For a reliable, low cost workhorse fountain pen, you can’t go wrong with any TWSBI. From the original TWSBI 530 to the modern 580, 580AL or 580ALR, ECO, Mini, Vac, Vac Mini, and GO, TWSBI has seemingly perfected the art of making interesting pens with different filling mechanisms at a wide range of price points. I’ve long been a fan of the brand. Even years ago, when TWSBI still suffered from periodic quality control issues, I was willing to give them multiple chances because I believed in their goal: to create a well-made piston filler that could be sold at an accessible price well below $100. Though it took several years of experimenting, the company eventually struck the right balance between cost and quality before finalizing the design of the current model 580, which has not changed in recent years other than to add anodized aluminum accents (i.e., the TWSBI 580AL and 580ALR).

But then came the ECO, an even less expensive piston filling fountain pen with a new rounded barrel that not only decreased manufacturing cost but also eliminated what many suspect were the culprits that caused stress cracking on early renditions of the 580: the “diamond” facets. At only $30, it’s indisputable (to me at least) that the TWSBI ECO is the best “pound-for-pound” piston filler on the market, earning the top spot on my list of Best Fountain Pens for Beginners. While TWSBI originally released the ECO only in black or white, you can now purchase a clear demonstrator, a version with a triangular Safari-like grip (the TWSBI ECO-T), as well as limited edition colors that rotate throughout the year. TWSBI clearly has invested in expanding the ECO segment of its business.

What Does the ECO Mean for the TWSBI 580?

I’ve read and heard a lot of commentary about how TWSBI’s recent focus on the “ECO” line of fountain pens threatens to cannibalize - if it hasn’t already - the market for its original pen. What does the ECO mean for the future of the TWSBI 580? Should anyone still buy the pen? Is the $25 markup over the ECO justified? My answer to those questions is yes.

TWSBI nibs write a true medium, shown here with TWSBI Blue-Black Ink in a Write Notepads Dot Grid Notebook.

The main feature that the TWSBI 580 offers, which the ECO does not, is an interchangeable nib unit. (Perhaps I should say “easily interchangeable nib,” since technically you can swap the nib on an ECO, you just have to pull the nib manually as opposed to unscrewing a nib unit, and you cannot purchase ECO nibs separately.) If you like to use different nib sizes, and don’t want to own five or six different pens, you can purchase a single TWSBI 580 and an handful of individual nib units. This ability to swap nibs also comes in handy if you want to keep a stock of custom nib grinds, such as cursive italics or architects, and rotate them in and out of the same pen.

There are additional functional and aesthetic differences between the 580 and the ECO. While I’m an ECO fan, I prefer the feel of the original 580. The 580 has the heft of a Pelikan piston filler, and although you can’t post the pen, it has excellent balance and a massive ink capacity, suitable for an all-day (or all-week) marathon writing session. If the ability to post a pen is important to you, consider the TWSBI Mini, which has a smaller ink capacity but actually extends to a slightly longer writing length than the standard 580.

Of all TWSBI pens, the Diamond Mini is my favorite to use posted.

Aesthetically speaking, I also prefer the look of the 580 over the ECO. While I don’t dislike the ECO, the oversized, faceted cap will certainly stand out more in a professional environment, which I sometimes have to consider. The standard TWSBI 580 demonstrator, or the TWSBI 580ALR in Nickel, makes for a better “office pen”, at least for my particular workplace.

As much as the ECO’s funky looking cap has grown on me, it’s still a touch “out there” for the office, and the pen itself is a bit long posted.

Takeaways and Final Thoughts

I don’t subscribe to the idea that TWSBI should replace the 580 with the ECO. While the ECO is an excellent pen in its own right, it is a different pen, both in terms of design and functionality, and to be honest, the 580 offers the look and feel a much “higher-end” fountain pen at a mere $25 markup over the ECO. Combined with the 580’s interchangeable nib, that is more than enough justification to keep both pens in TWSBI’s lineup.

At the same time, I do wonder whether there is a rationale for discontinuing the TWSBI 580ALR limited editions. I don’t know how many of these pens TWSBI makes in each run, but with interchangeable nibs, it’s harder to justify owning more than one 580, and at $30 the ECO makes for an easier “catch ‘em all” purchase. Since we’re seeing more of a focus on ECO variants and limited editions, this may be where things are headed.

