I'd really appreciate some help with an Aurora purchase. I don't own an Italian pen and Aurora seems to rank pretty high with the FPN members so I've tentatively decided on a Talentum--I love the sculpted metal top and it's affordable. I've noticed however that the '88' seems to be the Aurora of choice for the real afficianados and the prices aren't all that far apart---so, are there reasons to opt for an '88' over a Talentum?

My next question, I know, is difficult, but what's your experience with Aurora nibs. I like a Japanese fine--how do Aurora nibs generally run, and should I go with the added expense of a Mottishaw pen or are the factory nibs generally pretty good? I know these things are subjective as hell but any input would be appreciated.

Thanks, Mark

Hi Mark,
for the first question, I think that - design aside (it's subjective!) - the plus for the "88" is that you may have it with a piston filler and in different sizes/trim while the Talentum is more standardized.

As for the nib, I'd leave this to some more expert guy. I think that an Aurora F is more or less like a Sailor M. But I don't like fines, so...

Anyway, you should go on with your intent: you'll discover a great writing tool, I'm sure.

Ciao and best regards,

Choices choices, the 88 and the Optima are two of the upper end high performance Aurora pens that are mass produced, there are some very high end ones as well but they tend to be CE or LE versions.

The Optima the 88 and the Talentum all share the same nibs so they is no real difference in that area.

Aurora nibs are produced by aurora and run slightly thinner than German nibs but slightly wider than Japanese. They do produce factory italic nibs as well.

The talentum is a c/c, whereas the other two are piston fillers.
The 88 come in two sizes, the small is also a c/c, and the big (normal size) is piston.

The Taletum also comes in two sizes a small (finess) and a normal.

The normal is a beautiful pen, especially in black and chrome.

you will not go wrong with any of these pens.

You can't go wrong with any of these pens, so let your eye and your wallet guide you. As Shelley noted, the nibs (and ebonite feeds, also) are precisely the same on the 88 and the Talentum. The section on the Talentum is very slightly wider than the 88, and--this is the biggest difference other than design--the standard sized 88 is a piston fill whereas the Talentum is c/c. Aurora's pistons are smooth as can be, but unless you're going to be writing pages and pages each day I think the c/c is fine; it even gives an added ability to try different inks. The chief other difference is the modernity of the design. The 88 is a now-classic 1950s design; the Talentum is clearly more modern and has the straight lines and heavily metallic cap top and cap lip that have begun to characterize some other modern pens. The 88 is, I believe, more expensive, but probably also has a higher resale value. The factory nibs are just plain wonderful, less rounded and more expressive IMO than any other pen I have used. They are not buttery smooth, however, by design.

Thanks very much for your help. I think I'll go with the Talentum now with an eye towards an '88' full size later this year, in any case I have shopping to do.

Thanks again, Mark

Mark, I think you made a good choice. You will like the Talentum very much.

I would like to reenforce that you have chosen a good pen. As the others have reminded you, the nibs/feeds are the same on the Talentum, "88" and Optima, so the actual writing experience will be similar for all three. The Talentum has its own particular feel in the hand, which is slightly oversized. For me, that is a good recommendation as I like that feel.

You might choose to think of the Talemtum as your first Aurora. You will no doubt end up owning all three models anyway.