Aldo Domani Two Tone

[jabberwock11]

When I decided to convert more or less completely to the use of fountain pens over any other writing instrument I decided that I would need at least one or two inexpensive every day pens for use at work and in the writing of notes. I found the Aldo Domani Two Tone at Office Depot for $19.95 and figured that if it didn't work out, no big deal. I have been pleasantly surprised by this pen

The Two Tone comes in a package with a short stylus/ballpoint as it's mate, has a conversion system to turn it into a rollerball, and in the brown and black color is quite appealling for such a low priced pen. The chrome accents bring out the semigloss coating on this pen and really make it stand out. The screw on cap also adds a look of quality to the pen in spite of it's low price tag.

 

 

 

 

 

The nib on this pen was wonderful right out of the box, an excellent fine tip that wrote as soon as I place nib to paper. I had some issues with nib skipping and ink flow until I popped a Waterman Florida Blue ink cartridge into it, after which I have never again had an issue. The pen writes without hesitation, even after a few days idle and there have been no more problems with skipping or ink flow. With the right ink this nib writes like a dream. For those of you who like a stiff nib, you'll be pleasantly surprised, the Two Tone has a nice stiff nib without writing like a nail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The weight of the pen is middle of the road, not too heavy for long term use, but also lets you know that you have a solid pen in your hands. With the cap posted this pen is a little off balance, but is easily adjusted to.

 

The converter is nothing special and has issues with continued flow, I prefer just to use cartridges with this one.

 

Over all at $19.95 this pen with all of it's extras and fine writing is an amazing deal and would be at an even higher price.

Edited July 6, 2008 by jabberwock11

[hardyb]

I have had the same experience. I also obtained two of their mini-pen sets ( FP and Ball point) in red and blue. Very good results with these small pens.

 

Example: http://www.yafa.com/aldo/sorrento.html

Edited July 6, 2008 by hardyb

[lovemy51]

thanx for the review jabberwock11.

nice looking pen!

 

i can't tell what's writen on the nib. is it "iridium point germany"? i have this thing about those nibs and yet, some of them are very smooth.

 

enjoy your pen!

[jabberwock11]

thanx for the review jabberwock11.

nice looking pen!

 

i can't tell what's writen on the nib. is it "iridium point germany"? i have this thing about those nibs and yet, some of them are very smooth.

 

enjoy your pen!

 

 

Yeah, the lighting was poor when I took the photos so I couldn't get the magnification that I wanted. The nib reads "Aldo Domani Iridium Point Germany" It is'nt exactly smooth, but it does write consistantly and is sturdy enough for regular abuse in the work place.

[lovemy51]

enjoy the pen, mate!

[brahmam]

I got these pens as gift yesterday, from a good pal of mine. I was truly impressed by the look and feel. But the gift did not have the conversion to roller pen kit that you had mentioned. Could you please post a picture of the same?

 

Thanks and regards,

Brahmam

[jabberwock11]

I got these pens as gift yesterday, from a good pal of mine. I was truly impressed by the look and feel. But the gift did not have the conversion to roller pen kit that you had mentioned. Could you please post a picture of the same?

 

Thanks and regards,

Brahmam

 

 

 

Sure, the rollerball conversion is under the padded bottom that the pens sit on when you fisrt open the little box. It's just a rollerball cartridge with a screw on tip and a spring. Please forgive the photography...poor lighting.

 

 

 

 

[brahmam]

Thanks so much. BTW, could you please tell me as to what kind of cartridges fit in for the fountain pen? I live in India where I won't be able to get Aldo Domani fountain pen cartridges. If there are equivalent cartridges of some better known brands, that would be ok as well.

 

Thanks and regards,

Brahmam

[jabberwock11]

Thanks so much. BTW, could you please tell me as to what kind of cartridges fit in for the fountain pen? I live in India where I won't be able to get Aldo Domani fountain pen cartridges. If there are equivalent cartridges of some better known brands, that would be ok as well.

 

Thanks and regards,

Brahmam

 

 

Both standard international and Waterman cartridges fit the Aldo Domani Two Tone pens. The Waterman cartridges work the best for ink flow and ammount.

[dragon899]

I came across this posting today while looking around and it was exciting to see someone else who bought the same initial fountain pen set. It's funny though because this was essentially THE ONLY fountain pen I could find in a week long hunt that was less than $50. Since it came with a pencil as well I figured that lowered the price of the actual fountain pen to maybe $12 or so which pushed me over the edge to purchase the set and try it out.

