Mini-Review: Muji Fountain Pen

When is a Platinum Preppy not a Platinum Preppy? When its a Muji Fountain Pen (price not available online). In the past, I’ve acquired other pens from Muji that were “white-labelled” but none more perfectly fits this description than this Preppy.

The exterior is entirely opaque white plastic with a clear ring at the cap band. The clip is integrated into the cap and is smooth straight line with no embellishment.

The only branding is the classic “p” and the nib width indication of “03” which is the fine nib.

The pen performs just as well as a regular Preppy but with a simple, clean exterior. The Platinum nib, as always, is smooth and the snap cap makes it a great on-the-go pen. If you have access to a Muji store, I would recommend looking for this gem.

This pen was sent to me by a dear friend.

The post Mini-Review: Muji Fountain Pen appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Fountain Pen Review: TWSBI Diamond Mini AL Grape – Limited Edition

I don’t know precisely why I love my TWSBIs as much as I do. Sure there’s the fact that they’re sort of modern, tech-y looking with the see through barrels, and the piston filler. There’s the fact that my TWSBIs almost always start on the first go, and don’t run dry unless they are literally out of ink. The, ECOs, of which I have three, are incredibly reasonably priced so they make great entry-level fountain pens. They provide a nice, if not exceptional, writing experience. They’re available in a ton of different nib sizes. Ok… I guess I’ve given myself a few reasons.

Despite really liking my TWSBI ECOs, I’ve never actually branched out and tried any of their other pens. (I take that back, I tried the TWSBI Swipe a while ago and thought it was ok.) But this time I saw the TWSBI Diamond Mini AL in Grape (a limited edition color!; $62.50) and decided to give the more expensive model a go!

The Diamond Mini AL is TWSBI’s version of a pocket pen. It is styled similarly to the other pens, in the sense that it has a transparent plastic barrel which gives you a bird’s eye view of the piston filling system. There are differences though. The grip and part of the piston system are designed in aluminum. The barrel of the pen is faceted (hence the “Diamond” feel and look). While the ECO and the SWIPE tend to be boxier, with edges on the cap, the Diamond Mini’s edges are rounded, and the cap is tapered. Overall while the ECO is utilitarian, the Diamond Mini is a bit sleeker looking.

I decided to compare a few pens that I use as daily writers to give you a sense of size.

L to R: TWSBI Eco, TWSBI Diamond Mini AL, Kaweco AL Sport, Sailor Pro-Gear Slim.

While the pens vary quite a bit in length when capped, when uncapped the Diamond Mini AL and the Kaweco AL Sport aren’t that different in length. The nibs, however, do have a size differential. In terms of weight they’re very similar: The Pro Gear comes in at 19gm, the ECO at 20, the AL Sport at 21g, and finally the Diamond Mini AL is the heaviest at 23g. But that’s not a HUGE range.

So what do I think? If I’m entirely 100% honest, I don’t feel much of a writing difference between the ECO and the Diamond Mini AL. This is my first extra fine nib from TWSBI, and given that TWSBI tends to use western-style nibs, I don’t find the extra fine to be scratchy in the least. In fact I quite like it. The pen is a bit weightier in my hand, and it’s smaller in size, but I have small hands and it seems like a comfortable writer. So what would make me pay more for the Diamond AL Mini? To me, it comes down to aesthetics. The Mini is fun, and often I do prefer aluminum to plastic (see my preferences for Kawecos!), but given that I don’t see a huge writing difference, I feel like I’m more apt to stick with the ECOs than amass another collection.

Do you have a favorite TWSBI? I’d love to hear about it!

• Paper: Maruman Mnemosyne N182A Notebook – A5 – Graph ($10.00)
• Pen: TWSBI Diamond Mini AL in Grape ($62.50)
• Inks: Pilot Iroshizuku Murasaki-Shikibu (50mL for $26.00)

DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided to us free of charge or at a discount for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

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Mini-Review: Kaweco Sage Fountain Pen (& Frosted Blush Pitaya)

We have reviewed the classic Kaweco Sport fountain pen many times but we continue to come back to it. It is a great gateway pen and its is inexpensive enough to live in your bag or on your desk at work. So, of course, you need more than one, right?

So, over the past few weeks, I’ve acquired TWO new models into my collection: the Smooth Sage ($29, EF nib) and the Frosted Blush Pitaya ($24.50, B nib).

