Aurora Optima: Arguably The Best Modern Italian Pen, Especially If You Use Pens For Writing.

[Paul-in-SF]

Thank you both (dms525 and MoriartyR) for the responses, very informative.

 

I love my slightly older Aurora 88 with long tines (I don't know exactly what year it was new, I bought it used) which has spoiled me a little for my newer 88. But above both I love my vintage 88's with the soft nibs.

[MoriartyR]

Anyway, back to the OP’s request, I took a photo of my three Optimas. I have rather more 88s it seems, though I like both models. The three are the Sun Moon Lake (Sunset) LE, the black with chrome trim, and the Nero Perla.

 

[dms525]

Anyway, back to the OP’s request, I took a photo of my three Optimas. I have rather more 88s it seems, though I like both models. The three are the Sun Moon Lake (Sunset) LE, the black with chrome trim, and the Nero Perla.

 

 

Nice! I have been sorely tempted by the Sun Moon Lake pens. I like the auraloid material a lot. Do you happen to have the 888 Plutone? I'm wondering if it uses the same material.

 

David

[challer61]

I had several Optimas and were some of my best pens. They did not survive my simplification project though. Now just 4 Conid Kingsize

[MoriartyR]

Nice! I have been sorely tempted by the Sun Moon Lake pens. I like the auraloid material a lot. Do you happen to have the 888 Plutone? I'm wondering if it uses the same material.

 

David

I don’t have the 888 Plutone, though I have the Mercurio and Nettuno from this series. Actually I think the Sun Moon Lake appears to use the material from the 888 Urano, but it is also close to the Plutone. That’s probably the main reason I haven’t considered either of those pens - they are too similar to what I have. It is a pretty blue, though, and looks equally good with gold trim or chrome. Edited September 26, 2020 by MoriartyR

[MoriartyR]

Here is the 888 Urano. I think it’s the same material as the Sun Moon Lake.

 

 

And this is the Plutone, which looks like a softer mix of pale blue, and has less of a turquoise tinge.

 

[Karmachanic]

Similar in size to a MB146?

[sansenri]

I love my Auroras - both 88s and Optimas - and endorse all the reasons David points out. I would also like to add a few more points.

 

One thing about nibs that matters a great deal to me (and I don’t see people talking about this) is having long tines and the tipping material right at the point of the nib, as is the case especially with Aurora and Sailor nibs. This makes the nib more precise and gives me greater control. I can see exactly where the ink will flow to the paper. Montblanc nibs, at the opposite end of the scale, feel clumsy and imprecise to me because the tines are short and the tipping material is underneath the nib, a little back from the point, so the contact point between nib and page is obscured.

 

The long section on both the 88 and Optima is very comfortable and, again, promotes precision and control in writing.

 

Beyond this, I find the nib widths to be more consistent than other large European brands, and if you like a fine nib (as I do) then Aurora is one of the few non-Japanese makers that actually provides a true fine nib.

 

Optimas and 88s are engineered for reliable, comfortable writing, made to a high quality, with beautiful materials that are distinctively Aurora’s.

A nice pen the Optima, no doubt one of my favourites (together with the 88).

I'm very much in line with the comments above, the long tines nibs I own (mostly on the 88s) are great, but even the regular nibs, although more firm, are very good.

I also greatly appreciate the ergonomics, these pens just fit so well in my hand, so often I wish other pens had a section like this one!

 

Unfortunately I don't have a family picture ready so I might post a few...

I'll start with the Blue Flex.

A pen that's been criticized by some, but which I like quite a lot, particularly if you've tried a long tines before, and you don't expect it to really flex, but you're happy with a softer ride.

It's a more ordinary looking Optima, but the blue is a nice deep blue and the silver trim is less ordinary in an Optima.

Edited September 26, 2020 by sansenri

[sansenri]

Here is another slightly different Optima, the Demonstrator.

I don't usually crave for demonstrators, but this belonged to a friend who decided to sell it at a very attractive price.

The transparent look doesn't even make it look like an Optima, the known outline sort of disappears.

But once in the hand you know it's an Optima.

Edited September 26, 2020 by sansenri

[sansenri]

This Optima is the pen I have inked right now on my desk.

It's a nice dark red and belongs to an earlier series, which also included black and a flag green colour (being called so - verde bandiera - because it's the green shade that is on the Italian flag). This pen has the new shorter tin nib with Aurora visibly printed on it and it's an F.

