Is the Aurora Continents series (Asia, Africa, Europa) resin or celluloid? In the Aurora ad of the Europa, it's described as "marbled Fumo di Londra resin", but at nibs.com it's, " ... each pen is hand made from individual pieces of celluloid, each one is slightly different."

Anyone knows for certain? Thanks.

Huh, just googling, everywhere but nibs.com says it's resin. I know the Mare and Primavera were resin.

Even if it were celluloid, it'd be the cellulose acetate variety, which some people call celluloid and others call resin. To me, cellulose acetate feels a lot more like cellulose nitrate (true celluloid) than it feels like resin, and it does have color depth, though I haven't seen quite as much color depth. That said, I have limited samples of each, being relatively new to celluloid pens.

I'm pretty sure it's resin. I don't know of any celluloid material with that sort of swirled pattern. I think that's something that can only be done with acrylic.

BTW, I think "Fumo di Londra" simply means "fumes of London." I could be wrong, though.

"Fumo di Londra" is a sneaky Italian way of mocking the fog and smog in London. Just joking! Thanks Deirdre, my Italian is non-existence

Thanks all for the info. I wonder if I should email nibs.com and ask them to clarify. It’d be a plus if the series’ made of celluloid, but regardless they look pretty enough. I was considering the Mare and Primavera – wonderful colors! Probably the most eye-catching blue I’ve seen in a blue pen.

I’m now more interested in the Continents series - particularly like the cap bands with those cute little reliefs of tribal shields, pagoda, and whatnots. I hope they don’t look like cheap trinkets in real. My only hesitation is the size of the pen, which is about the size of a Sailor PG, and I do have enough of that.

I should take a picture of it next to my Orione, because I actually like the Orione's blue just as much.

We slog through this kind of discussion every few weeks. Pretty much all of the pens you buy are synthetic and often times the manufacturer or vendor prefers to call them "resin" instead of plastic, regardless of what they are really made of.

You might look here to see the previous discussion.

Thanks for pointing out that interesting thread! My question regarding the Continents series was just for clarification. I actually do not mind if my pens are made of natural or synthetic materials as long as they bear substantial craftsmanship, look good and write fine. I also do not mind all the fancy names for synthetics. When I paid for a new Montblanc 149 with precious resin, for example, or any other similar brands, I was perfectly aware that part of what I was paying was for the myths, and for the marketing. A willful sucker I suppose. Still I’m curious to experience how they perform and draw my own conclusions.

That would be very nice! I always enjoy pen photos. You might want to include the Lighthouse of Alexandria too, it's also blue!

Now you guys have me confused. There are two versions of the Optima series, are there not? One is resin, the other is something called "aurolide" or some such thing. I assume aurolide, too, is synthetic, but it produces different (deeper, richer) colors than resin. I know my Primavera and Sole are radically different pysically than my resin 88. - Whether or not Aurora uses aurolide in the Continents series, I have no idea.

Their Aurolide is a celluloid acetate. It doesn't issue the typical camphor smell of cellulose nitrate, the "true" celluloid. Well, that doesn't make it a worse pen, but it's just not the real McCoy in my eyes. You can still call it celluloide probably.
Also, the continent series is definitely resin. I don't think it even is their Aurolide. It's beautiful nonetheless. Mottishaw's page is usually pretty up to snuff. Consider, however, that he's got people who update his website. If he went over it himself, I am sure he'd correct this little mistake. Under his description of the old-style Omas celluloids, it says about the Arco green that it was only available in HT trim. The (admittedly ugly) gold trim on my own Arco green belies that statement, however.

I'm italian and i can quote what you said for sure

Fumo di Londra is for fumes of London, indicating a variation of the grey colour


I have an Afrika and i can be sure about the material, but i'm pretty sure it doesn't look like standard resin.
Colours are so 3dimensional and deep...

Oh, I'm sure it's a very good resin, much like the Mare is.

Top to bottom: Aurora Mare, Signum Orione, Visconti Traveling Inkpot. (link is to larger pic)

I have the Aurora Asia. It's one of the most beautiful pens that I own. There's nothing cheap looking about the cap band. However, it's one of those pens that is difficult to write with because of the "oooooooooh, it's so gorgeous" factor. When the sunlight shines on the celluloid, acetate...whatever it is...it's mesmerizing.

I've owned a Mare and sold it. I have a forest green Optima which I'll keep. As far as size, I like larger pens, but the Optima series..including the Asia are so well balanced posted that they're a pleasure with which to write.

Kind regards,
Karin

What exuberant blues! They look magical even. I recall reading that some clerics in the Middle Ages attributed bright hues to the devil's handiwork in tempting humanity into sin; they probably have such colors in mind. Most online photos I've seen of the Mare shown it to be a sort of pale azurite, I'm surprised that it's such a deep intense blue. Is that the sapphire Signum Orione? It looks more like ultramarine to me, but beautiful nevertheless. Thanks for posting this, Deirdre, it makes good reference. I want to get something that screams blue. I thought of the Visconti Aida, but it wasn't as bright as these two, but still it's big and it's blue

Thanks Karin, I find the color combination of the Asia particular attractive and unusual. I’ve not seen a nicer combination of green and burgundy in a pen before. I also haven’t handled an Aurora before; waiting for an Optima Demo, so I’ll see how it goes. That forest green in the Optima is beautiful!

It is the Sapphire Orione. It only looks purplish next to the Mare. On its own, it seems pretty clear blue.

Both pictures are fairly true to what the pens look like.

For example, this picture:

Makes it look like the trim is white metal, when the trim matches the nib.

This one has the gold look, but the color's washed out and too green: