What Is Your Favourite Italian Fountain Pen

[ctt1wbw]

  On 2/3/2019 at 3:59 PM, como said:

 

 

The ruthenium trim matches really well with the black/ivory celluloid and in tone with the "dark" theme. If you like a big hefty pen, you would enjoy this one. It has a quite a presence.

 

I got the gold trim, found a few on ebay and this was the cheapest one by far, I got for $800 brand new. The rest were going for at least $1300 and someone was asking almost $4000 for an arco brown model. I figured this was the best deal.

[como]

  On 2/3/2019 at 4:45 PM, ctt1wbw said:

 

I got the gold trim, found a few on ebay and this was the cheapest one by far, I got for $800 brand new. The rest were going for at least $1300 and someone was asking almost $4000 for an arco brown model. I figured this was the best deal.

 

 

$800 for a new ASC Bologna Extra Wild Side is indeed a very good price. Arco Brown prices have gone up quite a bit, but $4k is really nuts. Maybe they are in some other business, who knows. I hope you like it, very cool pattern. ASC has an interesting filling system but it's actually not that difficult to maintain if you need to change the sac one day. It's easier to find and change a sac than finding parts for piston fillers.

[dms525]

The topic title is ambiguous. Are we being asked about a specific pen or a specific make of pens? It doesn't matter. It's really hard for me to answer either question. See? There is materials. There is ergonomics. There is the filling system. And there is the nib.

 

Favorite materials: OMAS arco brown. I have two old-style Paragons and an Ogiva. Close runner up: The celluloids used by Stipula, several of which I understand to have originally been Tibaldi's. I have a half-dozen or so, mostly Etrurias. I am also very fond of the OMAS "Wild" celluloid and have both a Paragon (The Galileo) and a 360, as well as an Oldwin Classic, in that material.

 

Ergonomics: Stipula Etrurias ties with Aurora modern 88 or Optimas. I think I have 6 Optimas and 4 88's. The Aurora and Stipula sections are not the same, but both are very comfortable for me. FYI, the OMAS Paragons lose out for having such thin sections.

 

Filling system: It's the Aurora piston hands down.

 

The nibs: I have many Italian pens - the makes mentioned above and also Deltas, Viscontis and Montegrappas. I have some wonderful nibs in each of these lines. All also have come with a few nibs that were less wonderful out of the box. My best writing nibs on Italian pens are on OMAS pens, with Aurora and Stipula both very close runners up.

 

I must mention a newcomer to my "honor role" of favorite Italian pens: The Leonardo Officina Italiana. They make two models - one similar to the Delta Journal model, and the other an Ogival shape. I currently have 4 of this make with two more due to ship tomorrow. One of mine is a rather pricey, gold nibbed LE. The others have steel nibs and are priced very reasonably. All my nibs are stubs. These pens are made by the company that also makes the modern Wahl-Eversharp Decopod and the ASC pens. The quality of workmanship is outstanding. The ergonomics of the pens are excellent. The stub nibs are beautifully tuned - very, very smooth but also very crisp. Their stock stub is 1.3 mm, I believe. The manufacturer has generously agreed to custom grind the nibs on my two new pens to 0.8mm. I am eager to try them out.

 

Happy writing!

 

David

[andymarrison]

This lovely Omas:

[BaronWulfraed]

If I ever get around to trying to repair it... Stipula 22 with original titanium cursive italic nib.

 

{piston sticks so much that the nylon threads give way first, AND the pressure has split the barrel such that the barrel pops off}

Edited February 4, 2019 by BaronWulfraed

[Greenpenman111]

Omas, aurora, asc, visconti,

[Arrivistepen]

My top Italian in terms of recent time inked: Omas Paragon

 

Also love my Delta 365 Blue/white marble w/ Millenium nib & Sterling Ipsilon.

 

Top Italian desire: Visconti Divina (black & silver)

 

Viva l'Italia !

[empliau]

I have only one Italian pen, the Omas paragon Arco Verde HT. My husband has the Arco Verde in gold trim. Actually, he has two - he loves his so much, and he is hard to buy for, so I hunted down (many years ago, and they were out of production) a second to be in reserve if he should ever lose his. About every other year I take it out of storage and leave it out, with the case open, for a few days to prevent off-gassing.

 

These are the old style, with the celluloid sections. I have a Mottishaw cursive italic bb nib. Words can't say just how much I love this pen.

[como]

  On 2/8/2019 at 1:59 PM, empliau said:

I have only one Italian pen, the Omas paragon Arco Verde HT. My husband has the Arco Verde in gold trim. Actually, he has two - he loves his so much, and he is hard to buy for, so I hunted down (many years ago, and they were out of production) a second to be in reserve if he should ever lose his. About every other year I take it out of storage and leave it out, with the case open, for a few days to prevent off-gassing.

 

These are the old style, with the celluloid sections. I have a Mottishaw cursive italic bb nib. Words can't say just how much I love this pen.

