Delta's Limited Edition Unica for Anderson Pens

This is my first foray into the Delta brand, and I think I'll be back. In fact, it's my first Italian pen of any kind. You might be familiar with the Unica in its other colors (blue, white, and hot pink). I think the white one is the best looking white pen around, and I probably would have gotten one if this red model didn't exist. Just look at that acrylic. Awesome.

Stats

Body: Acrylic Resin (translucent).
Nib: Steel in fine, medium, and broad.
Hardware: Chrome
Length: 5 1/4" (capped) 4 3/4" (uncapped) and 6" (posted).
Filling System: Cartridge/Converter (both of these are included)
Price: $85


Looks

I think this is the best looking of the available colors. The red acrylic looks really deep and there's a lot going on inside that resin. There's really minimal branding on the pen, with just an engraved "DELTA ITALY" on the bottom of the cap and a subtle "AP" on the back of the cap with a number. Mine is 37/50. That's right, there are only 50 of these things being made. It's a limited edtion, not a special edition like the Franklin-Christoph pens that they have (or are coming soon). I actually didn't notice the brand's name on the pen until this morning.

There's minimal hardware to distract from the acrylic, and I like that aesthetic. I'm a fan of really funky design but, sometimes, you don't want the distractions of facets and hardware. This pen has a chrome clip with a little roller at the bottom. It's a great feature that i wish more pens would have. Secure in the pocket, but easy to clip and remove. The only other hardware on the pen is a chrome ring that sits below the edge of the cap.

Please excuse the finger nail in the above picture. I was cleaning brown ink out of another pen, and my nail is a little stained. The perils of pen maintenance and macro photography. 

The top of the pen is unadorned, aside from my finger prints. 

The section unscrews right below the threads, so it never unscrews the pen when you're trying to remove the cap. The fit/finish is so tight that you don't see the seam, either. 

The nib would be a little busy if it weren't for the satin finish. As it is, I think it looks rad. You can also see the black of the feed and the silver of the threads in this picture if you look at the very bottom. The acrylic is translucent if you look closely. 

Dat acrylic, tho....  Also, a very functional clip. 

I wanted to show the sunlight through the cap, and I think it came out nicely. Almost blinded myself. Don't look at the sun, kids. 

I really wanted #42 of this pen, but Brian and Lisa didn't have it at the table. Oh well. If you've got #42, then you're a lucky duck and I envy you. Wanna trade caps?

The picture below is the break-down pic. As you can see, the threads inside are metal, and that's going to stop this from being an eye-dropper, though that doesn't bother me at all. The threads on the section are smooth and not sharp on your fingers, and the metal threads inside are really well fitted so that they don't scrape or grind as you unscrew the pen. Good fit/finish.

Comparisons

The nib stands out in my collection. The only other nibs I've seen with this finish have been titanium, and I don't have any of those just yet. One day. 

Capped, this pen is on the small side of average. Perfect shirt-pocket size.

Uncapped, the pen is the same length as a Skyliner or a Parker 51. It's a little longer than the TWSBI 540, and shorter than a Lamy Vista. The weight is really low, though, due to the material of the body.

 It's comfortable for my large hands either posted or not. The cap doesn't really add any weight, so it's nothing to worry about. 

 Side-view comparison of the Unica and a Lamy Vista.

Writing experience and sample:

I really like writing with this pen. The fine nib was a little too fine, but the medium is jus tright for me. It's on the finer side of medium, and it's very smooth and slightly wet. I'm using the limited edition Delta Skeleton ink that they were giving away at the DC show, and I really like it in this pen. It starts every time and doesn't seem to dry out at all. The nib is steel, and it's not particularly stiff. There's some nice give to it, though I wouldn't call it flex.

I'm a big fan of this pen, and I urge you to jump on one if you have any inclination to do so. It's a limited edition, so I don't know how many are left, but all three nibs seem to be in stock at press-time. The only draw back is that this pen is in the high-medium range for many people. It does come with a converter, though, and the LE pen is only $9 more than the regular Unica which lacks a converter. I think $85 for this pen is a good price point for a LE pen of this quality.

I bought this pen, and was not compensated for the review.