This said pen is my new TWSBI Diamond 530. It's a piston filler demonstrator (for $40.00!) that is of exceptional quality for the price. I won't delve into the story of its creation, it's a very long one. I will say that this is a pen made for the FP enthusiast!
This post is mainly to get some pictures up of my "new-arrival". I will be posting an extensive, 4 part, monster-review of this amazing pen within the next 2-3 weeks. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on that!
Also, to make sure it doesn't get "buried" in other posts I'll make mention of the free give-away going on right now! Make sure to enter for that one so you don't miss out. I'm giving away 4 prizes each worth $30.00 - $45.00!
Now onto the pictures:
I hope you enjoyed the pictures of this awesome pen! If you're looking to buy one the company operates an eaby store. You can find and purchase the pen here.
If you like the looks of this pen you'll definitely want to see my extensive review of it. It's going to be a really good one! Make sure you subscribe to my blog so you don't miss it when it comes out.
Also, drop me a comment please and let me know your thoughts on this pen. I always love hearing from my readers. :)
Regards,
777 - Tyler Dahl
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Tyler, I cannot believe it. I was just looking at them this morning (have actually been looking at them for months) when this pops up on your blog! I was thinking of getting one with a fine nib but they no longer seem to be offering them. :-( I am hoping that they will show up again on e-Bay and I shall probably pull the plug on one. I am really looking forward to your upcoming review and, perhaps, a sample of the writing. Let me guess, you ordered a broad nib, right? ;-)
ReplyDeleteHey Freddy! Indeed, a good coincidence. :)
ReplyDeleteSadly they will not be restocking the fines until they come out with the newest version - The Diamond 540. It will feature a larger ink capacity but will cost an extra $10.00 :(. I was going to wait but when I heard the new ones would be more expensive I jumped and got one while they still had them.
They just stocked some new green ones with fine nibs in. I prefer the all clear but some like the colored.
Also, you can always buy the nibs separately. They have F and XF in stock.
Yup, I ordered a separate broad along with my medium. You can't get the pen with a B nib installed yet. They're supposed to have this option in the next batch though. It's nice having two nibs though. That way I can just unscrew and change anytime.
Yes, my review will feature a writing sample of both nibs compared - the medium and broad.
After the review, they will most likely both receive on of my grinds. :) I wan't a stub for this awesome pen! That'll bring it to a whole new level.
Regards,
777
I didn't realize that they were not going to be making any more of these and that is a shame. Waiting and getting the 540 for $10.00 more is still less expensive than spending $18.00 for an extra nib, though. Are the nibs as easily interchangeable as they are on an Esterbrook?
ReplyDeleteWow. Really nice photographs! What's also interesting about the photos is that depending upon the way the light hits the pen, the Eclat de Saphir looks purple, both inside the pen and inside the bottle. I've never used Eclat de Saphir, so perhaps this IS the way it looks, normally. LOL. But, I thought it was interesting enough to note. Again, great photographs. You really are a good photographer, Tyler. =)
ReplyDeleteThat's true, though it is nice to be able to swap nibs as needed.
ReplyDeleteAs far as how easy to change - I would venture to say even easier than an esterbrook nib! Mainly because the whole section of the pen unscrews instead of just the nib. Yup, That whole clear part where you grip screws right out. The reason this is easier than an estie nib is two-fold.
1 - You don't get any ink on your fingers if the pen is filled.
2 - When you unscrew an estie nib by griping the nib there is always the chance of it sticking and then twisting the nib out of alignment. I've never had it happen but it "could". The TWSBI section idea eliminates this problem!
I think they've got a good system going. :)
Regards,
777 - Tyler Dahl
Hey kp! Glad you like the photographs. I wish I was a good photographer... I suppose I have "some" natural talent for it. Maybe a better camera would do me good. :) I dunno...
ReplyDeleteHehe, that ink actually is not Eclat de Saphir. ;) It's my homemade/mixed purple ink. I got it from Diamine Deep Magenta mixed with Noodlers Navajo turquoise. Came out beautiful!
