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Hi all a couple of years ago I bought a Delta Dolce Vita Federico Oversize and love everything about it (except one point see below) especially the orange glow of the barrel however after the first few months of using it periodically I got fed-up with the pen and it is sitting in the glass box it came with on display in my cabinet ever since. I cannot take the C.Converter of this pen as this pen drains/drinks ink like a waterfall, i often have to refill every week or less and what made it worst the pen cannot be converted into an eyedropper (well "technically" it can but too many places to seal up) but the nib is a beautiful 14k gold M and butter smooth. So I am thinking of fitting this delta #8 nib on to any affordable pen that has high or decent ink capacity and use it (can be any filling type and preferably a demonstrator). Any pen suggestion you know of that fits a #8 delta nib besides a custom made/turned pen ? My last resort is to sell the pen and let it find a new home since I rarely use it.

It looks a little funny to me.

Greetings, FPNr's, Recently listed on FPN a dozen handsome, gorgeous pens. *** There is still one great pen available at special Sale price until midnight, PST, Monday, April 20, 2020. To further 'sweeten the deal', I will include one new, unused bottle of Birmingham ink. Your choice of one of 2 colors I have available. *** Delta Federico Fellini LE Masuyama CI F 18K gold nib Very unique limited edition pen in a handsome marbled brown-black celluloid and black cap with sterling silver trim including 3 images from some of Fellini's great films. Nibwork and new sac by the world renowned nibmeister, Michael Masuyama. Never filled, since Masuyama's work. Check it out at: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/classifieds/item/56049-sale-delta-fellini-le-masuyama-nib-bonus/ *** Send me a PM message or email if you are interested in purchasing or have any questions. *** You will get quick response this way. *** Purchase with confidence as I'm #4 ranked top FPN member feedback-wise (see FPN home page, right side column). *** Thanks, Mark

Hey folks, got a conundrum here. I got this older Delta fountain pen in today and I haven't been able to find any information online. The only thing I know is that it uses the older Delta handscript logo, meaning it's likely pre-2000, but that's all I've got. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

Hello there. I wanted to share a new pen I've just acquired: My friend recently traveled to Rome for the occasion of John Henry Newman's canonization two Sundays ago. I sent him along with some money, figuring I could get an Italian pen to mark the occasion and his trip, and it be a little more meaningful to me than just buying it outright. The pen he ended up selecting was one he found at a gift shop in the Vatican Museums, a new Delta Musei Vaticani Edizioni. Pen: Delta Musei Vaticani Edizioni Ink: Graf von Faber-Castell India Red Paper: Hobonichi Cousin / Tomoe River We all know, or at least it is my understanding, that Delta is not actively producing pens anymore. I therefore believe that the Vatican Museums might have a back inventory of Delta pens that they are continuing to sell; or perhaps Delta, or some successor or remnant or owner, is able to produce very small batches for very specific clients still. The pen is a small and lovely little thing: 5 and 1/4 inches capped. It's a lovely red resin, that seems almost matte or like it's ebonite in low-light; but in direct light it rather gleams. The nib is marked with MV for "Musei Vaticani" and the papal coat of arms. There is no size marking, but it appears to me that it is a stainless steel medium. The nib and all trim are a nice silver color. Some materials that I found online indicates that it is palladium-coated. There is a metal cap band with the text "Musei Vaticani", and there is a jewel in the cap with the seal of the Vatican Museums. There is a small and subtle engraving on the back of the cap that says "Delta Italy", and beneath it, a little more obvious, is 0407--which might be a limited edition number. A nice touch which I particularly enjoy: the cap and the end cap of the barrel both have a very small ring of black resin as a contrast marker. I found online that there is a previous edition of this pen that was made in all black resin, with the same small contrast rings in red resin. So in a way, I take this pen to be the "inverse" of that one. The pen came with a delta converter and cartridges: I inked it with Graf von Faber-Castell India Red, and it wrote perfectly immediately. Very smooth nib with a healthy flow, but not too wet. I haven't been regularly buying steel nib pens for the last several years, so the performance of this nib is actually astoundingly good to me. My friend said that they have others of these pens in the Vatican Museums gift shops (along with a rollerball model)--but that they have separate inventory in the many gift shops spread throughout the museums. So if you are in the Vatican right now, and want one--walk around and visit them all if one in particular says they are out. All-in-all, I love the pen, especially as it was a marker of my friend's trip. It makes me miss Delta, and wish that I had bought a Delta before now!

