Review: MOLTENI CURUKOVA Green Ebonite Fountain Pen Limited Edition

[jigesh]

Review: MOLTENI CURUKOVA Green Ebonite Fountain Pen Limited Edition

 

(Identical to Taccia Staccato Ebonite series)

 

The smell of ebonite, while not exactly aphrodisiacal, is very potent. My favorite childhood pens were all made from ebonite. My current collection was missing a decent ebonite pen. I know few vigilant FPN members will notice that I am conveniently not counting my Nakaya Neo Standard since it has Urushi! There are many choices, including but not limited to, Edison Pens, Bexley, Waterman, Indian ebonite pens (allwritenow.net and many others), etc. On pentrace.com, I missed on a beautiful looking ebonite pen (the same model I am reviewing here). So, my hunt began. Being impulsive and lacking patience, I got one from e-bay at a higher price than the one on pentrace. But I had to have it. I found it very appealing and perfect in size. Unlike my other pens, it has a steel nib. That made me pause a little. Then I realized, most of my childhood pens had steel nibs and my mind was more fertile then than it is now. Gold nib won’t cure it. Brian at Edison pen has recently discussed this. Mark Twain has said: “There are several good protections against temptation, but the surest is cowardice.” Better to give in and buy the pen than to stay away and be a coward! (I know, I know, I am twisting the message in my favor!).

 

Packaging:

 

The pen comes in a nice looking, wooden box. These days, a nice box seems like a must.

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/box.jpg

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/boxed-1.jpg

 

Appearance and the First Impressions:

 

If you want to skip the rest in this paragraph, here is the summary: It’s very attractive and handsomely built. I don’t exactly think it is green. It’s more like blue-green or turquoise per se.

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/texture1.jpg

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/texture2.jpg

 

The cap has a nice shaped clip and the finish and craftsmanship are immaculate. It takes around two-and-a-half or three turns to open/close it and feels secure.

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/cap.jpg

 

And did I say, it smells so nice!

 

About Molteni Pen Company:

 

This is a Florida-based company and I don’t know if it exists in any other form than on e-bay or not. I did get a properly dated Pen ID card (like warranty card) with “Molteni Pen Company” printed on it. Bexely and Taccia made several models for them. This one specifically, the ebonite series was made by Taccia. No wonder it looks almost identical to Taccia’s Staccato line, especially the older ebonite models in this series. These Curukova ebonite pens (and all TACCIA models) are assembled in the U.S., from Italian resin and German mechanisms (nib, refill, ballpoint mechanisms, etc.).

 

The body of the barrel mentions serial number and name of the pen company in a very discreet, non-obtrusive fashion:

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/barrelWriting.jpg

 

Pen Dimensions:

 

The entire pen with cap is 5.9 inches (15 cms) long and the barrel is 5.3 inches (13.46 cms) long. The weight of the pen is 1.4 oz (41.4 gms), and the barrel plus nib with cartridge and ink weigh 0.6 oz (17.75 gms). It’s a full size pen and for the weight feels fine and balanced in hand.

 

Here’s size comparison with Montblanc 146 and Aurora 88 large pens (pardon the dust particles):

 

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/allClosedSize.jpg

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/allOpenSize.jpg

 

The Nib:

 

The size of the nib I chose is Fine. It is a steel nib unit, made by JoWo, and can be screwed in/out for an easy swapping (similar to Pelikan pens).

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/nibCloseup.jpg

 

The pen uses a cartridge or cartridge converter and can also be used as an eye-dropper. The cartridge converter that came with the pen is a plastic one, looks sturdy though I would have preferred a glass one for a better feel. The cost and additional weight might have been factors in providing plastic converter instead.

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/cartridgeConverter.jpg

 

The pen writes smoothly, has some pleasant feedback but no scratch/tooth at all. The pen fits and feels perfect in my hands. The nib, being a steel nib, has no flex, negligible springiness if at all and is rigid which is no surprise. Few more lines on this are on the writing samples. Here are the writing samples:

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/sample1.jpg

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/sample2.jpg

 

Conclusion:

 

The suggested retail price is around $295 to $350 but can be had for less than what I paid if you practice patience. Based on the quality and craftsmanship of the pen, I have to agree with what Taccia says on their website: Stylish, well-built and yet affordable pens. So far, I think it’s a good find for me and has filled the lack of ebonite in my collection. And in case forgot, it smells nice! Sometimes, little known brands/pens offer pleasant surprises. The nib unit is easy to replace (if needed) and is not expensive ($25 range for the identical one), the pen can be used as an eye-dropper (if needed), the pen is long enough and is well-balanced without posting (that means, no marks on the nice finish), the cap closes securely, the feel is ergonomic and is fun to write with. What else do we expect from a pen?

[Glenn-SC]

Good review.

Nice looking pen.

 

Thanks!

[Ed Ronax]

Great review, thanks.

[SamCapote]

Thanks for the review. It does look beautiful, but I don't like their writing the name on the side like that. Just too over the top for my tastes.

[chkuo]

Thanks for the review. Really can't wait for my Lunar Blue Staccato to be delivered sometime this week.

[lovemy51]

very pretty pen. i wish it came with a gold nib... for that price...

[hari317]

Very nice review Jigesh. Jigesh, I am intrigued by the bi-tone nib on your 146. This is OT but can you post a closeup of that nib, the plating proportions are diffrent than that on my bi-tone 146 nibs.

 

Regards,

Hari

[jigesh]

Thank you, all.

 

 

very pretty pen. i wish it came with a gold nib... for that price...

 

That would be a great deal if default nib for the price were 18K or 14K gold nib....

