Last Chance to Grab One: Aurora 88 Sigaro Blu

December 14, 2019

I’m in a strange place with my fountain pen hobby and with this blog. Though I’ve certainly not reviewed everything thoroughly, I’ve had the opportunity to at least write with most of the major pen brands’ flagship models. If I’m honest with myself, this realization take a little bit of the fun out of the whole experience. Things don’t feel as new, and I have to work harder to get interested in new releases, and rarely get excited about yet another Sailor Pro Gear or Aurora 88 special edition. It takes something pretty special.

These days, many so-called limited editions are basically “skins” - the exact same pen with a different barrel color or material. Sure, changing up the acrylic and trim can drastically alter the look of the pen, but it rarely changes my overall opinion on the usability or functionality of the pen. That’s why it’s uncommon for me to re-review pens based solely on changes in appearance, unless I really didn’t like the look of the pen the first time around or the company makes a particularly drastic change. For example, I recently re-reviewed the Pelikan M101N because this year’s edition spoke to me while none of the prior releases did.

In addition to a couple of modern Aurora 88s, I have one vintage pen in the black/”Nikargenta” (nickel alloy) combination.

The Aurora 88 “Sigaro Blu” represents a similar situation. I’ve reviewed the Aurora 88 in two different formats: the limited edition “Minerali” demonstrator and the blacked out “Unica Nera.” The 88 is a great pen with a classic streamlined shape that’s comfortable to use. In its current form, the Aurora 88 has been around since the 1990s, but the pen’s heritage stretches all the way back to 1947 when Aurora introduced a hooded-nib pen to compete with the Parker 51. Today the Aurora 88 is available not only in standard black and silver/gold configurations, but in a wide array of limited editions and special releases. Currently, Dan Smith has at least a dozen different versions of the Aurora 88 available for purchase.

Prior to purchasing this pen, I already knew that I liked Aurora nibs and the overall form factor of the pen, but I hadn’t found a version of the Aurora 88 that was compelling enough to boost the pen into the “daily user” category. So what drove this purchase? The lacquer finish. With the Sigaro Blu, Aurora has layered light blue streaks in a webbed pattern over black lacquer, giving the pen a blue-black or navy appearance. It’s truly distinctive, and understated in a way that’s similar to Japanese Urushi lacquerwork while still maintaining its own identity. I first had the chance to see this release in person at the 2018 Atlanta Pen Show, and since this one was an expensive purchase, I had some saving to do. Fortunately I was able to snag one at a slight discount during a year-end clearance sale at The Nibsmith.

The “Sigaro” series of lacquer pens offers a different writing experience from the standard Aurora 88. The combination of lacquer and a metal section makes for a heavier, more front-weighted pen, and the balance feels somewhat akin to the Sailor 1911 Black Luster. It’s not a perfect comparison - the 88 is a is a piston filler, making this a more substantial, heavier pen overall, but I still have no issues using this pen all day. It will post, and since the cap has a plastic insert, I’ve not had any issues with the cap threads scratching the lacquer. (Lacquer in general is pretty durable, and I don’t worry about these things anyway. I use my pens how I want to use them, and if they start showing signs of wear that’s just part of the deal.)

The fine 18k gold nib wrote perfectly out of the box, and is paired with an ebonite feed that provides generous ink flow. Aurora nibs are made in-house, and the vast majority of my experience with the brand has been positive. These nibs aren’t glassy smooth, but they’re not scratchy either (at least to me). I enjoy the tactile feel, and by not over-smoothing Aurora tends to avoid the problems other brands have with skipping and hard-starting.

I would call this a true “Western Fine.” Ink shown here is Lamy Blue-Black, a favorite workhorse.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I love this pen, to the point where I can say that the Aurora 88 Sigaro Blu is a “Top 5” pen for me. The pen has the perfect weight and balance for my hand, and I can comfortably use this pen posted or unposted for hours. This Aurora fine nib writes the perfect line for my daily needs in terms of width and wetness.

