I have long been a fan of Diplomat’s metal bodied fountain pens, the Traveller, the Esteem and the Excellence and now own several. Yet it has taken until now for me try their lightweight, entry level offering, the Diplomat Magnum.

What little I knew about Diplomat can broadly be summarised thus: they were established in Germany in 1922; they are an underrated brand; and their nibs are of particularly good quality.

Diplomat pens are a rare sight in what few pen shops we have in the UK. But whilst browsing in the wonderful Pens Plus in Oxford in May, I was excited to find a display of Diplomat Magnum fountain pens in several different colours and chose the black one.

It is a smallish pen, particularly for one called “Magnum.” Although an entry level model, it still has Diplomat’s distinctive finial, showing their logo of black petals on a white background. Below the finial is a broad shiny metal band and a strong, springy, metal pocket clip.

The body of the pen is comprised of a black plastic, which on my “Crow black” model, is a stealthy dark matte grey. It feels smooth and solid, yet looks textured with a grainy finish which reflects the light. Whilst the cap is cylindrical, the barrel tapers and the curved surface is interrupted by three flat facets and two keystone-shaped ink windows.

Removing the snap cap, which can be posted, there is a stainless steel nib finished in a matte grey, giving it the appearance of titanium. The nib is stamped DIPLOMAT MAGNUM and (on my model) M for medium. Other widths (EF, F and B) are available and can be purchased separately from Diplomat. The black plastic section also has three narrow facets, to provide an ergonomic grip but these are not obtrusive and can be bypassed if you prefer to hold the pen higher up.

The pen uses standard international cartridges. However, I borrowed a converter from another pen and filled it with my freshly-purchased Diamine Oxford Blue whilst still in the city and enjoying lunch in a cafe. Putting pen to paper for the first time provided one of those “Yes!” moments as the nib felt exquisitely smooth and a joy to use.

The pen, as I have said, is on the small side and the grip section is only around 9mm wide at most. Yet it has a pleasing feel, as if using a precision instrument. Indeed, with its grey colouring and facets, the design did put me in mind of the TWSBI Precision.

As well as Pens Plus, it is also available on Cult Pens’ website. The website diplomat-pen.com is well worth a visit. I read there that Diplomat pens are “manufactured with love and care by one of our eight employees.” Only eight! On its products page, the Magnum is described as “the writing instrument for everyday life, whether young or old, thanks to its ergonomic grip zone, it is suitable as a pen for children from the first grade.” I can vouch for that and have enjoyed using mine both at home and when out and about.

The firm’s website provides its address, as Erlenweg 14, Cunewalde, 02733, Germany. Looking this up on google’s street view site, shows a white building with Diplomat signage, in a yard behind metal gates, nestling in the midst of an attractive, picture-postcard residential community of cobbled streets and traditional-style, timber-framed houses. The Wikipedia entry for Cunewalde even mentions in its list of main sights of the village, that Diplomat Deutschland GmbH has been headquartered in Cunewalde since 1922.

In conclusion, if like me, you had not yet tried a Diplomat Magnum then I recommend that you do so, whether a child in the first grade or not.