Fountain Pen Review: Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Magico Emerald

Do you know that wonderful feeling you get when you have outdone yourself? That is how I felt when I held the new Momento Magico fountain pen from our friends at Leonardo Officina Italiana. They have outdone themselves again with the redesigned ink window and a new color for the Momento Magico — the Emerald. It was love at first sight, and looking at this beautiful emerald fountain pen is like standing at the shore and gazing at the breathtaking beauty of the waters at Amalfi Coast.

Have you noticed that the Magico has a different cap band than the other fountain pens from Leonardo Officina Italiana? The Magico collection is inspired by the time of dramatic changes in ancient Greece when trade opened up between the city and southern Italy and Sicily. With trade came cultural changes, too, including poetry, architecture, and art. From music, visual arts, and film came the modern inspiration for the Momento Magico, the 1962 Roberto Rossellini film Anima Nera. 

The historic inspiration of this pen is expressed in the fretwork on the cap band representing the decoration from the period of artistic awakening known as “Geometric Art.” The colors of the materials of Momento Magico are inspired by Rossellini's film and the moments found within it, while the special resins and the metal trims show the artistic glory of that time in history. And this is why the Magico has a different cap band.

The box sleeve for the Momento Magico Collection (right) has the special geometric art that is also the pens' cap bands. Inside the box are the Momento Magico Emerald fountain pen and a Certificate of Authenticity.

I reviewed the Millefiori from the first batch of Momento Magico pens. The Millefiori's resin is a combination of red, green, brown, and blue. The Magico Emerald is bluish-green with swirling silver and deep green, almost like ocean waves. Just like the other Leonardo fountain pens, the Emerald has a high gloss finish that is so shiny and smooth! This beautiful finish is done by Leonardo's expert artisans. The new Magico Collection has four colors: Emerald, Millefiori, Pietra Salata, and Black in either matte or glossy finish.

Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Magico Emerald

Here are some of the important details about the Momento Magico Emerald fountain pen:

• Length, capped: 5.7 in | 14.5 cm
• Body length, barrel to nib: 5.2 in | 13.2 cm
• Length, cap posted: 7.65 in | 19.4 cm
• Full pen weight without ink: 23.8 g | 0.84 oz
• Body material: Resin
• Trim: Gold or Silver/Chrome
• Cap: Screw on, postable
• Clip material: Stainless steel 
• Nib: No. 6 steel or gold in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, or Stub (1.1mm) with an ABS feed; Elastic Extra Fine or Fine nibs are also available but only in the silver version
• Feed: ABS
• Filling mechanism: Piston; ink capacity is 1.5 ml

Momento Magico fountain pens can be completely disassembled using the piston created by Leonardo helps to disassemble the pen for cleaning. The wrench is easy to use in taking the piston assembly out of the barrel. Once the piston assembly is taken out of the barrel, the wrench stays secured to the assembly which is a huge help in putting it back into the barrel after cleaning. The wrench, made from 316L steel, the same steel used in high ranges watches, is sold separately. (See how the piston wrench works in my review of Magico Millefiori.) 

The Magico can be fully disassembled for cleaning.

Inspired by Greek art, the Momento Magico's cap has a different band from most of Leonardo's fountain pens which are mostly simple bands. The fretwork central band in a letter M pattern comes from the Geometric Art period.

While other Leonardo pens have markings on their barrels, the Momento Magico has its branding on the cap, above the ascending geometric lines of the cap band.

The Emerald's body is so shiny! I love the vibrant color and glossy finish of Leonardo fountain pens.

The 2022 Magico fountain pens have redesigned ink windows. The ink windows of the new fountain pens are shorter, perhaps only half the length of the earlier Magico pens. There are also matching ring bands in the new pens' ink windows, these were not installed in the previous pens. Note that the ink window in the new pens is no longer visible when the pen is capped. The tiny ink window gap in the first version of Momento Magico pens was not well-liked, and the redesign is a good improvement to the 2022 Magicos.

The Momento Magico's new ink window is shorter and has matching ring bands.

Momento Magico fountain pens are fitted with No. 6 steel or gold nibs that are screwed into the section. The available nibs are Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, or Stub (1.1mm).  An elastic nib in Extra Fine or Fine is also available. The Momento Magico fountain pens are also fitted with an ABS or black ebonite feed and they have a 1.5 ml piston filling capacity that is produced in-house. This Emerald fountain pen is fitted with a juicy and smooth Medium nib that wrote so well out of the box.

The Emerald's Medium nib writes smooth, juicy, and very comfortable to use.

The marking to indicate width is engraved on the nib shoulder.

