered this one because I liked the clear so much, I wanted something to keep solely for writing in black/dark inks.Unfortunately. I am really disappointed with my purchase. The pen I received is not like the original I got in 2019. I have taken it completely apart multiple times, stripped and re-lubed necessary parts, tried everything, but I cannot get the end knob to sit flush with the body. It rattles slightly and keeps the cap from posting. I never had this problem with my other pen.My biggest complaint is how it writes, which makes it unusable to me. My other TWSBI ECO writes like a dream. Both are Fine nibs, yet the other pen wrote wet and smoothly out of the box. This pen I ordered recently is so dry it's almost useless, the nib is scratchy, ink will hardly flow from it. Again, I have done a lot of troubleshooting. Cleaning the feed with a gentle pen cleaner was my first action. I let all parts air-dry, put in a different ink I know flows well, nothing changed. I am completely at a loss. I'm frustrated because I love my other pen. Such a shame.

Another winner!

I just received another beautiful addition to my modest pen collection - the TWSBI ECO in indigo blue with bronze trim. Love it!!! This color combination is stunning and looks very elegant. The color in the photo looks like Prussian blue to me, but is actually a bit darker. I've managed to locate some Endless Alchemy ink in Candy Sea especially for this pen and can't wait for it to arrive. I know there are other specs and technical details that would be helpful in a review, but I'll leave that for people who are a lot more knowledgeable about those things than I am. For me, it's about the experience and enjoyment of using a beautiful writing instrument. TWSBI pens do that for me. I've had so much fun going down this rabbit hole I call "fountain pen heaven". If you ... MoreI just received another beautiful addition to my modest pen collection - the TWSBI ECO in indigo blue with bronze trim. Love it!!! This color combination is stunning and looks very elegant. The color in the photo looks like Prussian blue to me, but is actually a bit darker. I've managed to locate some Endless Alchemy ink in Candy Sea especially for this pen and can't wait for it to arrive. I know there are other specs and technical details that would be helpful in a review, but I'll leave that for people who are a lot more knowledgeable about those things than I am. For me, it's about the experience and enjoyment of using a beautiful writing instrument. TWSBI pens do that for me. I've had so much fun going down this rabbit hole I call "fountain pen heaven". If you are on the fence about purchasing this pen or just fountain pens in general, take the leap. You won't be disappointed. One last thing. Purchasing from Goulet Pens continues to be one of the best online shopping experiences. You've come to the right place.

Excellent quality pen and beautiful combination of colors

I am a new pen enthusiast (and am well on my way to becoming an addict!) This was my first TWSBI ECO and it is exceptional! The pen feels great in my hand, and the clear plastic demonstrator is gorgeous with whatever ink is in it. This pen will hold GALLONS of ink! (maybe not gallons but a lot of ink nonetheless). The indigo-blue version is over-the-top gorgeous. A drawback is that the rose gold is impossible to keep clean. Another drawback is that although the nibs are somewhat interchangeable, TWSBI does not make interchangeable nibs in rose gold. One would have to purchase a new pen to match the nibs. If you decide to purchase this pen, get the nib you want unless you don't mind a stainless steel nib.

Extra fine nib review

I am a big fan of the Eco's massive ink capacity and ink filling ability. I like how I can take a syringe and take almost a full 2ml sample and place it into the pen reservoir. There is a lot to like about this fun pen. I just have one reservation.. It is not possible to buy a different sized nib if you want to have multiple nibs, or if you don't prefer the one you purchased. If you do not like it you will have to buy a new pen and harvest the new nib, and if you even like it, to use. One solution is to watch YouTube to see how different sized nibs perform and hear how they feel. I purchased an extra find nib on accident, I meant to purchase the fine nib, but it was a Christmas present so that got lost in translation. After a week of using it and comparing it to my ... MoreI am a big fan of the Eco's massive ink capacity and ink filling ability. I like how I can take a syringe and take almost a full 2ml sample and place it into the pen reservoir. There is a lot to like about this fun pen. I just have one reservation.. It is not possible to buy a different sized nib if you want to have multiple nibs, or if you don't prefer the one you purchased. If you do not like it you will have to buy a new pen and harvest the new nib, and if you even like it, to use. One solution is to watch YouTube to see how different sized nibs perform and hear how they feel. I purchased an extra find nib on accident, I meant to purchase the fine nib, but it was a Christmas present so that got lost in translation. After a week of using it and comparing it to my Pilot Metropolitan I found that the scratchy extra fine nib was less scratchy and enjoyable to use. I enjoy that the ink flow is quick and variable. What I mean by that is that the pen will just bleed ink if you write too slow. This kind of messed up my writing but I'm trying to write slower with less ink. Interestingly if I go too fast the pen cannot keep up. So if you are a fast writer, this might not be the pen for you. The grip is much better than the Metropolitan and I don't get ink all over the place. I thought I would also see less bleed through on my notebook, but it can actually bleed through paper more since it has a harder press down on the paper I suppose.

