I haven’t had one break there. I did have one get a crack in the end if the section. It leaked ink all over my fingers. TWSBI replaced the barrel for $4 in shipping. I have two more that look like they might have a crack, or it just could be a mold line giving a strange refraction. They aren’t leaking and the end of the section looks ok. A bit disappointing since they claimed a few years ago that they corrected the production problems that early pens with the clear plastic had. I have several and the nibs have been fantastic, and no problems with them otherwise. I haven’t bought a new pen in a while, and managed to stop my fomo every time there is a new edition.
Interesting to hear other people having cracking issues with TWSBI. I haven’t broke any of my TWSBIs. But I started to see hairline cracks on both my Diamond and Diamond Mini. Out of fear of making the issue work, I stop using them.
I don’t even find their pens that smooth. I had an opportunity to try it store and I just passed. Makes me feel better since quality control seems to be poor with this brand.
I’ve gotten pretty lucky on nibs that some people complain about quality control. The Kaweco’s I have are excellent, but I’ve read reviews claiming there are lots of problems. The biggest issue I’ve had out of the box was a Sailor Promenade with a 14k nib. I thought the scratchy writing was just the Sailor feedback, and I was very disappointed. I finally noticed the nib sliced the paper on certain strokes. Got out my loupe, and found the tines were misaligned a couple thousandths. For a pen around $100, I’d have expected the nib to be in good shape. I was able to fix it, but was apprehensive that I’d ruin, what was at the time, my most expensive pen.
Because we all still buy them :/ They don't really have any motivation to fix these issues when we are all willing to pay for the replacement part (that they tell us is just shipping costs...) every time it breaks.
Based on the shipping costs I hear people talking about, I'm guessing they are actually 'selling' replacement parts for a profit. I saw someone say a replacement cap was $10 to ship in another thread, and OP here was $6. Any company with a shipping account can ship either for $2-$3 anywhere in teh US.
I think people have just forgotten the cost of shipping. They seem to ship from Taiwan, so 10 bucks is actually pretty cheap.
When I got my replacement parts, it was pretty much for an entire pen, sans nib. It was still 10 bucks.
That said, I do think the individual parts are likely very cheap to manufacture. I like TWSBI pens, but I'd be surprised if a single pen costs more than around 5 bucks to make.
They shipped a part to me from Taiwan, so I wasn't surprised when it was $10. But it was for a vac700iris so I think my willingness to pay would be less if it was for an eco.
I have a Vac700 Iris that I think is pretty cool (impulse bought at a store!), and I owned a Diamond 530 in the early 2010s that cracked near-immediately. At that time they didn't have any replacement parts!
I went away from the pen world for ~12 years, so I figured they MUST have fixed it by now, but now that I own one, I see that isn't the case :/
Yeah, I like the concept behind vacuum filler pens, and had my eye on a TWSBI diamond, but nah. Rather buy something else. I’ll just save up and buy my grail Pelikan pen and we’ll just work down from there.
Oh, wow, really?! THAT long... well, here I was charitably thinking they might've managed to fix it at least a wee bit, but, well now...
Bugger them, that is ridiculous.
It was such a heartbreak for to find out that visconti QC is crap… I really wanted a Homo Sapiens (mostly for looks) but I rather just buy some other european legacy brand.
I mean, the GOs are made from another plastic entirely, so they're at least worth the cost. Also easy to take apart if you need to clean them out entirely (cough shimmer couch). But that's hardly enough to make up for All The Cracking.
Wow, didn’t know the QC issues are out of control. And I agree. However, I have a fairly ok experience with the brand until I rotate my collection to Sailor(after that, you can’t go back). Out of the TWSBI lineup, the Eco is the best. The others are hit n’ miss.
For some reason (surely my mistake) I didn´t post the context of the pictures i send.
This is it.
A few days ago I discovered some cracks in a TWSBI diamond 580 nib B. I wrote to the factory and they sent me a spare barrel (I paid $6 for the shipping).Today I was writing with the pen to use the remaining ink and it broke in the thread. I'm writing this because sometimes I read that it's okay if there are some cracks. I love TWSBIs, I have three of them. l've already realized that I shouldn't buy them anymore.
>diamond 580
I’ve been on the platform for almost 10 years and the 580 has had cracking problems for every single one of them.
The Eco made a specific point about introducing a new way of making the plastic so it was less prone to cracking after all the problems with the 580.
Well, it would appear that the website I was going to link to is gone, but there was a guy that looked at TWSBI pens with a polarizing lens and you could see a sort of consistent rainbow "grain" through the Eco whereas the 580 had stop points.
A shame, because it was pretty neat information.
Doodlebud did a YouTube video about it - he didn't find any proof of stresses left in the plastics by the manufacturing process: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPP\_VedMH2U](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPP_VedMH2U)
My partner and I have like 6 TWSBI Eco pens and they've served us well over the years - not too expensive and very comfortable. If we get a lot of use out of them I feel they have paid for themselves - they aren't too pricey compared to other fountain pen brands.
Their customer service is p solid from my experience. The plastic threads for the piston on my vac 700r ended up stripping and they were speedy to send me a replacement
Yep. The only parts on mine original are the plunger, feed, nib. Everything else- barrel, cap, section, feed holder- has cracked. Even the replacement barrel was cracked out of the box.
This pictures i send to TWSBI in.
https://preview.redd.it/iijvh9a4cl0d1.jpeg?width=1800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a432a8106269efe5cde3b6335466205959c6af4f
https://preview.redd.it/7cwaphzbcn0d1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1a537c8273692f7aef855633ef5586e299c21863
Literally me yesterday at work, on my lunchbreak. Exact same location of the crack, too. The collar at the end of the barrel that slips in under the nib unit. A crack there lets ink seep out under the nib unit, and all over fingers. Can't see it in the pics because it's partially back together, but had to share.
Also, great minds ink alike? I am using Iroshizuku Yu Yake...what are you inked with?
This is exactly what happened to my TWSBI Mini! They sent a new section that got lost in the mail and iirc they wanted me to pay for the second replacement, so I just didn’t bother. Still feel bad that the poor Mini’s sitting in my pen case as-is
As a 7 to 10-ish year old I thought “R.I.P.” meant “Rest in pieces.” as in (the) rest (is) in pieces… and I thought that was pretty wild for people to write it in on their tombstones.
In my defense, English isn’t my native language.
TWSBI was one of the more interesting brands of pens for me but having spent more time on this sub and also reading other stuff online I quickly discovered many people have issues with them cracking. So for the time being won't try to get one. Their design is also a bit... bland? But that's just me, don't mean to offend anyone.
Hey, these days there are so many Chinese piston fillers that there is little reason to rely on TWSBI. When they first came out they were the first brand to sell cheap piston fillers so they quickly took over the market.
Narwhal and PENBBS both make very nice piston fillers for a cheap price. There are many reliable Wingsung and Majohns out there too.
I will as well, I have 4 hongdian pens and 1 Asvine (a V200) the only one that has issues is my M2 where the cap threads are stripped and that is more on me then them.
