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Again - Is Delta Going Out Of Business?


Ted F

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We had a discussion at out Pen Club meeting the other night and the subject of Delta came up. It seems a large number of dealers have sold out of Delta or have very little left and the Delta.It has a home page but the links aren't good. Even MarteModena doesn't have Delta listed. Anyone know anything for sure about Delta?

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It seems to be the "elephant in the room" whenever the question is posed. There is another post here with similar question & no definitive answer. Perhaps a query to YAFA, the US Distributor for Delta pens would provide the answer?

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I just tried to contact them through their website. All I got was an error message.

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It seems to be the "elephant in the room" whenever the question is posed. There is another post here with similar question & no definitive answer. Perhaps a query to YAFA, the US Distributor for Delta pens would provide the answer?

 

As it happens, I have just been (yesterday) in contact with YAFA, as I have a Delta that needs work. They are happy to accept it and send in on to Delta, and it's off tomorrow. They are still dealing in Delta pens, and nothing in our exchange suggested bad news on the horizon.

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I am happy to hear this; As a very happy owner of a Delta Dolcevita Oro, Oversized, my first nice pen purchase & a later Delta Adivasi, Indigeneous People pen I would like to know they will continue to make their pens. I may not purchase another Delta, but I would like others to experience these pens. I have never experienced any problem with mine, perfect from the box & as both are cartridge converters, I hope not to need their service, yet would be relieved to know it is possible.

 

I hope your repair is prompt & to your satisfaction.

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giardino.it has plenty of Delta pens listed. Susanna who I've dealt with at Giardino is a member here.

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There are quite a lot of rumours locally regarding the bad financial status of Delta.

I am not quite sure which is the relation between Delta and Martemodena, but the latter also seems to be in shallow waters...

The italian Delta site is not working, besides the main page, that is not a good sign...

Delta pens are becoming more scarce in the shops.

I don't like the Martemodena approach. They are making Delta pens become cheap pens. The silver rings on the caps have disappeared together with the gold nibs.

The Federico is a cheap version of the Dolcevita, from a mere performance point of view it may still be a nice pen with a steel nib, but fascination is lost.

Even the fusion nibs (which I have never really liked) are becoming less available.

Martemodena has also launched a cheap version of the Journal, the Chronicle (sigh). Different clip, different nib, marked Martemodena.

It looks, but I have no evidence, as if Martemodena is taking over and changing the Delta from a careful family company dedicated to high quality design and a lot of personal and innovative ideas on pen making, into a quick and dirty (no offence, intended in the economic sense) business.

I do hope a solution is found to continue the Delta business, hoping the nature of this brand is not totally altered.

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There are quite a lot of rumours locally regarding the bad financial status of Delta.

I am not quite sure which is the relation between Delta and Martemodena, but the latter also seems to be in shallow waters...

The italian Delta site is not working, besides the main page, that is not a good sign...

Delta pens are becoming more scarce in the shops.

I don't like the Martemodena approach. They are making Delta pens become cheap pens. The silver rings on the caps have disappeared together with the gold nibs.

The Federico is a cheap version of the Dolcevita, from a mere performance point of view it may still be a nice pen with a steel nib, but fascination is lost.

Even the fusion nibs (which I have never really liked) are becoming less available.

Martemodena has also launched a cheap version of the Journal, the Chronicle (sigh). Different clip, different nib, marked Martemodena.

It looks, but I have no evidence, as if Martemodena is taking over and changing the Delta from a careful family company dedicated to high quality design and a lot of personal and innovative ideas on pen making, into a quick and dirty (no offence, intended in the economic sense) business.

I do hope a solution is found to continue the Delta business, hoping the nature of this brand is not totally altered.

 

All this seems largely inaccurate, as it refers to a past that is no longer the case: if you look at Martemodena's website, you will note that they no longer carry Delta pens of any sort. At best, they are flogging a few left-over nibs on Ebay. That said, the exact nature of the relationship between Martemoden and Delta has been curious one, so your speculations are interesting.

 

On the Federico (both Delta's and Martemodena's***): I think they are an excellent idea. Many people got to purchase a certain type of pen---the pretty plastic---in an affordable form.

 

***This is a different pen and quite attractive pen, comes with an 18K nib. See here: https://www.martemodena.com/shop/nib-gold-18k/10214-martemodena-fountain-pen-dolcevita-federico-equilibrium-doue-purple-gt-nib-gold-18k.html

 

On fusion nibs: to my mind, that little joke can't disappear fast enough.

Edited by FriendAmos
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giardino.it has plenty of Delta pens listed. Susanna who I've dealt with at Giardino is a member here.

 

If you look at Giardino's site a lot of Deltas are out of stock and the ones left are on sale and have limited choices.