I must confess that this is the first Kaweco Sport with a B nib and I am surprised  how much I am enjoying it. It  isn’t as broad and the BB I tested out years ago and preformed like a Sharpie marker.

Needless to say, my recommendation is that if you’ve never purchased a Kaweco Sport, what in the world are you waiting for? There are dozens of color options and you can even upgrade to the AL-Sport if you want a shiny, and more durable version. We like those too.

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

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Those Chinese Fountain Pens

Three Chinese Extra-Fine Fountain Pens

Fountain Pens From My Collection: Handmade Pens

Fountain Pen Review: f-inks F1 SS316 Fountain Pen

It's been a week since the 2023 Manila Pen Show. Fountain pen enthusiasts are still raving about the show, getting their "grails," and "posting their "hauls." But hey guys, you're in for a new and happy surprise in the coming weeks! Did you know? A new brand of really good fountain pens is launching in the Philippines! The new and upcoming series of fountain pens from f-inks made of titanium, aluminum, and stainless steel is coming very soon, and Rants of The Archer is honored to publish the first-ever full review of the F1 SS316 fountain pen from f-inks! It's another "fountain pen first" for this blog!

In early February, I came across fountain pens made of titanium in our local pen group. After some discussion with the creator and developer behind f-inks, I checked the pens and agreed to do a full fountain pen review of their stainless steel pen. I only have a few metal fountain pens, and the ones that I have are either made of aluminum or brass. When I received f-inks' F1 SS316 fountain pen, I used a fountain pen that is made from solid stainless steel for the first time. The SS316 surprised me; it was love at first sight and more love at first write!

f-inks fountain pens are presented in a wooden box with etched art and the stylized "F" and ink drop logo. I like this box because it's sturdy and ensures the safety of the pen inside. It can also be repurposed as a pen box for several pens.

Here's the F1 SS316 fountain pen inside the presentation box.

I have reviewed many fountain pens and am amazed at the creativity of people who produce extraordinary pens. Francesco, the man behind f-inks, is one of them. He thinks out of the box, and his pens are unique and designed well. In one of our conversations, Francesco said that his fountain pen design is a synthesis of some of the elements of his favorite pens. He calls this design the "F" pen, derived from his name and the words he strives for in his products: friendly, fine, flawless, fantastic, fabulous, and fair. He should add functional, fascinating, fearless, and futuristic to the list!

f-inks F1 SS316 fountain pen, a sturdy, solid, and firm pen made of pure stainless steel. This pen is very smooth and glossy in person. The "markings" that you will see in some of the photos in this review are my reflection and some machine marks.

Francesco describes the F pen's design as a minimalistic female shape. It's a beautiful shape that is also comfortable to hold as you write. The gap between the cap and the barrel is meant to lessen the friction between the two pen parts and avoid scratches or markings from repeated movements when capping/uncapping the pen. 

The F pen is also available in a titanium version, and he is working on an aluminum pen and combination models of stainless steel + aluminum and titanium + aluminum. It's exciting to see these pen models in the coming months.

The F1 SS316 has a minimalistic female shape, a shape that is comfortable to hold while writing.

I'm sure you all want to know how long and heavy this stainless steel pen is. The F1 SS316 is a full-sized fountain pen, measuring 5.62 inches while capped. It weighs 128 grams, and while that weight is heavy for a pen, it's not uncomfortable nor does it make writing difficult. Here are some useful measurements and specifications of the F1 SS316:

• Length, capped: 5.62 in | 14.27 cm
• Length, uncapped: 5.3 in | 13.5 cm
• Weight, whole pen: 128 g | 325 oz
• Weight, pen uncapped: 91 g | 3.21 oz
• Weight, cap: 37 g | 1.30 oz
• Body material: Stainless steel
• Cap: Stainless steel, screw on, does not post
• Clip material: No clip
• Nib: #6 JoWo available in F, M, B, or elastic EF or F
• Filling mechanism: Standard international converter 

While the F1 SS316 weighs much more than the average fountain pen, other elements help make it comfortable to use. The length of its barrel provides balance while writing. If this pen's barrel were shorter, that would cause discomfort. The section's design and shape also contribute to an enjoyable writing experience. Notice that the section has no threads for the cap on the area where it joins the barrel. The threads for the cap are on the section's lips near the nib. 

The F1 SS316 fills with ink through a standard international converter.

Engraved on the cap's top is f-inks logo of ink drop and stylized "F"

These are threading on the pen's section and barrel. Notice the thick stainless steel used on this pen. That means sturdy, solid, and (almost) unbreakable.

