Ferrari Da Varese

[jar]

Ferrari da Varese is another of the many smaller Italian pen manufacturers that we just don't hear much about. One reason seems to be that they made a marketing decision to limit the number and selection of outlets and not use the traditional fountain pen stores as the point of sale to concentrate on just a few top end jewelers.

 

BUT ...

 

my experience has been that they produce a really outstanding product and they have been among the most enjoyable of all of my Italian pens.

 

Over the years I've somehow acquired four pens from FdV and they have all been great. The oldest is not labeled as a Ferrari da Varese, it was made about ten years ago and sold through one of the Italian Jewelery stores under their logo. It's a slim Sterling Silver Hastil-like pen with gold plate trim. It is a good but not a great pen, and I didn't think much about it or connect it with FdV until I started paying attention a few years back to what different hallmarks meant. I started researching British hallmarks related to some of my Conway Stewart and Yard-o-Led pens which lead me to look at the Italian Guild Marks and determine that the unknown pen was from the Aosta Valley and the only maker I knew of in that area was Ferrari da Varese.

 

I put a "possible" label on the pen and more or less forgot about it.

 

Time passed and I was lucky enough to end up finding a few more FdV pens, one of the Botticelli with the amazing MOP body, a Savant with the dark lustrous red enamel and then recently a Yesterday with the same red enamel from Franklin Christoph. Each one was really great, super smooth writers with beauty and reliability, comfortable to use and just plain enjoyable.

 

I was writing a series of reviews on Sterling Silver pens and in doing some research on manufacture and history I contacted FdV to get some specifics. To my surprise I got an email back from Ivan Ferrari himself and he graciously not only answered my questions but explained some of the reasoning that went into each design.

 

As a long shot, I asked him if he might be able to identify who might have made my unknown Aosta Sterling Silver pen and he said he's give it a try and could I send some pictures. I did and almost immediately got a reply that "Yes, that pen is definitely one that we made." When I asked about what it might have been called and about when it was made though he said he's have to ask his father.

 

It turned out it his father said that it was one that never had a name and was likely made in the 90s.

 

So do any of you good folk also own any pens from Ferrari da Varese and if so, what do you like or dislike about the brand?

[reprieve]

Fountain Pen Hospital listed one of the red striped Savants on their website (on the back room page) a few weeks ago. I really wanted to pick it up (it was listed at a great price), but I was saving up for the DC show and passed. It sold quickly. When I saw your review, I regretted not snagging it. I had not been aware of Ferrari da Varese before that, but I have a special interest in sterling pens, which they seem to do very well, so I'll definitely be keeping my eye on this brand.

[jar]

Fountain Pen Hospital listed one of the red striped Savants on their website (on the back room page) a few weeks ago. I really wanted to pick it up (it was listed at a great price), but I was saving up for the DC show and passed. It sold quickly. When I saw your review, I regretted not snagging it. I had not been aware of Ferrari da Varese before that, but I have a special interest in sterling pens, which they seem to do very well, so I'll definitely be keeping my eye on this brand.

 

Neat.

 

Franklin Christoph has one of the Yesterday models listed in their demo pages at a great price. It's the same red enamel color as my Yesterday.

 

AbE:

 

Link to Yesterday review

Edited August 23, 2011 by jar

[MidnightBlue]

Thanks, quite nice..bump for others to see. Thanks

[Deirdre]

I think my FdV is really pretty.

[jar]

I think my FdV is really pretty.

 

I just get a blank, black page. Is it the stealth model?

 

From the link I guess it is the Botticelli. Which model?

 

Think I found it.

 

http://gallery.me.com/deirdre/100008/Ferrari%20Da%20Varese%2C%20Boticelli/web.jpg?ver=13141486120001

 

That's a great one.

Edited August 24, 2011 by jar

[Ghost Plane]

Must be. I can't see anything but an "!" on a black page

[MidnightBlue]

Thanks for the link. Fantastic site.

[zanio]

This is the link to the FdV's website, english version.

 

FdV

 

It seems they have a maki-e line as well.

 

 

 

Cheers

Z

 

 

 

[jar]

This is the link to the FdV's website, english version.

 

FdV

 

It seems they have a maki-e line as well.

 

 

 

Cheers

Z

 

 

 

 

Maki-e on silver, not something seen every day.

[Deirdre]

Worse edit of the same pic without that issue:

 

http://gallery.me.com/deirdre/100008/P1070417/web.jpg

[jar]

Worse edit of the same pic without that issue:

 

http://gallery.me.com/deirdre/100008/P1070417/web.jpg

 

 

So how do you like your Botticelli? I gotta admit that I love mine.

[jar]

My Savant from FdV.