As David and Moriarty have mentioned the Aurora F writes a true fine line, and is just slightly toothy in a way that makes you pleasantly feel the paper without possibly being judged as scratchy.

 

[dms525]

A nice pen the Optima, no doubt one of my favourites (together with the 88).

I'm very much in line with the comments above, the long tines nibs I own (mostly on the 88s) are great, but even the regular nibs, although more firm, are very good.

I also greatly appreciate the ergonomics, these pens just fit so well in my hand, so often I wish other pens had a section like this one!

 

Unfortunately I don't have a family picture ready so I might post a few...

I'll start with the Blue Flex.

A pen that's been criticized by some, but which I like quite a lot, particularly if you've tried a long tines before, and you don't expect it to really flex, but you're happy with a softer ride.

It's a more ordinary looking Optima, but the blue is a nice deep blue and the silver trim is less ordinary in an Optima.

 

 

I have that Blue Flex Optima also. After I took the "Family Picture" I realized I had left it out. I agree with your comments on the nib. It can flex, but not like a vintage flex nib. I may swap in one of my Aurora cursive italics and have a custom binde made for it. Still deciding.

 

David

[dms525]

Similar in size to a MB146?

 

I could answer with 1000 words, but this is worth as much:

 

MB 146, Aurora 88, Aurora Optima

 

David

[Lam1]

I only have one Optima, the sterling silver

 

 

It is a lovely pen (although, I wish the section were a little thicker), and I love the stub nib.

 

But, what prevents me from getting other Optimas is the bad experience with this one.

It was, out of the box, the most misaligned nib I ever seen - It took me a lot of work to get it to write well.

Even worse, the second time I used it, the piston failed, leaking ink from the back. Kenro fixed it for free, but I don't trust it anymore.

 

So, I have a Talentum stub on order. That one is not as pretty, but it has no piston to fail on me.

[sansenri]

 

I could answer with 1000 words, but this is worth as much:

 

Aurora size compare.jpg

MB 146, Aurora 88, Aurora Optima

 

David

useful comparison,

since Karmachanic asked, I was trying to make a comparison in my mind vs the 146 and my memory tells me the 146 feels slightly more slender in the hand than the Optima but it might just be an impression...

[sansenri]

I only have one Optima, the sterling silver

 

 

 

It is a lovely pen (although, I wish the section were a little thicker), and I love the stub nib.

 

But, what prevents me from getting other Optimas is the bad experience with this one.

It was, out of the box, the most misaligned nib I ever seen - It took me a lot of work to get it to write well.

Even worse, the second time I used it, the piston failed, leaking ink from the back. Kenro fixed it for free, but I don't trust it anymore.

 

So, I have a Talentum stub on order. That one is not as pretty, but it has no piston to fail on me.

 

a great looking pen! very sorry and odd to hear of the trouble with it, none of my Optimas have ever had either nib or piston problems...

 

[sansenri]

Here are mine. Would you show us yours?

 

Optimas.jpg

 

David

btw David, I love the one on the far right! is that a 365 coral?

[dms525]

btw David, I love the one on the far right! is that a 365 coral?

 

Yes it is the coral. It's a very nice material, indeed.

 

Coral seems to have been a fashionable color this year or last.

 

My Italian Coral Pens - Aurora, Montegrappa and Leonardo

 

David

[Lam1]

 

a great looking pen! very sorry and odd to hear of the trouble with it, none of my Optimas have ever had either nib or piston problems...

 

 

Thank you, Sansenri.

 

The nib trouble didn't bother me as much (there is no brand that hasn't caused me nib problems- Dupont, Sailor, MB, Pelikan, you name it).

The main problem was the piston, which some other people seem to have had. But, I may not resist for long: there are some rather pretty out there and I often find myself looking at them!

[Karmachanic]

 

I could answer with 1000 words, but this is worth as much:

 

 

MB 146, Aurora 88, Aurora Optima

 

David

 

 

Thank you David!

 

[sansenri]

 

Thank you, Sansenri.

 

The nib trouble didn't bother me as much (there is no brand that hasn't caused me nib problems- Dupont, Sailor, MB, Pelikan, you name it).

The main problem was the piston, which some other people seem to have had. But, I may not resist for long: there are some rather pretty out there and I often find myself looking at them!

I believe you may have been unlucky. One thing I often do when buying a pen I know I really want to use so there will be no second thoughts, is ask the seller to test it, the nib and the filling system. Reliable shops (even online) do that and I believe it may have saved me from trouble later...