Delta - in trouble?

[youstruckgold]

I keep hearing little twitterings that Delta may be the next Italian Pen company in trouble. Does anyone know anything more?

[RocketRyan]

No but I hope not, the two delta pens I have are beautiful writers, and very pretty.

[stub]

I have heard this from many corners (pen shop owners) add to that the odd disappearance of several models including pretty new and well recieved models like the Delta The Journal which my retailers carried for a hot second. Would like to hear definitely but at this point the small signs are many and starting to add up. What I heard is that they have cash problems.

I was really tempted by that matte Journal pen. Still am.

[KrazyIvan]

Well, didn't they snub a bunch of Euro retailers by only selling through one retailer and at prices that undercut everyone else? On social media (Instagram) they snub users with Visconti in their username. The last two Delta's I purchased had mediocre nibs. Stuff I could fix on my own but not good in my opinion.

[Sammyo]

I have found, in general, that Italian pen manufacturers (just like cars) seem to charge a hefty mark up their product putting them into a higher price bracket. This has been done by many Italian companies asking premium price for C/C pens with steel nibs... I'm honestly not surprised so many are having difficulty in the current market.

Don't get me wrong, they make beautiful pens, and the Dolce Vita was a real player on my list of pens I wanted... However, I ended up getting the Federico model due to the extreme prices they charge.

I hope they don't go anywhere, but sometimes you can price and market yourself out of business by being too fickle!

[Jon Szanto]

I saw this posted by a trusted pen person (name redacted) and while it may only apply to a particular pen (in this case), the note definitely points to a shaky future. I don't have much hope, and see a similar fate as OMAS:

http://i.imgur.com/8Q74uml.jpg

[whichwatch]

If the US Distributor is that uncertain based on an actual factory visit, that sounds like the end is imminent. I agree that a path similar to Omas sounds possible.

[Fabri00]

I have found, in general, that Italian pen manufacturers (just like cars) seem to charge a hefty mark up their product putting them into a higher price bracket. This has been done by many Italian companies asking premium price for C/C pens with steel nibs... I'm honestly not surprised so many are having difficulty in the current mark!

I do nog want to comment your points about pens, but I do not think it fit the reality very well with cars.
If FCA is becoming a big car group at worldwide level, and has bought also Chrisler, I believe the business model used in cars seems to be not so faulty.

[Sammyo]

... but I do not think it fit the reality very well with cars.
If FCA is becoming a big car group at worldwide level, and has bought also Chrisler, I believe the business model used in cars seems to be not so faulty.

Top 6 Italian car manufacturers...
Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Fiat, Lamborghini, Lancia & Maserati...

What I'm saying is, Italian brands typically go for the high end or luxury market, sorry if my comment did not read this way.

[FrozenPen]

FCA is hardly a company to be held up as an example of how to do business or build quality products. Chrysler is a shell of what they once were. See this article for some local insight: http://www.autoextremist.com/current/2017/3/13/sergio-goes-begging-while-the-clock-keeps-ticking.html

[RocketRyan]

The only Chrysler cars we've had this side of the pond have been absolute trash.
I do currently own a fiat 500x and love it. It is a jeep underneath.

[dapprman]

Mercedes cars still suffer from the bad reputation for poor build quality and rust that they gained under the merger with Chrysler when they shifted most their production over to the USA to keep the unions and politicians there happy once it became apparent that Mercedes had effectively taken over Chrysler, rather than the opposite the US motor manufacturer had expected.

TBH I've always described my OMAS pens as being like Italian cars. Look superb, work really well, but at the back of your mind ... - I owned an Alfa 164 3L Lusso for about 4 years as well as a couple of Fiats, so I know what I'm talking about ;)

TBH2, I've always felt Delta were overly expensive for what they were selling and the fusion nib left me moving in the opposite direction (I will probably regret not getting a Dolce Vita at some point).

[RocketRyan]

An Alfa Romeo with a V6 and manual gearbox is a wonderful thing.

[inklord]

After the blatant lies Delta spread about their fusion nib, I'm actually almost glad to see them go...

[Fabri00]

I'm not happy to see any company gone, it does no matter from which country..... In particular in a small world like that one of fp.
If only companies like Mont Blanc or Pelikan or Parker will be left in the market, our fun will be much less.
I started to buy Omas 30 years ago when i was living in Bologna for the University, and still I consider my Omas among the best pens i own in my collection . And the first one is my extra lucens from 1936.

