Stipula Etruria Volterra

[Leigh R]

I've been too busy buying and not spending enough time reviewing - and enabling!

 

The pen's material (an orange-brown-pearly celluloid with spring green streaks) called out to me, so I chose it out of several Etrurias available on Pengallery. I bought it at the same time as my first 40-pen case and a Marlen I gave as a Christmas gift, and USD11 for Fedex delivery was great value.

 

This is my third Stipula. The first was a La 91 (interesting mechanism, straightforward fine nib), the second a Stipula 22 with a 1.1 titanium nib bought from eBay.

 

It came in a red Stipula box with a pull-out drawer that held papers and the converter.

 

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/leighpod/volterra01.jpg

 

The pen is large, but not oversized. In girth it's similar to the MB 149, although it's shorter. It's light, as well; surprisingly lighter than the Platinum Koi celluloid, which is both shorter and thinner than the Etruria Volterra.

 

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/leighpod/volterra02.jpg

 

As far as hand candy goes, this one's certainly sweet! I love the surprise of the green against the earth tones of the celluloid. Does anyone know if it's the same one Penultimate is using for their LE?

 

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/leighpod/volterra03.jpg

 

The cap takes around four quick twists to come off. The nib section is made of celluloid as well, and unscrews in around nine turns to detach from the barrel. I popped in the converter and used Caran d'Ache Grand Canyon, a cool, deep brown.

 

So far, so good. And then the 1.1 18k nib refused to write.

 

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/leighpod/volterra04.jpg

 

Oh the horror. It would write a few strokes and then just run out of ink. It felt scratchy and recalcitrant. Okay, I told myself, it's not a Japanese pen, I shouldn't have expected a fabulous writing experience out of the box. I rinsed it with a very mild dishwashing solution and scrubbed with an old toothbrush. Still no go.

 

Out came the loupe. (I have to tell you guys that loupe-ing is not fun for me, the girl who's worn glasses since she was 11.) I thought there seemed to be hardly any space between the tines to allow the ink to flow, so I gritted my teeth and did the loosening bit, which involved more loupe-ing, the wrong side of a thin cutter blade and palpitations. I flossed the nib for good measure. Then I scrubbed and rinsed it again.

 

Because this is the season for such things, this story has a happy ending.

 

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/leighpod/volterrasample.jpg

 

The Stipula Etruria Volterra is now part of my fledgling celluloid collection.

 

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/leighpod/4celluloidpens.jpg

 

I'm giving it a 4.5 out of 5 (because of the nib issue). This won't stop me from considering other pens from Stipula in the future, but I would most likely ask the seller to test the nibs for me beforehand.

 

 

 

 

[greencobra]

Leigh, congrats on getting this pen. I have one I got about a year ago. I love the muted colors on it. Mine also was a little rough out of the box, I had Richard Binder smooth it at last years N.E. Pen Show. One of my best now.

 

I also had an issue with the vermeil trim being discolored, I sent it back to be replaced. Other than that, trouble free. Like a lot of people, I'm just bent a $300+ pen wasn't perfect out of the box. But alls well now.

 

Enjoy it.

 

[Escribiente]

Leigh, nice review and beautiful pictures. Etrurias have a modern-classic look that is hard to match. I have two, a black and a demonstrator. So far, I've been lucky with Etruria nibs; they just wrote fine out of the box. By the way, I'm glad the Autumm found a caring home, and close to a Moleskine.

[artaddict]

Thanks for the review and great photos. Those four pens are really beautiful.

[omasfan]

Is the celluloid the same that was used on Tibaldi's Modello 50?

 

Great pen! Enjoy using it plenty.

[handlebar]

Delightful!! Love the colour.

 

Enjoy!

 

Jim

[FrankB]

This is a good review, Leigh. Thank you.

 

I got my own Volterra last year. It is my 5th O/S Etruria (I have one medium sized) and my only Stipula 1.3mm italic nib. Mine wrote without any issues out of the box, so I was surprized by your experience. I am glad you got it resolved.

 

I also like the material. I think it is exactly what Penultimate is using for their LE, and I think there is at least one other Bexley LE using that matreial. The bit of green in the celluloid motivated me to use my favorite green ink in it, Herbin Vert Olive. The ink and pen color combination along with the 1.3mm nib makes this a really fun pen for me.

 

I struggle for words to describe the feel of the O/S Etruria in my hand. It has a size and shape that sits so well in my hand that the pen feels like an organic extension of my hand. I frequently refer to my Etrurias as my "ergonomic" pens. The nibs are large and size proportionate to the pens, and they are nice writing, too. I like the Stipula italic nibs, and all my Etrurias have italic nibs. All told, this is one of my favorite pen models, and I will no doubt get a couple more in different colors.

[Aslan]

Nice collection you have there!

[jbn10161]

Beautiful pen, with beautiful stablemates.

[jonro]

Very nice review, Leigh. The copious photos bring the pen to life. It really surprises me that Stipula doesn't have better quality control. Since each pen is probably assembled by hand, how difficult would it be for them to do some testing before they put it in the box? I'm glad things turned out well for you.

[Leigh R]

Leigh, congrats on getting this pen. I have one I got about a year ago. I love the muted colors on it. Mine also was a little rough out of the box, I had Richard Binder smooth it at last years N.E. Pen Show. One of my best now.

 

I also had an issue with the vermeil trim being discolored, I sent it back to be replaced. Other than that, trouble free. Like a lot of people, I'm just bent a $300+ pen wasn't perfect out of the box. But alls well now.

 

Enjoy it.

 

I know, isn't it disheartening at first? I think I have been truly spoiled by all my Japanese pens, vintage or modern; they never gave me cause to worry. But you're right, all is well now.

[Leigh R]

Leigh, nice review and beautiful pictures. Etrurias have a modern-classic look that is hard to match. I have two, a black and a demonstrator. So far, I've been lucky with Etruria nibs; they just wrote fine out of the box. By the way, I'm glad the Autumm found a caring home, and close to a Moleskine.

The Autunno is quite a looker, and a smooth writer as well. I want to review it next! Did you see the new celluloid Bolognas in the Photography section? Yummy.

[alvarez57]

Really liked the review, and the happy ending. I'm a fan of your handwriting and your pictures. It is truly a beautiful pen. Glad you could fix it so you can enjoy it!