The Diplomat Esteem – Conservative German Styling, Great Writing Experience

[Jamerelbe]

A few months ago, when Kevin from the JustWrite Pen Company (www.JustWrite.com.au) gave me the opportunity to review some of the pens in his line-up, I was expecting to receive a shipment of mostly inexpensive (but hopefully good value!) Chinese and Indian fountain pens – and to be sure, most of the pens I received fit that category precisely. Not this one, though: to my surprise, included in with the Jinhaos, Walitys etc, came the Diplomat Esteem. Compared to its stablemates, the Aero and (especially) the Excellence A range, you might call the Esteem a ‘midrange’ pen. Be that as it may, it’s the most expensive pen I own, and I was (very pleasantly) surprised to be receiving it free in return for an impartial review. A little harder to do, when your jaw is dropping at the price tag(!) – but I’ll do my best to live up to my side of the bargain.

It’s a beautiful looking pen – nicely weighted, comfortable in the hand – and provides a great writing experience, BUT… I’ve had a few issues with the stock nib, which took me some time to diagnose. After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, I’ve sent the original nib back – but agreed with Kevin (who’s been very helpful along the way!) that I’d present this review, ‘warts and all’ – and give an update down the track, when the dust has settled re warranty issues.

______________________________________________________________________

 

1. Appearance & Design (9/10) –Black-and-Chrome Finish, Beautifully Styled

With the exception of the two TWSBI pens I purchased last year, most of the pens I’ve obtained over the past 12 months have come in a factory-issue plastic sleeve – so forgive me if I take a moment to comment on the packaging. The Diplomat arrived in a brushed-aluminium case – roughly the size of a glasses case, though not quite as deep. Inside the case sits a felt-covered ‘tray’ of moulded plastic, with a groove just large enough to house the pen. I’d describe the case as ‘business-like’ rather than luxurious – but I like it that way.

http://i.imgur.com/HoqFcdt.jpg?1http://i.imgur.com/DiKWo0q.jpg?1

As for the pen itself? I think you’d have to say it was ‘conservatively styled’ – long, sleek and slender (but still comfortable to hold); with a glossy black lacquer finish on the cap and body, and shiny chrome-coloured trim. On the finial of the pen you’ll find the black-and-white Diplomat logo prominently displayed; the bottom of the pen has a grooved chrome ending that also serves a very useful function (see below). If you’re not keen on glossy black, this pen also comes in an ‘easy grip’ matte black finish – or, if you want to live even more dangerously (!), you can go for pastel colours (also ‘easy grip’ matte finish): turquoise, lime green, pink, or lilac…. Oh, there’s also a straight (brushed) stainless steel option, for . Me, I’m not into pastels (they don’t suit my complexion?!) – so the glossy black lacquer was right up my alley.

http://i.imgur.com/tLXku9X.jpg?1

No matter which colour you choose, the trim is the same – shiny chrome – while the grip section is a sturdy black plastic. Diplomat do sell gold-plated and/or two-tone stainless steel nibs in some of their other models – but the only option for the Esteem is chrome-coloured stainless steel. More on that below.

2. Construction & Quality (10/10) – A beautifully-constructed pen

I know 10/10 seems excessive, but really, I can’t fault the pen. Though not overly heavy, it’s made primarily of metal, and has a satisfying ‘heft’ to it; it feels well-balanced in the hand; there are no obvious blemishes anywhere on the pen – it’s well-designed, and flawlessly executed. After three months of continuous usage, the lacquer has held up well. The lid comes on and off with a satisfying ‘click’… And maybe here is where it’s appropriate to talk about the purpose of that stainless steel ending to the barrel. The cap is designed to post on the end of the pen – and it posts securely, settling over the stainless steel ending with another satisfying ‘click’. More often than not I write with my pens unposted, (unless I’m writing with a Kaweco Sport or TWSBI Mini – you get the idea) – but the pen remains comfortable and well-balanced, either way.

http://i.imgur.com/fhi4TId.jpg?1

3. Weight & Dimensions (9/10) – A comfortable, mid-sized pen

In terms of size (and cost), the Esteem sits in between two of the Diplomat’s better known pens – the Diplomat Traveller (which I’d considered purchasing before this arrived in the mail), and the much higher end, much more substantial Excellence A Series. I think I’d like to try the Excellence A sometime – I quite enjoy writing with heftier pens – but the Esteem, although I’d class it a ‘Medium’ size pen, punches well above its weight (so to speak). Weighing in at 26.2g capped, or 15.7g uncapped (you’ll need to add another 3 mL for a full Diplomat converter), and with a diameter of 10.5mm for the grip section, the pen just feels substantial in my hand.

