REVIEW: LEONARDO MOMENTO ZERO GRANDE #8 NIB FOUNTAIN PEN

Flecks of green, orange AND blue? A wild color choice for someone like me. But oh my, just look at it!

How to make a great pen even greater? That's the question Leonardo must've been pondering on. And the answer, as it turns out, is simple: just make it physically 'greater'!

Ok, to be fair, it's not that the MZ Grande #8 is effectively a better pen than the regular versions. It's just different, and it's - yet another - choice in the stables of Leonardo. So obviously I think it's warranted to take a closer at this specific version as well! Once again, a quick thank you to Leonardo Officina Italiana, for making this review possible!

To be clear, the #8 is close to identical to the regular Momento Zero Grande (reviewed HERE), and you can get them in the same material options of the regular collection (this particular one is the wild, but lovely, 'Girasole'!) the difference is all about the nib (as you'd expect). While I've never found the #6 nibs on the Leonardo Momento Zero Grande to look particularly out of place (In part because the strong taper of the section transitions quite naturally into the #6-sized nibs), a pen as large as the MZ Grande undoubtedly makes an excellent candidate for a #8 nib transplant. 

Identical, other than the slightly larger cap

The nib isn't the only aspect of the new MZ Grande #8 that is physically greater than the standard #6 version, the pen itself also grew a bit! The change in size is all in the cap, to accommodate for the substantially larger nib, of course. The slightly stretched-out cap doesn't really make the proportions of the pen feel off, though I do think the cap does have a slightly chunkier look and feel. The difference is quite minimal though, I feel like you really have to put both versions side by side to really see which is which. 

L to R: Pelikan M1005, Montblanc 149, Leonardo MZ Grande, Furore Grande, MZ Grande #8, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000

The Leonardo Momento Zero Grande #8 measures 15.4 cm/ 6.06" capped - 3 mm longer than the regular version of the MZ Grande - but is otherwise identical to the regular version of the MZ Grande (check my previous review HERE, for the full specs!). If the MZ Grande wasn't a large enough pen, this #8-nibbed behemoth surely will be enough? It's hard to really grasp the scale of these pens until you put them next to a Pelikan M1000 or Montblanc 149, both of which are absolutely dwarfed in the comparison.

Comfort-wise (looking at this mainly in function of how comfort changes with the #8 nib, because it's otherwise identical to the normal #6-nibbed version), I sometimes feel like I have less control over large #8-sized nibs because of the distance between your grip and the paper. However, the MZ Grande #8 handles the large nib quite well because the shape of the section naturally puts your grip quite close to the nib. 

The #8 nib is a standard-issue 14k (only gold nibs available for the #8 size!) example from the stables of Bock (despite Leonardo's recent switch to JoWo nibs for all their other nibs). The engraved details remain the same from the #6 nibs, and I find the way these nibs aren't over-decorated - just the Leonardo logo front and center - quite pleasant. 

The 14k fine nib balances very well between smoothness and subtle feedback, and is an enjoyable and responsive writer because of that. The massive nib rests on an equally massive ebonite feed - I believe also made in-house by Leonardo? - which once again provides ample flow. Especially for this fine nib, the feed easily manages to keep up of course. Depending on your preferences, the ink flow can certainly be seen as overwhelming, probably not ideal for everyday writing (I'm looking at you, crappy office paper!). 

The fine nib runs on the wider side of a western fine, close to medium, which is to be expected by to the rich ink flow and inherent softness of this large nib. Talking about softness: the #8 nib does provide a noticeably cushioned, soft writing feel, but it's clearly not aimed at line variation. You can coax some wider lines out of it with slight pressure, but I wouldn't recommend taking the risk, as you could spring it if you're not careful.

Large nibs carry an inherent large premium, and the Leonardo Momento Zero Grande #8 unfortunately isn't any different in that regard. The #8 will set you back around 660€ / 645$ (The #8 is available only on special order through most retailers, like Casa Della Stilografica! Use discount code 'Firenze' for 10% off!) Though that does net you a 14k nib (no other nib materials are available in the #8 size), it's still a rather hefty 160€ premium over the 500€ of the 14k gold #6 nib version! That's substantial, and to be honest, the choice totally boils down to a personal preference (is the #8 nib worth it for you?). Functionally, you'll be fine with either of the two (heck, even the steel nibs are pretty great writers!).

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.