It was a blind buy for me with the V200, but I was shocked how well it writes for $25. It's one of my favorites of my collection. Feels substantial, looks great, writes well – what's not to like, right?
I got mine in a medium and it is wonderful. I have it loaded with shimmery purple it’s fighting for my favorite with my brass Kaweco sport. $25 is a steal for that I think I paid $40
I buy a variety of nibs for different uses. My handwriting is rough with a fine or extra fine. The brass feels so good in the hand funny enough I feel the exact opposite on my eco. I hate how the plastic feels in my hand.
https://preview.redd.it/3uidhccq611d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c118d81e863232814c4d8566de4b99075f2fb048
A little metal pocket pen make by hongdian. To the left of the Kaweco sport
I got a Narwhal piston filler for $50.
I am still struggling with the nib on it -- I think it might have baby's bottom or something. I got one for a buddy and he also has issues with the nib.
I have had much better luck with Asvine / Hongdian as far as nibs go. Their "Forest Pen" is like $16 but is a wonderful pen.
TWSBI is also not that cheap now compared to similar pens that aren’t from a “name brand,” and it’s not like they have stand out nibs or anything to set them apart.
I think they’re still cheap… but there are better options now. They’re cool because they were the first ones to do it but their QC hasn’t kept up/improved over time.
I got them Moonman, Asvine, Penbbs. Pen body are way better than twsbi. But their nib especially Medium and wider arent as good. They are kind of mushy feeling. I went back to TWSBI, I also like that I can actually buy spare parts directly from TWSBI just by emailing them. Here’s a nib that just arrived today.
https://preview.redd.it/wisia0a01m0d1.jpeg?width=1576&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=70e5087ad789b6d95bbe44829921e880732de03b
Do you know any demonstrator pens like TWSBI's? Getting their pens have been one of the things I want to do in the fountain pen hobby but hearing the crack issues makes me kinda sad, I like their pen designs a lot
I wrote the guide, ha.
But there are a lot of choices for you;
https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/oo9kqo/chinese_fountain_pen_guide_2021_part_1/
Since then there are even other models out there:
1. Penbbs 494
2. Lanbitou 3059 - cheap TWSBI clone
3. Narwhal Original
4. Hongdian D1
5. Asvine P80
I have two TWSBI Eco with no issues at all. They write nicely, they have no cracks so far. One of them is almost two years old. The other was purchased this year.
I see all these posts too but I think they might have a QC problem rather than producing generally bad pens.
With Majohn / Moonman fountain pens, especially A1 and A2 models, I have made the opposite experience, funnily. Mine were all assembled poorly and the inks dried very quickly when they weren't used for 2 days.
I work with quality assurance, although in a different industry, no matter how much QC you throw at a thing, if the production is bad, you’re using materials that are prone to break over time - you’ll get a lot of complaints from people using your product. Also in almost all industries greed overcomes the need for proper QC and validation, take a look at Boeing whistleblower scandals in the last few years. There are exceptions, ofc.
It can also be a bad case of confirmation bias, if 20 pens break, out of 20000 that are in use happen to land in the hands of the most vocal people on the internet, it’s likely the views on that product will take a turn for the worse
That's why I think it's not a design flaw or something, or else way more pens would crack. As I understand. And I didn't say it is QC, just it seems more like QC to me, knowing that I know nothing because I don't work there or in this industry / branch.
That’s why I view star rating with healthy, or jaundiced 🤷♀️ , skepticism - the single star ratings are gonna be from constant complainers, abusers, competitors, etc., \[fav 1 ⭐️ narrative is "{item} is great but it took an extra day to receive", 5 stars can also be problematic — hence, I pay most attention in the 3-5 ⭐️ essays.
i have a dozen or so TWSBIs: minis, vac-minis ( 🤔 mini vac?), 580, 580AL, 700 vac, Iris versions of those last two (580, not 580AL), two Kai and one Draco. So far the only issue/nit I have with TWSBI is with those more expensive Special Edition pens: the threaded metal ferrule (?) on the cap and body don’t t "grip" each other as well as the plastic threads do and can loosen 😿 \[yeah, I know, my life is good if this is my one complaint\]
im very happy to have found the recommendations for TWSBI in these various subreddits. TY
I'm in the same boat. I love the Ecos and have probably 30ish of them. I'm a terrible pen owner, I throw them into purses and backpacks, don't bother with cases, and definitely don't baby them and I haven't had one crack so far.
My theory is there's some kind of environmental factor, like temperature, humidity, something like that - some people every TWSBI seems to crack while for others they get no cracks at all across dozens of pens they've used for years.
It would be interesting to see what might cause it. I haven't found a trend so far, in looking at where people seem to be from. And should humidity really affect plastic that much?
We need someone to do SCIENCE to them!
Could possibly also be storage? Like maybe a weird reaction to certain other materials touching it? I was trying to find some common issue too, since I have my Diamond Mini and got scared and I would like some more if they release more colours (I have the AL version). Mine just lies around on the table, gets tossed in the bag, tossed around the table, even dropped on the floor once (tiles, I was sure it would be in pieces, it was not).
Like from things that influence plastics what comes to mind is UV (though who stores their pens in the sun), reactions with other materials, heat/freeze cycles (which technically my pen went through, since I carried it around with me in winter, aka freezing outside, room temp inside or in the case of office, more than room temp). The people who don't have issues usually don't provide much data to see if there's some common denominator.
It would be interesting, definitely, but as you say, who stores their pens in the sun enough that it would affect the plastic?
I'm really curious. But not curious enough to do some amateur observational research...
I’ve got 3 ecos and an eco-t and zero crack problems. Full disclosure I don’t travel with them so they aren’t exposed to lots of forces or temperature changes, and I don’t overtighten them, but no issues so far and I have dropped them once or twice (vinyl floor)
That's totally possible. I cracked one pen doing this, it was many years ago. Ever since I just close them firmly but gently, no extra force applied beyond stopping.
I do believe most of us who've had TWSBIs crack in spots where overtightening might cause it, don't overtighten either more or less than our other pens. And if we do, still those pens don't crack as easily, as is apparent by the lack of posts on the matter, I think.
I didn't care much for the look of them, but the Eco is one of the most comfortable pens I've found, so I got a few of them. Sometimes you just have to accept that some pens chose you. :D
I also got a Vac700R for the vacuum-filler system (although I just use it as an eyedropper now) and the high ink capacity, as it was the cheapes vacuum filler available to me, and it's now my main pen in work as it's super reliable with it's shut-off valve.
they used to smell like vomit, i threw two away, a green one and clear one. its the resin they use. it made me sad because they finally fit my big hand. i don't know if they have changed.
I've tried other pens and like them (I really like my Hongdian) but I do find Ecos really comfy and I love the look of them. Idk. I know there are objectively prettier and possibly higher quality pens out there but something about them just speaks to me and I adore the colors. I have four and they've been great, reliable pens and smooth writers. One had a weird nib, but I just popped in a spare nib from a Go I had and it's fine now.