As I mentioned earlier, I acquired this pen from Dan Smith over at The Nibsmith, who still has Sigaro Blu pens in stock. Pricing on the Aurora 88 ranges from $495 to $905, and the Sigaro Blu sits at the highest price point. You’re paying an extra $200-300 for the lacquer work, so if the look does not appeal to you and your interest in the Aurora 88 lies elsewhere, there are plenty of lower-cost options to choose from.

Disclaimer: I purchased this pen with my own funds, for my own collection. The Nibsmith is a paid sponsor of this blog.

Exploring Stock Stub Nibs, Part II: Higher-end Options

February 7, 2019

A couple of years ago I wrote a piece on stock stub nibs, which focused on inexpensive options such as the Pilot Metropolitan and the TWSBI 580, both of which offer a very affordable stub nib that gives you line variation and makes your writing look more interesting at a price point as low as $15. As I wrote in that article, the main advantage to starting out with these inexpensive specialty nibs is that they allow you to learn how a stub writes without having to (potentially) sacrifice a pen in your collection to a nibmeister. I say this because for every pen I have had custom ground that ended up amazing, an even greater number of grinds didn’t work out, mostly because I chose a poor grind for my handwriting style, but a couple flopped because I went to a pen show and had the pen worked on by someone who didn’t know what they were doing.

Here, I want to discuss a couple of excellent stock stub nibs that are available on pens at higher price points. You might ask why spend money on an expensive stock stub when you can get a pen custom ground to your own personal preferences? A few things to consider:

If you’re looking for a stub nib at a standard “broad” width, a stock nib offers this at a stock price point (though sometimes with a slight upcharge) without having to undertake the additional expense and uncertainty of going the custom grind route.
You don’t have to visit a pen show. If you’re thinking of getting a pen custom ground for the first time, I highly recommend visiting a pen show and having the nib work done in person. You can work with the nibmeister to adjust the grind to your specifications as opposed to working through the mail. The costs of return shipping can add up!
Most importantly, a stock stub nib is covered by the manufacturer’s warranty and return policy. Everyone in this hobby thinking of having their nibs custom ground should realize that it voids the warranty on the pen, so if the grind doesn’t work out, you have to replace either the nib or the pen. On the other hand, if a stock stub is bad, or the grind doesn’t work for your particular writing style, you can return it to the retailer or distributor for an exchange.

So which stock stubs am I currently enjoying? I added a couple to my collection last year:

Three writing samples, starting from top: the Leonardo Officina Italiana Stub; the Aurora stub, and a custom ground .6mm Masuyama stub for comparison purposes.

Aurora. If you enjoy a crisper nib that offers more line variation than your typical stock nib, Aurora makes an excellent 18k stub. It’s approximately .7mm in width and has an ebonite feed, making the line width and ink flow perfect for everyday writing. It’s also surprisingly smooth, and mine has little to no tooth. A few years ago, I had picked up an Aurora Ipsilon Quadra with a stock italic nib, and I didn’t care for that nib at all because it was far too sharp and skipped and hard-started like crazy when I tried to use it as an actual writer. The stub on my 88 Minerali, however, is superb, on par with custom work. Lately, the word has gotten out about Aurora stock stubs, so they have been a bit harder to find. Currently, Pen Chalet has a stub nib option available in the all-black Aurora Unica Nera, and Dan Smith at The Nibsmith also keeps them in stock as an option for most Aurora pens.

Leonardo Officina Italiana. If you prefer a wider, smoother stub, consider the offerings from a new pen company based in Italy, Leonardo Officina Italiana. I was a fan of Delta pens before that company went out of business, and Leonardo was founded by former Delta employees. The company’s products reflect its heritage, though I’d say the Leonardo pens I own are a step above Delta in terms of fit, finish, and quality control. (It also doesn’t hurt that they have access to some discontinued Omas celluloids, due to a manufacturing partnership with Omas successor Armando Simoni Club.) Though wider than the Aurora stub (about 1.1-1.3mm), the Leonardo nib also features an ebonite feed and writes a narrower line than you would expect, making it another good option for everyday writing. I hear good things about Leonardo’s steel stub nibs as well, but haven’t personally tried them. I acquired the pen pictured here from Pen Venture as part of a three-pen set, and Emy tuned the nibs to perfection prior to shipping.

