Search the Community

Hi everyone! I have a pen that writes too wet with Aurora Black and too dry with Waterman Black, so I am looking for an ink whose wetness is somewhere in between, although a bit closer to Aurora Black in terms of wetness. Also, if it is a really dark black that's a plus! Thank you all very much in advance!

I’m looking at replacing an Aurora Optima stub nib with a replacement. Is there a competitive source for replacement nibs available in the UK or Europe you would recommend from personal experience? Are Aurora nibs simple. to replace? Screw out and screw in? Thanks in advance.

Here is the next volume of the Dromgoole's podcast. We have an interview with Mark Cole from Coles of London who distributes Visconti. Also we show some cool used pens we got here at the store, and conclude a giveaway.

Hi, everyone! We just wrote a review of the Aurora Minerali series demonstrators - tried to provide some advice as to why we like them so much (all their nibs are made in-house!). These are definitely some of our favorite demonstrators out there! Let us know what you think or if there's another demonstrator you like more! https://www.truphaeinc.com/blogs/truphae-news-and-stories/aurora-88-limited-edition-minerali-fountain-pens

A while ago, I picked up an Aurora button filler on Ebay for a good price (it came from Romania if that's relevant), which was listed as a Selene, though it quickly became clear it wasn't. It is a huge button filler -almost 17cm from top of jewel to tip of nib, very thick, and with a good heft to it, easily the biggest vintage pen I've seen in person. It is entirely without any markings or imprints I can find, apart from the marking for a #5 Platiridio nib. I don't know anything much about Auroras, anybody know much about it? FWIW, the nib is very flexible, the body is celluloid while the blind cap and section seem to be ebonite. Does anyone know the model name, or of any similar pens, as well as a general figure for value? I feel like I may have seen something vaguely similar listed as a "business pen" or something, but can't find anything now. Pictures: https://imgur.com/a/VLo9GLn

Our close-out sale of Aurora Archivi Storici is going to end. They're modern pens, but made with old original mechanisms from the '50s, available in sterling silver or chromed or golden versions. Their nib is 14Kt gold, original of that time; unique size (M) which writes a medium/fine line. Filling system is trik-trak converter (not included) or cartridge. They were already proposed at amazing prices, after I bought all the left stock; but now they're even more reduced, so you really can't leave them here! Still available: Sterling silver fountain pen http://www.giardino.it/pens/aurora/IMMAGINI/archivi010ap.jpg Golden fountain pen http://www.giardino.it/pens/aurora/IMMAGINI/archivi018ap.jpg Until stock lasts. Good luck!

Hi FPN, I know a lot of you folks are fans of Aurora and are very excited about the new 365 Optima Abissi this year. Since this year is a leap year, Aurora made 366 pieces. According to nibs.com, the color is described as: "The Aurora Optima 365 Abissi Limited Edition fountain pen is made from green marble Auroloide and flecked with flakes of blue. Deep black on the section and flat cap ends provides luxurious design, while gold trim highlights the warmth of this quality writing instrument. This is a pen that must truly be seen in person to appreciate the complexity of the subtle color shifts." nibs.com link: http://www.nibs.com/aurora-optima-365-abissi-limited-edition.htm And from http://luxuryadvisor.online/2016/02/tribute-to-a-classical-time-aurora-optima-365-abissi/ they are beautiful! The 000 number is shown as below. And also in reddit, it is claimed that the last photo was shot without camera shy: https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/402wq5/not_camera_shy_at_all_the_aurora_optima_365/ When I first saw the picture, I was simply stunned and decided to go for one. So I purchased one from novelli.it and I have to say, Novelli is very pleasant to deal with, they put the order and packed very securely and shipped very fast. However, I am very disappoint by the Aurora changed their color. As you can see, the 000 is rich blue-green color with green base and blue strip. However, mine is blue and green strip with grey color base. I am very very disappointed that Aurora made a color change when they put the pen into production. Please check the picture of the actual pen below and see the differences! I compared this pen to one of my old style Optima and you can see how bad the pen actually looks. Again, I am very pleased with Novelli's service and I will contact them to figure the next step. But for further potential buyers of this pen. Be aware of this!

