Twiss Marmalade fountain pen review

This is a custom made pen from Twiss Pens. It’s the only pen like this and I made up the name myself.

Back in April I interviewed John Twiss and reviewed one of his pens. I knew I would need my own Twiss pen and so I asked John to make me a pen to the following requirements: orange, swirly, eye-droppery.

I think it’s clear to see that the pen I received is indeed orange, swirly and eye-droppery. It’s hard to review the actual design because I got what I wanted. What I can say is that I think this pen is beautiful. I clearly have good taste.

I could choose from a wide range of nibs, gold or stainless steel, and went for this stainless steel 1.1mm stub as well as a spare 1.5mm stub. The stainless steel nibs are very reasonably priced (£10) and made by JoWo, who also make nibs for TWSBI and Franklin-Christoph, amongst others. They’re excellent nibs, smooth and wet. You can also supply your own nib unit if you have something particular in mind.

If you are asking someone to make a pen for you it’s important that they are able to produce a pen that meets your specifications and that they are able to make that pen well. Clearly this pen met my specifications but how well was it made?

Extremely well. There are few moving parts in an eye-dropper but the parts there are (the cap and the section) fit together exactly. The finish is smooth and shiny and gorgeous. This pen has been made by someone who knows what he’s doing and does it great expertise.

Can you tell that I like this pen? I suppose you could say I jolly well should, seeing as it was my idea. It’s been made so well, though. I couldn’t be happier.

I did receive this pen at a slight discount. I’ve not let that influence my views. Even at full price, John Twiss charges a lot less than you might expect for a handmade custom pen.