The Diplomat Aero Fountain Pen • Review + A Pen Story

This is a review of the Diplomat Aero, one of my favorite personal pens, and the story of this particular pen means to me (feel free to skip to the review, time marks below).
0.00 Intro/pen story
5.45 Design and overview
11.28 Writing test
14.24 Pros/Cons/Worth it?
17.33 Size Comparisons & Wrap Up
Ink used in this review: Monteverde 2018 DC Supershow Blue: amzn.to/32pcbOk
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[@mysimpleintentionallife9899]

That was the sweetest and most heartfelt tribute I’ve ever seen to a friend. Enjoy your beautiful pen. I hope to be able to get one like that someday.

[@estebanclark3092]

I did not expect to have such an emotional reaction to a pen review. What a treasure your channel is!

[@manuelb.p.6932]

Thank you for the review. The emotional touch make pens very special. I live in Germany and I am BIG Diplomat Fan. I have the limited edition Aero Volute, Excellence A+ and Excellence Skyline. Best quality pens for the price..and a very good service. Best Regards

[@nestorvb_]

Great video James, thanks for sharing those great memories and testimony. The pen seems like a nice way to immortalize those memories with Bill. The pen is impressive! Amd the deal you got seemed hard to pass. Stay safe take care James.

[@bobglazauskis6720]

I love my Diplomat Aero's so much so that I bought 3 of them. Broad, Medium and extra fine nibs. All steel nibs! I am a career long aircraft mechanic for United Airlines and a on location urban sketcher artist and use my fountain pens mostly for drawing and sketching and I own many other fountain pens in many styles. I love the weight and feel of the Aero's, all 3 nibs flow very smoothly ink with a variety of inks and are joy to draw and sketch with. They are rock solid heavy duty well made pens to the point if someone attacked you, you could also use it as a personal self defense weapon in a emergency . The cap snaps on and off securely and posts firmly . I own many fountain pens and these 3 are my most expensive. But worth every penny I spent on them. I now I am on fude (bent nib) fixation. So I now wish Diplomat would make a Aero with a fude nib, as I would buy my 4th one in a heartbeat. The Aero is by far my favorite and most comfortable pen for my big left hand!

[@sharifmohammad2322]

How would you describe the medium nib? Is it wet or dry? I've read some reviews where they say it's fairly dry, so I was thinking of buying a broad nib despite having very small handwriting. I just like wet nibs.

[@bobglazauskis6720]

For me its somewhere in between. But actually I use my diplomats for drawing and urban sketching Sharif. I don’t write much with them. I love the feel and balance of them. Though they may be a little heavy for some. I also find the wetness varies with the inks I use in them. Hope this helps Sharif. Have a nice day!

[@sharifmohammad2322]

@@bobglazauskis6720 Thanks a lot for your reply. Happy holidays and enjoy!

[@magnoliamike]

I’m so glad I picked the TWSBI ECO for my first fountain pen

[@teresaharris-travelbybooks5564]

I'm here for this video, because I'm considering getting one. I've not previously been interested because I was dazzled by special resins and finishes and now I'm beginning to look more at the foundational fountain pens. This has been an excellent review. I like the brown finish. Its classic.

[@Michelt007]

Great tribute to a friend and great review!! We should definitely indulge in our pen hobby, there are way worse things to spend our money on!! Enjoy your beautiful pen, and may you have a Mustang in your future!

[@robertj3438]

It means a lot to me too. Bill was a wonderful Christian and elder. I'm glad you bought this pen in his memory.

[@ZenMasterIDontThink]

This has been on my wish for some years, but I never thought to push the button until I saw your excellent review. In UK it retails around £150, but I managed to find an orange (my preferred colour) for £118. It’ll be with me Wednesday. I have the A2 broad and if the Aero lives up to that superb writer I’ll be well pleased. It should do as the nibs are interchangeable. Thanks again for the review, and I loved the story of why you bought the pen. Friendship is all.

[@emmeryncariglino4983]

Oh wow I could absolutely tell you were a debate judge even if you'd never said it, there's only so many paths to becoming a pen aficionado, and this is absolutely one of them!