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How does one prove a negative? Rumors without factual evidence such as translated legal documents, news reports, etc. can do more harm than good, as was amply shown on this board and others in recent years when several other companies were hastened to their demise by repetitive posts by those unhappy with their products. The entire Italian economy is shaky, as witness the inability of Alitalia to find a buyer. Lack of product might be a bad sign or it might be the sign of a company belatedly getting their act together and not flooding the market with overpriced veneers over steel nibs.

 

Retail in general in many parts of the globe is suffering. Until we've got more info from people in the know, let us be exceedingly careful not to start rumors that cause the very thing we're hoping to avoid.

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... Until we've got more info from people in the know, let us be exceedingly careful not to start rumors that cause the very thing we're hoping to avoid.

 

The tone of the conversation at the pen club meeting was disappointment. We are all fans of Delta and want them to continue, however, it would be nice if someone who knows the facts would step in and settle this. All we see is Delta becoming less and less available. Still, my Delta Dolce Vita Fusion is my all-time favorite pen to write with.

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@FriendsAmos

why inaccurate?

it's exactly what I am saying

if you check the Martemodena site, where they still list the Delta fountains pens on sale

practically ALL OF THEM are out of stock (except the Dolcevita zen, Adivasi, and Unica in black), all the former models are finished.

I would say that Martemodena has very quickly cleared their (Delta's?) stocks (thanks also to an agreessive discounting campaign lately)

But Martemodena has also launched own new models (mostly ugly, if I may say so, revisions of previous Delta models... the lack of taste in the choice of colours and trim is distressing to me, but that's personal taste...), and two of them are exact, but low cost copies, of two of the most popular Delta models, the Dolcevita and the Journal.

The Federico was a special version of the Dolcevita manufactured by Delta only for Martemodena, I am glad you like it, I am holding tightly to my Dolcevita black/orange both CC and piston filler, with silver rings and gold nibs, and my original The Journal, blue, red and horn.

 

Delta's issues were recently confirmed to me by a person I know in the trade,

but yes, I do not know exactly what is going on at corporate level, and mine might be speculation

but a famous Italian saying says "a pensar male si fa peccato ma spesso ci si azzecca"

(not easy to translate "ill thinking is a sin, but often suspicion is right")

 

I tend to maintain my concern for the fate of Delta, as I liked the company they were, and may not like what will be of them now.

 

If you do want a nice Delta, in the early spirit of Delta, now, then check out Delta's last collaboration with Corsani in Rome (celluloid versions of the Journal).

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PS

I do not think exposing our doubts on what is going on has any "strong" influence, but we are involved (many of us are loyal customers!) so we do have rights to know.

It would however be nice if a representative of Delta (or Martemodena) would clear our doubts.

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PS

I do not think exposing our doubts on what is going on has any "strong" influence, but we are involved (many of us are loyal customers!) so we do have rights to know.

 

Rights? Because you are customers? I'm afraid not. If you want rights, think "shareholder".

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don't underestimate customer rights (in the sense of force), but ok then let's say we have rights to ask (and in lack of answers, speculate...) :)

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Rights? Because you are customers? I'm afraid not. If you want rights, think "shareholder".

 

Shareholders have a right to lose their money, preferring to make it. They seek through their board and management agents how best to avoid the former and promote the latter. Customers have rights to repair and service so an interest (financial as well as speculative) in the company's operations.

 

Banks, suppliers and other creditors (e.g. customers with stock paid but outstanding) are the ones with prior rights to liquidated assets.

X

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Shareholders have a right to lose their money, preferring to make it. They seek through their board and management agents how best to avoid the former and promote the latter. Customers have rights to repair and service so an interest (financial as well as speculative) in the company's operations.

 

Banks, suppliers and other creditors (e.g. customers with stock paid but outstanding) are the ones with prior rights to liquidated assets.

 

Yes. Or something.

 

First: if one has a pen that is under warranty, then one may claim some rights of service and repair; but that's about it.

 

Second; yes, customers certainly may have an interest in a company's operations, but that is quite a different matter from claiming rights to know of a company's financial affairs.

 

Anyone who feels that as a customer he or she has rights of the sort claimed should be able to quickly end the speculation: simply contact Delta's management and tell they that you are exercising those rights.

Edited by FriendAmos
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After receiving my first Conway Stewart Churchill, pen just prior to Conway Stewart's cessation of operation & later a limited edition Omas, after having enjoyed several Omas pens previously, to find it "no Mas." I am interested in anticipating a companies' survival if service be required. I understand I have NO rights as a customer, yet remain interested to hope a company remains in business, if I have purchased & enjoy pens made by them.

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