Compared to big brands such as Mont Blanc, how reputable is Aurora? The reason why I ask is that I think Mont Blanc pens look great, but they aren't really worth the price. I noticed a few beautiful fountain/roller pens by Aurora at about half the price. Is it a good brand? I can't seem to find their own website. Compared to others like Parker and Pelikan are they any good or better? Thanks!

If you can recommend some other brands, I'd apprecaited.

Aurora pens are wonderful. There are really only four major pen companies that manufacture piston fillers with any regularity: Montblanc, Pelikan, Omas, and Aurora. I would classify Montblanc and Omas as slightly overpriced, due to their "luxury goods" mentality. Pelikan and Aurora are your best buys for piston filling fountain pens. I own pens from all four companies, and like all of them, but I think Pelikan and Aurora give you the best value for the money.

However, if you want pens other than piston fillers, the discussion widens considerably, and about ten other brands come into play....

Thansk a lot. I currently own an entry level Cross Century II. It's not all that bad. But i think for everyday use, a rollerball might be more practical. I see that the Aurora 88 Roller ball is only about 200 bucks whereas the Meisterstuck is close to 300!

Do you think the extra 100 is really worth it? Any help would be appreciated. thanks!

Aurora rollerball pens offer another advantage over Montblanc. They use "International" rollerball refills. What this means is you can use Aurora, Waterman, Schmidt refills. It is also possible to use Pilot G2 refills in an Aurora rollerball pen.

It really depends since you've got to remember that you are writing with a refill so the comparison is between them. The difference is in the cache that the pen's have.

I have a Levenger's true writer BP that I use Parker refills as well a rotring 600. Both were less than $50 and probably give the same writing experience as the Aurora or MB.

Kurt

I just got an Aurora Ipsilon, and I really like this pen. It is far better than its price (they can regularly be picked up for $49.99) would suggest.

I will devide my reply to 2 parts:

1.Ok I got into LOTS of trouble in saying I think MB is a wonderful pen maker so I need to defend MB from what you said.MB pens aint worth their price ? Well maybe to you they aint worth the price but for me they are great pens and DO worth the price.I dont think ANY pen unless made of gold or covered with diamonds should cost then 200$.Lets face it its a plastic or metal stick with a piece of gold on other metal at the end.Any way you turn it I dont think pens should cost 500$,600$ or more.Of course I just bought a MB Virginia Woolf and that cost me a lot so I guess my mouth says one thing and my pocket does what it wants (its not me,it was my other personality that called the pen shop to order the pen-well thats what I told my wife).Now to be a bit serious I think MB is worth its price just as Aurora is worth its price.If you are willing to pay the price then its worth it.
You think Aurora is cheap ? let me tell you I am sure many people here will have as much fan with their Parker Vacumatic or Parker 51 or Sheaffer Snorkel or Sheaffer Legacy or Waterman Phileas or Pelikan M200 or many other not very expensive pens as you could have with an expensive Aurora.For 50$ or less they get a wonderful pen that will write for years and they will smile all the way to the bank because they didnt spend too much money on their pen.Its all relative.I personaly would take MB anyday over Aurora no matter what the price difference is.All my MB pens are wonderful writes and I was happy to pay what I paid for them.

2.Now is Aurora a good pen maker and does it produce good pens.I never owned an Aurora pen but I know many people that do and they all love their pens.I wouldnt be surprised if I will own an Aurora someday.I wouldnt think twice to buy an Aurora if I felt like I wanted one of their models.
By the way if you want an Italian pen why not go for Omas.I own an Omas Paragon old style and its my best writer hands down.Delta is also an Itaian pen maker that makes wonderful pens too.I own 2 pens made by Delta and I am sure I will buy few more.

And if the discussion could only stop at that but it won't as the MB-bashers will show up then the MB-apologists will reply and it will go back and forth for pages and pages

If it could only stop at "you likes what you like and I likes what I like" there would be so much less flame around here





Kurt

Hmm... I am confused by your initial post, because Aurora is not exactly a lower-tier, or marginal company in the FP universe. Am I wrong about this?.. And I would not call their pens particularly inexpensive: the standard lines are mostly in the 200s-300s range, and the special editions are in the three-zeros range. Overall, yes, Aurora is less pricey than MB -- but then again, so is almost any pen company.

I say all this as someone who likes both Montblanc and Aurora, and owns both. My favourite Aurora pen, and one that I think is the best value, is the Talentum -- either the standard larger size, or the more slender Finness version. I consider this pen the very height of tastefully luxurious design. The unique shape, the "wet lacquer" feel of the resin, and the impeccable detailing are absolute perfection to me. The weight and balance are just right. As for the gorgeous white gold nib, it runs true to size unlike mist non-Japanese pen companies (meaning that the EF is actually an EF and not a Medium-Broad, as is the case with MB nibs), and writes wonderfully, with just the right amount of flex to produce beautiful line variation and just enough subtle feedback. I own this pen in black and chrome, and consider it a true luxury instrument, without a doubt on par with my Montblancs.

