Delta Mask

August 30, 2013

Appearance and Design

The bright Mediterranean blue resin body with veins of lighter blue throughout and the contrasting palladium cap, clip and faux blind cap create a fluidity that echoes the natural concept of flow.

The end of the screw on cap has an embellishment of blue resin and the Delta logo of a mirror-image nib. The cap is also tri-faceted so that one may choose to get it engraved.

Construction and Quality

The pen is extremely well-made. It is hand-turned, and upon examination, I can find no seams and there is nothing flimsy about its construction or the materials used. I'd be fine placing it in one of my silk wraps and placing that in my purse to carry around without fearing damage to the pen.

Size

The pen is 5.25 inches capped, 4.75 inches uncapped and 5.75 inches posted. The circumference of the widest portion of the subtly tapering barrel is 1.625.

With the cap posted, there is a significant heft when writing and this could very well lead to fatigue, especially if one has a lot to write. The weight of the posted cap can actually be felt in the way in which it pulls one's hand up and back. Without the cap posted, the pen is significantly lighter and more comfortable with which to write.

The width of the pen and its weight when the cap is posted work well for larger hands.

Nib and Performance

This is a medium steel nib. The Delta site shows a fine nib option. The nib is smooth and firm. The line is medium in terms of wetness but could possibly be wetter as I am using Pelikan's 4001 Violet, which tends to be a dry ink.

Even though I wouldn't describe the nib as flex, it can produce a nice variation in ink shading by alternately exerting more pressure as one is writing.

The papers I've used to assess the nib's performance were Moleskine's lined Legendary Notebook paper; L. Writing Paper, made in Japan by Life Co.; 60 lb. Fabriano sketch paper; and 100% cotton Crane Monarch sheets with Ecruwhite Kid Finish®.

The Crane and Fabriano give nice feedback- a little resistance- as the smooth nib comes into contact with the higher quality paper. The lined sheets (L. Writing Paper and Moleskine) provide a smoother writing experience.

Filling System

The filling system takes either a Delta or international cartridge and comes with a piston converter. The converter took up the ink fully on the first attempt and I've not noticed any leaks.

Cost and Value

I paid $95.00 and it's worth it to me. I'm extremely happy with the pen, its appearance, the superb craftsmanship, and the manner in which it writes. The pen was new and unused but belonged to a collector who displayed it. I paid $107.00 for my new Stipula Gladiator, another fine Italian made pen and I believe the cost of both pens is comparable and the cost is commensurate with the quality in both of these cases. Cost and quality do not always correspond but they do here.

Conclusion

The Delta Mask was a very small run of pens and was only sold in Italy. I initially fell in love with the color of the pen while I was perusing fountain pens online. I loved the cool blue barrel and the idea of the barrel, clip and faux blind cap being made from palladium intrigued me.

Upon receiving the pen, I fell in love all over again and this time it wasn't just the infatuation I felt upon first seeing it online. This is a pen I will keep and use daily. I would certainly consider gifting a loved one with a Delta Mask and I would buy it again. I know this pen will be a dependable, beautiful addition to my fountain pen collection as well as to my daily writing repertoire.

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Edited August 30, 2013 by betweenthelens

August 30, 2013

Congrats on the new addition to your collection and thanks for the review. I really like the look of it and its good to know its a nice writer to boot.

Edited August 30, 2013 by TubeampChuck

August 30, 2013

Between, stunning pictures and great review! Was the packaging as fancy as the pen appears? Is the cap friction fit or screw on?

Tim

August 30, 2013

Thanks so much, Chuck, on all accounts! Much appreciated!

Tim, thank you so much! I bought the pen from SpeerBob on ebay and this particular Mask that he sold did not have a box or papers but some of the other Mask pens he is selling do have these things. The cap is screw on and I just edited my review to reflect this. Thank you for that.

Tomorrow, I will be posting ink and paper comparisons between Pelikan 4001 Violet, Waterman Florida Blue and Akkerman Passage Blauw and the three different papers I used in the review.

Edited August 31, 2013 by betweenthelens

August 30, 2013

Here are the writing samples on three different types of paper and with three different inks.

The first shows the Moleskine Legendary Notebook with Pelikan 4001 Violet, Waterman Florida Blue and Akkerman Passage Blauw.

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee513/betweenthelens/IMG_5485.jpg

The next sample is the 60 lb. Fabriano sketch paper with the same order of inks.

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee513/betweenthelens/IMG_5484.jpg

The final sample is the Crane Monarch 100% cotton sheet with Ecruwhite Kid Finish®.

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee513/betweenthelens/IMG_5483.jpg

September 3, 2013

What a nice looking pen! Love the color and the design, and it is good to hear that the writing experience is equally good. Too bad the pen's balance is thrown off when the cap is posted, but still, it is a good looking, well made pen and, most importantly, it is enjoyable to write with - and all for a reasonable price. Excellent choice!

Someday I would like to get an Italian-made fountain. Thank you for the review!

Holly