Franklin-Christoph and Pilot. Two other brands I should mention are Franklin-Christoph, which offers a wide variety of stub, cursive italic, and S.I.G. (Stub Italic Gradient) nibs in both stainless steel and gold. Those nibs are all excellent, and deserve their own article. The other brand I should mention here is Pilot, and in particular the Vanishing Point. Pilot offers a stub (“SU”) nib option for the VP that is roughly the same width as the Aurora, but I haven’t had the opportunity to write with one extensively.

If you’re interested in custom grinds, you can also check out this article, in which I talk about some of my favorite specialty grinds.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates. Both pens pictured in this post were purchased by me with my own funds, for my own collection.

First Impressions: Aurora Talentum "Black Ops"

June 16, 2018

It's the summer of the "Stealth Pen", or at least it is for me. I've been thinking for years that pens with black-plated trim - sometimes referred to as "stealth pens" or "blacked out" models - were a fad or trend that would quickly pass. Well, that was back in 2012 or so when I first got back into the hobby and picked up a matte black Pilot Vanishing Point. Fast forward to six years later, where I just received my fourth black-plated Sailor and am very much enjoying this recent release from Aurora, the Talentum "Full Black" or "Black Ops" model. Though I've only had the pen for a couple weeks, I wanted to expedite this review / first impressions post since I've heard availability is somewhat scarce and people might have to act quickly in order to secure a pen.

I love the combination of the matte-black resin and ruthenium trim. It looks especially sharp on the Talentum's cap, which features a metal "crown" of sorts.

What I Like About the Aurora Talentum "Black Ops"

Looks. Though I'm obviously biased towards the "all-black" look, the Talentum Black Ops is a beautiful pen. Among all the various models Aurora offers, the Talentum never really caught my eye until now. Unposted, the shape and size remind me somewhat of a Nakaya Neo-Standard. Posted, it's longer, but still a touch shorter than a Lamy AL-Star or Safari.
The Nib. The black 14k nib is gorgeous. I understand that part of the reason this pen took so long to actually hit the market is because Aurora took their time getting the plating right. They did a great job. Some black-plated nibs can be a little skippy, or even squeak when you write, but this one is a firm, smooth writer with just a hint of the tooth that Aurora is known for. This particular nib is a fine, though the ebonite feed makes it a bit wet, so some might characterize this nib as more of a F-M (Fine-Medium).
Postability. Unlike the Nakaya, the cap on the Talentum posts, and sits fairly deeply on the barrel. Although the Talentum is a larger pen, posting doesn't make it unwieldy for me. I think this has a lot to do with the fact that this Aurora uses a cartridge-converter filling system, and is therefore lighter-weight.

The barrel of the Aurora Talentum has a slight taper.

IMHO, Aurora absolutely killed it with this black-plated nib.

Is There Anything I Don't Particularly Like?

Me personally? No. Depending on your preferences, however, others may find the Talentum too long, especially posted. While it's definitely on the longer end of what I can comfortably use, the pen's light weight and good balance prevent the length from being an issue. I'm glad this is a cartridge-converter pen because the weight of a piston filling system seems like it would have been too much. (It also serves to keep the cost down.)

Posted, the Aurora Talentum Black Ops is about the same size as the Lamy LX/AL-Star (top) and the Lamy Safari (bottom). The Talentum is a bit shorter.

Another size comparison, from left: Lamy 2000, Aurora Talentum Black Ops, Platinum 3776 (Shungyo limited edition), and Pilot Custom 823.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

If you're a fan of pens with ruthenium trim, consider ordering one of these now. The Talentum "Full Black" or "Black Ops" is currently available for purchase at sponsor Pen Chalet, priced at $360 before any applicable coupon code or promotion. In addition to the pen featured here, there is also a "Full Metal" version with a ruthenium-plated metal cap, which is more expensive at $460. While expensive, the price point for the resin-cap version comes in well below the Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black or 1911 Black Luster, and it's unusual to find a pen with these specs - especially the ebonite feed - at this price point. As I mentioned up top, please keep in mind that these are my initial impressions, as I've only had the pen for a couple weeks. If anything changes, I will of course update this post or publish a revised review based on any issues that may arise during longer-term use.

