REVIEW: MONTEGRAPPA ZERO CARAMEL FOUNTAIN PEN

If you recall my review of the Montegrappa Zero a couple weeks ago, you'll know that I'm quite a big fan of this new(er) model. Even more so, I think it's one of the better pens Montegrappa has released in recent years, despite looking pretty nondescript and maybe plain from a distance. Perhaps the Zero's apparent normalcy is Montegrappa's biggest achievement of all - It certainly is quite a departure from the eccentricity and bling you'd usually expect from them!

A short recap of the Zero: A straight, modern design with bulky and prominent bronze trims, beveled edges all around, contrasting and crisp brushed finishes, and as the - almost literal - cherry on top a sapphire-glass inlay in the cap finial that holds the Montegrappa logo. It's basically a watch but reincarnated in pen-shape, and yet all these unique details are hidden in plain sight - nothing feels excessive, out of place, or try-hard. 

Today we're looking at a different version of the Zero, this is the Montegrappa Zero Caramel, a US regional exclusive designed by US distributor Kenro. Luckily they were kind enough to send one across the pond for me to check out! 

Let's start with the elephant in the room: While the black/ruthenium version of the Zero fell straight under the 'modern and sleek' category, the Zero Caramel is an attention-grabber, to say the least. In watch equivalents, I think it would be a solid-gold Rolex. A bit gaudy, but you kinda want it anyway. That being said, while I certainly wouldn't ever actually buy a gold watch, the Caramel speaks to me in a way not too many flashy pens do. 

The Caramel gets its name from the unique Montegrappite resin used for this particular pen, and it's befitting for sure: streaks of white, yellow and golden, caramel brown run along the length of the pen, and create a sense of depth and texture (a bit of transparency, too) that I simply haven't seen very often before on an acrylic pen (I think it's best compared to Jonathon Brooks' Primary Manipulation, but more linear and with much finer and more delicate 'texture' inside the cast). I already was a fan of Montegrappite with the MIA Meteor Shower (review HERE), and the Caramel manages to live up to the expectation again. Personally, I find the Meteor Storm has a slightly more striking color palate (I tend to like darker, more muted colorways of course), but this Caramel certainly is nothing to scoff at!

For me, more so than caramel candy, the Zero Caramel reminds me of Mille-Feuille pastry. Both in color and the texture of the many layers of pastry goodness. Especially in the finials of the Zero, where the material is displayed at its best, you can clearly see the many thin streaks of colored resin that make up the Montegrappite.

Completely off-topic, but one of the major reasons why I especially like to deal with Kenro (and their daughter-brand Esterbrook) for reviews like this one, is their incredibly friendly and professional attitude, and not in the least their openness to criticism. As you can imagine, creating content involves a lot of back and forth with brands and pen stores, and there's an immense variation in the type of interactions you come across. Brands like Kenro are the kind of PR interactions I want to see, I think they reflect quite strongly their customer service and engagement in the community. Case-in-point: the Caramel pen they sent me had a crack in the cap upon arrival. Barely noticeable to the naked eye (and my camera), but it cracked right at the clip fixture, the thinnest, most fragile part of the cap. Kenro dealt with this swiftly though, and exchanged the pen straight away. 

Platinum #3776, Montegrappa MIA, Montegrappa Zero, Montegrappa Zero Caramel, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000

For the full specs and size comparison of the Montegrappa Zero, I'd like to redirect you to my review of the regular Montegrappa Zero (HERE). You'll find all the technical information over there. For now, I'll just keep it at this: the Zero is a very comfortable pick for an everyday writer.

Still one of the best nib designs out there?

The nib is again, of course, a JoWo-made slab of steel, but gold-plated for the occasion. A solid 14k gold nib (with identical design) is also available. The gold nib adds a healthy premium over the already steep base price of the Zero - more on that later - and I find the steel JoWo nibs to perform just fine. The medium nib on my particular pen is downright excellent. It lays down a fairly wet, true-to-size western medium line, and writes consistently as I expect from JoWo. I can't help but feel like Montegrappa's JoWo nibs always tend to have a slight hint of - pleasant! - feedback to them, more so than other JoWo nibs... but it could also be my brain playing tricks with me, associating it with the old writing feel of Montegrappa's steel nibs?

