S.T. Dupont Line D Diamond Guilloche Collection
S.T. Dupont was founded in Paris in 1872 by Simon Tissot Dupont as a leather goods and luggage shop catering to the elite of Europe, such as Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie. In 1919, the company passed the Simon’s two sons, Lucien and Andr and they expanded the company in 1921. With the business doing well, the two brothers moved the company back to their hometown of Faverges where it remains to this day. Over the next 100 years, the company would produce beautiful pieces of leather goods, pens, lighters, and travel cases. Their products have been used by royalty such as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William and used by creative royalty like Picasso and Audrey Hepburn. Coles of London is the U.S. distributor for S.T. Dupont and they graciously sent me the new line of Line D Diamond Guilloche fountain pens and rollerball to review. This line is available in ruby, sapphire, and aquamarine finishes. Thanks go out to them for sending these over. If you would like to learn more about these pens or where to find them, please check out Coles of London’s website for more details. Also, see if my friends agree with my review of these pens as well.
Vanessa “Pen Gangsta”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si8OV1DiVXk
Adam: https://blog.bertramsinkwell.com/s-t-dupont-diamond-guilloche-pen-collection/
Evan “Penquisition”: https://penquisition.com/ (Coming soon)
Packaging: I received these models in a leather pen case since they were for review. However, I was provided packaging pictures.
First Thoughts: The guilloche and materials are stunning. The body looks almost like dragon scales and catches the light beautifully.
Design: The cap finial is a raised black circle with a script capital “D” in gold or silver depending on the color of the trim. There is a step down from the finial to the clip ring. The spring-loaded clip is sword shaped with a black shield at the top. The cap has a bulbous shape, wider in the middle and tapered at both ends. A palladium or gold, (depending on trim), cap band ends the guilloche pattern at the base of the cap. The bottom finial has a slight dome shape and a recess in the middle, which allows the cap to post and snap securely. The barrel widens until it reaches a wide barrel band with “S.T. Dupont,” “Paris,” and a leaf hallmark engraved on it. There are no threads as these pens are snap caps, so there is a slight step down to the section which has fluting or grooves running from the flared finger stop to the body. The grooves help with griping the pen and I enjoyed this break from the standard smooth sections normally found on pens.
Nib Performance: The Diamond Guilloche comes with a 14k nib, the ones I received were medium. The engravings are simple lines around the nib, a cursive “D,” “585 14k,” “M” for medium, and a hallmark stamp. The medium wrote slightly fine compared to other European mediums I have tried, but the line was a perfect balance of wet and dry. This was one of the most wonderful, buttery smooth nibs I have ever used since getting into fountain pens. I tried it on multiple types of paper, and it was fantastic every time. I can speak highly enough about these nibs.
Filling System: The Diamond Guilloche uses standard international cartridges or converter.
Value: The fountain pen has a retail price of $995 but can be found around $796 and the rollerball has a retail price of $875 but can be found around $700.
Overall: These are some of the most beautiful pens I have had to privilege to write with. The materials, the nibs, the guilloche, every detail of this pen is meticulously executed and combines to make an extraordinary writing implement. While this collection is some of the most expensive pens I have reviewed, I can absolutely see the value in the craftsmanship, materials, and I must mention the nibs again. If this falls within your pen budget, you should absolutely make a call, as stop at your local retailer, or an online order to get one today. You will not regret it.
Specs:
Name: S.T. Dupont Line D Diamond Guilloche
Design: Urushi Lacquer over brass
Length: 148.9mm (5.86in)
Posted: 164.3mm (6.47in)
Diameter: 12.6mm (0.50in)
Weight: 64.0g (1.27oz)
Nib: 14kt gold
Filling System: Standard International C/C
Pros: Beautiful material, phenomenal nib, nice weight/balance
Cons: Expensive, but worth every dollar
In the same price range:
Visconti Homo Sapiens Blue Lagoon
Sailor 1911 King of Pens Royal Tangerine
Pilot Custom 845 Urushi Vermillion