[@Ben-co8ro]

I used to imagine my pens were spaceships and motorboats. Glad I’m not the only one, haha!!

[@davidmcguigan5497]

Saw that sale, it's pretty impressive. Figure 10 bottles of ink is about 2/3 of the whole price for a pen of that quality, wow! Nice tribute to your friend. Always heartening to hear about good people. Thanks James.

[@13noman1]

The nib is absolutely fabulous and I love the style but two negatives for me. The grip section is a bit slick so I end up making micro adjustments with the barrel slowly unscrewing. Worse, the slip cap doesn’t hold as well as you’d want; the pen is prone to uncapping in a large pocket so I don’t carry it as much as the nib warrants.

[@cathiescott7382]

I also acquired an Aero in that same Dromgoole’s sale. Also I recently lost a close friend and used pen therapy by purchasing a pen to remember her by. She was a natural redhead. Orange is not normally my favorite color but I got my first Edison Collier in Persimmon Swirl. The pen is both gorgeous and a great writer so I think of her with affection every time I use it. I do love my Aero and the click you get when you cap it.

[@lucaspaiva8504]

Man its amazing your reviews of pow prices pens ... Keep goin ... This pen is elevate price but is so beautful.

[@nitina8564]

This absolutely is a fantastic pen over all.. my favourite steel nib fountain pens are Diplomat Aero and Faber Castel E-motion, both these pens are beautifully made and write super smooth and they are better than a few gold bib fountain pens i own. Great review and enjoy your new fountain pen.

[@i.c.3157]

The Diplomat aero has always been on my radar as a grail pen but I just can't get over that hefty price tag for a steel nib, I enjoy the pen's overall aesthetic plus the grip isn't a huge issue for me, I would say the only thing holding me back is when you compare it to other well made metal pens. Karas kustoms is a solid example and one I'm leaning towards purchasing, maybe when I get the courage I'll see which one I end up pulling the trigger on, great review as always.

[@fountainpeninsanity3344]

I have the Diplomat Aero and the Karas Kustoms Ink and Fountain K. They are all good pens, but the medium nib on the Aero is, in my opinion, much better than any other steel nib (the fine Aero nib is not as great from my experience). Many people have said, and I agree, that the medium Aero nib has the feel of a gold nib. Sometimes you can find a really good deal on an Aero on Ebay. I hope this helps.

[@martinlebl631]

@@fountainpeninsanity3344 Diplomat also has gold nib version for a bit more, if you want. That is much more palatable at the price.

[@i.c.3157]

@@fountainpeninsanity3344 I've heard that diplomat's steel nibs can definitely hold their own against some gold nibs. Personally I've only used two diplomat pens and the nibs on them were 'meh', the one on my traveler was a meduim nib which would whistle, wrote like a fine point even though the flow was pretty decent, and had a bit more feedback than I was used to on a medium point. The broad nib on my magnum suffered from serious baby's bottom so it was unusable but after some tuning both now write flawlessly. If I end up biting the bullet on the 'Aero' my hope is, it's tested and comes as close to perfect as possible, especially with that hefty price tag, you're input is much appreciated and has given me some reassurance with the Aero.

[@benchandler4298]

So very few other pens of this price point have ever appealed to me as much as the Diplomat Aero. Just the coolest design. I haven't stopped thinking about this model since I first saw it. One of these days, I'm going to get myself a Diplomat Aero, when I feel like I deserve a reward.

[@magnoliamike]

I have the SuperShow Blue too along with lamy black for the two inks i have. The SuperShow Blue looks so cool in my white TWSBI

[@Mity_Moose]

Another great review James. Say! I keep getting this KZbin Ad for a Webson Gill fountain pen. It looks like something I can pick up at a craft fare. But, I trust your judgement and wonder if you did a review on it, or will you? Thanks.

[@tiantuatara]

I have the Magnum and really enjoy it. It's a great nib. I didn't like the Aero in my hand but that makes me sad because I think it is very cool and I'd like the nib.

[@gregcooper8466]

Beautiful story, beautiful pen to go with it. I have been eyeing the orange model, or the volute (an even more expensive model, which is I don't have one - yet). Thanks for your review. I hope that I have stories to go with my pens to give them more meaning to me. Bless you.