[youstruckgold]

There appears to be a bit of vitriol for Delta here; and i'm not sure why. Generally, I have found Delta to be among the most accessible of the Italian brands; and their quality very good. Yes the fusion nib was an interesting marketing move; but then my fusion nibs are all an absolute pleasure to write with regardless of the hype.
I still go to the school of "more companies = more competition = more pressure for greater innovation and quality"; so any reduction in the number of manufacturers is a sad thing (and sad also for its employees and their families).

[RocketRyan]

I have found their pens to be excellent writers, I haven't tried a fusion nib though.

[inklord]

I am sorry, but I am a stickler for corporate ethics, and that puts all of the remaining Italian makers with the possible exception of Aurora in the same dark corner where Montblanc and, alas, also Pelikan dwell. It is indeed sad to see these venerable makers go, and even sadder to see the workplaces disappear, but they have been dead to me for a while...

[jar]

I am sorry, but I am a stickler for corporate ethics, and that puts all of the remaining Italian makers with the possible exception of Aurora in the same dark corner where Montblanc and, alas, also Pelikan dwell. It is indeed sad to see these venerable makers go, and even sadder to see the workplaces disappear, but they have been dead to me for a while...

LOL

Sorry but "Corporate ethics" (whatever that is) does not extend to advertising copy. And while I found Delta's marketing of the "Fusion Nib" funny and silly it could only arise to the level of dishonesty among the truly gullible and willfully ignorant.

[TSherbs]

I am sorry, but I am a stickler for corporate ethics, and that puts all of the remaining Italian makers with the possible exception of Aurora in the same dark corner where Montblanc and, alas, also Pelikan dwell. It is indeed sad to see these venerable makers go, and even sadder to see the workplaces disappear, but they have been dead to me for a while...

LOL

Sorry but "Corporate ethics" (whatever that is) does not extend to advertising copy. ....

Why not? There are all sorts of harmful deceits that could be perpetrated on consumers were it not for some ethical standards either being self-imposed or imposed by law.

[jar]

I am sorry, but I am a stickler for corporate ethics, and that puts all of the remaining Italian makers with the possible exception of Aurora in the same dark corner where Montblanc and, alas, also Pelikan dwell. It is indeed sad to see these venerable makers go, and even sadder to see the workplaces disappear, but they have been dead to me for a while...

LOL

Sorry but "Corporate ethics" (whatever that is) does not extend to advertising copy. ....

Why not? There are all sorts of harmful deceits that could be perpetrated on consumers were it not for some ethical standards either being self-imposed or imposed by law.

Because it is advertising and adults are supposedly capable of understanding that they are advertising.

[RocketRyan]

I am sorry, but I am a stickler for corporate ethics, and that puts all of the remaining Italian makers with the possible exception of Aurora in the same dark corner where Montblanc and, alas, also Pelikan dwell. It is indeed sad to see these venerable makers go, and even sadder to see the workplaces disappear, but they have been dead to me for a while...

LOL

Sorry but "Corporate ethics" (whatever that is) does not extend to advertising copy. ....

Why not? There are all sorts of harmful deceits that could be perpetrated on consumers were it not for some ethical standards either being self-imposed or imposed by law.

Because it is advertising and adults are supposedly capable of understanding that they are advertising.

I think they over estimate most adults.

[Ahriman4891]

There are plenty of "the truly gullible and willfully ignorant", otherwise homeopathy, kilobuck audiophile power cords, and fusion nibs would not exist. I'm very new to the hobby, but the fusion nib BS raised a red flag and I wrote Delta off right away.

[Jon Szanto]

The human species is not the sharpest pencil (http://www.denverpost.com/2017/07/07/colorado-earth-flat-gravity-hoax/) in the (universal) box.

[Deb]

You mean the earth's NOT flat and motionless? That explains the dizzy spells and why I spill my drink so often.

[grainweevil]

Y'know the joke's going to be on you when you realise you're actually just a brain in a jar being propelled through the Cosmos in a canoe. Spinning sphere? Ridiculous. :pound:


I'm very new to the hobby, but the fusion nib BS raised a red flag and I wrote Delta off right away.

Which is sad, but understandable. They're actually rather nice steel nibs and simply didn't need the topping of manure.

One or two very questionable business decisions made by Delta in recent years, and an on-going problem with poor translations doesn't/didn't help them, I suspect. A brief Delta acquisition phase hit me a little while back, as heavily discounted models threw themselves at me from all directions at once, and they make/made some fine pens. Be nice to think they could survive and turn things around, but back in the real world (here in the canoe) I fear bad things for them.

[inklord]

I am sorry, but I am a stickler for corporate ethics, and that puts all of the remaining Italian makers with the possible exception of Aurora in the same dark corner where Montblanc and, alas, also Pelikan dwell. It is indeed sad to see these venerable makers go, and even sadder to see the workplaces disappear, but they have been dead to me for a while...

LOL

Sorry but "Corporate ethics" (whatever that is) does not extend to advertising copy. ....

Why not? There are all sorts of harmful deceits that could be perpetrated on consumers were it not for some ethical standards either being self-imposed or imposed by law.

Because it is advertising and adults are supposedly capable of understanding that they are advertising.

I think they over estimate most adults.

This is not about people simply being too gullible. But if you lie to me in order to deceive me, and I fall for it because my previous experience has not prepared me to see through your deception, then something is wrong with you, not me... OK? And, even in advertisements, there is a difference with abit of hyperbolic overstating and stating wrong or fabricated "facts".

[TSherbs]

After the blatant lies Delta spread about their fusion nib, I'm actually almost glad to see them go...

Although I am not sure that corporate death was the fitting punishment, that lie about the nib was naked and insincere. Yes, advertisements are to be taken with a grain of salt, but many of us have some limits to the degree and tone of which and in which we accept being lied to and still hand over our hard-earned cash. I don't expect "friends" in corporate agents, but I don't expect to be insulted and treated with elaborate deceit either. My money will go elsewhere.

[TSherbs]

Why not? There are all sorts of harmful deceits that could be perpetrated on consumers were it not for some ethical standards either being self-imposed or imposed by law.

Because it is advertising and adults are supposedly capable of understanding that they are advertising.

That the lie is capable of being detected does not remove the liar's culpability. My trying to punch the lights out of a professional boxer (versus a much weaker potential target) does not exempt me from the charge of assault. That millions of adults believed that smoking was not harmful to them (advertizing always stated the opposite, and the negative research was suppressed) did not exempt the tobacco companies from both ethical and legal responsibility (partial) for the deceit.

[AltecGreen]

I'm not happy to see any company gone, it does no matter from which country..... In particular in a small world like that one of fp.
If only companies like Mont Blanc or Pelikan or Parker will be left in the market, our fun will be much less.
I started to buy Omas 30 years ago when i was living in Bologna for the University, and still I consider my Omas among the best pens i own in my collection . And the first one is my extra lucens from 1936.

A vintage Extra Lucens is a very different pen than any modern Omas. The pens made while Simoni was alive are fantastic with some of the best nibs. The modern pens try to capture the look but lack the soul or the performance.

[jar]

Why not? There are all sorts of harmful deceits that could be perpetrated on consumers were it not for some ethical standards either being self-imposed or imposed by law.

Because it is advertising and adults are supposedly capable of understanding that they are advertising.

That the lie is capable of being detected does not remove the liar's culpability. My trying to punch the lights out of a professional boxer (versus a much weaker potential target) does not exempt me from the charge of assault. That millions of adults believed that smoking was not harmful to them (advertizing always stated the opposite, and the negative research was suppressed) did not exempt the tobacco companies from both ethical and legal responsibility (partial) for the deceit.

But that is a matter of legality, not morality.

The two are not synonymous.

[TSherbs]

That the lie is capable of being detected does not remove the liar's culpability. My trying to punch the lights out of a professional boxer (versus a much weaker potential target) does not exempt me from the charge of assault. That millions of adults believed that smoking was not harmful to them (advertizing always stated the opposite, and the negative research was suppressed) did not exempt the tobacco companies from both ethical and legal responsibility (partial) for the deceit.

But that is a matter of legality, not morality.

The two are not synonymous.

It is a matter of both. The ethic is clear: intentional deceit (fraud) is both an ethical and a legal wrong. This is compounded when the deceit has damaging effects.

And of course ethics and law are not synonymous. But nearly all law is grounded in basic ethics of respectful and non-damaging treatment of other humans on the planet (and their property).

