Twsbi Eco: An artist fountain pen review
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- Опубліковано 24 лип 2020
- Hello pen lovers!
Today, I’m looking at the Twsbi Eco in extra fine. Is it a good tool for artists? Watch to the end to see what I think!
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You can find the pen here:
amzn.to/2D1YkTU - Розваги
Nice to see an art focused fountain pen channel! I love my Eco but don't use it for drawing because I have a stub nib, and I prefer a regular style nib for drawing. But have taken many notes when doing art study with mine, so it's definitely gotten a workout in my art life, as well as for letter writing and the like.
Ben Chandler thanks for checking me out! I’d love to hear what you do enjoy using for art.
Personally, the Eco, Jinhao 51a, Kaweco sport, and Pilot Kakuno have been in heavy rotation lately. (videos on the Kakuno and Sport coming soon). I’m going to create some art with my stub nib pens in the future (I have a Rotring Artpen and a Pilot Parallel) just so I can see what I can pull off!
I’m so happy I watched this review! I’d never seen a proper way of getting the piston to fill completely so that was a bonus!! Also the information about the historical nature of the Noodlers ink. Your tree was awesome. Thank you for this great video, loved it!
PS I own a few TWSBI Ecos and I much prefer them to my Lamy Safaris because of their larger ink storing capacity 😊
Thank you! The Eco’s ink capacity is great. Two other stylish pens you might like that have a similar capacity are the PenBBS 456 and the Asvine v126.
Nice video! Every other fountain pen reviewer I watch does a writing sample, so I really enjoyed seeing the drawing sample and different perspective in the review.
F15HB41T thanks! I actually started this channel because I love fountain pens, and I love fountain pen review channels, but I didn’t really see a lot of people talking about fountain pens from an artist perspective. Two notable exceptions would be Peter Draws and Teoh Yi Chie, although their channels focus on other art supplies as well.
More to come! Thanks for checking me out!
Thanks for the great review! Appreciate the artist view on fountain pens. I am fairly new to them and seeing how you burped the air out really helped me!
Glad to hear! The Eco is a gem!
Thank you so much! I’m looking at this pen for art and you answered all my questions.
It’s still one of my favorites!
Hey Stephen we must be on the same page so to speak lol! After ordering the Kakuno I was already thinking of my next pen which was the eco and here you are. Thanks your awesome ! I also draw with pens but just started with th fountains I have been using technical pens which have their place but i need to branch out so here i am. Have a good Holiday!
Two excellent choices! If you’re looking for something interesting after that, I highly recommend you check out the turned acrylic beauties put out by PenBBs. Really fun for drawing!
Awesome video! I just ordered the Eco with an EF nib to draw with. I've been using a Pilot Vanishing point but I wanted to have a less expensive pen I didn't have to worry about for on the go.
I'm not great at linework yet but I'm getting used to it.
One thing that I've been trying is using a water brush pen with them since the ink is water based. You can quickly get values after putting down the lines and most cheap notebooks can handle it.
That’s a fun way to do quick sketches too. I should do a video about that… but I’m a bit too OCD to do it often. I like control too much.
I’m 100% in agreement about having a cheap knock around pen. My Eco is just at the price where I feel okay taking it to my work (I’m a teacher). Actually the limit would be lower if it weren’t for the Eco, because I just love it and take it everywhere. It’s the most expensive pen I’m willing to take to work :) I hope you love it!
I have an extensive fountain pen collection with several TWSBI Ecos. The Eco is by far my favorite and I carry one on me daily.
Agreed! My Eco and I are nearly inseparable!
Cheers mate, that drawing was lovely
Thanks!
Very helpful, thank you so much! Just ordered for ink and watercolor. I ordered a fine nib which I think will be right for watercolor paper
Hope you enjoy it! For the record, I really like either mixed media or hot press watercolor paper for pen and ink/watercolor work.
@@stepheninks thanks, that helps. I've been liking the Legion hot press!
