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Thingy on the clip of the diplomat aero fell out. New, store bought, hardly a month. Seems like a soldering problem. Hardly use the clip, in fact probably the 1st time and thing fell out. Was lucky to catch it. Thinking of supergluing it back. Might be a hassle to send it back to Diplomat (under warranty).

Another perfect purchase from penchalet.com! If the Diplomat Writing Instruments Aero Collection nib is not the smoothest of all steel nibs, then it is definitely close to the top. Yes, the #1 benefit of this fountain pen, IMHO, is the flawless nib + feeder performance. There have been approx. 9 different Aero finishes/colors produced. Sharing with you the newest release--a Limited Edition which wows, in a twisting/curving black, white, and grey, called Volute. The technique which creates the final effect includes hydro dipping (also known as immersion printing, water transfer printing and hydro imaging). This unique process allows application of graphics to a three-dimensional object. Additional features of the Volute are a filling choice of ink cartridge or ink converter, full aluminum casing, anodized surfaces, groove-like depressions on the barrel and cap, and Diplomat's exclusive closing system>a soft-sliding click (I am reminded of the S.T.Dupont cap closure mechanism). There are 4 writing modes available--fountain (with either a steel or 14 Karat gold nib), ball pen, rollerball, and pencil. The total number of writing instruments created is 1,000. The Volute can vie with the best of fountain pens. And a big thanks to Ron and Associates at penchalet.com for taking such excellent care of their customers! Photo would not upload.

I'm wondering if any other FPN-ers suffer from a let-down when you receive a pen you had been longing for and find it is not blindingly perfect. Allow me to elaborate. I just received the Diplomat Aero - fine in orange from Goulet Pens. On paper (see what I did there?) it was everything I could ever hope for: my favorite color, a snap cap, delicate high-end steel nib, unique body shape, solid metal body and that kicky flower design on the nib and the top of the cap. And then I received it. I had Goulet dip-test the nib so I knew it would be smooth, and it was, but so was the section (is that what we call the part where our fingers grip?). When my hands are cool and dry (not sweaty) they want to slide down the section towards the nib unless I take a more aggressive grip - which is not what I want to do. Boo. While the pen is weighty, which I like, it feels a bit short unposted in my large hand, but posting it makes it feel back-heavy and throws off my writing. Yuck. I syringe filled the converter, then ran water, pen flush, and water again through the nib section before drying it. I reassembled it then dipped it in ink to get it primed and thought I was off to the races. But half a page later the ink started to look lighter and then it began skipping before it stopped writing at all. I opened it up and turned the converter plunger up and down a bit (but not so much as to flood the nib) and it is currently writing dark and wet, but I am worried about a repeat of the fading and skipping. Hmmm. While I don't regret my purchase, the color is still my favorite and the snap cap is a joy, it has not been love at first write. I think it may take a bit of time for us to find our groove together. Has anyone else experienced a similar let-down when a pen you were waiting for does not live up to your fantasies about it? Rindy_Ruth

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.

My black diplomat aero which I bought in the netherands has a cap that starts spinning when I post it and I don't know if it is normal or if it is broken. If it is broken, does annyone know how to fix it or how to get a replacement. Thanks already.

Last month, after about a month's regular use of the new Diplomat Aero fountain pen and ballpoint, I wrote a review. In summary it's a terrific new model from this excellent German maker of all metal larger format fountain pens. They are now a favourite for me. I thoroughly recommend the Aero as you'll see in my review. While released later in 2013, the Aero could not be found easily here in Australia. The dealers were a bit slow off the mark. But now it's readily available. This is a pen you have to see in-store to really appreciate how good it looks and how superbly made and finished it is. (image by Diplomat) My review is located at: http://www.fountainpenbiz.com/blog/diplomat-aero-german-quality-gets-style Cheers.