Over a year ago, I decided to expand my collection of fude nibs. During the research phase, I ran across the Delike New Moon 2. Nothing in my collection was as fine as the Delike fude appeared to be and I was willing to gamble $20 to find out if this pen would fill that niche. In its favor was a very appealing design and color. Even the size and weight of the barrel are in my preferred range. So I plunked down my money and waited for its arrival.
When the package showed up at my door, I wasted no time and opened it immediately. First impression? Wow, what a beautiful pen! After a thorough rinsing, I filled the converter and was delighted to find that the nib was as good as the rest of the pen though it took several tries to find its best ink mate, Iroshizuku syo-ro.
More than a year later, this dynamic duo has been my daily companion completing nearly 300 pages in my journals. It has been filled dozens of times and is still going strong.
The green cracked ice pen was so enjoyable to use that I bought a blue marble so I could have two colors of ink ready to write. That pen has a tad more feedback, but otherwise is identical in performance. Rumor has it that the fudes are hand ground from Dlike extra-fine nibs and I wondered if the standard nibs were as good. So I bought a burgundy marble extra-fine that was beautiful but had a nib that was a stinker. After several emails with the seller, they decided to send a replacement nib that works perfectly.
Despite being the happy owner of three new pens, I decided to explore a little further and purchased a purple wave Moonman S1 with a fine nib. That pen had flow issues from the beginning that I addressed by widening the slit. I overdid it and the flow is a bit excessive. The build quality is not as good as the Delike New Moon 2 and feels more like a $20 pen that I could lose and not care about the loss.
Recently I noticed that Jet Pens carried the Moonman N6 though their inventory was low. I zoomed in on a photo of the nib and to my surprise the fude had the same imprint as the Delike New Moon. However, the design of the pen was quite different with no metal furnishings, not even a clip. Such a lightweight pen might be handy in my handbag or on days when my grip is uncooperative. So I ordered one along with a bottle of matching ink, Private Reserve Shell Pink, two packets of Tomoe River paper and a corner punch to make the paper look more like stationery when I want to write a letter. The pink pen came with a glass dip nib that I haven’t tried yet. Maybe someday my fascination with the fude will subside and I will swap the nibs. Or not.
Just to see what would happen, the blue fude and the burgundy extra-fine were set aside filled with Colorverse Crystal Planet and Andromeda. After seven weeks of no use, they both wrote instantly though the flow from the EF was a tad light for the first few words. Perhaps I just hit on the ideal combination of pens and inks, but it is still an impressive result.
This is not a full review because the pens have become difficult to find in the last six months and generally my reviews are about currently available products. However, I promised a review of the Delike so here it is. The bottom line is that these pens are inexpensive but the build quality varies. You might hit the jackpot as I did with my first two or you might get a stinker. If the retailer is one you can count on to back up its products like Jet Pens does, your risk is reduced. The Delike is hard to find, but there are a few at Amazon and eBay. At the price point, there are a number of other options including the Pilot Metropolitan. I have three of them and all of the nibs are good but none is a fude. The Delike fits my hand better and has more visual appeal so the Pilots are in the pen drawer. However, I am fickle so that is always subject to change.
More about the New Moon from Rupertarzeian at Early thoughts on the Delike New Moon bent nib fude pen
and More thoughts on the Delike New Moon fude nib fountain pen.
Pen Vibe: The Beginners Guide to Delike Fountain Pens
JanineScribbles: Delike New Moon fountain pens
Fountain Pen Blog: Early thoughts on the Delike New Moon bent nib fude pen.
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