Thursday, January 21, 2021

REVIEW: TIBALDI BONONIA FOUNTAIN PEN

REVIEW: TIBALDI BONONIA FOUNTAIN PEN

In my first post of 2021 - 2020's year roundup of my favorite products - I highlighted Tibaldi as one of my favorite discoveries that entered the playing field. The pens I've tried from them so far (The Perfecta I reviewed HERE, and the N.60 I reviewed HERE) have demonstrated their ability to create modern, fresh designs that still hold a strong tie with their vintage predecessors.

When I first saw product shots for their latest pen, the Tibaldi Bononia, I was very excited to get my hands on one. Although not so much for their characterful vintage reimagination, but instead for the fantastic material they put front and center with this release. My thanks go out to Tibaldi for sending this pen my way to check out!
REVIEW: TIBALDI BONONIA FOUNTAIN PEN
Left the Leonardo Furore, right the Tibaldi Bononia
The Bononia is, once again, based on a pen from one of Tibaldi's previous lifetimes, and resemblance with the original Bononia from the '90s is indeed striking. While the Bononia (which is Latin for Bologna) follows a vintage design language - especially with the triple decorative cap bands - it doesn't quite have the same distinct, and old-school looks that set the Perfecta or N.60 apart. The streamlined torpedo shape of the Bononia isn't too uncommon to see from other brands (notably, its closest competitor, the Leonardo Furore!), but that doesn't make it any less of a good-looking pen of course. With fairly little decoration, the trim on the cap edge and the tie-shaped clip are the only elements that take your eye away from the main focus of this pen: the material!
REVIEW: TIBALDI BONONIA FOUNTAIN PEN
Tibaldi chose two 'spaghetti resin' colorways that I hadn't seen before, and they're just absolutely stunning. This Martini Olive green is probably my absolute favorite of the spaghetti resins I've seen so far, even topping the - also stunning - Hawaii resins. The material is dark and subtle for the most part, with slices of bright, pearlescent green and white and some almost brown-ish hues. I'd even dare to say that the stark contrast, especially with the black acrylic layers in between the strips of green, actually comes very close to Arco celluloid. 

On the other hand, the red Seashell Mist (the name really doesn't match the material IMHO) is vibrant and bright, with an almost candy-like appearance! There's also a simple black resin version - which does align well with Tibaldi's business-chic style - but I wouldn't say it's the color I'd choose here (and that's coming from someone who does tend to more subtle color palettes!). 
REVIEW: TIBALDI BONONIA FOUNTAIN PEN
The Tibaldi branding is engraved in a large, modern font above the cap bands. The engravings don't really stand out or distract from the overall clean looks of the pen.
REVIEW: TIBALDI BONONIA FOUNTAIN PEN
The tie-shaped clip that we already saw on the N.60, makes a return on the Bononia. While I quite enjoy the design of the clip, functionality isn't its strong suit - as was the case on the N.60. It just sits too close against the cap to actually slide something underneath, instead, the tip of the clip will just catch on whatever fabric you'll try to attach it to (unless, perhaps, the fabric is very thin). If they made the clip a bit less low-profile, that would probably make a world of difference in terms of usability.
REVIEW: TIBALDI BONONIA FOUNTAIN PEN
REVIEW: TIBALDI BONONIA FOUNTAIN PEN
L to R: Edison Collier, Montblanc 149, Leonardo Furore, Tibaldi Bononia, Lamy 2000, Lamy Safari
Just like the Tibaldi N.60, the Bononia has all the elements to make a comfortable writer. It's a large pen on the outside. With its 14.6 cm/ 5.75" (capped), it sticks out above the Leonardo Furore and Montblanc 149 by just a few mm. While comfortable in size for my hand, the uncapped Bononia is surprisingly not quite as large as the closed dimensions might suggest, at a fairly average 12.9 cm/ 5.06". 

The design of the Bononia allows for a section that transitions almost seamlessly into the barrel, with only the threads in the way of your grip. The edge of the threads is slightly noticeable, but the threads themselves are shallow and disappear in your grip. The section itself is short but has a comfortable shape and diameter. It tapers down subtly from a generous 12.3 mm to 11.5 mm, before flaring out slightly. The Bononia is a fairly lightweight pen, just 24g in total, due to the all-acrylic construction. The metal threads of the section don't add any perceptible weight but do shift the balance slightly towards the front. The cap posts fairly well and transforms it into a large but not particularly unwieldy pen.
REVIEW: TIBALDI BONONIA FOUNTAIN PEN
Build quality has been excellent on all Tibaldi pens I've tried so far, and the Bononia is no different. The entire pen feels solid and robust, fit and finish are top-notch, the cap lip is nicely rounded off, threads are smooth, etc. In this price range, there are competitors that come with more intriguing filling systems, but frankly, I have very little against the practicality of a simple cartridge/converter-filled pen like this. 
REVIEW: TIBALDI BONONIA FOUNTAIN PEN
The first two Tibaldi's I tried, were both quite capable writers, so that set the bar rather high. This time, I went for the BB nib (steel) on the Bononia, since that's a size you don't often come across as a stock offering. While the ebonite feed is once again a perfectly capable piece of the puzzle, the nib itself unfortunately didn't blow me away. The tines needed some realignment, as it wrote rather scratchy out of the box. Alignment issues aside, I was most disappointed by the line width, which isn't noticeably wider than any regular western broad nib. 
REVIEW: TIBALDI BONONIA FOUNTAIN PEN
I continue to appreciate what Tibaldi is doing, faithfully reincarnating pens from their rich company history. Even though the Bononia is perhaps a bit less distinctive or recognizable (compared to the Tibaldis I previously tested) it easily manages to captivate with two stunning material options, and an overall sleek and comfortable design with a vintage flair. Tibaldi has proven by now that they know how to present a very well made and smart-looking pen, which makes it all the more unfortunate that the nib on this particular pen didn't manage to live up to the expectation. 

At 195€ (at our site sponsor Casa Della Stilografica), the Bononia hovers around the same price as the Tibaldi Perfecta and N.60, and comparable offerings from other Italian brands like Leonardo or Maiora.

Note: This product was provided by Tibaldi, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affiliate links.
REVIEW: TIBALDI BONONIA FOUNTAIN PEN

2 comments:

  1. Nice review, thanks. I have the same - Martini Olive in BB - and it's so smooth, light and beautiful and such a gorgeous resin.

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    1. Good to know that your BB is much better! There's akways a chance for a less-than-perfect nib, and I guess I found one. The resin is indeed spectacular!

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