I know , the social media make me constantly think and check TWSBI , but I hesitate to buy it … cause I am sure it’s broke my heart my thing like this happen, or a small crack .. so I stay with my Sailor and Pilot lol . I have bad experiences with Kaweco as well . No I am just stay with Japanese brand from now on.
Two of my 3 TWSBI in different models cracked. The third writes defectively. I baby my pens because most of them are in the $200 range. I can get a Wing Sung 3008 knockoff for a few bucks that writes almost as well and I've literally thrown it into the bottom of a backpack and it has yet to crack. I have zero brand loyalty to TWSBI - I don't care if they send replacement parts if I'm PAYING for them to ship it. THEIR defect is still costing ME money. I don't care if it's a $20 pen or a $2,000 pen - if your pen is defective repeatedly it's not a good pen. There are tons of very expensive brands that routinely put out crap pens and yet people still buy them. Boggles my mind.
You know this sub always makes me worry about my TWSBI but I have had my 580ALR for over 5 years and it's still going strong, maybe I got the one magic pen.
Same. I’ve had only 1 in all my TWSBI pens get a very small hairline crack but I’ve never replaced the pens and it is still going strong. I guess I also have 11 magic TWSBI Ecos/580s.
I have multiple 580s and a couple of others. Never once had an issue with them.
I always wonder what exactly causes the high number of reports because it seems odd that an almost equal number of people never have issues with them.
So sorry for the loss. :(
Twsbi is my favorite right now, I take it everywhere and use it as my main pen for journaling. Mine is the blue bronze with Medium nib and pairs so beautifully with The Old Man and the Sea from Wearingeul. I have a few twsbis and none had this cracking, so I am quite tense seeing this and all the comments saying it is the norm for twsbi. :(
I loved my TWSBI until it broke in a similar fashion after about a year. I happened to have another one (bought the wrong nib, couldn’t be bothered to return it, long story) so I franken-penned it back together. But I won’t buy another TWSBI and I won’t recommend them. Which is a shame because I really like the design 🤷♀️
Materials are not all the same. TWSBI has an excellent warranty program. But the product materials are inferior. This is a known issue that has historically never been addressed. They are wonderful products, normally. They need a better material and better tolerances at the mating parts. These pens have a cool funky loyal following. If you just have to collect pens in different colors, then do Lamy or Kaweco.
Not discounting anybody's experiences or buying preferences, absolutely buy whatever you believe in, but technically it has been historically addressed, twice. They just haven't quite figured it out yet. There was a 540 before the 580, and a 530 before that. Each new revision boasting material and design changes for more durability.
This case very unsure. For most of Eco I think it’s because people overtighten, there is no easily tellable stop on twisting. Some say it can come from posting too but I don’t do that really
Ouch, the same thing happened to my 580, but the metal ring at the base of the cap cracked off the top part of the cap. I don't know how, but if I angled it just right, I could snap it back on. So i'm still able to screw the cap on and off. Just can't be too rough with it.
My sister wanted to look at my pen, but didnt know you were supposed to unscrew it. Pulled it right off. I haven't talked to her since that day...
Just kidding.
https://preview.redd.it/uyjodn1dbm0d1.jpeg?width=1296&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eb7ef91ffe73bf48be3ffba5eae52ad5fab4ee37
I believe this is the same thing that happened to mine a few days ago? Is it even replaceable or fixable? This was actually one of my favorite pens for years.
Reach out to TWSBI, and the can send you a new barrel. Sucks that they crack, but at least parts \*can\* be ordered. I have replaced 2 caps, and I'm in process of replacing a barrel.
Not the world's best plastic, and TWSBI has \*GOT\* to do better going forward, but at least you're not going to be out a pen, just some bucks for shipping.
Pilot Explorer with a CON-70, Diplomat Magnum (with converter), or Lamy Safari with converter make good "firsts."
Platinum Preppy pens are hit and miss. Pilot Varsity pens are also good, but not designed to refill.
Had my 580al for 9 years. Not sure what y'all are doing to them but I suspect it's the same people who somehow manage to rip apart console controller sticks
Have 2 580 ALRs, both have had caps replaced, and I'm in the process of getting a barrel replaced for the exact same thing as OP.
The plastic is too soft. I love these pens, and I will keep my 580s because I love them, but it's beyond time for them to switch to a more durable material. Warranty replacement should be rare...and for the record I am exceedingly careful with my pens!
TWSBIs *can* be a great pen (I love mine dearly), but I just don't get why they can't/won't fix this, It's dragging the brand through the dirt in the places they can't afford to lose reputation. This subreddit can be make or break for a brand. Get known for QC problems and watch everyone just buy Jinhaos, Preppys, etc. There has never been more competition in the segment they target. Between the plastic issues and all the Narwahl drama, you'd think they'd be stepping up more to improve their rep...
Wow, OP will be thrilled about further spending their own hard earned money for quality control/manufacturing defects, and denied normal use of the pen while waiting for the part to arrive.
Don't worry, the TWSBI stans will be here soon to tell you that your pen couldn't possibly be cracking because they have 200 TWSBI pens that haven't cracked.
I've not had one crack yet, but I've seen enough of these posts to know that it'll likely happen. I'm dreading the day it happens to my Vac 700R, but I'll keep using it until then (and I'll be keeping rubbing alcohol far far away from this plastic).
Same thing happened to me a number of years ago with both a TWSBI mini and vac fill. Sorry to see that they seem incapable of fixing a known issue like this. It’s too bad because the pens are beautiful and work well until they break.
I have found that cyano-acrylic super glue works for at least a Time. My favorite pen, which was a very cheap one surprisingly, suffered a similar faith and I repaired it several times using super glue until the last time in which something irreparable occurred when it finally broke.
Right where the section screws into the barrel. That makes it tought to just replace the nib unit, too. Condolences.
Good excuse to get an amazing vac-filler? (Pilot Custom 823, Visconti Homosapiens...)
Because they know you are aching to use that little wrench they give you to over tighten those brittle plastic parts, and soon you will have to buy a new one.
I’ve had that happened to my pens, cause of use, dropped them, carelessness, too careful, things just don’t last forever lol 😂. But this gentleman has always helped me get a replacement, they charge a small fee but 100% worth and always in a timely manner, email them and you’ll be good to go [email protected].
The cap on my 580 broke off right above the metal ring. I emailed them and they shipped me a new cap for free, didn’t even have to pay shipping costs! However, despite their excellent customer service and the lovely nib, I don’t think I will ever buy another TWSBI again due to how fragile they are
I have many many TWSBIs(20ish) and two of mine have broken. A Classic that broke at the section, and an older 580 Christmas model that I bought second hand the section cracked and started leaking. Both were less than $25 to repair. TWSBI sent me the parts quickly and without hassle. I had owned both pens for years before they broke. And used them regularly. The Christmas was my partners and she is notoriously hard on her pens. Both have been fine for more than 5 years since the repair. The TWSBI classic mini is still one of my all time favorite pens. It was one of my first purchases and has been a daily writer off and on for 10+ years.
