TWSBI ECO Fountain Pen Review, From An Artist’s Perspective

(This is a guest post by Nick Folz. You can find more of Nick and his work on his blog, Smallberry Drive, Twitter, and Instagram.)

I am a waking, talking pen cliché of 2016. I bought my first fountain pen last year, along with bottle of ink. Which pen and ink? The TWSBI ECO and J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor. See what I mean about cliché?

The ECO is a beautiful instrument. I got the white model and love the look of the white details with the clear barrel. The vacuum is super intuitive and easy to use. The clip is solid enough to be an everyday pocket carry. The pen is a bit long when the cap is posted, but not so much that I don’t post it anyway. The whole thing is pretty durable. From drops onto concrete to shoving the cap on instead of threading it, it has taken a beating but is no worse for wear. The weight is good, and it feels as good as it looks. I often found myself just holding it or fiddling with it in meetings. It grabs attention as well, a whispered “what pen is THAT?” or “can I try writing with it?” were not uncommon. At this super forgivable price point, I can’t think of a reason not to recommend this if you are interested in the least.

I went with the 1.1 Stub nib. I write rather large, so the thick width doesn't bother me, but I can see how some might dislike it for writing. My first impression was that it is a joy to doodle with. I found myself sketching on post-its constantly. The ink flow is consistent and smooth. The nib is no doubt a huge factor here since stubs tend to have a juicier feel, or so I’ve heard.

Drawing is just like writing; people have different priorities and preferences. I value line width variation above almost everything else. I love the dynamic range of the stub. Being mindful with the nib can get you fine detail lines or thick bold ones. I love pulling straight down and getting a wide line and then, not lifting the pen, changing the direction of the line 90 degrees to get a hair thin line. Changing direction to dictate line thickness is fun and adds a ton of variety. I imagine I would really dig a flex nib, but I like the predictability of the stub. I often would sketch freely, without being mindful of line weight, then going back in with adding thickness later.

My main draw to fountain pens was bottle inks, I use lots of India inks and acrylic inks with brushes, but wanted to try out the other side ink world. Plus I really like the atheistic of bottle inks and fountain pen inks are some of the most beautiful bottles in the world. J. Herbin really outdo themselves in packaging. The box is wonderfully decorated but nothing worth saving, the bottle is the main show, with it’s wax seal, gold string, and cube angles. I have mine on my desk at all times; it is too pretty to put in a drawer. Filling the pen is a joy, the barrel of the ECO fits perfectly into the bottle opening. It is a pleasant ritual that I enjoy, and have a hard time believing that I would ever find similar joy in replacing a cartridge. It is not waterproof, but that’s not the end of the world. It can actually be blended with water if you are careful about it. The stub nib really lets this ink shine, literally. It is a thing of beauty just to watch the ink dry as you make lines. I filled sheets and sheets of hatch marks when I got this pen, almost hypnotized. It dries quick enough to sketch with and looks like nothing else out there.

I’m a doodler first, writer second. If something doesn’t work for drawing it doesn’t last in my pocket. I had the TWSBI ECO as my pocket pen for about 3 months, then I went to switch back to a lead holder. It lasted two days before the TWSBI was back in my pocket. I missed it too much. I don’t have much negative to say, even my criticisms have positive notes:

· I sometimes hate that I have to twist off the cap, but I love the security of a twist cap.

· I wish I had an erasable option, but I love watching the liquid ink dry before my eyes as I draw.

· I miss the utilitarian metal pencil body, but not as much as I love watching that beautiful emerald ink slosh around the clear barrel of the ECO.

The ECO has lasted over six months as my main carry, and if it broke tomorrow I’d be placing an order for another of the exact same. The J. Herbin bottle sits proudly at my desk, and even after several refills I have so much left that I haven’t gotten wistful yet. I can’t think of a better recommendation than that.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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TWSBI ECO Fountain Pen Review

Like many in the pen community, I was anxious to get my hands on the TWSBI ECO. I saw it as an important release for one primary reason, a reason no other manufacturer has been able to pull off with any success, or even attempt. Could TWSBI deliver a quality, low cost, piston filling fountain pen? Without question they can, and they did with the TWSBI ECO.

The idea of the ECO goes back almost two years. TWSBI likes to share design prototypes and ideas through their Facebook Page to get feedback along the way from their customers and fans. Not all pens that show up on Facebook make the final cut, and for a while many wondered if the ECO would come to fruition. I wondered that myself, especially from a pricing standpoint. There would have to be a large enough gap between the new piston filler and their existing ones in the Classic and 580 lineup.

Then one day it happened. TWSBI announced a release date and a price. For less than $30, TWSBI was set to compete with any entry level fountain pen on the market. Especially the Lamy Safari, the long-standing dominant pen in this realm.

The overall design of the pen is an economical one in an effort to keep the cost down, hence the name ECO. There aren’t many moving parts outside of the piston, and the clear barrel is accented only with a white or black cap and matching piston knob. I think the cap itself is a little chunky compared to the rest of the pen and wouldn’t mind if it were slimmed down a bit. It is also too big to post and keep a good writing balance.

The ECO’s piston filling mechanism works smoothly and effortlessly, just like in their other models. If, over time, the piston needs to be re-lubricated, TWSBI includes the tool and silicon grease to do just that. I’ve done this on my TWSBI Mini before and it is a simple task. Instructions are even provided in the form of an insert.

I’m a big fan of all of TWSBI’s nibs, and the #5 steel nibs in the ECO are no exception. The extra fine nib in mine is firm and smooth, with little to no feedback, no hard starts, and no skipping. It is spot on, and a pleasure to write with.

This is a flat-out cool pen, and one I have been recommending constantly since its launch last summer. For someone like myself who has some experience with fountain pens, the ECO is a daily workhorse that can be taken out, used and abused, refilled, cleaned, nib swapped, and any other worry-free fun you want to have with a low cost fountain pen.

For beginning fountain pen users, it is a fantastic choice as well, and second on my Top 5 Pens Under $50, behind only the Pilot Metropolitan. If you have never used a fountain pen before and want to jump right into bottled ink instead of cartridges, the ECO is the way to go.

It’s clear by now that TWSBI has another hit on its hands. They are already teasing new colors in the lineup and I know I won’t be able to help myself when they launch. I bet many of you feel the same way.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Zebra Eco Sarasa Clip Retractable Gel Review

I think most Pen Addict readers are aware that I work for JetPens.com, but I am not sure that everyone knows I handle most of the JetPens Facebook and Twitter duties as well. One of the recent questions I received on Facebook is what pen is most comparable to the Zebra Jiminie? Luckily I have used the Jiminie, and one of Zebra’s very own products matches up well.

The Zebra Eco Sarasa Clip is part of the hugely popular Sarasa Clip line, with the obvious difference being the recycled aspect of the pen. Made from 81% post-consumer recycled materials, the Eco is a great option for the environmentally conscious among us, and is refillable with the Zebra JF cartridge. As a bonus, all of the color cartridges from the Sarasa Clip line fit this barrel perfectly, so there is no issue adding in a Viridian Green cartridge in your eco friendly barrel.

The 0.7mm tip that I reviewed writes almost exactly like the Jiminie. Smooth, pitch black gel ink, and a very crisp line. As luck would have it, JetPens is sold out of this exact barrel, but we should have them back in very soon! This is a pen very much worth waiting for.