TWSBI DIAMOND 580 AL FOUNTAIN PEN REVIEW

It has literally taken me ages to get around to writing a review about the original TWSBI Diamond 580, and when I finally had the pictures ready, written out the complete review,... I ended up buying the Diamond 580 AL version. I thought it would be stupid to do two separate reviews about almost the exact same pen, so I decided to skip the original review, and move straight on to doing a review about my newest purchase instead. In the end, the review of the 580 Al also took me quite a while to finish, but at least now, after another few months, I think I'm finally ready. Phew! I'm really glad that I finally get to putting this review about the TWSBI Diamond 580 AL up, it's a pen that deserves some attention.

Everybody knows TWSBI I assume, I probably don't have much to say about the brand that would be new to any of you. In short, this fairly new Taiwanese brand took the fountain pen industry by storm, and made name with their pretty, and affordable piston-filled fountain pens. But they also had to deal with one very annoying issue: cracking parts.

So from the beginning of the brand 'till now, TWSBI has been busy working on improving the quality and durability of their pens. Their main line of pens, the Diamond 5xx, has seen a bunch of reinterpretations (530, 540, and now the 580). The latest version, the Diamond 580, seems to be a pretty sturdy one compared to the earlier models, yet there's always room for more improvement. So that's where the 580AL comes in. It's actually almost identical to the regular 580, except for the addition of two aluminium parts (one inside, and one on the outside of the pen). 

The 580AL is more than just another reinforced version of the same pen though. The aluminium parts can also be considered a design choice. I was immediately drawn to the AL version when I first saw it. It's amazing that TWSBI managed to create these parts at such a small premium over the original model, and it adds some rugged character to the demonstrator design. I opted for the raw aluminium model, but there's also a special edition that is released every six months or so. These special editions feature annodised aluminium parts instead, and are made for a limited time. I decided to stick with the raw parts mainly because I think it looks clean combined with the rest of the silver-colored trims on the pen. 

Apart from the benefits in the looks department, the use of metal parts also brings the added bonus of an overall more sturdy construction. Especially the metal section is a huge relief, as I've had my fair share of cracked TWSBI sections on the Diamond Mini. A lot of people get turned off when they see a metal section, but this one is actually an improvement over the plastic one. The machined aluminium seems to offer slightly better grip than the slick plastic grip on the regular 580. 

The second aluminium part is the piston mechanism. Since this is a rather complicated part to machine, I was pretty surprised to see that TWSBI made the complete setup, including the piston rod, out of aluminium. The fact that they get this done on such a low price point is pretty amazing. It's still a very smooth and non-sticky piston to operate, and I don't know if the metal construction will actually make a difference on the long run, but at least it adds some bling! 

So far nothing but positive improvements, and it doesn't stop there! What the metal parts also change, is the weight and balance of the pen. It isn't a huge difference, but the added heft makes it feel a bit more solid, and because the aluminium parts are both on the front and back of the pen, it doesn' throw off the balance by any means.

I'm really quite positive about the 580AL. But I also have one particular concern. Because the aluminium parts are supposed to be quite a bit stronger than the rest of the plastic parts, I suppose overtightening of the section, or continous operating of the piston could put more mechanical stress on the plastic barrel, and result in parts breaking. This is only a theory though, and I'm pretty sure normal use won't cause any issues. At least I haven't had any issues so far, but I'd suggest being extra careful when taking the pen apart and putting it back together. 

The 580 is a pretty sizeable pen, at 14.2 cm (5.6 Inches) when closed. It's about the same dimensions -or even a bit bigger- as the Pelikan Souverän M8xx. It's a very comfortable pen in use, and I suppose it's suitable for most hands. The comfortable size is a good thing, because you won't be able to get some extra length out of it by posting the cap. Or well... actually you could, but it doesn't post deep on the pen, so it would make the pen very long and back-heavy. 

