Taccia Staccato in Woodgrain Ebonite

[jonro]

First Impressions (5/5)

The pen itself has an outstanding appearance and it comes in a substantial, leather-grained box. The first thing you notice when you open the box is the gleaming polished ebonite finish of the Staccato. There are several versions of the Taccia Staccato. The other pens are identical, except the bodies are made of acrylic resin.

 

Appearance (4.9/5)

The appearance is excellent. The highly polished woodgrain ebonite is beautiful and the trim is what you would might see on a significantly more expensive pen. There are 3 cap bands and 2 jewels. The top and bottom jewels are made from the same ebonite as the pen. Overall, this looks like a very fine (and expensive) writing instrument. I was told that the ebonite is the same material used in the Krone Lincoln edition. Although the Staccato contains no replicated presidential DNA and does not have sterling silver trim, it costs about $1,500 less than the Krone.

 

Design/Size/Weight (4.25/5)

It is a very large pen, larger than a Pelikan 800, but not oversized. I like big pens, but this one could have been just a little smaller. However, it is very comfortable to hold, and while it may be larger than an 800, it is lighter than one, probably because of the C/C filler. The clip is very sturdy and has an attractive curve to it. However, it is a bit stiff and I wish it had been spring loaded. The only real negative to the design is the four full turns it takes to uncap the pen. I spoke with Shu-Jen Lin, president of Taccia, at the D.C. pen show. She explained that some colors in the Staccato line required a longer thread in order to properly align the cap and barrel and that his pen was run on the same line as those pens. The explanation makes sense because the initial run of these ebonite pens was quite small and needed to be combined with the other pens. However, four turns is still four turns and because of that, this isn’t a pen for quick note taking.

 

Nib (5/5)

Most of my fountain pens have gold nibs, but I’m not a nib snob. In my (somewhat limited) experience, stainless steel nibs can be just as good as gold nibs. I think that because fabrication methods are probably more refined for most gold nibs, they often write better than their stainless steel counterparts. I felt a little trepidation when I saw the “Iridium Germany” inscription on the Taccia’s nib. That disappeared when I wrote with it. It is a two-tone, gold-plated stainless steel nib. It looks quite attractive, is sized properly for this large pen, and writes very smoothly. While an 18K nib is available for this pen, I see no particular reason to spend another $100 for that nib. This one is quite excellent. Like most fine nibs these days, it seems to run just a little wider than I would prefer.

 

Filling System (4.5/5)

It comes with a large international converter that holds a fairly generous amount of ink, more than most converters. Converters are convenient.

 

Cost and Value (4.75)

Very good to excellent. When you consider the appearance, finish, size and performance of this pen, it is undoubtedly well-worth the price. I believe the retail price of the acrylic Staccatos is $139 and that the ebonite version is $189. I purchased mine from Swisher Pens at the D.C. Supershow at a significant discount.

 

Conclusion (4.75/5)

I can see more Taccia’s in my future.

 

I apologize for the quality of these photos. I'll try to retake them and post better photos when my new macro lights arrive.

Edited August 19, 2007 by jonro

[slimnib]

A review well done.

 

Thank you.

 

Harv

[dwmatteson]

That's a beautiful pen, and an excellent review. Thanks, jonro!

 

Don

[southpaw]

Great review of a pen that looks superb! Glad to see one in a classic material. Thanks for sharing.

[TheNobleSavage]

What a wonderful looking fountain pen!!! Thanks for the review.

 

Ok, I noticed one interesting thing..... IF you look really closely at the Staccato, it looks very similar to the Older Tibaldi modello 60 shape and design, even with the 2 jewels, on the cap and bottom of the barrel. The cap also has the triple bands as does the Tibaldi pens. The main differences that I see is the shape of the clip, pen material and nib. Since the Modello 60 has not been made for years now, it is a perfect substitute. I especially love the woodgrain ebonite!!!

 

TNS

[MikeW]

Thanks Jonro, I have not seen this pen. I agree with the Noble Savage, the pen is very similar to the Tibaldi Modello 60. In fact, there is a "Royal Stripe" version with a blue/yellow stripe that is almost identical - you would have to look twice to know the difference. See the pic (from Fountain Pen Hospital) below:

 

 

 

 

[J-F-O]

What a nice pen.

My only concern is that as with many products, the supersize phenomenon took over.

 

The pen is just to large for my taste.

[CharlieB]

How large is the nib? Large pens are great, but the nib must be large to be in harmony with the pen. There's nothing worse than a large pen with a small nib.

[Johnson]

AAACKK!! I WANT PEN WHERE BUY?! :clap1:

 

[saintsimon]

AAACKK!! I WANT PEN WHERE BUY?! :clap1:

 

Richard B. only

[Stylo]

A number of people commented on the resemblance with the Tibaldi when the Staccato first appeared. I really like the sleek lines of this pen. It seems like there are eight finishes showing on the Taccia website, with

[Johnson]

AAACKK!! I WANT PEN WHERE BUY?! :clap1:

 

Richard B. only

 

Really? I see the Staccato SE and the acrylic Staccatos on his site, but no woodgrain ebonite. :hmm1:

 

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sales/ne...ac.htm#staccato

Edited September 12, 2007 by Johnson

[jonro]

I bought mine from Swisher Pens (at the D.C. show), but I'm sure there are penty of other vendors. I believe Taccia made a limited number of the ebonite pens, but plan to make more if the demand is there.

[saintsimon]

AAACKK!! I WANT PEN WHERE BUY?! :clap1:

 

Richard B. only

 

Really? I see the Staccato SE and the acrylic Staccatos on his site, but no woodgrain ebonite. :hmm1:

 

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sales/ne...ac.htm#staccato

 

Oh, excuse me, I confused something ... :embarrassed_smile:

[Johnson]

AAACKK!! I WANT PEN WHERE BUY?! :clap1:

 

Richard B. only

 

Really? I see the Staccato SE and the acrylic Staccatos on his site, but no woodgrain ebonite. :hmm1:

 

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sales/ne...ac.htm#staccato

 

Oh, excuse me, I confused something ... :embarrassed_smile:

 

I did a google, and Fountain Pen Domain has them if anyone is interested.

[JayLo]

Jonro...

I jiust picked up a Starry Night Staccato...I must say your review is spot on!

Thanks.

[PAKMAN]

Nice review! Great looking pen!

[scholiast]

Thanks Jonro, I have not seen this pen. I agree with the Noble Savage, the pen is very similar to the Tibaldi Modello 60. In fact, there is a "Royal Stripe" version with a blue/yellow stripe that is almost identical - you would have to look twice to know the difference. See the pic (from Fountain Pen Hospital) below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Would anyone know if the Staccato "Royal Stripe" is similar to the CS Bespoke Oxford Stripe? Thanks!

[BruceW]

Would anyone know if the Staccato "Royal Stripe" is similar to the CS Bespoke Oxford Stripe? Thanks!

 

According to an email with Richard B (2 years ago), the CS Oxford has denser striping (more). Also the Taccia has a more glittery/sandy quality to it.

[BruceW]

Also, I keep hearing that the Staccato is large, larger than a Pel M800 but not a true oversize. Can anyone tell me the min/max diameter of the grip section? That is most telling in determining if it is too large for my hand.

 

Thanks,

 

Bruce