I’ve written full reviews of both the TWSBI 580 and the TWSBI Eco over the years, and both are fixtures on my “best pens” recommendations lists. Check out those reviews for a more in-depth discussion of specs and details of each pen. UPDATE: As of April 2021, TWSBI pens can be purchased directly from me in the T.G.S. Curated Shop.

Don’t forget to check out TWSBI’s excellent line of inks, especially the standard colors such as Blue and Blue-Black (pictured above). Look for a full review soon.

The TWSBI Eco may come closest to dethroning the Lamy Safari as the most popular pen you can buy under $30. With it's super smooth nib, modern design, and excellent piston-filling system, I can recommend the Eco to anyone, not just beginners. While not all pen people may appreciate its looks, this is a solid writer, and may even supplant the TWSBI 580 in my rotation.

Build. The Eco has two things to offer that distinguish it (in a good way) from other pens in its price range: a comfortable grip section, and a barrel length suitable for both posted and unposted use. First, the grip section (and the rest of the barrel) is round, and very comfortable to hold. The Lamy Safari (what I would deem the Eco's main competitor) features a triangular grip, supposedly to help students hold their pen correctly, but at the end of the day this mostly serves to limit the pen's appeal because many people simply can't use this grip comfortably. Also, by eliminating the faceted barrel, many people have speculated that the Eco will last longer and be less prone to cracking due to reduced stress on the plastic.

I regularly use the Eco both posted and unposted. Some people find that posting the cap on the Eco makes the pen unwieldy. The cap may not be the prettiest thing to look at, but it weighs next to nothing and I don't think that posting it renders the pen unreasonably long or uncomfortable to write with. Regardless, unlike the Safari, the body of the Eco is long enough to allow me to write comfortably with the pen unposted.

It's a bit longer than my personal preference, but I can still use the TWSBI Eco posted.

Aesthetics/Design. People either love or hate the Eco's design. I like it because it's different. True, there's a bit of a mismatch between the round barrel and the chunky, faceted cap and piston knob, but somehow the design works. The Eco is a modern, minimalist fountain pen, and looks exactly like what one would expect a modern, minimalist fountain pen to look like. To deliver a pen at the $30 price point, you pretty much have to use plastic, so criticism that the pen "looks cheap" is misplaced--the Eco is intended to be an inexpensive pen, and to knock it because it looks "plasticky" or because it has a less expensive clip than the TWSBI 580 strikes me as unfair.

The cap and the clip on the TWSBI Eco have generated

The Nib. If there's one area where TWSBI has improved by leaps and bounds over the years, it's with their nibs, which I believe are made by JoWo. Both the Eco and the Vac Mini (which I recently reviewed) feature a #5 stainless steel nib, and both of my pens are excellent writers. Like my Vac Mini, I picked up an Eco with a medium nib, I'd characterize it as a "true medium," slightly on the wet side. While the Vac Mini can occasionally hard-start or skip, due to the nature of a vacuum filling system and how ink is delivered to the feed, I have had zero flow issues with the Eco.

A shot of the TWSBI Eco nib and round, transparent section.  For some reason, I love the clear section on the Eco.  You can really see how the ink saturates the feed and works its way down to the nib. — A shot of the TWSBI Eco nib and round, transparent section. For some reason, I love the clear section on the Eco. You can really see how the ink saturates the feed and works its way down to the nib.

Takeaways. I can recommend the TWSBI Eco for anyone looking for a good daily writer that won't break the bank. It's certainly not limited to beginners or people looking to buy their "first fountain pen". That said, there are a couple reasons why the Eco won't dethrone the Pilot Metropolitan and others anytime soon as my recommended first-choice for an entry-level fountain pen. First of all is price. The Metropolitan is less expensive, and with the new Retro-Pop collection, the colors aren't necessarily limited to black, silver, and gold. The Eco sits at a slightly higher "next step" price point. As I've said before, I'm also hesitant to recommend a piston filler as a "first pen," since many fountain pen newbies are uncomfortable starting out filling from a bottle.

The TWSBI Eco does, however, sit appropriately near the top of my "Top Pens Under $75" list, and I'm considering moving it to the #1 slot. So far, it's that good, but I want to give myself a few months with it to be sure.

As of April 2020, you can purchase TWSBI Pens, including the ECO series, directly from The T.G.S. Curated Shop. The ECO starts at $30.99 for standard versions, and a pen with Rose Gold trim will run you $49.99.