Hello guys! I have managed to save quite a bit and by the end of March, I may have around 800 USD. Now I wanted to ask you which pen would be the best in the price range 100-500. My criterions are: Daily Writer: Preferably a stiffer 14k nib. Durablity: Since I don't want to be spending for repairs, I want it to be pretty durable.Gold nib: Since I am spending a nice amount, I would not take anything less than a gold nib.I have already thought of buying the Pilot Custom 823 from Japan which will run me about 221 USD. Is it worth this price? Now I need a pen to accompany the Pilot. I have looked at Lamy 2000, Aurora Optima, and Sailor Pro Gear Sky. I have read about Optimas cracking so I am pretty much in doubt. Can we get a KOP in 100-500 USD? I also like the Visconti Medici but the price and QC issues put me off. Thanks and regards, Adit

Guys I am recently saving up for a Big pen purchase. I have thought about an Aurora Optima blue auroloide. But I have read some horror stories of the pen cracking. As I am a teenager, I dont have much funds so I dont want to spend on repairs. Plus, it is a tedious process to ship pens from the UAE. So I want to know if that was a problem in their early auroloide pens or if this has been happening recently as well. Thanks and regards, Adit

At first glance, Aurora Ipsilon looks rather interesting. I believe this pen would stand out in a pile of other popular models. The lines are nice and smooth and the cap is quite unique. I don't necessarily like the design but it's rather characteristic. As most Aurora pens, Ipsilon is made in Italy. I bought this particular pen because I was interested in trying Aurora italic nib and it was the cheapest way to do so. The pen comes in an elegant box. I'm not crazy about Ipsilon design. It's nice interpretation of the classic torpedo shape but for me something fells a bit off. Maybe it's the fact that barrel finish is flat and cap end is rounded? I still haven't figured it out. The pen is made of blue plastic. The cap is oblong and supported by steel ring stamped with ITALY name. The cap works very well and posts with audible and satisfying snap. It can be posted if that's your preference, although it shows tendency to slip off, especially if you move the pen a lot. The clip is Y shaped and functions well. On the other hand as you can see on the photo the finish isn't perfect. A bit of lacquer was placed on the clip. The band around the middle reads "AURORA" and "ITALY." That's about the only branding on this pen so the design can be described as clean. Nib (Monteverde Charoite on Discovery 70 mgsm copy paper) Aurora nibs are made in-house by Aurora. The ones I tried so far were more than decent. The italic is about a 1.2mm and it's crisp. It's toothier than Bock or JoWo italics most of us are used to. I like this nib but if you look for smoothest italic ever, look elsewhere. You have to find good angle in order to fully enjoy writing. Filling system The pen comes with Aurora Blue cartridge and converter. Nothing fancy. Everything works just fine and is easy to clean and functional. Dimensions Capped – 134mm Uncapped – 116mm The pen is rather light. Too light for me to be honest. I prefer heavier pens and lack of more significant weight in Ipsilon irritates me. It's almost as if I didn't have anything in the hand. I'm not a poster though. Posting the cap would definitely add some heft to the pen. The size of this pen is just right, I guess but again - I prefer bigger pens. This one is just too small for me. Chances that you'll experience any hand fatigue with this one are very small and that's a plus. Summary I think Ipsilon is a decent pen. It's not crazily expensive and golden italic nib is a joy to use once you figure out the right angle. Sadly, the pen is just too small and too light for me. If you prefer bigger and heavier pens chances are you won't enjoy this one. If however you look for a stylish and light fountain pen this one is worth considering.