The nib on the 580 and 580AL seems to be a little larger than most usual #5 nibs, yet it's still supposed to be #5. I think a slightly larger, #6 nib wouldn't have been out of proportion on a pen this size, but overall I think the nib TWSBI used doesn't look out of place here. The steel nib is rigid, stiff as a nail, but the broad nib I opted for is actually quite pleasant in use. Mostly because it's a very well-behaved and consistent writer. It's not overly smooth, but in return that does provide less of a sweet spot, and thus less chance at skipping or hard starts (of which I had none in the two months I've carried this pen with me!)

The TWSBI Diamond 580 got very popular in just a couple of years, and for very good reason. If you want a step up from a Lamy Safari or Pilot Metropolitan, and want to get the coolness and large ink capacity of a piston-filler for under 100$, a TWSBI pen would be pretty much your only option. Apart from the cracking issues on previous models (that are luckily promptly dealt with by TWSBI's customer service.), TWSBI makes some really neat pens, and the 580AL is one of the finest examples I've used so far! 

Note: Fontoplumo Supports this blog. I received this product at a discount, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared here are completely my own! This review does not contain any affilate links.

KAWECO BRASS SPORT GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Our Kaweco Giveaway has ended! Thanks to everyone who participated, over 230 people entered this time, which is awesome! Also, big thanks to the kind people over at Penworld, who sponsored this giveaway! If you didn't win, but still want a Brass Sport, head over to penworld.eu and grab one for yourself there (I was told that they will receive a new batch of brassy goodness tomorrow, so you'll be able to order one straight away)!

As the giveaway was organised through Rafflecopter, the winner is automatically selected at random, so let's find out who won...

Congratulations to: Jacob Z. !

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks again for all the support, thanks for entering the giveaway, and I hope you enjoyed it! If you didn't win, don't worry: there will be more giveaways in the future!

(The winner is contacted by email, and will receive his prize soon.)

PELIKAN SOUVERAN M800 BURNT ORANGE FOUNTAIN PEN REVIEW

Pelikan seems to have gone with a rather radical business plan for 2015! Not only did they continue their habit of releasing a new Ink Of The Year, they also released a new special edition Souverän M600 in Pink, two new M200 special editions (the Amethyst and the Café crème earlier this year),and not one, but three(!) new versions of the M8xx (2 special editions, and one standard model) were added to the Souverän lineup as well! 

The year started with the release of the M805 Stresemann, a model that's meant to stay in their regular line from now on. Not much later, Pelikan put the news out of a Demonstrator version of the M805. But they didn't stop there... a few months back in September, they released a second special edition for the year: The Pelikan M800 Burnt Orange. 

Now I know I've done my fair share of reviews about different versions of the m8xx pens, so to keep things interesting, I'll keep this one short (haha probably not...), and focus on the new design rather than on the nitty gritty details of the Souveran M800 collection as a whole.

As you might already know, the M8xx is the second largest pen in the Souverän collection. At about 14.1 (5.55 Inches) capped, it's a comfortably sized pen. It has taken me quite some time to find out wether this one or the M600 is the best all-around size, and I might have said that the M600 is better in a previous post. But I'd like to conclude this once and for all: the M8xx is the absolute best pen in the Souverän collection. 

Of course it's still a matter of personal taste, but for me the M800 hits that sweet spot of being not too small, but also not oversized huge. If you have smaller hands, the M800 will be more than long enough unposted, but even if you prefer a larger pen, you'll be able to get away with it unposted. Of course you can always put the cap on the back to get that extra bit of length. It's also a slightly more substantial pen compared to the M600, mostly because of the brass piston mechanism. Yet it's still not overly heavy, at under 30 grams total, it just has a nice bit of heft to it.

But enough about dimensions, let's talk about the things that changed in this special edition: The Burnt Orange, as the name suggests, is made up out of a 'burnt' terracotta-like orange resin for the barrel. The material is completely opaque, and doesn't have striations of clear resin, or an ink window, a subtle departure from their usual design. A benefit of not having an ink window is that it doesn't break the clean lines of the pen. The obvious downside is that you won't be able to see the ink level inside the barrel.