[jar]

That the lie is capable of being detected does not remove the liar's culpability. My trying to punch the lights out of a professional boxer (versus a much weaker potential target) does not exempt me from the charge of assault. That millions of adults believed that smoking was not harmful to them (advertizing always stated the opposite, and the negative research was suppressed) did not exempt the tobacco companies from both ethical and legal responsibility (partial) for the deceit.

But that is a matter of legality, not morality.

The two are not synonymous.

It is a matter of both. The ethic is clear: intentional deceit (fraud) is both an ethical and a legal wrong. This is compounded when the deceit has damaging effects.

And of course ethics and law are not synonymous. But nearly all law is grounded in basic ethics of respectful and non-damaging treatment of other humans on the planet (and their property).

Yet in this case I still see no ethical problem. And trying to compare it to cigarette advertising was simply sophomoric. The "Fusion Nib" was not a threat to anyone's health nor even a major financial risk. It was just selling the sizzle instead of the steak.

[TSherbs]

That the lie is capable of being detected does not remove the liar's culpability. My trying to punch the lights out of a professional boxer (versus a much weaker potential target) does not exempt me from the charge of assault. That millions of adults believed that smoking was not harmful to them (advertizing always stated the opposite, and the negative research was suppressed) did not exempt the tobacco companies from both ethical and legal responsibility (partial) for the deceit.

But that is a matter of legality, not morality.

The two are not synonymous.

It is a matter of both. The ethic is clear: intentional deceit (fraud) is both an ethical and a legal wrong. This is compounded when the deceit has damaging effects.

And of course ethics and law are not synonymous. But nearly all law is grounded in basic ethics of respectful and non-damaging treatment of other humans on the planet (and their property).

Yet in this case I still see no ethical problem....... The "Fusion Nib" was not a threat to anyone's health nor even a major financial risk. It was just selling the sizzle instead of the steak.

I have deleted your aspersion. If you are going to become derogatory, then I will assume that you don't actually want to discuss the possibility of ethics in marketing.

The analogy I was making was like the old form of analogy comparisons on the SAT:

apples:fruit.... is like ..... baseball:sport

The comparison is not between apples and baseball (which you accused me of making between fountain pen nibs and cigarettes). The comparison is between the relationships of the items in each pair.

Actually, the Delta's nib's "sizzle" (well functioning nib) was delivered as promised. It just did not taste good because it was over special briquettes. In fact, the special briquettes which you paid extra for imparted no flavor at all to the meat and were just a method of false advertising meant to extract more money from one's pocket to another.

What one person sees as marketing savvy (As long as no crime is committed, anything goes...), another sees as the hucksterism of a snake oil salesman. "Buyer beware" is not the only ethic recognized in the marketplace by all the members of the marketplace. It is simply the last line of defense under the consumer's control.

[Jon Szanto]

I have deleted your aspersion. If you are going to become derogatory, then I will assume that you don't actually want to discuss the possibility of ethics in marketing.


Jar's comment didn't read derogatorily to me, as I took the term "sophomoric" in the sense of elementary, simplistic, etc. It was certainly no more hostile than passive agressive comments directed back at him. One needn't use the exact same structure and manner of dialog to be honestly interested in discussion, and there is no need for you to assume that.

I'm still on the fence about the issue, as neither side has proven harm or lack of same.

[grainweevil]

I'm still on the fence about the issue, as neither side has proven harm or lack of same.

Oh cripes, Jon, don't encourage them. :facepalm:

[Jon Szanto]

I'm still on the fence about the issue, as neither side has proven harm or lack of same.

Oh cripes, Jon, don't encourage them. :facepalm:

My work here is done. ;)

[Woody]

Precious, oh precious resin.

[grainweevil]

Some further news via a retailer, this time NAGASAWA PenStyle-DEN in Japan via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/PenStyleDEN/posts/850025355167343) on 16th July. It's not good. For your delectation, the deplorable Google translation:


Delta Long Term Closed Notice
I am sorry, Italian Delta company will be closed for long term.
However, as for what we are currently offering for repair in Italy, return to Japan, as long as the Japanese agent can do
He seems to hesitate to do so. Things that can not be done are, however, to be returned.
We apologize for any inconvenience, thank you for your understanding.
Entering long-term closure, inquiries and purchasing of delta products has increased.
Customers who wanted Delta, please GET this opportunity.

