This is a review of the Delta Planet, the arctic version that has the ivory cap. My other big Delta is the Inuit edition of the Indigenous Peoples collection so I am continuing a northern theme. Simply put, this is a big, fat pen with a big, fat, and smooth bold nib. I first filled the pen with Noodler’s El Lawrence ink and putting pen to paper was like writing with a super smooth marker that just glides across the surface. Since the pen is on the short side of normal the balance is best when the cap is posted. A nice feature of the pen is that posting the cap does not increase the already substantial girth of the pen. The body narrows at the end to match the inside diameter of the cap, which results in a nice smooth transition between cap and pen body. The large size, and the good balance combine to make the pen very comfortable to write with.

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The large 18 k nib has a little bit of flex. Don’t get too excited about the flex, it is just enough to give the nib a softer feel than the nails that are jammed into the end of most pens. Given that the broad, somewhat flexible nib writes with a satisfyingly juicy line the feed must be quite good and well suited to the pen. The relatively large size of the nib contributes nicely to the overall aesthetic of the pen, but the terrible nib creep exhibited by the El Lawrence ink is somewhat unsightly. The nib dries some when the pen is carried upright but ink flow is easily restored with a quick, gentle shake. With another ink this may not be necessary.

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The converter screws into the section, which is a laudable feature that is found on some Delta pens and on few, if any, pens from other manufacturers. This would make an outstanding eyedropper pen. I wonder if Teflon plumbers tape would work in place of silicon grease on the threads to prevent leaks. The large, black plastic body would hold a huge amount of ink without worries of staining. Has anyone tried making an eyedropper of this pen?

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It is too bad that the Planet series has been discontinued because this pen is fun to write with and is very comfortable to use. I purchased mine new at the Pen Place in Kansas City. There still seem to be some new ones available, and all the colors (only the caps are colored) are attractive. If you find one I suggest buying it. IMHO nobody makes better big pens than Delta and I wonder why there are not more big-barreled pens on the market. This is one of the few pens in my collection that could be my only pen.

Thanks for the review and super pics!

And how did you teach your cat to write with that Pelikan?

Ah, another B nib lover. I have the Inuit too and they're juicy writers.

I had the same question about your cat's fountain pen. Has your cat tried writing without the pen posted?

Cats are both omniscient and omnipotent. Thus, they have no need to write and instead are simply interested in playing with pens.

I'm not so sure that it's always the case.
My old Albert (see avatar) was omni-incompetent instead. There were countless occasions when he tried to squeeze through a doorway, and due to the shape of his stomach (spherical) he jammed himself in the doorway, unable to go forwards and psychlogically unable to retreat. We had to rescue him when this happened. An omniscient and omnipotent being would have solved the problem, by arranging for the door to be open slightly wider.

Regards

Richard.

Ahh what a nice review and wonderful pictures.
Indeed Delta makes good big pens.
I took my Delta DVOS and compared the Planet to it and it looks like there are a lot of similarties,the nibs look almost identicle.
I share the same problem with my flow,it needs a small share if pen was standing up right for a while.

Thanks

An interesting and large pen. Although not similar, it is reminescent of the Laban Mento from the crazy big post. I am sure that in person these things would be huge and fun. Thanks for posting.

I like it!

That's huge!! I like it. It is same size of the Dolce vita OS or smaller. Pity it has been discontinued...

Thanks for the review