Since I got my Dleta Israel 60 LE few days ago I thought it will be a good idea to write also a short review on my other Delta the Doce Vita Oversize.This is also to help one of our FPN members that is considering to buy this magnificent pen and want to know more about it.

The 2 most dominant things you see about this pen is how beautiful this pen is and the sheer size of it.
The red "Lava" body is stuning and the sober black of the cap gives the pen a nice balance.I love this combination of black cap with red body.
The pen is about 14.5 cm long but its not the leangth rather then the thikness of the pen that makes this pen feel Sooo oversize.This is a chuncky pen and it feels like that.It doesnt feel very heavy even though that its not a very light weight either.It might take for some people a little time to adjust to writer with it because of the size of it but once you are pass this fase you find the pen is very well balanced and easy to write with.
The 18K Millenium nib is a big beautiful 2 tone nib.It is as you would expect a very smooth and responsive nib that leaves a wet line of ink.It has just a bit of spring to it but I would put it more toward the stiff side.
You can unscrew the nib just like a Pelikan pen so I guess in theory you could get yourself other nib sizes and change them as you like.

The pen has the combination of being a C/C and eye dropper filler.
The pen comes with its own eye dropper probebly just to remind you that this pen is an eye dropper.
I must admit I never filled the barrel with ink and just used the converter but if you use it as an eye dropper then the amount of ink you can poer down this BIG barrel will mean you probably wouldnt have to fill this pen again for a very very long time.

The last thing I want to add is the quality of this pen.The DVOS (Dolce Vita Oversize) is my second Italian pen and I never believed how well this pen is made.The quality of the pen is simply fantastic it feels very very solid and if I didnt know I would sware it was made by a German company.

If you are looking for a BIG pen this is a pen you should seriously consider.

Placed my order today........

Goodguy and Fateh : I have 2 of these Dolce Vita OS pens. One with a fine and the other with a medium nib.
I love them. Both worked flawlessly right out of the box, and had nice, very smooth nibs.
You wont go wrong with this pen.

Hey Wolverine 1,

As per goodguy, the F nib writes more like a M.( He mentions this in another review he has done on this pen)
I have always used M so am kinda worried that the M that I have ordered might not be to my liking.

Since you have both your comments please?

Fateh- I purchased the pen with the medium a few years back, probably in 2003 or maybe early 2004. Mine seems to write like a regular sized medium. The fine nib however, isnt as fine as other fine nibs. I use medium nibs almost exclusively,and the medium on my Dolce Vita doesnt seem to be broader than my other med nibs. I think the medium nibs on my 2 Pelikan M-1000 pens are more like broads.
I dont know if the newer medium nibs on the Dolce Vita OS pens have changed in the past 3 or 4 years.
Sorry- I couldnt give you a more definitive answer.

I have a vermeil finish OS, and I wish I'd bought the silver trim. I have the regular Dolce Vita in silver and it is more elegant to my mind. Also, the vermeil did tarnish, which I know gold shouldn't do, but it happened when I carried the pen for a few days in a cheap pen case that came with some throwaround pens for my car. Must be something in the lining of the pouch, damage not offensive, but be warned.

I know it comes down to taste, but I thought I'd add my two pennies' before Fateh's order is processed...

Enjoy whichever one you get.

Nic

Good review. I didn't realize the OS was an ED as well.

I've had the full size for over a year. I sent it out and had Deb Kinney make it into a 0.7 stub about 6 months ago. Made a cool pen even cooler.

Fateh has a thread on the Wirting Instrument forum where he asks about eyedripper filler pens. I mentioned the Dolce Vita O/S, and we discussed the fact that its eyedropper capacity is not advertized or generally known. I did not realize it myself until I got my Dolce Vita in hand and saw the "O" ring and eyedropper. I still think not mentioning the eyedropper capability is a very curious omission on the part of Delta.

I have to agree about the quality of the Dolce Vita. It is a very well made pen, and I love the paintbrush-like nib. I have a M nib on mine that writes a true M line. It is wet, super smooth, a little springy and a sensual joy to use. I have commented in other threads that I prefer stub and italic nibs. My Delta nibs in general are so smooth and write so well out of the box that I am not even considering messing them up with customizations.

The physical size of the oversize DV is impressive. Yet it is a comfortable pen for me to use. I have several large pens like a MontyB 149, a Dani Densho, a Dani Takumi, a Dani Cum Laude, a Laban Mento and a couple Pel M-1000's. This bad boy is a bit larger than any of them, and striking in it color scheme.

Fateh, I am looking forward to your impressions of your new pen.

I received one as a gift a couple of weeks ago. I haven't inked it yet. Indecision, mostly.

What kind of inks does it really like? I don't think the orange ink that "comes with" is very useful.

Andy

Andy, I agree that the orange ink that comes with the Dolce Vita doesn't seem too useful. When I hold my pen in my hand, it just cries out for a color that contrasts with that lovely fluorescent barrel. I have been using black Penman ink in mine, though the pen has responded very well to any ink I have thrown at it.

Hi Andy

You have really nice friends buying you such a wonderful and expensive pens.
I dont really use my DV a lot because even though its a great pen its still not as good as my Paragon.
I like taking it with me when I feel like partying.The vibrant red colour of the barrel always makes me happy.
I will use regular quink colour with the pen with no problems.
As I said though I use the converter and not as an eye dropper.

Did you see my thread about my new pen ? the Delta Israel 60 Special LE
What a beautiful unique pen.