[Josephtibbetts]

aka, time to buy that Oversized delta I've been eyeing

[adhoc]

I have found, in general, that Italian pen manufacturers (just like cars) seem to charge a hefty mark up their product putting them into a higher price bracket. This has been done by many Italian companies asking premium price for C/C pens with steel nibs... I'm honestly not surprised so many are having difficulty in the current market.

Don't get me wrong, they make beautiful pens, and the Dolce Vita was a real player on my list of pens I wanted... However, I ended up getting the Federico model due to the extreme prices they charge.

I hope they don't go anywhere, but sometimes you can price and market yourself out of business by being too fickle!

As Italian neighbour, I still primarily connect "Made in Italy" as cheap and low quality (speaking in general, not pens). I was amazed with the prices some of their pens reach for. I guess in terms of Visconti, one should really connect it with expensive and low quality.

From experience, if you want quality, you buy German or Japan made. And lately, it seems like Germany is going to have to be crossed from that list as well, given current trends.

I've been renovating my home past year and actively worked on avoiding anything Italian made. The new bathroom had an italian made toilet installed (didn't check it, my girlfriend picked it). It is the single worst piece of furniture in my home right now to the point of being barely usable.

EDIT: I am, of course, speaking in generalities. This doesn't apply to *absolutely everything*.

[Fabri00]

I do not think we can produce in Italy cheap goods in general, as the cost of handlabour is relatively high in our country, and our average Industry size is smaller, and therefore less efficient, then other European countries.
I'm sorry for the disappointing consideration you have in Italian goods, but normally the importers from your country ask specifically for bottom cheap prices. It happened also to me, with the distributor for the company I work for, in your country. I refused to supply them with the prices they wanted and i preferred to not sell there.

Often there are specific product lines, in particular for kitchens, bathrooms and house furniture, specifically produced for that countries, and often even not produced in Italy, but just branded ad italian.
Often also Chinese products are counterfited as Italian, and then exported.
One big chinese industry producing ceramics for bathrooms and kitchens bought an Italian ceramic company in Carpi, only to do that.

On the other way I can tell you that several reliable Italian companies supply high quality products like the aboves, to the more expansive and luxury markets like Dubai, Arabia, Japan, China, Russia, USA, and many others. I think if that peoples spend a lot of money, is not to buy the worst quality in the market.

Similar situation is for clothes and fashion goods.

This is not to say that Italian products are good or not good, but to suggest that maybe your experience has been considering only some cathegories of Italian goods, and I do not think you can assume that those represent the total Italian production.

[adhoc]

I absolutely agree with everything you wrote. So there's that. It is quite possible we get high prices for some cheap goods from Italy. Keep in mind we're a country that so much wants to be European, but mentality is mostly balkan. I would say sorry for dealing with my fellow country men, but I have to deal with them too.

My mother, for example, outfitted her apartment entirely in Italian furniture. We're not talking cheap here, we're talking 40k€ for a kitchen. 15k€ for a sofa, etc. The kitchen is in massive cherry wood (massive as in full wood, not just stickers plastered on top and ground wood in the middle). The whole thing is in Biedermeier style. It is absolutely beautiful - the tables and chairs are hand cut and lacquered, but just in few short years, things started falling apart. As a mechanical engineer, some of the joints and stuff I see baffle me as a technical solution.

Then there's for example Visconti - they used to send out instructions that were worse than google translate ... on pens worth 1k€+. Visconti still keeps sending out pens that have damaged finishes, non-writing nibs, etc. Old Lamborghinis, before VW bought them, frequently caught on fire and the translations on warning labels there were...laughable. Ceramica Dolomite, ...

These are not no-name brands. I'm sorry, but I have a lot of experience with Italian companies, as we're a small country and import a lot from you guys, but I can't recall a single positive experience with anything Italian made. Beautiful, but low quality. My experiences are limited and as you said, there are possibly some outside factors that impacted those experiences, of course. This is why I stressed out I am talking in generalities and that does not apply to everything.

German made, on the other hand, has rarely been beautiful. But it's mostly practical and high quality. Function over form.

Now, after talking bad about italian companies and products, back to ordering an Aurora 88 Nebulosa...I guess I'm just a hypocrite.