TWSBI still cracking I see. I had one, my first fountain pen actually, crack at the grip, and dump ink into my pocket. I thought it was my fault, until I looked into it amd haven't bought a TWSBI since.
Sorry to see that. If you insist on keeping the pen, you can glue back together with epoxy glue or UV resin. But you have be as neat as possible when gluing the pen.
Possible the transparent resin used is susceptible to UV or even slight temperature changes? Possibly some additives in the ink dissolving the resin as well?
I have a Diamond 530 that finally got a hairline crack in the section. Wasn’t leaking but I got a couple replacements because the medium nib in it is like writing on wet ice. Then last week the cap broke right above the band at the end of the threads. A couple drops of superglue and it seems to be holding fine, but when I empty this round of ink I’m gonna retire it. I love the shape and feel of the pen and no one else really makes one quite like it that I know of. It’s gotten a lot of use over the last 15 years or so.
I got back into fountain pens about 7 years ago. I have a lot (not confessing) by many different makers. The only ones I've had crack or break are by TWSBI. 2 Swipes, 1 580ALR, 1 ECO. The Swipes broke in the same place (where the clip attaches to the cap) the others in different places.
Oh yeah, I dropped a Pilot Explorer and the clip broke off. Easy to glue back. No other issues.
very sorry op. this is ridiculous. my two dollar wingsung twsbi eco knock off has been glued from a nib expansion crack, but this?!! if my twsbi does that I'm not buying another until they make their pens thicker and better.
High chance this one was made in China.
I have one bought in Taiwan (it's a Taiwanese company and I frequently visit).
Bought 2 as gifts for friends when I was back in Australia and to my surprise they were made in China. One of them had a split in the plastic and the other one would leak.
The shop returned them and exchanged for different colours which were Taiwan stock and those 2 plus my 5 year old are all going well.
Because they all do that because they're cheaply made shitpens. The plastic they use, gets crunchy after a short while, especially if kept in the light.
I just had mine 700r barrel crack right where the nib unit screws in and started leaking on me, it also has a pretty good scuff up closer to where the plunger screws down. I was looking online to see if there was a barrel I could buy but I saw people saying that TWSBI replaced theirs, so I guess I should contact TWSBI? I'm on a very very tight budget so buying a new one was out of the question but if it's something they will take care of I just might be able to get my favorite pen working properly again.
I also wish they sold nib units with the iris coloring because when the pen was given to me as a gift they accidentally ordered EF instead of medium which now I kind of like having the EF but it would be nice to have a medium or something else and have the colors match too.
I figured this would descend into the standard TWSBI bashing thread. I don't mean to diminish any frustration you feel regarding your pen.
I only want to share that I just counted and I have 68 different TWSBI pens. Pushing 100 counting the duplicates I keep in my Galen Design A5 zippered cases at the office. Not a single crack.
On the plus side, injection molded polycarbonate is clear and strong. However cracking or crazing when under stress and in contact with a chemical environment is possible.
In my view, their quality control is quite good. Their customer service is among the best in the industry.
Man, there should be Live Leak for fountain pens for that, that's a really horrifying break, I have a Twsbi Diamond Mini that I've been carrying around in my front pocket for about a month and so far there are no signs of cracking knock on wood.
I wonder if Twsbi will ever get around addressing these issues, I mean the pens are good writers but there is clearly something wrong with the manufacturing process, I heard the Vac Mini is the worst so far when it comes to cracking.
She was resurrected after all...
https://preview.redd.it/fdl5n1z36m1d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=687618f97e61d7c8b32b97dd70123bcac8c124f9
I wanted to buy a Eco as my next pen but after seeing these incidents, nope not buying anything from this brand especially in India where customer support is non existent duhh, really wanted a coffee coloured Eco :(
You literally were writing with an already broken pen that was bad enough you got a replacement....... shockingly using already broken stuff tends to break out more........
I haven’t had one break there. I did have one get a crack in the end if the section. It leaked ink all over my fingers. TWSBI replaced the barrel for $4 in shipping. I have two more that look like they might have a crack, or it just could be a mold line giving a strange refraction. They aren’t leaking and the end of the section looks ok. A bit disappointing since they claimed a few years ago that they corrected the production problems that early pens with the clear plastic had. I have several and the nibs have been fantastic, and no problems with them otherwise. I haven’t bought a new pen in a while, and managed to stop my fomo every time there is a new edition.
Interesting to hear other people having cracking issues with TWSBI. I haven’t broke any of my TWSBIs. But I started to see hairline cracks on both my Diamond and Diamond Mini. Out of fear of making the issue work, I stop using them.
I don’t even find their pens that smooth. I had an opportunity to try it store and I just passed. Makes me feel better since quality control seems to be poor with this brand.
I’ve gotten pretty lucky on nibs that some people complain about quality control. The Kaweco’s I have are excellent, but I’ve read reviews claiming there are lots of problems. The biggest issue I’ve had out of the box was a Sailor Promenade with a 14k nib. I thought the scratchy writing was just the Sailor feedback, and I was very disappointed. I finally noticed the nib sliced the paper on certain strokes. Got out my loupe, and found the tines were misaligned a couple thousandths. For a pen around $100, I’d have expected the nib to be in good shape. I was able to fix it, but was apprehensive that I’d ruin, what was at the time, my most expensive pen.
Try their 1.1 stub(mine is a 700iris if that makes a difference). It’s butter
Because we all still buy them :/ They don't really have any motivation to fix these issues when we are all willing to pay for the replacement part (that they tell us is just shipping costs...) every time it breaks.
I would guess most people who experience this issue don’t even ask for the replacements parts, so TWSBI saves $ that way also
In OP's case basically the entire pen needs to be replaced (only the nib, piston mechanism, and end cap seem to be fine).
Based on the shipping costs I hear people talking about, I'm guessing they are actually 'selling' replacement parts for a profit. I saw someone say a replacement cap was $10 to ship in another thread, and OP here was $6. Any company with a shipping account can ship either for $2-$3 anywhere in teh US.
I think people have just forgotten the cost of shipping. They seem to ship from Taiwan, so 10 bucks is actually pretty cheap. When I got my replacement parts, it was pretty much for an entire pen, sans nib. It was still 10 bucks. That said, I do think the individual parts are likely very cheap to manufacture. I like TWSBI pens, but I'd be surprised if a single pen costs more than around 5 bucks to make.
Came here to say that. I run a small business and shipping prices are murder.
Still, 10 bucks too expensive. This is a known issue, so it's basically warranty. They should be the ones to pay for everything until they fix it.
I'm not sure, they aren't super high volume... but a 40% ish markup with design + production costs still makes sense (plus distributor markups)
They shipped a part to me from Taiwan, so I wasn't surprised when it was $10. But it was for a vac700iris so I think my willingness to pay would be less if it was for an eco.
Exactly, money can vote
Lol, some even buy multiples… I am never buying a Twsbi.
