Because you can never have too much orange.
I admit it… I have a problem. There is just something about the color orange that screams “buy me, I will make your life better”… and after much reflection and therapy I’ve got to say – it’s all true. Now “better” is a relative term – no, the pen is not a magic lamp ready to grant wishes nor will it make anything you write with it come true. What it will do is make you the center of attention at any meeting you go to – because compared to the rest of the Bic pen wielding masses you will look like a rock star with this thing.
Lets start with the packaging – the pen ships in a cardboard outer box with TWSBI’s logo stamped in red. Inside the pen is encased in a very Apple-esque clear display case with the pen locked down via two clamps. Under the base is where they have hidden the grease and wrench used for cleaning. Unlike the new Eco the 580 has a metal wrench for removing the piston.
So what about the pen? TWSBI has added a lot of visual elements to this demonstrator that draw attention to each section of the pen’s well designed mechanics. Compared to the regular 580 this limited edition “AL” replaces a few key parts with orange anodized aluminum including the grip section, piston rod, shroud, and inner knob. The combination of these “AL” parts and the 580’s design add up to a really pleasing pen to look at.
The screw cap features the TWSBI logo on the finial and “TWSBI” “Diamond 580” etched around the cap band. There is a smoke colored inset inside the cap that snugs up to an o-ring on the body to keep the nib from drying out. A second O-ring at the top of the body threads makes sure you don’t over tighten the cap. The clip is easy to open and the simple design matches the pen really well. Posting the cap is one of the only drawbacks to the pen – the grip point is the filler knob, so if you turn the cap by accident you have an inky mess on your hands. Fortunately the pen is long enough to write with unposted, but the improved approach on the Eco where posting occurs beyond the filler knob on the body is a huge improvement.
The demonstrator body features a diamond faceted pattern running from the o-ring at the top to the lower trim ring. It adds a nice touch to the pen without detracting from the view into the piston system. The filler knob and internal piston system have a lot of cuts and details that give it a very industrial feel – like it was meant for some complicated industrial machinery. Between the clip, cap ring, section band and trim ring there is also a lot of chrome on this pen – it plays well off the aluminum, adding to the overall design.
The nib on this model came in broad <B> and is excellent. Smooth from start to finish with no hints of scratch in any direction and a nice wet flow perfectly suited to this size. The nib features “TWSBI” and their logo, with the the nib size visible just above the section grip. Flex is solid and gives you some line variation with just a little pressure. As you can see below the 580 nib is wider at the shoulder than the new Eco model and sits about 1.5-2mm further out from the section as well.
Overall this is another solid addition to the collection – and it’s orange to boot! Other than the minor issue posting the cap it is a great pen to write with and to look at. Packaging is excellent, and directions are clear. The effort put into letting the user maintain the pen is well thought out by TWSBI though I do prefer a thicker silicone like you can find at Goulet Pens. A thank you goes out to Jon and Liz at Wonder Pens in Toronto for helping me get my hands on one before they were all gone – they were fantastic – answering any questions I had and going out of their way to send it to the US. If you are looking to clean your 580 check out this very informative video on setting the piston back up properly by Brian Goulet – it will save you some head scratching and hair pulling for sure.
