Intro to the TWSBI Classic Fountain Pen

The TWSBI Classic is an opaque-resin piston-fill fountain pen that was released in January of 2014. Known for the 580, Mini, and Vac700R pens, TWSBI has generated a lot of questions around this new model. I made this video for you to give you the run-down of what this pen is all about and what distinguishes it in the TWSBI line. I also have lots of additional videos and info below, so keep scrolling!

Notable features include a piston-filling mechanism with an ink capacity around 1.2ml. It's available in a #4 size stainless steel nib available in extra-fine, fine, medium, broad, and 1.1mm stub. It's thinner than the Mini and 580, and weighs about half-way between the two pens (24g). It's a pretty good value at $50, especially considering non-TWSBI pens of the same build typically cost over $100. It's available in black, red, and blue.

One downside is there are no separate nib units available for the model at this time. The nibs are really stuck in the pen, too, so even though I initially thought they were swappable with the Mini, I wouldn't recommend trying as you'll likely damage your feed or nib trying to remove it.

TWSBI Classic Nib close up

Filling the TWSBI Classic

Filling a TWSBI Classic fountain pen is basically the same procedure for the TWSBI Mini and TWSBI 580, as well as just about every other piston-filling fountain pen. It's a good one to watch just in case you were curious how to fill a piston pen.

 

Disassembly and Reassembly of the TWSBI Classic

One of the great things about TWSBI pens is that they're so easy to disassemble and maintain. To add to the TWSBI Classic video archive, I wanted to show you how to take it apart and put it back together.

In this video, I cover:

  • Disassembly overview (0:51)
  • Removing cap insert (1:39)
  • Disassembling the cap (2:55)
  • Removing the nib/grip (4:37)
  • Disassembling the body (8:10)
  • Toothpick trick (9:07)
  • Explanation of piston (11:16)
  • Re-assemble piston (12:38)
  • Threading the piston mechanism (16:45)
  • Final steps (18:12)