EDC: Twsbi Vac Mini
Everyday Carry
My idea of an EDC is a pen that you can just throw in your pocket or bag without having to worry too much about it. I use my pens a lot because I’m a student and I have learned several aspects that I generally look for in a pen that I take to school. It has to be affordable, pocketable, and durable. It is also a huge plus to have a large ink capacity, because a pen that doesn't write just isn’t a pen. Of the pens I use most, I think the one that is most suited for school is the Twsbi Vac Mini.
Twsbi Vac Mini with Diamine Lighting Blue ink
Value
The pen is priced at $60.00, which is not a bad price for what this fountain pen offers. It has a vacuum filling system, which is often found in pens that cost hundreds of dollars. It also features a German Jowo nib, which writes relatively smoothly. All of these things are great but the number one reason why I think this pen is a good value is the customer service. Twsbi has always replaced any part that was broken in their pens for just the cost of shipping, which puts me at ease. The Vac Mini is the pen that I carry everywhere.
Design
The design of this pen is probably specifically to be portable and yet comfortable with writing. Compared to a pen like the Franklin Christoph Model 02, the pen is very short when capped. However, when you uncap the pen to use and post it, it ends up pretty much the same length as the Model 02. This makes the pen very comfortable to hold for long writing sessions yet also very portable. The Vac Mini fits in pretty much any shirt pocket I want to put it in and easily fits in any pen case where the Model 02 can only fit in some pockets and most pen cases. I really like the solution that Twsbi has come up with here.
Another aspect that I really enjoy is the vacuum filling system. This pen holds more ink than any other pen in my collection, despite its small size. I can go through a normal converter’s worth of ink in about a day, but this pen can last me 2 or 3 days, even with its rather generous medium nib. Another big bonus for me is the mechanism is designed in a way that the main chamber of ink can be closed or open, which can help minimize ink spills. This means you have to open the the chamber in order to write if you are planing on writing more than a few pages but its a tradeoff I’m willing to make. I like that I don't have to be worried that my pen might spill ink into my favorite shirt or into my backpack while running in-between classes.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, what makes this pen great is the size, ink capacity, and the customer service from Twsbi. Its comfortable to use and also nice to look at yet also very practical. This is a pen that I easily recommend to friends looking for a good workhorse pen.