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.

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:

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...

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... 

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

RE-REVIEW: LEONARDO MOMENTO ZERO GRANDE (2020) FOUNTAIN PEN

It's of course no secret that I've been enjoying Leonardo pens quite a bit in the last year, maybe even a bit too much! As if they're made from catnip, I found myself strongly drawn towards almost every new pen they released in the past twelve months... and they released A LOT of new pens, mind you! A consistent personal favorite among all those new creations has been the Momento Zero Grande, as well as all the special editions based on this model. I already reviewed the MZ Grande once, back in 2019 when it first came out (review HERE). However, shortly after,  in 2020, the MZ Grande already went through a bit of an update. 

In a - futile - attempt to somewhat keep up with the ruthless pace of new Leonardo releases, I'll be covering the changes that were made in the Leonardo Momento Zero Grande '2020 model', and in two follow-up posts, we'll highlight some hot off the press colorways, as well as the new #8 nib version - So stay tuned for a proper Leonardo overdose in the coming days! 

Before we start though, I'd like to thank Salvatore Matrone - owner of Leonardo Officina Italiana - for being a true enabler, sending a lot of new creations over for me to try! Needless to say, barely any pens made it back to Italy and my Leonardo collection expanded quite a bit in the process of writing these reviews (with my wallet in the background, crying for help!).

Putting the 'old' and 'new' side by side, what has actually changed about the Momento Zero Grande? Four vibrant new colorways entered the standard collection, replacing the mostly darker materials of the original release. The one shown here is the 'Luna Rossa' acrylic, a beautiful red flecked material that's quite beautiful and by far the least 'flashy' of the new colors. But besides that, the differences are admittedly quite subtle. Especially in terms of design, you're looking at an almost identical pen. 

However, the one subtle aesthetic change does manage to alter the looks of the pen a bit IMHO: gone is the vintage-looking 'step' on the cap lip. The new cap design still transitions almost seamlessly into the barrel, but now with a straight taper. Admittedly, it's not the worlds' most exciting change, though the new, more streamlined design does make the MZ Grande tie in a bit better with the shape of the standard Momento Zero.

The major change of the MZ Grande 2020, is one you won't see from the outside! The inside of the pen was reworked entirely, and the MZ Grande meant the first real foray for Leonardo into creating 'true' piston-filled fountain pens. While the original Grande already came with a special, large capacity captured converter, operable from the blind cap on the back of the barrel, this custom piston mechanism adds a filling system that's often perceived as more 'luxurious' - a feature you might come to expect on a pen that does cost close to 300$. The mechanism is all-metal, so longevity shouldn't be a concern. The change to a piston mechanism brings an even larger ink capacity (1.5mL vs. 1.2mL). Though as a trade-off, it takes away the possibility to check the ink level, since there is no ink window. 

Despite the change in filling mechanism, the barrel design didn't change at all

A minor detail about the piston mechanism that might annoy some users, is that the piston knob doesn't tighten extremely securely against the barrel. While it coming loose won't cause accidental ink spills, it is indeed a bit of a pet peeve and it'd be nice if they found a way to improve on it. (Perhaps an idea for the 2021 version, Salvatore?)

L to R: Pelikan M805, Leonardo Momento Zero, Furore Grande, Momento Zero  Grande 2020, MZ Grande (2019), Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000

As I already mentioned, the Momento Zero Grande didn't really change much design-wise, so the dimensions all pretty much hold true. While the Furore Grande (reviewed HERE) is now the biggest pen in Leonardo's product lineup, the Furore's streamlined profile doesn't quite convey the imposing stature like the bulkier MZ Grande - though both are of course massive pens without a doubt!

On paper, the MZ Grande measures 15.1cm/ 5.595" capped, and 13.6cm/ 5.36" uncapped. In the hand, those numbers translate to a pen worth every part of its 'Grande' nametag. The attentive reader will notice that the 2020 measures one whole millimeter taller than the old version... though that's negligible, of course. Weighing in at 30 grams - 5 grams less than the previous version, despite the all-metal piston mechanism! - the 2020 version gets rid of the slightly back-weighted balance, which only adds to the comfort of an already comfortable pen.

Under the cap, the section shape remains the same. That's to say: a slightly quirky two-step taper, which isn't as weird in the hand as it looks, though I understand that it might not appeal to everyone. (a good friend of mine - you know who you are - actually doesn't own a Leonardo solely because of the section!) The step towards the barrel also remains present. Though just like before, I find that the rounded-off metal ring creates a rather comfortable transition that doesn't interfere with my grip too much.

Left the 'old' Bock nib, right the new nib from JoWo

While Leonardo started out using Bock nibs exclusively, they gradually made the change towards JoWo. The release of the MZ Grande 2020 was caught in the middle of that change, and so it could be that you either got a Bock or a JoWo nib. In 2021, we should be seeing exclusively JoWo nibs, though I don't know if that's already the case. I own both, and across the (too) many Leonardo pens I own, I've only had maybe one or two behave slightly subpar out of the box. Other than the odd exception, both the Bock and JoWo nibs are fabulous writers - in no small part due to the in-house made ebonite feeds that provide a rather heavy, juicy ink flow. 

Don't take my word for it when I say the Leonardo Momento Zero Grande 2020 is a fantastic pen - I'm a fanboy and I cannot lie. Instead, I think it's quite telling how Leonardo managed to become one of the hippest and trendiest pen brands of the moment on such short notice... they must be doing something right. Right? 

