Delta Duna Starry Night Review: A Fountain Pen and Ink Set Inspired by Van Gogh

Introduction

Some fountain pens exist purely as writing tools, and others carry a story with them. The Delta Duna Starry Night belongs to the second group. It is part of a limited edition box set from Pens Chalet called the Delta and Dominant Industry Painters series, built around the works of the Dutch painter Van Gogh. The series includes two pen and ink combinations, Starry Night and Olive Grove, with each pen limited to 200 pieces.

The pen reviewed here is number 63 of 200, inspired by one of Van Gogh’s most popular works, Starry Night, which hangs at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. It is paired with Dominant Industry’s number 32 ink from the Pearl series, also called Starry Night. Between the resin work, the piston filler, and the matching ink, this set checks a lot of boxes for anyone who likes their writing tools with a bit of artistic personality.

Design and Build

The pen is based on the Delta Duna model and starts with a rounded pointed end at the cap, followed by a clip with a wheeled roller. Wheeled clips have a tendency to latch on to pockets and pen slots more securely, and this one works very nicely. The cap angles upward along almost its entire length until it reaches the widest band of the barrel, then tapers down slightly toward the minimal step from cap to barrel.

The barrel begins with another band and an ink window, then tapers down at an even rate toward a rounded rear end with a final band. The piston knob sits at the back, since this is a piston filler. The resin itself is the work of Jonathan Brooks, and it is a lovely translation of the source painting: a mix of whites and blues with larger swaths of color rather than tight swirls, and gold accents that fit well against the blues and yellows. The result genuinely evokes a Van Gogh canvas.

The section is slightly concave with a gentle swale, transitioning into plastic threads that are not sharp at all, followed by a rounded step up to the barrel. This makes the pen very comfortable to hold, even if you grip further back and land on the threads. The cap twists off with about one and a quarter rotations.

Nib and Filling System

Under the cap sits a number six stainless steel nib with the Delta logo, finished in gold. It is available in extra fine, fine, medium, broad, stub, and flexible fine. The reviewed unit carries a broad nib.

As a piston filler, the pen draws ink directly through the nib into the barrel, which means a healthy ink capacity and no cartridges or converters to fuss with. One detail worth noting: when posted, the cap does not engage the piston mechanism, so twisting the piston knob works normally with the cap in place. Posting is also secure and does not back-weight the pen or throw off the balance, so fans of posting will be happy here.

Writing Performance

The broad number six nib writes very nicely. You will not get much line variation out of it, even with pressure, and reverse writing is not a strong point of this particular nib. Ink flow sits on the medium to medium-low side, so it is not overly heavy.

Where the nib does shine is pace. During fast writing, the feed keeps up well without skipping or starving. Combined with the comfortable section and balanced weight, this is a pen that disappears in the hand during longer writing sessions.

The Paired Ink: Dominant Industry Starry Night

The matching ink is Dominant Industry’s number 32, Starry Night, from their Pearl series. It is a nice pearlescent blue that matches the blue in the pen resin well. The shimmer is on the light side, so it is not an overly shimmery ink, but a shake of the bottle brings the particles to life.

For comparison, Lamy blue is a little more vibrant and darker than this color, while Akkerman Shocking Blue sits in a different register entirely. The ink comes in a small box featuring the painting itself, and inside is the brand’s signature little pouch, which is genuinely charming. Dominant Industry includes an eyedropper, and the bottle holds 25 ml.

Should You Buy It?

The pen is priced at $264, and it is worth remembering that the price includes the bottle of ink. Between the combination format, the Van Gogh inspiration, the Jonathan Brooks resin, and the solid Delta piston-filler platform, the set appeals on several levels at once.

If you have fondness for Delta pens, appreciate eye-catching resin, or simply love the source painting, this is an easy recommendation. It is also worth a look at the Olive Grove version from the same series, which takes a greener palette from the painting of the same name and is paired with Dominant Industry ink number 124.

Conclusion

The Delta Duna Starry Night is more than a pretty limited edition. It pairs a comfortable, well-built piston filler with a matching pearlescent ink, and the inspiration behind it gives the whole package a genuine sense of character. With only 200 pieces in each version of the series, anyone drawn to the design should not wait too long to track one down.