[Pen Review] TWSBI 530 Diamond
For my birthday this year, my husband bought both of us a TWSBI 530 Diamond fountain pens – mine with an Extra Fine nib in green; his with a Fine nib in red. These pens are no longer in stock – apparently they’re sold out with no additional production run intended as TWSBI designs something new and spectacular. The only 530 Diamond still for sale on the Ebay store was a pink fine point nib. They were THAT popular.
The TWSBI 530 Diamond is a solid, high quality, affordable work pen – and it’s pretty. The molded plastic body is faceted to look cool, but is well balanced to fit in your hand. This pen is designed to be taken apart if needed – and there are instructions on the website on how to do that (IF NEEDED). The 530 Diamond is about 5.5″ long capped, and about 7.5″ long with the cap posted to the back, making it longer (but not overly so) than the Platinum Preppy.
The nib is stainless steel with etched scroll work. It writes smoothly. I keep Private Reserve Ebony Jade in the reservoir, so there’s little to no feathering on paper (unless it’s really cheap notebook paper, then try STOPPING feathering). It’s comfortable for long-term writing. And the piston-fill reservoir hold a remarkable amount of ink.
That’s the thing that’s different about the TWSBI – besides being made after soliciting suggestions from fountain pen users – is the reservoir. The TWSBI is piston fill only. It does not take a cartridge. The piston mechanism is built into the end of the pen body – which allows the pen to hold more ink than a cartridge will allow. That means less refilling and less opportunity for leakage – few places to have said leaks.
Did I mention it’s pretty? The green is a nice emerald – but translucent enough to watch ink levels (that’s why I prefer Demonstrator styles of pens – to see how much ink I have left). Their mark on the top of the cap gives the TWSBI the look and feel of a much more expensive pen. I love it. A lot.
The 530 Diamonds ran $42.99 and were only available online through TWSBI’s eBay store and at a few online retailers. I anticipate whatever new design/model they come up with next will be about the same range. This is what makes it stand out from even my Lamy Studio – it’s solid, pretty, and NOT overly expensive. Where I hover over my Lamy for pricing reasons, I don’t let the TWSBI out of my sight because it’s one of my all time favorites. Can’t wait to see what they come out with next.
This is one of the rare 5 of 5 bronze pencils.
