Delta Kristal Collection-Quick Review

[shomroy]

Since the acquisition of a Dolce Vita few weeks back, I have been enamoured by Delta pens. So when an attractive offer came up, I didn't hesitate to acquire the 2nd Delta pen in my collection-Delta Kristal. There seems to be very little literature out there on this series of pens (I wonder why!) and I am distracted from work on a Friday afternoon-so here goes:

 

First Impressions (08/10)

 

The Kristal comes in a cardboard box with a motif imprinted on it-I guess it is the design from the central ring of the Dolce Vitas. Inside the box is some literature on Delta, and two further boxes with the pen and some cartridges. The packaging is nowhere near as nice as that of the DVs. Even for a functional packaging, it is not in the Lamy 2000 league. I do care a bit about packaging, and this is certainly not the best of what I have come across so far.

 

Design and Built (09/10)

 

The pen itself is nicely built, and is nestled in a spongy bed. It is made of high quality resin with rhodium trims. The one I have got is in black colour scheme. The cap is turned from a solid bar of black resin, whilst the body is translucent with black design. The translucent acrylic has some nice depth to it. The central ring is similar to that of the DV and is probably made of sterling silver. Unlike the DVs, the cap is missing the small wheel at the end, and there is no cap rings. Overall, this is a nice looking pen-quintessentially Delta.

Nib (09/10)

 

The pen comes with a steel nib. The nib had some skipping issues in the first few strokes but has been smooth since then. As with all steel nibs, there is no flex, but lays down nice wet line.

 

I have also attached pictures of the Kristal with its more celebrated cousin. Enjoy!