Pricing... Well, I knew the Montegrappa Zero isn't a cheap pen, but I was still caught a bit off guard when I checked the Kenro website: the Montegrappa Zero Caramel has an MSRP of 495$ (695$ with the gold nib)! While retail prices vary (quite strongly) between 400 and 475$. Especially around the 400$ mark, that's more or less in line with what these pens cost in Europe. But even at that low-end of what the prices seem to fluctuate between, it's still without a doubt a very hefty price for a pen with a steel nib. 

I've praised the Zero before, and I'll do that again here. I still think it's a fantastic, and different design from Montegrappa. And especially this Caramel exclusive edition from Kenro is another fantastic showcase of Montegrappite resin! But to say that this is not an impulse buy... would be an understatement for sure. 

NOTE: This product was provided by Kenro, 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 contains affiliate links.

REVIEW: MONTEGRAPPA ZERO FOUNTAIN PEN

I was very excited about the Montegrappa Zero when it was first announced. Not in the least because it's the second pen Montegrappa has made available through their Configuratore platform (I appreciate how Montegrappa's Custom pens offer something completely unique in the pen industry!). But even in this off-the-shelf black/ruthenium colorway, I think it's a fantastic pen - one of my favorite designs so far, from the people in Bassano Del Grappa (The hometown of Montegrappa). 

From a distance, you'd be excused for thinking the Zero is a boring, normal pen. It's eerily normal, even, coming from the creators of the Chaos pen (and many other over-the-top designs). But there's more to the Zero than it lets off. Look closely, and the Zero actually has so many small details, it's really quite beautifully designed! The inspiration is clearly drawn from watch design, with an interplay of brushed and polished surfaces and beveled edges everywhere. 

The cap finial is a 3D Montegrappa logo, inset in a watch-like bezel, and topped off with sapphire glass - great attention to detail. Oh, and the metal trims on the Zero are machined from Br8 bronze, an alloy that's - you guessed it - popular in watchmaking!

Other than that, the Zero is indeed nothing too outrageous. It's a pretty sleek, modern design for Montegrappa, especially in this gunmetal and black finish (there's also an even more murdered-out 'Ultra Black' finish). The cap is straight, and the barrel tapers down gradually towards the back to allow for the cap to post. Trim rings are thick and prominent parts in the design, both on the finials, and the center band. The clip is rectangular, again with nicely beveled edges, and the Montegrappa logo engraved in cursive. The Zero perhaps looks a bit clunky from a distance, but the details are definitely there.

L to R: Platinum #3776, Leonardo Momento Zero, Pelikan M805, Montegrappa Zero, Tibaldi Perfecta, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000

The Zero is a decently sized pen, a bit larger than - but overall comparable to - the Pelikan M800. It measures 14.3 cm/ 5.63" capped, and 12.9 cm/ 5.08" uncapped. The section has a comfortable diameter of around 10.5 mm/ 0.41". The zero weighs 32 grams in total, giving it just the right amount of substance, without being heavy. The barrel is tapered specifically to allow the cap to post, and it does so very securely (the inside of the cap has a plastic liner and threads, so it doesn't feel like you're damaging the barrel when you post. That being said, I don't really like the way the Zero balances in the hand with the cap posted. I don't know why, I just find it much more comfortable and balanced unposted, but maybe that's just me.

The metal block threads are crisp and cleanly cut, and received the same beveled edges and brushed finish as the rest of the trim - they certainly went out of their way to create a very uniform and coherent design down to even the smallest details. While the threads are certainly a bit sharper than on most Montegrappa pens (which are typically rounded off and buttery smooth!), you'll only notice that when you deliberately run your finger over them. While writing, the threads are unobtrusive, and actually offer a comfortable and gradual transition from section to the barrel. 

Montegrappa has always had great nib designs, but now the JoWo-made writing end also performs the part

The Zero, like all other Montegrappa pens these days, carries a Jowo-made nib (this one is steel, but a gold nib is available at a hefty 200€ premium). The fine nib seems to have a more balanced ink flow than some other Montegrappa pens I've tried recently, but that's not a bad thing. 