In the past I I read with interest write-ups about one's collection. I thought to share mine as I am reflecting on the hobby. I have been heavily invested into fountain pens since 2005. Do not ask me why. I just got the bug. Initially focused on collecting, then in more recent years trying to find the perfect writers. I think I can now narrow down my inseparable fountain pens into the following 15. Let me share with you what makes them special to me. I will start from the left: 1. Visconti Ripple in Blue Silver (BB Palladium nib): this is a classic early model from Visconti (not to be confused with the equally appealing Watermark) with a silver overlay that is colored in blue with a technique used in the auto-industry. At that time, it was quite a feat. One of Del Vecchio's creations. The added bonus is the double broad palladium nib, smooth and stubbish. It is an heavy pen but I do not mind. Provenance: Peytonstreet Pens (2018). 2. Visconti Ripple Carbon Fiber (M Palladium nib). This was a collaboration between Visconti and an Italian company specializing in carbon fiber for sport cars (Carbon Dream, the logo of Carbon Dream appears on the cap finial). The nib has a very good flow and it is a pleasure to write with. Provenance: private seller in China. 3. Visconti Opera Master Demo (18K F Nib). This is another classic model, quite heavy, and the surprise was the nib. I do not usually like fine nibs but this is really wet and leaves a satisfying line on the paper. Provenance: Eurobox in Tokyo. 4. Visconti Homo Sapiens London Fog (M Palladium nib). It is one of the most balanced models in terms of lenght and weight. Born to write. The gray swirls to me are very attractive aesthetically. The nib has a very good flow (almost a and comes with a hint of feedback that is not bad. Provenance: private seller from Spain. 5. Visconti Homo Sapiens Jade (14k B nib modified). This might look like a boring repetition of the previous model, but it comes with a nib with a story. It is an old 14k nib, super smooth, that was modified by Nagahara Jr, a famous nibmeister previously working for Sailor, with his signature cut that provides line variation according to the angle you hold the pen. Perhaps just a gimmick if you do not write in Chinese or Japanese, but the nib is even smoother than before. Provenance: Martini Pens in Germany. 6. Pilot Custom Urushi Vermillion (B 18k nib). I remember how this model was talked about back in 2015 in stores in Tokyo before its release. It was much anticipated. A new model from Pilot does not happen every day. It turned out to be an oversize version of Pilot's previous flagship, the 845 Urushi, with a spectacular new nib, a number 30 nib (smaller than the Emperor's nib, but larger than the nib on the Yukary's pens). The nib is very bouncy, leading to flex (which I am not interested) and I love the generous flow. Provenance: Morita Pens in Osaka (2017). 7. Delta Dolcevita Piston Filler Maraviglia (BB 14k nib). I generally like Dolcevita pens from now-defunct Delta. But this is phenomenal because of the combination of a very attractive material (a turquoise celluloid) and the stubbish smooth BB nib. Provenance: ebay auction (from a former member of this board). 8. Sailor King of Pen Urushi Vermillion (B 21k Nib). I find the minimalist style and the size of this pen very attractive. One special feature: it never dries! I left the pen inked and untouched for months and would always write even after a long period of non-use. Super smooth nib. Provenance: Aesthetics Bay, Singapore (2016). 