Thomas Denney

TWSBI Go

The TWSBI Go, a new demonstrator pen from the Taiwanese manufacturer, was released in August 2018 and I purchased mine shortly after its release. I’ve been using TWSBI pens on and off for the last couple of years (I wrote all my finals with a Diamond 580 last year), but until this week I hadn’t spent much time with the Go.

The body of the Go is an all plastic construction, and this makes the pen very lightweight. All the plastic is translucent, and the body is available in either sapphire, pictured, or “smoke”. By far the most interesting aspect of the pen is its filling mechanism. Like other TWSBI pens it doesn’t require a converter or cartridges, and instead includes a spring-based vacuum filling system. All my other pens use screw-based systems, so this was a novelty for me. I’m not a fan of this system because I nearly knocked an ink bottle over whilst releasing the spring, so it serves to be careful.

Unlike other TWSBI pens, the cap doesn’t feature a clip. Given that the pen is marketed a pocket pen, I think this is a disadvantage. Instead, TWSBI replaced the clip by a hook for a lanyard. I haven’t seen this on a pen before, but it doesn’t strike me as very useful. The cap is made of plastic, and it is only a little wider than the body. This means that it posts tightly, but I’ve avoiding doing so out of fear that the plastic may crack.

Overall, for the price, the pen writes well and although a little, a comparable experience to the TWSBI Eco. As far as I can tell they both use the same steel nib, although the markings are clearer on the Eco. Both sections are a traditional hourglass shape, but the triangulated shape of Eco is easier to hold.

Left-to-right: The TWSBI Go, Eco, Diamond 580
Left-to-right: The TWSBI Go, Eco, Diamond 580

At $19 it is around $10 cheaper than the Eco, previously their most affordable offering. If you want a great demonstrator I’d recommend getting the Eco over the Go, because you’ll get a slightly bigger pen that rests more comfortably in the hand. Alternatively, if you’d like a pen that your friends will mistake for a vape, the Go is a great choice.