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My replacement TWSBI cap finally arrived today. Went to finally ink the pen up only to discover that the thread that connects the nib assembly is broken.

I know I can order a replacement nib assembly relatively inexpensively, but I don't know if the thread in the pen body is intact either.

It looks like when I lost the cap I didn't clean the pen out properly before putting it in storage and there was still some ink sitting in it for a few years. I don't know if that was what caused the damage.

My local pen shop apparently has an AL in stock, and I happen to have gotten a gift card for them for Christmas that would cover the difference between the Diamond 580 and the AL. Perhaps it's time to upgrade?

#FountainPens

#fountainpens
in reply to Jonathan Lamothe

Jonathan Lamothe
Jonathan Lamothe
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Fortunetly, FedEx arrived today with my ink order so my disappointment is somewhat assuaged.
in reply to Jonathan Lamothe

paradoxmo
paradoxmo
• •
at this point I would consider a different brand of pen. Hongdian has good piston fillers if you’re into that. Fine Writing International has the Scepter button filler which is very good. Opus 88 might be worth a try also if you are curious about Japanese eyedroppers
This entry was edited (2 weeks ago)
in reply to paradoxmo

Jonathan Lamothe
Jonathan Lamothe
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@paradoxmo Have you had problems with TWSBI in general? The pen actually served me pretty well for years. I suspect the problem may have been my fault.
@paradoxmo
in reply to Jonathan Lamothe

paradoxmo
paradoxmo
• •
my one remaining TWSBI is OK (580 ALR—sold or gave away my others), but TWSBI has a long history of materials issues. Cracked cap, cracked barrel, faulty threads, these are all pretty common complaints. It’s not just you, I wouldn’t assume it’s your fault.
This entry was edited (2 weeks ago)
in reply to paradoxmo

Jonathan Lamothe
Jonathan Lamothe
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@paradoxmo I've heard that. I really like my TWSBI though. It's a combination of factors. The fact that it's a piston filler was the initial selling point, but I also like that it's a very wet pen. I need something that lays down a good amount of ink. The price is also a major factor. I have a hard time justifying spending over $100 on a pen.

I don't need a new pen. I have a bunch. It's just that my TWSBI was my favourite.

@paradoxmo
in reply to Jonathan Lamothe

paradoxmo
paradoxmo
• •

yes, a lot of people really like their TWSBIs, they are well-designed from the user perspective and have good features, that’s why I try not to “yuck people’s yum” on them too much. TWSBI is objectively not the best company though and I say this as a Taiwanese person who is otherwise inclined to support a domestic company.

Bottom line, there are many other good Taiwanese pen makers at this point, TWSBI were among the pioneers of budget pens but they’re far from the only option these days.

This entry was edited (2 weeks ago)
in reply to Jonathan Lamothe

geoff martin
geoff martin
• •

Depending on where you live and what, exactly, you want to replace on the TWSBI, this is a good source:

fpnibs.com/collections/nibs?pa…


NIBS

Fountain pen nibs for many pen brands: Visconti, Aurora, TWSBI, Kaweco and much more.
FPnibs
in reply to Jonathan Lamothe

Phil Olin
Phil Olin
• •
TWSBIs have a cracking issue. They used to be much worse, but they still having a cracking issue. I’ve sold all my TWSBI pens and refuse to get more. I picked up a Moonman/Majohn T1 to replace my 580 that cracked 3 times.
in reply to Jonathan Lamothe

Jonathan Lamothe
Jonathan Lamothe
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I've reached out to TWSBI to find out if it's possible to get a replacement barrel for the pen. If so, I know the replacement nib assemblies are relatively inexpensive. This is turning into the Pen of Theseus.
in reply to Jonathan Lamothe

fedops 💙💛
fedops 💙💛
• •
I was just thinking it would probably be cheaper to get a new one and use the still usable parts as spares?
in reply to fedops 💙💛

Jonathan Lamothe
Jonathan Lamothe
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@fedops 💙💛 Yeah, I thought about that too. The local place I normally get stuff from doesn't carry a whole lot of TWSBI stock though, all they have in stock right now is the one AL (though their online stock has been known to be inaccurate).
@fedops 💙💛

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