[@kaferrari]

the snap cap has the best snap feeling among the fountain pens....

[@ingolf7411]

Great and honest review.

[@carloswilson977]

Thank you for sharing that story with us.

[@MrBraysie]

I’ve had this pen on my wishlist for quite some time, but being in Australia the exchange rate is not great and freight charges can be excessive. But you have inspired me to have another look at this pen and see if I can find a good deal.

[@martinlebl631]

With many pens it pays to be patient, as deals appear all the time. Of course you had to check often so you don't miss it, but if you can wait, then you can likely get it much cheaper. Given the state of the world economy I expect even more deals, as companies try to keep moving inventory in economically challenging circumstances.

[@MrBraysie]

@@martinlebl631 Thanks, I’ll keep an eye out. I’ve been checking Goulet pens, any other suggestions?

[@martinlebl631]

@@MrBraysie Amazon, especially Amazon UK, of course Appelboom, Dromgoole's, and any of your favorite fountain pen retailers. There is about a dozen of the top ones. Some sales are across all of them if driven by the pen manufacturer, and some are driven by the retailer, so it pays to watch them all. Fountain Pen Network has a section where people put up notices of deals, so that is a good place to check as well.

[@martinlebl631]

@@MrBraysie And Dromgoole's still has some of the colors of the Aero in stock, and the ten bottle sale is still on.

[@dejandjokic5919]

Your review is impressive! Thank you!

[@JG3Reviews]

Thanks for watching!

[@thuntz29]

How do you find the section? I find with metal pens that the section makes them quite difficult to control (very slippery) I’m having that issue with my Kaweco AL sport

[@JG3Reviews]

Its matte finish helps a little bit with that. Most of the time I don't mind it at all. It is definitely something you'd want to try before buying if the AL Sport bothers you.

[@ichirofakename]

Thanks for another great review.

[@MrsinTN]

Better looking pen than I originally thought it was from online pictures; hmmm, maybe the orange one will be in my future? Does it feel odd due to the striations? Glad you have a great reminder of a wonderful friend. Have you tried a Retro 51? I bought a Retro 51 Mustang - love it - and had to order one for my husband.

[@martinlebl631]

They also have one that us half orange, and half black that looks pretty good.

[@JG3Reviews]

I don’t really notice the striations when writing at all. I haven’t tried the Retro 51, but I nearly bought it a couple of times. I couldn’t decide between the Mustang and the Corsair.

[@MrsinTN]

JG3 Reviews I just purchased m brother the Corsair; I guess I think that it’s “prettier,” lol.

[@martinlebl631]

@@MrsinTN Both of those are really nice looking homages to those planes. I get it as collectible, but wonder how it holds up under daily wear and tear of being used as a writing instrument.

[@TheNightowl001]

That was a nice telling of the background around why you got this pen, and you have my condolences on your loss, sir. However, I've looked at the Aero a number of times, and it's just not a style I find attractive. Add to that that it is, as you point out, bigger and heavier than it looks (I don't mind heavier so much as I mind bigger), on top of it being a "western" nib size, and then the non-sale prices, and I'm even more firmly convinced I would not really care to purchase this pen. It's just not my style. But I appreciate the informative review! You have convinced me that there are pens I DO want to keep an eye out for a deal on, and pens I want to add to my collection. This just is not one of them.

[@JG3Reviews]

I know what you mean. I’ve been steered away from pens the same way, realizing that a pen is a great pen, but maybe just a great pen for someone else buy instead. lol

[@martinlebl631]

I like the look, but like you find it hard to swallow the price for a steel nib pen, although there are also versions with gold nib that are even more. But a third off and ten bottles of ink? I think I might have succomed as well had I seen that deal.

[@martinlebl631]

The sale is still on...so temptation beckons...picked out the ink colors.

[@fountainpeninsanity3344]

I have the Aero with fine and medium steel nibs. The medium feels like a gold nib when I write with it. The fine doesn’t feel as good to me.