I find JoWo's finer end of the spectrum tends to have a bit more noticeable feedback, but it's certainly not nearly as pronounced as on Montegrappa's old nibs (which were dry and borderline scratchy). Overall, this fine nib is a very pleasant, balanced everyday writer. I've said it in every Montegrappa review I recently did, but I'll repeat it once more: Montegrappa's switch to JoWo has significantly bumped up the writing performance of their steel-nibbed pens! 

I've been thoroughly impressed with some of Montegrappa's more recent offerings (the highlight definitely being the Mia Meteor Storm, that I reviewed not so long ago!), and the Zero positions itself firmly at the top of my list. It's a distinctly more modern design than what we're used to from Montegrappa, but they made it their own by going all out on the small details - it's like a fine watch, but instead of telling the time, you can write with it. 

Also, like fine watches, the Zero isn't cheap - 350€/ 408$ (at Appelboom) is what you'll pay for a version like this, but of course, the cost can creep up when you start playing around with the Configuratore. That may make it a tough sell against the excellent MIA, but I'd still pick the Zero over Montegrappa's more affordable offerings like the Elmo (reviewed HERE) or Parola, any day of the week!

Note: This product was sent on loan by our site sponsor Appelboom, 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 PERFECTA FOUNTAIN PEN

A new brand today... Or well, not really. Tibaldi is of course no new name to the market, with a long history in pen making (well over a century, in fact!). The brand went under in the sixties, then dabbled around until 2001 (with the most notable pen in that second period without a doubt being the illustrious Tibaldi Impero!), and ultimately was picked up by Montegrappa somewhere in 2004. Montegrappa initially used the Tibaldi name for extremely high-end limited editions, and maybe most notably for collaborations with Bentley and Bugatti... not that those were really all that memorable considering the price, in my opinion. But now, out of nowhere, Montegrappa has seemingly rebranded the Tibaldi name and given it a proper focus on modern and trendy luxury pens, watches and accessories at a more reasonable mid-tiered price point. All of a sudden, Tibaldi became interesting again!

I've got two Tibaldi pen reviews in the pipeline for you (of three - soon four - models in total right now), and right off the bat, I can tell you that these are pretty nice pens! We'll start with perhaps the pen that intrigued me most: the Tibaldi Perfecta! As soon as I saw this pen on Stilografica's website, I knew I had to give it a go, so thanks to the kind folks at Stilografica for making that possible!

If anything, I think the current Tibaldi incarnation has a very clear path ahead of them, of what they want to do and how they want to do it. Their stylistic, fresh-but-also-classic design approach shines through even in the packaging. It's just cardboard, really, so it's nothing overly fancy. And yet it's still solid, hefty and flawlessly finished with a fun geometric print on the sides and a bright orange paper outer sleeve. It's probably silly to be impressed by a cardboard box, but in this case I am.

Anyway, on to the pen! The Tibaldi Perfecta is a slightly smaller pen, taking strong design cues from the hugely popular safety pens of the early 1900s, a design style that's also the basis for the very popular - and now sadly long sold-out - Montblanc Heritage 1912. In contrast to the MB 1912 though, the Perfecta only inspired its superficial design from the safety pen. Underneath the surface, it's a modern cartridge converter-filled pen, and lacks the retractable nib mechanism that the 1912 is known for (even though it appears as if the Perfecta's barrel ends in an actual turning knob - but it does not!). The Perfecta comes in two colorways: this sleek all-black version, and an even more vintage-inspired version with a contrasting beige/black flecked acrylic for the cap!

Even though you don't actually get a safety pen out of the Tibaldi Perfecta, I still very much appreciate its' design! It certainly does feel vintage-inspired, and yet it also takes a rather minimal approach in the smaller details on the pen:

The subtle branding around the cap lip,...

The square guilloché bands around the cap finial, section and two more at the back of the barrel (which, as I said, creates sort of a visual divide between the barrel and piston knob even though it's all a single piece), and the sleek, modern-looking clip.

I don't like my clips this bendy

I've said it multiple times before, but for those that don't know: I'm a stickler for clip design! And this one, unfortunately, isn't working for me. The design in itself is quite ok. It's very bulky but as I said it's another modern detail that clashes nicely with the overall vintage inspiration of the Perfecta. The problem is the material it's made out of: rubber! I think it's a thin bent piece of steel (which you can see where it's attached to the cap), cast into a piece of rubber. It sort of sags a little, and bends when you pull it up to attach to something - it doesn't feel reassuringly strong to me. 

