Montegrappa 80Th. Anniversary

[jar]

Recently a thread in Writing Instruments asked about comparing the Yard-o-Led Viceroy Grand with the ST Dupont X-Large Olympio/Orpeo and that prompted me to pull out a couple for comparison photographs and since it was out of course I inked it up again and that reminded me how much I enjoy Sterling Silver pens which of course meant I rummaged around and pulled out a few more just to see if I still liked them which brings us to this review.

 

One I found was an older Montegrappa 80th. Anniversary fountain pen made in 1992, so not yet old enough to be called a classic.

 

I remember when the pen first arrived, it came in a pretty plain red sleeve with a pretty simple gold imprint that had Montegrappa over a wreath with 80 inside and then 1912 1992 at the bottom of the square.

 

Sliding out the enclosed box showed simply a repeat of the design. So far nothing all that impressive.

 

Opening the lid to the box presented an entirely different picture.

 

http://www.fototime.com/1790CF3B4EAD292/standard.jpg

Inside there was the pen itself, a Sterling Silver carrying case that held a red velvet drawstring pouch for the pen and was numbered to match the pen, the pen itself and the paperwork rolled and contained by a Sterling Silver ring.

 

The carrying case has the cap at one end and at the other the wreath and 80 engraved.

 

http://www.fototime.com/34950EA36520998/standard.jpg

The pen itself is all Sterling Silver with a two tone nib, a Sterling Silver section, low relief engraving of a vine and leaves, and at the base of the body a threaded posting mount with the engraved wreath and 80.

 

http://www.fototime.com/32A1475FE643783/standard.jpg

I find the Montegrappa nibs generally (at least on the ones I have) run slightly finer than many and this bold nib is more like a heavy medium in my book, but it is also moderately wet and very smooth with just a hint of feedback. The pen is long enough to use un posted but it also fits well in hand and feels balanced with the cap posted. Overall size I'd call medium, about like a modern Pelikan 600.

 

I see the Montegrappa 80th Anniversary come up every once in awhile and often as NOS, so there are still ones out there almost twenty years after it was made. I find it's a great size, not as big as Y-o-L Viceroy Grand and not as slim as the Y-o-L Viceroy Standard. very similar to the Sheaffer Legacy in feel but slightly slimmer at the section.

 

The 80th Anniversary pen was made while Montegrappa was still owned by the Aquila group and before Richemont bought the Marque. Today Montegrappa is again owned by Aquila who also own Tibaldi.

 

edited to fix title

Edited July 13, 2011 by jar

[SHK]

Thanks jar for your review and nice images as well.

I hope you enjoy your rediscovered Montegrappa.

 

Sascha

[mana]

Really nice... I wonder how much they go for?

[jar]

Really nice... I wonder how much they go for?

 

I've seen prices all over the place these days, from around $700.00 to over $1500.00.

[Yuki Onitsura]

Beautiful pen, Jar! Montegrappa really seem to know how to put together a LE package. Absolutely gorgeous.

 

Yuki

[georges zaslavsky]

very nice pen jar thanks for sharing

[jar]

I noticed that I forgot to mention that it is a cartridge/converter pen that uses the International size unit.

[raging.dragon]

I find the Montegrappa nibs generally (at least on the ones I have) run slightly finer than many and this bold nib is more like a heavy medium in my book, but it is also moderately wet and very smooth with just a hint of feedback.

 

So would you say the Montegrappa bold/broad is about equivalent to a Visconti medium?

[jar]

I find the Montegrappa nibs generally (at least on the ones I have) run slightly finer than many and this bold nib is more like a heavy medium in my book, but it is also moderately wet and very smooth with just a hint of feedback.

 

So would you say the Montegrappa bold/broad is about equivalent to a Visconti medium?

 

No idea. I have never been able to get past the Visconti clip design and so I have never bought one or even used one that I can remember.