QM2

I was a moderator on a RE website where we discussed wind generators and solar panels and their implementation. At times there would be folks discuss 'perpetual motion' or 'over-unity' machines they were attempting. Large opinionated arguments would occur. Finally, one of the posters put up a $50,000 prize to anyone who built one or 'shut-up' as it disrupted the forum. The editors/moderators would give one warning about posting "OU" stuff. If the poster persisted, the account was canned. If they re-registered and posted "OU" stuff again, the address was banned.

There was a debate on FPN over having a MontBlanc brand focus. The MontBlanc (Kool-Aid Drinkers) defenders claimed they would keep the MontBlanc business in the MB forum, IIRC. My personal views were it would/will never work. Few have the testicular fortitude to solidly enforce rules as hard as would be necessary to keep such folks in line. Many of the 'Kool-Aid drinkers' have fragile egos and are bruised or scarred by the facts.

Ron

Oh where to start with this one, lets see...
lamy also make piston fillers: lamy 2000.

I had a MB 149-now I have an Aurora Optima-the Optima beats it hands down on quality, feel, nib on paper etc etc, the MB wins on size and... nope just size (IMO).

Aurora have been producing pens and nibs and feeds since 1919 in Italy, they produce excellent pens. They also have some wonderful ink-but it is made under license, however of you want some excellent blue (with a slight purple tint), or the very best black on the market, Aurora is your brand.

They are certainly the equal of any modern pen out their that I have tried, better than some at least equal to any other pen that I have. Some people say that they have too much "tooth" or tactile feedback when one uses them (as opposed to buttery smooth of say a bock nib)-I have used a couple of Talentums (wonderful pens-if only they were piston fillers) and my own Optima-no tooth present.

Get one-you will not be disappointed.

I have an Aurora 88, but the small version. I got it because I couldn't find a MB Traveller. (they are sort of the same size but the 88 is C/C) This little 88 holds its own with MB. The nib is a fine and is on the soft side. It's what I call expressive. That's what I say when I get some line variation. A great pen, quality is just as good as the larger 88 and comparable to MB.

I have an Aurora Talentum and I think it is a wonderful writer. I haven't had it long enough to truly judge just how good, but it is one of my best writers.

Thanks a lot for all your responses. The one that I really like is actually the Aurora Talebtum Rollerball Finesse Black pen. I guess since this is a fountainpen network (I do own fountain pens BTW) this is less relevant. I love fountain pens but find it a bit inconvenient, so I am looking for a rollerball instead.

Has anyone used the Aurora Talebtum Rollerball Finesse Black? Is it as good as the fountain pen version (which is only 25 bucks more).

Thanks!!

Take this for what it's worth, but if you start to gauge quality by price, you're on a very slippery-slope. My advice is to focus on models, not a particular brand if you intend to actually write with a fountain pen (versus merely collecting them). That said, we all have our favorite brands -- but I've come to find that my preferences seem to gravitate toward certain models of a particular brand versus the brand itself.

As far as your specific question, Aurora is indeed a reputable brand -- and among the Italian pen companies, Aurora is by far the one that offers a selection that would appeal (especially in terms of price) to someone relatively new to fountain pens and to long-time collectors alike. In other words, the breadth of Aurora's offerings is far more reaching, than say Omas, Visconti, Delta, or even Stipula.

Aurora's web site can be found at: http://www.aurorapen.it/

Sorry, but I really don't understand what you're asking. At least two people here have thoroughly described the Aurora Talentum here already, myself included. The Rollerball version of the Talentum Finess is the same pen as the FP version, except with rollerball mechanism instead of a FP nib. Are you asking if rollerballs are as good as fountain pens? Because otherwise the two pens are the same. If that's indeed what you're asking, than nobody can answer that for you; it's a matter of taste which you prefer to write with.

Also, do you mean to say that the small price difference between the RB and FP version is what's making you consider the fountain pen, but otherwise you would get the rollerball because it's cheaper?...

Don't mean to come across as hostile, I am just genuinely confused as to what you're asking here.

They are surely nicely built pens but having tried and test written a lot of them, they always had the same prob, toothy and dull nibs. They are not for me. I will rather have an Omas over an Aurora but that is just me.

