A Special Diplomat Pen
that Deserves More Attention
from Enthusiasts and Collectors
And a chance to win
this pen!
By Stephen Trimble
Guest Blogger to Engchik Eats
I have been a fountain pen collector for a little more than
a year. As such, I’ve gone down the rabbit hole pretty far, and acquired some
very special pens, as well as some middle-of-the-road and not-so-special pens.
Over this time, I’ve learned how to identify my preferences as well as the objective
quality of my writing instruments. I’m a writer for a living, so these pens
aren’t just for lookin’ at (though aesthetics are very important), they’re for
note-taking, journal-writing, poetry, short stories, and just general noodling.
I’ve also learned how important the right paper and the right ink are for a
pleasurable writing experience.
Today, as guest to my wife’s excellent blog, I am reviewing
the German brand Diplomat’s Aero fountain pen, which has been on the market for
several years. This color, Sunset Orange, is new.
I am a fan of this brand,
and don’t feel like it’s getting enough attention from enthusiasts here in the
States. Diplomat was kind enough to send a pen to me free of charge to review,
and so I will be giving the pen away to a lucky reader in a special raffle.
Stay tuned to the end of the post to learn how to get this awesome pen for
yourself!
Now, the review.
Aesthetics, 9/10
The Aero has a distinctive, pleasing zeppelin shape, tapered
at both ends and fat in the middle, with non-functioning ridges all the way
round. The ridges won’t keep the pen from rolling off your desk, but give the
pen a visually interesting, multi-faceted look. The sturdy aluminum clip is
gunmetal colored to match the top and bottom finials—both pointed—of the pen.
The Diplomat has previously been offered in black, brown,
and silver colors. The new Sunset Orange color outdoes them all. Bright, yet
with a matte finish that isn’t too shiny or garish.
Capped, the pen is
absolutely beautiful, neither too masculine or too feminine, with a form that
begs to be picked up and held.
Remove the sturdy snap cap to reveal a gunmetal –colored
aluminum section, also matte for a secure grip—and the stunning large
proprietary Aero nib.
Uncapped, the pen comes to about 5 inches, and is
well-balanced for a small- to medium-sized hand. Owners of larger-sized hands
may wish to post the pen, but we’ll get to that later. The section is tapered
and slimmer than the rest of the pen, allowing for a comfortable grip.
Overall, the Orange Aero is a strikingly beautiful pen.
Mechanics/Functionality,
8/10
Ahh, that Diplomat nib. I have an Esteem from the same company,
with a slightly smaller nib, and it’s among my favorite pens and lives in my
everyday rotation.
The Aero nib is even smoother, with a perfect ink flow. No
hard starts, no skips, a generous sweet spot that is sweet indeed. It’s hard to
see how a 14k nib on this pen could be any better, but the Aero is in fact
offered with a 14k gold nib in all sizes—Fine, Medium, and Broad.
The best 14k
nib I’ve ever used is on a Lamy 2000, and I feel like the steel nib on the Aero
is almost that good already. I’m a fan.
Alas, the Aero is not perfect. I have large hands, and as
such, I prefer to post the cap on my pens when I write—even with my long pens,
like my Rosetta Magellan or TWSBI Classic.
The Aero is simply not to be posted (capped). When I put the question
to them, Diplomat USA responded that the company has been working on refining
the finishes on the Aero model line.
Apparently, an unintended consequence of
this has been difficulty securely posting the Aero's cap. Diplomat
does say that a firm push and a twist will help the cap post, but in my
experience, even brushing the posted cap lightly with my fingers during the
normal course of writing is enough to dislodge it. Diplomat does go on to say that the German engineering team is working tirelessly to improve the cap posting issue.
However, for now, as it is practically impossible to post (at least for me), I
am forced to use it unposted. While not ideal, the pen is so well-balanced and
the nib so smooth, that this is the rare pen I might use unposted for extended
writing sessions.
Ease of Maintenance,
10/10
I broke down the pen to drain it of iroshizuku Shin-Kai
(deep sea blue-black ink) and re-ink it with the mysterious smoky-gray (not to
mention dryer) Fuyu-Syogun to see how it would fare.
The Aero is a
cartridge/converter fill pen, and like most Diplomats, it accepts standard
international refills. It comes with an excellent Diplomat branded converter,
which fits snugly into the weighty metal section. Disassembly is a breeze, in
part because the nib and feed are friction fit into the section.
As such, it’s a simple matter to break the pen down to its
component parts, rinse, dry, and reassemble. If you were of a mind to switch
out nibs, that would be a simple matter as well, and replacement nibs are
readily available at mydiplomatpens.com.
The Aero performed admirably with the dryer Fuyu-Syogun as
well, allowing just a touch more feedback on good paper.
Overall Impressions
The Diplomat Aero is an impressive writing instrument,
well-designed and constructed, and one that any collector or enthusiast would
do well to take a close look at. I can discern only one significant flaw—I
still wish I could post the cap.
And this certainly isn’t a flaw for everyone;
many enthusiasts prefer to write unposted. I’m just not one of them. In any
case, I do hope the outstanding engineers at Diplomat address this issue in the
future. This is a very special pen with a magnificent nib at a good price—and I
want to love it.
Right now I just really really like it.
HOW TO WIN THIS PEN!
Do you want to win
this gorgeous Diplomat Aero in Sunset Orange, with a Broad steel nib? It’s
easy!
Just post a comment in the comments section below answering this one
question:
“What was your first
fountain pen?”
If you don’t own any
fountain pens, just post the following:
“I hope it’s a
Diplomat Aero!”
One winner will be
selected at random FROM ALL ENTRANTS WHO CORRECTLY FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS and we'll let the winner know how to receive his or her new
pen.
I also strongly urge you to visit mydiplomatpen.com to explore the whole Diplomat product line. Until August 31, enjoy 20% off your purchase when you use the code ST0817 at checkout.
Good luck!