[camoandconcrete]

I find the Montegrappa nibs generally (at least on the ones I have) run slightly finer than many and this bold nib is more like a heavy medium in my book, but it is also moderately wet and very smooth with just a hint of feedback.

 

So would you say the Montegrappa bold/broad is about equivalent to a Visconti medium?

 

No idea. I have never been able to get past the Visconti clip design and so I have never bought one or even used one that I can remember.

 

Their clips disappoint me too, but the Homo Sapiens and Divina are such amazing pens that I don't really care about the clips' poor design. Right now I'm tossed between the 80th Anniv. or the Cosmopolitan Gothic. Your review is making the choice harder as I never really paid much attention to the 80th until I saw the review.

[jar]

I find the Montegrappa nibs generally (at least on the ones I have) run slightly finer than many and this bold nib is more like a heavy medium in my book, but it is also moderately wet and very smooth with just a hint of feedback.

 

So would you say the Montegrappa bold/broad is about equivalent to a Visconti medium?

 

No idea. I have never been able to get past the Visconti clip design and so I have never bought one or even used one that I can remember.

 

Their clips disappoint me too, but the Homo Sapiens and Divina are such amazing pens that I don't really care about the clips' poor design. Right now I'm tossed between the 80th Anniv. or the Cosmopolitan Gothic. Your review is making the choice harder as I never really paid much attention to the 80th until I saw the review.

 

Well, the Cosmo is pretty but at the price FPH is selling the 80^th Anniversary right now I'd be on it like white on rice.

[raging.dragon]

Their clips disappoint me too, but the Homo Sapiens and Divina are such amazing pens that I don't really care about the clips' poor design. Right now I'm tossed between the 80th Anniv. or the Cosmopolitan Gothic. Your review is making the choice harder as I never really paid much attention to the 80th until I saw the review.

 

Aesthetically, my feelings toward the Visconti clip are neutral. I think it looks good on the Homo Sapiens and the Divina family, but not so great on some of their other pens. However, I harbour doubts about it's functionality - of the two I have one is loose and wobbly, and they don't seem to get a good grip on my pockets. I don't trust the Visconti clip to hold my pen in my pocket; however, for expensive pens I use a pen case anyway, so that's not a dealbreaker for me.

 

Well, the Cosmo is pretty but at the price FPH is selling the 80^th Anniversary right now I'd be on it like white on rice.

 

You're a bad influence , but I haven't lost the battle with temptation. Yet.

Edited August 15, 2011 by raging.dragon

[raging.dragon]

Their clips disappoint me too, but the Homo Sapiens and Divina are such amazing pens that I don't really care about the clips' poor design. Right now I'm tossed between the 80th Anniv. or the Cosmopolitan Gothic. Your review is making the choice harder as I never really paid much attention to the 80th until I saw the review.

 

Aesthetically, my feelings toward the Visconti clip are neutral. I think it looks good on the Homo Sapiens and the Divina family, but not so great on some of their other pens. However, I harbour doubts about it's functionality - of the two I have one is loose and wobbly, and they don't seem to get a good grip on my pockets. I don't trust the Visconti clip to hold my pen in my pocket; however, for expensive pens I use a pen case anyway, so that's not a dealbreaker for me.

 

Well, the Cosmo is pretty but at the price FPH is selling the 80^th Anniversary right now I'd be on it like white on rice.

 

You're a bad influence , but I haven't lost the battle with temptation. Yet.

 

Battle with temptation: lost. Order placed.

[jar]

Their clips disappoint me too, but the Homo Sapiens and Divina are such amazing pens that I don't really care about the clips' poor design. Right now I'm tossed between the 80th Anniv. or the Cosmopolitan Gothic. Your review is making the choice harder as I never really paid much attention to the 80th until I saw the review.

