Leonardo Momento Zero - Sea Stone

[Inky-Republic]

Yes they've very cleverly made the pen cheap enough that people will buy multiple colours. Note you could also just buy extra nibs for a reasonable price too. Not sure how easy they are to swap, but I've considered trying a bock titanium nib or fpnibs custom cursive nib, etc. Note I haven't even bought the MZ yet but this is how far I've thought ahead.

I purchased 3 widths of nib with my Zero and have swapped them over a couple of times. The nib & feed are a straight friction fit, but you will need a rubber grip to extract them -since the first time I pulled mine out, I found it to be a little stiff. I actually used an arrow puller, which proved an excellent tool for the task (see the picture I attached to my previous post). I also removed the piston filler before removing the nib & feed. I don't know if this was strictly necessary, but it seemed like a good idea and couldn't possibly hurt!

 

When inserting the replacement nib, you will find a small recessed channel to accommodate the nib as it sits atop of the feed. This helps you get everything aligned. Give an extra little push at the end, as the whole assembly "clicks" in to form a good seal between the feed capillary tube and the filler. There are a few advisory articles on this website which illustrate the correct extraction technique (how to position your hands etc) - and I found them to be both useful and valid.

 

By the way, the nibs are #6 size and exactly the same shape as the Bock 250 series. The Noodler's Ahab nib will also fit straight in, should you have a hankering for flex.

 

Hope this helps.

[Karmachanic]

By the way, the nibs are #6 size and exactly the same shape as the Bock 250 series. The Noodler's Ahab nib will also fit straight in, should you have a hankering for flex.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Yup. Leonardo nibs are made by Bock.

[mars37]

Thanks for the review. I'm waiting for mine to arrive, and I was half scared that the product images wouldn't be an accurate representation of the actual pen. What a stunning pen!

I prefer smaller pens so I probably should have gone with a Furore but this colour/pattern was just too pretty to pass on.

[RoSpectre]

Thanks for the review. I'm waiting for mine to arrive, and I was half scared that the product images wouldn't be an accurate representation of the actual pen. What a stunning pen!

I prefer smaller pens so I probably should have gone with a Furore but this colour/pattern was just too pretty to pass on.

 

I think the Furore is actually a slightly bigger pen -- it's deceiving because the MZ shape looks chunkier or like its proportions are larger but I think it's shorter. The pens use the same grip section, too, so they probably handle similarly. I had a similar consideration, thinking the MZ is a large pen, mostly because of its shape, but seeing it compared to an MB146 or Safari in photos, I think it's a very medium sized pen.

 

I don't own one yet but I am running out of reasons not to!

[Inky-Republic]

Thanks for the review. I'm waiting for mine to arrive, and I was half scared that the product images wouldn't be an accurate representation of the actual pen. What a stunning pen!

I prefer smaller pens so I probably should have gone with a Furore but this colour/pattern was just too pretty to pass on.

 

The pen is of average size when not posted, but fits a pretty decent sized hand with the addition of the cap.

 

I have employed the Zero as an everyday pen since receiving it and have noticed that the stub nib just gets smoother and easier to use as the days go by.

 

The pen was a real hit with other folks in the office and just about everybody has an order for a Zero in some stage of play! Currently there is about a 50/50 split between the blue and the sea stone fans - but I think my next model will be for the horn finish.

 

I think the folks at Leonardo have a hit o their hands with this pen - but will just have to keep their eye on manufacturing quality as orders increase.

[A Smug Dill]

I think it's a shame, so to speak, that Leonardo prices its celluloid (and ebonite) models at price points comparable to Aurora aurolide models, but neither produces its own nibs in-house nor applies a high enough level of supervision or intervention, either during or post-production, to ensure that the nibs on Leonardo pens are top-notch.

 

OK, maybe that's a bit unfair for me to say, since the only experience I've had is with a resin-body model of the Leonardo Momento Zero with a steel nib, and not a €600 model with celluloid body and gold Bock nib. However, it simply hasn't given me enough confidence to trust Leonardo to deliver a nib that I think befits a €600 fountain pen.

[Inky-Republic]

I think that's just a reflection of where the industry sits these days. Even premium price brands like Conway Stewart are now using Bock 250 series nibs, together with a large number of other name brand traders. The price you pay these days is effectively a bill for the materials and workmanship put into the rest of the pen, rather than at the business end (not to mention the brand prestige and sales hype of course). A gold nib will add a few hundred dollars, but that's just a reflection of mineral and commodity pricing! We all spend endless hours lauding the merits of this or that instrument, but from a user perspective, they become more like each other to write with every day! I've just popped a $20 gold plated Zero/Bock stub into my CS Winston - and in my opinion it's more pleasurable to write with than the standard gold nib that came with the pen!

 

The Japanese and a few top end brands still continue to manufacture their own nibs. In the case of the Japanese, who have a somewhat different requirement and taste in nibs, I think that trend of self-sufficiency will continue. The same applies to the very top-end premium brands, but for different reason (i.e. brand prestige & exclusivity). That aside, I think economic reality will drive the majority of players to source nibs from the likes of Bock, since central buying reduces operational costs most significantly. From a purely selfish point of view however, I quite like Bock manufactured stub nibs, so have little reason to complain. I've now given up trying to find a modern flex nib that would perform to my liking, so have filled the gap with an auctioned Waterman 52 in excellent writing condition. I suspect this trend of purchasing common parts may even expand to other components of the fountain pen and they'll just end up assembling the parts like beach buggies!

[mars37]

 

The pen is of average size when not posted, but fits a pretty decent sized hand with the addition of the cap.

 

I have employed the Zero as an everyday pen since receiving it and have noticed that the stub nib just gets smoother and easier to use as the days go by.

 

The pen was a real hit with other folks in the office and just about everybody has an order for a Zero in some stage of play! Currently there is about a 50/50 split between the blue and the sea stone fans - but I think my next model will be for the horn finish.

 

I think the folks at Leonardo have a hit o their hands with this pen - but will just have to keep their eye on manufacturing quality as orders increase.

 

Yeah I'm just keeping my fingers crossed, a local (Korean) pen community had some custom MZs ordered and there were quite a few that had issues. Hope it's all sorted out, as I'm not really comfortable adjusting nibs etc.

[mars37]

 

I think the Furore is actually a slightly bigger pen -- it's deceiving because the MZ shape looks chunkier or like its proportions are larger but I think it's shorter. The pens use the same grip section, too, so they probably handle similarly. I had a similar consideration, thinking the MZ is a large pen, mostly because of its shape, but seeing it compared to an MB146 or Safari in photos, I think it's a very medium sized pen.

 

I don't own one yet but I am running out of reasons not to!

 

That's good to hear. I prefer pens with flat tops and the only reason I considered the Furore was because of the size.

Though I have a feeling I'll eventually own both models...

[Enkida]

I just ordered one of these pens today! It'll be my first higher-end pen, apart from my inherited vintage Pelikan 120 schoolpen, which is wasn't a high-end pen back in the day. This pen body is so much prettier though, hee hee. I like the Italian name they sold it under better than "Sea Stone" though - there's something that just rolls so pleasantly off the tongue saying "Pietra Marina" instead. Or trying to say it properly, I'm probably destroying the language with my attempts

Edited April 25, 2019 by Enkida