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Delta The Journal Brown


ugopvn

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Introduction

Delta The Journal come into a very nice packaging which meets and exceed the expectations.
The outer press-board sleeve is decorated with letters of various sizes and colors. This is a link to journalist profession to which the pen is dedicated.

 

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After removing the outer sleeve there is a black sober press-board box with just Delta logo on it.
Finally we get to a sturdy box with white velvet inlay. Besides the pen and the usual papers (booklet and warranty) , the box contains a black ink bottle.

The presentation is good and matches that of much more expensive pens.

 

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Appearance & Design (9/10)

The Journal has a subdued design for being Delta. It is surely not eye-catching as the Dolcevita or the Fusion 82.

No elaborated silver rings no flamboyant colours.
Nonetheless, as soon as you give a look to it, your eyes are drawn to the beautiful swirls of brown and ivory all over the resin body of the pen.
This is the perfect pen for whoever wanted a Delta but was too conservative to dare.
Lines are simple and let the material take the center of the stage.
The clip is handmade with elastic metal and has a little roll at the end to facilitate the insertion in a pocket.

 

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Construction & Quality (10/10)

This pen is very well constructed and assembled. Although lightweight it feels solid in the hand and promise to be a workhorse for everyday writing.

Weight & Dimensions (10/10)

Although I have large hands, I can use this pen un-posted (12.4 cm / 4.9 in) without troubles. The cap posts firmly and the pen (15.4 cm / 6in) remains well balanced.
As I mentioned before the pen is very light but sturdy and I have used (posted) for long writing sessions without any tiring of the hand.

 

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Nib & Performance (10/10)

Delta commercializes this pen with an harmonic steel nib in Europe and with a Fusion nib in US. Although I live in Europe I was able to get a Journal with an F Fusion nib. I made this choice because I was not a fan of the steel nib on the Delta Serena while I am a very happy user of a Fusion 82 and of a Dolcevita Fusion.
This time too, the Fusion nib did not let me down. It writes smoothly without skipping of false starts, right out of the box (my Fusion 82 nib needed some use before delivering its full performance). I am an engineer and I do not necessarily agree with Delta scientific claims regarding its Fusion nibs but the Fusion F nib on my Journal is a pleasure to use and to look at (and this is all I care for).
The nib delivers with different inks and papers. The nib is well behaved with the black ink provided in the box but it really shines when used with Pilot Iroshizuku yama-guri brown. In case you need to change the nib the operation is quite easy as it is friction fit.

 

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Filling System & Maintenance (8/10)

The technical specification states that the pen has a cartridge/converter system. However the one I got has a captive converter which cannot be dismantled (or at least it looked like I would have done some damage trying). The captive converter is controlled via knob under the blind cap in the back of the pen. The knob is very easy to operate and is the same used on the piston Dolcevita but it has no clutch mechanism.
The 1ml ink capacity confirms fact that this pen has a captive converter instead of a piston.
The operation of the captive converter is very smooth and easy and the knob allows for a firm grip.
Regarding the nib it is of friction fit type and it is easy to remove in case you wish to flush the pen more thoroughly.

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Cost & Value (8/10)

The choice of nib has a significant impact on cost. The Journal with the steel nib has (in Italy) a MSRP of 147EUR (203USD) while if you want a Fusion nib the price goes to 258EUR (356USD).

I got mine at La Stilografica Milano where I got a very good deal from Cristian. They are updating their website so you may not find it there (better write directly to Cristian info@lastilograficamilano.it).

The Journal with a Fusion nib has a fair value for money, however if you are happy with the harmonic steel nib, then it is a bargain!

 

Conclusion (Final score, 55/60)

Delta delivered a subdued, yet elegant smooth writer very good for daily use. The packaging is quite good, making it well suited for gifts too. The option to choose between a harmonic steel and a Fusion nibs, allows meeting people tastes and budgets.
I will be using mine often.

Ugo

P.S. This is my first review. I know have a lot to improve (especially about photos).

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Great review! All the detail and the pictures are so important to a quality review thread. You nailed it - keep up the good work and thank you :thumbup:

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Thanks for the review, Ugo. I have couple questions.

 

1) Does this nib have any hard tipping material or it's just still? I have a Fusion One pen with Fusion Stub nib - it seems to be plain SS which became overly smooth after couple months.

 

2) You wrote "The nib is soft but has no flex whatsoever". I'm just entering world of flex and I've asked resently what soft, responsive, flex meant (https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/256735-flexible-nib-properties-soft-vs-responsive/). General opinion was "Soft is how easily the tines spread" - what means the softer nib the more flexible it is. So, how a nib can be soft but not flexible? Maybe you meant "springy" but not "soft" ("springy nib, where the tines bends but has no real tine spread")?

 

Thank you.

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Thanks for the review, Ugo. I have couple questions.

 

1) Does this nib have any hard tipping material or it's just still? I have a Fusion One pen with Fusion Stub nib - it seems to be plain SS which became overly smooth after couple months.

 

2) You wrote "The nib is soft but has no flex whatsoever". I'm just entering world of flex and I've asked resently what soft, responsive, flex meant (https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/256735-flexible-nib-properties-soft-vs-responsive/). General opinion was "Soft is how easily the tines spread" - what means the softer nib the more flexible it is. So, how a nib can be soft but not flexible? Maybe you meant "springy" but not "soft" ("springy nib, where the tines bends but has no real tine spread")?

 

Thank you.

 

Hi here are my answers:

 

1) I looked at the nib with my loop and, although the tip is shaped, the material seems to the same as the rest of the nib (i.e. steel).

 

2) You are right, I should have used "springy" instead of "soft", thanks a lot for catching it.

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Ugo, I think that you will be able to use cartridges on this pen by unscrewing the Converter. There is a review on fountainpen.it that says so. Check http://forum.fountainpen.it/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=7063

 

You are correct.

 

After looking at the review you pointed at, I used a bit more force to disassemble the pen and I was able to access the converter.

 

Like you say, the converter can be unscrewed and substituted by a cartridge.

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  • 1 month later...

It's been awhile since ordering a new pen. This particular Delta, in ivory swirl color, really caught my eye. It will be my first Delta pen. Although the jury is still out on the functionality of a piece of 18k gold fused to the top of a steel nib, I am buying it anyway (Ugo-your excellent review clinched the sale!). Hope to review my experience with this pen when it arrives to its new home!

Edited by empyrean
empyrean Conklin,Stipula Pyrite, Bon Voyage & Tuscany Dreams Siena, Levengers, Sailor 1911,Pelikan M200, Bexley BX802, AoLiWen Music Notes pen, Jinhao's,1935 Parker Deluxe Challenger, 1930s Eversharp Gold Seal RingTop, 1940s Sheaffer Tuckaway, 1944 Sheaffer Triumph, Visconti Van Gogh midi, Esties!(SJ, T, and J),Cross Townsend Medalist & Aventura, 1930s Mentmore Autoflow, A bunch of Conway-Stewarts 84, Platinum 3776 Chartres Blue(med); Montegrappa Elmo (broad nib), Delta "The Journal" (med nib), Conklin Yellowstone (med nib)
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Received my The Journal fountain pen! It is a pleasure to write with this pen. The medium nib, out of the box, is smooth and gives a juicy line. Using Rohrer & Klingner--Konigsblau ink. A word about this ink, it is beautiful but dries a shade lighter. I also tried the black Delta ink that comes with this pen. It is very good and dries the same shade as it goes on. For anyone who would like a beautifully made, piston-filler, smooth-writing pen, I highly recommend The Journal, by Delta. The price is not as high as other piston fillers of its size. This is also a good selling point.

empyrean Conklin,Stipula Pyrite, Bon Voyage & Tuscany Dreams Siena, Levengers, Sailor 1911,Pelikan M200, Bexley BX802, AoLiWen Music Notes pen, Jinhao's,1935 Parker Deluxe Challenger, 1930s Eversharp Gold Seal RingTop, 1940s Sheaffer Tuckaway, 1944 Sheaffer Triumph, Visconti Van Gogh midi, Esties!(SJ, T, and J),Cross Townsend Medalist & Aventura, 1930s Mentmore Autoflow, A bunch of Conway-Stewarts 84, Platinum 3776 Chartres Blue(med); Montegrappa Elmo (broad nib), Delta "The Journal" (med nib), Conklin Yellowstone (med nib)
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  • 2 months later...

Ordered one of the red ones and its coming later this week. I got into Deltas via the Scrigno and have been amazed by the nib quality --- always smooth and with great flow. Got one of the Fusion 82 pens and am using it as an eyedropper filler and it is amazing (agree about the dubious scientific claims but who cares if it works well). Hopeful that this one will write as well as all the others.

 

Graham

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Wow a very nice pen indeed, really like it. In terms of the size how big is it say compared to a Pelikan M1000 or MB 149.

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Any further comments now that you've had a while to use it? I'm considering getting one. What pens do you think that it reminds you of in terms of writing feel?

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  • 5 months later...
  • 4 years later...

Thank you very much for the great review. I was considering buying a used one and consulted your review first. It gave me the confidence to make the purchase. Thank you.

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If you can still find a Delta the Journal, it is a great pen.

If you cannot, look at the Leonardo Momento Zero, they are very close cousins...

I consider Leonardo the true heritage of Delta, same love for pens, same attention to detail and materials, same care for design.

Edited by sansenri
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  • 3 weeks later...

If you can still find a Delta the Journal, it is a great pen.

If you cannot, look at the Leonardo Momento Zero, they are very close cousins...

I consider Leonardo the true heritage of Delta, same love for pens, same attention to detail and materials, same care for design.

 

Hi. I agree.

 

Last week I was able to get a new Delta Journal Grande in black with the gold fusion nib. It is an extraordinary writer! The small fetchers like screw in converter are so very high quality.

 

And, This week, a Leonardo Furore in amazing Blue Galazy with gold trim. Just cant say enough about the quality of both pens.

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True, and Leonardo has really been pushing out an incredible quantity of new versions, with fantastic colours and materials, and choice of trim, it's hard to find one I don't like...

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  • 2 months later...
  • 3 years later...

Indeed, finding one has proven to be difficult. If any of you would ever consider passing yours on, I'd gladly take you up on that. 

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