It’s been a while since any pen has received as much acclaim as the recent collaboration between Leonardo Officina Italiana and Jonathon Brooks of the Carolina Pen Company. Jonathon’s “Primary Manipulation” acrylic features more than six pigments mixed to create a swirled pattern of incredible depth, and back when we still had pen shows, pens made from these materials were always the subject of an early rush at the Carolina Pen Company table. So, when Leonardo first teased this collaboration a couple of months ago, you can imagine the hype. I was lucky enough to snag a pen in each of the two patterns: “Stromboli” (with green as the predominant color) and “Vesuvio” (where red predominates).
I’ve previously reviewed the Leonardo Momento Zero and the Momento Zero Grande, with the special edition Arlecchino making my list of favorite products from the first half of the year. The “Primary Manipulation” MZG easily knocks that one off the list (though the Arlecchino is still a great pen). Leonardo did justice to this unique material, in that the design and finish on the Momento Zero Grande really shows off its depth and vibrancy.
The depth on this particular area of my Stromboli pen is absolutely stunning. Check out that purple swirl! Given the nature of this material, no two pens are alike.
In addition to the unique materials, this version of the Momento Zero Grande is the first pen in my collection to feature Leonardo’s new high-capacity piston filler, which holds 1.5ml of ink. Prior versions of the Momento Zero Grande, such as the Arlecchino, featured a “captured converter,” which still held a good amount of ink but wasn’t a true integrated piston. I believe that going forward, new models of the Momento Zero Grande will feature the high-capacity piston.
The “Vesuvio” model in-hand. Despite its size, the Momento Zero Grande feels incredibly light posted.
As I’ve mentioned before, the Momento Zero Grande shows that an oversized fountain pen can still be comfortable to use, provided the pen is well-balanced and steps are taken to keep the weight down. Comparing the two pens in hand, the Primary Manipulation featuring the integrated piston is actually lighter and less back-weighted than the Arlecchino, making it the easier pen to post. (Overall, the Primary Manipulation weights 1.2oz inked, while the Arlecchino weighs in at 1.4oz. Neither is particularly heavy as far as larger pens go.)
I’m developing quite a collection of special edition Leonardo’s in rare materials. From left, the Arlecchino Momento Zero Grande, a standard Momento Zero in OMAS “Burkina” celluloid, the Stromboli, a standard Momento Zero in OMAS “Burlwood” celluloid, the Vesuvio, and a standard Momento Zero in OMAS “Arco Verde” celluloid. The three pens in OMAS materials formed part of a limited edition “Maestro” set of which only 15 were made.
Takeaways and Where to Buy
Everything that Leonardo continues to do impresses me, and hopefully this collaboration with Jonathon on the “Primary Manipulation” model is the beginning of a trend where pen companies and smaller artisan makers like Jonathon collaborate to bring some truly unique pens to the market. Personally, things have seemed a bit stale lately, and this project was just what I needed to rekindle my interest.
The two Primary Manipulation models shown here with the Arlecchino limited edition (far left).
The standard Momento Zero Grande is priced at $329 for a steel nib version, and $549 for a 14kt version, which I consider very good value for a pen of this quality. Special editions such as the Momento Zero Primary Manipulation are priced slightly higher, with Goldspot selling it from $599 (an incredible value given the uniqueness and current limited availability). While Leonardo produced a relatively small number of pens for this initial run, the Primary Manipulation pens form a non-numbered special edition, and the word on the street is that more pens are on the way. I ended up having to hunt for my pens, since this edition was in high demand, and ordered my Stromboli and Vesuvio pens from Appelboom in the Netherlands and Casa della Stilografica in Italy, respectively.
Disclaimer: I purchased both pens pictured here with my own funds for my own collection. I did not receive any discount unavailable to the general public and paid standard retail. This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates.