Delike Brass Pen Long Term Review

[txomsy]

The discordian note (pun intended)

 

There are now a new "batch" of Kaweco sport knock-offs on eBay. They are -to me it seems- a knock-off of the Delike Alpha with no known brand.

 

These no-name pens are offered in "aged-looking" lacquered brass, polished, brillight polished ,golden looking brass, grey (or brushed steel9 looks and polished steel looks. They cost about 3-4 USD.

 

I got the "aged brass" and the "golden" ones. And have ordered the brushed/matte grey. I must say that the aged brass looks much more aged than the Delikes I have, and -in my case- I do really like much more the aged look of the no-name one than the look of the Delike brass. But, as usual, YMMV.

 

The main "bonus" besides its bargain price for most of you who complained about the "War and Peace" legend in the Delike Alphas is that these cheap knock-offs do not bear any legend. So, there, you wanted it, you got it.

 

The "downside" for some may be that they are not as hefty, I get the feeling their walls are thinner, they weight less and though metal, I get the impression that they are easier to scratch. The body is also larger (0.5-0.75 cm), and the clip is as loose as on a Delike Alpha. They also come with a converter.

 

As in the original Alphas, the cap has a plastic threading that sits deep inside. In the case of the brass one, the plastic threads ring came out next day, and I had to apply a drop of cyanoacrylate to refix it. Easy, but one has to be careful since the ring must be replaced deep inside, and if you apply the adhesive to the ring it may stick to the mouth of the cap and not enter as deep as needed (don't ask me how do I know).

 

The ones I've seen don't allow you to choose the nib. The nib does not have any identifiable trade mark imprinting, only an F which must stand for the nib width. No branding at all.

 

The nib is actually a fine/medium, and writes smoothly, perhaps a tad drier than the alpha. I inked one with BSB (and writes like a B, but that's normal with BSB) and the other with Lexington Grey (and writes as it should, like an F/M), but today, after four days unused and resting nib up, this last one had a few hard starts, something that I have yet to see with the Delike Alphas: I have two Alphas inked with dry IG inks (R&K Salix and Scabiosa) and they start right away after two-three weeks unused.

 

The feeder-nib unit is threaded too, like in the Delikes and Kawecos. I haven't tested if they are interchangeable as I have all of them inked now. Will possibly try at some point.

 

All in all, they impress me of a little lesser quality (or quality control) than the Delike Alphas, possibly like what I have read from the first versions of the Alpha, but for the price tag you just can't complain.

 

This said, besides these noname pens, I have spotted a third knock-off of the Kaweco on eBay, this is also a Delike Alpha lookalike, but it is more expensive (about twice as much): it is the Gullor Sport. They list for 25-42 EUR, and seem to be also unlabelled, but costing 10 times as much as the unbranded ones, I haven't ordered any. These ones seem to have some branding on the nib, but I'm telling only by the ad pictures so don't mark my words.

 

Finally, a picture:

 

From the top/right (depends how you see it), a Kaweco Sport Brass (without the clip), a Delike Alpha Brass (with the clip), and two unbranded knock-offs, first a shiny golden one (capped) and second the aged brass model (uncapped).

 

This is not a review, so I didn't take more (or better pictures), but you can already see that the Delike is ~1cm larger than the Kaweco, and the unbranded ones are ~0.75cm larger than the Delike. Colors do not display properly and dirt makes them look scratched when not so, but you an get the idea.

Edited April 13, 2019 by txomsy

[txomsy]

So, which ones do I like the most?

 

Undoubtedly, the Kaweco Sport. They not only give an impression of better craftmanship, but also use higher quality materials, have more flexibility in nib choice and offer a larger choice in materials, aesthetics and finishes. I do not mind that much the converter limits, though I think Kaweco could do a lot better here.

 

But, which ones do I use the most?

 

I am a forgetful, you could call me careless or light-headed, but usually have too many things in mt head to care much for objects. So, for everyday me, the cheaper the better: till now, the Alphas and the unbranded knock-offs have a few advantages: the main one is that they are cheaper, so I do not mind tossing them in a jeans pocket with the keys, coins or whatever (nor wherever), I do not care much about leaving one on the top of my desk and going away, hitting them or letting them fall... A second advantage is their EF nib, with is thinner than an occidental EF: I get thinner lines (which is good for pocket notebooks) but also, the nib is more unlikely to dry, so that, with the Alpha, until now, I haven't had hard starts even after one month unused and left with dry IG inks. Finally the converter is more convenient than the Kaweco ones, but that scores less on my list.