Thanks! I have TWSBI Minis which I got before they came out with the Eco. They are Extra Fine which suits for my drawing in small sketchbooks. You should try the Pilot Kakunos in fine and extra fine to try those Japanese nibs inexpensively. I’m sure the Pilot Prera would be good, too, but I have not tried that one.
I have the kakuno on my wish list right now! I also heard it can take the con-70 converter which I really want to try out as well.
I have a fine nib from pilot in my metropolitan. It’s great! I’ve got a video on that one coming up soon.
How do you feel about the construction of the Twsbi Mini? I love the Eco, it doesn’t feel cheap at all, but I’ve heard that some prefer the older, more expensive models to the Eco, if only
slightly.
I have the con-70s in my Kakunos. Construction is good on the TWSBI Mini. I also have the Vac Mini. There are many Eco lovers in my Facebook group (Goulet Nation). I have small hands and tend to like pocket pens so am satisfied with my Minis. I would get more if they would come out with lots of pretty colors like the Eco. That’s such a good marketing strategy!
It’s a lot more but as an artist who loves a extra fine line, platinum 3776 UEF (ultra extra fine) is hands down the best pen I draw with - it’s a dream.
I have a 3776 in soft fine, and it is just everything! So good! I almost got the uef, and I might still, whenever I financially recover from my most recent purchases :)
Bonjour et merci pour votre revue Stephen ^^
Je l'ai aussi acheté (plume EF), un très bon stylo qui fonction aussi en reverse pour faire un trait plus fin. J'ai l'habitude d'utiliser le carbon Ink pen de platinum (beaucoups de dessinateur l'apprécie). Vous devriez l'essayer d'ailleurs^^
Hi! Thank you for the kind words! I have had that pen on my list for a while, and I really wish I had bought it several years ago when the old design was still available. I remember seeing one in a stationary shop in South Korea, where I bought my first fountain pen (a Platinum Preppy). Do you have the new design, or the original? I often wonder if it’s worth it to try the new one.
I got a good fill by leaving the nib in the bottle and just twisting the plunger down and back up a couple of times without turning over to extract air.
That works too. I actually don’t usually fill it this way, because I like to change out my pens a lot, so it benefits me to not fill this one up completely. It holds a lot of ink!
I just keep mine in the bottle and bleed the air by turning the piston up and down a few times. Although with this pen it holds too much ink at times. Sometimes I want to change inks way before I run it out, so I just leave the air in the barrel. It’s never hard started or dried out on me even after months. I have pens double or treble the price that dry up if left sitting, so I understand why it’s beloved. Lovely tree.
This is definitely a pen that feels more expensive than it is. Still one of my favorites, despite the unfortunate cracked section I experienced last year. Twsbi does a pretty good job guaranteeing their parts.
Yo, sooo if u really want to change up the ink, u can always release the ink back into the bottle and wash the pen out to use the new ink
Seems like a lot of work, no? The one thing I can say about that is that cleaning will inevitably introduce water to the pen/feed, which would water down the pigment. I would think you are better off enjoying the ink while it lasts and then just refilling it when it dries out. My cartridge converter pens last about 1 1/2 weeks the way I use them, and the piston fillers about 2-3 weeks, so I’ll definitely be refilling them soon!
Out of all the fountain pens which one is your favourite so far?
Right now it’s my Platinum 3776, which is pretty hard to beat, but it changes a lot depending on my mood. Other common favorites for me are this Twsbi Eco, and my Penbbs 456. Oh! And my Lamy Safari!
I just got an Eco as my first fountain pen and I love absolutely everything about it other than the line thickness - even with an EF nib it's thicker than what I'd like to use to write. The only ink I have right now (and the one in my Eco) is Pilot Iroshizuku take-sumi which I think might be on the wetter side and I'm hoping a drier ink might help the line thickness. Have you found a combo that you like that makes thinner lines in this pen? Personally I'd love to find a deep purple.
