Leonardo Momento Zero - Sea Stone

[Inky-Republic]

The above fountain pen arrived today. I was originally going to order the popular Blue Positano which most folks go for, but decided to opt for something different. As all the colour on offer are attractive, an office vote was called for – and the sea stone and horn proved the two favourites (once the blue was taken out of the picture. A toss of the coin resulted in sea stone being the winner – and how fortunate that was, seeing as the colour of this pen in the hand is nothing short of stunning. The colour and pattern have a depth not seen in many instruments at this price point and the standard of workmanship and execution are exceptional in every aspect of the pen’s construction. The only comment I’d make is that the pen is a little light for my taste, but many will identify light weight as an advantage.

 

I purchased 3 nibs with this pen, being of medium, broad and stub width. I finally opted to fit the stub nib, since none of the nibs offered any significant degree of flex – and under those circumstances, the stub nib offers the greatest amount of line width variation. The stub nib is just fabulous in use and is very smooth with no hint of scratching. The feed was wet and reliable and absolutely no issues that others have reported with fussy starting were evident.

 

Having just also received the Noodler’s Ahab model pen, it was interesting to note that the nibs offered in both pens are exactly the same size and are totally inter-changeable. Once I get to work on setting up a usable level of flex on the Ahab nib, a cross assembly exercise may yet offer a flex nib options for the Zero – sweet!

 

One word of caution, the Zero’s nibs are both friction fit and very difficult to extract. I doubt most folks would be able to extract using finger power alone and in fact I co-opted the use of a rubber arrow puller that I use for archery (see photo). This little gadget actually proved to be the best nib extractor of all time, providing just enough grip to extract the nib, but without providing excessive pressure, which might have stressed the nib and/or feed. For a couple of bucks I’d recommend this tool to any amateur or professional pen tech.

 

When I reinserted the feed and stub nib, I realised the cause of the extraction difficulty, since the last 1 mm of travel in the feed provides a positive click into place, as it rides over a retaining ridge. You must ensure you feel this click when reinserting the nib, otherwise the feed capillary will not be positioned far enough back to engage with the filling mechanism - and a workable vacuum seal will not be achieved between the two.

 

The filling mechanism works perfectly by the way and a single cycle of the piston completely filled the ink chamber with no trapped air. You can either remove the pen barrel to fully expose the filling mechanism and observe the fill, or remove a small screw cap and the end of the barrel and turn the exposed filler end. Personally I like to see what’s going on, so will opt to remove the barrel when filling.

 

The pen is of reasonably large size, but having very large hands, I still prefer to use the pen posted. I suspect many will opt for this configuration, since it adds a little extra weight to what is essentially an extremely light pen.

 

In summary, this is a top flight pen made available for a medium price. It is attractive, functional, smooth writing and a very desirable to own. I have therefore been rendered a happy consumer three times this week!

 

The last pen to review (and I’ll cover that product next week) arrived some time ago – and is a Conway Stewart “Winston”. The quality and build of that particular pen is so mind blowing, I’m still trying to get my head around it, so please be patient while I put something appropriate together.

 

[sansenri]

I had seen this colour and it looked good.

I already own a momento zero but this colour keeps calling...

[Driften]

Nice pen... I keep thinking of buying the Positano color MZ, or the Blue Emerald Furore. I think if I could get the Positano in silver trim I would have ordered it already.

[steve50]

Thanks for the review. Just one question - is that a screw-in type converter? Personally I prefer the converter mechanism over all the more sophisticated and more interesting ones, but whenever I disassemble it from the pen it worries me that it'll eventually become loose. So threaded converters would probably be my favourite filling mechanism.

[Inky-Republic]

Thanks for the review. Just one question - is that a screw-in type converter? Personally I prefer the converter mechanism over all the more sophisticated and more interesting ones, but whenever I disassemble it from the pen it worries me that it'll eventually become loose. So threaded converters would probably be my favourite filling mechanism.

Hi,

 

Yes, the converter is a secure screw-in type with an elastomeric end seal. This forms a very close fit between the filler mechanism and the feed capillary, which is why the pen will completely fill with a single cycle f the piston.

 

Hope that helps.

[steve50]

Hi,

 

Yes, the converter is a secure screw-in type with an elastomeric end seal. This forms a very close fit between the filler mechanism and the feed capillary, which is why the pen will completely fill with a single cycle f the piston.

 

Hope that helps.

That's great to know, thank you!

[RoSpectre]

Nice pen... I keep thinking of buying the Positano color MZ, or the Blue Emerald Furore. I think if I could get the Positano in silver trim I would have ordered it already.

 

Hate to be the bearer of enabling news, but you can get the Positano MZ in silver trim... it may be one of the newer combinations but it's out there.

 

I'm hoping they eventually make the MZ in the coal/volcano colour they have on the Furore. They should also make more options with the ruthenium trim and nib. But we are quite spoiled for colour combinations already.

[whichwatch]

Really nice looking pen! I have a Momento Zero in the Blue Hawaii material but think I like yours better!

[Driften]

 

Hate to be the bearer of enabling news, but you can get the Positano MZ in silver trim... it may be one of the newer combinations but it's out there.

 

I'm hoping they eventually make the MZ in the coal/volcano colour they have on the Furore. They should also make more options with the ruthenium trim and nib. But we are quite spoiled for colour combinations already.

 

 

I checked the two normal places for getting the pen and both didn't show the silver trim. Goldspot pens actually showed the silver but it wasn't in stock. I ended up ordering the model in gold trim from them. I thought it would easier if the B nib had babies bottom to deal with someone in country.

[1nkulus]

I checked the two normal places for getting the pen and both didn't show the silver trim. Goldspot pens actually showed the silver but it wasn't in stock. I ended up ordering the model in gold trim from them. I thought it would easier if the B nib had babies bottom to deal with someone in country.

 

Enjoy the nice vibrant colours. Hopefully, the nib will be fine and the B ought to be wet.

[TheDutchGuy]

Nice read, thanks! I completely agree with the notion of a premium pen experience for a medium price.

[ardene]

MZ pens definitely look classic and this particular coral-in-sea resin is very warm and beautiful. Brings back memories to me and excites my imagination. I think that the Leonardo team are deliberately crafting pens from material that can excite the imagination and in my opinion they have succeeded in that. I've only recently heard about the baby bottom on these Bock B nibs, which is a pity. As I gather though, stubs (apart from the narrower than B nibs) write beautifully; having a couple of stubs I would be interested in the stubs.

[TheDutchGuy]

I bought one with a stub, but it didn't punch above its weight like the rest of the pen does, at least in my opinion. It was just as good (or bad, depending on one's view) as a steel Kaweco stub. To me, it felt like just another $15 steel stub nib, albeit one in an otherwise exceptionally good pen. Anyway, 1.5 is too wide for me anyway, so I did a re-grind and now it is a 0.9 oblique which is tailored to my tendency to rotate the nib. Love it now!

[RoSpectre]

Watching PenUltimate Dave's YouTube videos, he talks about getting 2 baby bottomed B nibs, contacting Leonardo, and getting sent new nibs that worked and also assurance that the polishing problem was addressed at the factory. So he made it sound like the problem existed with earlier nibs but should have stopped. I don't know how realistic it is to figure that a quick call from Leonardo Pens could get Bock to reliably change the whole finishing process for Leo's branded nibs, but who knows.

 

It would be nice to know if any recent-model (later-numbered) pens are still seeing this issue or if it really was ironed out once it was reported to the company. Dave may have gotten special review treatment, but it sounds like he just contacted Leonardo and they sent him new nib units without him having to send anything back first.

[Inky-Republic]

Watching PenUltimate Dave's YouTube videos, he talks about getting 2 baby bottomed B nibs, contacting Leonardo, and getting sent new nibs that worked and also assurance that the polishing problem was addressed at the factory. So he made it sound like the problem existed with earlier nibs but should have stopped. I don't know how realistic it is to figure that a quick call from Leonardo Pens could get Bock to reliably change the whole finishing process for Leo's branded nibs, but who knows.

 

It would be nice to know if any recent-model (later-numbered) pens are still seeing this issue or if it really was ironed out once it was reported to the company. Dave may have gotten special review treatment, but it sounds like he just contacted Leonardo and they sent him new nib units without him having to send anything back first.

 

My Momento Zero only arrived at the end of last week and I have to tell you that the stub nib is lovely. In saying that I'm comparing it with the Sheaffers, Noodles and Conway Stewart pens I have in my collection and in all truth it is as smooth as any of the above and puts the ink down really well. Given that a number of quality manufacturers seem to be employing Bock 250 series nibs in their products, it's possible that Bock has carried out a big QA drive on that particular product series - just a theory.

[biancitwo]

Really nice looking pen! I have a Momento Zero in the Blue Hawaii material but think I like yours better!

As you know, I am very fond of pens you are fond of. However, today I was able to compare the Positano and Blue Hawaii first hand. I bought the Blue Hawaii. The Positano was darker than it appears in photos.

[Inky-Republic]

As you know, I am very fond of pens you are fond of. However, today I was able to compare the Positano and Blue Hawaii first hand. I bought the Blue Hawaii. The Positano was darker than it appears in photos.

The problem is that thy're all very nice in their own way. I still like the look of the horn colour, although I'm not sure if it's available in gold trim (which I prefer). Collecting all the colour may yet become an unhealthy obsession lol!

[Carrau]

The problem is that thy're all very nice in their own way. I still like the look of the horn colour, although I'm not sure if it's available in gold trim (which I prefer). Collecting all the colour may yet become an unhealthy obsession lol!

Endless Pens’ website shows you can order the Horn in gold trim.

[Driften]

Watching PenUltimate Dave's YouTube videos, he talks about getting 2 baby bottomed B nibs, contacting Leonardo, and getting sent new nibs that worked and also assurance that the polishing problem was addressed at the factory. So he made it sound like the problem existed with earlier nibs but should have stopped. I don't know how realistic it is to figure that a quick call from Leonardo Pens could get Bock to reliably change the whole finishing process for Leo's branded nibs, but who knows.

 

It would be nice to know if any recent-model (later-numbered) pens are still seeing this issue or if it really was ironed out once it was reported to the company. Dave may have gotten special review treatment, but it sounds like he just contacted Leonardo and they sent him new nib units without him having to send anything back first.

 

 

Today I got mine in the Positano blue #2290 and the B nib does not have BB. It's glassy smooth with no hard starts or skips. I have it filled with Robert Oster Blue Water Ice which seems to be a good match and I'm getting some shading out of the nib. It seems like the new ones shouldn't have issues, but this is a sample of 1 so maybe I got lucky.

 

I'm impressed with the pen, but I've only had to a short time but I don't think my opinion will change with use. It has me thinking of getting a second one in a different finish and nib. Maybe a M or Stub. Nothing wrong with the B, but if I'm doing it might as well have more options then just color...

[RoSpectre]

Yes they've very cleverly made the pen cheap enough that people will buy multiple colours. Note you could also just buy extra nibs for a reasonable price too. Not sure how easy they are to swap, but I've considered trying a bock titanium nib or fpnibs custom cursive nib, etc. Note I haven't even bought the MZ yet but this is how far I've thought ahead.