The pen is 136mm capped, and 125mm uncapped – which I think most hands will find quite comfortable to write with – but again, this pen is designed to post, in which case you’re wielding a 158mm writing implement. The diameter of the pen barrel at its widest point (the barrel and cap both taper towards the end) is around 12.5mm – as I say, a medium-sized pen, rather than a ‘monster’.

The grip section tapers from 10mm near the ‘step-up’ to the barrel, down to 8mm near the nib – I tend to hold it towards the step, and find that pretty comfortable.

4. Nib & Performance (7/10) – A surprisingly pleasant experience to write with

I’m a firm believer in the concept that a pen is only as good as its nib – and unfortunately, the Diplomat nib that came with this pen was problematic from the moment it arrived. It came with a Medium nib – which I’m OK with, though I tend to prefer Fine or Stub nibs (the latter is not an option, incidentally)… but that wasn’t my problem.

http://i.imgur.com/hNOiflJ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/zCr9A1y.jpg

On the upside, first of all, the Diplomat nib was pretty ‘springy’ – you could get a decent amount of line variation without a great deal of pressure. And it was so smooth, it wrote like a dream… until, that is, it began ‘skipping’, seemingly at random, as I wrote. Pressing down harder on the nib was usually sufficient to get the flow started again – but it made for a very “stop-start” writing experience. At first, I thought the problem might be the ink I was using (Pelikan Royal Blue)… or the home-made ‘bulb converter’ I’d whacked in (more on this below)… But when I obtained a Diplomat cartridge converter and swapped in about 5 different inks, it became clear that wasn’t the problem. I also noticed a slight misalignment between the underside of the nib and the feed, which was fairly rectified – but that didn’t solve the problem either. I suspect either that the tines are too close together, or (possibly) a ‘baby’s bottom’ problem. Eventually, in consultation with Kevin (from JustWrite), I decided it was better to return the nib under warranty, rather than try to adjust it myself.

Within a week of receiving the pen – and unrelated to the skipping problem – I decided to order a replacement nib unit, a Fine. The writing sample below was mostly written with this nib. Like the Medium, the Fine nib writes beautifully smoothly, and is relatively springy – though I wouldn’t recommend overdoing it, it’s not a flex pen! The Fine writes a noticeably narrower line than the Medium – though it’s definitely not the finest Fine I have in my collection (if you get my meaning!). I had a couple of issues with this nib as well – I had to adjust the nib relative to the feed to get the alignment of the tines just right – but once that was done, I’ve found this pen an absolute pleasure to write with!

http://i.imgur.com/t0LwncM.jpg?1

5. Filling System & Maintenance (4/10) – Why no cartridge converter?!?!

I’ve deliberately scored the pen very low on this point, for two reasons. In the first instance, I cannot understand why a $100+ pen would not come with a cartridge converter included. All I got with the pen was a single lousy cartridge, plus a ‘dummy’ cartridge (as in, empty and with the bottom cut off)… and a note in the included warranty material that the pen should have two cartridges in the barrel at all times (one as a spare). Every single (cheap) Chinese pen I’ve purchased that takes cartridges, comes with a (cheap) cartridge converter installed – why do these higher-end European name-brands have to be so stingy?!

