Pens of Note

Delta, The Journal

I am getting ready for my talk to a pen club on The Italians. A talk on the great Italian pen companies. Of the past years I have had the opportunity to visit with the major pen companies in Italy. Through that process I met dedicated people and realized a new level of appreciation in terms of the degree of handwork and complexity of making a fountain pen. Through my discussions I also attained an insight into various initiatives of the companies.

To prepare for the talk, I wrote each of the companies to re-connect and asked them about their initiatives and obtain a general update.

Delta, a company I visited two years ago, provided an update on their initiatives and also provided the opportunity to try some lines that have been released since I last visited with them in Naples.

Fusion Nib

Delta was first launching the new Fusion nib when I visited their headquarters in 2012. I still remember how proudly they handed me a pen and asked if I would try it. I must say I was impressed. The nib wrote very smoothly.

As I returned to Canada, the Fusion Nib was released and now much is history. Delta has fitted more of their pen lines with the Fusion nib. It is a unique nib, being a combination of steel and 18 kt gold, and they make the nib at their centre in Naples.

Do I like the Fusion Nib? When I have over a dozen pens fitted with the nib so that says it all! For me, the Fusion in a stub width is an incredible writing nib.

Filling Mechanism

When I visited with Delta they were very proud that they create pens with all the major ink filling mechanisms. Cartridge, piston, level, crescent or push button. Now, with The Journal, Delta once again shows a different approach. They have modified the standard converter to be something different.

With converters, one usually unscrews the body from the nib section to expose the converter and then hold the pen by the converter when it is filled in a bottle of ink. Delta has a different approach for the Journal. Unscrew a cap at the end of pen body. The twist section of a longer converter shows. Twist to draw up ink into the pen. Replace the cap and you are done. A much more secure feel in filling up the pen.

Nib Options

The Journal comes in either a steel or Fusion Nib. I had the chance to write with both versions of the pen.

Quite frankly I was impressed with how smooth the steel nib wrote. Something pen users should get used to as there is a move my manufacturers in general, to use more steel nibs, as a way of controlling the cost of production.

The Fusion nib is steel, with a layer of 18kt gold fused to the steel. The combination of metals is said to create a metal that a maximizes flow. I find the Fusion nibs to be very smooth. I regularly hear positive comments from others when when write with one of my pens fitted with a Fusion nib.

The Journal comes in two nib styles. I believe the Steel nib is the standard issue for those sold in Europe, and the Fusion nib the standard for the North American market.

The Pen

The pen is made from a solid bar of resin, and is very light in the hand. Again, no heavier piston filling mechanism, rather the light converter is on the inside of the pen. The trim is rhodium plated.

It is a good sized pen, and with its light weight, balance is not an issue. The pen comes in three colour themes, a Mocha Swirl, a blue pearl and a red pearl colour From what I have seen from photos of the pen, and then the pen I had, there is variations depending on the colour make up of the rod of resin. The mocha is black, cream and some subtle browns. Very nice on the eye.

Numbered Pen

The last nice touch is a unique number that is engraved on the pen.

While not a permanent pen in my collection, I certainly enjoyed using the Journal.