They are close in price, the vac holds a bit more ink and is a bit larger, what else is there to consider in trying to chose between these two pens?
TWSBI 580AL vs Vac 700
- Thread starter nortac
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I would say it's mainly about the filling mechanism. My understanding is that the Vac700 is now only being made in clear; once the colours are gone, they're gone.
The Vac has a much larger step. If you prefer a small transition, the 580 is much better in that regard. I find the piston easier to use, but the vacuum filler is cooler. Other than that, they write equally well.
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- #4
I imagine I'll get at least one of each, in fact, I ordered a orange (amber) Vac 700 while they were still available. I was leaning towards the 580 AL but that can wait till later.
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I have the 580 AL. Its a fine pen.
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- #6
I got in my Amber Vac 700 today and played around with the disassembly process. The nib and feed are friction fit into the section. Replacement nibs are available but come with nib/feed/section. The replacement sections appear to be only available in black. Since the nibs and feeds are easily removed from the section, I was wondering about getting only a nib. Does anyone know if a standard size nib will fit these pens, or are they a proprietary size?
Upon looking at the blog on Anderson Pens website, it appears that this may be a standard #6 nib. It would be so cool if I could use a #6 Goulet, Nimosine or Knox or whatever replacement nib instead of buying the whole nib/feed/section.
Upon looking at the blog on Anderson Pens website, it appears that this may be a standard #6 nib. It would be so cool if I could use a #6 Goulet, Nimosine or Knox or whatever replacement nib instead of buying the whole nib/feed/section.
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Yes, they're #6. The 580 is #5.
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- #8
Great! Have you tried a non-TWSBI nib in one of these pens or know of someone who has?
I have not. I don't own any spare #5s and sent the Vac 700s I was borrowing back. Is there something in particular you wanted to know about other nibs?
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- #10
Just wondered if they worked without any flow issues. In other pens, I've had nibs that "fit" but didn't work well or at all.
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- Thread starter
- #11
Update: I installed a Goulet #6 Fine nib, not really liking the medium nib that came with the Vac 700, and it functions just fine, so far. I wonder if a Knox K26 nib would fit the 580AL?
I have two Vac-700s and one 580AL and my preference is the Vac700. The Vacs write quite a bit wetter (which is my preference) and are heftier (also preferred). Neither Vac has the stock TWSBI nib in it anymore; Goulet in one and Edison 18k in the other. The 18k nib is fantastic in this pen, but in hindsight, not worth the $135 price difference.
The 580AL is a very handsome and sturdy pen, although it doesn't write near as well as the Vac. I haven't changed the make of the nib, but suspect that it would be just as good of a writer as the Vac with the right nib. Problem is, I don't have any #5 nibs to try. The TWSBI 1.1 stub that I tried has a remarkably small sweet spot for a stub and the M it came with isn't my fav.
The only drawback that I can see in the Vac is the complete shut-off of the filling system from the feed. When closed, it is almost sure not to leak with rough handling, but then you must open it to write at any length. You can remove a small O-ring (I have) and the filling knob can remain screwed tight and you can write forever, but then it's not closed off and rough handling could cause the nib/feed to leak into the cap. A trade-off; choice is yours.
I would wager that if you really like your Vac-700, you'll be disappointed with the 580AL. I was.
The 580AL is a very handsome and sturdy pen, although it doesn't write near as well as the Vac. I haven't changed the make of the nib, but suspect that it would be just as good of a writer as the Vac with the right nib. Problem is, I don't have any #5 nibs to try. The TWSBI 1.1 stub that I tried has a remarkably small sweet spot for a stub and the M it came with isn't my fav.
The only drawback that I can see in the Vac is the complete shut-off of the filling system from the feed. When closed, it is almost sure not to leak with rough handling, but then you must open it to write at any length. You can remove a small O-ring (I have) and the filling knob can remain screwed tight and you can write forever, but then it's not closed off and rough handling could cause the nib/feed to leak into the cap. A trade-off; choice is yours.
I would wager that if you really like your Vac-700, you'll be disappointed with the 580AL. I was.
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- #13
So was your only complaint with the 580 the nib? I was hoping to get a 1.1 mm nib for the 580 when I get one. This seems to suggest that the Pendleton Brown "butter line stub" would be the way to go despite the increased cost.
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I have PB's 580-AL with his butter-line stub. It's a great pen. I asked him for a wet fine point. He suggested a "fat" version of his fine, butter-line stub. I am extremely happy with this pen. It writes a wet line. The stroke differentiation is very apparent and extremely easy to obtain. Finding the "sweet spot" is a non-event. It's always there. It's a no-problems nib. My hands are large and this pen is a great fit.
PB has also retrofitted broader nibs for me. He turned a Lamy 2000 broad nib into a superb .8mm stub for me.
Yes, I really didn't like either the tWSBI medium or 1.1 I have in it. The pen itself is great, so if you find a dynamite nib, it should be fantastic.
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- #16
BobL, I had read your review a while back, thanks for posting it. It certainly has me thinking of getting the PB custom 580AL.
Art of ArtsNibs.com also does phenomenal work.