 

 

...I am intrigued by the bi-tone nib on your 146. This is OT but can you post a closeup of that nib, the plating proportions are diffrent than that on my bi-tone 146 nibs....

 

Thanks, Hari. It's a lovely nib, in fact the best fine nib I ever had. I'll post a close up later today or tomorrow.

[jigesh]

...I am intrigued by the bi-tone nib on your 146. This is OT but can you post a closeup of that nib, the plating proportions are diffrent than that on my bi-tone 146 nibs....

 

Thanks, Hari. It's a lovely nib, in fact the best fine nib I ever had. I'll post a close up later today or tomorrow.

 

OK. It was quicker than I thought. Here are Montblanc 146 (the one that appears in the comparative pictures of the main post) nib close-ups (slight oxidation is seen, especially on the nib sides):

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/DSC_0001_2.jpg

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/DSC_0003_2.jpg

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/DSC_0004_2.jpg

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/DSC_0005_2.jpg

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/DSC_0008_2-1.jpg

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/DSC_0015_2-1.jpg

 

The close up of the clear (un-partitioned) ink window:

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/DSC_0013_2.jpg

[jigesh]

And here is how the MB 146 nib pictured in the above post writes:

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/DSC_0021_2.jpg

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/DSC_0020_2-1.jpg

 

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/DSC_0019_2.jpg

[hari317]

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv360/jigesh_patel/DSC_0001_2.jpg

 

The nib on one of my 146:

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii197/hari317/MB146-A/IMG_3412.jpg

 

Jigesh, The gold colored portion on your nib is slightly narrower, in fact considering that your 146 sports a clear window and the ebonite feeder, maybe it is an early bi-tone nib, the predecessor of the modern one?

 

Regards,

Hari

 

PS: since this is way OT, maybe we can discuss on a seperate thread on MB forum.

[jigesh]

...since this is way OT, maybe we can discuss on a seperate thread on MB forum.

 

That's more appropriate, but I guess this will be the last post on this subject here. The rest we can exchange PMs.

 

 

...Jigesh, The gold colored portion on your nib is slightly narrower, in fact considering that your 146 sports a clear window and the ebonite feeder, maybe it is an early bi-tone nib, the predecessor of the modern one?....

 

 

I have other MB 146 pens that have nibs like in your picture. The one I photographed today is an older model - I had written down its production year somewhere, if I recollect, I'll PM you.

[watsoncb]

The cap on the Molteni seems (to me) to look similar to a Pelikan. At least the very top does... just a bit more pointed.

[goodguy]

Atractive pen but I cant see myself ever buying a pen with an IPG nib.

It doesnt make difference how well they write I smiply will not buy a nib with an IPG writen on it.

Its like a constant reminder telling me-Hey you got the cheapest nib in the market on this pen.

[PianoMan14]

Atractive pen but I cant see myself ever buying a pen with an IPG nib.

It doesnt make difference how well they write I smiply will not buy a nib with an IPG writen on it.

Its like a constant reminder telling me-Hey you got the cheapest nib in the market on this pen.

 

http://edisonpen.com/page.cfm/IPGnibs2

 

"So does the IPG stamp have any bearing on quality? It's safe to say no."

--Brian Gray

 

Of course, if you don't like the look, then don't buy it. I probably wouldn't buy an IPG nib either, no matter how well it writes.

Edited March 17, 2010 by PianoMan14

[ghislain]

I too like the looks and the colour of the pen although I am not so fond of gold trims and steel nibs.

Beautiful pen none the less.

Edited March 17, 2010 by ghislain

[jigesh]

Thank you, all. This pen doesn't come in silver trim though it would suit more to this blue-green finish. The same ebonite pen also comes in dark brown ebonite, where gold trim would suit better in my opinion.

 

Regarding nib, I am not surprised that "IPG" and "steel" make few hesitate. Those who like the finish/size but not the nib can repalce it by third party nib units in 14K or 18K gold nib units (Taccia or from Brian @ Edison pen; Bexley may also fit though I haven't tried). As for me, steel/IPG is fine with me so far.

[jigesh]

Atractive pen but I cant see myself ever buying a pen with an IPG nib.

It doesnt make difference how well they write I smiply will not buy a nib with an IPG writen on it.

Its like a constant reminder telling me-Hey you got the cheapest nib in the market on this pen.

 

http://edisonpen.com/page.cfm/IPGnibs2

 

"So does the IPG stamp have any bearing on quality? It's safe to say no."

--Brian Gray

 

Of course, if you don't like the look, then don't buy it. I probably wouldn't buy an IPG nib either, no matter how well it writes.

 

 

The IPG nib on the reviewed model is made in Germany by JoWo. Not to defend my purchase, but the same article you linked also mentions:

 

...I have also worked with IPG nibs that are manufactured in Germany whose quality control are just as good as any other nib manufacturer in the world. 10 out of 10 will be wonderful nibs. But even with nibs coming from these German companies, there might be a very rare issue that does need additional tuning or attention. I can’t remember a German-made IPG nib that I couldn’t tune to write well at all, and I just gave up, throwing it in the trash. I can’t say the same for the Chinese or Indian IPG nibs....

 

JoWo later came out with a newer version/updated (I don't know what it means) nib unit and I am getting one from Taccia next week. I'll update the thread if I find any noticeable change due to new nib unit.

[bgray]

For those that don't like the IPG stamp, you get get both - with or without the stamp. There's no difference, they are both great nibs, but there is a stamp-less option.

 

http://edisonpen.com/page.cfm/Fountain-Nibs

[jigesh]

Thank you, Brian for chiming in.....