I can’t fault Venvstas’s persistence. After I heavily criticised the first Magna piston, this fiery Italian brand took my comments on the chin and came back stronger with the Magna CC, which I really liked: it had much better fit and finish, and the use of the converter both improved serviceability and filling, and fixed… Continue reading
Tag: italy (Page 1 of 3)
Ticking all the boxes
I’ll say this right off the bat: I’ve discovered that I’ve become pretty fond of Aurora.
In my time I’ve owned a grey flex Optima, a Duocart, a Talentum Black Ops, an 88 Black Mamba, a Pacifico, an 88 Minerali Amethyst, and my favourite of all, an 88 Nettuno.
My experiences… Continue reading
I see plenty of tie-in pens, whether they’re sparkly Sailors in the colours of cocktails, or Montegrappas and Duponts shaped like spaceships or buildings. You can buy pens about Elvis, Queen, and of course David Bowie. But as far as I can recall this trio of Tibaldis is the first time I’ve seen a series… Continue reading
I talked a bit about this pen on Instagram and in some previous posts, so it won’t surprise you folks that the Santini Italia Giant has got me all excited the past few months.
As you’ll gather from the video, this is a very special pen. If you’re in a box-ticking mood, try this: handmade,… Continue reading
As I mentioned in my Black Friday post, I took a chance on a Radius pen from Appelboom during the sale. It arrived today, and I took a few minutes to record a video with some of my early thoughts.
I also shared a few photos on Instagram:
View this post on Instagram A post… Continue reading
I don’t know about you, but I have a strong mental block against spending £500 on a pocket pen.
The first reason is practical: there’s a disconnect between a pen that is meant to get bashed around in your pocket with your keys, and one that delivers a “luxury” experience.
The second is perhaps more… Continue reading
TL;DR: watch the video review (but scroll to the end anyway, trust me!)
The full story
I have a soft spot for the modern incarnation of Tibaldi. As the “affordable” arm of Montegrappa’s parent company, it’s up against stiff competition (think Leonardo, Maiora, Venvstas, Visconti, Gioia…), and is putting up a plucky fight.
Behind the… Continue reading
TL;DR: watch the video
Prefer to read? Here’s the written review
If there’s been any doubt in your mind that Visconti can make beautiful pens, the Divina Bordeaux should lay it firmly to rest. The Divina is gorgeous in photos, but in person it is utterly stunning.
The wine-red resin is interesting and swirly, but… Continue reading
This is a review in three parts. It’s my first review of the Scribo Piuma pen, Scribo’s newer design with cartridge/converter filler. It’s also one of the first reviews out there of the ‘Impressione’ finish, paired with the ‘Levante’ (bright orange) to honour Monet’s painting Soleil Levant. And the third element is Scribo’s EEF nib,… Continue reading
Let’s get the politics out of the way
This review has a little backstory. Some time ago I reviewed the Venvstas Magna, an unusual carbon fiber fountain pen from Italy. I felt my review was thorough and balanced, and I quite liked the pen, but I had some problems with the nib and flow and… Continue reading