I have a Vac700 Iris that I think is pretty cool (impulse bought at a store!), and I owned a Diamond 530 in the early 2010s that cracked near-immediately. At that time they didn't have any replacement parts! I went away from the pen world for ~12 years, so I figured they MUST have fixed it by now, but now that I own one, I see that isn't the case :/
Yeah, I like the concept behind vacuum filler pens, and had my eye on a TWSBI diamond, but nah. Rather buy something else. I’ll just save up and buy my grail Pelikan pen and we’ll just work down from there.
If you really want to consider a vacuum filler maybe look at the Pilot Custom 823?
I’ve seen it here, it really does look like an awesome pen. I was thinking of either getting an 823 or a sailor pen…
Oh, wow, really?! THAT long... well, here I was charitably thinking they might've managed to fix it at least a wee bit, but, well now... Bugger them, that is ridiculous.
They seem second from the bottom in quality behind Visconti, both still wanted for some reason.
It was such a heartbreak for to find out that visconti QC is crap… I really wanted a Homo Sapiens (mostly for looks) but I rather just buy some other european legacy brand.
I can't believe people buy them, knowing they don't work out of the box.
Visconti?
I mean, the GOs are made from another plastic entirely, so they're at least worth the cost. Also easy to take apart if you need to clean them out entirely (cough shimmer couch). But that's hardly enough to make up for All The Cracking.
Wow, didn’t know the QC issues are out of control. And I agree. However, I have a fairly ok experience with the brand until I rotate my collection to Sailor(after that, you can’t go back). Out of the TWSBI lineup, the Eco is the best. The others are hit n’ miss.
For some reason (surely my mistake) I didn´t post the context of the pictures i send. This is it. A few days ago I discovered some cracks in a TWSBI diamond 580 nib B. I wrote to the factory and they sent me a spare barrel (I paid $6 for the shipping).Today I was writing with the pen to use the remaining ink and it broke in the thread. I'm writing this because sometimes I read that it's okay if there are some cracks. I love TWSBIs, I have three of them. l've already realized that I shouldn't buy them anymore.
>diamond 580 I’ve been on the platform for almost 10 years and the 580 has had cracking problems for every single one of them. The Eco made a specific point about introducing a new way of making the plastic so it was less prone to cracking after all the problems with the 580.
Well this is a relief. I have ecos and a couple Go pens. Now I don't have to spend money on a 580!
Well, it would appear that the website I was going to link to is gone, but there was a guy that looked at TWSBI pens with a polarizing lens and you could see a sort of consistent rainbow "grain" through the Eco whereas the 580 had stop points. A shame, because it was pretty neat information.
Doodlebud did a YouTube video about it - he didn't find any proof of stresses left in the plastics by the manufacturing process: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPP\_VedMH2U](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPP_VedMH2U)
My partner and I have like 6 TWSBI Eco pens and they've served us well over the years - not too expensive and very comfortable. If we get a lot of use out of them I feel they have paid for themselves - they aren't too pricey compared to other fountain pen brands.
My ECOs have been workhorses. Inked almost every day with new inks, used for dip tests, traveling extensively. They have served me well.
Their customer service is p solid from my experience. The plastic threads for the piston on my vac 700r ended up stripping and they were speedy to send me a replacement
The vac700r has also been known to have cracking issues.
Yep. The only parts on mine original are the plunger, feed, nib. Everything else- barrel, cap, section, feed holder- has cracked. Even the replacement barrel was cracked out of the box.
Ship of TWSBI(The)seus
So the already cracked one broke? Or was the replacement?
It was the cracked one, I was writing to use the remaining ink.
This pictures i send to TWSBI in. https://preview.redd.it/iijvh9a4cl0d1.jpeg?width=1800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a432a8106269efe5cde3b6335466205959c6af4f
https://preview.redd.it/20ba10rbcl0d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=112ed95f61d911f553ce381aaf4da442e2e7ccd2
https://preview.redd.it/7cwaphzbcn0d1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1a537c8273692f7aef855633ef5586e299c21863 Literally me yesterday at work, on my lunchbreak. Exact same location of the crack, too. The collar at the end of the barrel that slips in under the nib unit. A crack there lets ink seep out under the nib unit, and all over fingers. Can't see it in the pics because it's partially back together, but had to share. Also, great minds ink alike? I am using Iroshizuku Yu Yake...what are you inked with?
I think it was Diamine pumpkin.
Lovely. It looked close, but seemed less red and slightly more orange. I love Diamine inks...so well behaved on cheap paper.
This is exactly what happened to my TWSBI Mini! They sent a new section that got lost in the mail and iirc they wanted me to pay for the second replacement, so I just didn’t bother. Still feel bad that the poor Mini’s sitting in my pen case as-is
R. I. P.
As a 7 to 10-ish year old I thought “R.I.P.” meant “Rest in pieces.” as in (the) rest (is) in pieces… and I thought that was pretty wild for people to write it in on their tombstones. In my defense, English isn’t my native language.
Come from latin "***Requiescat in pace***"
At that age in England I had a horror themed joke book which comically called it rust in pieces, which still pops into my head whenever I see RIP.
Talking about issue of TWSBI cracking up frequently, Rest in pieces is a good analogy that fits well there 😉
TWSBI was one of the more interesting brands of pens for me but having spent more time on this sub and also reading other stuff online I quickly discovered many people have issues with them cracking. So for the time being won't try to get one. Their design is also a bit... bland? But that's just me, don't mean to offend anyone.
Hey, these days there are so many Chinese piston fillers that there is little reason to rely on TWSBI. When they first came out they were the first brand to sell cheap piston fillers so they quickly took over the market. Narwhal and PENBBS both make very nice piston fillers for a cheap price. There are many reliable Wingsung and Majohns out there too.
I second this. Also look at Asvine and Hongdian too.
I will vouch for Asvine any day. Wonderful pens.
I will as well, I have 4 hongdian pens and 1 Asvine (a V200) the only one that has issues is my M2 where the cap threads are stripped and that is more on me then them.
It was a blind buy for me with the V200, but I was shocked how well it writes for $25. It's one of my favorites of my collection. Feels substantial, looks great, writes well – what's not to like, right?
I got mine in a medium and it is wonderful. I have it loaded with shimmery purple it’s fighting for my favorite with my brass Kaweco sport. $25 is a steal for that I think I paid $40
All mine are F nibs. I also have a brass Kaweco Sport. Great heft to that one!
I buy a variety of nibs for different uses. My handwriting is rough with a fine or extra fine. The brass feels so good in the hand funny enough I feel the exact opposite on my eco. I hate how the plastic feels in my hand.
I have an Eco-T and I love that thing. Also love the GO, which I got for like $18. At these prices, we are safe to try them all!
hongdian m2?
https://preview.redd.it/3uidhccq611d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c118d81e863232814c4d8566de4b99075f2fb048 A little metal pocket pen make by hongdian. To the left of the Kaweco sport
And also Asvine 126. I have one and I much prefer it to my TWSBI Eco, which is more expensive and harder to clean.
