Left Hook Pens

The first fountain pen that I purchased was the TWSBI Go. I watched Brian Goulet’s videos about the Go, and how it compared to the Eco. I think I ended up purchasing the Go because it seemed simple, and it was 10$ cheaper. I ordered the smoke grey color with a medium nib.

The day before I received my Go, I got a concussion at work and ended up taking medical leave. The morning of pen arrival, I took my first trip to stationary heaven called St. Louis Art Supply. So before the Go even got delivered, I purchased a Kaweco Sport and Perkeo both with medium nibs. I included this little story to say that I then had a lot more free time to fiddle with fountain pens, and that I no longer have the two Kaweco pens, but I still have the Go.

The TWSBI Go has a spring loaded piston filling mechanism and a snap cap! It comes in smoke grey, blue and clear. This is also by far the easiest non-cartridge filler to completely disassemble. You just unscrew the barrel, then turn the piston cap clockwise to remove that. Then you slide off the spring and turn the little metal sleeve counter-clockwise to take that off. Now you can remove the piston and clean the inside of the ink chamber.

The Go is a thick but light pen. The grip section tapers down with slight protrusions close to the nib so that your fingers don’t slip down while writing. I found that while learning to adjust my grip, this pen was still comfortable to hold. The smooth, wet nib and light weight also cause no hand fatigue. Having written with the Kaweco Perkeo and a Lamy Al-Star before this, the Go was a nice change of pace because I could hold the pen in a way that was most comfortable for me while overwriting. The Kaweco Sport also has a round section, but it’s slimmer and requires a tighter grip. The Go can be posted, and it looks a bit ridiculous, but it makes no difference in how the pen feels while writing.

I’ve tried a few different brands of ink in my Go, from Iroshizuku and Noodlers to Kyoto and Monteverde. The medium nib is pretty wet, and I’ve smudged a few times with certain inks like Noodlers Golden Brown. I know that Golden Brown is a very wet ink for flex nibs, but I love brown inks. With fast drying inks like Robert Oster, or dry in general inks like Lamy, the medium nib works great. Early on I had some burping issues, but pushing down the piston very gently to get some excess air out helps. You’ll be able to see the little bubbles come out of the opening in the feed. When the bubbles stop and it’s just ink coming out, keep your finger on the piston and slowly let it slide back into place. One thing about the Go that other TWSBI models don’t have is a little notch inside the section for the feed to sit flush in. I didn’t put the feed in correctly one time and ink spilled out.

I would recommend the TWSBI Go as a beginner pen for lefties because it’s comfortable to hold while learning how to write with a fountain pen. It’s easy to take apart and fill, and the plastic is durable enough to withstand dropping. There are many great options for beginner/starter pens, but for those who want a durable and inexpensive piston filler, you can’t go wrong with the TWSBI Go. This pen retails for 20$ USD and comes in smoke grey, blue and clear.

If you would like to purchase this pen for yourself, please click here. This is an Amazon affiliate link. If you click on it and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission from the sale. It’s a way for you to support this blog while ordering a new pen!