For me, I find that the thing that makes the biggest difference in line weight is not the ink but the paper. I really like watercolor paper or mixed media paper for thin lines.
On this channel, there is a video about Twsbi’s warranty (unfortunately my section developed a crack) and in that video I use this pen with Colorverse Delicious Sleep (a nice dark purple) and a Strathmore 500 series mixed media sketchbook. That got me some very nice thin lines. Check that video out if you want to see what’s possible with mixed media papers. The only downside is that they take longer to dry.
@@stepheninks Thank you for the info! This might be a silly question but what does watercolor paper feel like? As someone who isn’t particularly artistically inclined (ie no inherent talent plus very little experience) I’ve never used watercolor paper before. I use a thick and smooth paper that I print out lines on. I like the feel of smooth and thick works well with my discbound journal to keep the pages secure. Thank you again for the response and I’ll check out the other video!
@@pointeplusplus well, it sort of depends on what type of paper. Watercolor paper has many different thicknesses, and what is great for painting isn’t always the best for pen and ink. A really popular paper for watercolors is cold press, which is really bumpy and rough. Fountain pens would not be fun to use here. A popular thickness is 300 gsm, which is almost cardboard. This isn’t good or bad for pens, but it’s often unnecessary.
For pen and ink, I like less than 150 gsm, and a hot press finish, which is really smooth. That type just feels like high quality paper to me, and you get some nice thin lines.
It’s a lot to wade through, knowing what to get. I’m working on a book on pen shopping, which I have a section on paper. If I’m lucky, I’ll publish it on my website by Summer. I think it might be a help to people who aren’t sure where to start.
@@stepheninks I'll keep my eye out for that book! I tend to limit myself a bit because I frequently try to find either post-consumer recycled or pre-owned materials and I recently bought myself ream of (preowned) Hammermill 32lb Premium Color Copy and so far I really like the experience of writing on it. If I ended up using something else for my planner and journaling I'm sure I'd find another use for it, but hoping to be able to continue using it for that purpose.
After watching some more videos, I'm thinking about trying out a Pilot Kakuno. It's not a huge investment and I'd get that finer EF nib, even though I'd be losing the piston filler of the eco and the number of times I've heard people say that the eco doesn't dry out easily was one of the things I really liked, but alas that's life.
Thanks for all of your great content! I tend to find videos made by teachers so instructional for some reason ... =]
@@pointeplusplus I’m a third generation teacher, so it’s in my blood! The Kakuno is an incredibly underrated pen. Also, with the ef nib, an added bonus is that it doesn’t use as much ink, so you can fill up less often!
Which one has a finer line? This one or the Kakuno? Have you tried the TWSBI with the platinum carbon ink?
Yes, I have tried the platinum Carbon black in my Eco. There were no issues.
The Kakuno is a much finer line than the Eco.
@@stepheninks Thank you so much for your response!
I agree, I wish the EF nib was finer. I have a pen that was a gift, very fine hooded nobody but the body is too thin for my taste. I'll have to see if the ECO nobody is swappable.
I have an Eco and a Twsbi Go, and I have been able to swap the nibs. I believe there are other 3rd party nib makers that make them in the appropriate size (#5, if I remember correctly), but I have been too scared to try any of them.
You could just squirt the ink back into the bottle and re-juice it with something else!? I have a Lamy Safari med. Nib I draw with alot but I think I am gonna look into this pen. Thanks for the video sir!
Thank you! Fair warning about this pen; Some units have a section that is prone to cracking. I have another video about this on my channel. Twsbi has a pretty decent warranty that they claim lasts for life. But it’s not that common of a problem with other brands. Just so you know.
@@stepheninks I've heard about TWSBI cracking for years. Man, you'd think they'd fix that problem from the start!?
@@jasonmullins6638 yeah, I think if they have fixed it by now, there could be just a lot of old stock out there. At least I hope that’s what it is. I’m have had my pen for probably 4 years now. The new section I got from them after the first one cracked is still going strong after a year. To be honest though, I do t use it as much as I used to, just in case.
