"It's like a Toyota in fountain pens."
About the pen:
TWSBI is a manufacturer in Taiwan that has been making pen for different global brands for more than 40 years. They decided to make use of their seasoned expertise to establish a brand, and the Diamond 540 is their latest flagship to demonstrate their technical finesse. It is based on their 2010 German Reddot Design Award winning masterpiece, Diamond 530, a fountain pen aimed for absolute practicality.
The 540 features re-designed piston mechanism and the ink capacity is increased by 30%! Diamond-clear design provides the owner precise ink status with just a glance. Combined with the innovative ink well, the Diamond 540 features fast, clean and splash-free refill experience. Screw-on cap lock system provides top-notch air-seal quality, which prevent ink dry-out and guarantees ink flow on your first stroke.
The ROC 100 version received cosmetic upgrade to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Republic of China, commonly know as Taiwan. It offers the same nib selection as the Diamond 540; Mediem, Fine and Extra Fine. With price tag of $55, it is difficult to find a instrument that rivals such quality.
Pendora Review:
Diamond 540 is TWSBI's latest fountain pen that markets itself as top quality writing instrument in terms of practicality. Its design concept is simple, high quality plastic that is almost transparent in all parts. The design allows you to see everything and understand how everything works. In fact, TWSBI ship the box with tools concealed in it, which allows you to manually disassemble the pen for some quick tweak and repairs!
Because it is rather simple in design, I instinctively assume it's just another of those legacy fountain pen that offers nothing innovative. However, it is just the other way around when you actually use it. You will soon realize all the details are carefully engineered, which are not simple at all! Why does the converter knob comes up when I lower the piston? Why is the nib a bit wider than the tongue? Why can I unscrew the pen from middle if the converter knob is already at the end?
It all comes clear when you start using the "system" (combined with the special designed inkwell). I have to give thumbs up to TWSBI for the attention to all the details. Even the inkwell was designed with functionality in mind!
I have a the pen with EF nib. When writing in English, the performance is unbelievably solid. I could sign with vigor that were seen only with ballpoints, but the Diamond 540 simply take the beat without breaking my lines. When writing in Chinese, the nib retained a tiny bit of flexibility enough to see the strokes and pressures (... maybe a bit too tiny since I prefer a softer nib for Chinese.) It reminds me of LAMY Safari's famous stiff stainless steel nib, but a bit more rubbing than it.
Some people likes to have the cap attached to the back when writing. This is not the pen to do so. I tried to do it and suddenly I don't even know how to start writing. The cap is so heavy at the end that it throw the balance off. When you take the cap off, it turns back to the original pen that just feels GREAT.
Overall I wouldn't call it a collector's pen, even if the ROC 100 version is meant to be so. It's like a Toyota in fountain pens. You wouldn't buy one to display. You buy one to use, and it shines brilliantly when you use it. After tons of abuse and years of memories together, you retire the scratched, beat-up, dirty and dented comrade to top of the shelf with the most respect that it witnessed the great world with you.
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