Francesco uses #6 JoWo nibs on his pens at the moment, but he is open to using other compatible brands in the future, including using flex and ultraflex nibs. I got an elastic EF nib in my pen.

The F1 SS316 fountain pen is a full-sized pen. Capped or uncapped, it shares almost the same length as a Lamy Al-star and TWSBI ECO. Uncapped, however, it's longer than a Laban 325. The SS316 fountain pen's size provides balance and helps in a comfortable writing experience.

From top: TWSI ECO Rosegold, Laban 325 Snow, F1 SS316, Sailor Pro Gear Slim, and Lamy Al-star. While the F1 SS316 shares almost the same length as the Al-star and ECO, it is shorter than the 325.

Uncapped, the F1 SS316 is longer than the 325.

To test how the F1 SS316 fountain pen writes, I filled it with one of my favorite wet blue inks, J. Herbin Éclat de Saphir. The elastic EF nib wrote smoothly, and I had no problem writing this piece. I was very careful with the elastic nib because this is my first elastic nib, but it wrote very well, with the light spring adding to the lovely writing experience. The pen is heavy, but I did not notice the weight while I wrote. I'm happy that I can use this pen for regular writing and maybe for ink art, too! The F1 SS316 is such a unique and remarkable pen. 

The elastic EF nib wrote so smoothly! Instead of a simple one-sentence quote, I chose a longer text for this writing sample to check if I will have any discomfort. I'm glad to report that there was none, and it was an enjoyable writing experience.

The F1 SS316 can also transform! You can swap the pen's nib with a pencil tip and voila! You now have a stainless steel pencil! These pencil tips are inexpensive and are easily available in stationery shops.

I am happy (and still giddy) with the F1 SS316 fountain pen! I'm still amazed at how this pen was designed and made. Every day, I spend time just holding it and writing with it. It's a well-designed pen that's sturdy and not sensitive to compounds that are usually harmful to our pens, including rubbing alcohol. These pens are meant for long-term use and I definitely recommend them to anyone who wants to explore and know this brand. I'm excited to try the titanium F1 pen and see Francesco's new designs in the coming months! Get one for your collection!

Rants of The Archer thanks Francesco for providing the F1 SS316 fountain pen for review purposes. F1 SS316 and F1 Ti gr.5 fountain pens are available for purchase from Kailash Ramchandani's PenGrafik.

To learn more about these beautiful and well-crafted pens, follow f-inks on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/f_inks.22/).

Fountain Pen Giveaway: Enigma Stationery Nahvalur Exclusive ‘Brilliant Bunny’ Nautilus Fountain Pen

Enigma Stationery released an exclusive pen from Nahvalur in honor of the Lunar New Year, the  ‘Brilliant Bunny’ Nautilus Fountain Pen ($295). This pen features a classic Chinese New Year colorway with a red blank accented with teal, blue, and purple sparkle. The hardware is gold to coordinate with the 14K nib.

The Nautilus pen design features porthole windows around the barrel, just below the cap that allows the user to see the ink piston inside. Ahoy, ink matey!

In the past we’ve reviewed other Nahvalur (formerly Narwhal) designs like the Key West and the Voyage. The design of the Voyage is similar in terms of build and size. The porthole windows being the only distinct visual difference in the two models. The big upsell on the Brilliant Bunny is the 14k nib.

The 14k nib is specially engraved for this limited edition. I love with waves around the edge of the nib. Unfortunately, the only nib size available for this special edition is M but there’s enough tipping material that it could be ground to a finer size, if desired.  We did not want to ink this up so that it would be pristine for the winner but we did “dry test” it to get a feel for the nib. The 14k nib has a bit of spring to it but it is not a flex nib. It will be a very expressive nib, reacting to the amount of pressure the writer applies.

Size:

• Capped: 6″
• Uncapped:  5.25″

The Nautilus does not post.

Weight:

• Capped: 31gms
• Uncapped: 17gms

The cap is heaver than I expected but since it can’t be posted it won’t throw the balance of the pen off.

There have only be 50 of the Brilliant Bunny pens made and we are fortunate to have one to giveaway to a lucky reader. If you want to guarantee that you’ll be a proud owner of one of these pens, hop over to Enigma Stationery and order yours today.

TO ENTER: Leave a comment below and tell us what your Chinese Zodiac sign is. If you don’t know, make one up. It makes reading through entries more interesting for me, okay? One entry per person.

