Help Identifying?

February 28, 2006

I have this pen, I have no idea why I have it or where it came from, but it says Campo Marzio Roma on the cap. Could anyone help me identify it? It's gaudy but I think somewhat cheap. The nib does say Germany on it...

It writes, albeit stubbornly - I have to squish the cartridge every so often because it simply becomes drier and drier until it doesn't write any more, after which it becomes nice and wet for a while before resuming its cycle. I hate having to unscrew the barrel to squeeze the nib.

Could this just be a cleaning problem? Perhaps I could spin some of the part-ammonia and water solution that I've read people clean pens with when they're balky through it. Or is the problem just never going to go away?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/ordomichaelis/PICT1252.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/ordomichaelis/PICT1253.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/ordomichaelis/PICT1260.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/ordomichaelis/PICT1261.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/ordomichaelis/PICT1262.jpg

Oh and another thing: I can't post it because there used to be this little black cap thing that fell off the pen here:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/ordomichaelis/PICT1254.jpg

February 28, 2006

Campo Marzio Roma: Chinese pens. The early ones came through a Taiwanese company and may actually have been made in Taiwan, the current ones are made in mainland China. Poor nibs, in my experience.

The company is based in Rome (it started witha downtown shop, now they own several, including a nice one at Fiumicino airport) and was forced to change name from Campo Marzio Roma to Campo Marzio Design, because the pens are NOT made in Rome and the name was misleading.

One more thing: the nib is not German. It says Iridium Point Germany, so some people believe it is German (it is not), some people believe the "iridium" pellet is German (It is NOT iridium and it is NOT German, it is a pellet made of the same steel as the rest of the nib). Thease are Chinese nibs, although I heard that now some of these are actually Indian copies of Chinese nibs!!

Edited February 28, 2006 by tryphon

February 28, 2006

What about the nib? Does it simply mean that the metal supplied for the tip was mined in Germany and cut in China? Because you can see that the breather hole and slit do not line up with the design on the nib. [EDIT: You answered my query by editing your post]

No wonder it writes poorly.

Edited February 28, 2006 by J. John Harvey

February 28, 2006

What about the nib? Does it simply mean that the metal supplied for the tip was mined in Germany and cut in China? Because you can see that the breather hole and slit do not line up with the design on the nib.

No wonder it writes poorly.

My guess is that the metal came from a scrap heap in India. I have seen these up close...