It's nice to see that the inclusion of a piston mechanism didn't drive up the price. As before, the Momento Zero Grande still retails for 295€/ 295$ without VAT (at Site Sponsor Casa Della Stilografica, use discount code 'Firenze' for 10% off!). While that certainly makes the Grande a step up from the rather accessible regular Momento Zero, you do get some worthwhile 'upgrades' for the premium(the ebonite feed and piston mechanism), which the regular version doesn't have. I also just really enjoy the large, oversized footprint, though that's of course a very personal preference!

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.

REVIEW: LEONARDO MOMENTO ZERO GRANDE FOUNTAIN PEN

So if you've been following along recently, you may have caught me raving once or twice about the Leonardo Momento Zero Grande on social media and in my recent Holiday Gift Guide. The Grande simply ticks a lot of boxes for me, and -IMHO- improves on the regular (and widely popular) Momento Zero (reviewed HERE).

You see, the Momento Zero is already a great pen in its own respect. It offers a fantastic design (heavily inspired by one of my all-time favorite brands: Delta), spot-on build quality and well-tuned Bock nibs. All that for a price that's pretty uncommon for Italian pens. I expected the Grande to be more of the same only in a slightly larger overall footprint. In reality, they managed to exceed my expectations in almost every way, almost...

The Grande doesn't strike me as a massive pen, but next to a regular MZ the size difference is hard to ignore

Where to start? Well, the Grande obviously grew a bit, almost a full centimeter over the Momento Zero. Oddly enough, for the massive oversized pen it is, it never strikes me as one. The larger size is best appreciated when both Momento Zero models are put side-to-side. It easily dwarfs several considerably large pens like the Montblanc 149. At 15cm/ 5.9" closed and 13.5cm/ 5.3" uncapped, it's bigger than a Montblanc 149 and it's almost as wide. The Grande is a few millimeters wider than the regular MZ, but not quite as girthy as the 149. The fully metal captured converter adds a good bit of weight to the Grande, at 35 grams it's even heavier than the Montblanc.

L to R: Pelikan M805, Edison Beaumont, Leonardo Momento Zero, Leonardo Momento Zero Grande, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000

The section is also a bit longer and girthier than that of the regular Momento Zero, but the difference is rather minimal. It still has that unusual but remarkably comfortable shape, and now bears a decorative metal ring at the edge (Salvatore told me it's made from plated stainless steel, so it should not corrode over time).

So it's bigger, but the design is still unmistakably Momento Zero-ish. The clip is smaller and slimmer (an unusual choice for a larger pen, but it looks quite striking). The cap now has three decorative rings, although to be fair some regular MZ's already had that too.

The Grande comes standard in five new stunning resins. You may have noticed that the pen Leonardo sent me to review is the 'Coffee' resin, but has gold trims. This caught me off-guard initially, as none of the Grande are sold as such. A few messages with Salvatore made it clear that, while they don't offer every trim as a standard option, they can make them on request.

The most noticeable design change that the Grande received, is that the cap now sits flush against the barrel because of the pinch near the edge. A minute detail that strikes me as a very 'Italian-esque' - you may have seen it on some Omas pens before. The flipside of the seamless transition from barrel to cap is that it makes the step from barrel to section a bit larger. Admittedly, it's a minute difference. But in terms of comfort, the step is ever-so-slightly more noticeable in the hand. Luckily the metal ring right behind the section is nicely rounded to help ease the transition.

The filling system is a bit of an oddball. The cartridge/converter system makes way for an integrated converter that cannot be removed. It's well-made -as is the regular converter on the other models- with metal parts that are engraved with a nice greek-key motif and the Leonardo logo. At well over one mL (Most websites state 1.2 mL, but I can't seem to get that yield), the ink capacity takes a considerable leap over a standard international converter (0.8~ish mL) but still falls short of 'true' piston fillers like the Pelikan M800 (2 mL).

Now here's the thing: I don't like that you cannot (or should not) remove the converter. I think they should've just called it a piston-filler (in many ways, it IS) and sealed the barrel shut so you can only fill it from the blind cap at the back of the pen. Now it still looks and feels like an 'inferior' converter-filled pen, but without the possibility of removing the converter or using cartridges. A bit nitpicky, I know... but in terms of value proposition, a 300$ piston filler sounds like a better deal to me.

The nib is again Bock-made with Leonardo's own custom laser-etched imprint. This one is again different from previous models, with a subtle line etched along the tines. I don't quite understand why each Leonardo model so far has received a slightly different nib design, making it difficult to swap nibs between pens, but oh well...

The nib rests on an ebonite feed, something usually reserved for higher-end pens only. The steel nib noticeably benefits from the custom feed, which provides a wet and steady flow of ink. Whereas the regular MZ seemed a bit prone to drying out, the Grande does not seem to dry out much at all (even after weeks of not being used). The EF steel nib is fantastic. That's to say, I wouldn't exactly describe it as an extra fine. But the -relatively- fine line it puts down, it puts down very well. The flow is wet, and the nib is superbly smooth and responsive.

The Momento Zero Grande improves on a pen that didn't really need improvement to begin with. I'm fairly certain the regular Momento Zero will continue to provide everything most users need, but the larger size and small-but-noticeable upgrades of the Grande make it a slightly more refined pen overall. Especially if you prefer larger pens, it will definitely be up your alley.

The price is high, at around 295€ (270$), it's twice that of the regular MZ. Add a gold nib (+200$), and it puts up a fair fight against similarly priced pens like the Pelikan Souverän M800. That being said, I'm quite strongly convinced that you get your money's worth.

NOTE: This product was provided 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.