Some would say that this is the beautiful celluloid of the most beautiful model of Omas... Congrats! Enjoy them in good health and good time!

[empliau]

Thank you! I love your username and avatar - said husband lived on Lago Maggiore as a child. A most beautiful part of the world!

[como]

  On 2/8/2019 at 7:48 PM, empliau said:

Thank you! I love your username and avatar - said husband lived on Lago Maggiore as a child. A most beautiful part of the world!

Thank you. It’s easy to understand why there are so many beautiful Italian pens. One doesn’t have to look far to find inspirations.

[DrDebG]

This is my newest and favorite Italian fountain pen: Pineider Keys of Heaven:

[RubenDh]

  Quote

 

NICE!

 

Is the top pen the amber color?

 

Thanks,

 

Mark

Yes indeed. From top to bottom:

 

- Old style Etruria Ambre (Ambra). Old style because it's actually one of the oldest models with a straight section. Duotone 18k medium nib.

 

- C/C Etruria Alter Ego with a correct 14k monotone fine.

 

- Etruria ambrosia with a cool FC music (1.9 mm) nib on it.

Edited February 10, 2019 by RubenDh

[ArchiMark]

  On 2/4/2019 at 6:45 PM, andymarrison said:

This lovely Omas: DE47D4C5-E7BD-49AA-B133-AC15FF96B7FD.jpeg

 

Those are very handsome pens....another one of my 'Shoulda kept it pens....'....

 

 

  On 2/8/2019 at 10:40 PM, DrPenfection said:

This is my newest and favorite Italian fountain pen: Pineider Keys of Heaven:

 

Great pen....

 

Always reminds me somehow of those hard candies I'd see as a kid......

 

  On 2/10/2019 at 8:26 PM, RubenDh said:

Yes indeed. From top to bottom:

 

- Old style Etruria Ambre (Ambra). Old style because it's actually one of the oldest models with a straight section. Duotone 18k medium nib.

 

- C/C Etruria Alter Ego with a correct 14k monotone fine.

 

- Etruria ambrosia with a cool FC music (1.9 mm) nib on it.

 

Thanks for all the info!

[biancitwo]

  On 1/22/2019 at 2:18 AM, biancitwo said:

I have an Aurora Ipsilon, a Delta Dolce Vita oversized, an Omas Paragon, and a Visconti Homo Sapien Lava Bronze Age oversized. The Aurora writes perfectly. The Delta writes quite well, but is huge. I love the Paragon since I tossed the titanium nib, which was mush, and replaced it with an 18k Omas broad, which Mottishaw made a wonderful CI. Then I got the HS Lava Bronze Age, with stub nib. It is gorgeouso wet, but magnificent. . It writes wonderfully. It feels superb. It’s my favorite Italian Pen.

I declared, without reservation, the Visconti HS to be my favorite Italian Pen. Then immediately sent it to Pendleton Brown for a CI modification. My HS has a stub nib. PB is going to sharpen it. Love it, but it is too paint brush like, and too wet. And, I overlooked my Omas Old style Paragon, which is too wet, but magnificent. Can’t wait for PB to send my HS back to me.

[biancitwo]

  On 2/24/2019 at 3:54 AM, biancitwo said:

I declared, without reservation, the Visconti HS to be my favorite Italian Pen. Then immediately sent it to Pendleton Brown for a CI modification. My HS has a stub nib. PB is going to sharpen it. Love it, but it is too paint brush like, and too wet. And, I overlooked my Omas Old style Paragon, which is too wet, but magnificent. Can’t wait for PB to send my HS back to me.

My HS returned from Pendleton Brown this morning. What a wonderful nib. The stub was nice, but this CI is superb. What a pen!

[DrDebG]

  On 2/8/2019 at 10:40 PM, DrPenfection said:

This is my newest and favorite Italian fountain pen: Pineider Keys of Heaven:

 

I must retract my previous entry. I ended up having to return the pen due to nib issues. I am heart broken about it.

 

So, for now, my favorite Italian pen remains a Delta Capri Marina Grande with broad fusion nib.

[Ceelo]

Some recent favourites of mine, a selection of Montegrappa Extra's that I thought would be nice to share with fellow Italian pen lovers. My most recent is the orange 'Le Stylographe' magazine special edition.

 

[como]

  On 3/9/2019 at 11:37 PM, CeeElle said:

Some recent favourites of mine, a selection of Montegrappa Extra's that I thought would be nice to share with fellow Italian pen lovers. My most recent is the orange 'Le Stylographe' magazine special edition.

 

Easily a classic! Thanks for sharing. Which cap ring do you like more, the Greek key or the ocean waves, if I may ask?

 

Como

[Ceelo]

  On 3/9/2019 at 11:49 PM, como said:

 

Easily a classic! Thanks for sharing. Which cap ring do you like more, the Greek key or the ocean waves, if I may ask?

 

Como

 

 

The greek key fits the timeless character of the pen best in my opinion.