Fantastic pen for so many reasons.

The TWSBI Eco is my go-to pen for fully enjoying the fountain pen / ink experience. They are reasonably priced and have great, smooth, nibs (I use medium and broad, cannot speak to the fines). I currently love trying many different inks, as well as custom mixing colors to create new ones. The TWSBI Eco can be fully disassembled, and I mean FULLY, which allows me to write with a color, then disassemble the pen, clean it, and reassemble, ready for a different color. Each of my pens has been disassembled and reassembled many times. And because the TWSBI includes a bottle of silicone with each pen, every time I clean the pen I can re-lube the piston. The included bottle will re-lube the piston at least a dozen times.If I could only own one fountain pen, it would ... MoreThe TWSBI Eco is my go-to pen for fully enjoying the fountain pen / ink experience. They are reasonably priced and have great, smooth, nibs (I use medium and broad, cannot speak to the fines). I currently love trying many different inks, as well as custom mixing colors to create new ones. The TWSBI Eco can be fully disassembled, and I mean FULLY, which allows me to write with a color, then disassemble the pen, clean it, and reassemble, ready for a different color. Each of my pens has been disassembled and reassembled many times. And because the TWSBI includes a bottle of silicone with each pen, every time I clean the pen I can re-lube the piston. The included bottle will re-lube the piston at least a dozen times.If I could only own one fountain pen, it would unquestionably be the Eco. It is an absolute workhorse. It holds a TON of ink, which is also nice. I have come to prefer the clear version quite a bit because that way whatever color I put in the pen is the color the pen becomes. My first Eco was a blue version, which is fine, but it feels strange to put any color other than blue in it - maybe that's just my hangup.The only thing negative I can say about the Eco is that I wouldn't use it if I were trying to impress someone by how beautiful or fancy a fountain pen can be. If I am ever asked to sign an international treaty on live television I probably won't be using my Eco. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Love this pen--until it cracks and needs to be thrown in the trash

This pen writes wonderfully, fills easily. IIt's fantastic to have this vacuum mechanism in an affordable pen. love how it fits in my hand. Mostly I love how it always writes well. I'm a lefty and hold my pen probably a bit incorrectly. But unlike say a Kaweco which is a bit more fussy about the angle of the nib the ECO writes well all the time. I bought a couple of them. I don't typically carry my fountain pens around. I work at home and the only time they leave my desk is when I go away for a weekend. I carry my pens in a cushion-y pencil case with other pens. That case is typically nestled in my clothing. In other words I'm not super rough with my pens. Nevertheless the plastic in these pens seems to be quite brittle. All of mine have cracked within the first ... MoreThis pen writes wonderfully, fills easily. IIt's fantastic to have this vacuum mechanism in an affordable pen. love how it fits in my hand. Mostly I love how it always writes well. I'm a lefty and hold my pen probably a bit incorrectly. But unlike say a Kaweco which is a bit more fussy about the angle of the nib the ECO writes well all the time. I bought a couple of them. I don't typically carry my fountain pens around. I work at home and the only time they leave my desk is when I go away for a weekend. I carry my pens in a cushion-y pencil case with other pens. That case is typically nestled in my clothing. In other words I'm not super rough with my pens. Nevertheless the plastic in these pens seems to be quite brittle. All of mine have cracked within the first year or so of buying them. I get that the pens are inexpensive. But I'd rather pay a bit more and use the pen for longer. I now use the more expensive TWSBI. The barrel of that pen didn't crack but the pen cap did come apart where the plastic meets the metal band. :( I'll still use these pens bc I love writing with them but boo I hate making landfill.