9. Nakaya Neo Standard Arai-shu (M 14k nib, reground). I have several Nakayas, but this is my favorite because of the nib. It came with a cursive italics nib that I hated (too crisp). A nibmeister during an event in Japan was able to smooth it and now is a beautiful medium stub, with very distinct line variation. Only downside, a lot of turns to open or close. Provenance: private seller on FPN market. 10. Hakase green celluloid and white buffalo horn (18k "stub" nib). Hakase is an artisan company in Tottori. The current maker is the third generation and basically he runs one-man operation. I first read about Hakase in this forum and I was left fascinated. Then one day actually I included Tottori in an itinerary in Japan and I ordered my first one (the next pen). This is my last Hakase, ordered during an event in Tokyo back in March 2018. Ryo Yamamoto, the current maker, is a very able nibmeister. All nibs were adjusted to my writing posture and they are all incredibly smooth. The writing experience with these nibs is very pleasant. 11. Hakase green celluloid (18k B nib). This is the model I ordered during my first encounter with Ryo in his shop in Tottori in 2015 (and delivered in Tokyo one year later). Magnificent smooth nib. I probably exaggerated by adding the possibility to post an already quite long pen. It can work as a desk pen. 12. Hakase in black buffalo horn (18k M nib). This is a very sleek and balanced model. The nib is M with a hint of stub, another extraordinarily unique nib. I ordered it in Tokyo in 2016 during the meeting to take delivery of the first pen and got it again in Tokyo in March 2017. 13. Omas Paragon gray celluloid 90th anniversary (18k BBB nib). I have been a big Omas fan and collector. For many years Omas pens were the only ones I ever used. Now I have only one in this definitive list, but there might have been more. The gray celluloid has some incredible depths and the faceted Paragon is just a timeless elegant design, according to my taste. The nib is an incredible stub, but very smooth. Provenance: trade with a collector in Taiwan (2018). 14. Pelikan M1000 with aftermarket raden decoration (18k F nib). This is my first Pelikan and it immediately made it to the list. The first reason is about aesthetics: the raden work is so clever. The raden was cut to resemble small nibs and they are perfectly arranged on the body and the cap. I immediately liked the creativity of this decoration. The raden work was made by Mr Iwase, a Japanese maker that is quite famous nowadays for these modifications. The second reason is that the F nib actually writes like an M with a very generous flow and meets my requirements. Provenance: Mr Iwase from a pen show (2019). 15. Newton Shinobi (with Omas 18k BB nib). This was a custom pen commissioned to Newton using one of his most popular models. My goal was to re-create a pen with an Omas vibe (hence the semi-transparent celluloid) and to host a terrific double broad Omas nib. The pen had some problems. I had to send it to a repairer that fixed it. Notwithstanding the ordeal, it still makes it to the list because of the nib (that I may transfer to a regular Omas pen in the future). Now, reflecting on the hobby, I think that I reached my level of satisfaction. It is more and more difficult to fall for a new pen, especially with a large collection of pens that do not get any use sitting on the side. I do not regret anything about my journey because apart from the occasional adrenaline rush, thanks to this hobby I made friends and I learnt about cultures and crafts.

