The Twsbi Diamond 580 is a mid-range, piston-filling fountain pen with a stainless steel nib and a handsome, faceted body. This pen is one step up in price and features from the more-popular Tswbi Eco.
The Diamond 580 is a slightly larger pen than the Eco. It has a larger nib and has a faceted body as opposed to a cylindrical one.
The size 6 nib is sold in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, and a 1.1 mm Stub.
Selling for about $50-60 the pen is a reasonably priced piston-filler, but it can look expensive next to the Eco. The Eco is only a bit more narrow than the 580 and has a smaller nib, but the Eco has the same exact piston-filling mechanism as the more expensive pen.
One nice feature of the Diamond 580 not found in the Eco is that the nib unit is replaceable. For about $30 you can buy a new grip/nib unit and you can turn your pen from a, say, fine to a broad. This ability to remove the front section is also useful when doing deep cleans of the pen.
Twsbi Diamond 580AL
The Diamond 580AL is a variant on the Diamond 580. It’s the same pen but it has aluminum at the grip section. This prevents the user from seeing the feed, which can sometimes look messy as the ink makes its way from the barrel to the nib. Some people like the cool feel of metal while many prefer the warmer touch of plastic.
The aluminum of the 580AL is anodized to a number of colors, like green, blue, purple, and others.
Tswbi Diamond 580ALR
The Diamond 580ALR is a newer version of the Diamond 580AL. The ALR first appeared in 2018. The ALR still has a metal grip, but it does have some changes– all of which are aesthetic — from the normal AL design. These include:
- The ALR has an improved grip. There are lines on it that improve the hold quality versus the AL
- The ALR has a greyish tint to the metal hardware where the AL had a standard-looking chrome
- The finial piece on the top of the ALR (a red Twsbi logo) is slightly larger
The differences between the AL and ALR really comes down to the grip and a few design changes.
Twsbi Diamond 580 Fountain Pen Information
| Street Price | Check Price |
| Manufacturer | TWSBI |
| Pen Type | Fountain Pen | Piston (built-in) |
| Rating | |
| Barrel Color | Clear |
| Barrel Material | Plastic |
| Body Diameter (mm) | 14.9 mm |
| Grip Color | Clear |
| Grip Material | Plastic |
| Grip Diameter (mm) | 10.4 mm |
| Country of Origin | Germany |
| MSRP | $50 |
| Still Sold | Yes |
| Similar To | |
| Refills | |
| Capped? Retractable? | Capped - Screw On |
| Clip? | Metal |
| Length Capped / Retracted (cm) | 14.2 |
| Length Posted (cm) | 17.6 cm |
| Length Uncapped (cm) | 12.9 cm |
| Weight (g) | 28.0 |
| Refillable | Yes |
| Nib Material | Steel |
| Nib Color | Silver |
| Nib Sizes | Broad |