DELTA DOLCEVITA OVERSIZE REVIEW

During the past year, I've 'refocused' my fountain pen collection. I sold a few pens that I thought deserved a better home, and I focused on acquiring a very specific few essential -to me- fountain pens. This shortlist, appropriately named 'The Big Five', consists of five oversized fountain pens from different manufacturers: A Pelikan Souverän M1000, Visconti Homo Sapiens Oversize, Omas Arte Italiana Paragon, Montblanc 149 and a Delta Dolcevita Oversize . I managed to collect four of them in just one year, which is rather impressive I think (My wallet doesn't find it all that impressive...).

The pen I'll talk about today is obviouly the fourth one on the list: The Delta Dolcevita Oversize! I got a heads-up from my local B&M store that Delta would cease distribution through all pen stores except one online store in Italy. Once again, I felt like it would be now or never, so I ordered one right away! It might sound like the Delta was a bit of an impulse buy, but that isn't exactly true. It had been on my wishlist for quite a few years, but so far, every time I wanted to get one, something else came up.

I bought the Dolcevita pretty much sight unseen - something I do quite often, as I usually want that one pen or nib that isn't in stock at my local B&M! But since I saw one at the Tilburg pen show about a month earlier, and drooled all over it, I figured it was well worth the gamble. I have a Delta Journal that I really enjoy, so I was quite confident that my purchase wouldn't turn out to be a bust! Luckily it didn't dissapoint me when it arrived!

It's a great fountain pen, let's get that out of the way. It might not be everyone's cup of tea -correction: it's definitely not for everyone-, but it's perfect for me. Me, and a bold, colorful pen like the Dolcevita, doesn't really sound like the right combination, given my affection for more 'subtle' pens. Yet this one is so awesome, I'm willing to make an exception. For some reason, I don't mind a unique appearance on more expensive pens. It seems a bit counter-intuitive, but at least you'll certainly get your money's worth! This massive, bright-orange pen, fitted with engraved sterling silver bands, is really lightyears away from being subtle! It stands out out from the crowd, that much is certain.

The Dolcevita is Delta's 'signature' collection. Where Montblanc has Meisterstück, and Pelikan has Souverän, Delta has its Dolcevita pens. Pretty much all Delta pens however, share a somewhat similar design philosophy: Bulky, large, straight lines, with elaborate finishes and unique little details, that's what sets these pens apart!

The Dolcevita is, in that regard, no different. The flat-top design is rather simple and straightforward (Except for the unusual, but barely noticeable taper of the barrel, that gets slightly narrower towards the nib) The beautiful sterling silver, hand-engraved cap band, Art-Déco clip, and stunning orange flecked Resin celluloid (Update: Thanks to one of the readers for pointing out that it's not celluloid!) are the details that really make this pen stand out.

The orange resin has become a trademark for the Dolcevita product line. And while it's quite pronounced (read: NOT subtle!), it's actually one of the major selling points for a lot of people. I used to hate colorful pens, but over the last couple of years, I've come to appreciate a nice resin or celluloid. Especially if it's an iconic one like the green stripes of the Pelikan Souverän, or the orange resin on this one! It's a really rich material, with a lot of depth and chatoyance. It's quite hard to put my finger on what exactly there is to like about it, but it just grabs your attention and it doesn't let go.

Edison Collier, Lamy Al-Star, Lamy 2000, Delta Dolcevita OS. Pelikan M800

With its relatively modest length of 14.2 cm (the exact same length as a Pelikan Souverän M800), you wouldn't think of it as an oversized pen. But it's the girth that makes this pen so impressive. With a diameter of 1.8 cm around the widest point of the cap, and a barrel that measures in at around 1.5 cm at the widest point, the Dolcevita oversized certainly feels like an oversized pen, even though it's not that long.

I must say, after hearing some complaints about it being too wide to be used comfortably, I was affraid that I would encounter the same problem. In practice, it isn't all that bad though. It takes some getting used to, but even I -with my relatively small hands- find it quite enjoyable, even for longer writing sessions. It's not an overly weighty pen, given the size, which probably benefits the comfort.
The cap can be posted, but I find it better weighted and balanced unposted. There are a couple metal parts in and around te body of the pen, which give it a satisfying, but not exhausting, weight.

Speaking about the inside: the -massive- #8 nib is fueled by a rather meager c/c converter. Earlier models came supplied with a glass eyedropper, so I suppose it can be used as said, even though I have my doubts because of the metal threads on the inside... I haven't tried eyedroppering it, and I probably won't because I don't want to risk damaging it. But it has to be said: with a thirsty broad nib like this, I have to refill it quite often!

So I already gave it away, one of the major selling points for me: the huge #8 14k gold nib! I like me some nice, big nibs, and this does not dissapoint at all! The single-tone rhodium design features a very nice, classical engraving, somewhat remniscent of the design on a Montblanc nib.
Apart from looking sharp, it also writes wonderfully. It's a  bit of a mixture between the really smooth overpolished nibs from brands like Omas and Pelikan, and a more controlled, balanced nib as found on Montblancs or Japanese pens.

The broad nib performs out of the box just like pretty much anyone would expect a good pen to write. It's definitely a bit on the wet side, which is my preference, but perhaps not everyone would like a gusher like this. It's teamed up with a rather unique looking flat ebonite feed, that provides a -more than- generous flow. As I said, the nib is not overly polished, which is noticeable in the ever so slight amount of feedback it gives. In my review of the Omas  Paragon, I mentioned that I prefer nibs that are slightly overpolished, but in this case, the slight feedback and generous ink flow combine into one of the most pleasant writing experiences I can think of. It's more than smooth enough, but not so that it starts picking up bad habits such as hard starts and skipping, an enjoyable balance.

One thing that did surprise me, is that despite the large #8 size, the nib is not overly springy. I thought it would compare to the Pelikan Souverän M1000 nibs, where you can definitely feel the softness, and maybe even get a bit of line variation out of it, but that wasn't the case here. It feels somewhat 'cushioned', if that makes sense, but there's definitely no line variation to be had.

NIBBAGE!

'The Bold and the beautiful'. that's exactly what this pen is. But I love every bit of it. I'd even dare to say that the Dolcevita wouldn't be as attractive if it wasn't as extraordinary!

Delta's recent 'bold' (got the pun?) move, is...regrettable to say the least. I'd love to recommend this pen to everyone, but the thing is: I don't know for how long there will be something to recommend. I have my doubts about the effectiveness of Delta's new business strategy. I wouldn't be surprised if they too, get into financial trouble sooner or later (an unpleasant trend that seems to be unfolding in the pen industry)... But let's not think about that, right?

If you happen to have a spare 600 EUR  / 720 USD laying around, if you really want a bold new pen, or maybe, just maybe,...if you're as crazy as me and you want a few 'essentials' in your collection, than you should definitely look into the Delta Dolcevita Oversize!

Note: Penworld Supports this blog. I received a discount on this purchase, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared here are completely my own! This review does not contain any affilate links.