Most importantly though, the rubber is a dust magnet and it just distracts from the otherwise very well-executed design. Ok That's all. Clip rant over.

L to R: Platinum #3776, Leonardo Momento Zero, Montegrappa Zero, Tibaldi perfecta, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000

The Perfecta is what I'd describe as a medium-sized pen, coming in at 13.7 cm/ 5.39" capped, and 12.4 cm/ 4.88" uncapped. Even though that's technically a little below what I'd consider a comfortable size for my hand, I'm willing to be somewhat lenient here because the slightly tapered up barrel shape (the widest point is actually at the decorative bands at the back!) and balance make for an overall pleasant fit in the hand, still. The total weight of 25 grams is enough to make it feel like a sturdy pen, but remains unobtrusive in the hand. You do get a nice, comfortable section with a pleasant diameter (12mm/ 0.47") and threads at the front. But to make optimal use of the size of the Perfecta, I did find my grip to rest on the threads at the front of the section, and even a bit on the step right in front of it.

The threads are flattened off enough so to not be an issue for my grip, but the step is of course noticeable. Interestingly, Tibaldi seems to have removed the step in a recently updated version, where the part in between the nib and threads is now slightly longer and has a gentle taper to ease the transition (Anthony from UK Fountain Pens reviewed the updated version HERE). That should be a positive improvement in terms of comfort.

The cartridge/converter filling Perfecta is refilled by unscrewing the small front section right in front of the threads. With fairly little information to go by, I must admit it took me a hot minute of trying to figure out where exactly it opens up. The c/c filling system is ok, but nothing to write home about. The section has some metal parts, so you cannot eyedropper it - should you be wondering if that's the way to get at least a bit of the vintage safety filler vibe!

The nib is supposedly supplied by Bock, something I can agree with after writing with the Perfecta for a while. It's a rather simple-looking nib with a cool laser-engraving of Tibaldi's eagle-like (?) logo (Sorry, I don't know my birds! But I do know that I like the modern Tibaldi logo) that works well. The steel nib is stiff, but it's a smooth and hassle-free writer that isn't plagued by hard-starting issues or skipping, so I can't really complain. Perhaps the biggest feature of the Perfecta (and any Tibaldi pen, for that matter) can be found underneath the nib, though!

... Yes that's right, an ebonite feed! Can we just all agree that these should become the standard on pens, even in this mid-tier price range? Very rarely do I come across a pen with ebonite feed that actually worsens the performance. Perhaps they are sometimes a bit too gushy, but that can simply be fixed by 'setting' the feed with mild heat or warm water. In general, though, ebonite feeds play nicer with inks than plastic feeds do (they have better 'wettability', to throw a technical term at it). Tibaldi takes a moderate approach to their ebonite feed setup: it's balanced, not gushy but not dry either. Above all, ink flow is consistent and keeps up flawlessly. It's nice to see Tibaldi bring ebonite feeds to their entire catalog. I do wonder why they do it though, and their mother company - Montegrappa - does not?

I must say, the Tibaldi Perfecta took me by surprise for a second, and I was intrigued right from the get-go. I'm intrigued by this old-but-new brand, and I'm liking the style they convey with everything from the packaging to their marketing material. (Obviously, Montegrappa knows how to run a pen brand!) I really quite like the Tibaldi Perfecta. The vintage-inspired design is nice, its a very decent writer overall, and it's offered at a fair price point. While 195€ (about 190$ without VAT from our site sponsor Casa Della Stilografica - Get 10% off with discount code 'Firenze'!) is not cheap by any means, we've talked before about how 200-300$ seems to be the new mid-tiered price bracket that a lot of brands are moving into. With that in mind, I certainly think the Perfecta has everything it takes to play along with similarly priced competition from other Italian brands like Leonardo, Maiora, or even some of Montegrappa's own pens.

This product was provided on loan by Casa Della Stilografica, 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: MONTEGRAPPA ELMO FANTASY BLOOMS FOUNTAIN PEN

It's funny how Montegrappa wasn't really on my radar much (if at all!) in the past years, yet as of late I find myself looking at almost all the new products they put out! Admittedly, the Montegrappa Elmo was probably at the bottom of my personal watchlist, but having it in hand now, thanks to Appelboom, it's undoubtedly a pen that's hard to miss... for obvious reasons!

