I tried a reader recommended $31 fountain pen

Jason Weisberger 10:14 am Thu Mar 2, 2017

Reader Longname, via the Boing Boing BBS, suggested I try the TWSBI ECO. This $31 stainless steel nibbed fountain pen looks cool and is perfectly functional.

I bought the ECO immediately upon seeing it online. While you may purchase various colored bodies, I went straight for the demonstrator. I like demonstrators. The one looks pretty wicked when filled with Red Black ink.

This is a large writing instrument and may upset tiny hands. About the same size as my Parker DuoFold, this pen is quite a bit lighter. The stainless steel nib, which I bought in Extra Fine, lacks any flex and puts down a very solid, consistent line. It does feel a bit like scratching words onto a page, even with quality paper and ink. Perhaps a function of the EF nib, but I find most SS ones to be similar.

I like this pen. I think it will be wonderful for short personal notes and is so EF it may prove fun for sketching. The inflexible, scratchiness of the nib, however, does not inspire me to WRITE with it.

All in all, the TWSBI ECO is good, serviceable $31 fountain pen.

TWSBI ECO Fountain Pen Clear EF Nib via Amazon

Maruman Mnemosyne notebooks remain my favorite for writing in ink

The best paper I have found for writing with a fountain pen in a notebook is Maruman Menemosyne. I am lost without these notebooks. While I have a bunch of Moleskine books around, I think the paper is merely OK for use with fountain pen ink. Maruman Mnemosyne has been sucking up ink, not feathering,… READ THE REST
Pilot Varsity – low cost, smooth writing fountain pen

About five years ago my sister introduced me to these Pilot Varsity fountain pens. You can buy them in an inexpensive pack of seven. Each pen is in a different color. The ink flows smoothly and looks great in my notebook and even on cheap printer paper. READ THE REST
The Moonman clear acrylic demonstrator looks good and writes well

This Moonman clear demonstrator is my showy fountain pen with a lot of crazy colored ink of choice. A few years back I bought a TWBSI Eco. I enjoyed using it and it became my black/red ink pen of choice. A color I used to use a lot of. I wanted another pen to fill… READ THE REST
This multi-device charger ensures time's always on your side for under $15

We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. From getting through the slew of work emails you've been putting off answering to making sure you're place is stocked with all the goodies necessary to feed all your holiday visitors… READ THE REST
This $274 Netgear router is nearly $100 off with this Cyber Week deal

We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. Listen, long gone are the days of being able to fix everything just by plugging it back in again (otherwise we would have done that with the completely nuts country already).… READ THE REST
Mr. Beast And MSCHF are giving away a car

We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. Spending habits getting out of hand? Sure, you absolutely needed 1,000 rolls of toilet paper not so long ago, but that opened the door to frivolous, mindless shopping you otherwise would… READ THE REST