Hello, folks. I would appreciate your input here. After a few years of coveting, I finally bought an Aurora Luna limited edition fountain pen during the holiday shopping season. The pen is thrillingly beautiful, but the one I received had some issues. The two main issues were: 1, there was an extra "cut" on the underside of the nib, and 2, there was some kind of residue (glue?) where the ink window meets the body of the pen. I sent it back to the vendor, who has now determined that it is defective and is asking me whether I want to have it sent to Aurora for repair. Normally, I would just get a replacement pen. But this is a limited edition, and I have not been able to find another reliable source for the pen. I really want to have a Luna--ideally, one with good fit and finish, but I also worry that something would go wrong in sending it for repair. Has anyone here had experience with Aurora warranty/repair work, and how did it go? Or should I just keep the pen as-is and try to mod the nib later (and just live with the glue residue defect)? Alternatively, do you know anywhere else where I could buy a Luna?

Note: The review of each of the three pens was written with the pen being reviewed. Citations A Comparative Review Of Italic Nibs: Custom Versus Stock Stipula Facetted Etruria In Champagne Celluloid With An Italic Nib Comments? David

Hi ! I am trying to identify this pen. Aurora, Italy. No other markings. I think I got it in the late 1980s. Anyone know what model number, value, etc? Thanks ! Tony https://drive.google.com/open?id=1UDPPp6sLyuUuRtJ67JzRYusK1W7RA6Pu https://drive.google.com/open?id=1oV4NiEgYA0PvP6FAihPaRf_GonGXaGbT

This is Michael Dromgoole from Dromgoole's. I will be posting many product reviews for new items coming into the store. Today, I posted a review of the Pelikan M805 Ocean Swirl on my Youtube Channel, and I will attach a link for that down below. Tomorrow I plan on posting a review about Fountain Pen Revolution Flex Pens so keep an eye out for that. We are also having a couple of pen shows at Dromgoole's this week, including Mark Cole from Coles of London which is the US distributor for Visconti on Thursday, and also on Saturday we will be having a pen event with Ken Jones from Yafa who distributes Monteverde, Pineider, Marlen, Stipula, Conklin, and others. I am going to try to do some interviews from them regarding new products and exciting things to come in the near future. If you enjoy my content, please feel free to engage by liking, commenting, sharing, and subscribing!

Hey guys, for those of you who do not know me, I am Michael Dromgoole. I am the 4th generation future owner here at Dromgoole's. We are starting a podcast that showcases new product, interviews reps and customers, and we have some other cool stuff up our sleeve. Please enjoy, and feel free to give me feedback in any form possible. I appreciate you watching and hope to see you back in the future!