My First TWSBI

I'm sad I waited so long to try one of these out. This pen feels really great to hold and use. It's a very straight forward writing experience but still feels like a step up from other pens around its same level. I got a fine nib and it's officially my new paperwork pen. I'm currently using TWSBI blue ink. This ink and nib combo puts down a generous fine line of ink without worry of it overwhelming basic copy paper. It also holds an ungodly amount of ink. It won't have an excuse to change my ink out for quite some time. I appreciate how secure the cap is, no worries about anything coming undone. My one issue is that the grip isn't quite "giving triangle" or at least not as much triangle as I am accustomed to. However, it's still easily one of my favorite grips, so I ... MoreI'm sad I waited so long to try one of these out. This pen feels really great to hold and use. It's a very straight forward writing experience but still feels like a step up from other pens around its same level. I got a fine nib and it's officially my new paperwork pen. I'm currently using TWSBI blue ink. This ink and nib combo puts down a generous fine line of ink without worry of it overwhelming basic copy paper. It also holds an ungodly amount of ink. It won't have an excuse to change my ink out for quite some time. I appreciate how secure the cap is, no worries about anything coming undone. My one issue is that the grip isn't quite "giving triangle" or at least not as much triangle as I am accustomed to. However, it's still easily one of my favorite grips, so I would still recommend this pen to those who are very triangle grip dependent like myself.

Nifty and Twisty TWSBI

Firstly, my experience with Goulet Pens has been excellent. They have been helpful answering questions to help with my indecision, and frankly naive understanding of the fountain pen world. The two orders that I placed in the last month have been packaged with care and sent quickly. Now, on to my new pens... It started with my needing to find a pen to get as a gift for a colleague who is moving out of town. After searching, reading, and watching videos, I settled on the TWSBI Eco for the reason that it seemed perfect for a person who loves design and loves tinkering. I ended up ordering three. One to give as a gift and two for myself. That seems totally selfish but I couldn't decide on a color, and honestly, it hasn't been the best year and I felt like a deserved a ... MoreFirstly, my experience with Goulet Pens has been excellent. They have been helpful answering questions to help with my indecision, and frankly naive understanding of the fountain pen world. The two orders that I placed in the last month have been packaged with care and sent quickly. Now, on to my new pens... It started with my needing to find a pen to get as a gift for a colleague who is moving out of town. After searching, reading, and watching videos, I settled on the TWSBI Eco for the reason that it seemed perfect for a person who loves design and loves tinkering. I ended up ordering three. One to give as a gift and two for myself. That seems totally selfish but I couldn't decide on a color, and honestly, it hasn't been the best year and I felt like a deserved a little treat! The pens have arrived and are excellent. I selected the black-capped pen for my colleague (and purchased a couple of bottles of ink to go with his gift), and then got to inking up my new pens. After following the instructions, and getting them inked, they have proven themselves to be worth the hype. They are gorgeous and they write exceptionally smooth. I ordered medium nibs, as it is my preference as a lefty.

Really nice

I collect the TWSBI Eco pens, and I was really glad to have this one. It glows brighter than the purple one does. While the glow doesn't do anything practical, it is kind of neat to see it glowing on my desk when I turn the lights off for bed at night. It does write very well, and this is why I keep collecting the Eco series pens. It's probably one of my favorite out of all TWSBI's pens that they make. It's a very effective design with minimal trimmings and it has a good weight and ink capacity. I also like that you can easily do any maintenance to it as long as you know what you are doing. I keep any disassembly I do to a minimum, but I have taken apart a lot of piston fillers, and it's very straightforward for me, and I know that I can get it back together quite ... MoreI collect the TWSBI Eco pens, and I was really glad to have this one. It glows brighter than the purple one does. While the glow doesn't do anything practical, it is kind of neat to see it glowing on my desk when I turn the lights off for bed at night. It does write very well, and this is why I keep collecting the Eco series pens. It's probably one of my favorite out of all TWSBI's pens that they make. It's a very effective design with minimal trimmings and it has a good weight and ink capacity. I also like that you can easily do any maintenance to it as long as you know what you are doing. I keep any disassembly I do to a minimum, but I have taken apart a lot of piston fillers, and it's very straightforward for me, and I know that I can get it back together quite easily. There's a few quirks to the Eco, and one of them is that the piston does not actually go all the way to the bottom of the barrel. It hits some ribs on the bottom. This does not have any practical disadvantages, but this is just how the pen is made.