I got a Narwhal piston filler for $50. I am still struggling with the nib on it -- I think it might have baby's bottom or something. I got one for a buddy and he also has issues with the nib. I have had much better luck with Asvine / Hongdian as far as nibs go. Their "Forest Pen" is like $16 but is a wonderful pen.
TWSBI is also not that cheap now compared to similar pens that aren’t from a “name brand,” and it’s not like they have stand out nibs or anything to set them apart.
I think they’re still cheap… but there are better options now. They’re cool because they were the first ones to do it but their QC hasn’t kept up/improved over time.
I got them Moonman, Asvine, Penbbs. Pen body are way better than twsbi. But their nib especially Medium and wider arent as good. They are kind of mushy feeling. I went back to TWSBI, I also like that I can actually buy spare parts directly from TWSBI just by emailing them. Here’s a nib that just arrived today. https://preview.redd.it/wisia0a01m0d1.jpeg?width=1576&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=70e5087ad789b6d95bbe44829921e880732de03b
Reasonable, their nibs are bock nibs now so they should be decent
Do you know any demonstrator pens like TWSBI's? Getting their pens have been one of the things I want to do in the fountain pen hobby but hearing the crack issues makes me kinda sad, I like their pen designs a lot
I wrote the guide, ha. But there are a lot of choices for you; https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/oo9kqo/chinese_fountain_pen_guide_2021_part_1/ Since then there are even other models out there: 1. Penbbs 494 2. Lanbitou 3059 - cheap TWSBI clone 3. Narwhal Original 4. Hongdian D1 5. Asvine P80
Thank you!! I'll look into these brands :D
Where do you buy those? Amazon?
Depends on the pen but many are available on eBAY
I have two TWSBI Eco with no issues at all. They write nicely, they have no cracks so far. One of them is almost two years old. The other was purchased this year. I see all these posts too but I think they might have a QC problem rather than producing generally bad pens. With Majohn / Moonman fountain pens, especially A1 and A2 models, I have made the opposite experience, funnily. Mine were all assembled poorly and the inks dried very quickly when they weren't used for 2 days.
I work with quality assurance, although in a different industry, no matter how much QC you throw at a thing, if the production is bad, you’re using materials that are prone to break over time - you’ll get a lot of complaints from people using your product. Also in almost all industries greed overcomes the need for proper QC and validation, take a look at Boeing whistleblower scandals in the last few years. There are exceptions, ofc. It can also be a bad case of confirmation bias, if 20 pens break, out of 20000 that are in use happen to land in the hands of the most vocal people on the internet, it’s likely the views on that product will take a turn for the worse
That's why I think it's not a design flaw or something, or else way more pens would crack. As I understand. And I didn't say it is QC, just it seems more like QC to me, knowing that I know nothing because I don't work there or in this industry / branch.
That’s why I view star rating with healthy, or jaundiced 🤷♀️ , skepticism - the single star ratings are gonna be from constant complainers, abusers, competitors, etc., \[fav 1 ⭐️ narrative is "{item} is great but it took an extra day to receive", 5 stars can also be problematic — hence, I pay most attention in the 3-5 ⭐️ essays. i have a dozen or so TWSBIs: minis, vac-minis ( 🤔 mini vac?), 580, 580AL, 700 vac, Iris versions of those last two (580, not 580AL), two Kai and one Draco. So far the only issue/nit I have with TWSBI is with those more expensive Special Edition pens: the threaded metal ferrule (?) on the cap and body don’t t "grip" each other as well as the plastic threads do and can loosen 😿 \[yeah, I know, my life is good if this is my one complaint\] im very happy to have found the recommendations for TWSBI in these various subreddits. TY
I'm in the same boat. I love the Ecos and have probably 30ish of them. I'm a terrible pen owner, I throw them into purses and backpacks, don't bother with cases, and definitely don't baby them and I haven't had one crack so far.
My theory is there's some kind of environmental factor, like temperature, humidity, something like that - some people every TWSBI seems to crack while for others they get no cracks at all across dozens of pens they've used for years.
It would be interesting to see what might cause it. I haven't found a trend so far, in looking at where people seem to be from. And should humidity really affect plastic that much? We need someone to do SCIENCE to them!
I don't know! You wouldn't think so. But I can't really work out why some people would have like every pen crack and other people won't have any.
Could possibly also be storage? Like maybe a weird reaction to certain other materials touching it? I was trying to find some common issue too, since I have my Diamond Mini and got scared and I would like some more if they release more colours (I have the AL version). Mine just lies around on the table, gets tossed in the bag, tossed around the table, even dropped on the floor once (tiles, I was sure it would be in pieces, it was not). Like from things that influence plastics what comes to mind is UV (though who stores their pens in the sun), reactions with other materials, heat/freeze cycles (which technically my pen went through, since I carried it around with me in winter, aka freezing outside, room temp inside or in the case of office, more than room temp). The people who don't have issues usually don't provide much data to see if there's some common denominator.
It would be interesting, definitely, but as you say, who stores their pens in the sun enough that it would affect the plastic? I'm really curious. But not curious enough to do some amateur observational research...
I’ve got 3 ecos and an eco-t and zero crack problems. Full disclosure I don’t travel with them so they aren’t exposed to lots of forces or temperature changes, and I don’t overtighten them, but no issues so far and I have dropped them once or twice (vinyl floor)
I wonder if people tighten them too tightly?
That's totally possible. I cracked one pen doing this, it was many years ago. Ever since I just close them firmly but gently, no extra force applied beyond stopping.
I do believe most of us who've had TWSBIs crack in spots where overtightening might cause it, don't overtighten either more or less than our other pens. And if we do, still those pens don't crack as easily, as is apparent by the lack of posts on the matter, I think.
I didn't care much for the look of them, but the Eco is one of the most comfortable pens I've found, so I got a few of them. Sometimes you just have to accept that some pens chose you. :D I also got a Vac700R for the vacuum-filler system (although I just use it as an eyedropper now) and the high ink capacity, as it was the cheapes vacuum filler available to me, and it's now my main pen in work as it's super reliable with it's shut-off valve.
Have you tried PenBBS’s piston fillers? Less than a twsbi any day.
No I havent but thank's for the tip!
they used to smell like vomit, i threw two away, a green one and clear one. its the resin they use. it made me sad because they finally fit my big hand. i don't know if they have changed.
I've tried other pens and like them (I really like my Hongdian) but I do find Ecos really comfy and I love the look of them. Idk. I know there are objectively prettier and possibly higher quality pens out there but something about them just speaks to me and I adore the colors. I have four and they've been great, reliable pens and smooth writers. One had a weird nib, but I just popped in a spare nib from a Go I had and it's fine now.
I’ve got several Ecos too, since they are so comfortable and fairly cheap, plus I like piston fillers.
I know , the social media make me constantly think and check TWSBI , but I hesitate to buy it … cause I am sure it’s broke my heart my thing like this happen, or a small crack .. so I stay with my Sailor and Pilot lol . I have bad experiences with Kaweco as well . No I am just stay with Japanese brand from now on.
