i'm normally a parker and pelikan fellow, but i couldn't resist bidding on ebay for a good-looking aurora talentum with a bold italic nib. ended up winning that auction (for about $105). it'll be a couple of months befoe i actually hold this pen (am halfway around the world from my shipping address in virginia), but has anyone had any hands-on experience with this pen? is it a smooth writer (as i'm expecting it to be?) thanks! (image from isellpens.)

Jonro did a review on a Talentum just like yours--check it out. Should be in the fountain pen review section.

John

many thanks for the tip! found the review here (by pinarelloonly, i think):

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=12449

I think there are a couple of Talentum reviews.

I bought one from Pam Braun this summer... red with gold trim and a medium nib. I'm very happy with it. The nib, feed, & converter took some washing to get things working well, but it writes very well now. It's very comfortable in my hand, too, even unposted.

I normally use a converter (and Diamine ink), but I carry cartridges when I travel. I like Aurora ink a lot, but I also like the fact that Parker cartridges fit this pen because they are easy to come by.

If I understand correctly, the Talentum uses the same nib and feed as the large 88 and the Optima - and they are interchangeable... so I might try to pick up a stub nib to play with, sometime, too.

I hope you enjoy yours
Bill

Bought the same pen at the last Atlanta show, love it. Took some breaking in to learn to write with it, italics require alittle practice.

I have two Talentum(s) and I find the pens very comfortable to use. They are quite light for me, but have a nice substantial length and width. I use mine unposted very easily. I think one of the things to remember is that the Optima, 88 and Talentum all use the same nibs. With Optimas costing at or near $500 USD regular retail, the Talentum is a great way to get the writing excellence of an Aurora pen at a fraction of the cost. If you want an additional nib for your Talentum, they are readily available.

Good luck.