 

Aesthetically, my feelings toward the Visconti clip are neutral. I think it looks good on the Homo Sapiens and the Divina family, but not so great on some of their other pens. However, I harbour doubts about it's functionality - of the two I have one is loose and wobbly, and they don't seem to get a good grip on my pockets. I don't trust the Visconti clip to hold my pen in my pocket; however, for expensive pens I use a pen case anyway, so that's not a dealbreaker for me.

 

Well, the Cosmo is pretty but at the price FPH is selling the 80^th Anniversary right now I'd be on it like white on rice.

 

You're a bad influence , but I haven't lost the battle with temptation. Yet.

 

Battle with temptation: lost. Order placed.

 

Take comfort in knowing that without pics it never happened. And these days even with pics there is plausible deniability.

[Ipsilon]

This pen is truly beautiful. I would really like to find one.

What's a "good honest price" for the 80th anniversary?

 

Y

[raging.dragon]

This pen is truly beautiful. I would really like to find one.

What's a "good honest price" for the 80th anniversary?

 

Y

 

Well I just ordered one from fountain pen hospital for USD 695. Which is a pretty good price for a new or NOS solid sterling pen. And an even better price for one that's also a limited edition with somewhat complex engraving.

 

According to their web site they had two in stock, one with a medium nib and the second with a broad. I bought the medium, so they should still have the broad in stock. So if you don't mind buying from the US and shipping to Italy there's one option for you.

 

http://www.fountainpenhospital.com/backroom/index.asp

Edited August 16, 2011 by raging.dragon

[raging.dragon]

Their clips disappoint me too, but the Homo Sapiens and Divina are such amazing pens that I don't really care about the clips' poor design. Right now I'm tossed between the 80th Anniv. or the Cosmopolitan Gothic. Your review is making the choice harder as I never really paid much attention to the 80th until I saw the review.

 

Aesthetically, my feelings toward the Visconti clip are neutral. I think it looks good on the Homo Sapiens and the Divina family, but not so great on some of their other pens. However, I harbour doubts about it's functionality - of the two I have one is loose and wobbly, and they don't seem to get a good grip on my pockets. I don't trust the Visconti clip to hold my pen in my pocket; however, for expensive pens I use a pen case anyway, so that's not a dealbreaker for me.

 

Well, the Cosmo is pretty but at the price FPH is selling the 80^th Anniversary right now I'd be on it like white on rice.

 

You're a bad influence , but I haven't lost the battle with temptation. Yet.

 

Battle with temptation: lost. Order placed.

 

Take comfort in knowing that without pics it never happened. And these days even with pics there is plausible deniability.

 

Well, this will fill my desire for a pseudo victorian styled sterling pen. The YoL Grand Victorian is still being produced, so it can wait.

[Ipsilon]

Thanks raging.dragon, I will look into it!

 

Y

[raging.dragon]

Thanks raging.dragon, I will look into it!

 

Y

 

Oh, I should note that I got the tip about Fountain Pen Hospital having the Montegrappa 80th anniversery in stock at this price from Jar in the discussion following one of his other pen reviews (the Montegrappa Privilege Deco review, if I recall correctly).

[raging.dragon]

Just got my new Montegrappa 80th Anniversary flushed and inked. It has the most amazingly smooth nib I've ever encountered! Easily the smoothest nib in my collection.

 

Jar was right about the nibs running finer than most European brands. I don't know about current Montegrappa nibs, but in 1992 when this pen was made, they were still using nib grades equivalent to those of vintage pens. About half way between the typical modern European and Japanese nib grades. Mine has an M nib that is comparable to modern European F nibs (it is trivially broader than my Waterman F and *much* finer than my Visconti M). This is a good nib width for me, suitable for both general writing and for margin notes and markup.

 

For comparision I find this pen to be similar in size to my TWSBI 530. The Montegrappa is significantly shorter, has a narrower section and more tapered section, and the barrel may be a hair smaller too. This is the only modern pen in my collection that I prefere to post when writing. Conveniently it has threads for secure posting.