Diplomat Aero Beautiful But Not For Everyone

[httpmom]

I bought this pen because it was extraordinarily beautiful and being German I figured it was probably really well made. It is indeed beautiful, one of the most handsome pens I've ever purchased. It's charmingly retro while still being rather nicely contemporary in design. As it was aluminum (and not being the sort of girl who always pays strict attention to specs) I made the big assumption that it would be somewhat light weight. Wrong. This is a HEAVY pen. It's also BIG. Nothing wrong with that...some writers love a big heavy pen and this one would suit someone with large metacarpals very nicely. I'm not one of them. I really really wanted to LOVE this pen as it was a gift from my husband...but I just can't love this pen. Here are the reasons.

 

THE GOOD:

 

It's a show stopper. The Matt Silver reeks of luxury days gone by in a most appealing manor, almost 'steampunk' in character.

 

The proprietary converter holds a lot of ink and is mechanically flawless, actually a dream.

 

The steel nib, as well as being both wet and smooth also has a nice tooth when put to paper. It too is a thing of beauty. Love the flower logo. The F writes more like a European/American M if you are used to Japanese pens. That's not the pens fault, just an observation.

 

The packaging is fairly upper crust, as one would expect from a pen in this price category. Very sleek anodized aluminum sleeve (It matches the pen body) over a heavy paper board with a white satin Diplomat flower logo cushioning on the interior.

 

THE NOT SO GOOD:

 

The balance is good but VERY heavy, even unposted which can easily lead to the pen rolling off your work surface. Not a happy event. My hands are petite and a big pen does not always work well for me. It's so weighty that it becomes a challenge for me to write comfortably for more than a short time.

 

The section is so slick it's like an ice rink that has just been gone over with a Zamboni machine making it arduous to keep your grip on the sweet spot. I thought about putting some medical tape around the thing but what would be the point of that? It's a $200 pen, the section should be more than satisfactory.

 

The nib is stiff. Absolutely no hint of flex. It's personal, I know but I love me some flex in a pen

 

CONCLUSION:

 

The Aero is a beauty to behold but not to hold. It reminds me of when I find I must wear high heels to a smart function...I may look like a million bucks but I feel like I belong in traction on a hospital bed. In the end I will be selling this pen. I am not a collector, so it is my personal habit to sell any pen that I don't love enough to place in my regular rotation. The Aero may be great for some writers but it does not make the grade for me. It is so beautiful but as they say "if you wanna be happy for the rest of your life don't pick a pretty woman to be your wife."

 

Here is a sample of writing with the Diplomat Aero inked with Caran

 

Caran d'Ache ULTRA VIOLET...a delightful ink. And A picture of the stunning pen.

Edited July 27, 2015 by httpmom

[Frank C]

After hearing many good things about Diplomat pens on FPN, I bought an Excellence in Chrom. While it is a nice pen, it didn't really change my life. The steel nib is stiff, but that is to be expected with stainless steel nibs.

 

I do find your pen to be attractive. I just don't see any need to purchase another Diplomat pen.

[Jamerelbe]

I bought a Diplomat Excellence from a local Australian retailer back in June, when they were having a 25% off sale - it was too good a price to pass up, and the pen is now my #1 pick. A 'Marrakesh' finish, rather than the standard black. I liked it so much that I decided to go for the Aero as well (I had some birthday money up my sleeve) - and it arrived a couple of weeks ago. The brown Aero appealed to me more so than the silver, so that's what I went for - and was really pleased to see it arrive!

 

I really love both these pens. I could only get them with a Medium nib, which is normally not my preference, but they write so smoothly that I'll happily 'forgive' the wider line (actually, I quite enjoy it!). I like their substantial feel, too - as @httpmom points out, they're not light pens! - though I prefer to use them unposted.

 

Different strokes for different folks - if you're not keen on heavier pens these WON'T be for you, and the metal grip of the Aero takes a little getting used to. But I'm happy to 'vote' for these pens as among my all-time favourites. Planning to put up a review or two when I get time - but time has been in short supply lately!

[Frank C]

I bought a Diplomat Excellence from a local Australian retailer back in June, when they were having a 25% off sale - it was too good a price to pass up, and the pen is now my #1 pick. A 'Marrakesh' finish, rather than the standard black. I liked it so much that I decided to go for the Aero as well (I had some birthday money up my sleeve) - and it arrived a couple of weeks ago. The brown Aero appealed to me more so than the silver, so that's what I went for - and was really pleased to see it arrive!