Hi all, I have a very sentimental Delta pen that was gifted to me. Recently the clip broke off of the cap. Delta has gone out of business so I can't replace the cap or get Delta to fix it. Does anyone have ideas of where/how I can get this fixed in Canada or the USA? See photos. Thank you!!

This is my own pen. I did not receive any compensation for this review. This pen is available to hire through pensharing.com. Looks, description, build quality, dimensions This is my limited edition (number 14 of 25) Delta Fantasia Vintage. It's made completely from turquoise blue celluloid, has a fine number 6 rhodium plated steel nib (there is an option to have a gold nib, at additional cost), and rhodium plated clip and cap band. The cap band is fairly slim and carries a "Greek key" pattern. The clip has a little scroll work and a rollerball and is firm but not overly stiff. There are chrome rings just behind the threads and below the blind cap at the end of the barrel. The finial is in a cone shape whilst the end of the blind cap is rounded off. The nib carries the simple Delta logo, name and nib size, with no other markings or engraving. The celluloid is absolutely sensational, the turquoise colour is gorgeous. As you rotate the pen in your hand there appears to be four distinct sections to the celluloid - on two of those, the celluloid has a deep 3-D stripey effect; on the other two it's more muted but still lovely. You can spend hours just rotating the pen in hand, waiting for it to catch the light in a certain way. The pen comes in a variety of celluloids, all limited to 25 pieces: Brown (the only pen which comes with gold trimGreen (with black marbling - verde variegato)BordeauxTurquoise (now sold out)Red (with blue marbling)Green (verde scuro) L-R, the colours described above, from the cover of the accompanying booklet. The build quality is fabulous, it feels beautifully made. The only minor disappointment is the clip: from the front it's a nice shape, with the roller ball and scroll work, but side on it looks rather thin and flimsy, compared to say a Montegrappa clip. Dimensions are: Capped 135mm, 28g (Lamy Safari 139mm, 18g)Uncappped 123mm, 18g (Lamy Safari 128mm, 10g)Posted 148mm (Lamy Safari 164mm)Other: barrel width 14mm (at its widest point just behind the threads), section width 11mm (at its narrowest concave point), section length 21mm (including threads), nib length 23mmStory behind the pen I first saw this on Instagram, on Edwin PG's feed (@fountain.gem). He had just purchased 3 different ones: the turquoise, the brown and the marbled red. Photo credit: @fountain.gem on Instagram I instantly fell in love and knew that I had to have one.. I didn't realise this before purchasing but the pens are made by Salvatore Matrone in collaboration with Stefano Senatore (owner of Stilograph Corsani, retailer of fine writing instruments since 1924, in Rome). Salvatore is, of course, the founder of the sensational new pen company Leonardo, and is the son of Ciro Matrone, one of the founders of Delta. So the pedigree of the pen is impeccable! I emailed Stefano to enquire about the pen and he responded to all of my questions quickly and with great enthusiasm and we established a great rapport. Once I placed the order it arrived extremely quickly. Awesome customer service all round! Feel in the hand Celluloid is a beautiful, silky smooth material which is warm to the touch so naturally the pen feels great in the hand. And because the section is also celluloid it means that you benefit from that same feeling whilst you are actually writing. The circumference of the section is slightly larger than I prefer (and the same with the nib size at number 6, I find number 5 is my sweet spot) however I knew this before purchasing the pen is not in any way a hindrance to getting a comfortable grip. It's quite a light pen unposted so no fatigue from long writing sessions. Filling / refilling I believe the term for the filling system on this pen is "captive converter". It's essentially a cartridge converter except that the twister is longer than on a traditional cartridge converter, is metal rather than plastic, and can be accessed by unscrewing the blind cap at the bottom of the barrel. The barrel also unscrews so you can fill it as you would a normal CC if you prefer. So you have the look and feel of a piston filler and the convenience of a cartridge converter. Clever! The one minor downside is that because the "piston knob" is not an integral part of the barrel, it does have a slight rattle if you tap the pen in that area. Nib feel on the paper / ink flow The steel nib is absolutely superb and wrote beautifully straight out of the box. It's got enough feedback that you can feel you're actually writing but does feel lovely and smooth. Flow is on the wet side, in fact perfectly so. Line width / variation The steel nib is firm and doesn't offer anything in the way of line variation. It's a genuine fine line. Here's the comparison to the Lamy Safari F. They're pretty much identical: Top: Lamy Safari F; Bottom: Delta Fantasia Vintage How does it make your handwriting look I love the slightly wetter flow. Maybe this contributes to me slowing down my writing pace a touch, which means a bit more care. Whilst I don't have particularly "nice" writing, it does contribute to it looking its best. Value for money At the €300 mark, the choice is almost limitless: Pelikan, Montegrappa, Visconti, Sailor, Aurora, Pilot - all the great names have lots to offer in this price bracket. Many will be gold nibbed piston fillers but I haven't seen any other celluloid pens out there (you might be lucky and pick up a used celluloid Montegrappa from eBay at that price). The really hot celluloids to have right now are: Leonardo Momento Zero (piston filler, gold nib)Montegrappa Colori Del Mare (based on the Extra 1930, piston filler, gold nib)But both these pens command a much higher price: the Leonardo at around €700, the Montegrappa at around $800. So if you just want the material but not the piston filler or gold nib then this really is the only choice. Conclusion / recommendation The celluloid on this pen is the undoubted star of the show. It is stunningly beautiful. It is hand made by one of the leading lights in the fountain pen community, Salvatore Matrone. It was also amazing value for money at €300 and the buying experience from Stefano was smooth and handled with care and charm. For that price though, you have to sacrifice the gold nib, sterling silver trim and genuine piston filler, but they are sacrifices well worth making. Overall, I love this pen - I'm delighted to have been able to have obtained one of such a limited run of pens and I would buy them all if I could!

