Monday, February 15, 2021

QUICK LOOK: LEONARDO MOMENTO ZERO GRANDE PURA FOUNTAIN PEN

QUICK LOOK: LEONARDO MOMENTO ZERO GRANDE PURA FOUNTAIN PEN
Yesterday we took a look at the Momento Zero Grande 2020 (review HERE) from Leonardo Officina Italiana, and today I have somewhat of a world-premiere (nothing short of a miracle, given how terribly slow I usually am at publishing reviews!): a first quick look at the all-new Leonardo MZ Grande 'Pura' collection! If you follow Leonardo on Instagram, you may have already caught a glimpse of the Pura in his stories. It certainly didn't get past me unnoticed!

I'll let the photos do most of the talking here, but there are three simple reasons why I'm so excited about this new colorway:
QUICK LOOK: LEONARDO MOMENTO ZERO GRANDE PURA FOUNTAIN PEN
The - now sold out - Stilo&Stile Frosted special edition
1) A few months ago I purchased the Stilo&Stile x Leonardo Momento Zero Grande 'Frosted' - a clear frosted demonstrator - and couldn't help but wonder how cool this would look in colored demonstrator finishes...
QUICK LOOK: LEONARDO MOMENTO ZERO GRANDE PURA FOUNTAIN PEN
2) Since the newly introduced colorways for the MZ Grande 2020 collection focused strongly on bright and colorful materials (with the 'Primary Manipulation' collaborations with Jonathon Brooks being a highlight for many people!)... a more muted, simple, black pen was still missing from the lineup... 
QUICK LOOK: LEONARDO MOMENTO ZERO GRANDE PURA FOUNTAIN PEN
3) As much as I like 'subtle' black pens, the Pura also comes in orange - YES PLEASE! Especially in the version with sleek, black-coated ruthenium trims and nib, this is a winner in my book.
QUICK LOOK: LEONARDO MOMENTO ZERO GRANDE PURA FOUNTAIN PEN
Lastly, a translucent blue colorway completes the set. Although I'm obviously most drawn towards the black/grey and orange colors, the blue one is quite nice too. They make for a nice set, and I wouldn't be surprised if we'd see more experimenting with different colors in the future (what about a green or red Pura, or pink?) 

All Pura pens are finished with a satin-matte (sandblasted?) surface treatment. The finish feels smooth to the touch, almost soft, in a weirdly satisfying way. The frosted effect seems to be applied on both the outside and inside of the pen, for a consistent look across the entire pen. As with any matte finish, I do expect these pens to gradually become shinier with long-term use, so 'buyer beware' if you're not a fan of wabi-sabi.
QUICK LOOK: LEONARDO MOMENTO ZERO GRANDE PURA FOUNTAIN PEN
QUICK LOOK: LEONARDO MOMENTO ZERO GRANDE PURA FOUNTAIN PEN
The Pura pens also offers quite a bit of variety in terms of trim options. Of course, there are the usual rhodium and gold-plated options, but you can also go for black ruthenium trims for an ultra-sleek look, which is a first on the Momento Zero Grande. As I already mentioned, I really like the combo of orange+ruthenium, but also on the black version, it looks really cool. 

Because the pens are completely translucent, the trim option strongly impacts the overall looks of the Pura. The rhodium trims accentuate the color of the acrylic, while the black trims make it appear more muted and darker overall. The gold trims, on the other hand, emphasize the classic Italian design elements on - what I think is - a predominantly modern-looking set of pens. 
QUICK LOOK: LEONARDO MOMENTO ZERO GRANDE PURA FOUNTAIN PEN
The translucent acrylics offer a somewhat rare opportunity to see the innards of the Momento Zero. In my review of the MZ Grande 2020 yesterday, I mentioned that having an ink window is not an option on the standard lineup... well this is your chance if you DO like to see approximately how much ink is left. 

Of course, the risk of a  translucent material is that it will also show the slightest imperfection or finish inconsistency. For the most part though, that's not really an issue, as the finish is consistent and even across the entire pen and construction seems precise. Though if you're really picky, a few areas inside the cap show light machining marks, and around the three cap rings (which are glued in place) the glue is ever-so-slightly visible.
QUICK LOOK: LEONARDO MOMENTO ZERO GRANDE PURA FOUNTAIN PEN
I think the Leonardo Momento Zero Pura offers a nice change from the usual multi-colored, complex acrylics that Leonardo uses for most of their pens. The monotone, demonstrator aesthetic is a nice change of pace, and especially the black demonstrator offers something for those that want a more subdued, business-appropriate pen. 

The Pura collection is bound to release soon. Going by previous pricing of other MZ Grande editions, I expect the MZ Grande Pura to hit the same MSRP of 295€/ 295$ without VAT (at Site Sponsor Casa Della Stilografica, use discount code 'Firenze' for 10% off!). The Pura collection will be part of the standard offering for at least the course of 2021.

NOTE: I received a discount on the purchase of this product by Leonardo Officina Italiana, 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.
QUICK LOOK: LEONARDO MOMENTO ZERO GRANDE PURA FOUNTAIN PEN

4 comments:

  1. Looks like the list price will be $356.

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    1. I always list the price from the retailer mentioned, which is 242€ without VAT, which translates to 295$ outside EU.

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  2. Beautiful pen. I pre-ordered the aqua blue, as they aren't shipping til mid March, they are selling out quickly. I purchased the last blue from my seller.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, I was impressed by the response on the Pura when they launched! I obviously personally like them, but I didn't expect them to get so hyped straight away, as there are already so many other nice color options available!

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