[@ewy1957]

Thanks James. That one has always been on my list (and we all have a list, right?) but now it may be closer to the top. I also have that ink and really like it. I'm sorry about your friend Bill. But as you say, he certainly made his life count, and what more can any of us ask? --Ed--

[@nunorluis]

According to Diplomat they fine tune the nib themselves, that's why it's different from similar steel nibs.

[@martinlebl631]

Unfortunately this is a necessity, as nibs straight from manufacturer will include duds. I am flabbergasted that most companies that sell pens over $50 don't do this, as they just buy themselves bad reputation if they don't. So good for Diplomat on that front. Consistency is key to long term success. I will have to be on a lookout for a deal, because the one James got would probably convince me too.

[@i.c.3157]

@@martinlebl631 I think this an idea most people have probably thought of but is a little difficult to execute, since not everyone shares the same quality's in a nib as you or I and it could even add to the total cost since you would need each nib to be hand tested by at the very least an experienced F.P. user. What I will say is that it's definitely necessary for companies not to sell any defective nibs, since they're basically shooting themselves in the foot by doing so.

[@manuelsalazar3938]

@@i.c.3157 I think Lamy does it, they test each pen before getting them to the retailers.

[@i.c.3157]

@@manuelsalazar3938 there's a video from goulet pens where they show Lamy's manufacturing process, while they do show the nibs being tested, they're only tested to make sure the nib and feed are in working order but sadly not for smoothness.

[@martinlebl631]

@@i.c.3157 Well that is better than no testing at all. Working should be the minimum standard for a nib.

[@BC7Bill]

Not that I'm in the market, would you purchase another Diplomat Aero with a gold nib? If Diplomat does this well with a steel nib how nice would their gold nibs write?

[@JG3Reviews]

I still haven’t convinced myself I need a gold nib, especially when some steel nibs write this well. And I’ve been on a stub kick lately. I don’t see me saving up for a 2nd one, I’m content, and I’m hoping that what I don’t know about the difference won’t hurt me. Ha!

[@BC7Bill]

@@JG3Reviews Valid point about the gold nib. I like stubs, but not for not taking. Dibs are easier to use for line variation than flex. At least for me! 😊

[@NicholasPaulFranks]

Great vid -- thank you, brother!

[@JG3Reviews]

My pleasure!

[@HJKelley47]

Way out of my budget, but I do like the looks of this pen.

[@alvarotorrent5966]

Hi, would you give any advice on where to find this pen with a discount? Retails for around 160€ where I live, thank you!

[@JG3Reviews]

I got mine from Dromgoole’s I’m not sure how that works out once tax, shipping, etc. works out overseas, but it might be worth a look.

[@郭世年]

thanks.

[@khoocheepeng]

Those pens colors......Done I bought one and thinking of buying other colors

[@ThursdayDog]

Is it heavy?

[@JG3Reviews]

Here are the specs Weight - Body 30.0g (1.06oz) Weight - Cap 11.0g (0.39oz) Weight - Overall 41.0g (1.45oz) But it feels well balanced, and I really don't notice the weight. I write with it unposted.

[@nunorluis]

The logo is an adaptation of the Maltese Cross.

[@Nils0scar]

So you paid 99 USD for this pen and 300ml of ink? And gold nib territory starts at 150 USD?

[@martinlebl631]

It was a good deal by any measure.

[@timothywise9731]

My aero doesn't write at all. I put a cartridge in my aero but no ink comes out. Thanks for showing us how to install a cartridge to ensure we know how to install one properly....oh, thats right you didn't show us.!!! What a waste of time watching this video.

[@JG3Reviews]

Not every video repeats the same steps. 1. Flush the pen to clean it and ensure there is no obstruction: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3eceoV_aryrjsksi=dHFDVAJT9FgpjV6s 2. Follow the standard instructions for inserting an ink cartridge: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bamZeHhsj9yssNksi=cb9xB6pLoQeZp_-o

[@timothywise9731]

I have done all of these steps. I have inserted several ink cartridges, and they snap when I insert them but none of them are sticking into any of my diplomat aero fountain pens.@@JG3Reviews

[@timothywise9731]

I purchased the Asvine 30 PCS Hongdian Fountain Pen Ink Cartridges 3.4mm Bore Diameter when I bought my pens off of amazon.@@JG3Reviews