I recently bought a Delta Colosseum with lever filling system. I had to return the pen because the pen wouldn't write. I cleaned the pen with water. I submerged the pen in ink and pulled out the lever. Kept the pen submerged to allow the pen to fill up. I cleaned the nib and started to write with it. I was able to write for maybe 1 minute. After 1 minute of writing, ink wouldn't come out of the nib. I tested the filling system by emptying the pen using the lever. I used a paper towel to catch all the ink. I filled, wrote, and emptied the pen five times. Each time the pen would fill up and write for 1-2 minutes max. What's the problem with the pen? Unfortunately, I don't have the pen because I returned it. The seller tells me there is nothing wrong with the pen. He tells me that I might be putting too much pressure on the nib. If I am putting too much pressure on the nib then why was I able to write with it for couple minutes. What could have been an issue with the pen? Feed problems? It would be great if someone with a Colosseum could respond.

Hello everyone, I have recently acquired this interesting Delta Dolcevita, but I cant find the exact model anywhere, and I really searched online a lot. It is a piston filler, and is 143mm long. It is very similar to the Soiree, but all of those I saw had orange accents. Here are some pictures that I hope will help. I am very thankful for any input!

I am not sure it this is right place to post this question. So, Moderator, if you wish to move, please do. I have a lovely Delta Horsepower given to me for Christmas by my daughter. But it has an EF steel nib. While it is a nice, wet nib, I really prefer stub/italic nibs. So I would like to see if it can be swapped out. I have a few questions that I would appreciate input on: 1). Has anyone else had success in swapping out a Delta nib? 2). Can the nib/feed section be removed? Or are they glued in place? If removable, is there another brand of nib/feed section that would fit (i.e. Franklin-Christoph, etc.)? 3). Is the nib itself removable? 4). It appears that the Delta nib in the pen is a #6. What other #6 nib would you recommend? 5). Any other thoughts/considerations/recommendations? I love this pen, and especially since it was given to me by my daughter. I could live with the EF nib, if there is no other alternative. Thank you for your input!

Ink Review of Levenger Forest Green. Levenger markets a variety of high end items including leather briefcases, purses, etc., desk accessories, stationery items, pens and ink for the discerning affluent. While I am certainly not affluent, I do like several of their products. Levenger makes a number of different color inks, most of which have been reviewed by others. I purchased a box of standard international cartridges in Forest Green prior to Christmas and wanted to try the ink. Levenger Forest Green is a very dark green, tending towards black. It does have cyan undertones (see Water Test), and does have a red sheen in heavy concentration (see ink drop), but the sheen isn't seen in writing, even when I used it with Tomoe River paper. The color is satisfying to the eye, but, sadly, the ink is not well behaved. It bleeds through on most papers, as well as shows through on most. It feathers badly on poor notebook paper, and even shows some feathering on better papers. I used my Delta Journal with wet fine nib for the review below. This pen works well with almost every ink I have, except for this ink. The ink does not flow well to the nib, causing the pen to drag and skip. I also used this ink in my Lamy Studio with 14K nib (another wet nib), and had the same issues. Here is my hand written review. I am sad to say that I was not impressed with this ink.