Below are some photos of the Emerald side-by-side with the Millefiori for comparison:

Momento Magico Emerald (2022) and Millefiori (2021) – the packaging and presentation for both pens remain the same.

The cap, clip, and clip band are all the same.

But the gap in the ink window that is visible in the 2021 Millefiori is no longer visible in the Emerald.

Here is the comparison of the ink windows of the two fountain pens. The 2021 Magico has a longer and simpler ink window. The 2022 Magico has a shorter ink window with matching ring bands.

The Momento Magico is a full-sized fountain pen that shares the same length and diameter as the Momento Zero and Furore. It also looks very similar to the MZ, but the differences are also very obvious: slimmer clip, cap band design, ink window, and piston-filling mechanism.

Capped, the full-sized Momento Magico fountain pen shares approximately the same length as Laban 325, Esterbrook Estie, and Lamy Al-star, but longer than a TWSBI ECO. Uncapped, all of five pens share the same length. 

From top: TWSBI ECO Turquoise, Laban 325, Leonardo Momento Magico Emerald, Esterbrook Estie Gold Rush Frontier Green, and Lamy Alstar Aquamarine.

I always try to fill my pens with matching ink colors, and I filled the Magico Emerald with Robert Oster Signature Marine, a matching bluish-green ink. The Momento Magico's piston mechanism worked well, and the Medium nib wrote smoothly without the need for adjustments or tuning.

I chose this happy song because the Magico Emerald reminds me so much of the sea!

The Momento Magico is another well-designed fountain pen from the expert artisans in the workrooms of Leonardo Officina Italiana. These fountain pens are fully handmade in Italy using high-quality, lovely resin and include a full lifetime mechanical warranty. Like its pen cousins, the Momento Magico Emerald is a delight to look at, wonderful to use, and great to keep. Get one for your collection!

This postcard tells the Leonardo story.

These days, Leonardo Officina Italiana is one of the most active and talked about pen brands. Anyone into pens who is on Facebook and Instagram knows this. Leonardo also has the fastest workshops with their current pen lineup making special pens for other brands and getting new additions almost every quarter. From the initial series of Momento Zero and Furore, they now have quite a number of limited edition pens in various materials in between. I'm always excited to see new pens coming from the Leonardo workshop, and I'm sure more exciting pens are coming in 2023.

Rants of The Archer thanks Leonardo Officina Italiana for providing the Momento Magico Emerald fountain pen for review purposes. To learn more about these beautiful, colorful, well-crafted pens, visit the Leonardo Officina Italiana website or follow them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/leonardopenss/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leonardo_pens/).

In Europe, Leonardo pens are widely available from retailers such as Fontoplumo, Appelboom, Stilo & Stile, and Fontanna Penna. 

In the United States, Leonardo pens are available from Goldspot Pens, Truphae, Pen Chalet, Atlas Stationers, and Endless Pens.

In the Philippines, Leonardo pens are available exclusively at Pengrafik (https://www.facebook.com/PenGrafik).

Fountain Pen Review: Leonardo Officina Italiana Furore Aquapetra Rose Gold and Zenzero (Ginger) Gold

Hey! Yes! It's a brand new year! It's a whole new year to gather new pens, write with new inks, and keep new memories in our favorite notebooks! It's going to be another year filled with fun and love for our favorite writing tools. As we all welcome this brand new year, I'm stepping back to write about two pens from the magical workshop in Napoli that were introduced last year. Leonardo Officina Italiana, one of 2021's most prolific pen makers, launched two new pens in their Furore Collection, the Aquapetra, and Zenzero (Ginger) in late November.

Launched in 2018 as Leonardo's second pen model after the outstanding Momento Zero line, the Furore is inspired by the form and design of vintage Italian pens. The collection also derives its colors from the Amalfi Coast, a magical place where land, sea, and Leonardo's origins meet. The Furore and all the pens from Leonardo's collections are passionately hand-turned by expert craftsmen using old loading systems, giving their unique pens soul and warmth.

Leonardo Officina Italiana's latest Furore fountain pens, the Aquapetra and Ginger.

The Furore Aquapetra combines the charm of seawater and the uniqueness of gemstones like amethyst. Aquapetra is made from deep blue-green resin with pink and purple accents. Looking at the Aquapetra is like seeing through deep seawater and finding beautiful stones and sea glass. The rose gold trim is perfect with the Aquapetra's deep blue-green color which is translucent. This fountain pen also reminds me of the deep turquoise Smeraldo, an earlier Furore model.

Leonardo Furore Aquapetra with rose gold trims.