 

With the new, unbranded ones, I get a hissing feeling on opening (even a "pop"), so I guess that the plastic threads seal more tightly, which I have yet to find if is good (less drying out) or bad (maybe problems on quick strong altitude changes?). I don't know yet.

 

OTOH, the larger size, I find less appealing than the Kawecos, but YMMV.

 

But for the price, I can afford having a bunch of them and even giving away or losing some.

Edited April 13, 2019 by txomsy

[minddance]

if used posted, it is too heavy for me, the balance is very off unless held at very low angles, still, it is heavy. when unposted, it is way too small for me.

 

the ink seal is good, yes, it won't dry out and preserves the integrity of inks quite well.

 

the ef nibs are a nightmare, terribly scratchy. the f nibs are better made - not the 'conventional' nib grind but fun and pretty smooth and quiet-writing. the bent nib, ooooooo, is really pretty good in my opinion. if it ever scratches, it is probably because of the alignment and fit in the nib collar. but Delike made the fit so tight that it is very difficult to pull the nib and feed out.

 

that said, the pen is quite indestructible but the fins of the feed aren't. And the price is the real winner.

 

Delike could do away with the "war and peace" inscription - what are they trying to say?

 

the Delike New Moon (2) is a better balanced pen in my humble opinion. Still, the ef nibs are thrashy: they share the same nibs.

 

one thing Delike certainly got right: ink seal, no dryouts, and the Fine and bent nibs and in my most personal opinion, the flow - and the price. That's more than one thing.

 

Delike: get your ef nibs right and your pens would be near-perfect. (and probably offer a larger grip diameter for larger hands. Maybe Delike New Moon 2 is just about right.) And stop telling me ef nibs are "supposed to be like that".

Edited April 13, 2019 by minddance

[Honeybadgers]

So, which ones do I like the most?

 

Undoubtedly, the Kaweco Sport. They not only give an impression of better craftmanship, but also use higher quality materials, have more flexibility in nib choice and offer a larger choice in materials, aesthetics and finishes. I do not mind that much the converter limits, though I think Kaweco could do a lot better here.

 

But, which ones do I use the most?

 

I am a forgetful, you could call me careless or light-headed, but usually have too many things in mt head to care much for objects. So, for everyday me, the cheaper the better: till now, the Alphas and the unbranded knock-offs have a few advantages: the main one is that they are cheaper, so I do not mind tossing them in a jeans pocket with the keys, coins or whatever (nor wherever), I do not care much about leaving one on the top of my desk and going away, hitting them or letting them fall... A second advantage is their EF nib, with is thinner than an occidental EF: I get thinner lines (which is good for pocket notebooks) but also, the nib is more unlikely to dry, so that, with the Alpha, until now, I haven't had hard starts even after one month unused and left with dry IG inks. Finally the converter is more convenient than the Kaweco ones, but that scores less on my list.

 

With the new, unbranded ones, I get a hissing feeling on opening (even a "pop"), so I guess that the plastic threads seal more tightly, which I have yet to find if is good (less drying out) or bad (maybe problems on quick strong altitude changes?). I don't know yet.

 

OTOH, the larger size, I find less appealing than the Kawecos, but YMMV.

 

But for the price, I can afford having a bunch of them and even giving away or losing some.

 

 

The delike takes any #5 nib. Same as the kaweco. Kaweco has a wider variety of factory nibs, but they also have a known problem with some QC issues (particularly the wider stuff) and delike honestly doesn't seem to have any serious nib QC problems. And a delike with any nib you want is still less than half the price of a kaweco brass.

 

I also have a 14k eversharp nib in my delike. It wouldn't fit the kaweco sport.

 

I can see a few areas where the kaweco's fit and finish are better (there's a slight inconsistency in the length of the sides of the hexagon cap - but the kawco isn't usable posted and the delike is, and if we want to talk durability, I can attest that there is nobody on this forum who has put a pen through a rougher pace than I put a delike through. It's been used to break a car window and the cap threads are still perfectly smooth. I've thrown it across the ambulance to prove a point, and driven over it with my rig just to see if it could take it. it also takes a proper converter.

 

So every month that passes, the alpha just gets more and more impressive. Nothing on it has gotten lose or wobbly and nothing on it has failed. I do wish the clip stayed put from the factory, but once I filed a notch for the clip, it hasn't budged at all. That tiny bit of length just transforms the pen, too. Sometimes I only have one hand free because I've got one hand clamped down on a gushing wound, and need to write on my chart, so I can flick the cap off with one hand and still use it to write.