L'Artisan Pastellier Callifolio - Aurora L’Artisan Pastellier is a small company in southern France that specialises in natural pigments, and offers customers authentic and reliable products in beautiful colours based on mineral or vegetable pigments. In a collaboration with Loic Rainouard from Styloplume.net, the chemist Didier Boinnard from L’Artisan Pastellier created the line of Callifolio fountain pen inks. These pastel-coloured inks are traditionally crafted, and can be freely mixed and matched. Overall these inks are only moderately saturated, and have low water-resistance. The inks were specifically designed to work well with all types of paper, and all types of fountain pens. Being pastel-tinted, these inks have a watercolor-like appearance, and are not only fine inks for journaling, but are also really excellent inks for doodling & drawing. I only recently discovered them, and they are already the inks I gravitate towards for personal journaling. This review puts the spotlight on Aurora, one of several ochre-coloured inks in the series. Aurora leans heavily towards the red, with a colour that reminds me of the broken pottery at an ancient dig site (hence the stela of king Menchepera in the title doodle). I like the colour, which has an ancient feel to it, as though it’s a red ink that has darkened with the ages. Really nice. Aurora works well with all nib sizes, providing excellent contrast with the paper – even an EF nib provides remarkably good contrast. The ink looks good on both white and more yellowish paper. Callifolio Aurora shows off some strong shading, which already becomes visible in M-nibs and is really pronounced when using broader nibs. I would have liked a bit more subdued shading – but that’s just my personal preference. I did find the lubrication lacking with the finer nibs, but this feeling disappeared when using broader or wetter nibs. E.g. with an M-nib in my Lamy Safari, lubrication was clearly subpar. With a Pelikan M800 with M-nib on the other hand, the writing was really pleasant. Just something to be aware of: when using finer nibs, this ink prefers a wetter pen. Because this ink has a red-leaning colour, it is really well suited for use as a “correction ink” – I’ve used it e.g. to revise typed documents at work. Beats the “red ballpoint” anytime ! To show you the impact of saturation on the ink’s look & feel on paper, I made some scribbles where I fully saturated portions of the paper with ink. This gives you a good idea of what the ink is capable of in terms of colour range. On heavily saturated parts, Aurora shifts from a reddish ink towards more of a brown colour. On the smudge test – rubbing text with a moist Q-tip cotton swab – Aurora behaved really well, with only limited smearing of the text. Water resistance is a mixed story though. The chroma seems to indicate that a brownish image should remain on the paper. In reality readability is not nearly as good as the chroma suggests. If you can read the hieroglyphs on the stela, you probably have the patience to decipher eroded texts… and this patience is what you will need trying to make sense of what’s left on the paper once it has come into contact with water. Reconstruction is possible, but only with a lot of effort. Not a good ink if waterproofness is high on your list. I’ve tested the ink on a wide variety of paper – from crappy Moleskine to high-end Tomoe River. For the Callifolio reviews, I’m using a format that shows you the ink’s appearance and behaviour on the different paper types. On every small band of paper I show you:An ink swab, made with a cotton Q-tip1-2-3 pass swab, to show increasing saturationAn ink scribble made with an M-nib Safari fountain penThe name of the paper used, written with a B-nibA small text sample, written with the M-nibDrying times of the ink on the paper (with the M-nib)Aurora behaved perfectly on all the paper types, with no apparent feathering even on the lower quality papers in my test set. Drying times are in the 10-15 second range, except on some of the more absorbent papers. The ink looks fabulous on Paperblanks, which I use for daily journaling. In fact, it works really well with all of the paper types in my test set. At the end of this review, I also show the back-side of the different paper types, in the same order. The ink behaved very good with almost all paper types. Even Moleskine paper behaved surprisingly well – there was only minimal bleed-through. All in all a really well-behaving ink. Inkxperiment – a study in squaresI’ve recently started to experiment with ink drawings, keeping things simple and more-or-less abstract. I find it to be a fun extension of the hobby, and have found single-ink drawings a nice challenge. It also gives you an idea of what the ink is capable of in a more artistic setting. In this drawing I used 300 gsm rough watercolour paper. I started with painting a rectangle with pure water, and applied Aurora on top of it with a brush. This creates the outline of the drawing. I filled the center with a dry felt-tip brush, dipped in Aurora – this gives the lighter rose-red colour. After drying, I added the squares with a fine brush, really saturating the lines. The end result gives you a good idea of the colour span that Aurora is capable of. Conclusion Callifolio Aurora from L’Artisan Pastellier is a really nice brown-red ink, that is equally at home with both writing and drawing. The ink has good contrast with the paper, and works well with all paper types. But do yourself a favour and use this ink with a wet pen – the ink will reward you with its soul, and your writing experience will be that much better. Technical test results on Rhodia N° 16 notepad paper, written with Lamy Safari, M-nib Back-side of writing samples on different paper types

I purchased an Aurora Ipsilon pen this weekend. The box says B11, but after doing some research I learned that B11 has a steel nib and the pen I got has a 14K nib. Could my pen by the B12CBM model?

Hi, I need help choosing my next pen. I cannot decide between the studio and the ipsilon. I would prefer to get a fine nib. Which one would you get and why? If you think another pen is better at the same price, please say so. Thank you.