EDIT: Ah - I forgot to add this. Yes, you are right in that it is quite possible we get lower quality stuff here. Trust me, it doesn't reflect on the price WE pay! I see this ... shit ... everywhere. Lower quality food from same company from different markets. Which is amazing, as a Milka costs more here than in Germany, but it's made in Albania, where quality is much lower.

[adhoc]

Funny, as we were on the subject...I received the Aurora 88 Nebulosa today, a pen with MSRP of $895 and street price of $720, with italic nib. The italic nib is so badly made, that it is actually a right foot oblique and doesn't write at all. Like, at all. I have never seen a nib so bad before.

The pen was ordered from an authorized dealer and while not extremely expensive, certainly not cheap either. Although I can't say I'm really surprised, Aurora being an Italian company and all, but I just found it ironic, given the topic at hand.

I should probably mention I have 7 crisp italics at home, so I do know how to use them. The pen is beautiful, though.

[Ahriman4891]

That's unfortunate.

To provide a counterpoint - one of the comforting factors during the purchase of my Aurora 88 was that there were comparatively few complaints about them (I won't bother buying a Pelikan or Visconti at all, with all the reports of atrocious QC). Thankfully, my 88 writes very well. Guess you were one of the unlucky ones.

[adhoc]

Even though Lamy has been the most consistent out of all brands I've tried (which is pretty much every brand out there save for those one man operations) and well over 100 pens, Pelikan is still my favorite. This Aurora, on the other hand...I'm not sure if you completely understand the full picture (if I expressed myself clearly). I ordered an italic and got a right foot oblique. If it was left foot oblique, then at least I could call it a happy accident, because left foot oblique nibs are fun to use. This means they weren't able to cut a straight line. This is on a level of incompetence I didn't imagine was even possible. The oblique is actually at such an angle, you can see it just with your naked eyes.

[RocketRyan]

Even though Lamy has been the most consistent out of all brands I've tried (which is pretty much every brand out there save for those one man operations) and well over 100 pens, Pelikan is still my favorite. This Aurora, on the other hand...I'm not sure if you completely understand the full picture (if I expressed myself clearly). I ordered an italic and got a right foot oblique. If it was left foot oblique, then at least I could call it a happy accident, because left foot oblique nibs are fun to use. This means they weren't able to cut a straight line. This is on a level of incompetence I didn't imagine was even possible. The oblique is actually at such an angle, you can see it just with your naked eyes.

Was that your only dealing with Aurora, seems a touch harsh to condemn a company over one mistake.

[adhoc]

First and last, yes. Any sort of quality control whatsoever would not let a single nib in such poor condition slip. As said, you can see the nib is not ok with naked eye already, without any magnification.

True, harsh, but fortunately we're in capitalism and I can condemn anyone I choose with my wallet.

[Fabri00]

"Errare humanum est, perseverare autem diabolicum"
(Seneca, 55 ac )

[RocketRyan]

First and last, yes. Any sort of quality control whatsoever would not let a single nib in such poor condition slip. As said, you can see the nib is not ok with naked eye already, without any magnification.

True, harsh, but fortunately we're in capitalism and I can condemn anyone I choose with my wallet.

True, but 50% of the lamy pens I have bought have been unusable, yet 100% of the parker pens I've brought have been brilliant. Which is pretty much the opposite of what I read on line.
I own two Aurora optima fountain pens and they are amazing. So indeed you can form your own opinion of a brand, and are entitled to it. However I asked the question for the simple reason, we're you unlucky and having a whinge, or is there a problem with the brand. On this occasion I would surmise you are just unlucky. Thanks for replying though.

[VertOlive]

Sorry to think this might be true (and happy I have my four Deltas in hand). I do have to say I detest the one fusion nib I have.

What did Delta say about the fusion nib?

[youstruckgold]

Sorry to think this might be true (and happy I have my four Deltas in hand). I do have to say I detest the one fusion nib I have.

What did Delta say about the fusion nib?

I have a couple of fusion nibs and actually quite like them


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[grainweevil]

What did Delta say about the fusion nib?

CAUTION! You may wish to dial down the sensitivity of your b*llsh*t meter to prevent catastrophic overload before reading the following:


...the patent-pending Fusion nib - a revolution in design by Delta. The nib was developed to improve the efficiency of the fountain pen by enhancing the physical-chemical properties of ink within its assembly system. The foundation of the Fusion nib is a steel alloy covered and decorated with a layer of precious 18K gold: the ink is made more viscous on the tip of the nib because the thermal conductivity of the precious metal plate will heat the underlying steel - the higher temperature makes the ink flow more smoothly. The combination of gold and steel on the flexible nib gives it a unique and appealing look. It is strong and durable for long writing sessions - much more so than solid gold nibs. Hence, the fountain pen is more precious and at the same time less expensive!

