Peacock pens

As the month draws to a close, I’ve managed to complete a third pen review. Let me introduce a ‘special one’ from my collection: the TWSBI VAC 700r Iris, my rainbow pen. What prompted me to purchase this pen? The TWSBI VAC 700r is TWSBI’s flagship model, distinguished by its unique and captivating rainbow effect. My curiosity was piqued by how the pen would look in real life and the process of achieving the rainbow finish on its various components. In any case, I’ve owned this pen since June 2006, and now it’s time to put it through its paces.

I took a peek at the definition of a rainbow on Wikipedia: ‘A rainbow is an optical phenomenon caused by refraction, internal reflection and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a continuous spectrum of light appearing in the sky…’. I think we can all agree that the rainbow is often used in art, social movements, technological products and so on. I recall a colleague who suffered the loss of her baby boy to a dreadful illness. For her, the emergence of a rainbow is a comforting sign from her son. For me, the rainbow represents a natural wonder that compels us to pause and reflect, regardless of its origin. And the rainbows on this pen are wonderfully beautiful.

It’s truly remarkable to discern the qualitative manner in which TWSBI achieves the rainbow effect on various components, especially considering that these components are made of different materials. This demonstrates top-notch knowledge and skills. My blog followers are aware of my critical nature when it comes to reviewing pens, as I pay attention to every detail. This pen did not escape my scrutiny either. I can say with certainty: in terms of quality of craftsmanship, there is not a single critique.

The pen is presented in a premium plastic case, which is further encased in a cardboard box. Inside, you’ll find the manual, a small wrench, a bottle of silicone grease, and spare O-rings. Remarkably, these tools provide everything necessary for the upkeep of your pen.

This pen is a vacuum filler fountain pen. Simply pull the piston out, submerge the nib in ink, and push the piston in to fill the barrel with ink. With a little know-how, you can easily fill it to the brim. Needless to say, it holds a generous amount of ink. Plus, since the pen can be nearly fully taken apart, cleaning it is a breeze.

The 700r is a demonstrator fountain pen adorned with rainbow accents, featuring a transparent barrel, cap, and piston knob. This design unveils the pen’s internal mechanics, making it perfect for showcasing your preferred ink. I use Iroshizuki murasaki-shikibu ink, a violet shade that complements this pen beautifully, and it’s fascinating to watch the ink’s flow within the barrel.

The pen’s cap has an inner cap designed to prevent the ink from drying out when not in use. The flow of ink is adjustable via the piston button: sealing it stops the pen’s inkflow after a period. During my testing, this did not happen, which is odd. The OPUS 88 employs a comparable mechanism, check my review of it.

I would also like to mention that the cap only needs one and a half turns. Using the cap in a posted way is not really foreseen. You can place the cap on the barrel, but the cap is not fixed and is insecure. When turning up the cap on the pen, you have to give an extra push at the end so that it really closes completely. A nice feature.

The TWSBI vac 700r has a stainless steel #6 Jowo nib, in my case a fine. The chrome nib with its rainbow effect is really a piece of art. I can simply describe the writing performance as good, certainly not great. This fine nib is quite soft but offers little possibility for variation in line width. Reverse writing is disappointing.

In summary, the TWSBI fountain pen is of high quality. It boasts an impressive appearance, packaged attractively. The pen performs well in writing and offers a substantial ink capacity. Priced at 109 Euros, it represents good value and stands out in my collection.

Parker 51, Parker Duofold, Montblanc Meisterstück and TWSBI vac 700 r.

Visconti Rembrandt

One pen succeeds another. The Visconti Rembrandt steps into the spotlight as a cartridge/converter fountain pen with promise. It’s the sole Visconti in my collection, so it’s make or break 🙂