If you have never entered a giveaway or commented on the site before, your comment must be manually approved by our highly-trained staff of monkeys before it will appear on the site. Our monkeys are underpaid and under-caffeinated so don’t stress if your comment does not appear right away. Give themonkeys some time.

FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Friday, March 17, 2023 (St. Patrick’s Day — oh, the irony!). All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Monday. Winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). Please include your actual email address in the comment form so that I can contact you if you win. I will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear. If winner does not respond within 5 days, I will draw a new giveaway winner. Shipping via USPS first class is covered. Additional shipping options or insurance will have to be paid by the winner. We are generous but we’re not made of money. US and APO/AFO only, sorry.

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Enigma Stationery for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

The post Fountain Pen Giveaway: Enigma Stationery Nahvalur Exclusive ‘Brilliant Bunny’ Nautilus Fountain Pen appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Fountain Pen Review: SchonDsgn x Inkdependence “Cheerio Waterpen”

I hadn’t thought about getting a new fountain pen for my new job, until I was watching a Friday happy hour edition of Mike’s podcast (Inkdependence) and he announced he was releasing a special design collaboration with Ian Schon of SchonDSGN, the “Cheerio Waterpen.” And just like that I was sucked in.

Back in April of 2022 Mike collaborated with Pennonia to produce a Cheerio Waterbus ink and, at the same time, his wife Audrey created a special edition nail polish color of the same name. The ink was a lovely emerald green with lots of blue pigment – a blue green color after my own heart. So when the pen came out I just couldn’t skip it.

The Cheerio Waterpen was designed as a full size Schon Dsgn pen. It has an aluminum barrel with an anodized finish, and houses a Jowo #6 nib which I ordered in fine. Despite being a full size pen, the Cheerio Waterpen is a small size (nice for those of us with small hands!) coming in at about 5″/13cm capped, and 4.875″/12.5cm uncapped. It is postable, but I choose not to as it’s perfectly balanced without. The pen came with a standard international converter and can be used with cartridges as well.

In terms of weight, it weighs in at 27g, not unexpected for a metal barreled pen.

As part of my green/teal/blue collection, it stands in good company.

L to R: Kaweco x Hello Kitty Opal Green AL Sport, Franklin Christoph Vanness Pocket 45, SchonDSGN Cheerio Waterpen, Pelikan M205 Apatite

The pen itself is exceedingly pretty, but it’s also a delight to write with. The nib is perfectly bouncy and writes smoothly, with good ink flow. The pen itself is fairly lightweight, and the section in particular is the perfect length and circumference for me to write comfortably.

So now I’ve got a pretty new pen and a great new notebook – I just need a few meetings to get started!

The post Fountain Pen Review: SchonDsgn x Inkdependence “Cheerio Waterpen” appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Fountain Pen Review: BENU Euphoria Forest Pond

BENU Euphoria Forest Pond fountain pen, an online store exclusive.

BENU launched the Euphoria series on October 15, 2020. It is a collection of fountain pens devoted to different sources of pleasure such as a beautiful flower, sea and travel, exotic places, poetry, music, a favorite cocktail, and delicacies. Each pen in the series is inspired by things that bring joy and add color to life. Aside from Forest Pond, the hand-painted Euphoria fountain pens are White Christmas, Northern Light, Dream, Summer Meadow, Midsummer Night, October Fall, Beam Me Up, and Early Bird.

The Euphoria is a faceted pen with a section designed for comfortable writing. It's a long pen at almost six inches capped, but it's not a heavy one. Capped, this pen weighs 26 grams, and approximately 15 grams when uncapped, which is just right in the hand. The screw-on cap can be easily posted, as the barrel end is slightly tapered for this, but I prefer to write with my fountain pens unposted. 

The Forest Pond fountain pen features hand-painted goldfish and white water lilies.

The Forest Pond fountain pen features hand-painted goldfish and white water lilies on a pearly aqua-blue background (see details of these hand-painted items below). Blue and green glitter foil added to the pen's material creates an illusion of the play of light in the depths of a forest pond, adding vibrancy and vividness. A true piece of art, this unique pen has been lovingly handmade and hand-painted with a series of multicolored layers. This process takes up to five days to complete and results in the pen's impressive depth of colors and unique glare.

BENU Euphoria fountain pens can be filled with ink using cartridges or converters.

