Delta Titanio

[jbn10161]

This is a review of a pen that I have had for several months, the Delta Titanio.

 

The Titanio is a handsomely designed pen. It has modern lines and proportions. The brushed metal rings around the blind cap and cap are a nice touch with the brushed gray color of the titanium nib. The clip, though, is shiny silver colored. On any other pen, it would be very nice, but it fails to match the appearance of the rings. The clip is nicely spring mounted. Even nicer, it extends to a line bisecting the top of the cap, which accentuates the modern sense of the design. The print on the cap is also well done. There is, in a dark gray to match the nibs and cap rings, the name of the manufacturer, the name of the model, the number of the pen (they are numbered, but not limited), and the country of origin—Italy.

 

The dimensions are manageably hefty. There’s no mistaking this for a slim pen, but it rests comfortably in the hand. The section and body are both wider than an Aurora Optima or Visconti Van Gogh. The pen is not particularly long, however. It is the same length capped as a Lamy 2000 (and longer than a Parker Duofold International).

 

The body is made of an unremarkable black plastic. It does not yet show any wear, but it also does not feel as hard as the plastic used in the Aurora 88, Optima, or Talentum. It has a nice feel that is not slick, but whether that means it is soft or not will be something that time or more knowledgeable contributors will judge. All threads are plastic.

 

The titanium nib, said to be made by Bock, is a full length, traditional wing-shouldered type nib with a round breathing hole and nice etching. It also has a nice, darkish gray color. The feed is not Ebonite.

 

It does not write very well. At least mine doesn’t. I have tried two separate nib/feed parts in the pen. One was a medium. It wrote haltingly and a little wide. The fine wrote far better out of the box. It was still a bit wide for a fine, but the tip had a nice shape. Unfortunately, it does not write reliably. It often does not write on an initial downstroke. Occasionally, it will not write on the second or third stroke, either. This was over an extended period of time, with comprehensive cleaning, and an ink (Omas black) that in my other pens flows well. (While the performance of the hardware was not impressive, Yafa’s customer service was.)

 

It is a screw-seated c/c filler.

 

As a matter of modern design and Italian pens, I would put the Titanio in the same group as the previous style (CA section) Omas Bologna and the Aurora Talentum. It has some nice modern features that those pens lack, notably the spring clip, brushed metal rings, and light writing on the black body. It does not actually write as well as the Bologna, however, and, whatever else it might be, a pen should write. It also does not write as well as the Talentum, nor does it have the Talentum’s build quality, including metal threading and a precise flow.

 

Neither the novelty nor flexibility of its titanium nib outweighs the problem with this pen’s performance. I’m going to keep it, because I have a little nest of Italian pens. But that’s the only reason.

 

Please pardon the phone camera quality of the images.

 

There's at least one other review in FPN at this time on the Titanio, and it's more positive than mine: click here.

Edited February 18, 2011 by jbn10161

[akrishna59]

thank you for a down to earth review, i always appreciate when members write reviews after a few weeks / months of writing with the pen rather than as soon as the doorbell rings to deposit the parcel.

 

sorry to hear that it's writing performance is not upto the mark, but it still is a nice looking understated elegant pen.

 

rgds.

 

krishna.

[mholve]

Interesting... Mine (a medium) writes divinely - and one of my favorite pens. With the right ink it shades like mad (probably because of the slightly flexy nib). It does have a hint of "friction" (I don't even want to call it tooth - more like writing with a pencil). Bummer you're having issues with yours - I find it to be a great pen, and I'm a sucker for anything titanium. The only thing that would make this pen better, IMO, would be a piston fill system. I'm almost tempted to buy another.

 

It is curious that the clip is silver rather than Ti like the rest of the furniture, but probably done for a good reason (cost, brittle Ti, etc.).

[michelim]

thanks for the review!!

[scratchofapen]

Hello,

i had an Titanio in black that had 2 nib-changes and in the end an complete exchange of the

pen, but none of the nibs wrote well. The last made a really loud noise like a nail on sandpaper

while writing, although the feeling wasn't that much scratchy. All have been hard starters.

In the end i sold it.

 

Some weeks ago i got my hands on an Galassia orange with an bended nib for an ridiculous small price, so i couldn't resist and obtained it as an testbed as a bended titanium nib is extremely hard do repair. Currently it is fitted with a spare nib of an Montblanc 146 (exactly the size and shape of the original nib).

 

I know it's some sort of Frankensteins monster, but the nib does not disturb the theme that much

as it is relative small compared to the size of the body and thanks to the bright orange rings.

I admit that wouldn't look as good on a only black body

 

Now it is a sweet wet writer that i use for new inks to test them.

 

 

BTW, hello, it's my fist post here ;0)

Edited March 13, 2013 by scratchofapen

[ttakacs]

 

BTW, hello, it's my fist post here ;0)

 

[OMASmaniac]

I would suggest you to send it back to Delta. I received a WONDERFUL client service when I sent them one of my pens even if it was not even covered by guarantee

[scratchofapen]

Yepp, Deltas client service is really good. As i said, the third time they send me a whole new pen.

 

Meanwhile i get used to the polished nib, somehow it goes well with the shiny clip.

Normally i'm against such a mixup as most of my pens are several decades old (although i have some modern ones)and i'm paying high attention to having only matching original parts on them. That's because i get most of my pens broken or not working. I have fun to restore and make them functional again. Don`t get me wrong, i'm no expert on that. In most cases an extensive polish, a nib-exchange,a new seal and some crack-repair is all that`s needed. For me a 40 year old pen is allowed to have some signs of use.

 

But in the end, hey, i got the Galassia as a lucky find for 20€ (bended nib!)on an auction site and used a spare part i already had ad hand. For a pen that had been fallen off my list already that way it' ok with me as an exception, as the pen isn't my daily writer.

[Thier.]

I have exactly the same pen but my nib is different .............