Leonardo Momento Zero Green Blue with 1.1mm Stub Nib: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

Leonardo Officina Italiana has quickly become one of my favorite fountain pen brands. Their resins are gorgeous, and the build quality of the pens is top notch. Although I love the Leonardo Furore I reviewed a few months ago (here), my favorite Leonardo model is definitely the Momento Zero with its conical finials at the top of the cap and bottom of the barrel.

Appelboom sent this pen for review, and I must say their presentation is always classy. They wrap the pen in black paper secured with a gold Appelboom sticker.

The pen itself is in a Leonardo clamshell box with a tan interior.

The Momento Zero is the perfect size for most people, measuring 5.6 inches/142mm capped, 5.1 inches/129mm uncapped, and 6.7 inches/169mm posted. It weighs 25 grams capped (empty) and 19 grams uncapped (with ink). Although the barrel is about 15mm at its widest, the grip is tapered down to a comfortable 10 to 11mm.

I chose gold trims for this Green Blue model. The clip is relatively small and has a rollerball on the end as is typical of many Italian fountain pens. Near the base of the cap are three thin gold rings. Another adorns the barrel where it meets the cap, and another encircles the removable knob that reveals the converter piston.

What drew me to this pen was the stunning resin. Ordinarily I would hone in on the blue model immediately (and there is a Blue Sorrento model). But this time I was immediately drawn to the Green Blue resin, partly because it reminds me of my favorite Christmas light combination! The flecked resin is beautiful with dark blues and a mixture of dark and light greens. Some flecks have chatoyance as well.

The pen is a cartridge/converter filler. However, Leonardo’s converter system is unlike the typical flimsy, plastic converters used by some other brands. It is made of high quality plastic and metal, and it screws securely into the grip (rather than just being friction fit).

Although you can unscrew the barrel at the grip to access the converter, it’s also possible (and easier) simply to unscrew the bottom knob to access the converter’s piston portion (much like a captured converter). This attention to detail and function is one of the reasons I like Leonardo pens so much.

I chose a gold-toned steel 1.1mm stub nib, which is my go-to nib on Leonardo pens because their stubs are so smooth.

At first, I was a little concerned about this nib, because it exhibited hard starts and some skipping. But, the problem wasn’t the nib. It was the TWSBI Emerald Green ink, which is rather dry. When I added some Vanness White Lightning Ink Additive to the ink, the problems cleared up.

The stub nib delivers a smooth, wet line that shows off any shading or sheen inherent in the ink. I can write with this pen and nib combination for long periods without any discomfort. The stub gives character to my handwriting.

You can purchase the Leonardo Momento Zero Green Blue from Appelboom for $171.66 (price depends on Euro/USD rates). Appelboom ships quickly and their customer service is outstanding.

(Appelboom provided this Leonardo Momento Zero to Pen Addict at no charge for review purposes.)

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Leonardo Momento Zero Blue Hawaii Fountain Pen Review

If you have paid attention at all to the fountain pen scene over the last year, then you have seen the rise of Leonardo Officina Italian fountain pens. Susan has reviewed two for The Pen Addict already (here and here) and I’m finally ready to spill a few words on my own Leonardo Momento Zero Blue Hawaii fountain pen.

Leonardo Officina Italiana was launched in 2018 by the Matrone family, who have a combined 45 years in the pen business, primarily with the now-shuttered Delta. All Leonardo Pens are manufactured in-house in Italy, where they also manufacture pens for Armando Simoni Club. This experience has led the the creation of one of the best new entrants in the pen market in years.

What caught my eye with the first batch of Leonardo pens were the materials used. The acrylics in the Momento Zero lineup (they also use celluloid and ebonite) are stunning. Choosing my first proved to be difficult, but I zoned in on the Blue Hawaii early on. The only issue was the color was so popular that it took me a while to acquire one with rhodium trim!

My time came all the way back at the 2019 Atlanta Pen Show, and the Momento Zero has been a regular in my rotation ever since.

While the material used for this pen is what caught my eye, what good is the material if the pen barrel isn’t nice to use? The experience of the makers show that they know how to make a great feeling writing instrument, not only a great looking one.

The grip section has a slight taper in the middle, allowing for a natural feeling finger placement. The barrel length (5.5 inches) and diameter (0.6 inches) both fall into the standard size category for me, and the 0.8 oz. weight give it a perfectly balanced feel. It uses a cartridge/converter filling system, with a blind cap on the back end of the pen as an added way to access the converter. Speaking of which, this is a fancy converter that I very much enjoy.

