Delta Out Of Business?

[clear1]

I am intrigued by the video maker's comment that Leonardo acquired the remaining stock of OMAS' celluloids

 

I asked Leonardo Officina after I saw that video.

Those Arco materials are to make the ASC pens. They cannot produce their own pen out of it.

[sciumbasci]

Leonardo makes ASC pens?

[clear1]

Leonardo makes ASC pens?

Yup, and Wahl-Eversharp, too!

[sciumbasci]

This is the information I have been hunting for ages!! Thanks clear1!!

[aardvarkbark]

This is the information I have been hunting for ages!!

 

"ages"?!? Both ASC and Leonardo are but one-year-old companies. I'm guessing that you are not a paleontologist.

[sciumbasci]

Hey, time enough for curious minds like mine!

Edited June 18, 2018 by sciumbasci

[sansenri]

The reasons why Delta went out of business are not exactly clear, some news about the fact that the staff was not being paid wages came out during the course of 2016-2017 and then quickly disappeared. Most likely they went into financial trouble, and were forced to sell remaining stock, which was bought by Martemodena. Martemodena sold off the inventory, and probably bought or took over, due to Delta debts, some of Delta's design rights and started to produce own modified design, mostly plain and cheaper looking (my opinion), and cheaper selling (a fact), Delta derived pens.

Some people liked these, which is fine. I stopped buying Deltas when Martemodena took over, besides a few leftovers found in retail shops ( a few can still be found now).
Opinions on Martemodena's business policies are controversial
https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/329780-martemodena-pens-from-italy/page-2?hl=+delta%20+pen

 

I am very glad a company like Leonardo Officina was reborn from the ashes, because they seem to carry on the spirit of Delta.

I have one of their Momento Zero, and look forward to their next feat.

 

These are two of my last Delta purchases, a Black and White NOS

 

and Delta Wé NOS, I was really glad to find this as it is representative of Delta and its Neapolitan origin

the cap ring on both these pens is solid silver, as in the original Dolce Vita

Edited June 19, 2018 by sansenri

[DrDebG]

I love, love, love my Delta pens. I have 8 of them, and love each one. I must admit that I purchased each one fairly inexpensively.

 

I also have several vintage Auroras, which are o.k., but nothing compared to my Deltas.

 

I have been eyeing the Pineider pens, but I may have to look more closely at these Leonardo Officina.

[sansenri]

the Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento zero is a clear tribute to the Delta Journal. Side by side they are very similar pens.

Momento zero if you like has actually raised the target from what seemed to be for Delta a mid to lower end model, although using some very nice resin, to an upper end model available with such refinements as celluloid body, gold nib with ebonite feed.

 

Thanks to the collaboration with Corsani (a pen dealer in Rome), Delta has achieved something similar, still recently, with the Fantasia Corsani, available in a choice of very nice celloloid. I think this collaboration may have inspired the Momento Zero.

 

Here is my Fantasia in verde variegato cellulose nitrate

 

Here is one of my Delta The Journal (red marble)

 

and here is the Momento Zero, in a special resin chosen by Leonardo Officina in collaboration with Corsani

[DrDebG]

Lovely pens. Thank you for sharing the photos.

[aardvarkbark]

...Martemodena sold off the inventory, and probably bought or took over, due to Delta debts, some of Delta's design rights and started to produce own modified design, mostly plain and cheaper looking (my opinion), and cheaper selling (a fact), Delta derived pens...

 

 

I prefer the chunkier stantuffo body style with fat section. I see several that mimic this on MM's site, so fear you may be correct about them having acquired the design. I don't care for any of the materials they are using.

 

I am eager to see what other designs are introduced by Leonardo. If I read it correctly, the Corsani site seems to claim that they are the exclusive distributor for Leonardo, but I see them listed at Novelli in IT and ItalianPens in US. I'm sure Corsani is reputable, but I have had multiple exceptional experiences with Marco at Novelli and Lou at ItalianPens, so am pleased they carry the line.

[dapprman]

I think there was a Leonardo Corsani model.

[Shannon]

I wish I had more of them -- they're simply stunning and such wonderful writers

 

 

 

[sansenri]

 

 

I prefer the chunkier stantuffo body style with fat section. I see several that mimic this on MM's site, so fear you may be correct about them having acquired the design. I don't care for any of the materials they are using.

 

I am eager to see what other designs are introduced by Leonardo. If I read it correctly, the Corsani site seems to claim that they are the exclusive distributor for Leonardo, but I see them listed at Novelli in IT and ItalianPens in US. I'm sure Corsani is reputable, but I have had multiple exceptional experiences with Marco at Novelli and Lou at ItalianPens, so am pleased they carry the line.

 

My opinion is that MM has tried to exploit the original Dolce vita design shape making several variants, but what seems to have happened in the course is that

1) they have diminished the originality of the pen (the orange black is THE Dolce Vita IMO, Delta did make some nice LE variants, but just a few, and VERY nice - ever seen a Blue Jay, or Gallery blue moon? The Mezza notte is also nice): Some of the versions for Chatterley are also very nice, several in celluloid.

2) they have used cheaper material, no more silver rings, cheap looking resins, nasty (non-Delta) nibs according to some reviews.

3) they don't have the same "gusto" as Delta, so the colour match outcomes are rather meh, if not down right ugly.

With time and trial perhaps they will improve...

 

I don't think Corsani claims to be exclusive distibutor for Leonardo, but they do have some exclusive collaborations. For example for the Momento Zero they do have an LE in a particular blue resin which is exclusive to Corsani (post #29, last image). If you look close this resin is the same that was used by Delta in the Blue Jay, which was an LE (2013, I think) in collaboration with La Casa della Stilografica, a pen shop in Firenze.

[sansenri]

PS the Grande Journal was one exception, inspired by the Journal, and still using Delta nibs, although already a modification by MM, it is a nice pen.

[sansenri]

BTW

this is the Blue Jay

 

edit to add reference
https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/244042-delta-blue-jay-special-edition/

Edited June 24, 2018 by sansenri

[empliau]

I think Novelli also has that limited Momento Zero blue celluloid. (Abyss! Yum!) Corsani has the Rosewood ebonite in the limited edition as well - perhaps that's the exclusive?

[jekostas]

 

My opinion is that MM has tried to exploit the original Dolce vita design shape making several variants, but what seems to have happened in the course is that

1) they have diminished the originality of the pen (the orange black is THE Dolce Vita IMO, Delta did make some nice LE variants, but just a few, and VERY nice - ever seen a Blue Jay, or Gallery blue moon? The Mezza notte is also nice): Some of the versions for Chatterley are also very nice, several in celluloid.

 

Are you kidding? Delta made a lot of variations of the Dolcevita. Gallery (three colour schemes), Oro, Blue Jay, Soiree, Masterpiece, Mezza Note, Skeleton, Zen plus tons of special editions through Chatterley and other sellers. Then you have size variations - Oversize, Midsize, Short, Mini. Many of the variations were available as a midsize piston-filler, ballpoint and rollerball Then there are other pens that used the identical black/orange colour scheme like the Naranja and Lucky WE. Even after that, many of Delta's other pens used a very similar body design like the Journal, Sea Wood, other Lucky WE colours and innumerable special editions.

 

I love Delta, I have 16 pens from that manufacturer, but Delta diminished the originality of the Dolcevita long before Martemodena was ever involved.

Edited June 24, 2018 by jekostas

[aardvarkbark]

 

...Some of the versions for Chatterley are also very nice, several in celluloid...

 

I agree. Six of my twelve Deltas were obtained from Bryant.

[aardvarkbark]

 

...I don't think Corsani claims to be exclusive distibutor for Leonardo, but they do have some exclusive collaborations...

 

Corsani has this comment on their Leonardo page that I may be misinterpreting:

 

"Each Leonardo collection is manually obtained in Italy, exclusively at our company."

 

 

That Blue Jay looks terrific! I need to keep an eye out for one of those in the secondary market. Thanks for mentioning it.