BENU Euphoria Forest Pond fountain pen has the following measurements and specifications:

• Length, capped: 5.86 in | 14.9 cm
• Length, uncapped: 5.4 in | 13.7 cm
• Length, cap posted: 7.1 in | 18 cm
• Weight: 26 g | 0.9 oz
• Body material: High-quality resin
• Cap: Screw on, postable
• Clip material: Stainless steel
• Nib: #6 Schmidt, stainless steel in F, M, or B
• Filling mechanism: Standard large international size converter or ink cartridge 

BENU has kept their pens' clip design consistent from the Supreme model to the Tattoo, Tessera, and Euphoria. Their standard clip is stainless steel, which adds gloss and shine to the pens. Stainless steel is also durable, and the clip's top can be pressed so it can be easily posted to a shirt pocket or pen loop.

Euphoria fountain pens have the standard BENU stainless steel clip which adds gloss and shine to the pen. Note that the BENU logo in the hand-painted Euphoria pens is painted white. Logos in regular Euphoria pens are not painted.

These are the hand-painted goldfish and white water lilies in the Forest Pond's barrel. The depth and color in these hand-painted details are amazing!

BENU fountain pens are fitted with stainless steel Schmidt nibs that are manufactured by JoWo and then hand-assembled at the Schmidt factory in St. Georgen, Germany. Hand assembling ensures every unit gets special attention, resulting in a truly superb nib quality. These nibs are smooth, wet, and juicy.

BENU Euphoria fountain pens' long sections help a lot in writing comfortably.

BENU has continuously used Schmidt nibs on their pens. I love that they are consistently smooth, wet, and trouble-free. They write so well out the box! For a while now, I have shifted to using Medium and Fine nibs from Broad and stubs. BENU's Fine nibs are smooth writers!

My first BENU fountain pen was the Classic Ghost White Silver, a short, clipless pocket pen. They are now called the Minima. Through the years, BENU has released several pens, and I am very fortunate to have some of these pens that are crafted well by their design team led by the Chief Designer and BENU Co-Founder Alex Semanin. These pens are truly work of art.

Some of my BENU fountain pens. From top: Tattoo, Tessera, Euphoria, and Talisman.

I'm a proud owner of three BENU Euphoria fountain pens. From top: Forest Pond, Scent of Irises (now sold out), and the 2021 Limited Edition Halloween Orange.

The Euphoria, a full-length fountain pen, shares almost the same length as my pen from On A Whim Woodworks (second from bottom), but it has a thicker middle section. Capped, it is longer than a Lamy Safari, TWSBI ECO, and Leonardo Momento Zero. Uncapped, it's still the longest pen in this group. Despite its length and thicker middle section, this pen is well-balanced and comfortable to use. BENU designed the section and grip of this pen to be ergonomically correct for long periods of writing.

From the top: TWSBI ECO-T Blue, Leonardo Momento Zero Positano Blue, BENU Euphoria Forest Pond, On A Whim Woodworks Peacock Springs, and Lamy Safari Blue.

Uncapped, Euphoria is still the longest pen in this group. Note this pen's long section.

I took a long time choosing the ink for this pen. I wanted to fill it with orange ink to match the goldfish but changed my mind. I also wanted to try green and red but decided to finally use Robert Oster Signature True Blue. The Fine Schmidt nib wrote smoothly out of the box. I did not experience hard starts, skipping, or uneven ink flow. The Schmidt nib wrote very well. The Euphoria is an enjoyable fun pen, and its long section helps in writing comfortably.

The Fine Schmidt nib wrote smooth and wet out of the box. This pen is going to my pen case of daily writers!

I am very happy and proud of the BENU Euphoria Forest Pond and I am recommending it to anyone who wants to know the brand and explore its unique designs. This is a beautiful pen and I'm glad to have it in my collection. BENU is an excellent pen maker who uses only the best materials and takes great care in manufacturing their pens. Get one for your collection.