The orange 'main' color is accentuated by, not black, but very dark brown resin parts for the section, cap and piston knob. The difference in color is subtle, to say the least, as it is almost impossible to distinguish it from black if you don't hold it in direct sunlight, next to an actual black pen. Yet for some reason, despite the fact that it's almost not noticeable, it does pair up quite nicely, and give the pen a 'warmer' appearance. I never thought I'd like it this much, but the combination of a warm orange with this dark brown and gold trims really is quite nice, especially for this season! 

I opted for a fine nib to try out, which is the very first fine I've used on a Souverän pen. Since Pelikan's nibs usually tend to run a bit wider than most other nibs (especially compared to japanese nibs), I expected something closer to a normal medium. However this one -and I don't know if this is a standalone case or not- really does write pretty comparable to a standard western fine.

It's a really enjoyable nib: stiff, and with a little feedback, but also very consistent. The flow is very balanced, a bit on the wetter side, but not too much. I know some people complain about inconsistent behaviour of Pelikan nibs, but so far all the nibs I've used were pretty well-tuned, and this particular one is actually one of the best performers of them all. Of course there's always a chance that you get a bum nib, but I certainly wouldn't stay away from the brand just for that reason. Besides, bum nibs can be found with pretty much every brand, it isn't necessarily a Pelikan issue.

Pelikan has had a pretty busy year so far, but they came up with some really great new designs. The Burnt Orange is definitely a looker, and can still be purchased if you are interested. You'll have to act fast though, because once they're gone, you'll have a hard time getting your hands on one! Retail price runs around the same as the regular M8xx line, at about 495 EUR / 530 USD.

Note: I received this pen on loan from Appelboom pens, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared here are completely my own! This review does not contain any affilate links.

METALSHOP TWIST BULLET PENCIL REVIEW

For many years, I tried to stay away from woodcased pencils. I've always had a thing for leadholders and mechanical pencils, but my interest in woodcased pencils never lasted much longer than a few days/weeks at best. However, during the past five or six months, many pen bloggers seem to have found their way back to 'the essence of writing' that is the pencil, me included. It started with the typical blackwings. I did a review about those, and it didn't take long before I got the hang of it. There's something oddly satisfying about the simplicity of a woodcased pencil. Sharpen, write, repeat. So simple, yet so rewarding.

But there's one thing that has, and will always annoy me: the logical consequence of sharpening away the wood one bit at a time: the pencil will eventually wear down to an unusable, annoyingly short stub! What to do with those pesky stubs? Well, there's a couple of solutions available actually.

One of them being the bullet pencil. Again a pretty simple concept, that arised in the late 1800's: take a spent bullet casing, make a 'bullet-like' metal part that fits a pencil, et voilà, a perfect souvenir from the battlefield! In the years to come, they were mass-produced -no longer from actual bullets-, and distributed as company gifts. Many of these survived the test of time, and can still be bought on ebay. So the actual bullet is no longer used, but since they still look awfully similar, the name stayed. In fact, I've carried this specific Twist bullet pencil around for a few weeks, and I've had numerous people ask why I was writing with a bullet. Hah, quite an appropriate name apparently! (BTW:  If you would like to read up on the history of the bullet pencil, I suggest reading this post, at 'The Jungle Is Neutral')

Nowadays, there's a couple of different modern reinterpretations of the bullet pencil. The one by Midori seems to be closest to the promotional ones from the 50's. Then there's also two kickstarter versions, of which I'm holding one in my hand right now: the Twist Bullet pencil by Metalshop.

The Twist is a fully machined metal bullet pencil, either made out of aluminium, brass, or a combination of both. The first thing that came to mind when I opened the box was that they look and feel incredibly solid, which would probably become an issue with balance and comfort later on. Now the first part has proven to be correct, they are indeed very solid, built to last a lifetime I'm sure. Yet I was wrong thinking that they would be annoying to use...