[stub]

What did Delta say about the fusion nib?

It cures cancer.

[RocketRyan]

I'd forgotten how funny that was .

[stub]

I'd forgotten how funny that was .



Funny also that the price of the pen really didn't seem to be any different than a full golf nib.

& that the gold never even touches the ink

&

Fuuniest of all was that the gold doohickey on top often fell off anyway.

[RocketRyan]

I'd forgotten how funny that was .



Funny also that the price of the pen really didn't seem to be any different than a full golf nib.

& that the gold never even touches the ink

&

Fuuniest of all was that the gold doohickey on top often fell off anyway.

Yes I heard the build was a bit shoddy.
I have a delta with a steel nib, and a delta with a 14k nib, both are fantastic writers.
I wonder what ever possessed them to do this. From what I gather they were bock nibs anyway, either use the Titanium or Palladium nibs surely.

[stub]

I was really really tempted but the Delta Matte Journal. Really temped but that ship has sailed. That model lasted a Scaramucci and was gone.

[VertOlive]

I used this thread as an excuse to buy a Federico Stantuffo with a regular gold nib in case they really do close up shop!

[Jon Szanto]

I used this thread as an excuse to buy a Federico Stantuffo with a regular gold nib in case they really do close up shop!

This must be a wildly synchronous coincidence: I opened up this thread to see the announcement, but I've just seen, over on reddit, someone claiming to have been informed by Yafa that Delta has closed it's doors. I'll keep my eyes open for a more official statement.

[grainweevil]

Several different retailers in the US, and Yafa, have been reported as declaring Delta definitely kaput since about mid-September. Absolutely no-one's come forward to disagree. I wonder if there's anybody left at Delta to make it any more official?

[rafapa]

You can read their facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/deltapen/about/?ref=page_internal


About

HOURS

Permanently Closed

[penstaking]

I haven't read (and won't read) all the posts in this thread, but there is clearly vitriolic and even belligerence (not to mention ethnically prejudiced remarks) against Delta -- which somehow suddenly represents, for these arrogant and hypocritical commenters, all things Italian. The illogic of these comments continues by suggesting that other Italian producers (even those in the automotive industry, one of the most remarkable success stories in the post WW II world) suddenly loom as suspect because they 'price themselves out of the market' by being superior to the junk imported from Asia which floods the pen and car market: disposable pieces of flim-flam that last a year if a month and look as cheap as they are made, almost all unorignal knock-offs of what Europeans -- especially Italians -- have been doing in these fields for a century. Then Americans looking for a bargain scoop the imported junk up like crumbs from Lazarus' table and complain that Italian pen companies are at fault when they 'go under' because they cannot adapt to the mediocrity of American taste.

[stub]

I haven't read (and won't read) all the posts in this thread, but there is clearly vitriolic and even belligerence (not to mention ethnically prejudiced remarks) against Delta -- which somehow suddenly represents, for these arrogant and hypocritical commenters, all things Italian. The illogic of these comments continues by suggesting that other Italian producers (even those in the automotive industry, one of the most remarkable success stories in the post WW II world) suddenly loom as suspect because they 'price themselves out of the market' by being superior to the junk imported from Asia which floods the pen and car market: disposable pieces of flim-flam that last a year if a month and look as cheap as they are made, almost all unorignal knock-offs of what Europeans -- especially Italians -- have been doing in these fields for a century. Then Americans looking for a bargain scoop the imported junk up like crumbs from Lazarus' table and complain that Italian pen companies are at fault when they 'go under' because they cannot adapt to the mediocrity of American taste.


You haven't read the thread.

However, you are angry because you feel that Italians have been unfairly maligned with a reductive and blanket condemnation.

But then your reaction is to then tar and feather all Asians (& heads up: Asian cultures are as different as varied as those found in Europe) and bad mouth all Americans with some offensive, trival and cartoonish characterization.

That is stupid pot meets kettle BS, knee-jerk tribalism (w/ hints of bigotry) and generally useless and unhelpful.

And here you could have contributed meaningfully.