To make matters worse, I quickly found that the cheap Chinese converters I had ready to hand would not fit this pen – around the ‘nipple’ the cartridge fits onto, Diplomat have incorporated a ‘cuff’ or ‘ring’, which I suppose is meant to create a snugger fit for the cartridges – but it also had the effect of preventing me using any converter that doesn’t have an appreciable taper below the nozzle. My only remaining options were to use cartridges (and refill them if necessary)… or to obtain a compatible converter. Once again, Kevin came to the rescue – sourcing a Diplomat-branded (Schmidt-style) converter for me, at a cost of another $10.

http://i.imgur.com/u6MM6uK.jpg

To be fair, Diplomat are not the only culprits when it comes to shipping pens without converters – and standard international cartridges work perfectly well – but still, on principle, I feel compelled to mark them down for doing this with a premium-priced pen, and to mark them down further for designing the pen so that only a more expensive converter.

6. Cost & Value (9/10) – It’s not cheap – but why should it be?

I’m genuinely puzzled as to why Diplomat seems to have such a low profile in the fountain pen community – they’ve been around since 1922; their pens are great quality (my nib problems notwithstanding); and though they’re not cheap to purchase, you really do get what you pay for. This is the most expensive pen in my collection – and honestly, I would have thought twice about purchasing it (full disclosure, though: I was seriously considering setting aside some birthday money to place an order on the matte black version). But for all its conservative styling, this really is a lovely pen – so I’d have no hesitation recommending it.

7. Conclusion (Final score [sUM/6]: 8.5)

I know, I know, add up my scores and divide by 6, and you’ll only get 8 – but I think the pen deserves more than that. I had to score the pen down for the nib, because of my problems with the Medium (which I believe will be sorted out by warranty) – and I can’t blame the pen for the manufacturers’ decision to ship it without a converter. So I’ve bumped it up to 8.5. These scores are really subjective – but this pen offers one of the most pleasant writing experiences I’ve experienced, when the ink is in full flow. I said a little earlier that I don’t know why Diplomat doesn’t have a higher profile – let me add to that, I don’t know why the Esteem seems so lowly esteemed, if you’ll pardon the pun! It’s a more substantial pen than the Traveller – which I’m told is a great pen, just a little small for sustained writing – and it’s significantly cheaper than the Aero and the Excellence. I’m happy to recommend this pen to anyone who’s interested in a good quality, serious-looking pen – and will keep you posted on developments with the Medium nib.

 

[The Blue Knight]

An Excellent review. I actually had ordered an Esteem in Blueberry earlier this year however it never turned up and I ended up going with a Pelikan M200 instead which I still question whether it was the right decision as my M200 needed significant nib adjustment.

 

I find Diplomat pens very interesting and I'm looking to order either a Balance or lower end Excellence early next year.

[Jamerelbe]

An Excellent review. I actually had ordered an Esteem in Blueberry earlier this year however it never turned up and I ended up going with a Pelikan M200 instead which I still question whether it was the right decision as my M200 needed significant nib adjustment.

 

I find Diplomat pens very interesting and I'm looking to order either a Balance or lower end Excellence early next year.

 

Thanks for the feedback. Obviously Diplomat pens can have their issues too, as evidenced by my problems with 'skipping' with the Medium nib - but it's still a really nice pen, and I trust the replacement nib (when it arrives) will resolve the problem...

 

Sorry to hear, though, that you had such a negative experience with the Pelikan - I understand they're normally pretty good too!

[The Blue Knight]

 

Thanks for the feedback.

 

From what I have seen your review are very balanced with good detail and well written. I'll look foreword to reading more of them.

[Jamerelbe]

When I first wrote this review, I promised an update when the replacement medium nib arrived. Let me get the biggest 'negative' out of the way first: It took quite a while to obtain a replacement nib under warranty - my supplier (JustWrite Pens) was having major hassles with the local Australian distributor, and it took a while to get things ironed out. That happens, I guess - but it was a bit of a frustration.

 

That said, the replacement nib is just fantastic. From the moment it arrived I could see the tines were just a little further apart, to greater facilitate ink flow - and the pen now writes like a dream. The line the medium pen lays down is only marginally wider than for the Fine nib I purchased afterward - or should I say the fine is only a little finer than the medium? But either way, the pen is now a real pleasure to use. The medium nib, in particular, is capable of moderate line variation, which is always an added advantage.

 

Is the Diplomat Esteem my favourite pen? That's hard to say - I have a really soft spot for my two Twsbi pens, and prefer the finer line their EF nibs lay down. But it's a great looking pen, conservatively styled... and its nibs offer a smoother writing experience than the Twsbis, with greater line variation. So let me say it's in my top 3-4 pens - and I decline to rank ANY ONE of those pens above the others.

[penhappy]

I purchased a black Diplomat Esteem at the 2013 DC Show. I have a medium nib that wrote well right out of the box. I agree this pen deserves more recognition.

It is also disappointing that a converter is not included with the purchase. Conservative looking and nice feel in the hand.

 

Let's hear from more people using Diplomat pens!

[The Blue Knight]

In the process of saving up for an Excellence B I have got long road ahead of me.

[Jamerelbe]

In the process of saving up for an Excellence B I have got long road ahead of me.

 

I'd love to invest in an Excellence A fountain pen (not sure what the difference is between A and B...) - but it's way out of my price range at present. The Traveller is probably next on my list.

 

Make sure you put up a review when you reach the 'end of the road' ??

[ac12]

A comment about the lack of a converter.

Most people/buyers of fountain pens (us FPN folks are NOT the usual buyers), do not want to hassle with a bottle of ink.

When I was in college, I did not either. 7 years and 2 degrees, of using Parker cartridges. And using cartridges continued for a few more decades. And it was only a few years ago that I converted to using bottle ink in my clip pens.

So from that perspective, it does not make sense for the manufacturer to include a converter that will simply be thrown away.

I have 2 of my 4 college fountain pens, but none of the converters.

 

The Chinese on the other hand seem to be marketing to a population that does use bottle ink.

Since all the pens either come with a converter or there is a fixed squeeze type feed mechanism.

Edited September 11, 2014 by ac12

[The Blue Knight]

 

(not sure what the difference is between A and B...)

 

 

It took me a while to work it out too. The Excellence A is there over sized pen similar to Centennial Duofold or 149 and the B is the smaller more normal sized pen. This is the case with the balance range as well B being the bigger C being the smaller.

 

If I manage to only buy one pen next year £80 for a B with stainless steel nib would be justifiable.

[Jamerelbe]

A comment about the lack of a converter.

Most people/buyers of fountain pens (us FPN folks are NOT the usual buyers), do not want to hassle with a bottle of ink.

When I was in college, I did not either. 7 years and 2 degrees, of using Parker cartridges. And using cartridges continued for a few more decades. And it was only a few years ago that I converted to using bottle ink in my clip pens.

So from that perspective, it does not make sense for the manufacturer to include a converter that will simply be thrown away.

I have 2 of my 4 college fountain pens, but none of the converters.

 

The Chinese on the other hand seem to be marketing to a population that does use bottle ink.

Since all the pens either come with a converter or there is a fixed squeeze type feed mechanism.

 

I hear where you're coming from - and I think it's fair to say, this is a common approach for German pen makers: Faber-Castell, Lamy and Kaweco likewise tend to ship their pens minus a converter. Still, reviews are inevitably subjective to a greater or lesser degree, and it's my subjective opinion that all fountain pens, especially pricier ones, should come with a converter as standard! Especially when the pen is not designed to take cheap generic Chinese converters, and requires me to buy a more expensive alternative...

[Jamerelbe]

 

It took me a while to work it out too. The Excellence A is there over sized pen similar to Centennial Duofold or 149 and the B is the smaller more normal sized pen. This is the case with the balance range as well B being the bigger C being the smaller.

 

If I manage to only buy one pen next year £80 for a B with stainless steel nib would be justifiable.

 

Thanks for the clarification - good to know!

[ipinkgirl]

I purchased a black Diplomat Esteem at the 2013 DC Show. I have a medium nib that wrote well right out of the box. I agree this pen deserves more recognition.

It is also disappointing that a converter is not included with the purchase. Conservative looking and nice feel in the hand.

 

Let's hear from more people using Diplomat pens!