Sorry if I wasn't being clear. You answered my question. I wanted to know, in terms of quality, if the roller ball is on par with the fountain pen version of the Taletum Finesse. I see that they have the exact same body, just a different writing tip (fountain pen vs. roller ball).

When I was talking about the price difference, I meant to say that usually, the difference in price between a fountain pen and roller ball in a Mont Blanc is quite substantial. However, with the Talentum, it's only about 30 bucks. So I was struggling between which one to use. Part of me want a fountain pen Talentum Finesse due to the sheer beauty and part of me want a more practical roller ball. Afterall, that's what I was looking for in addition to my Cross Century.

I must say Aurora makes some graet looking pens. THe Mont Blanc Meisterstuck Roller ball (black ) is about 300 here in New York (not hte boutique) and the Aurora is only 200. I will let you know once I make the purchase!

Hey guys, thanks a lot for your input. I made the purchase today. Went over to Joon's and got the Talentum Finesse (black rollerball version). I must agree that the wet lacquer looks gorgeous. Because I wanted to see the pen myself and hold it, I paid a higher price in store (swisherpens was cheaper but I was being too lazy to order online I suppose). The regular Talentum was just way too big!

By the way, this was my first purchase at Joons. The service was OK. My only concern was that the Aurora box was a little bit worn and they forgot to stamp the date on the warranty book. In addition, I saw a slight little scratch near the top of the pen's body (only if you look very closely). Maybe I am being too anal here. Anyway, overall I am happy with their service.

Thanks again!

Ed

Congrats on your new Talentum! I have an Optima FP and very happy with it. In fact I probably get another Aurora soon. Enjoy your new pen.

Congrats on your purchase! With a rollerball, the refill quality will affect the writing experience a lot, so make sure you find the refill that writes best for you. (I tend to use same-brand refills on the spendy pens that need them.)

Congrats on your purchase! With a rollerball, the refill quality will affect the writing experience a lot, so make sure you find the refill that writes best for you. (I tend to use same-brand refills on the spendy pens that need them.)

I have had a number of Aurora pens and I've been very impressed with the Talentum series in particular. I have the rollerball and pencil (black with chrome trim) which are both incredibly reliable and beautifully made. The only reason I didn't get the fountain pen was becuase after trying it alongside a Pelikan 805 I preferred the Pelikan's nib and piston-fill feature. That's not to say though that the Aurora wasn't a wonderful pen. I would certainly reccomend an Aurora over a Mont Blanc, and in my collection Auroras are second to only the lovely Pelikan 805. In my opinion, Auroras and Pelikans are superior products and are both well worth your consideration. As for the Talentum versus the Talentum Finesse, I love the large barrel of the Talentum but it's a matter of preference I think. Hope that helps.

--Hoya Stylus

Hey...I didn't see that you'd already purchased. Congrats! I'm sure the Aurora will treat you really well. Mine certainly have.

-Hoya Stylus

Charlie, I totally agree with you that Aurora pens are wonderful in quality and looks. No doubt about that! What I would disagree is that they are "best value" like Pelikan. The Aurora Optima retails for $550 and many other of their pens retail around that price point, too. The Optima may be top of the line of their standard production. It's a great pen, but it doesn't come cheap. Also, what they call "Auroloide" is no true celluloid as used in many Omas pens. It is cellulose acetate as far as I know. That doesn't make it any less attractive than say an Omas pen but it might account for the difference in price between an Omas celluloid and an Aurora "Auroloid." I love Aurora's pens but I never understood why they concocted the in my opinion stupid name "Auroloid" in order to ride the celluloid wave.
I wouldn't necessarily put it in the same category with Pelikan which truly offers the whole gamut from best value (M200) for $70-80 to king-sized flashy pens (M1000 and the like).
Having said this, I am still in the game for an Aurora Mare which is one of the most beautiful pens I have seen in a long, long time. Still haven't found one that offers "best value for money." I don't want to spend $500 in a store so I keep watching ebay.

I Just noticed that the warranty card was NOT stamped. Do I have to go back to have it stamped in order to validate that the warranty is effective? How does this work? Thanks!

I don't know of course how this'll work where you live, but over here, having the warranty card and the original sales slip will do the trick.

HTH, warm regards, Wim

Although I may agree with you on Omas, because I have never seen a relatively cheap one yet, compared to the others, I wouldn't agree with you on the other brands. There are cheaper, medium and expensively priced pens in all of the 3 other manufacturer's ranges, and they have at least a collection as expansive as Aurora, if not even more so.

Warm regards, Wim

That is a beautiful pen indeed. It did come in pistonfiller as well, and that si exactly the pen I presented my wife with a few years ago.

She absolutely loves it!

I think I will get myself a black 88, large size, some day .

Warm regards, Wim