[Pen/Pencil Blog] The Diplomat Traveller Flame
I missed last week because of Day Job stuff, but it’s all starting to wind down a little bit, so here we are. This is one of the really cool pens I picked up in New Orleans a couple of weeks ago (though it feels like it was longer than that). This one was from one of the nicest pen stores in the US, Papier & Plume in New Orleans. This week’s pen is the Diplomat Traveller fountain pen in the Flame coating.
I’ve never had a Diplomat before. I’ve seen and read about them, but never bought one. Mostly because they’re higher end and usually out of my price range. When talking with the good folks at Papier & Plume about something nice but relatively affordable they showed me starting with “now, this one is uniqueâ€. And they are correct. It spoke to me. It came home with me. The Flame line is new to Diplomat and beautifully done.
The Traveller Flame is 4.6†long without the cap; 5.33†capped; and 6.2†with the cap posted. The barrel is metal run through fire and lightly varnished with a strong “snap capâ€. You have to tug HARD to get the cap off this pen, which protects the nib. The sturdy, stainless steel nib is a relatively fine point “Medium†– which I love. It’s also flexible enough to feel agile and doesn’t feel that scratchy. The The shiny metal clip is lovely and strong. The top of the cap has the enameled logo in the top.
The Traveller Flame uses standard ink cartridges or a converter. It will hold two of the short ones in the barrel if one is already seated for use. These are part of my “nice†pen collection. Not super expensive, but not inexpensive – these run $52 retail – so that’s about what you pay at Papier & Plume or Goulet or another type of place. Not so expensive you don’t want to use it, but expensive enough you won’t leave it out on your desk or loan it to a friend.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 – It works like it’s supposed to. The nib is smooth and solid. The barrel well-balanced with a good feel. The nib feels strong, like it won’t bend if you’re heavy-handed writer. The cap snaps securely – very securely – but the posting is a little iffy.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – They make an effort for ergonomics. Though there’s not any “grippy” parts, it’s all smooth plastic, the grip is designed to fit comfortably in the hand. There’s a small ridge where the grip meets the barrel, but it doesn’t dig in.
3. Material – 1 – It is an amazing metal barrel with a stunning fired finish with a touch of varnish. It’s light but comfortable. The clip is metal with elegant sweeps.
4. Overall Design – 0.5 – So the tiny knock is the cap. It takes significant effort to get the cap off. It does post, but I would like some snap to that that isn’t there on this one, but it still posts.
5. Price Point – 1 – It’s $52. That’s not super cheap but it’s not Bad. It’s just more than some people are willing to pay, but a LOT less than others of this class. Diplomat is one of the “Luxury†lines. This is just one of the ones for the “everyday carry†collectors. And I’m glad I chose it.
That’s 4.5 of 5 bronze pencils.