Regards,
777 - Tyler Dahl
oooh, a homebrew! nice work! So, it IS purple then!! LOL. I like it! I have never tried Diamine Deep Magenta. How many parts Deep Magenta to Navajo Turquoise to get this result? I really like it!
ReplyDeleteHad mine for about a month and loving it. Only problem is my Lamy Safaris are looking depressed and lonely. Need to get some of the wide nibs for them so there's an excuse to use them sometimes. For normal everyday writing the TWSBI with EF nib is now my go to pen.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Never tried Diamine Deep Magenta? You MUST try this ink! It's B E A U T I F U L ! ! ! It's a deep magenta color and is probably the most vibrant ink I've ever seen. You need a bottle, trust me!
ReplyDeleteSadly I don't quite remember the mix. I just did it by look. If you ever get a bottle of both just try a 1-1 ratio and then change accordingly to get the right purple color. A bit of water might help. I'm going to try that next time I mix because I think it's just a tad to dark for me...
Regards,
777 - Tyler Dahl
Yea, I can see how a TWSBI could easily put even $100.00 pens off the bench. It's probably the best bang-for-your-buck buy I've ever made!
ReplyDeleteRegards,
777 - Tyler Dahl
So, are you planning any nib modifications?
ReplyDeleteYes, I am. :) I ordered a B nib with it which will receive a stub treatment. The medium will most likely get a CI grind, but maybe I'll do a stub...
ReplyDeleteRegards,
777 - Tyler Dahl
Nice photos, I much prefer the white background. One suggestion if I may... the watermark (which is very cool by itself) distracts from the photo. Maybe you would consider printing it on the white background.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like the TWSBI. And that ink looks fantastic!
Hey! Glad you liked the photos.
ReplyDeleteYea, I'm still working on the watermark. I'm not really sure I could print it on the background. Since then it wouldn't be readable at certain camera angles...
I was thinking of putting on the bottom corner but the fact is that it's really not doing much down there. Anybody can just crop it out unless it's actually touching the subject of the photo.
I'll work on it and see what I can come up with! Thanks for the suggestion. :)
Regards,
777 - Tyler Dahl
I wouldn't worry too much about someone stealing your photos. If you look at mine, the logo can be very easily removed. But I figure mine is a pen blog and even if the photos get "stolen", what's the big deal? They could, at most, use them to sell some pens. Nah, I'm not very worried.
ReplyDeleteHmm... This is very true. Perhaps the watermark overdoes it a bit.
ReplyDeleteI'll give that some consideration...
Regards,
777
Don't write posted with this pen unless you're looking for a major inky mess. The cap sits on the filler and can twist it. Major design flaw IMO.
ReplyDeleteYea, some people on FPN completely discounted the whole pen because of this... I personally think it's a small issue. Posting pen is really only required when the pen is small. Still, it would be nice.
ReplyDeleteThe thing is, this pen is almost identical in dimensions to my M805. The M805, even though the cap posts properly, is still far to back heavy for any reasonable writing. The TWSBI would be the same even if the cap posted properly... It would still be nice though so maybe in the next version!
Regards,
777 - Tyler Dahl
Hey Tyler, I was just going to ask, and David mentioned it...the posting of the cap. I am a dedicated cap poster. It is something I have always done without even thinking about it but I just got done reading some of the comments on FPN. I wonder if the 540 will address those issues. I think I may wait to see what the 540 has to offer, rather than take the plunge now. I hope the 540 offers a safe way to post the cap. Even if I were to find the pen too heavy with the cap posted, I would at least like the option to post safely.
ReplyDeleteI just received the FP - Hot Pink (Red). Incredible value. What more can I say. While I am not a purist I do appreciate a decent pen. This is the most decent of the decent.
ReplyDeleteI can not believe the price of this pen. Purchased it off of E bay. This is a mark of absolute genius in my book. Posted or unposted. Out of the box and filled with Swisher Pens (Noodlers) Intense Red. All I can say is intense!
Thank you Mr. Wang. Excellent accomplishment bringing this high quality as such a reasonable price point.