Diplomat Balance Review; Distinctly Different

January 18, 2015

Diplomat Balance C Review

Introduction
After having finally reduced my collection of pens to under 15 I thought it was time to add something significantly different. I chose the Balance because it offered a radically different design and was made by a brand that has intrigued me for a long time. I did considering other similarly priced German pens that had an unconventional design such as the Pelikan Epoch and the Kaweco Al Sport however neither of these seemed as interesting as the Balance did.

Packaging and Presentation 3/3
I am quite pleased with the packing from a presentation point of view as the box feels substantial and at the same time protecting the pen well. The box comprise of a metal shell and a wrapped card box with a pen cushion. Containing a hefty 100 page care guide in as well as a pair of blue ink cartridges.

Design, Materials Fit and Finish 5/5
I really like the design of this pen and for some reason I can’t help but think the design almost seems organic. It reminds me of the trunk of a tree due to the gradual curvature of the pen something I haven’t seen before in a fountain pen. The unconventional design is well executed and to such a high standard it’s easy to forget this is a mid-range fountain pen.

The pen has a metal construction with a rubberised grip section and a large fairly tight chrome plated clip that is clips onto a pocket easily. The only feature I feel detracts from the design is the Diplomat logo in black on a white back ground located on the top end of the pen. I think if the logo should had been printed in silver on a black back ground as it would have been more in keeping with the rest of the design.

The pen has been made to a very high standard and there is not a fault to be seen. I would go as far saying that this pen has been made with a greater attention detail than my more expensive pens such as my Pelikan M200 and my Parker Sonnet.
In terms ergonomics the pen is very comfortable to use posted or unposted and its center of mass is just above the grip section. Definitely a pen you could write several pages using without hand strain.
The size the pen is relatively small and if you have large hands I would probably looking at the larger balance B models as this pen probably would be too small. It has the following dimensions:

Dimensions
-Caped 12.2cm
-Uncapped 11.5cm
-Posted 14.5cm
-Grip section max diameter 1.05cm
-Grip section min diameter 9cm
-Mass 25 grams

Filling mechanism 2.5/5
The pen is limited to only using short international cartridges and doesn't fit a conventional standard international converter however will take the Monteverdi mini converter. I’m not going to lie I've always avoided cartridge only pens as I've never liked the idea of being limited to just ink cartridges however I decided to take the chance with this pen just as I liked the design so much.

Nib Performance Out of the Box (Medium nib reviewed available in sizes F to 4/5
The nib isn't anything flashy just a simple unadorned Diplomat branded steel nib that’s quite small however is correctly proportioned to the rest of the pen.
In terms of writing experience the nib isn't anything remarkable and doesn't offer any springiness or “flex”. However it wrote very smoothly out of the box and didn't require adjustment something which unfortunately is quite rare these days. The nib is slightly finer then I was expecting and I would say it is closer to a western fine. It is a little finer then I would have liked however it’s not enough of a grievance to warrant a nib exchange.

Cost and Value (score based on the lowest normal retail price) 4.5/5 Normal Retail Price £55-130
I’ve been keeping tabs on this pen for a few months using the amazon price tracker camel camel camel service and found it had been reduced by 40% on amazon a week ago. At this price I was happy to accept the short coming regarding the filling mechanism.
However regarding the regular retail price I think at £60 is a fair price to pay for such a well-made pen and if it wasn’t for that deal coming at the right time I would have paid £60.

Conclusions
Final score 19/23 or 83%
I am really pleased with this pen. The design is something else and even though it has a less than ideal filling mechanism it is by far one of the best all round pens I have ever used.
The biggest draw for me towards this pen was the unconventional design and if you’re not a huge fan of it I recommend would considering either the Parker Sonnet or Pelikan M200 instead.

Would I buy this pen again?
Of course I would.

How does this pen fit into my group of pens?
Here is a short list of my favorite fountain pens.
1. Parker Sonnet Dark Grey 18k nib
2. Diplomat Balance C
3. Pelikan M200
4. Parker Frontier Chrome Flair Teal
5. rotring Esprit Tourmaline
6. Parker 15 Red GT
7. Lamy Studio Stainless Steel
As you can see the Diplomat has instantly become one of my favorites and I’m sure another Diplomat will find its way into my collection sooner rather than later.

Edited January 18, 2015 by The Blue Knight

January 19, 2015

Also sorry about the bad photos

January 19, 2015

Very interesting pen! Thanks for the review.

ron

January 19, 2015

Thanks for the review.
ron

Cheers

January 23, 2015

Very nice, looks a bit like mb Ingrid Bergman, jinhao 15 or Waterman serenite.

I have always admired the consistent quality of build of diplomat pens, for my part I have a diplomat classic from 70s 80s. Unfortunately it broke due to an engineering mistake when I dropped it ): I was legitimately really sad. It was a great workhorse pen.

January 31, 2015

I have the larger B model. GREAT pen!

February 1, 2015

Nice review of an interesting pen; it draws me to the B size, although that looks a bit too expensive.

February 1, 2015

Nice review of an interesting pen; it draws me to the B size, although that looks a bit too expensive.

Cheers, I'm very tempted to go for a Balance B as well at some point.

February 2, 2015

Very nice review. Interesting and unusual looking pen! However the cartridge only design would kill it for me .

February 4, 2015

Very nice review. Interesting and unusual looking pen! However the cartridge only design would kill it for me .

Yeah it's kind of annoying but I'm ok with it as the design of this pen is exceptional and it's worth the comprise. I all ready have a decent collection of cartridges so I do have good amount of choice already.

January 30, 2016

I've just got a 'B', in blue with a steel broad nib. Not sure why I got it - the design and shape intrigued me, I guess. Cost me £49 from Amazon. Neat pen, beautifully boxed and has the advantage of a convertor. And the broad nib (medium-broad in my British hands) is beautifully smooth and as you might expect from the name, it is very well balanced in my moderately large hand. I do notice the tell-tale tarnishing (or whatever it is) on the the barrel threads, but no problems really, I can clean that up. Impressed. Is it right that these have now been discontinued?