Disclaimer: I have an affiliate relationship with Pen Chalet, which generates store credit that I can use to purchase pens such as this one for review. I was not paid or compensated for the content of this review, and all opinions here are my own.

The Talentum Black Ops is a great looking addition to your everyday kit, shown here alongside the gray-face Raven Venture automatic watch.

My 2018 Atlanta Pen Show haul. You'll notice that not everything from my "favorite things" list made it into my bag, which is definitely good (at least for my wallet).

Five Things I'm Excited About (or, Favorite Things from Atlanta)

April 18, 2018

As I've fallen deeper into this hobby/obsession, and after five years of writing this blog, pen shows have become more about visiting with friends and hearing about the newest releases/industry developments rather than accumulating more pens. Though the latter still happens, these days I usually come home with one or two. I have to get pretty excited about something before I make a purchase. So what new product releases am I most excited about, that will likely end up on a shopping list sometime this year?

New Releases from Aurora and Montegrappa

From left, the Blue Sigaro, the 88 Urano, and the 88 Satin Black.

The Kenro table was full of all sorts of exciting new things, but three of them caught my eye. The first (of course) is something that's going to be essentially impossible to get: the Aurora 88 Urano in a turquoise celluloid derivative. Apparently only a small number pens have been allocated for the entire United States. The others hopefully will be more widely available: a blue lacquer version of the Aurora Sigaro, the Aurora Talentum Full Black, and Montegrappa's new Monte Grappa vintage-inspired piston filler. The Blue Sigaro is simply gorgeous to look at, and the Monte Grappa features new JoWo steel nibs, which I understand have far fewer issues than the Bock nibs the company previously used. The blacked out Talentum has been repeatedly delayed but I understand it's on the way.

Montegrappa Monte-Grappa (three pens in the center)

Red Kaweco AL Sport U.S. Exclusive

Next up is my sole Saturday purchase: the red Kaweco AL Sport, which apparently is a U.S. exclusive for this year. Vanness Pens currently has them in stock, so if you're looking for one, I'm not sure how long they will last. Curiously, I didn't see these pens on any other tables at the show. The color looks great and really pops. As you all know, I don't pass up red pens.

Faggionato Pens

My Faggionato PKS, next to the AL Sport for scale

I've had the pleasure of visiting with Papier Plume twice this year, once at their New Orleans store and once at the Atlanta Pen Show. Both times, I've walked away with a Faggionato pen. Handmade in France by Fred Faggionato, the pens combine a streamlined, highly functional design with some unique materials, including acrylics and cellulose acetates in some nice color combinations. My two pens (pictured here) are a Petrarque in translucent blue tortoise cellulose acetate, and a larger PKS in Conway Stewart's vintage "Dartmoor" material. The Petrarque is a smaller pen that posts, while the larger PKS feels similar to an unfaceted Newton Shinobi (with a clip), and is meant to be used unposted.

Krishna Inks

Krishna Inks are the latest in a series of international brands that have arrived in the United States, courtesy of retailers such as Vanness Pens. While I didn't purchase any Krishna Inks this show (or even manage to get any decent pictures), I did spend a fair bit of time looking at swabs of all the various colors. These inks have crazy sheen - just look at Jungle Volcano and Myrtle. The greens are also exceptionally vibrant.

The Milano from Osprey Pens

Osprey Pens launched with several models priced well under $100 (and some sub-$20), though availability has been sporadic at best. Their largest and most expensive pen, the Milano, was originally available only in ebonite, though Osprey recently announced acrylic versions priced at $70. These materials look very nice, and the pens themselves are a good size. I especially like the "Mud Pie" and "Chiaroscuro" pens. Osprey makes a variety of nib units, ranging from standard stainless steel or gold to a Zebra G "flex" nib unit, which allows you to use Zebra G calligraphy nibs in the fountain pen.