It really isn't that strange to think that a solid metal extension on top of a lightweight wood pencil would throw off the balance. Yet in practice it sits very comfortable in your hand. Of course there's a difference between the aluminium version, and the much heavier all-brass model. Yet when it came to balance, both were surprisingly pleasant to use, and I cannot say which one is better. There's also the option of getting a brass bullet and an aluminium sleeve 'shell', which I tried a few times by simply swapping out the parts. It gives slightly more heft to the aluminium model, but because most weight is situated fairly low, it remains well-balanced. The other way around, with a brass sleeve and an aluminium bullet, wasn't as ideal, and felt surprisingly more back-heavy compared to the all-brass model.

Sizewise, I couldn't find anything better than to compare it to a Kaweco sport fountain pen. When closed, it is fairly similar in length, and slightly narrower. Open, it's a bit longer than the Kaweco, and closer to a full-sized woodcased pencil, at about 15cm (6 inches), of course the length depends on the stub you put in it, but 15 centimeters is close to the maximum, which translates into a pencil nub that should be aproximately 8cm (just over 3 inches) long (you won't be able to close the pencil if the nub is any longer).

One of the aspects that is unique to the Twist bullet pencil, is that the bullet has threads. All other versions are just friction fit, so this obviously feels more solid and thought through. Also, it won't accidentally open in your shirt or pants pocket. I didn't expect too much from the build quality and attention to detail, but both appeared to be excellent. I thought the walls of the sleeve would be made as thin as possible, to help with the balance, but that was not at all the case, as the widest part is more than a millimeter thick. Yet as I said earlier, this doesn't seem to be a problem when it comes to balance. Another cool feature, is that not only the bullet, but also the pencil nub and eraser, are held securely in place by threaded sections. There's no way that the pencil or the eraser will fall out.

When it comes to build quality, the only possible minor 'issue' I could find, is that the sleeve on the raw brass model has slight imperfections from the machining (Both the raw brass and raw aluminium have this, hence the name: 'raw'). These imperfections are part of the appeal though, and I'm sure they will add to the character once the brass starts to develop patina. Yet for others it might seem imperfect. The annodized versions don't have this, as they receive an acid treatment to smooth out the surface before annodizing. So if you like your pens and pencils in pristine condition, the normal aluminium version is the way to go. Other than this, they really are rock-solid EDC products, that I'm sure will live happily in your pants pocket or backpack for many years to come, I've carried both the brass and aluminium around, and they have held up perfectly so far, not even a scratch!

Designwise, the Twist, or any modern bullet pencil for that matter, is either hit or miss. If you like metal, machined products that look rugged and have a certain 'coolness' factor about them, you'll probably enjoy this pencil extender. It's definitely an intriguing design object. It doesn't look like a pen or pencil. It looks rather odd, and it will certainly turn heads. Yet at the same time, it's incredibly practical, as it allows you to take full advantage of every last bit of pencil, in a comfortable, cool way. There's a load of different color and material options to choose from. There are the annodized versions with either brass or aluminium bullet, the raw brass or aluminium version, or one of the four special editions, of which the all-black one in this review -named the 'blackout'- is one.

Yes there are other pencil extenders available, and they might cost less than the Twist (unless you go for a Graf von Faber-Castell Perfect Pencil...). But as far as I can think of, none of them has the cool and practical design of the Twist bullet pencil. You can pick up a Twist Bullet Pencil for anywhere between 37.5 and 43.5 USD, depending on material and color choice. Given the excellent quality, this is already a very reasonable price to begin with, but readers of The Pencilcase Blog get a special deal! Read below for the details...

In for a Discount? Jon from MetalShop kindly offered readers of The Pencilcase blog 15% off on any bullet pencil! Use the code 'pencilcase' at checkout to get your discount!

Note: MetalShop Supports this blog. I received this product free of charge, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared here are completely my own! This review does not contain any affilate links.

RECAP: A VISIT TO CONID

Past saturday, we (my dad and I) went to the Conid Day in Antwerp, not far from where I live. Conid, or rather Komec, is specialised in building custom machinery for other companies, but a few years ago, they ventured into the world of fountain pens.

