(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
The Leonardo Momento Zero has been around since 2017, and I think it's safe to say it's been a hit. It's a vintage-inspired design that pays tribute to its Italian roots. On top of that, there are plenty of vibrant colorways to choose from.
I've had a chance to use the Leonardo Momento Zero Alga with silver trim recently, and there's certainly a lot to like about this pen. Let's get into it.
On the surface, the Momento Zero looks a bit like many other traditional fountain pen designs. The shape is well-balanced with both ends quickly tapering to a soft point. There's only one bit of branding on the pen, and that's a debossed Leonardo name and the unique number of the pen located on the back of the cap opposite the clip.
The clip is the same design that many of Leonardo's pens share. It's an elegant shape that compliments the pen shape, and the tip is a functional roller that makes it easy to attach and remove from fabric or other objects. There are three decorative silver bands at the base of the cap, as well as a couple of bands on the pen body that correspond to the connection points of the three pieces.
The material is acrylic resin and is shaped from a solid rod. The Alga colorway I chose is a mixture of deep and medium greens that give it an overall emerald look. It looks like the rods are made by combining many smaller square rods into one. Through turning the material into the final shape, the small rectangular pieces make the material look like it is striped and like the shape of the pen is faceted. The pen shape is definitely cylindrical, but I appreciate the optical illusion due to the unique materials. The combined color of the different greens with their mix of hues and lighter accents make this pen beautiful to me. Some of the materials are more transparent than others, which gives the pen a slightly luminescent quality.
The cap of the pen is secured with threads, and it's easy to use. The cap also comfortably posts on the back of the pen, though I don't like the balance of the pen for writing in this configuration. For me, it's the perfect balance without the cap attached.
It's a "standard" size fountain pen, so it's comfortable to hold when writing. The shape of the grip section is comfortable and provides a nice area to hold the pen regardless of your grip style.
The #6 JoWo nib is a perfect match the size of the pen, and the EF version in this pen works flawlessly. It's a fairly plain nib, but there is some decorative scroll work along with the nib size.
Moving into the pen, I was delighted to find a cartridge-converter included with the pen. The pen takes standard international short cartridges, but this converter is slightly longer than the typical international converter size. It also screws into the section so you don't have to worry about it shaking loose inside the body of the pen. At first, I thought the silver handle on the converter twist mechanism was purely decorative, but I soon discovered that this pen has a hidden feature.
Like any normal fountain pen, you unscrew the pen body from the section to get at the cartridge or converter. But, this pen also has a small blind cap at the end of the pen that unscrews from the pen body completely. When this piece is removed, it exposes about 0.25" (7mm) of the converter twist handle so you can make small adjustments without taking the pen apart. I've found that there isn't enough purchase to reliably operate the converter when filling the pen, but it's fine for a quick turn if you're trying to revive the ink flow after the pen has been sitting for a week or more. It's an intriguing feature, but I think it's more for show than for any real practicality. Still, it will definitely make it easy to clean the inside of the pen body if you ever have any internal ink accidents.
Finally, writing with this pen has been so pleasant. The shape of the grip, the length and balance of the pen, and the feel of the smooth acrylic material after it's warmed up in my hand make this is an excellent writing instrument for long writing sessions. The JoWo nib is smooth and delivers consistent, reliable ink flow. It's a fantastic pen that also has a unique design and beautiful materials. It's been at the top of my rotation lately.
Vanness carry the Momento Zero in a variety of colors — too many to list out, so be sure to browse the in-stock options to find the right colorway for you. Along with the colorway choices, you also have several nib choices from the standard EF-B sizes, but also a fun Elastic (Leonardo's name for flex nib available in EF or F) and a 1.5mm stub nib.
The normal price for the Momento Zero is $199, which I think is more than fair given the materials, build quality, and exceptional writing experience. At the time of this review, the Alga with silver trim model featured here is on sale for $159. I'm happy to recommend the pen at either price point.
(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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