 

http://www.fototime.com/C3D5BF86346A0D3/standard.jpg

and the Yesterday

 

http://www.fototime.com/97D2D97892573E4/standard.jpg

and the slim Hastil like unnamed FdV between a Waterman Gentleman and a Sheaffer Legacy.

 

http://www.fototime.com/165C859EE51679A/standard.jpg

[RMN]

Strange.

Now I was browsing their website and came upon the Spartaco.

 

Déja vue: I have a Laban pen that looks identical. Just looked at the nib, definitely states Laban.

 

Makes you wonder..

 

D.ick

[jar]

Strange.

Now I was browsing their website and came upon the Spartaco.

 

Déja vue: I have a Laban pen that looks identical. Just looked at the nib, definitely states Laban.

 

Makes you wonder..

 

D.ick

 

Makes you wonder about what?

[RMN]

Strange.

Now I was browsing their website and came upon the Spartaco.

 

Déja vue: I have a Laban pen that looks identical. Just looked at the nib, definitely states Laban.

 

Makes you wonder..

 

D.ick

 

Makes you wonder about what?

 

Did Laban shamelessly copy this model? Or does FdV make them for Laban? Or has someone put a Laban nib to a FdV-pen, so I have a Frankenpen?

Anyway, it is not a bad pen.

 

D.ick

[jar]

Strange.

Now I was browsing their website and came upon the Spartaco.

 

Déja vue: I have a Laban pen that looks identical. Just looked at the nib, definitely states Laban.

 

Makes you wonder..

 

D.ick

 

Makes you wonder about what?

 

Did Laban shamelessly copy this model? Or does FdV make them for Laban? Or has someone put a Laban nib to a FdV-pen, so I have a Frankenpen?

Anyway, it is not a bad pen.

 

D.ick

 

Both companies source their nibs from Bock, so it's not surprising that they look similar.

 

Ferrari da Varese has also made pens to be sold under other names and labels as well.

 

What model Laban is it since I'm not familiar with Laban models at all.

[RMN]

Strange.

Now I was browsing their website and came upon the Spartaco.

 

Déja vue: I have a Laban pen that looks identical. Just looked at the nib, definitely states Laban.

 

Makes you wonder..

 

D.ick

 

Makes you wonder about what?

 

Did Laban shamelessly copy this model? Or does FdV make them for Laban? Or has someone put a Laban nib to a FdV-pen, so I have a Frankenpen?

Anyway, it is not a bad pen.

 

D.ick

 

Both companies source their nibs from Bock, so it's not surprising that they look similar.

 

Ferrari da Varese has also made pens to be sold under other names and labels as well.

 

What model Laban is it since I'm not familiar with Laban models at all.

This one is listed under Various, part of the "Ring pen" range. Product number RN F104BP

 

Looks identical to me, except for the nib-art.

 

Now wondering also: Did Laban make this also for FdV, or the other way around? As many penmanufacturors these days outsource production to China or Taiwan.

 

Price for the FdV Spartaco online: $290, and I paid around €75 for my Laban.

 

 

 

D.ick

[jar]

Strange.

Now I was browsing their website and came upon the Spartaco.

 

Déja vue: I have a Laban pen that looks identical. Just looked at the nib, definitely states Laban.

 

Makes you wonder..

 

D.ick

 

Makes you wonder about what?

 

Did Laban shamelessly copy this model? Or does FdV make them for Laban? Or has someone put a Laban nib to a FdV-pen, so I have a Frankenpen?

Anyway, it is not a bad pen.

 

D.ick

 

Both companies source their nibs from Bock, so it's not surprising that they look similar.

 

Ferrari da Varese has also made pens to be sold under other names and labels as well.

 

What model Laban is it since I'm not familiar with Laban models at all.

This one is listed under Various, part of the "Ring pen" range. Product number RN F104BP

 

Looks identical to me, except for the nib-art.

 

Now wondering also: Did Laban make this also for FdV, or the other way around? As many penmanufacturors these days outsource production to China or Taiwan.

 

Price for the FdV Spartaco online: $290, and I paid around €75 for my Laban.

 

 

 

D.ick

 

I doubt that Laban made it for FdV since FdV has their own manufacturing plants in Germany and in Italy, but they certainly look similar.

 

I'll see what I can find out.

[jar]

 

This one is listed under Various, part of the "Ring pen" range. Product number RN F104BP

 

Looks identical to me, except for the nib-art.

 

Now wondering also: Did Laban make this also for FdV, or the other way around? As many penmanufacturors these days outsource production to China or Taiwan.

 

Price for the FdV Spartaco online: $290, and I paid around €75 for my Laban.

 

 

 

D.ick

 

So I emailed Ivan Ferrari and he was unaware of the Laban ring series but here is his reply:

 

From the pic I see they do look similar. But we launched the Spartacus several years ago.

Best,

Ivan

 

Beyond that I don't know much.