The Furore Zenzero (Ginger) is a perfect combination of two classics, brown and gray. Ginger is made from resin with marbled effects that suit the classic cigar shape of the Furore. The brown and gray colors almost change in appearance depending on the intensity of light. In bright light, the brown and gray almost appear as reddish-brown, and the gray appears more pronounced. The pen's material is also translucent.

Leonardo Furore Ginger with gold trims.

The Leonardo Furore Aquapetra and Ginger fountain pens have the following measurements and specifications:

• Length, capped: 5.75 in | 14.6 cm
• Length, uncapped, including nib: 5.2 in | 13.2 cm
• Length, cap posted: 6.5 in | 16.5 cm
• Length, barrel only: 3.6 in | 9.1 cm
• Length, section to nib: 1.6 in | 4 cm
• Length, cap: 2.5 inches | 6.35 cm
• Diameter: 0.6 in | 1.52 cm
• Full pen weight: 27 g | 0.95 oz
• Barrel only weight: 18.6 g | 0.65 oz
• Cap weight: 6.4 g | 0.22 oz
• Body material: Resin
• Trim: Rose Gold (Aquapetra); Gold (Ginger)
• Cap: Screw on, postable
• Clip material: Stainless steel 
• Nib: Steel or gold  in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, 
• Broad, or Stub (1.1mm); Steel nibs available in gold, rhodium, or rose gold finish
• Filling mechanism: Screw-on Leonardo converters (supplied with purchase)

Leonardo Furore fountain pens can be filled with ink using international standard cartridges or the supplied customized screw-on Leonardo converter with a metal knob. Unlike most converters, Leonardo's converters screw to the pen's section for a secure fit and avoid ink spills. The screw-on converter also allows for a piston-like filling mechanism by removing the cap at the end of the barrel.

Leonardo Furore fountain parts: cap, section including the nib, converter, barrel, blind cap.

Leonardo has upgraded their converters and included a logo in the converter's knob. It's also very thoughtful that they included matching converters with rose gold and gold trims.

Leonardo installed new clips for this set, they are thinner than those in previous pens.

Previous Furore pens were engraved with Leonardo's branding and pen number in the barrel. This set has engraving on the cap, above the two cap rings. The Aquaptera and Ginger are regular, numbered Furores, but they are not limited edition pens.

The Furore Aquapetra and Ginger fountain pen barrels are highly polished and smooth.

When I received these two Furore fountain pens from Leonardo, I loved their beautiful material and polished steel nibs. The Furore is available with either steel or 14k gold #6 nibs in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, or Stub (1.1mm) widths. The Aquapetra is fitted with a steel Fine nib in rose gold finish engraved with the Leonardo logo and it looks elegant. The Ginger's Medium nib in gold finish looks classy. Both nibs wrote smoothly out of the box without the need for priming or any modifications. Leonardo's nibs are one of the smoothest that I have tried, and writing with them is a wonderful experience. 

Leonardo's nibs write smoothly out of the box. 

Leonardo Furore fountain pens are turned from solid bars of acrylic resin, and the weight and feel of these pens are well-balanced in one's hand. The tapered grip section is comfortable for long writing sessions. The pen is large enough to write unposted. However, for those who prefer to write with their pens posted, the Furore posts securely on the barrel end of the pen.

Leonardo Furore fountain pens: Arancio, Ginger, and Aquapetra.

The Furore, a standard-sized fountain pen, shares approximately the same length with a Tibaldi N°60, Lamy Al-star, Laban 325, and OnAWhimWoodWorks pen. Uncapped, the Furore is still the same length as all four pens. The Furore is postable, but I love writing with it unposted. Posting makes this pen long and affects my writing speed and comfort. However, posting provides balance in writing to some people, so it helps that the Furore is a postable pen.

In happy company. The Aquapetra and Ginger share the same length as Tibaldi, Lamy, Laban, and OnAWhimWoodworks pen.

I love matching my fountain pens with inks, so I chose J. Herbin Bleu Calanque for the Aquapetra. I then filled Ginger with the Leonardo Sepia Classico ink. Ink flow to the feed was very fast and both the fine and medium nibs wrote smoothly and wet out of the box. The steel nibs are springy and wrote so well without the need for any adjustments or tuning. I wrote a full page for each of the two pens and it's a wonderful experience!

Aquapetra pairs beautifully with J. Herbin Bleu Calanque.

Ginger is perfect with Leonardo Sepia Classico.

Leonardo Furore Aquapetra and Ginger fountain pens.

Furore Aquapetra and Ginger are exceptional and well-designed fountain pens from Leonardo Officina Italiana. These fountain pens are fully handmade in Italy using high-quality, beautiful resin and include a full lifetime mechanical warranty. Like its pen cousins, the Aquapetra and Ginger are delightful to look at, wonderful to use, and great to keep. Get them into your collection!