Mine gets filled with Noodlers Habanero each October, in honor of the season. The Habanero ink is almost, but not quite, the same color as the orange barrel on the pen. In November, I switch over to Havana Brown, which also goes well with this color pen. I have also used black ink from time to time. I wouldn't dream of putting blue ink in this pen!

The pen has an interesting backstory. There is this fellow who used to be on FPN who has little patience for pens that don't meet his standards. He also doesn't like to be "hassled" with returning them or getting them improved, etc. He has now sent me two pens that he no longer wished to own. He asked for nothing in return. I did make a contribution to a charity in his honor to thank him for the gift. BTW, I'm not the only FPN member to have been the recipient of this individual's largess.

The pen is not one I would have ever bought for myself. It is indeed stunning, but most of my pens are rather more understated. I'm not sure I'd be all that comfortable carrying around a pen of that sort for use, so I may use it with the deskstand if I ever resume work in a more formal office.

I did notice your Israel 60th anniversary pen aquisistion. Again, quite a handsome pen and certainly a meaningful statement about an important event. Again, not in the daily user category for me but it would certainly be a showpiece if I had a suitible venue. I'm more partial to the Ariel Kullock silver "reworked" "51" Dov was marketing. That is a pen I could both use and show off. However, not on my current budget and I don't imagine my pen "sugardaddy" will buy one and decide he doesn't like it (in my direction).

Enjoy your new pen, though. It is absolutely stunning!

Andy

Honestly, I don't use my Dolce Vita (medium size, one below the oversize) much. While I liked the pen at the beginning, its nib is like a chisel although it writes nicely. But then, I don't like the cartridge converter. After having owned the Delta for a year now, I am not as impressed with it as I was in the beginning. It's a good pen but that was it. When looking for exciting resins, I find the Conway Stewart pens much more thrilling and also much more comfortable to use. The orange resin is really nice, but then the Italians make beautiful celluloids that are much nicer. I think the pen's barrel is literally like a barrel and is not as comfy for writing for longer periods as pens that taper towards the section. The oversize would be actually pretty much useless for me unless I'd put it in my pen cabinet and look at it. But as a user, this one is just too chunky and not comfortable in my hands. Don't get me wrong, I love big pens. I use and love the Pelikan M1000 which is a wonderful pen to hold and use. It is truly big but not as unwieldy as the Delta OS. The Delta Dolce Vita is definitely a very proprietary design, but it's not one of my favorite pens. Of course, others might think totally different which is ok.

Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy yours.

Still waiting very impatiently for mine to arrive!!!!!!!

If you are not so happy with the pen do what I do sell it.
I am sure other people would love the chance to buy it and you can use the money to buy an other pen you will like better.

Dupontfan, I think your response to your medium Dolce Vita is a good indicator that few pens are universally liked. I can understand and sympathize with your assessment.

My own response is nearly a polar opposite. When Delta came out with the Dolce Vita Soiree, I wanted one right away. But it only came in medium size, so I waited patiently for an O/S version. I truely enjoy the O/S Dolce Vita and I wanted two. But, alas!, there will never be an O/S Soiree. A couple of months ago, I ordered a Soiree in the medium size.

When the pen first arrived, I was disappointed. The pen was small. I was comparing it to the O/S Dolce Vita and other Delta pens I have. (My Delta 365, Isreal 50th Anniversary LE and Nazareth LE are all Pel M-1000 size.) But as I used the medium DV, I discovered that it has a diameter about like a Pel M-800 or Duofold Centennial, and a nib that is Pel M-800 or MB 146 sized. I found the medium DV to be short, probably for easy carrying, but not small. I have become very much more comfortable with the pen, and I am glad I have it as a contrast to the O/S DV. Don't get me wrong, if Delta came out with an O/S Soiree I would buy it in a heartbeat.

The problem I had with the Soiree was the nib's point. All my other Deltas have M nibs that write a true, wet M line. I got a M nib on the Soiree, but it was definitely on the fine side of M, if not F per se. I had the nib exchanged for a B ( and Delta's customer service was excellent). The B writes more like a wet M, and is comparable to my other Delta nibs.

Because of the Soiree nib, I am hesitant to respond to Fateh's concern about the width of the O/S DV's M nib. I can only say that mine is a true M, but mine is also several years old. Current production nibs might run a little narrower than mine, which I have understood would suit Fateh nicely. I will have to wait for Fateh's assessment of his nib.

Mine writes incredibly smooth with Aurora Black.

Maybe it seems too difficult to explain via marketing materials (at least to the average user?)...just a thought, but yes it is strange that it would not be advertised...

I just got my OS Dolcevita today... and to be honest... I can't seem to figure out how to fill it. Does the end cap screw off or does it just pop off? The manual says nothing about it- and it seems pretty tight- so I don't want to be agressive with it- until I know for sure how it comes off. Can anyone help?

The O/S Dolce Vita fills like any standard cartridge/converter pen. The front section unscrews from the barrel. (Don't try to unscrew the end cap at the back of the pen.) You then have the choice of using a cartridge or converter. You can also use it as an eyedropper, as we have discussed. Just make sure that "O" ring is in place where the section and barrel join. It might be better to use it as a c/c pen first.

Good luck.

I tried the delta dolce vita o/s and I agree with dupontfan on these points and I will add post my concerns about the delta o/s:
-the nib is dull and very unconsistent (I tried several delta o/s with various nibs)
-the orange body is made of resin not celluloid at a retail cost of 530 euros, it is borderline crooking the customer
-the pen is too short in terms of length
-I know people who had this pen and who only had troubles
I would rather have a sailor king of pen than a delta dolce vita.