Leonardo Officina Italiana - Momento Zero

[pomperopero]

Have you ever heard something about this new brand? This is a pen designed and created by a new Italian pen company: Leonardo Officina Italiana.

This is my latest acquisition and I'm glad to show it to you.

 

The filling system of this model is a hidden converter, as you can see on photos.

The nib looks to be a Bock number 6, I believe. The feed is made out of plastic.

The nib and feed disassembled:

The wheel of the clip.

It's hard to catch the real color of the resin, called horn. Sometimes grey and sometimes brown with semi-traslucent swirls.

- 142mm closed.
- 129mm withot cap.
- Weight closed: 27g.
- Weight with no cap: 19g.

From top to down:
- Jinhao X750.
- Leonardo Momento Zero.
- Pelikan M805 Stresseman.

And I finish with a writing sample. Papel Rhodia and Diamine Chocolate Brown ink.

Hope you like the pen

 

Edited March 11, 2018 by pomperopero

[fabri00]

I've bought the blue one.

I did not tested it yet, but it seems to be a nice pen, with fair price.

The celluloid version piston filled seems to be gorgeous, but is also quite expansive.

[pomperopero]

I've bought the blue one.

I did not tested it yet, but it seems to be a nice pen, with fair price.

The celluloid version piston filled seems to be gorgeous, but is also quite expansive.

 

I agree with you on everything you have said. Someone could say it is a little bit expensive for a steel nib, but it performs nice well.

[Arcadian]

That looks great! Perhaps best of all is your beautiful penmanship!

 

It looks like a fair bit of Delta influence in the design - are there any of Delta's old employees in the new company?

 

- P.

[pomperopero]

That looks great! Perhaps best of all is your beautiful penmanship!

 

It looks like a fair bit of Delta influence in the design - are there any of Delta's old employees in the new company?

 

- P.

 

You have just hit the nail on the head. The company, Leonardo Officina Italian, is led by Salvatore Matron (Ex-Delta)

[inkstainedruth]

Thanks for the comprehensive review. There are some things that are very interesting (love the little wheel on the clip -- that looks very clever and functional). But having a blind cap on what is effectively a c/c pen seems, well, not so functional, since it appears that you still have to remove the barrel to work the piston on the converter.

And as I suspected from the first photo -- confirmed by the comparison shot with the M805 and the Jinhao -- the pen is probably going to be too large for me.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[fabri00]

I agree with you on everything you have said. Someone could say it is a little bit expensive for a steel nib, but it performs nice well.

Considering it is a numbered limited edition, and that it is turned from a rod of acrylic, I don't think it is expansive.

I payed about 140 euro for it.

Edited March 12, 2018 by fabri00

[pomperopero]

Considering it is a numbered limited edition, and that it is turned from a rod of acrylic, I don't think it is expansive.

I payed about 140 euro for it.

 

I paid, more or less, the same for it. I believe it has a correct price.

Edited March 13, 2018 by pomperopero

[pomperopero]

Thanks for the comprehensive review. There are some things that are very interesting (love the little wheel on the clip -- that looks very clever and functional). But having a blind cap on what is effectively a c/c pen seems, well, not so functional, since it appears that you still have to remove the barrel to work the piston on the converter.

And as I suspected from the first photo -- confirmed by the comparison shot with the M805 and the Jinhao -- the pen is probably going to be too large for me.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

The barrel is big enough to use it unposted. If I post the cap, it becomes too large for my hand.

 

[dms525]

I first heard of these pens via Glenn Marcus' Instagram posting. I have ordered one with a gold stub nib and ebonite barrel.

 

While I wait for mine, can any of those who already have a Leonardo Officina Italiana pen tell me whether the nib is a standard screw in Bock nib, is friction fit or mounted on some proprietary carrier?

 

David

[fabri00]

It does not unscrew, therefore it should be friction fit.

Ill compare the pen with Delta The Journal, as as far as I can remember they might be quite similar.

[dms525]

I ordered my Momento Uno LE from Stilograph Corsani in Rome, and I have had an email exchange with Stefano Senatore about the pen. Here are some facts that may be of interest:

 

It is a true piston filler. The pen maker reverse engineered the OMAS piston mechanism and replicated it in the Momento Uno. (The steel nib model has a captive converter, as shown in the OP.)

 

The nib is friction-fit, as reported by fabri00.

 

I ordered my pen with a stub nib. Stefano has only one of the ebonite pens left, and it has a broad nib, but the pen maker is going to come by the shop and exchange it for a stub.

 

I am eager to receive this pen! I am hoping the stub is on the crisp side.

 

David

[sansenri]

lovely pen, I have been watching this too, but have not taken the plunge yet, I am tempted by the celluloid version.

It does look Delta like, the truly inspired Delta though (not the ugly later Martemodena models) and does look a bit like the Journal (of which I have the horn version), one of my favourite Deltas besides the original Dolcevita. I am very glad some of the original spirit lives on.

I also have one of Corsani's celluloid Journals (Fantasia he calls them), a beautiful pen.

I will have to chek it out closer, the celluloid version is expensive but has a gold nib with ebonite feed.

Edited March 14, 2018 by sansenri

[FriendAmos]

I first heard of these pens via Glenn Marcus' Instagram posting. I have ordered one with a gold stub nib and ebonite barrel.

 

While I wait for mine, can any of those who already have a Leonardo Officina Italiana pen tell me whether the nib is a standard screw in Bock nib, is friction fit or mounted on some proprietary carrier?

 

David

 

 

Kindly post your impressions when you get it. If you think it's worth the big bucks, etc.

[dennis_f]

I've never encountered a captive convertor. How does it work; do you simply press the button below the blind cap, or do you have to unscrew the barrel and get access to the convertor proper.

 

Lovely pen. I've started eyeing the matte black version. Thanks for introducing us to it.

[Polanova]

Nicely designed pen for a good price!

I´d be really tempted if it came with a more interesting nib (semi-flex, stubbish) or as a pencil.

Does no one uses pencils anymore?

[FriendAmos]

I've never encountered a captive convertor. How does it work; do you simply press the button below the blind cap, or do you have to unscrew the barrel and get access to the convertor proper.

 

Lovely pen. I've started eyeing the matte black version. Thanks for introducing us to it.

 

It is just an ordinary twist-turn convertor with the end sticking out at the rear of the barrel. The idea is that if you access it from behind the blind cap, then you can have the satisfaction of imaging that you have a real piston. That will work for a while. Eventually, fiddling with the blind cap becomes annoying, and you go back to unscrewing the whole barrel and doing what you would do with an ordinary twist-turn convertor.

[sansenri]

true, the problem with the captive convertor is you cannot see the ink, so if the barrel can screw off, what you end up doing most of the time is screw off the barrel...

especially when you need to clean the pen.

when you ink it up it is sometimes useful to be able not to unscrew the barrel, it is slightly more comfortable to hold the pen this way when filling and just turn the knob at the end, although still you cannot see the ink...

Worst however is when the convertor is captive and you cannot screw off the barrel!! some pens are like that...

[dennis_f]

Well, thanks so much for those answers. Now I know.

 

I don't know why, but for some reason I thought that the end of the convertor was a button (perhaps because of the lack of something grip-like).

 

The more I look at this pen, the more I like it.

[FriendAmos]

Well, thanks so much for those answers. Now I know.

 

I don't know why, but for some reason I thought that the end of the convertor was a button (perhaps because of the lack of something grip-like).

 

The more I look at this pen, the more I like it.

 

The LE version, which has a real piston and is made from celluloid (bluish) or ebonite (reddish) looks super nice. But the aren't giving it away.