DIPLOMAT Magnum John Doe Fountain Pen (Broad) with Converter D40906028

If one wants to get a feel of a nib which feels much premium than what it costs, go ahead and buy this.. for sheer joy of writing..If you want to get into build quality, quality of plastic and corresponding price etc, not a pen for you... You are better off with a Safari instead..

Smooth writing

Generally the smoothness of the nib increases with usage. Here it was opposite. It started smooth and went brittle.

Not a great product!The barrel is loose and that's not something you would expect from a pen at this price point. Also the nib gets displaced everytime you press it to the paper. Although you can write with it, it is so annoying to see that!Overall not happy!!!

Excellent product!!!

The John Doe blue/ purple effect is not so striking in real life- it looks sort of like the blue- black of a bird's feathers in regular lighting, and violet when turned away. It's still pretty, though. What really makes this pen an excellent buy over something like a Pilot Metro or a Lamy Safari is the nib.Both the Pilot and Lamy nibs are smoother, but the Magnum's nib is much springier/ softer than either of them. At this price point, this is honestly something I've never come across. The sizing runs slightly finer than Lamy/ other Western sizing, but broader than Pilot and the other Japanese nibs. The springy nib is an absolute joy to write or sketch with. It's not too wet or too dry- just right for me. To give an idea of how soft this nib is- I have a Platinum 3776 in Soft Fine, and this is capable of more line variation than that. The Platinum feels softer/ mushier being a gold nib, but doesn't actually give much line variation. This one gives some decent variation without feeling like you're pushing the nib too hard and risking springing the tines. Really great for artists looking for a refillable pen to draw with. I'd recommend getting the Extra fine.Also, this pen is compatible with a Faber Castell converter. I had one lying around after discovering that the Faber Castell Neo Slim fountain pen, whilst being a great pen in every other respect, has a cap design flaw that causes the pen to dry out within days. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it fits this pen perfectly. Now I don't have to get a Diplomat converter for this pen, nor a Faber Castell pen for that converter!For smoothness and that buttery feeling- go for Lamy. For smoothness but some tactile feedback, go for Pilot Metro/ Kakuno or a Platinum Preppy. For bounce and line variation, though, get this hands down. Those other nibs are smoother but stiff as nails. Great for writing, boring for sketching.