The design of the Elmo gives me a vague Montblanc M (review HERE) vibe, which is not the kind of pen I want to be reminded of, to be honest. I think the resemblance in the overall shape of the Elmo and Montblanc M isn't too hard to see: a cigar-shaped pen that tapers lightly towards two perfectly round finials on top and bottom. The overall profile is quite streamlined, very uncluttered (not very Montegrappa-like?). In terms of looks, there's also a fair comparison to be made with the Esterbrook Estie (review HERE), in my opinion. 

As someone who's sometimes a bit unreasonably picky about clip designs, I like how the slender, concave shape of the Elmo's clip contrasts the slightly bulky appearance of the pen itself. 

Ok, to be honest, I find the 'regular' edition of the Elmo a tad bit boring. This particular 'Iris Yellow' colorway though - part of the 'Fantasy Bloom' collection - can hardly be called boring in its appearance. The mad combination of vibrant, pearlescent yellow, green, purple, and brown swirls is an absolute eyecatcher for sure - some sort of oddly intriguing, shimmery barf? Ok, that may not sound too enticing... Montegrappa dares to experiment with their materials, which is something I can certainly appreciate. Talking about experimental materials, I'm especially intrigued by the new Elmo Ambiente, made from recycled plastic packaging!

L to R: Platinum #3776, Montegrappa MIA, Montegrappa Zero, Montegrappa Elmo, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000

The Elmo is an average-sized pen, measuring 14.2 cm/ 5.6" closed, and 12.7 cm/ 5" uncapped. The section has a diameter just over 1 cm/ .40"  which is typically what I find a good sweet spot for me. The pen as a whole isn't too wide, especially compared to the more stubby MIA I reviewed a few weeks ago. The Elmo weighs 30 grams in total, which isn't anything out of the ordinary. But it does have a very apparent center of gravity, with a lot of weight coming from the metal threads on the barrel. It's not a heavy pen by any means, but you'll immediately notice the balance, which lies nicely in the middle of the pen. I quite like the way it balances in the hand. The cap can be posted but it's not as secure as I'd like.

Watch your step!

The cap has lovely threads - the Montegrappa-kind of smooth, which is really something they have down to a science over in Bassano Del Grappa! But the problem with the threads is that they don't hold the pen closed particularly securely. I think that's in part because there's no inner cap to provide a positive stop for the section to tighten up against. It's not a huge deal-breaker, but I found it apparent on this pen, whereas other Montegrappa's I've tried don't have the same issue.

The step behind the threads is SUBSTANTIAL. The section has a slightly concave profile, but not enough to really draw your grip closer towards the nib and away from the step. Luckily the threads are at least smooth and unobtrusive. That step is definitely a weak spot as far as comfort goes, and it's again eerily reminiscent of my experience with the Montblanc M.

The Elmo uses a standard international screw-in converter that is Montegrappa-branded - functional, but nothing particularly special. It has a coil agitator inside to keep the ink from sticking - which is nice - but I was surprised to see it started rusting already after the first fill - not so nice! 

One of the better nib designs around IMHO

Montegrappa switching to JoWo nibs has probably been their best decision in years because they're definitely a massive improvement in writing performance and consistency over the old nibs! If you like JoWo nibs, you'll like this nib. It's not a super-special steel nib, but at least you generally get a smooth and reliable writer. This B was a joy to write with, buttery smooth, very wet, and it lays down a properly wide line.

Certain things in life are still a given, and Montegrappa's premium pricing is one of those things. So even as one of - if not the - most affordable Montegrappa pens currently available, the Montegrappa Elmo will still cost you a pretty penny! The starting price of 175€ or 170$ (without VAT) isn't too bad, but realistically you'll want the more interesting 'Fantasy Blooms' colorways, which end up at 210€/ 200$. At that price, it finds itself in the territory of pens like the Leonardo Momento Zero (review HERE) or Esterbrook Estie. Those are difficult pens to compete against, especially since the Elmo -while a good pen - maybe isn't a memorable one, and it isn't without its flaws either!

Note: This product was sent on loan by our site sponsor Appelboom, 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.