Two of my 3 TWSBI in different models cracked. The third writes defectively. I baby my pens because most of them are in the $200 range. I can get a Wing Sung 3008 knockoff for a few bucks that writes almost as well and I've literally thrown it into the bottom of a backpack and it has yet to crack. I have zero brand loyalty to TWSBI - I don't care if they send replacement parts if I'm PAYING for them to ship it. THEIR defect is still costing ME money. I don't care if it's a $20 pen or a $2,000 pen - if your pen is defective repeatedly it's not a good pen. There are tons of very expensive brands that routinely put out crap pens and yet people still buy them. Boggles my mind.
Because TWSBI.
Oh no, that's so sad!
Yup... thats where they break
So sorry for your loss :(
These pictures make it quite literally look like a very bloody and grusome decapitation
You know this sub always makes me worry about my TWSBI but I have had my 580ALR for over 5 years and it's still going strong, maybe I got the one magic pen.
I have had 13 magic pens then for the last five years
Same. I’ve had only 1 in all my TWSBI pens get a very small hairline crack but I’ve never replaced the pens and it is still going strong. I guess I also have 11 magic TWSBI Ecos/580s.
I have multiple 580s and a couple of others. Never once had an issue with them. I always wonder what exactly causes the high number of reports because it seems odd that an almost equal number of people never have issues with them.
I'm gonna guess you have carpet everywhere?
So sorry for the loss. :( Twsbi is my favorite right now, I take it everywhere and use it as my main pen for journaling. Mine is the blue bronze with Medium nib and pairs so beautifully with The Old Man and the Sea from Wearingeul. I have a few twsbis and none had this cracking, so I am quite tense seeing this and all the comments saying it is the norm for twsbi. :(
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When they were £28 i thought its still a good deal but now they are like €65 here and its getting harder to justify
I loved my TWSBI until it broke in a similar fashion after about a year. I happened to have another one (bought the wrong nib, couldn’t be bothered to return it, long story) so I franken-penned it back together. But I won’t buy another TWSBI and I won’t recommend them. Which is a shame because I really like the design 🤷♀️
Materials are not all the same. TWSBI has an excellent warranty program. But the product materials are inferior. This is a known issue that has historically never been addressed. They are wonderful products, normally. They need a better material and better tolerances at the mating parts. These pens have a cool funky loyal following. If you just have to collect pens in different colors, then do Lamy or Kaweco.
Not discounting anybody's experiences or buying preferences, absolutely buy whatever you believe in, but technically it has been historically addressed, twice. They just haven't quite figured it out yet. There was a 540 before the 580, and a 530 before that. Each new revision boasting material and design changes for more durability.
How are these cracks happening? Is it from dropping the pen?
This case very unsure. For most of Eco I think it’s because people overtighten, there is no easily tellable stop on twisting. Some say it can come from posting too but I don’t do that really
May be, cause it's TWSBI
Vote with your money. Never have and never will buy a TWSBI product because of this.
I know they were discussing which pen John Wick would have but I don’t think they meant for you to test them!
Ouch, the same thing happened to my 580, but the metal ring at the base of the cap cracked off the top part of the cap. I don't know how, but if I angled it just right, I could snap it back on. So i'm still able to screw the cap on and off. Just can't be too rough with it. My sister wanted to look at my pen, but didnt know you were supposed to unscrew it. Pulled it right off. I haven't talked to her since that day... Just kidding.
(but not kidding 🤣)
https://preview.redd.it/uyjodn1dbm0d1.jpeg?width=1296&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eb7ef91ffe73bf48be3ffba5eae52ad5fab4ee37 I believe this is the same thing that happened to mine a few days ago? Is it even replaceable or fixable? This was actually one of my favorite pens for years.
Reach out to TWSBI, and the can send you a new barrel. Sucks that they crack, but at least parts \*can\* be ordered. I have replaced 2 caps, and I'm in process of replacing a barrel. Not the world's best plastic, and TWSBI has \*GOT\* to do better going forward, but at least you're not going to be out a pen, just some bucks for shipping.
Sadly my vac700 cracked, too
This is such a bummer, I’m enjoying my Swipe so much, nary a crack or defect to speak of, but now I’m side eyeing it waiting for plastic to fail 😆
Ouch and that's a 580. There goes any chance of me considering the Iceberg limited edition.
TWSBI being TWSBI. Thankfully, they do have fantastic customer service so they'll take care of you.
Same thing happened to mine. Done with this trash brand. Pen never even wrote nicely either, junk all around.
I had this one on a short list ‘my first fountain pen will be..’, guess it’s off my short list
Pilot Explorer with a CON-70, Diplomat Magnum (with converter), or Lamy Safari with converter make good "firsts." Platinum Preppy pens are hit and miss. Pilot Varsity pens are also good, but not designed to refill.
Yikes. They seem to be quite popular pens, but the durability issues keep coming up.
Had my 580al for 9 years. Not sure what y'all are doing to them but I suspect it's the same people who somehow manage to rip apart console controller sticks
Have 2 580 ALRs, both have had caps replaced, and I'm in the process of getting a barrel replaced for the exact same thing as OP. The plastic is too soft. I love these pens, and I will keep my 580s because I love them, but it's beyond time for them to switch to a more durable material. Warranty replacement should be rare...and for the record I am exceedingly careful with my pens! TWSBIs *can* be a great pen (I love mine dearly), but I just don't get why they can't/won't fix this, It's dragging the brand through the dirt in the places they can't afford to lose reputation. This subreddit can be make or break for a brand. Get known for QC problems and watch everyone just buy Jinhaos, Preppys, etc. There has never been more competition in the segment they target. Between the plastic issues and all the Narwahl drama, you'd think they'd be stepping up more to improve their rep...
🤣🤣
Both times I had problems with TWSBI pens I emails them and they sent replacement parts for the cost of postage. Has the OP reached out to them?
Wow, OP will be thrilled about further spending their own hard earned money for quality control/manufacturing defects, and denied normal use of the pen while waiting for the part to arrive.
Don't worry, the TWSBI stans will be here soon to tell you that your pen couldn't possibly be cracking because they have 200 TWSBI pens that haven't cracked.
I've not had one crack yet, but I've seen enough of these posts to know that it'll likely happen. I'm dreading the day it happens to my Vac 700R, but I'll keep using it until then (and I'll be keeping rubbing alcohol far far away from this plastic).
Same thing happened to me a number of years ago with both a TWSBI mini and vac fill. Sorry to see that they seem incapable of fixing a known issue like this. It’s too bad because the pens are beautiful and work well until they break.
I stopped buying a long time ago.
I have found that cyano-acrylic super glue works for at least a Time. My favorite pen, which was a very cheap one surprisingly, suffered a similar faith and I repaired it several times using super glue until the last time in which something irreparable occurred when it finally broke.
WHY
ackk nsfw :p. Sorry for loss.
Why... 😭 What did happen? It needs a proper burial.
Welp, this is fairly discouraging
Right where the section screws into the barrel. That makes it tought to just replace the nib unit, too. Condolences. Good excuse to get an amazing vac-filler? (Pilot Custom 823, Visconti Homosapiens...)
