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.

First Impressions: Aurora 88 Unica Nera

February 13, 2019

I didn’t explore Aurora as a brand that might seriously interest me until last year. Sure, I’d previously reviewed a few pens on loan from Kenro, the Aurora distributor, or that I’d borrowed from friends, but I hadn’t invested any of my own resources in the brand. That changed when I acquired the “Black Ops” Talentum released last year. Since then, I’ve picked up a few more, including an 88 Sigaro Blu, an 88 Minerali, and this year’s “stealth” release, the 88 Unica Nera.

The trim on the Aurora 88 Unica Nera and the Talentum Black Ops is quite different. I like them both, but I might prefer the lighter “gunmetal” look.

The Unica Nera is a natural follow-up to two other pens already in Aurora’s lineup, the Aurora 88 Satin Black, and the 88 “Ottantotto” demonstrator. Aurora’s latest combines the matte black barrel of the Satin Black with the Ottantotto’s black-plated trim. The result should please fans of “stealth” or “blacked out” pens, and on the whole the Unica Nera is a great pen, but there are a few nits that I think are open to critique.

A size comparison between the Talentum Black Ops and the Aurora 88 Unica Nera. The pens are actually close to the same size, but the Talentum feels bigger due to the larger cap.

What Do I Like About The Unica Nera?

Like the Aurora 88 Satin Black, it’s a lightweight pen, despite being a piston filler. The Unica Nera is also well-balanced, and I could write with this pen all day posted. I say posted because the Unica Nera is so light that I need to post the cap as a counterweight. The cap posts deeply and doesn’t make the pen too long.
The matte finish on this pen looks impeccable and the texture feels great in the hand. There are no no injection molding lines or visible flaws in the finish on either the cap or the barrel.
The Aurora 88 has a very large ink capacity, and the piston turns smoothly without sticking. Aurora pistons can sometimes be difficult to flush clean, but I’ve changed inks in this one a couple times with no issues.
The Unica Nera features the same 14k plated nib as the Talentum Black Ops, and in my case, both are fine nibs. The fine nib in my Unica Nera writes a much finer line than my Black Ops, despite having the same nib designation, though it writes smoothly and with perfect ink flow. In my experience, Aurora nibs have some variability in terms of line width (they’re made in-house), and are known to write with a bit of “tooth.” In a couple of cases, I’ve found the “toothiness” to cross the line into “scratchiness” due to ever-so-slight misalignment of the tines, though I’ve always been able to fix the issue with nothing more than a loupe and my fingernail.

Both of these nibs are black-plated fine nibs, though one writes much finer than the other. The Talentum nib is more of a medium.

Things I’m Not Sure About / Small Criticisms

The Unica Nera is an extremely lightweight pen. Part of me wishes that this one had a bit of additional heft to it. Sometimes when I’m writing with this pen I find myself thinking that it’s just a touch insubstantial.
The matte black clip and the shiny black cap band don’t match. This could be a design choice, where Aurora tried to add some contrast to a pen that would otherwise be one-dimensional, but I’d rather see them do this by varying the tone of the plating on the trim, which brings me to….
I prefer the look of the trim on the Talentum Black Ops, which has a more traditional ruthenium/gunmetal tone than the plating on the Unica, which appears to be identical to the trim used on the “Ottantotto” black demonstrator. All three pens use the same nib, which has the gray/gunmetal hue.

I like pens with ink windows. Here, the Unica Nera is showing off some Robert Oster FIre & Ice.

“So What About the Durability of the Trim?”

Ever since I published my initial piece on the Talentum Black Ops, I’ve had to field questions about the durability of the trim, and I will answer them here: No, I’ve not had any issues with the trim wearing off the clip, cap band, or any other areas. I did hear that there was a bad batch of pens with defective trim that I believe went to Europe, which caused a delay in the Black Ops’ global release, and some of those pens might remain in circulation, but I’ve personally had no problems. In general, I’ve had good luck with the trim on my stealth pens, including not only the Talentum but also my Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black and Sailor 1911 Black Luster models.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Some people are tired of the “all black” look, but I’m not, especially where it’s well-executed. These understated workhorses are pens that I can use all day at the office, and look great without drawing unwanted attention. I’ve been using the Unica Nera at work for the past couple of weeks, and can confirm that it’s a lightweight, easy pen to write with for extended periods of time, and sports a firm fine nib that’s I’ve enjoyed using for planner notes and annotation. If you don’t have a black trim pen in your collection, the Unica Nera is definitely worthy of your consideration.