 

I really love both these pens. I could only get them with a Medium nib, which is normally not my preference, but they write so smoothly that I'll happily 'forgive' the wider line (actually, I quite enjoy it!). I like their substantial feel, too - as @httpmom points out, they're not light pens! - though I prefer to use them unposted.

 

Different strokes for different folks - if you're not keen on heavier pens these WON'T be for you, and the metal grip of the Aero takes a little getting used to. But I'm happy to 'vote' for these pens as among my all-time favourites. Planning to put up a review or two when I get time - but time has been in short supply lately!

 

Most everyone on FPN likes them a lot. That's what prompted me to buy one.

[visvamitra]

I like the looks of this pen. I guess I'll have to try it one day

[ian1964]

I got a Diplomat Classic Collection from Martini Auctions for a measly 22 Euros a few months back, it is without doubt my favorite writing pen.

[Jamerelbe]

This is my brown version:

 

http://i.imgur.com/krvnzCh.jpg

 

Tastes may vary, but I love the aesthetic of the pen - though I confess, when I first saw it online I thought it looked a little odd!

 

One small caveat: the Diplomat logo is somehow 'painted' onto the top (finial?) of the pen - but mine has pretty much flaked / rubbed away as a consequence of sitting in pocket and pen wraps, and the writing at the base of the cap looks like it's going to do the same. Fine by me, I didn't think it added anything to the pen's appearance, but you may think otherwise...

[mehandiratta]

I bought this pen because it was extraordinarily beautiful and being German I figured it was probably really well made. It is indeed beautiful, one of the most handsome pens I've ever purchased. It's charmingly retro while still being rather nicely contemporary in design. As it was aluminum (and not being the sort of girl who always pays strict attention to specs) I made the big assumption that it would be somewhat light weight. Wrong. This is a HEAVY pen. It's also BIG. Nothing wrong with that...some writers love a big heavy pen and this one would suit someone with large metacarpals very nicely. I'm not one of them. I really really wanted to LOVE this pen as it was a gift from my husband...but I just can't love this pen. Here are the reasons.

 

THE GOOD:

 

It's a show stopper. The Matt Silver reeks of luxury days gone by in a most appealing manor, almost 'steampunk' in character.

 

The proprietary converter holds a lot of ink and is mechanically flawless, actually a dream.

 

The steel nib, as well as being both wet and smooth also has a nice tooth when put to paper. It too is a thing of beauty. Love the flower logo. The F writes more like a European/American M if you are used to Japanese pens. That's not the pens fault, just an observation.

 

The packaging is fairly upper crust, as one would expect from a pen in this price category. Very sleek anodized aluminum sleeve (It matches the pen body) over a heavy paper board with a white satin Diplomat flower logo cushioning on the interior.

 

THE NOT SO GOOD:

 

The balance is good but VERY heavy, even unposted which can easily lead to the pen rolling off your work surface. Not a happy event. My hands are petite and a big pen does not always work well for me. It's so weighty that it becomes a challenge for me to write comfortably for more than a short time.

 

The section is so slick it's like an ice rink that has just been gone over with a Zamboni machine making it arduous to keep your grip on the sweet spot. I thought about putting some medical tape around the thing but what would be the point of that? It's a $200 pen, the section should be more than satisfactory.

 

The nib is stiff. Absolutely no hint of flex. It's personal, I know but I love me some flex in a pen

 

CONCLUSION:

 

The Aero is a beauty to behold but not to hold. It reminds me of when I find I must wear high heels to a smart function...I may look like a million bucks but I feel like I belong in traction on a hospital bed. In the end I will be selling this pen. I am not a collector, so it is my personal habit to sell any pen that I don't love enough to place in my regular rotation. The Aero may be great for some writers but it does not make the grade for me. It is so beautiful but as they say "if you wanna be happy for the rest of your life don't pick a pretty woman to be your wife."

 

Here is a sample of writing with the Diplomat Aero inked with Caran Diplomat Aero Sample 1.jpg

 

Caran d'Ache ULTRA VIOLET...a delightful ink. And A picture of the stunning pen.