I hope this little Atlanta follow-up has been helpful in providing an idea of what kind of stuff you get to see by attending pen shows. Of all the things I saw, the new Auroras were probably my favorite. I'm hoping to make the Chicago show in a few weeks, but as of right now it seems unlikely and my next pen show trip won't be until DC in August. Until then!

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates.

Pen Review: Aurora 88 Minerali in Azurite

September 30, 2017

One of the more interesting trends emerging over the past year has been the way in which Aurora has emerged to fill the void left in the Italian pen world by the demise of Omas, the suspected impending demise of Delta, and the leadership turnover at Visconti. 2017 saw Aurora launch a very well-regarded series of limited editions, including the 88 Nebuloso, the 88 Anniversario with the new “flexible” nib, and the 88 “Sole.”

The numbering of each Minerali pen is included on the cap, and done in a tasteful, understated way.

Through the end of 2017 and into 2018, Aurora will release five new limited edition demonstrators featuring a different color Auroloide trim on the piston knob, cap finial, and barrel. Dubbed the "Minerali" Collection, the first pen is the one featured here, the “Azurite” blue, with a new pen to follow each month. Other colors will include green, orange, purple, and red, and Aurora says that each version will be limited to 388 pieces, so it’s a true limited edition.

I also love that there's not much branding on this pen, other than the standard "Aurora" engraving on the cap band.

Build Quality

The 88 Minerali is one of the more attractive fountain pen demonstrators that I’ve had the opportunity to handle. The polishing and finish have both been immaculately executed, with no visible flaws in the clear acrylic. The blue “Auroloide” (Aurora’s proprietary name for their cellulose acetate material) really brings out the clarity. I was prepared to be underwhelmed by the pen, especially at the expensive price point, but now I want one.

A close-up shot of the blue Azurite material. I actually prefer the understated look of the demonstrator with Auroloide accents, to a pen made entirely of this material. I think this will be especially true with respect to the orange and purple, as … — A close-up shot of the blue Azurite material. I actually prefer the understated look of the demonstrator with Auroloide accents, to a pen made entirely of this material. I think this will be especially true with respect to the orange and purple, as both the Sole and Nebuloso contained a bit too much color for me.

I’ve heard some grumbling that the “Minerali” line is just a way for Aurora to maximize their return from the spare rod stock that they used in previous limited edition Optimas and 88s. (For example, it appears that the purple and orange will feature the same material used in the Sole and the Nebuloso.) I definitely didn’t get the sense that Aurora created this pen as an afterthought, much less a “spare parts” piece. And, even if that’s the case, if they can make a pen that looks this good in the process, I really don’t care.

I do enjoy the scrollwork on Aurora nibs.

The fine nib wrote exceptionally well out of the box - moderately wet, with just a touch of the tooth for which Aurora is known. The line width and wetness fit my writing style perfectly, and I could use this nib as an all-day, everyday workhorse. Did I mention the scrollwork is beautifully done?

The one nit I can pick with Aurora’s pen design is their piston, and how difficult it can be to clean behind the seal, especially in a demonstrator pen. (I noted the same issue in my prior review of the Aurora Optima Nero Perla.) It takes a LOT of flushing, shaking, and blotting to clean Aurora pens out completely. If I purchased one of these, I’d be leery of using any ink remotely capable of staining, and would probably stick to Aurora Black, Blue, and Blue-Black.

Where to Buy

Many thanks to Cary and the team at Kenro Industries for sending this pen over for review. You can purchase the Aurora 88 Minerali limited editions from any Aurora retailer, including site sponsor Pen Chalet. At $795 MSRP, it’s not an inexpensive pen by any means, but retail tends to be a bit lower and Pen Chalet always has excellent prices. If you’ve been waiting on an Aurora 88 demonstrator, and the Azurite trim appeals to you, act quickly before this one goes away. As I noted above, I’m personally holding out for one of the orange or red Minerali pens (the names of which are still unannounced, to my knowledge).

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.