In the last five years, BENU has created pens for different series depicting bold, unique, and eye-catching designs. Aside from the Euphoria Collection, BENU currently has eight other pen collections, and I'm including their descriptions below:

• Skull & Roses, fountain and rollerball pens inspired by one of the most popular motifs that represent the eternal struggle of good vs evil. 
• Hexagon, features the pattern of nature’s most perfect six-sided polygon shapes. True inspirations for those who prefer edgy geometry design!
• Briolette, pens with a striking faceted contour. Long briolette-like cuts prevent the pens from rolling and enable the true color and brilliance of the material to emerge.
• Minima, portable pens with compact, streamlined faceted bodies. Their small size conveniently fits into pockets and bags. 
• Ambrosia, 5 unique pens named after a colorful and flamboyant flower, to honor the nectar that was drunk by the Greek gods to preserve longevity and immortality.
• Talisman, pens that allow you to step into the hypnotizing realm of folklore. Inspired by myths and legends, the collection fuses elements believed to bring luck, protection, money, or love.
• Euphoria, pens devoted to different sources of simple, hedonistic pleasures, such as favorite music, a beautiful scene, an exquisite cocktail, or a delicacy.
• Scepter, inspired by a century-old symbol of power, this collection of pens offers a glimpse of a majestic staff as depicted in the history of civilizations, ancient legends, and modern fantasy stories.

Rants of The Archer thanks BENU for providing the Forest Pond fountain pen in this review. The Euphoria series is available in BENU's online shop. The Forest Pond, an online store exclusive, retails for US$280. BENU pens are also available in international retailers in the US, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. See the retailers list here. 

To learn more about BENU, where to buy their pens, and for other details on purchasing BENU pens, visit their website at https://www.benupen.com/ or follow them on social media:

• Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/benupen/)
• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/benupen/)

Fountain Pen Review: Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Magico Emerald

Do you know that wonderful feeling you get when you have outdone yourself? That is how I felt when I held the new Momento Magico fountain pen from our friends at Leonardo Officina Italiana. They have outdone themselves again with the redesigned ink window and a new color for the Momento Magico — the Emerald. It was love at first sight, and looking at this beautiful emerald fountain pen is like standing at the shore and gazing at the breathtaking beauty of the waters at Amalfi Coast.

Have you noticed that the Magico has a different cap band than the other fountain pens from Leonardo Officina Italiana? The Magico collection is inspired by the time of dramatic changes in ancient Greece when trade opened up between the city and southern Italy and Sicily. With trade came cultural changes, too, including poetry, architecture, and art. From music, visual arts, and film came the modern inspiration for the Momento Magico, the 1962 Roberto Rossellini film Anima Nera. 

The historic inspiration of this pen is expressed in the fretwork on the cap band representing the decoration from the period of artistic awakening known as “Geometric Art.” The colors of the materials of Momento Magico are inspired by Rossellini's film and the moments found within it, while the special resins and the metal trims show the artistic glory of that time in history. And this is why the Magico has a different cap band.

The box sleeve for the Momento Magico Collection (right) has the special geometric art that is also the pens' cap bands. Inside the box are the Momento Magico Emerald fountain pen and a Certificate of Authenticity.

I reviewed the Millefiori from the first batch of Momento Magico pens. The Millefiori's resin is a combination of red, green, brown, and blue. The Magico Emerald is bluish-green with swirling silver and deep green, almost like ocean waves. Just like the other Leonardo fountain pens, the Emerald has a high gloss finish that is so shiny and smooth! This beautiful finish is done by Leonardo's expert artisans. The new Magico Collection has four colors: Emerald, Millefiori, Pietra Salata, and Black in either matte or glossy finish.

Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Magico Emerald

Here are some of the important details about the Momento Magico Emerald fountain pen:

• Length, capped: 5.7 in | 14.5 cm
• Body length, barrel to nib: 5.2 in | 13.2 cm
• Length, cap posted: 7.65 in | 19.4 cm
• Full pen weight without ink: 23.8 g | 0.84 oz
• Body material: Resin
• Trim: Gold or Silver/Chrome
• Cap: Screw on, postable
• Clip material: Stainless steel 
• Nib: No. 6 steel or gold in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, or Stub (1.1mm) with an ABS feed; Elastic Extra Fine or Fine nibs are also available but only in the silver version
• Feed: ABS
• Filling mechanism: Piston; ink capacity is 1.5 ml

Momento Magico fountain pens can be completely disassembled using the piston created by Leonardo helps to disassemble the pen for cleaning. The wrench is easy to use in taking the piston assembly out of the barrel. Once the piston assembly is taken out of the barrel, the wrench stays secured to the assembly which is a huge help in putting it back into the barrel after cleaning. The wrench, made from 316L steel, the same steel used in high ranges watches, is sold separately. (See how the piston wrench works in my review of Magico Millefiori.) 

The Magico can be fully disassembled for cleaning.