Hello, I am new to the forum and would like to engage with members who collect: Montblanc, Shaeffer, Parker, Aurora, and Conklin. I have specific questions about pens in my collection and would appreciate any assistance. v/r Haznavy

Hi all, This morning I was helping my father-in-law clear out his study and was lucky enough to find a number of beautiful vintage fountain pens, most of which were easy to bring back to life with a quick clean out. However, my favourite was an Aurora that I've attached below. It's such an unusual nib with indents on either side that I wanted to see if anyone recognised it and could ID it for me. My father in law remembers this pen being given to him as a farewell gift when he left Italy, so we're guessing that the pen is from about 1982. It's marked as Aurora and the nib is marked as 14K. Any help would be appreciated!

I've long focused my collection on Pelikans, which I love, but have discovered that after starting off with larger pens (m800/m1000) I've come to love smaller pens. I favor piston fillers and gold nibs. Well, I'm now absolutely enthralled with Auroras and can't wait to purchase one. I'm pretty set on the Optima since I prefer flat tops. The value seems so good (maybe even better than Pelikan's contemporary offerings.) You get a wider selection of nibs, ebonite feeds, piston fillers, in celluloid (but not the kind that decays! LOL) Seems like a terrific deal to me. But where to start? I love the Nera Perla, but the Emerald is nice and that demonstrator with the red accents!! Where do I start?

Aurora inks come in three basic colors: blue, blue black and black. The bottle holds 45 ml of ink. Inks can be also bought in cartridges. Aurora Blue is one of most recommended blue inks. I can see why as it's a problem free, low-maintenance ink. The thing is I find it mind-numbingly boring. So, even though it's a good ink, I don't use it. On the other hand if you enjoy such colors, Aurora Blue won't disappoint. It behaves well on most papers and offers excellent flow and wetness. It's slightly better than Pelikan 4001 Blue but also 4 times more expensive (in Poland) - forced to use Royal Blue I would pick Pelikan or Waterman Florida Blue or, even better, J.Herbin Eclat de Saphire. Ink Splash Drops of ink on kitchen towel Color ID Color range Discovery 70 mgsm copy paper, Aurora Ipsilon, factory stub (The quote comes from Josiah Bancroft's excellent book Senlin Ascends. Highly recommended) Leuchtturm1917, Aurora Ipsilon, factory stub Water resistance

Hello! I purchased this gorgeous mystery Aurora from Peyton Street Pens--the listing said that they couldn't figure out what model it was. I adore the pen to pieces but I'm curious as to whether anyone here might know. It's black and dark gray in what looks like auroloide, with gold-colored trim, and the cap band style is a dead ringer for that of my Aurora 75th Anniversary (red), ditto the imprint. The box and pamphlet give no clue--it's just generic care & feeding of fountain pen instructions. Anyone? http://yoonhalee.com/images-pens/2017-07-24-aurora-black01.pnghttp://yoonhalee.com/images-pens/2017-07-24-aurora-black02.png Honestly, my first thought was Monviso but I could have sworn those had chrome/silver-tone trim, and that the auroloide was black and light gray, not a very dark gray as shown here...Googling hasn't helped me either.

Since Omas and Visconti now have their own threads devoted to the topic, I thought there should be an Aurora thread for which pens you are using today. Let's get some eye candy going! --And since I now have an Aurora Optima again, here is mine! I wasn't able to upload a pic from my computer, so here is a link to the image: http://imgur.com/a/tcDL5