Greetings ~ Was reading November posts in the Fountain & Dip Pens - First Stop forum about Delta and questions about whether they went out of business. Since they are an Italian company, I thought perhaps someone here might know. Thank you in advance!

ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2017 I CALLED YAFA PENS BECAUSE I HAD HOPED TO PURCHASE/OBTAIN A PART FOR ONE OF MY DELTA PENS. MY CALL WAS TAKEN BY CLARA CORNETT (TO WHOM I HAD SPOKEN IN THE PAST. SHE INFORMED ME THAT IT WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE BECAUSE DELTA HAD SHUT THEIR DOORS TO WHICH i REPLIED "WOW".

ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2017 I CALLED YAFA PENS BECAUSE I HAD HOPED TO PURCHASE/OBTAIN A PART FOR ONE OF MY DELTA PENS. MY CALL WAS TAKEN BY CLARA CORNETT (TO WHOM I HAD SPOKEN IN THE PAST. SHE INFORMED ME THAT IT WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE BECAUSE DELTA HAD SHUT THEIR DOORS TO WHICH i REPLIED "WOW".

Hello everybody! After few years of great performance of my Delta Alfa Romeo, it has now started leaking from the barrel. I'm attaching pictures to better show the issue. What's going on? Would I be able to repair it? If not, who could? Thank you! V

Like others, I have had difficult experiences with Martmeodena, which I have previously chronicled. When they were just selling Delta pens, I found them to be as attractive as ever, but of less than perfect quality. I am not aware of any involvement by Aurora, and, as to Visconti, their customer issues stand on their own. If Martmodena has compounded their problems, yet another reason to avoid these people. I have long admired the beauty of many Italian pen makers and am certain that most manufacturers and dealers are completely reputable. There are, it seems, some who are not. My reaction has been to avoid Martemodena, Delta and Visconti completely. It is ironic, because, some while back, I wrote a very favorable article about Visconti. Issues with things like getting the desired nib drove me, first, to email Dante del Vecchio - whose reaction was why was I bothering him. Then, I sold off my Viscontis, save one very early ballpoint. BTW, Signor del Vecchio is now designing another line (too?) - see the Fahrney's catalogue. I have also sold all my Deltas, save one ballpoint. My reactions reflect my mistrust, and I would not suggest that anyone copy them. I would strongly suggest, however, that before making any purchases from these people that you are securely backstopped so that you can withdraw easily and quickly. Fultz used to wish us "good hunting." Especially true here, I think.

So, I bought a Delta Y2K Carbon Fibre special edition off of the 'Bay with an 18k broad nib. Pen came in today, I busted out the loupe to take a look at the nib, and... Seemingly an attempt to grind an oblique italic and it looks more like the nib was dragged down the road behind a car for a couple of kilometres. This is why you practice on cheap pens, kiddies.

Hi everyone! I recently got my first Delta Pen … I got lucky, and had the chance to get a Delta Unica pen in a very good condition, but … After I tried to draw out the nib, the grip section got loose and now I have a resin tube (formerly grip sectin) and the nibhousing with nib and feed. I do not see any rests of glue or something else, so I am thinking about, how to fix the grip to the nibhousing again, because, if I do not fix it, the grip section constantly turns around … Should I use a strong adhesive, to glue the resin tube to the nibhousing or should I just use kind of a schellack??! Perhaps, here are some Delta pros that might help … Best wishes and happy writing! Daniel

Hi everyone. I'm hoping someone more experienced than me can help me out here. I recently picked up what I believe to be a Delta pen in a local thrift store. It's in fantastic condition but I cannot find any information about the model or year it might have been from. Can anyone help me identify it? Pics are below but here's a litte more info: It's an extremely slim pen and has a Waterman Mini Lady ink cartridge inside. There is a "D" logo on the top of the cap and the bottom of the cap says "Delta." There are no markings at all on the nib. Any ideas? I've tried posting in various Facebook groups and I even sent the pics and a message to Delta but have had no luck identifying this pen so far. Thanks everyone!