Inspired by Greek art, the Momento Magico's cap has a different band from most of Leonardo's fountain pens which are mostly simple bands. The fretwork central band in a letter M pattern comes from the Geometric Art period.

While other Leonardo pens have markings on their barrels, the Momento Magico has its branding on the cap, above the ascending geometric lines of the cap band.

The Emerald's body is so shiny! I love the vibrant color and glossy finish of Leonardo fountain pens.

The 2022 Magico fountain pens have redesigned ink windows. The ink windows of the new fountain pens are shorter, perhaps only half the length of the earlier Magico pens. There are also matching ring bands in the new pens' ink windows, these were not installed in the previous pens. Note that the ink window in the new pens is no longer visible when the pen is capped. The tiny ink window gap in the first version of Momento Magico pens was not well-liked, and the redesign is a good improvement to the 2022 Magicos.

The Momento Magico's new ink window is shorter and has matching ring bands.

Momento Magico fountain pens are fitted with No. 6 steel or gold nibs that are screwed into the section. The available nibs are Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, or Stub (1.1mm).  An elastic nib in Extra Fine or Fine is also available. The Momento Magico fountain pens are also fitted with an ABS or black ebonite feed and they have a 1.5 ml piston filling capacity that is produced in-house. This Emerald fountain pen is fitted with a juicy and smooth Medium nib that wrote so well out of the box.

The Emerald's Medium nib writes smooth, juicy, and very comfortable to use.

The marking to indicate width is engraved on the nib shoulder.

Below are some photos of the Emerald side-by-side with the Millefiori for comparison:

Momento Magico Emerald (2022) and Millefiori (2021) – the packaging and presentation for both pens remain the same.

The cap, clip, and clip band are all the same.

But the gap in the ink window that is visible in the 2021 Millefiori is no longer visible in the Emerald.

Here is the comparison of the ink windows of the two fountain pens. The 2021 Magico has a longer and simpler ink window. The 2022 Magico has a shorter ink window with matching ring bands.

The Momento Magico is a full-sized fountain pen that shares the same length and diameter as the Momento Zero and Furore. It also looks very similar to the MZ, but the differences are also very obvious: slimmer clip, cap band design, ink window, and piston-filling mechanism.

Capped, the full-sized Momento Magico fountain pen shares approximately the same length as Laban 325, Esterbrook Estie, and Lamy Al-star, but longer than a TWSBI ECO. Uncapped, all of five pens share the same length. 

From top: TWSBI ECO Turquoise, Laban 325, Leonardo Momento Magico Emerald, Esterbrook Estie Gold Rush Frontier Green, and Lamy Alstar Aquamarine.

I always try to fill my pens with matching ink colors, and I filled the Magico Emerald with Robert Oster Signature Marine, a matching bluish-green ink. The Momento Magico's piston mechanism worked well, and the Medium nib wrote smoothly without the need for adjustments or tuning.

I chose this happy song because the Magico Emerald reminds me so much of the sea!

The Momento Magico is another well-designed fountain pen from the expert artisans in the workrooms of Leonardo Officina Italiana. These fountain pens are fully handmade in Italy using high-quality, lovely resin and include a full lifetime mechanical warranty. Like its pen cousins, the Momento Magico Emerald is a delight to look at, wonderful to use, and great to keep. Get one for your collection!

This postcard tells the Leonardo story.

These days, Leonardo Officina Italiana is one of the most active and talked about pen brands. Anyone into pens who is on Facebook and Instagram knows this. Leonardo also has the fastest workshops with their current pen lineup making special pens for other brands and getting new additions almost every quarter. From the initial series of Momento Zero and Furore, they now have quite a number of limited edition pens in various materials in between. I'm always excited to see new pens coming from the Leonardo workshop, and I'm sure more exciting pens are coming in 2023.

Rants of The Archer thanks Leonardo Officina Italiana for providing the Momento Magico Emerald fountain pen for review purposes. To learn more about these beautiful, colorful, well-crafted pens, visit the Leonardo Officina Italiana website or follow them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/leonardopenss/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leonardo_pens/).

In Europe, Leonardo pens are widely available from retailers such as Fontoplumo, Appelboom, Stilo & Stile, and Fontanna Penna. 

In the United States, Leonardo pens are available from Goldspot Pens, Truphae, Pen Chalet, Atlas Stationers, and Endless Pens.

In the Philippines, Leonardo pens are available exclusively at Pengrafik (https://www.facebook.com/PenGrafik).