This pen has to... go

This is not a review, just the rambling of someone that gets sentimental about pens.

A few years ago my most-used pen was a TWSBI Eco in the clear colourway. I really liked the aesthetics of the pen - especially that ruler-straight cylindrical barrel (I have a thing for straight barrels). And I liked the juicy, true-to-size Western Fine nib. I wrote countless pages of homework with that pen.

When I got to university, I started using it for lecture notes and problem sheets instead. The threaded cap and heaviness of the pen were not great for quick jotting, which was most of what I did for a few years. I also like to change inks a lot, and that piston filling system made it a pain to clean. (I was usually lazy and refilled it with a syringe.)

Eventually - about a year ago - I gave it to a friend who had been using cheap fountain pens for years and wanted an upgrade. It suited her pretty well since she only uses black ink. She recently mentioned she’s still using it, which is nice to hear.

However, I missed my TWSBI Fine nib… and then recently, I noticed the TWSBI GO. It had everything I liked or wanted in the Eco: another quirky design (this time proudly displaying a giant spring!), filling system made it easy to clean, straight barrel, snap cap, didn’t require a proprietary spanner to disassemble.

Plus, there was this cute loop on the cap where I could hang a small keyring or hang it from a lanyard. The wide, plain barrel would be perfect for applying stickers, if I wanted to go that far.

I bought one, and it wrote exactly as I had been hoping.

So why am I selling it?

I’m not sure. All I can tell you is that it makes my hand ache after a few minutes' writing. It’s due to some combination of my nonstandard grip, small hands, and the narrow concave section and extra-wide barrel of the GO¹. I’ve tried it with my smoothest, wettest inks, and it still wasn’t comfortable to write with.

Although that was the deal breaker for me, I would also note that the snap cap is pretty firm (probably so that it’s secure when hanging from a lanyard). Combined with the lack of a clip or any texture to push against, this makes it tricky to cap and uncap one-handed. So it isn’t perfect for taking quick notes. I wouldn’t have minded using it for another purpose, though.

It’s frustrating, because I still like this pen and I don’t think it has any particular design flaws. I just can’t use it!

I’ll have to keep living without a TWSBI. At least until they release another model with a quirky, straight-barreled design…

Update: As per a more recent post, I feel a lot better about the TWSBI now and have been happily using it for bullet journaling.

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1. I really think this is a me problem, because I haven’t heard anyone else complaining that the GO is not ergonomic. If you’re thinking of buying it, I guess you could look up the section/body diameter of the GO and tape a wad of tissues around an existing pen to simulate the discrepancy. ↩︎