If you were to force me to list any negatives about the Leonardo Momento Zero, I can come up with two, but only barely. One, the materials on the barrel do not line up. There are six areas that the materials run through, and none match up. They aren’t trying to line the material up and it’s off - it’s not supposed to line up at all. I think of it like the pattern on a calico cat, and I think it is great. Some may not like it.

Two, Leonardo uses Bock nibs. If I had my choice, I would choose Jowo every time, but it’s pretty clear that these nibs are being QC’ed and adjusted if needed before leaving the shop. This steel EF nib was perfect right out of the box.

With a street price of $199 these are not inexpensive pens, but I feel that they represent good value. And, with a bit of shopping around, you can bring that price down on this model a good bit. I recall paying $180 for mine from Dan Smith at the Atlanta Pen Show, and site sponsor Pen Chalet has several models for as low as $159. With the number of models and colors available, you are certainly able to find one that suits your style if you are interested in Leonardo Officina Italiana fountain pens.

I know I am interested, as I just picked up my second one a week ago. And I feel like it won’t be the last.

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Leonardo Furore Deep Purple with Rose Gold Trim: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

I love Leonardo fountain pens. I reviewed a Momento Zero awhile back, and subsequently I bought another Momento Zero in Hawaii resin. I suspect more Leonardo pens are in my future.

Although I much prefer the shape of the Momento Zero, I kept returning to Casa della Stilografica to gaze at the beautiful resin of the Furore in Deep Purple. I was especially entranced with the model with rose gold trims. After repeated visits, I finally pulled the trigger and splurged on the Furore with a 14k rose gold stub nib (1.3mm).

The pen arrived in record time from Casa della Stilografica. I couldn’t help from exclaiming, “Fra-jee-lay!” when I saw the package (you know, A Christmas Story). It was a box from Italy after all. And, apparently, “Furore” is pronounced “Foo-róh-ray,” so I was basking in Italian pronunciation anyway. The Furore box looks like an Italian countryside--floral and colorful.

I love it when I open a new fountain pen and gasp. I gasped upon seeing the Furore’s purple resin. The purple is dark in some places and sparkles in others with lighter purple flecks. You can arrange the cap so the lighter purple flecks align.

Or you can cap the pen so there are alternate dark and light portions.

Usually I’m OCD about getting pen patterns aligned, but with the Furore, I like having alternating light and dark patterns.

The barrel is engraved with “Leonardo Officina Italiana” and the pen number, mine is No. 327.

The pen is cigar-shaped, though the ends are much narrower than, say, a Montblanc 149. In fact, I might call the Furore “torpedo-shaped.”

The rose-gold trims are lovely and complement the purple perfectly. The clip has a tiny roller on it, making it easy to clip the pen onto a notebook or shirt pocket. Two rings adorn the cap and two more adorn the top and bottom of the barrel.

The pen is a cartridge/converter filler. Like other Leonardo pens, you can fill the converter by removing the blind cap on the bottom of the barrel so that it functions more like a piston.

Or, you can remove the barrel to expose the entire converter. I love Leonardo converters. They are well made and sturdy--far superior to the cheap plastic converters that come with so many other fountain pens.

The 14k rose-gold nib is glorious with the simple Leonardo branding and a generous 1.3mm stub.

The feed offers excellent ink flow, and the stub has nice line variation.

It’s a satisfying, smooth, wet nib.

I honestly can’t tell a difference between the gold stub nib and the steel stub I have on my Leonardo Momento Zero Hawaii. That’s how good the steel nibs are. I suppose the gold nib might have a little more give to it, but, frankly, if you are torn between gold and steel, I think the steel nibs are just as good as the gold.

I purchased my Leonardo Furore from Casa della Stilografica. You can get this pen in various trims--gold, rose gold, and HT (rhodium), and you can choose steel or 14k nibs. A Furore with a steel nib costs €145.90 (= $161.29 at current conversion rates) and the gold nib costs €309.24 (= $341.96 at current conversion rates). I highly recommend Casa della Stilografica. They have all the varieties of Leonardo pens (unlike many American dealers who have more limited options), plus, their customer service is top notch.

My Leonardo Furore in Deep Purple is one of my happy pens. What I mean by that is this is a pen that makes me happy when I look at it and even happier when I use it. It’s a color that delights me, and the stub nib suits my writing style perfectly.

(I purchased the Leonardo Furore in Deep Purple with my own funds.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!