New Pens
I am very fortunate, having a number of very good fountain pens – the best of which are definitely my two Viscontis. I love the material the Homo Sapiens are made from, which is based on volcanic rock from Etna, and is seriously indestructible. They are ideal pens for daily carry, because nothing will scratch them.
But I’m getting more and more enthusiastic about my latest pens – three TWSBI Go pens.
The Go is a very simple design indeed. It is made from clear plastics, so the whole mechanism can be seen. There is a cap, which is very simple. There is not even a clip, only a little fixing so that it can be attached to a lanyard. In the barrel, there is the most simple design imaginable: a spring-loaded plunger. You put the nib into some ink, press and release the plunger, and the pen’s full.
When I first received a TWSBI Go, I was quite pleased with it … but not over the moon. Look at it, after all. It’s not the prettiest plastic, not the best weight, not the best balance or thickness. And yet … somehow, with all these imperfections, TWSBI has managed to create one of the nicest writing experiences I have had! I absolutely love the 1.1 mm stub nibs in particular, which lay down a very reliable, thick vertical line, that slims to a thin one horizontally. You get a better view of the ink’s colour and of shading with nibs like that.
I’ve a video up today at 5.00, if you want to see more about how the pens work. It’ll be available at https://youtu.be/tNuuQxcxG-w on YouTube. In that, I’ll also be showing three different inks, just to show off my three pens.
Will the pens be replacing my Viscontis? Not a chance. However, it has made me think about selling some of the other pens. For example, I have a Cross Peerless 125, which is beautiful and exceptionally pleasant to write with. But, there is one significant failing for it – and that is, I adore my Viscontis, I love my solid silver Conway Stewart, and now I am enormously fond of my TWSBIs as excellent writers for daily use. What is the point of keeping a pretty, thick gold plated Cross pen, when it’s not going to be used? So, I think that I might, reluctantly, put it on eBay.
I am coming to the conclusion that there really is very little point in holding onto things that will not be used. Someone else may well have a good use for it, after all. Except that rule doesn’t apply when it comes to books, of course. There are very few books that I would willingly give away … although one or two would not be missed, it has to be admitted!
And the really strange thing is, I have one TWSBI pen, an Eco, which is considerably more expensive than these Gos, but which really doesn’t feel anything like as good to use – not to me. And it’s odd, because the barrel and piston filling system are very effective and feel more expensive, and the nib is exactly the same as the ones in the Gos. The Eco just doesn’t make me feel as happy as the cheap and cheerful Gos!
And now, back to the current copyedit. Wish me luck!
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