This post is for the Etruria lovers who might lurk here. I have had my newest Etruria in hand for about three weeks and it has met all my expectations and then some. I am sorry I am not up to speed posting pics. The best I can do is to offer the URL where I found the pen, http://www.penseller.com/pages/stipetruria.htm, The Fountain Pen Domain. The usual disclaimers apply.

This O/S Etruria model is the familiar lovely oval shape that I find visually aluring, and that fits so well in my hand. (The Etruria O/S is about Duofold Centennial or Pelikan M-800 size.) The material is unique and lovely, and I have no term other than "shimmering marbled terracotta" to describe it. I suppose the color is not for everyone, but I like its earthy look. Just holding it is fun. It has patches of grassy green in the material, which led me to try Herbin "Vert Olive" in it. The 1.3 mm italic nib is smooth and wet and disrtibutes the ink wonderfuly well onto paper. Of my seven (sheesh!) Etrurias this is my first 1.3 mm italic nib. Mine has just a hint of flex and gives reasonable line variation.

This LE is a c/c filler. There are three more regular production Etrurias that are new colors and available with piston fillers. I am saving up for one of those. In the meantime, this pen is just plain wonderful so I don't have to be in a hurry for the next pen.

Thanks for listening.

Frank-

I was very close to pulling the trigger on the Volterra! The celluloid looks to be the same as on the Tibaldi Modello 60 (Rosso-Verde) - stunning!

How's the Volterra treating you? It was the fact that it is a C/C that killed the deal for me.

Are all Etrurias the same size? Are the 14kt nibs the same size as the 18kt nibs?

I like the Stipulas I have, but with no US warranty service I am hesitant to get another. Yet, I must admit I find myself attracted to this new one!! Gorgeous material!!!!!

jc

Hi John,

If Stips appeal to you, don't hesitate based on lack of U.S. warranty service. Many of us here have sent them back to Italy for Stipula warranty service, and unless you happen to hit the month long summer holiday shutdown, their service is as prompt and professional as any could possibly be from U.S. based service. They very nearly equal Chartpak in turn around time!

They're good folk who really care about their product and customer relations.

Dont worry about the lack of Warranty service in the US. If you have a problem with a Stipula, contact Etruria Srl - Julia Tonelli her email is marketing.sales@stipula.com

She is pretty quick to respond, usually within a business day or two. I have had a few stipula pens repaired and as of right now, I am waiting for one of my Etrurias to come back from a nib swap.

After you confirm with her with the problem, she will send packing paperwork and a Fed Ex corporate account number. So all you need to do is make copies of the shipping paperwork she emails to you and go to the nearest FedEx shipping place and fill out the paperwork. They ask for a 15.00 fee for return shipping from Italy. But thats it!!! Usually around 3 weeks turnaround for nib swaps and other repairs. I had a Nuda with a cracked section go back and it was repaired and sent back in about 5 weeks. Not too bad considering that they are half way around the world.

So dont be too hesitant about having to get repairs or swaps at the factory. They have really stepped up the customer service in the past 2 years. They are very accomodating and will make sure you are taken care of.

TNS

BTW I love those new Stipula Volterra pens. There are some size variations with the Etrurias. I own a small Etruria with a smaller nib and talking with Wim, this is called the Etruria Media. Also I have noticed a little bit of size variation between the Fullsize Black, Amber celluloid, Ocean Blue and the Nuda. It mainly has to do with the width. But it really is very minor. As for the Volterra, I have no clue as to how the size compares with the other Etrurias. Maybe our resident Stipula Expert can enlighten us. He has the largest collection of Etrurias known to man!!!

TNS

to man!!!... to man!!!..... to man!!!.........

I heard the echos on that one - like a bad movie trailer

Really though, I still pull up that old Etruria thread from time to time to gawk at Wim's Etruria collection. I suppose this habit isn't so strange considering other people sniff their pen caps.

He he he!!

Right now I own 5 Etrurias and t hey are really fantastic writers!!!

In all I own 14 Stipulas and for the most part, they are really wonderful writers.

The 22 and the Veronas, well that is a different story.

Who says sniffing caps is strange???

TNS

Thanks for these replies. I am glad to hear that Stipula service is so good. I have several Stipulas and enjoy them, but I bought them several years ago. Looking at US pen dealers I was surprised that so many seem to have reduced the number of Stipulas they sell or even to have dropped the line. Worldlux. Oscar Brauns, Swisher, FPH.... all seem to have few Stipulas and none of the new ones.

The Volterra really grabs my attention!

