I was going to PM the resident Stip nut this question but figured I/others could benefit from a public discussion.

I am looking at some Stipula pens and noticed that the Etruria Nuda is about half the price of other piston-filling Etrurias. Is the Nuda as well constructed as the others? Same nib/writing experience?

Thanks,
Amin

Wim is away for a few days.

Thanks Elaine. I'm definitely open to anyone else's thoughts about the Nuda compared with other Etrurias. What I really want is an amber Etruria (non-retractible) with a 0.9mm italic nib. I can't seem to find one of those anywhere though.

The Nuda is made from acrylic and the other Etrurias are made from celuloid hence, I guessing, the price difference. I sure Wim can elaborate on this. This is just my $0.02.

tom.

Thanks Tom, that makes sense. Anyone know if the nib/feed is the same as other Etrurias?

tee-hee, you said "nuda."

...sigh.

it's interesting to note that the silver trim nuda is $130 less than the vermeil trim swisher-commissioned nuda. wonder how much of that difference is accounted for in the raw material costs b/t the two trim levels, and how much is from the limited quantities (50) of the swisher model. and there's only a $75 difference b/t the swisher vermeil trim nuda and the etruria 10th ann. edition in gorgeous nut-colored celluloid on swisher's website. and iirc, that 10th ann. edition etruria was even cheaper on the pens.it website before it sold out.

the nibs for both seem to be exactly the same.

The 10th edition Etruria has a convertible rather than a conventional piston fill. Does this mean it holds less ink? Somehow the colors of the 10th edition don't work for me the way the simpler amber Etruria does. Maybe if I saw the 10th ed in person I would feel differently. Dave, are you also pondering an Etruria purchase? IIRC you have a beautiful DaVinci.

I bought a Nuda from Grasshopper a few months back and needless to say I am very happy with it. It is the silver trim and it is the conventional integrated piston filler that holds a lot of ink. It is not the large capacity pistron converter, this is the real thing!! Acrylic is cheaper than celluloid so I am sure that accounts for the price difference. I tend to feel that the Nuda is a bit thicker than the Standard Celluloid Etrurias thus a bit heftier, which I do like. The pen has a wonderful clean and sterile appearance that I thought was very appealing!! I might add that the Nuda (Silver trim) uses the rhodium plated 14kt gold nib rather than the 18kt 2 tone nib. Then again, a 2 tone nib on a silver trim pen somehow doesnt quite match the overall style. I feel the 14kt single tone nibs are as every bit as good as the 18kt gold counterparts with the exception of the number of nibs to choose from. The widest stub nib I have seen is the 1.1 stub I normally prefer the 1.3 but the 1.1 is good enough for me. I am not too sure if they have the 52 degree nib in 14kt. Regardless the price difference IMHO is the material and the nib.

I hope this helps!!

TNS

Very helpful. Thanks TNS! I am very close to buying the Nuda.

whoa, learned a lot from this thread...the pics i think richards took of the nut-colored celluloid really changed my mind. i haven't seen it in the celluloid/flesh yet, but i'd seriously consider it if i see it on the used market.

yep, still have the da vinci. there's just too many nice pens out there!