 

I have really loved writing with the pen but did notice that when I picked it up (from sitting overnight) that it took me scribbling around for a good two minutes before the ink started to flow relatively well and allow me to start writing (so much for writing a quick note)...then if I stopped writing it started drying up quickly and would skip until I had written with it for a moment or so. Having not used a fountain pen in probably twenty years I wasn't sure if this was the finicky temperamental experience I was supposed to have with them.

 

I read something on this website about the oils that can coat the components of a pen from the factory and that it's a good idea to wash the nib in some mild soapy water after the pen is purchased. I removed the ink cartridge that came with the pen, washed the nib this past weekend and then re-attached the original ink cartridge. I immediately noticed a positive difference in the pens reliability and performance. I will need to test it for a longer period to see just how effective this was.

 

It sounds like others have had similar experiences with the pen when they first bought it and have reported a little better performance after changing inks. I'm wondering if the nibs were rinsed when the ink was changed...thus possibly removing some possible oils that were actually causing the issue. ...hard to say though....just a theory at this point.

 

It's nice to know that different kinds of inks seem to give better performance with the pen though as that was going to be my next step if it continues to have issues.

 

I went back to Office Depot (where I bought the pen) and found that they sold a six-pack of cartridges for $2.99 that are the same exact type that came with the pen. They aren't a name brand though that matches any of the pens the store carries and I can't remember the name on the package now. I went to their website and couldn't find them listed...so they may just sell them in the store and not online.

 

At this point I am really interested in seeing if one of the fountain pen converters will fit inside so I can use some bottled ink I recently got instead of the cartridges. I think they should work (though I haven't actually tried one yet).

 

Image for a converter http://www.montgomerypens.com/product_pict...vrtr_Sli225.jpg

 

 

 

 

[MinnesotaBob]

I have really loved writing with the pen but did notice that when I picked it up (from sitting overnight) that it took me scribbling around for a good two minutes before the ink started to flow relatively well and allow me to start writing (so much for writing a quick note)...then if I stopped writing it started drying up quickly and would skip until I had written with it for a moment or so...

 

I read something on this website about the oils that can coat the components of a pen from the factory and that it's a good idea to wash the nib in some mild soapy water after the pen is purchased. I removed the ink cartridge that came with the pen, washed the nib this past weekend and then re-attached the original ink cartridge. I immediately noticed a positive difference in the pens reliability and performance...

 

So glad you wrote this! I bought one earlier this week, and have been so frustrated with it drying out overnight and having to fuss with it (for much more than 2 minutes!) the next day to get it to write, I almost boxed it back up and returned it to the Office Despot. Instead, I think I'll wash the nib and feed really well, and if that doesn't help, pick up some Waterman cartridges and see how they fare.

[brianb]

I purchased the same pen set today at Office Depot. With tax, the total was just over $20. This is my first FP, second if you count the Itoya Blade I picked up last week. I decided on the Aldo for two reasons, (1) the price was right, (2) I will be using the pen at work and school, but because of the rigors of my job (police officer), if it gets lost or broken, I won't spend a week crying myself to sleep over it. The BP pen also caught my eye becuase of it's size. It fits perfectly under the clamp of my ticket book, and because I find the BP is perfect for duplicate copy forms, I will no longer have to spend unnecessary minutes standing on the side of busy highway flipping through a ticket to see if the bottom copy is filled in.

 

Upon loading the ink cartridge of the FP, and only four, one inch dry scratches, the ink began to flow. After an hour of steady use with no issues, I placed the pen on my desk, uncapped , and returned approximately two hours later. The pen did not miss a beat. Because of my extremely limited knowledge of fountain pens, this may be normal, but I was impressed all the same.

 

I like the feel of the pen with the cap unposted while writing, but because I have long fingers, I found I had more control of the pen writing with the cap posted.

 

All in all, I am pleased so far. Once I become more familiar writing with a FP I am sure I will want to try out something else, but for now, the Aldo is serving it's pupose, and for $20.00, I think it's a great deal.

[Ed Ronax]

Nice review, thanks.

[cartapluma]

Thanks for the review. I received this pen as a gift several years ago. I like the fact that you can convert this to a ball point pen or use as a fountain pen at any time. The pen I got is a fine and writes a decent line. It is a bit scratchy in my opinion. I still have it but no longer use it as the inner clip that holds the cap to the pen has fallen off.

 

For the price $20 at Office Max it is a good value.

[Bilko262]

A friend went to New York and bought me this pen back as a present. I also find this to be a really decent pen and the huge nib is great, though I don't use it that often. I think it was worth the money they paid for it. I feed mine Diamine cartridges and they work well. I'll find some Waterman ones next, as I love their South Seas Blue... Awsome ink!!

 

B2