Does the pen stay wet, especially when doing long lines or flourishing? For examples in caps if you wish to do heavy cross flourishing or gestural lines?
I’m not sure what you mean by “cross flourishing.” Is that a calligraphy term?
As far as the wetness of the pen, I would say that it stays reasonably wet, but I wouldn’t count on it at really fast speeds, like the kind you might make during gesture drawing. I can’t say much because I tend to use pencils for that type of work, and pens for more blocking in/final drawing type work. Hope that helps a little.
@@stepheninks I am not sure if "cross flourishing" is a formal term but for me it means when i overlap lines, usually I would do this to reinforce a letter. For example when some people do letter cadels. or another. For example this video shows built-up letters ua-cam.com/video/_FB4MkaAu_0/v-deo.html
@@stepheninks And thank you for taking the time to respond
@@romelmadrayart Having looked at your video, I think the pen would be able to perform those motions just fine without drying out, but it definitely isn’t going to look the same as that dip pen, which has a flexible nib. This nib is non-flexible, and extra pressure will not change the thickness of the line. I have, in the past, made long, continual lines while making borders for my artwork, and the pen has been consistently good for that.
@@stepheninks That sounds great, do not expect a lot of line variation more looking for something that can work with the "rougher" paper. pointed pens have issues with paper and ink combos + your weather conditions. and thank you for the response
Does it have varying line weights?
If you do reverse writing, but beyond that, no. The nib is not flexible.
I love my Twsbi EF and I really enjoyed this video which was of extra interest to me because I am looking for a nice brown ink. So thank you. Just wondering though why you can’t just empty the ink back into the bottle and give the pen a quick wash out if you want to switch to another ink? Not sure what the problem is there.
You could definitely do that. The only thing that might get annoying about that is that the water that remains in the pen will probably dilute the ink for a bit. Whenever I clean my pens, it usually takes me about 1/2 page of writing (full page of drawing) for the ink to show up at full pigment because of water trapped in the feed/body etc. with how often I use my pens these days, that Eco will go from full to empty in about 2 weeks, which is enough time for me to wait to change colors.
It’s related to my wife😂😂
Yeah.
This or PenBBS 456?
Good question.
If I had to buy again, and I couldn’t have both, I would probably get the 456. The quality and nib grind are just stellar (though more expensive, of course).
To be fair, sometimes I find the quirks of a vac filler to be more annoying than they are worth.
And I DO own both now. No regrets.
@@stepheninks Thanks mate! I ordered the 456 thanks to you! What makes it annoying if I may ask?:)
@@Jifflan Mostly that you need to open up the blind cap at the back to get the ink flowing. I always forget, and then my pen runs dry and I think it’s broken, remember that I have to open up the back, and then work with the pen to get it flowing again.
I know a lot of people love them for the ink capacity, and I won’t say that I DON’T like it. But I also don’t really get as excited about high ink capacity pens as I used to. I mean, part of the fun is filling them up, right? Fill a vac filler up with ink, and you’re locked in to that pen/ink for months! I love the pen, but sometimes I am a little relieved when it runs dry, because I can finally use another pen. To be honest, that last comment goes for the Eco as well. Ironic, because I love both of those pens with a passion. I contradict myself. I have a feeling you’ll love the 456. I hope you got the color you wanted! Once certain finishes disappear, they often don’t come back for a long time!
@@stepheninks Thank you for the reply and I know how you feel regarding the relieve when it runs dry then I can ink with another color or try something else. But I was thinking with the 456 that I could just ink it up and then lock it when I dont use it and unscrew when Im about to. However I may also get annoyed with the extra step as unscrew the back.
I ordered a blue one but I somehow regret it already as I would have chosen the transparent one haha. I wanted the galaxy version but its crazy hard to find.
@@Jifflan I’ve been trying to get a Penbbs in the “Cedar” finish, so I know what you mean!