Delta Titanio

[jandrese]

This is a quick review of the Delta Titanio. There is at least one other fine review of the Titanio in these pages but this pen is a little different. This is a limited edition of 100 (mine is 089) in what Delta calls Titan Grey, which is a pearlized grey resin. The material looks like carbon rich ice just beginning to melt. The standard guise is glossy black and in keeping with my general dislike of black pens I previously rejected buying the black version. The fine nib is a titanium job (hence the name of the pen) similar to the Omas Emotica nib but with more flex. With a light touch this nib runs a true fine but with some moderate pressure it will flex out to at least a double broad. Pretty impressive. Not a wet noodle, it takes some pressure to flex to the maximum but the nib feels like it was built to take this so don’t be afraid. The nib has that dull grey oxidized titanium color and slight titanium scratch or tooth, which is not at all unpleasant. The nib cannot be confused with stainless steel, white gold, yellow gold, rose gold, palladium, rhodium plated whatever, or even kryptonite. All trim on this pen is titanium save the clip, which appears to be rhodium plated whatever. The clip is good; that is springy, strong, and functional while still having a clean modern design. And this is what the Titanio is all about, modern design. This is not your grandfathers fountain pen, and don’t let the old man take it from you.

 

 

 

 

How does it write? Out of the box good enough, if you are left handed. A friend (yes, pen dorks have friends) who is not sinister tried the pen and found it very hard starting, almost unusable. What? Bad ignition is what one member of the FPN would call it. Examination of the nib under the stereo dissection microscope revealed that he left hand tine was a little bit longer than the right effectively making the nib a reverse oblique, which suites this lefty just fine. Still and all I touched up the nib with some 12,000 grit sandpaper and while I was at it I modified the feed as well. The feed modifications that included slightly widening the ink channel and enhancing air return were probably unnecessary but I can’t leave well enough alone.

 

 

 

I will say, however, that this pen seems very picky about which inks run through it. With my new love Mont Blanc Mahatma Gandhi ink the flow is a little dry. Incidently, that is Gandhiji's ink in the converter and on the nib. Pilot Iroshizuku fuyu-gaki, on the other hand, runs out almost in a torrent. Have not yet tried other inks but I’m gonna have fun finding perfect combinations. You can see the MB ink and the lines this nib makes here Orange ink time.

 

 

The pen is widest just above the grip section, which ironically enough is just where my dumb left and grips the pen. So, it is a little thick for me but it feels OK and the pen looks so good I forgive its modern design. What a slave to fashion I am! This pen is more than worth the modest premium over the all black version. Get one while you can. Hope be that limited editions of this pen don’t proliferate like those based on the Bexley Poseidon. BTW, Ti is the abbreviation for titanium and 22 is the atomic number. Titanium is far from rare, is it just damn hard to work with.

Edited March 9, 2011 by jandrese

[mholve]

Great review! Interesting celluloid in this LE, too. I have the standard black one in a medium. I did see one similar to yours at the LI Pen Show over the weekend and almost picked it up... The blue version that Bryant has in his signature is another LE version. For some reason, I really prefer the plain black.

 

The pen (at least the standard edition) provides good value, IMO. Quality materials and construction, a clean and modern design, and of course - the titanium nib. Cheaper than alternatives from Stipula and Omas by a landslide.

 

The nib of course, is where all the excitement is! I know what you mean about "bad ignition." The pen is particular about what paper you use - the really smooth stuff I was using would cause endless frustration (Hammermill "Color Copy Digital"). On normal paper it works perfectly - every time. It's the shading produced and slight flex of the nib that really makes this pen worth having, IMO.

 

I love mine. I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

[ABMaranzano]

Sweet pen!!!! I am paying for mine on Friday. I am getting fron penandbeyond. He had the black and silver trimed one. Love the look of yours!!! Congrats

 

Cheers

[mholve]

...He had the black and silver trimed one...

FYI, all furniture is made of titanium - save for the clip, which is chromed steel (and sprung). One of the reasons I got this pen, actually. I'm a sucker for anything titanium - especially nibs!