The TWSBI Eco fountain pen is recommended as one of the great beginner fountain pen options; I’m new to fountain pens and decided to try a Medium (M) nib, since I saw it compared online to my former favorite pen, an Inkjoy 0.5mm. (For more information about why I switched to fountain pens, see the anecdote in my Muji Aluminum Fountain Pen review.) I decided to pick up the white version for around $35 at the time of writing.
Spoiler alert: the TWSBI Eco M is not comparable to a 0.5mm Inkjoy, or any other 0.5mm pen, for that matter. The ink flows out a lot, which fountain pen communities refer to as “wet,” so that Medium nib is way more wide and thick than what I was expecting based on what I saw from other writing samples. It’s thick and – for me – that’s not in a good way.
I’d probably call it a 0.9mm with the ink I tried in it, which was the Platinum Lavender Black ink, which I have ended up despising. The ink is incredibly watery coming out of the TWSBI Eco and actually crinkles the paper I write on, which isn’t something any of my other fountain pens have done, and is more of a maroon than lavender black, as it is marketed. It honestly looks nothing like the swatches I saw, and if I didn’t know better, I would say that the sample I bought from PenChalet was actually filled with Cassis Black instead, which it matches perfectly when I write with it. If you’re a fan of maroon-ish ink, I do recommend it for that purpose; it starts off very pale and then darkens to its true shade.
Feel
The TWSBI Eco is super smooth when writing, and as someone with very small hands, I found it ungainly at first to use until I grew accustomed to it. It does have a great appearance and it’s fun to see the ink inside.
The pen takes a while to actually flow the ink sometimes, which is frustrating; I’ll be writing with it normally and then suddenly it just decides not to produce any ink. I end up having to start letters over repeatedly before the ink will flow, and I use this pen consistently so it is definitely not dried out. It is maddening. In comparison to how my Lamy Safari F and my Muji EF write, it is markedly my least favorite so far. There is not any kind of consistency when I use it and I don’t think I would purchase another TWSBI based on this experience.
If I’m being completely honest, if I had started with this pen, it might have turned me off of fountain pens completely.
The experience with it has been that irritating and I dislike how it handles ink.
That said: a lot of people love the TWSBI Eco, so don’t let me dissuade anyone from giving it a try. I’ve seen people have the same issue I do and others who never have a problem, so it’s possible that these are manufacturing differences. Your mileage may vary. I’m just glad that I actually started with a Lamy Safari and not the TWSBI Eco fountain pen.
My list of pens for beginners so far, from most to least favorite:
So Hear Me Out is reader-supported because we detest advertisements on websites.
When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission that helps keep the site running. More info here
Pingback: Lamy Safari Fountain Pen Review - so hear me out
Pingback: Muji Aluminum Fountain Pen Review - so hear me out