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Fingers Were Meant to be Inky

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Fabriano EcoQua Pocket Notebook Review

Two four-packs of Fabriano EcoQua Notebooks, one in warm colors, one in cool colors.

Mega Monster Review Slug

This is Part 4 of my Mega Monster Review series on pocket notebooks. You can visit the main Mega Monster Review page for a listing of all the notebooks reviewed in this series. You can also open the massive Master Spreadsheet to see all the aggregated data on these notebooks. Note: This is a work in progress and will take several weeks to complete.

Fabriano EcoQua Pocket Notebook

Introduction:

Despite the dearth of decent options available in most US office supply & big-box stores, there are actually a ton of companies out there producing interesting, high-quality paper products in a range of shapes and sizes. Some companies are very prominent and well known (Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Leuchtturm), while others fly under the radar. One of these lesser-known gems is Italian stationery wizard… Read More

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Delta Vintage Fountain Pen Review

The Delta Vintage Fountain Pen, uncapped, with the cap laying down and the pen resting on top of it

Straight out of the “No idea what to expect” files, here’s a review of the…

Delta Vintage Collection Fountain Pen

Price: $29.00 (Typically retails for $110 to $150)
Nib: Medium
Filling System: Standard International Cartridge

About the Pen:

No, this is not a vintage pen. It’s a modern pen. Its name is Vintage. The Delta Vintage. Why, Delta? Why? Anyway…

I went back and forth on buying this pen several times before pulling the trigger. And this pen truly is an exercise in paradoxes:

  • It’s made of a beautiful, swirly-pearly acrylic, but it only takes cartridges (as I understand it, the mini Monteverde converter will fit, but I don’t have one to test it).
  • It’s been around since at least 2009, but there is very little information about it on the Internet. It’s not listed in Delta’s own web site, and you have to really hunt to find it in the Yafa site (Yafa is the US distributor for Delta).
  • I found two reviews of the Vintage: Mike Dudek from The Clicky Post loved his, but Amanda Crawford had a ton of problems.

My first Delta, the $76 Unica, is magnificent. The online retailers that carry the Vintage list it for anywhere between $110 and $150 (with $140 the most common price). Delta doesn’t market this pen, it’s over $100, and it doesn’t take a converter. Didn’t seem like much of a deal to me. But then I found it

… Read More

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Delta Unica Fountain Pen Review

The Delta Unica Fountain Pen uncapped, with the pen section resting atop and perpendicular to the cap

Straight outta my “I really gotta consider more European pens, you know?” files, here’s my review of the simple yet sexy…

Delta Unica Fountain Pen

Price: $76.00
Nib: Fine (F)
Filling System: Screw-Type Piston Converter

About the Pen:

Unlike fellow Italian fountain pen manufacturers Montegrappa, Aurora, and Omas (RIP), which are pushing their century mark, Delta is a relatively new player in the field. Founded back when the Go-Go’s were sealing their lips, The Cars were shaking it up, and Joan Jett was stating the obvious (1982, in case you didn’t know), Delta has yet to hit their 35th birthday. When looking at the big players of Italian fountain pens, only Visconti (1988) has been around for less time.

Despite their relative youth, Delta smashed one out of the park with their luscious and sexy
… Read More