I’m probably biased since 9 of my fountain pens are TWSBI Eco, but I think they deserve praise. First of all, they are perfect for beginners- even as a complete fountain pen newbie I figured out how to fill and clean it without the aid of instructions, since the piston mechanism makes this a breeze.
It arrives in a plastic box covered with a nice cardboard sleeve bearing the TWSBI logo. I appreciate the careful manner in which it is packed- you know the pen inside will be perfectly intact and you can reuse the box for storing the pen if you wish.
Turn the box upside down, and you find the different parts of the pen listed in numerical order. I’ve never had to disassemble my pen, but if you do, there are full instructions on how to do this (as well as how to fill the pen) inside the box.
There is also a tool for taking the pen apart, and a bottle of silicone grease. Again, I’ve never had to use them, but I appreciate having the tools to take the pen apart if need be.
The pen here is a vivid green, but I also have a blue one, an orange one and a pink pen too. TWSBIs come in many cheerful colours and you’ll almost certainly find one you love.
The lid screws on securely, so no chance of ink leaking anywhere! You can post the cap, though I tend to just leave it off.
It has a good line width, not too thick or thin.
The nib does not rust. I have never experienced any problems except occasionally the feed becomes too saturared- this doesn’t happen often, usually the first time I ever use the pen. It is very easily rectified- hold the nib in some tissue or kitchen roll and give the nib a gentle shove back up into the pen. This always fixes it for me.
All in all, it is a wonderful pen! Simple, good to look at and very versatile. I’d recommend it to beginners and more experienced people alike!