Diplomat_Aero.jpgDiplomat_Aero_Nib.jpg

this one surely is a beauty....sadly grip is not to my liking...

[Martinsroom]

I'm another Aero convert, beautiful balance and I've found the metal section to be much grippier than most. I agree with the OP about it's pros and cons but having owned one now for some time I can say it rarely falls out of the rotation for long. The description of the logo rubbing off the finial has also happened to me but I prefer it's looks without the logo anyway.

[TheDutchGuy]

Newly acquired this pen. First impression is very positive. So far this is the only pen that comes close to my personal favorite (or perhaps even surpasses it in some areas), but let's see how I feel about it in a month or so.

[Preserved_Killick]

I have an Esteem ballpoint that I use at work. I like it's simple looks, and the matte black finish. I've ordered and am waiting for a Magnum fountain pen. The Aero is interesting, but it's a bit too blimp-like for me.

 

I would certainly consider acquiring the Excellence, again in matte black. I wonder how it compares in size to another pen on my wishlist -- the Otto Hutt Design 06.

[Aysedasi]

I've been hankering after the orange one, but haven't got round to it - I obviously don't want it enough. I picked up an Excellence last year second-hand and it's very nice, although I'd have preferred a broad nib to the medium that's installed. I find it a very good writer and for me, the fact that there isn't a hint of flex was to be expected - and frankly applauded.

 

 

One small caveat: the Diplomat logo is somehow 'painted' onto the top (finial?) of the pen - but mine has pretty much flaked / rubbed away as a consequence of sitting in pocket and pen wraps, and the writing at the base of the cap looks like it's going to do the same. Fine by me, I didn't think it added anything to the pen's appearance, but you may think otherwise...

 

Finish does seem to be an issue with some Diplomats. I have a blue Balance where the blue outer coating has chipped off in several places and I would refute any suggestion that I'm somehow hard or careless with my pens. This was from light everyday usage.

Edited February 14, 2018 by Aysedasi

[TheDutchGuy]

Bought the pen yesterday. After having written about 10 A5 pages with it yesterday and another 6 or 7 today, in addition to using the pen for quick notes on a variety of paper (including Post-It's and run-of-the-mill office paper), here's what I think now. For the record, mine's got a M steel nib.

 

Using Diamine Aqua Lagoon ink, the nib is nice and juicy and would appear to be on the wetter side of things. On cheaper paper, there is show-through. It's a very, very nice writer, also during long sessions. Despite the juicy nib, the converter can easily last 2 days. An improvement area is the nib's sensitivity to skin oils: the more you get to the bottom of a page, the more the pen skips some parts of some letters. If you put a separate piece of paper under your palm, the pen never skips.

 

Then I flushed the pen and changed to a run-of-the-mill blue cartridge from Schneider. This is a cheap ink aimed at school- and office-use. With my Kaweco AL Sport with F nib (a much-used, well-worn nib, my all-time favourite pen), this ink punches way above its weight, with a thick, juicy, deep-blue and rich colour which suggests a M nib instead of F. This ink shouldn't be this good, but in that pen, it is. However, in the Diplomat Aero, this same ink is pretty useless. The nib becomes bone-dry and the ink becomes bland and monotonous. The spread is reduced to something more resembling a F nib, i.e. The opposite effect from the Kaweco. When I tried the pen in the store with a common Lamy blue, the spread and flow were consistent with a M nib. Strange. I then thoroughly cleaned the feeder and the nib and tried again. Better, wetter, but still on the dry side of things. Hypothesis: when changing from Diamine Aqua Lagoon to another ink, remnants persist and require thorough cleaning. Even so, the Aero is sensitive to the ink you use, and much more so than my other pens (Kaweco AL Sport F and Classic Sport F, Cross Townsend M, Sheaffer Targa 14k M). Tomorrow I intend to get some Waterman blue, which should be on the wetter side and flow really well. Let's see what that brings,

 

Conclusion for now: this pen lends itself to intensive use and can be a real workhorse, but it is quite sensitive to skin oils, to the ink you use and to the paper you use. It's as if the pen says: "hey, I'm a really really good pen - if you feed me (bleep) ink, I'll give you (bleep) results, but if you give me great ink and great paper, then I will reward you".

 

Will report back in a week or so, which will add another 10-odd hours of use, some new inks and some new paper.