These days, Leonardo Officina Italiana is one of the most active and talked about pen brands. Anyone into pens who is on Instagram knows this. Leonardo also has the fastest workshops with their current pen collection getting new additions almost every quarter. From the initial series of Momento Zero and Furore, they now have the Cuspide, Speranza, Messenger, Pura, Musis, and quite a number of limited edition pens in various materials in between. The Momento Zero and Furore have also gotten their size upgrades: the "Grande" with piston filling mechanism and ebonite feed. I'm always excited to see new pens coming from the Leonardo workshop, and I'm sure more exciting pens are coming in this year.

Rants of The Archer thanks Leonardo Officina Italiana for providing the Furore Aquapetra and Ginger fountain pens for review purposes. To learn more about these beautiful, colorful, well-crafted pens, visit the Leonardo Officina Italiana website (https://leonardopen.com/) or follow them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/leonardopenss/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leonardo_pens/).

In Europe, Leonardo pens are widely available from retailers such as Fontoplumo, Appelboom, and Fontanna Penna.

In the United States, Leonardo pens are available from Goldspot Pens, Truphae, and Pen Chalet.

In the Philippines, Leonardo pens are available exclusively at Pengrafik (https://www.facebook.com/PenGrafik).

Fountain Pen Review: Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Magico Millefiori

Leonardo Officina Italiana, currently one of the world's most prolific and talked-about pen makers, has outdone themselves again with the launch of the Momento Magico Collection, their brand new line of piston-filling fountain pens with transparent ink windows and a large ink capacity of 1.5 ml. Leonardo has created piston-filling fountain pens before, including the Pura Collection, but the Magico is the first Leonardo pen with an ink window.

The Momento Magico Collection was launched in June with four fountain pens in striking, vibrant, and colorful resins with gold or chrome trims inspired by the design of vintage Italian pens. Like the other Leonardo pens, the fountain pens in this Collection are hand-turned from solid bars by expert craftsmen in Italy, using traditional systems, giving their unique pens soul and warmth. The Magico fountain pens are available in four lovely resins that include Pietra Salata (dark sandstone), Miele (golden honey), Millefiori (wildflower), and Tramonto (sunset). The Magico is also available in the glossy or matte black Anima Nera.

The box sleeve for the Momento Magico Collection has the special geometric art that is also found in the pens' cap bands. 

Inside the Leonardo box: Magico Millefiori fountain pen, Certificate of Authenticity, another certificate that it is 100% Made in Italy, and a piston tool, Leonardo's latest accessory that helps to completely disassemble the pen (see photos below).

Aside from the matte black Anima Nera, the Momento Magico fountain pens have a high gloss finish that is so shiny and smooth to the touch. The finish on these pens shows the expertise and craftsmanship of Leonardo's artisans. Millefiori's material is a lovely combination of red, green, brown, and some blue, perhaps inspired by the ornamental glasswork with a floral pattern from the various colors of murrini (glass rods) fused together.

Leonardo Momento Magico Millefiori with gold trims.

Momento Magico fountain pens have the following measurements and specifications:

• Length, capped: 5.8 in | 14.7 cm
• Length, uncapped: 5.25 in | 13.3 cm
• Length, cap posted: 6.75 in | 17.1 cm
• Full pen weight: 27 g | 0.95 oz
• Body material: Resin
• Trim: Gold, Chrome
• Cap: Screw on, postable
• Clip material: Stainless steel 
• Nib: No. 6 steel or gold in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, or Stub (1.1mm) with an ABS or black ebonite feed; an Elastic Fine or Extra Fine are also available in gold with a black ebonite feed
• Feed: ABS or ebonite
• Filling mechanism: Piston; ink capacity is 1.5 ml

Another unique feature of the Momento Magico fountain pens is the possibility to completely disassemble the pen comfortably. The new piston wrench created by Leonardo helps to disassemble the pen for cleaning. The wrench is so easy to use in taking the piston assembly out of the barrel. Once the piston assembly is taken out of the barrel, the wrench stays secured to the assembly which is a huge help in putting it back into the barrel after cleaning. I'm not very comfortable in taking apart most of my piston-filling fountain pens, but disassembling the Momento Magico is very easy using the Leonardo wrench. The wrench, made from 316L steel, the same steel used in high ranges watches, is sold separately.

The wrench allows complete disassembly of the Magico fountain pen. It can also be used in the Pura fountain pens.

The wrench has two pins towards the end that fits into the piston rod. The pins then fit into the grooves in the piston assembly. Once the wrench is secured between the piston and the piston knob, it is so easy to turn the whole assembly and take it out of the barrel. This locking feature is also very helpful in putting the assembly back into the barrel. 

