Clever Stipula!

[Dan Carmell]

Like most Italian pen makers, Stipula generally makes two tiers of pens: expensive pens and super expensive pens! Even their less expensive pens in the past, like the I Castoni and Duetto, were not especially cheap, at least at full retail. Frankly, the only reason I had owned Stipulas in the past were the vastly reduced prices on the secondary market. This is a bit of a over-generalization, an over-simplification, but I think it does paint a true picture of how Stipula--and other Italian pen makers--were priced in the market place. I don't say this to criticize but to state the situation and contrast it to what I am currently seeing from them.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v255/dcarmell/IMG_0375.jpg

With the world wide recession now in its second year and the "bling" factor not so much in fashion these days, I imagine many luxury item makers are suffering. In addition, the ever-wider disparity between the dollar and Euro makes US sales a challenge for manufacturers of fine (and expensive!) European pens. I want to suggest that Stipula has taken a difference approach to these challenges. I've bought four less expensive Stipula pens this year: a Vedo, the new Passaporto, the Model T, and another pen in MHR whose model name I can't remember!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v255/dcarmell/IMG_0376.jpg

While I won't claim that any of these pens are inexpensive, they are affordable at the online retail prices we see. I also won't try to say that these pens are better made or nicer than other pens in their price range (Libelle or Monteverde, for example), but I do think that each of them has some compelling features. I won't harp on the Vedo, because it's well know as a sturdy, handsome little piston filler. I will mention that it has a little sterling leaf on the cap, as three of these pens do--a very nice touch. Note that the Vedo in these photos is sporting a titanium nib from the original Stipula 22, but the fine steel nib it arrived with was very smooth and useable as well.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v255/dcarmell/IMG_0377.jpg

The Model T has styling elements that really set it apart from its contemporaries, as well as a big titanium nib (mine is green tinted in the photos from the Diamine Umber ink in the pen!) that's fun to write with. The Passaporto is a clever little pen, can be used as an eyedropper, and with a cap that screws onto the barrel to make this tiny pen quite hand-friendly! And the poor unnamed MHR pen has sterling trim with rose gold plating and also can be used as an ED. Oh, and it's made from mottled hard rubber, a nice material for a less expensive pen! And I should mention that each of these pens, except the one-size-fits-all Model T, is/was available with a very nice steel or plated steel italic nib (in the photo above, both the Passoporto and MHR pen have italic nibs).

 

I know that at least one of these models, the Vedo, has been around for a couple of years. But the Model T and Passaporto are new, the other pen came and went. [And that's something very nice with most all of Stipula's pens: even their regular production pens are made in much smaller numbers that some "limited edition" pens! ] Basically, what I think and hope we are seeing here is Stipula being creative in a difficult market, introducing pens that have interesting features at affordable prices. This is what happened in both the European and US pen markets during the Great Depression, by the way: lots of innovation and competition that resulted in some of the most prized vintage pens collected today. If they aren't making a lot of money on these pens, they are at least keeping their craftspeople busy and employed, which is a very good thing for everyone. I hope this strategy works for Stipula and that we see other new and interesting pens as a result!

 

Dan

Edited January 24, 2010 by Dan Carmell

[Russ]

I believe the unnamed ebonite pen is the Novocento, a wonderfully light pen with a smooth nib when properly tuned.

[saintsimon]

I believe the unnamed ebonite pen is the Novocento, a wonderfully light pen with a smooth nib when properly tuned.

 

No, the Novecento has no leafs as decoration. It's also no Vespri Siciliani. Stipula has sometimes limited runs of very cheap SEs, like the big celluloid Supremas with steel nibs recently sold by Regina Martini.

 

They currently have a LE Vedo of 351 pieces, the Vedo Giorno:

 

http://www.penemporium.com/_upload/prodotti/912049020_2.jpg

[Dan Carmell]

Not quite a Novecento, although it does have the same clip as the Novecento Cromo and Saturno. Your post inspired me to look a little harder and I finally found it at Fahrney's:

http://www.fahrneyspens.com/Item--i-193438S

 

It's a Bellini. Actually, it's a limited edition (for under $200) and that kind of underlines my point about what neat pens you can get for a fairly low price point from Stipula these days.

 

FYI,I'd say the other Stipula it most closely resembles is the Vespri Siciliani, with the same basic shape and the same cap band, but a different clip.

 

Dan

[langere]

Yes, it's a Bellini. I have one and it is one of my nicest pens!

 

Erick

[Thornton]

Very nice observations and pictures, Dan. You actually make a dark blue Vedo look for attractive than the stock photos. Maybe I will get one now? Drats!

 

Anyway, I think Stipula makes some of the finest pens on the market and I think they are wise to offer some more budget-friendly pens.

[gemu]

My Novecento is engraved with Novecento 1950 and Stipula on the barrel.

 

Gerald

[kazoolaw]

Dan,

Nice article: thoughtful commentary, very well done comparison photos.

The Bellini is a neat little pen. In fact so little I resold it rather quickly.

I'm guessing from what I remember of the Bellini that the Model T must be about Parker 51 size. Yes/no?

With the oversize nib it's mighty attractive.

gary

[Dan Carmell]

Gary, yes, the Bellini is not quite a "stick" pen but not too far from it, either! About the Model T, it is actually a good 1/2 longer than the 51 and slightly larger in diameter as well.

 

However, the section narrows rapidly, so if you hold a pen near the nib, it may seem too narrow. But the threads are at the very end of the section, so you can hold it higher without getting "bit" by the threads.

 

I like the "ultra streamline" design and you're right, that oversize nib makes a statement! FYI, I had mine ground to an XXF to make for more line variation.

 

Dan