Happy Anniversary Fed Pens! It's been two years already since we started Federalist Pens! It's hard to believe that it has been that long already! I have come a long way since the forum days of selling vintage items to fund the hobby that I love! The hobby that I still share with you, even as a retailer! The support has been great, and we have acquired several great brands over the past year! For pen brands- we have added Bexley, Aurora, and Montegrappa to the family! In ink, we took a chance, and added Robert Oster Inks to the line up exactly a year ago this month! Robert asked me to carry the products last July thru social media, and I agreed to be the first US Dealer! We debuted them at last year's DC Pen Show! Now- Oster Signature Inks has 6 US Dealers, and 80 different colors! It sounds funny to say all this now, but Oster Inks were new to the pen community. Robert has accomplished all of his success in less than two years! We took on sponsorship opportunities this year as well! I have become a regular sponsor for the "Well Appointed Desk". Ana actually purchased the first Robert Oster bottle from me at last year's DC Show (she actually waited for me to unpack the Oster Products...), and she did the review of Robert Oster "Aqua" not too long afterward. Thanks to great reviews such as that, Oster Inks have really taken off! I also donated both an Aurora Pen (Inkdependence), and a Bexley Pen (The Pen Addict) for reviews. These pens were given away as my way of "Paying it Forward"! Look for more review/giveaways and sponsorship opportunities in the future! Of course, some brands have "come and gone" at Fed Pens. I try my best to keep my site and products as fresh and purposeful as possible. It was important to me to carry well-known and respected brands. This was vital when I first started selling products as a retailer. It still is important to make sure the products I carry are working for you! This is a very competitive business market, and this is very obvious at Pen Shows. We do work together, and "help" each other by sending customers to other dealers when we cannot help them (Well, I DO, ANYWAY...). Questions can vary at shows.. one of the more interesting questions my brother and I get is "Does the pen come with a box"? I am asked this question more than once at every show. I am shocked to see people surprised when I say "Yes"! We are authorized, professional, dealers selling you a brand new product that we represent- WHY WOULD YOU NOT GET A BOX?? Do not be a Sucker! When you deal with Federalist Pens (ME), you get: -The item you purchased -The box the product comes with -Paperwork and warranty from the manufacturer -Bonus of our choice (i.e. sample, brand ephemera, Fed Pens bag, product boutique bag, etc..) -Federalist Pens (MY) 30-Day no Hassle/Haggle Warranty! Full Refund or replacement! (Only exclusion to this is with NOS Vintage Products- cannot be replaced...) DC Supershow next month starts Year Three for Fed Pens! (We debuted at the 2015 Show!) Stay tuned for more great deals, new products, and my continued support of the Pen Community! Happy Shopping!Federalist Frank Anniversary Sale! www.federalistpensonline.com To celebrate- the site is programmed to give you an additional 10% Off at Checkout! There is no coupon needed- just spend $20 or more, and Checkout will apply the discount! You will save over 20% on most items ALL MONTH LONG! It is my way of thanking you for the rapid success we are having! Shop Now! Many items will not be this low again! Some of the brands I represent do not even allow a discount- this will be waived during this period! Checkout does not discriminate (well, it could if I programmed it that way)! Take advantage of seldom discounted brands, as well as "Pre-Orders" (See Below) There is more! Most pen items will be shipped to US residents FREE this month! US Shipping is waived on pens $25 or more this month! Enjoy reduced shipping on ink, paper, and accessories! Thank You for your loyalty, and business!Here's to Year Three 2017-2018! New Products! NEW! Pelikan M200 Smoky Quartz FP Collection The long awaited Pelikan M200 Smoky Quartz FP will be arriving next month!I am hopeful that it will be here for the DC Show! I know I will have stock for both the Commonwealth Pen Show (Mass.), and the Pelikan Hub Event (Philadelphia Hub) in September! The pen will also come as a kit to include the Edelstein Smoky Quartz Ink. I will open a page to take pre-orders for this pen later this month! New! Aurora 88 Minerali Collection! This beautiful new Demo Collection from Aurora will arrive the end of July! They will be released seperately each month (starting with the Blue model "Azurite" coming later this month (for August)). They will be limited to 388 pieces each- and will come with 7 different nib choices! (EF-BB, plus a Stub and Italic choice as well!)Pens will retail for $795, with a $50 surcharge for Stub and Italic nibs!I will open the page for this beauty as well later this month for Pre-orders!(You will get the 10% Discount on both as part of my Anniversary Month Sale!) Tune in next month- around Mid-August! Review of the 2017 DC Show (Look for my tables!)!Federalist Frank