You must have purchased your Diplomat Esteem after me at the 2013 DC pen show. I bought the pink Esteem to be the big brother to the Pink Traveler that I already own and the sales rep gave me a converter from one of their pens they had there when I asked about a converter. I find if I ask about the converter (especially at the pen shows) I can get one.

[Time-Traveller]

 

I'd love to invest in an Excellence A fountain pen (not sure what the difference is between A and B...) - but it's way out of my price range at present. The Traveller is probably next on my list.

 

Thank you for saying nice things about a great pen. In my ever-growing collection of fountain pens I have a few that are costlier than the Esteem but certainly not any better, and I almost regret ever having bought them and thereby ‘betraying’ Diplomat, who are doing such a great job and receiving so little attention, strangely enough.

 

It’s unfortunate that you had the nib issue in the beginning. I got one with an F nib, and I was so delighted with it that I got me a ‘spare’ Esteem, and then another…

 

Among steel nibs, I’d say Diplomat has the best: slightly springy, and their F is a real F. Their M (like on their nice, lightweight knockabout economy model Diplomat Magnum) is only slightly broader than F.

 

As for other Diplomats: the Excellence A is a bigger pen (apparently intended to be the flagship product of the company), and the Excellence B is a bit more slender and available in fewer varieties. That’s unfortunate, because I would seriously have considered buying an Excellence Evergreen GT if only it had been ‘B’.

 

The Traveller is a clearly smaller, thinner pen. Also very good quality for the modest price, but perhaps just a bit too slender for many hands.

Edited May 23, 2018 by rjz

[Jamerelbe]

 

Thank you for saying nice things about a great pen. In my ever-growing collection of fountain pens I have a few that are costlier than the Esteem but certainly not any better, and I almost regret ever having bought them and thereby ‘betraying’ Diplomat, who are doing such a great job and receiving so little attention, strangely enough.

 

It’s unfortunate that you had the nib issue in the beginning. I got one with an F nib, and I was so delighted with it that I got me a ‘spare’ Esteem, and then another…

 

Among steel nibs, I’d say Diplomat has the best: slightly springy, and their F is a real F. Their M (like on their nice, lightweight knockabout economy model Diplomat Magnum) is only slightly broader than F.

 

As for other Diplomats: the Excellence A is a bigger pen (apparently intended to be the flagship product of the company), and the Excellence B is a bit more slender and available in fewer varieties. That’s unfortunate, because I would seriously have considered buying an Excellence Evergreen GT if only it had been ‘B’.

 

The Traveller is a clearly smaller, thinner pen. Also very good quality for the modest price, but perhaps just a bit too slender for many hands.

 

@rjz, thanks for your comments - some time after writing this review, I ended up buying both an Excellence A (in the Marrakesh finish, with silver trim) and a brown Aero (the latter was on a pretty big discount). Both had wonderful nibs (M size) that wrote perfectly out of the box. The Traveller I think would be too small for me.

 

I agree with you, though, that Diplomat is an underrated brand. Getting a *little* bit more love in recent times (especially the Aero), but nowhere near as much as they deserve.

[writerstephen]

Great review--I had an Esteem (also available in Cobalt, incidentally, which I think is the best color for this pen) which I unfortunately lost. I was inconsolable for days. Diplomat's nibs are among the best, smoothest steel nibs I've ever encountered (though I am currently in love with my Opus 88 Koloro).

 

Later, I got an Excellence B for about $70 from mydiplomat.com, which is Diplomat's direct US distributor. I had many of the same skipping/ink flow problems you described. I'm guessing you replaced the entire nib/feed/section assembly, yes?

 

I think the issue is with the feeds, not the nibs, and i'll tell you why. Though it's difficult to do, I managed to remove the nib and feed from the housing, and replace it with another Diplomat feed, while keeping the same nib. My problems cleared up instantly. Later on, I accidentally broke that new feed while cleaning, and had to put the old substandard feed back in. My inkflow problems immediately returned.

 

In future, if you ever spring for another Diplomat pen (or get another one free), I suggest you contact Diplomat directly. They're pretty good about fixing quality control issues. Also incidentally, every Diplomat pen I've ever bought has come with a converter installed (Excellence B, Esteem, Magnum).