Tibaldi Impero celluloid and some recent imitators: a "review" of pen materials

[rookie85]

@dms525 ah ok thanks. I was hoping there was an email. 

[rookie85]

@dms525 I joined Insta and am already in touch with Leonardo. Thank you! And thanks again for this wonderful thread. Italian celluloid is a dangerous ($) interest. LOL. 

[dms525]

4 hours ago, rookie85 said:

@dms525 I joined Insta and am already in touch with Leonardo. Thank you! And thanks again for this wonderful thread. Italian celluloid is a dangerous ($) interest. LOL. 

 

Good for you! Salvatore has been a pleasure to deal with for me. Best wishes for your project with Leonardo. Please do tell us about it when it's consummated.

David

[rookie85]

I will certainly!

[rookie85]

@dms525 Thanks again. I've placed an order for a LMZG in Arco Bronze, piston filler, 14k Broad nib! Communicating with Leonardo over Instagram was very easy. I'm super excited about this piece and cannot wait.  

[rookie85]

Also, folks may have seen this but Leonardo did have a LMZ Grande in Impero featured on their Instagram feed recently. Unfortunately it was no longer available when I reached out. 

[rookie85]

@dms525After a bit of a wait I received my first Leonardo MZG and my first Arco Bronze. I'm stunned. Absolutely beautiful and check out that big Broad nib! Now the question is what do I ink it with? I've narrowed it down to  Akkerman SBRE Brown or Diamine Ancient Copper. 

[dms525]

41 minutes ago, rookie85 said:

@dms525After a bit of a wait I received my first Leonardo MZG and my first Arco Bronze. I'm stunned. Absolutely beautiful and check out that big Broad nib! Now the question is what do I ink it with? I've narrowed it down to  Akkerman SBRE Brown or Diamine Ancient Copper. 

 

What a gorgeous pen! Congratulations. Use it in good health.

 

I have several OMAS Bronze Arco pens. I tend to ink them with OMAS Sepia. Stipula's Sepia ink is also a good match. It is a bit drier. If you can't access those, the Akkerman SBRE Brown ink is very nice too.

 

David

[Carrau]

On 4/1/2021 at 12:49 PM, dms525 said:

 

Allowing for differences in lighting, I would bet that Santini's material is the same as the one used by Leonardo and Edison.

 

Thanks for pointing it out and providing the link.

 

David

I finally got around to photographing the Edison Nighthawk and Santini Safira side by side, with an Edison Lapis flake thrown in on one picture for contrast.  The Nighthawk has more black in the material than the Santini Safira. The picture of the caps may show this the best.

[mhphoto]

Beautiful pens all around. 
 

I have to say, my recently acquired Edison in Nighthawk acrylic is a much closer match to the Impero celluloid than most of the ones that I am seeing online. I wonder if they tweaked the formula a bit at some point.

[Carrau]

36 minutes ago, mhphoto said:

Beautiful pens all around. 
 

I have to say, my recently acquired Edison in Nighthawk acrylic is a much closer match to the Impero celluloid than most of the ones that I am seeing online. I wonder if they tweaked the formula a bit at some point.

I’d be interested to see a photograph of yours in Nighthawk, if you can.

[raivtash]

I got this beautiful Bexley during my recent thanksgiving trip to Santa Fe …

[USG]

On 3/31/2021 at 11:53 PM, dms525 said:

Tibaldi Impero Celluloid and Its Imitaors

 

Tibaldi Impero celluloid is regarded by many pen collectors as the most beautiful material ever used for fountain pens. OMAS Arco Bronze may be the only other material in its class. Although the original Tibaldi company has been out of business for some years, rods of the Impero material have been somewhat available until relatively recently.

 

The unavailability of genuine Impero rods may be why some resins that more or less explicitly emulate Impero celluloid’s appearance have appeared in several pen makers lines. I have a couple in my collection, and I will share photos comparing them with the real thing.

 

The first of these to come to my attention was the “Blue Sorrento” resin used by Leonardo Officina Italiana in one of their Momento Zero issues. Leonardo did not promote this as resembling Impero, but the material reminded my of Impero, although it was more blue and a lot less black.

 

The second was a Carina 14 from Atelier Lusso (Eric Sands) in the very attractive “Faux Tibaldi” resin cast by Jonathan Brooks. Although that material had some sparkly bits, it did have more of the Impero “feel” than the Italian resin used by Leonardo.

 

Most recently, Brian Gray, owner of the Edison Pen Company, announced a new material in their “Production” Collier series, carried by their dealers. Brian called the material “Nighthawk.” He explicitly compared and contrasted this material to Tibaldi Impero.I found the photos most attractive and ordered a Collier in this material. When I put it side-by-side with my Leonardo Momento Zero Blue Sorrento, I discovered the two pens were made in the exact same material.

 

The general feel of both Brooks’ Faux Tibaldi” and the Italian resin used by Leonardo and Edison are similar. Putting them next to each other, you see their differences quite clearly. I hope you find the photos interesting.

 

 

Top to bottom :Lusso Pens Carina 14, Edison Pen Company Collier, Leonardo Momento Zero, Stipula for Mercury (a LE of 50 started by Tibaldi itself but completed by Stipula after Tibaldi's demise.)

 

 

All these pens have italic nibs are a pleasure to write with, but that's another story for another day.

 

David

 

Most enjoyable comparison.  Thanks D.  😀👍