My TWSBI Swipes!

I was certain that I had wrote about my Swipes in a blog entry from last year. I was not able to find it. I did find a draft and I apparently forgot to hit the publish button. I thought I would take what I wrote last year and combine it with my current post for today. That way you can see the progression and thoughts I had about this pen model from TWSBI. Here we go starting with the blog post that did not get published.

Last Year (August 2021):

I purchased my first two (Smoke & Prussian Blue) at the 2021 DC Pen Show. I had to go to two different pen retailers (Vanness & Lemure Inks) to find my favorite Stub 1.1 nibs. The Swipes sold out quickly during the show.

When I initially had the Swipe in my hand, I was “on the fence” as to whether I liked it or not. That was weird for me. Normally, I know within a minute if I really like the pen or if it’s just okie dokie.

I love what I call my “art” fountain pens with a snap cap. Which is why I enjoy using my TWSBI GOs. My other snap cap go-to pens include the Platinum Preppy and Prefounte and my Pilot Preras. So the Swipe definitely falls into this snap cap category.

The Swipe includes two different types of converters and an ink cartridge. They hold a decent amount of ink, more so than the standard converters and standard ink cartridges. That’s a plus in my book.

The Swipe is 2gms lighter than the GO. The Swipe’s grip is 9mm while the GO’s grip is around 10mm. The Swipe is also a noticeably thinner in the body and not chunky like the GO.

The GO material feels a bit more substantial in my hand and maybe a bit more durable.

It will be interesting to see if TWSBI produces this new model in other colors. I could see going crazy with some bright colors. That’s just my thoughts.

It’s only been a little over a week and I think I need to spend a bit more time with my TWSBI Swipes. Spending some time writing in my journals and sketching with them.

Today:

Apparently, I must have had an inkling or gut instinct that TWSBI would be coming out with Swipes in bright colors.

Now, I have had six months to figure out if I like the Swipes or not. I do like them. I find the Swipes to be a bargain. The pen is packaged with a rather large black ink cartridge. It also comes with two ink converters. One is a traditional twist converter and the other is a spring-loaded/plunger type converter. Like the TWSBI ink cartridge, the converters hold a large amount of ink.

In my Swipes, I prefer to use the spring-loaded plunger type converter. I find it’s easier to fill and clean. That’s one of the reasons why I like my GOs so much with it’s spring plunger.

I was so happy get a brightly colored Swipe pen that I had to do a sketch. I filled my pen with Cornaline d’Egypte.

I managed to get a nice fill of shimmers in my pen.

When I saw that TWSBI was coming out with another Swipe color, I knew I had to get that color as well. When I received this Pear Green pen, I was torn between filling it with Rohrer & Klingner Alt Goldgrun or Colorverse Brane ink. When I use my TWSBIs I tend to fill it with shimmering ink.

I’m sad to admit that it took me a year to open my new bottle of Brane. It’s a beautiful and bright olive green color with a tiny bit of blue sheen and lots of shading. The shimmering particles look like metallic green sparkles. It’s a stunning ink color.

If the shimmers were removed from Brane, I think the remaining color is very close to Alt Goldgrun. They are both gorgeous ink colors and Brane looks to be a tiny bit darker in color.

For me, the shimmering sparkles in Brane makes the ink color a better choice over Alt Goldgrun. Also Brane feels like a wetter ink.

I know a few folks dislike the GOs because they look and feel chunky. I think the Swipe is a great alternative.

Pens: TWSBI Swipes in Smoke, Prussian Blue, Salmon, & Pear Green with Stub 1.1 nibs

Inks: Jacques Herbin Cornaline d’Egypte. Colorverse Brane (Glistening)

Journal: Stillman & Birn Alpha Hardcover 4″x6″

Paper: Rhodia