It all started when a fountain pen enthousiast called Francis (aka. Fountainbel, pictured below, next to yours truly...) developed a unique filling system that he wanted to bring into production. The innovation and knowledge about fountain pens of Francis, combined with the expertise in precision machining from the guys over at Komec, resulted in a new brand being born: Conid!

With their first fountain pen, the Regular Bulkfiller, Conid aimed at people wanting the best possible ink capacity with a revolutionary filling system based on a vacuum filler. Since then, Werner, the owner of Comec/Conid, and Francis continued to improve on the original design. And in the past couple of years, they came up with some pretty impressive new pens.

Loads of different materials! And look at that gorgeous Tibaldi Impero Celluloid at the bottom!

The visit began with a tour around the Komec/Conid factory, organised by Werner. He's obviously very proud of what they do. And with reason! I've never seen a factory - of any kind- as well-organised and clean as his! Seeing the massice CNC machines, where Conid pens are born, is quite impressive. Mind you, since they usually work on much larger-scale projects, and with high-quantity orders, they don't just own one small CNC machine, they have multiple production halls full of heavy machinery, parts, raw materials,... Quite a sight to behold!

Werner showing us around in his magnificent factory

One of the Conid employees demonstrating Fountainbel's patented Bulkfiller system

The testing table, with all the different nibs Conid offers

Werner also made clear that one of their main focus points is to achieve the highest possible tolerances, and how they make sure every part is perfect. In their Hi-tech control lab, they can measure individual machined pieces to up to a thousandth of a centimetre. If I'd remember one thing from the tour around the factory, it would be Werner's insatiable aim for precision. If it isn't perfect yet, it'll never end up in the hands of the customer!

The new demonstrator version of the Conid Minimalistica

After the tour, we had a friendly chat with Fountainbel. And I also got to meet Wim, the owner and moderator of the Fountain Pen Network forum, who was there to present the new FPN limited edition Conid Kingsize (Another gorgeous pen!)

One of the CAISO prototypes

Apart from the current available models, Werner also introduced their latest design feat: The CAISO (Cap Activated Ink Shut-Off). On first sight, the CAISO is remarkably similar to the Kingsize, but with the addition of several solid Titanium Parts. But the really cool thing about this pen can be found inside the cap and feed: A small metal rod in the cap shuts down the ink supply from the section, which prevents the pen from leaking during transport. Good Stuff!

A Cut-out version of the CAISO, a true engineering feat!

I've had a great time drooling at all the pretty pens, and talking with passionate people. My respect for the brand has grown considerably, seeing the amount of effort and time they put in every pen. Conid makes expensive pens, no doubt about that, but after taking a look behind the scenes there's no doubt about the impeccable quality!

The assembly room

KAWECO BRASS SPORT FOUNTAIN PEN GIVEAWAY! [ENDED]

There's a couple good reasons to do a giveaway right now: The Pencilcase Blog recently reached 1000 followers on both Instagram and Twitter, It's almost Fountain Pen Day and -let's be honest- It's always the right time for more giveaways!

Penworld, one of Belgium's finest B&M and Online pen stores, and also one of the great sponsors of this blog, hooked me up with a great prize: A brand new Kaweco Brass Sport fountain pen! (Winner can choose between a Fine or Medium nib) If you want a chance to win, just follow the easy steps in the Rafflecopter widget below! (Full terms and condidtions can be found below the widget). The giveaway ends within two weeks, Sunday 18th of November at 12:00 AM (GMT+1). OPEN WORLDWIDE!

Big Thanks again to the awesome people over at Penworld!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can read my review about the Kaweco Brass Sport fountain pen here!

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

• Contest is open WORLDWIDE!
• The competition starts 04-11-2015 and ends 18-11-2015 12:00AM (GMT+1).
• The winner will be announced after the contest closes, and will be contacted trough E-mail. 
• The winner is chosen at random, using the Rafflecopter random winner function. 
• Make sure your entry is valid, invalid entries are denied! (Play fair please!)