[txomsy]

So, maybe there is some QC inconsistency (or more likely a difference in expectations), because I do really enjoy the EF nib in the four of my Delike Alphas.

...

the ef nibs are a nightmare, terribly scratchy. the f nibs are better made - not the 'conventional' nib grind but fun and pretty smooth and quiet-writing. the bent nib, ooooooo, is really pretty good in my opinion. if it ever scratches, it is probably because of the alignment and fit in the nib collar. but Delike made the fit so tight that it is very difficult to pull the nib and feed out.

that said, the pen is quite indestructible but the fins of the feed aren't. And the price is the real winner.

Delike could do away with the "war and peace" inscription - what are they trying to say?

...

Well, as mentioned, you can give a try to the new "el cheapo" knock-offs: they are a bit larger but do not have any inscription. For the cost, (3-4USD delivered) you can certainly give them a chance.

[minddance]

So, maybe there is some QC inconsistency (or more likely a difference in expectations), because I do really enjoy the EF nib in the four of my Delike Alphas.

 

I am very glad you could manage and like the ef nibs on the Delike pens. I have more than 10ef Delike nib units + 4 pens originally fitted with ef nibs + friends with these nibs and none I could call them "smooth". I find them exceedingly rough and scrapey.

 

As for expectations, I am a regular user of Platinum 3776 ef and Pilot 74ef nibs, which are a tad finer than the Delike ef nibs. And I can find enjoyment in them. Then some may say it's not fair to compare gold ef nibs with a rather lowly-priced Delike. I have very pleasant experiences with an even lower priced Chinese pen, the Lingmo (Pilot steel-style nibs), which has much smoother EF nibs on the whole than Delike. And then there is the Wing Sung 698 EF, which is also alot smoother if you get them originally fitted on the pen, not the individual replacement nib (yes, they can be different).

 

I am of the conclusion that Delike ef nibs are thrash.

 

but please don't mind me, enjoy your pens. that's most important

Edited April 14, 2019 by minddance

[txomsy]

Right you are. Each of us have different preferences. That's why I mentioned expectations. Not every pen is for everybody and I regret that you had to waste as much in trials to reach your conclusion.

[Honeybadgers]

Right you are. Each of us have different preferences. That's why I mentioned expectations. Not every pen is for everybody and I regret that you had to waste as much in trials to reach your conclusion.

 

+1 to this. Nothing's perfect, and nothing is for everybody!

[txomsy]

By the way, Honeybadgers, I saw you mention several times switching nibs on the Alpha. I have tried on mine, but I fail to go beyond unscrewing the nib/feed/section unit. When I try to pull out the nib/feed from the unscrewable section I cannot.

 

Was it the same in your case? Are they so tight fitted? Does it really demand such a strong pull? When you mention it it al seems as easy as on a Kaweco (I've had no trouble pulling out the nib/feed on a Kaweco unit). How did you manage to extract it?

 

I got some Mallat 50 nibs that are supposed to be flexible, they are golden, beautiful and I would like to test them on the Delike Alpha. BTW, does using a nib in the Alpha require some trimming like the Kaweco unit (i.e. is it a bit shorter than the standard or is it standard size)? I guess once I manage to extract it, I will know. If I can.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Honeybadgers]

it'll come out. leave the nib unit screwed into the pen. Sometimes nib units are just in there tightly. Some 3776 nib/feeds feel like they'll never come out, but they all do.

 

No trimming required, it's taken every #5 nib I've put in it, as well as some #2 eversharps.

Edited April 25, 2019 by Honeybadgers

[txomsy]

That's great news. I'm gonna give them a new try. Thanks a lot!

[Honeybadgers]

If you ruin the feed somehow, PM me. I have a couple spares I think.

[txomsy]

Did it with a pair of tweezers and a cloth and worked like a charm. I now have one Delike with a semi-flex nib, and wait for ink to be used to modify another one and maybe the liliput.

 

BTW, on the 'el cheapo' no name clones, the section/nib/feed do not seem to be screwed in as in the Delike and Kaweco, at least I could not unscrew them in any way, I also tried to remove the feed/nib but they are also hard stuck, so maybe the 'el cheapo' ones are not modifiable or use a different system. Will try again with those this afternoon, but I'm not so thrilled about them anyway. It was the Delike and Kaweco that interested me the most.

 

I'll post something to show the result with these Mallat 50 nibs later on if I can find spare time.