Because they know you are aching to use that little wrench they give you to over tighten those brittle plastic parts, and soon you will have to buy a new one.
r/fountainpengore material.
How long have you had yours?
such gore posts needa NSFW flair
Vac 700 and all my 580s all end up cracked within 2 years. But I do like them and they do have good support/cheap to fix.
I don't understand either! I have one and can't see why...
RIP.
I’ve had that happened to my pens, cause of use, dropped them, carelessness, too careful, things just don’t last forever lol 😂. But this gentleman has always helped me get a replacement, they charge a small fee but 100% worth and always in a timely manner, email them and you’ll be good to go [email protected].
I spent a few weeks going through reviews. Bought one today (VAC700), saw this post. Cried inside. In all seriousness, is this completely random?
My Vac700 broke in the same spot two weeks ago.
The cap on my 580 broke off right above the metal ring. I emailed them and they shipped me a new cap for free, didn’t even have to pay shipping costs! However, despite their excellent customer service and the lovely nib, I don’t think I will ever buy another TWSBI again due to how fragile they are
Rip
Why? Because it’s a TWSBI.
I have many many TWSBIs(20ish) and two of mine have broken. A Classic that broke at the section, and an older 580 Christmas model that I bought second hand the section cracked and started leaking. Both were less than $25 to repair. TWSBI sent me the parts quickly and without hassle. I had owned both pens for years before they broke. And used them regularly. The Christmas was my partners and she is notoriously hard on her pens. Both have been fine for more than 5 years since the repair. The TWSBI classic mini is still one of my all time favorite pens. It was one of my first purchases and has been a daily writer off and on for 10+ years.
TWSBI still cracking I see. I had one, my first fountain pen actually, crack at the grip, and dump ink into my pocket. I thought it was my fault, until I looked into it amd haven't bought a TWSBI since.
Was it a clean break? I would go to a hardware store and pick up some epoxy that dries clear and try to epoxy it.
last pic is GORE
Oh no.... just when I thought a TWSBI eco was going to be my first fountain pen. I don't want to buy one if they're known for breaking. 😫
Sorry to see that. If you insist on keeping the pen, you can glue back together with epoxy glue or UV resin. But you have be as neat as possible when gluing the pen.
https://preview.redd.it/3m2ahdg50p0d1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dfcd83c81e07cddb8c52b761ad532f36ccb6a621
Possible the transparent resin used is susceptible to UV or even slight temperature changes? Possibly some additives in the ink dissolving the resin as well?
Reason why I gave up on the brand after a few similar failures.
That’s why I still won’t buy a TWSBI.
I have a Diamond 530 that finally got a hairline crack in the section. Wasn’t leaking but I got a couple replacements because the medium nib in it is like writing on wet ice. Then last week the cap broke right above the band at the end of the threads. A couple drops of superglue and it seems to be holding fine, but when I empty this round of ink I’m gonna retire it. I love the shape and feel of the pen and no one else really makes one quite like it that I know of. It’s gotten a lot of use over the last 15 years or so.
I got back into fountain pens about 7 years ago. I have a lot (not confessing) by many different makers. The only ones I've had crack or break are by TWSBI. 2 Swipes, 1 580ALR, 1 ECO. The Swipes broke in the same place (where the clip attaches to the cap) the others in different places. Oh yeah, I dropped a Pilot Explorer and the clip broke off. Easy to glue back. No other issues.
This is normal isn’t it? End of life for the product is about 6-12 months.
Do you guys overtighten them, or what?
very sorry op. this is ridiculous. my two dollar wingsung twsbi eco knock off has been glued from a nib expansion crack, but this?!! if my twsbi does that I'm not buying another until they make their pens thicker and better.
SUCH GRAPHIC IMAGES SHOULD COME WITH A WARNING! TOO MUCH GORE!
How did this happen?
Ussh ! Pain ‘
I have multiples of just about every twsbi for a few years and have zero cracking on any of them. Just saying.
High chance this one was made in China. I have one bought in Taiwan (it's a Taiwanese company and I frequently visit). Bought 2 as gifts for friends when I was back in Australia and to my surprise they were made in China. One of them had a split in the plastic and the other one would leak. The shop returned them and exchanged for different colours which were Taiwan stock and those 2 plus my 5 year old are all going well.
😭
Because they all do that because they're cheaply made shitpens. The plastic they use, gets crunchy after a short while, especially if kept in the light.
I just had mine 700r barrel crack right where the nib unit screws in and started leaking on me, it also has a pretty good scuff up closer to where the plunger screws down. I was looking online to see if there was a barrel I could buy but I saw people saying that TWSBI replaced theirs, so I guess I should contact TWSBI? I'm on a very very tight budget so buying a new one was out of the question but if it's something they will take care of I just might be able to get my favorite pen working properly again. I also wish they sold nib units with the iris coloring because when the pen was given to me as a gift they accidentally ordered EF instead of medium which now I kind of like having the EF but it would be nice to have a medium or something else and have the colors match too.
Lamy Safari Joins The Chat!
I figured this would descend into the standard TWSBI bashing thread. I don't mean to diminish any frustration you feel regarding your pen. I only want to share that I just counted and I have 68 different TWSBI pens. Pushing 100 counting the duplicates I keep in my Galen Design A5 zippered cases at the office. Not a single crack. On the plus side, injection molded polycarbonate is clear and strong. However cracking or crazing when under stress and in contact with a chemical environment is possible. In my view, their quality control is quite good. Their customer service is among the best in the industry.
Man, there should be Live Leak for fountain pens for that, that's a really horrifying break, I have a Twsbi Diamond Mini that I've been carrying around in my front pocket for about a month and so far there are no signs of cracking knock on wood. I wonder if Twsbi will ever get around addressing these issues, I mean the pens are good writers but there is clearly something wrong with the manufacturing process, I heard the Vac Mini is the worst so far when it comes to cracking.
She was resurrected after all... https://preview.redd.it/fdl5n1z36m1d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=687618f97e61d7c8b32b97dd70123bcac8c124f9
https://preview.redd.it/ysr7vjaf6m1d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7b4c5edf085a71e9719a6b6c16327f81ea9a3db
https://preview.redd.it/3uode9uh6m1d1.jpeg?width=1800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=909e4ac6f8262ff40703b850be5275e8417b9897
Must be the ink. /sarcasm
I wanted to buy a Eco as my next pen but after seeing these incidents, nope not buying anything from this brand especially in India where customer support is non existent duhh, really wanted a coffee coloured Eco :(
That pen took some force. Remeber folks, ink can be both and acid and base.
I just bought a diamond in prussian blue, 1mm stub nib. I love it, but I'm fully aware it's a matter of time before it self destructs.
Get in touch with the company, they will give you replacement.
You literally were writing with an already broken pen that was bad enough you got a replacement....... shockingly using already broken stuff tends to break out more........
Oh no...I just bought two and now I'm not happy reading these comments :/
I’ve got a 540 and a 580 with cracks sitting in a drawer. Never again.
Same issue.