KAWECO SKETCH UP CLASSIC LEADHOLDERS

Kaweco makes a couple different leadholders, most of them pretty affordable and made out of metal (often brass). However my personal favourite from Kaweco's hand is either of those two things. It's a bit more 'high-end', and it's made out of stylish black acrylic: The Kaweco Sketch-Up Classic.

This particular product line has been around for quite a few years that I know of. But very little people actually knew of its existence. On top of that (or maybe because they weren't that popular?), they are quite hard to get a hold of, as they aren't sold by most retailers that sell Kaweco's products. Kaweco recently released a new version of the classic, but that doesn't really seem to have changed anything about its popularity so far. Why the Classic has remained rather unknown is a mystery, but at least here's my try to get the word out on what I consider to be one of the best leadholders around!

Old vs. New

On first sight, the revised version of the Sketch-up Classic isn't that different from the original. The diameter was reduced quite drastically, and the acrylic pushbutton has been replaced by a metal one (still with integrated lead pointer). The appearance is still typical for Kaweco, with an octagonal barrel that strongly resembles the shape of the Sport pens. The old model was really chunky, a lot wider compared to the other sketch-up leadholders and sport pens. The reduced width of the new model is much more comfortable to hold and use. It's definitely still nowhere near skinny though, if that is your concern. Think of it as a normal version, similar to most leadholders around, whereas the old model was to be considered oversized. The final, and probably most obvious difference, is that the new one now also comes in a chrome-plated finish, whereas the old one was only available with gold trims.

The Kaweco Sketch-Up Classic is a great, comfortable size, both compact and functional.

Kaweco didn't change anything about the length of the SketchUp Classic, which is good because the length already was pretty perfect. Something that can't be said about all leadholders in Kaweco's catalog. The new SketchUp Classic is definitely a step up from the old one when it comes to comfort. It's a nice size, long enough, and with a more pleasant girth, to be used comfortably for both sketching or writing. The original classic isn't that bad though. Its shape seems more like something you'd use for drawing or sketching because of that added girth.

The Classic is a sexy leadholder. Whoever says pencils can't possibly look as good as fountain pens, clearly hasn't seen this one. The 'Kaweco-style' shape, combined with the use of classic and materials (acrylic and rhodium or gold trims), makes for a timeless, classy appearance. It looks expensive and high-end, which is not something you'd typically say about a leadholder.

The cool thing about this leadholder is that it's not a drop-lead type 'clutch' leadholder, but an automatic pencil. That means it works just like a mechanical pencil would. I wouldn't say it's better than the usual deal, but it's something different, and it sure looks clean. My only gripe with this system is that the knock is quite heavy, it requires quite some force (much more than with a normal mechanical pencil) to operate, but that's just a minor issue though.

The laser-engraved branding on the barrel is larger than average, but it looks good. The usual Kaweco logo medal also made its way into the design again, as usual it rests incorporated on top of the pushbutton.

The writing experience was really good. It's definitely one of the more comfortable leadholders I can think of. The leads provided by Kaweco are quite soft and smooth, however not as dark as I expected. Point retention is above average though, which is quite neat. The leads Kaweco includes in their leadholders can also be bought separately in packs of three, so I'd suggest checking those out if you feel like the usual leads can't keep their sharp point long enough.

The pushbutton doubles up as a sharpener, but they make a really blunt point so I usually try to find a better way to get a sharp point. I usually stick to sanding paper, which is still the easiest and most precise manner I can think of.

The Classic, especially the new version, has soon become one of my personal favourites. If you want a a nice leadholder to match a luxury fountain pen,

Convinced? If you feel like giving this hidden treasure from Kaweco a try, I'd suggest searching for it online. Recently, a few internet retailers started carrying the Classic collection, which is good because I doubt you'll see one in a b&m store anywhere soon (at least I haven't!). As for the price, these come in at around 50 EUR / 65 USD, which is a fair price for a product as well made as this. 

Note: Kaweco Supports this blog. I received this product free of charge, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared here are completely my own! This review does not contain any affilate links.