I hope FrankB replies regarding his experiences with this new one and exactly what size it is.....

Gee, I thought I was sort of done buying pens except for one or two final ones I wanted.....and then the Volterra comes along. I also seem that penseller.com has some of the old Etrurias that are piston fillers.....again, very tempting.

jc

[How's the Volterra treating you? It was the fact that it is a C/C that killed the deal for me. ]

I am hardly the resident Etruria expert. I just love the pens. The Volterra is thus far the combination of art and technical excellence that I enjoy about the Stipula pens I have. So far my original amber celluloid pen is the only piston filler Etruria I have. I don't let the c/c system bother me, I just change ink colors more frequently. But, the three new Etruria colors have piston fillers available, and I intend to get the piston fillers in my next (one ... or two ... or three ...) pen(s).

I have commented on the board before that I am retired military and that I have a service connected disability in my good right hand. I need a larger pen like the O/S Etruria to fit comfortably in my hand for extended writing. The Etruria's rounded form is both aethetically pleasing and an oh-so-comfortable fit. Yes, I have observed some physical differences in diameter among my Etrurias, but they are minor. I think my narrowest one is a blue LE I got from Swisher. But by "narrow" I am talking millimeters, not anything significant (to me).

The original amber celluloid Etruria came in two sizes that I know of, the O/S and the Italian "standard" size that I guess is maybe about Pelikan M-600 size. The smaller pen has a smaller nib as well. I have just that one example of the standrad size that I like, but do not use as frequently as any of the O/s models.

The large M-800 or MB 149 size nib on the O/S Etruria makes for a fun and easy writing experience. For me, the nib is a critical part of the package. If there is a difference between the 14k and 18k Etruria nibs I have not detected it. I favor the 1.1 mm italic nib but, as I commented, this Volterra has my first 1.3 mm nib that is wetter than the 1.1 mm, gives a larger line and slightly more line variation. - A side comment is that my original amber pen has a 1.1 mm nib that is more stub than italic, though still wonderfully pleasant to write with. The newer italic nibs seem to me to be more of a true cursive italic.

In closing, I did not even know how to go about getting current warranty servicing until this thread. I have only had one, exactly one, Stipula pen that required factory servicing, and it was NOT my "22." I got a "Nettuno 'Idra' " LE a few years back that broke in half between the section and the barrel about a half hour after I took it out of the box. I shipped the pen to Italy and I honestly think they made me a new barrel imprinted with the LE number I originally bought. Other than that one incident, I have had zero problems with Stipula pens.

I hope my blather is of some interest. Given my very positive experiences with Stipula pens, I, too, wonder why fewer US sellers are carrying the brand.

The only differences that I notice with the Stipula nibs have nothing to do with 14kt or 18kt gold nibs. It has to do with the friction fit nibs over the more popular screw in nib units. For some reason, I have found that the Stipula pens with the screw in nibs tend to be a slight more rigid than the friction fit ones. I have 3 of the friction fit nibs, 2 on my full size etrurias and one om my full size novecento. I like the added spring to it but this may be the old style of nibs. Regardless, the nibs are the same as well as the feeds. Maybe the screw in unit prevents the nib from using its total potential? Who knows, regardless, the pens are fantastic.

BTW FrankB, it is nice to see another Vet here!!!

TNS

thanks for the response, Frank.

I have been poking around on the web and in the US it seems there are very few sellers who have any number of Stipulas for sale. It is as if they only had for sale ones left over from a year or two ago rather than the new ones. So far, Penseller is the only US place I have seen mention of the new Etruria colors. Some places..worldlux, oscar braun...don't even list this brand on their page any longer. Something had to have happened???? Would they stop because of no warranty service in the US? j

[I have been poking around on the web and in the US it seems there are very few sellers who have any number of Stipulas for sale. It is as if they only had for sale ones left over from a year or two ago rather than the new ones. So far, Penseller is the only US place I have seen mention of the new Etruria colors. Some places..worldlux, oscar braun...don't even list this brand on their page any longer. Something had to have happened???? Would they stop because of no warranty service in the US? j]

I was not aware that Penseller stood alone in offering Stipula pens regularly, especially new ones. Lack of US-based warranty service might influence vendors, but warranty service IS available. So I am clueless. There has been a lot of discussion recently about Aurora being in financial difficulty, which makes me sad. But I have heard nothing about Stipula having any such problems. Meanwhile, I am thankful for Penseller. Weaver is a great guy to do business with and I am going to get a couple more of these great Etrurias before the summer is out. - I repeat the disclaimers.