Hi Fellow Pen lovers, I am new here and need some advice. I bought myself a Delta Passion during a visit to Florence a few years ago. I have always been satisfied with the cartridge until I was introduced to the beauty of bottled inks. Now I want to use my Passion with some of my beautiful special inks but I don't have a cartridge/converter for it. Can someone advise me which converter I should be looking for to put into my pen, please? In anticipation - Robyn

I have owned a Delta Dolce Vita for several years, orange, not exactly sure if there's a model, but it is piston/bottle fill only, i.e., no cartridge or converter. Ever since I purchased it, the threads on the cap have stuck. Sadly, I recently was trying to open the stuck pen, and it broke in half below the threads at the natural juncture - the "break" is actually inside, per the attached picture. It was actually a fairly clean break and the pieces go back together fairly well - see second pic. Questions: 1. Has anyone ever tried to super-glue this type of break? Seems unlikely it would hold ink, but perhaps worth a try. 2. If not repairable, anyone have any idea if it's possible to get a replacement body, or a body from some other pen, that would accept the nib and filler mechanism? I hate to give up on a $500 pen, but perhaps all is lost. I'd welcome any suggestions.

Tempted by its style and design - after all, it's Made in Italy - I bought a Delta Vintage pen on eBay. Amber resin is very beautiful, and the two tone "fusion nib" (a steel nib with a partial gold-plated overlay) looked very smart. However: a) the space in the barrel is very short - so it won't take any converter the diameter of the section is just small enough that the standard short international cartridges slide right out. Looking very closely at the cross section of the cartridge, you will see that most of them taper to the nipple at the end, similar to a tapering candle. And so they slide out. c) the F nib supplied is more like a medium, at least to my taste. I write small and fine, so I often have to find an EF nib. Solutions: corresponding with Yafa, the distributor in the US, they sent me some Monteverde small cartridges. After all, paying the postage to get Delta cartridges was out of the question and, also, I like to use shades of blue that don't come in cartridges. If you look closely, the Monteverde (and Delta) cartridges look like a telescope in profile - the part that is closest to the nipple has a slightly smaller diameter. It makes all the difference. i also found that the Monteverde mini converter will fit in the section and the barrel, although the piston cannot extend fully. It will hold enough ink to make it useful, but if you're traveling, you may want to invest in the cartridges, just in case. I found a Knox #5 EF nib, and replaced the fusion nib supplied with the pen. Yafa had offered to get me a Delta nib replacement, but it would have been way more expensive. This cost me - with postage - less than $12. RESULT: A beautiful pen that writes as fine as I like, using ink that pleases me! The Knox nib performs very well. ADVICE: It was probably more work than it was worth, but if you're addicted... need I say more?

My Italian father-in-law owned this super-slim metal fountain pen (apologies for the Flickr links): https://flic.kr/p/RQPihT It says "Delta" on the cap, but it's a world away from the Dolce Vita (https://flic.kr/p/Rs5Xsh). It's Sailor-Chalana sized and, indeed, takes the same slim cartidges ( ). It's all metal, with some very nice bevelling and the clip is reminiscent of the Aurora Hastil ( ). The collar has become corroded, but it has an interesting rounded nib ( ) and still writes with a beautiful, wet fine line. I've read here that Delta basically erased their history in the mid-90s and started again. So is this an example of one of their early-80s pens? Anyone know the model name or number? Any other examples of early Delta pens?