The Momento Magico's cap has a different band from most of Leonardo's fountain pens. The fretwork central band in a pattern of the letter M that comes from the Geometric Art period, a phase of Greek art devoted to geometric motifs in vase paintings and ceramics. At first, I saw the intersecting lines as just lines in the cap band. Then I realized that the lines form the letter M - it's like magic!

The Momento Magico has a unique cap band inspired by Greek art. This pen also uses the new and slimmer Leonardo clip.

Unlike other Leonardo pens with markings on their barrels, the Momento Magico has its branding on the cap, perfectly matched by the ascending geometric lines of the cap band.

This pen's barrel is vibrant and so shiny! I love the glossy finish of my Leonardo pens.

All good things come in threes, right? The third best thing about the Momento Magico after the brilliant wrench and lovely cap band is the ink window! All of the pens in the Momento Magico Collection have transparent ink windows to allow users to check their pens' ink levels at any time. It's fun looking at ink sloshing inside the pen's barrel. It's also very convenient!

The Momento Magico's ink window is convenient and pretty.

Momento Magico fountain pens are fitted with No. 6 steel or gold nibs that are screwed into the section. Available nibs are Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, and Stub (1.1), both in steel and 14k gold. An elastic nib in Extra Fine and Fine are also available in 14k gold. The Momento Magico fountain pens are also fitted with either an ABS or black ebonite feed and they have a 1.5 ml piston filling capacity that are both produced in-house. My Millefiori is fitted with a juicy and smooth M nib that wrote so well out of the box without priming or modifications.

The Medium nib on my Millefiori is Leonardo at its best - smooth, juicy, and very comfortable to use. 

The marking to indicate width is engraved on the nib shoulder. 

I also noticed that the Momento Magico has a different shape than the usual Leonardo pen section. It's plain and rounded without the tapered grip design.

The new pens in the Momento Magico Collection are full-sized pens that share the same length and diameter as the Momento Zero and Furore. It also looks very similar to the MZ, but the differences are also very obvious: slim clip, wider cap band, ink window, and piston-filling mechanism.

From top: Momento Zero Grande Pura Arancio Fiammante, Furore Arancio, Momento Magico Millefiori, and Momento Zero Positano Blue.

Capped, the full-sized Momento Magico fountain pen shares approximately the same length as Lamy Al-star and Tibaldi Bononia. It's a little longer than the TWSBI ECO and BENU Talisman. Uncapped, all of the five pens share the same length.

From top: TWSBI ECO Sunset Orange, Tibaldi Bononia Seashell Mist, Momento Magico Millefiori, BENU Talisman Foxglove, Lamy Al-star Ruby Red.

I always try to fill my pens with matching ink colors, and I filled my Millefiori with Diamine Burnt Sienna, a matching russet brown ink. The Momento Magico's piston mechanism worked well, and the Medium nib wrote smoothly without the need for adjustments or tuning.

This pen's medium nib wrote so smoothly out of the box. It's perfectly matched by Diamine Burnt Sienna.

The Momento Magico is another exceptional and well-designed fountain pen from Leonardo Officina Italiana. These fountain pens are fully handmade in Italy using high-quality, lovely resin and include a full lifetime mechanical warranty. Like its pen cousins, the Momento Magico Millefiori is a delight to look at, wonderful to use, and great to keep. Get one for your collection!

These days, Leonardo Officina Italiana is one of the most active and talked about pen brands. Anyone into pens who is on Instagram knows this. Leonardo also has the fastest workshops with their current pen line up getting new additions almost every quarter. From the initial series of Momento Zero and Furore, they now have the Cuspide, Speranza, Messenger, Pura, and quite a number of limited edition pens in various materials in between. The Momento Zero and Furore have also gotten their size upgrades: the "Grande" with piston filling mechanism and ebonite feed. I'm always excited to see new pens coming from the Leonardo workshop, and I'm sure more exciting pens are coming in this year.

Rants of The Archer thanks Leonardo Officina Italiana for providing the Momento Magico Millefiori fountain pen for review purposes. To learn more about these beautiful, colorful, well-crafted pens, follow Leonardo Officina Italiana on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/leonardopenss/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leonardo_pens/).

In Europe, Leonardo pens are widely available from retailers such as Fontoplumo, Appelboom, and Fontanna Penna.

In the United States, Leonardo pens are available from Goldspot Pens, Truphae, and Pen Chalet.

In the Philippines, Leonardo pens are available exclusively at Pengrafik (https://www.facebook.com/PenGrafik).