Review: Delta Horsepower - Fine Harmonic Steel @PenChalet

Here is a review of a pen I'd never have considered to try out unless I was surprised by it showing up in my mailbox. Thank you Pen Chalet!

ABOUT

Body Material: Resin & carbon fiber
Trim: Black rhodium-plated metal
Length (capped): 5.62"
Length (uncapped nib-end): 4.7"
Length (posted): 6.16"
Barrel Diameter: 0.40" - 0.58"
Section Diameter: 0.43" - 0.50"
Nib material: (Harmonic) Steel
Weight: 28g
Fill type: Cartridge/Converter
Price: MSRP $225.00USD Sale $180.00USD
Where to buy: Pen Chalet

PACKAGING

The Delta Horsepower comes with a lot of packaging. An outer paper sleeve with a racing theme, inside a black cardboard box, and then another box! Inside the box is some Delta information papers - writing instructions, about the Horsepower pen, and then the pen itself nestled in a felt bed. I think it's a lot of packaging for the pen and, if you don't know this about me by now, I prefer minimal packaging because I hate having to store and keep unnecessary amounts of packaging. There's nothing wrong with what Delta has provided here, but it doesn't wow me either. What also disappointed me was the pen did not come with a converter!

APPEARANCE

The Horsepower is an unusual looking fountain pen. The ends of the pen are rounded and it's fairly wide in diameter. The cap is wider than the barrel, wider at the top, narrows, then wider again at the center band (hard to describe. Have a look at the picture.). The center band has "Horsepower" embossed on it. The red and gunmetal trim colour scheme does make me think of a race car, especially with the band of carbon fiber in the barrel. The barrel tapers towards the end.

There is a ring at the top of the cap to hold the clip on, as well as at the end of the carrel. The clip and center band is a glossy black rhodium-plated metal. The section is red to match the rest of the body. The pen is numbered but it is not a limited edition model.

NIB & PERFORMANCE

The nib is black rhodium-plated harmonic steel in fine. Harmonic steel? Well, Delta also has the fusion nib, which is supposed to increase the viscosity of your ink and improve your writing experience. ... Errr. Well, I remain skeptical about that, and this "harmonic steel", when it's clearly a steel nib. Anyway. It has the Delta logo with the usual flourishes on it. The nib matches the body well, of course, both in terms of the colour scheme as well as the size. Unflushed, I inked up using the same ink that SBRE Brown used in his review - Akkerman Chinatown Red. It just seemed to make sense!

The nib is consistent and reliable, flows a little on the dry side for my tastes, and gives some feedback, which is not surprising because it is a fine nib and also is plated. It is a very hard nib and offers pretty much no line variation whatsoever, even with a lot of pressure (fortunately I did not spring the nib trying). I think that's what I was most disappointed by, not necessarily by the fact that it was fine.

IN HAND

Ignoring the nib, I did find the pen shape, weight, and balance to be quite comfortable. It's not a very heavy pen, being resin, so it was nice to write with in that regard. Since it writes so reliably, there was no need for a death grip or pressing hard on the paper, which made it even more comfortable to write with.

Comfort wise, I was pretty pleased. It worked better for me unposted than posted, not because it became too heavy posted, but because it was quite long. However, it does post nicely: deep and snug.

PROS & CONS

OVERALL

Well, I have mixed feelings about this pen. I'm not a huge fan of hard nibs, so it didn't win me over in the nib department, although it did write well. The pen itself is comfortable and lightweight. It's also not the style and design of pen that would attract my attention. I was disappointed by the excessive amount of packaging, the fact that Delta did not provide a converter, and by the wobbly clip. I'm willing to forgive the hard because others like hard nibs, I just happen to prefer softer nibs, broads, and stubs. I suspect a stub fusion nib would have been a much more enjoyable experience for me.

And don't forget you can get 10% off at Pen Chalet until the end of the year on your purchases! 

I received this pen free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion. There are no affiliate links in this review.