[Maggard]

Anyone have a link to purchase the Delike Alpha Brass Fountain Pen 🖊?

 

 

[A Smug Dill]

18 minutes ago, Maggard said:

Anyone have a link to purchase the Delike Alpha Brass Fountain Pen 🖊?

1. You might want to have a read through this entire thread:to see why there may be few to nil listings on eBay, Etsy and such for the Delike Alpha today.
2. The Delike Alpha is a pretty old model, and there may be little stock of it and/or little seller interest these days, even where the likes of Kaweco have no sway, e.g. on AliExpress where all that foot-stomping would just be laughed off by the powers that be.
3. I'm not sure it's kosher to send fellow members, by URL or hyperlink, here clicking through to make purchases from a particular retailer or seller elsewhere online.
4. However, if you really want what you indicated you want, then try googling “taobao delike alpha”. The first returned match that I saw was such a link.

[txomsy]

I simply searched for "sport pocket travel pen" in eBay to get a number of offers for cheaper clones of the Delike Alpha, and even some Moonman pens. Searching Google hits some resin alphas in Amazon, in EU sites. And the Delike Element pops up in abundance in eBay, Amazon, Etsy, AliExpress... for the EU and searching from the EU.

 

So, there appears to be no censorship (I search from EU). If searches from other regions (e.g. USA or Oz) also give few hits for the Alpha, then it can hardly be explained by purportedly local EU considerations. Not to mention that, while Net censorship may be a given in some regions, it is absolutely forbidden and unthinkable in the EU.

 

So, I guess Kaweco has little to do with their scarcity. I rather suspect it is simply phased out, out of production, or export, or lack of interest by the maker, or even a premeditated strategy to promote sales of new models, or whatever.

 

Actually there were several incarnations of the Delike Alpha, each of which would last only two or three years in the market and, then, become first a lot cheaper and later very difficult to find. You either were on the lookout, or you would miss them.

 

The same happened to many Moonman pens. In all cases well before any interference by any third party. I remember one model (the PenBBS 350 Brass, I believe) that was like the Sport/Alpha, only longer, in anodized pre-aged brass/copper finishes, that was in limited production and then disappeared. Never could make it to get one of those. Correction: it seems to be available again, in eBay, so it seems to come and go with maker's or sellers' fancy.

 

It looks to me that it is rather a matter of "fashion/seasonal" production rather than any more obscure motives. And while I understand pet peeves based on matters of ethic/politic/economic/whatever principles, it seems to me that most of these pens (the non-clones) lasted only so long as the producer considered it "worth" (for whatever meaning you attach to the term) long before any TM disagreement.

 

BTW, the 'el cheapo' clones of the Delike Alpha/Kaweco Sport are only a bit longer and, while not the same quality, not too bad either, specially for the price. They have worse converters, but that's easy to substitute. The nibs may be somewhat wanting but... they are 7-10 USD. Which BTW, as well, is pretty higher than it used to be (3-5 USD) and close to the old price of the genuine Delike Alpha (~15-20 USD) which leads me to suspect the clones are getting out of production too.

 

Nib-wise, IMMHO, the clones have passable/tolerable nibs, the Delike have delightful nibs (but only in F, M and fude) and the Kaweco have good nibs in a large variety of points and finish combinations (steel, gold / chrome, dual-tone, gold-plated, rhodium plated / EF, F, M, B, BB, 1.1mm, 1.5mm, 1.9mm, 2.3mm). None of the nib units are interchangeable across brands.

 

That, in contrast, leads me to a different consideration: if you want cheap go for the cheap clone and be ready to tune it (nib, whatever); if you are happy with very limited (in variety and time) offer, go for the middle-priced "OK clone" (the Alpha), and if you want stability in the offer/production, and wider, sustained choice in finishes and nibs, go with well established makers, but be aware that keeping up sustained production of a larger range of products also carries a production cost premium (to go over fashion fades by continued marketing, maintain more machinery, longer-lasting relationships with providers, etc..) and be ready to pay it in exchange for stability and choice.

 

Important note, I have a number of Delike Alphas (4) which I cherish, an even larger number of cheap clones (2 of which have been continuously in a pants pocket for 2-3 years), and a variety of metal Kaweco sports. I doubt you can call me biased here, although I may well be (unknowingly) biased.

 

May we, please, oh please, stop bashing makers because of personal political considerations and try to be a bit more objective? Not that there is nothing wrong with being subjective, it is absolutely OK, but when that is the case (subjective), it would be welcome if it were tagged as such.