These pens are relatively new, and therefore still making their way to most retailers. Pen Chalet currently has them in stock, priced at $585, which is around the typical price point of an Aurora 88. The Unica Nera is slightly more expensive than the Satin Black but far less expensive than the Ottantotto demonstrator.

Disclaimer: I received the pen featured in this review directly from Kenro Industries, Aurora’s North American distributor and a sponsor of this blog, and paid with “store credit” that I received in exchange for sidebar advertising. This post contains affiliate links.

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.

Flex It! A First Look at the Aurora Vintage-Style Flex Nib

March 11, 2017

While many pen companies have attempted to replicate vintage-style flexible nibs, from the inexpensive steel-nib pens sold by Noodler's to the more expensive offerings from the new Wahl-Eversharp, no one has been able to get it exactly right. Until (maybe) now. Aurora's new 70th Anniversary 88 sports a specially developed 14k flexible nib which comes as close to reproducing true "vintage-style flex" as I've experienced in a modern pen. While flex nibs aren't exactly my thing, I can still recognize a good one when I see one.

"Flexit" Events Sponsored by Kenro

The Aurora Flex Pen Demo at last week's 2017 Baltimore Washington International Pen Show

Aurora's US distributor Kenro Industries has been actively promoting the new 70th Anniversary pen by hosting "Flexit" events in cities around the country, including at the recent Baltimore Washington International Pen Show that I attended. (Just search the Instagram hashtag #flexitbwi.) Kenro had several of the new flex pens on display at their table for attendees to test, and they graciously allowed me to take one of them home to review (along with a bottle of their long-awaited Aurora blue-black ink). So what's the verdict?

I like this pen and this nib. And this is coming from someone who can't write with a flex nib to save his life. No, I'm serious, just watch the video of my comically bad writing sample. But, if you regularly write in cursive, or enjoy calligraphy, you'll want to check out Aurora's latest creation. The 14k nib is soft in the sense that it gives you easier and greater line variation than the various steel nibbed "flex" pens out there - not to mention a smoother writing experience - but it's not so soft that you feel like you're going to spring the nib. It's somewhat similar to the Omas "Extra-Flessible" nibs released a few years ago, but those were way too wet, felt extremely delicate to me when I tested them out, and I heard reports of them springing easily and not holding up well to everyday use. The Aurora nib feels sturdier, and it actually works fairly well as a regular writer, laying down a fine/medium-fine line when writing with light pressure and minimal flexing of the tines. It's a bit wet to use on office paper, but the Rhodia dot-grid paper handled it quite nicely.

The Aurora 88 flex nib is fitted with an ebonite feed so that the ink flow keeps up with the nib. The 88 also has a nice big ink window so you can see when you need to refill.

I'm not familiar enough with vintage flex pens to provide any intelligent commentary on how it compares to very soft "wet noodle" flex pens like those manufactured by Waterman in the 1920s and the 1930s. If that's your expectation with the Aurora Flex nib, you may be disappointed, but I will note that Dan Smith of The Nibsmith has indicated that he'll be able to grind the nib to maximize line variation, and I'd recommend that you contact him for additional information.

A Note on the Aurora 88

The Aurora 88 is a classic fountain pen. The version that I have is made from a dark green polished resin with gold trim.

The "88" is Aurora's longtime flagship pen, and one of those pieces that has sat on my list for years but for whatever reason never made it into my pen case. Even though I probably won't go in on the flex nib, there are some strikingly gorgeous models of the 88 out there, whether it be the Satin Black with Rose Gold Trim, last year's "Sole" limited edition, to this year's upcoming "Nebulosa" limited edition. I enjoy the size of the 88, it has a high-capacity piston filling system, and it's extremely comfortable to write with. You'll probably be seeing one on the blog soon!

Takeaways / Where to Buy

I probably won't be picking up a 70th Anniversary Aurora 88 with the new flex nib, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't! Supply is extremely limited, with only 188 pieces distributed worldwide in each color. The pen will cost $650, and will be available in limited quantities from Aurora dealers such as Anderson Pens, Vanness Pens, Pen Chalet, and the Nibsmith. If this is a pen that interests you, I'd act quick as soon as the color you want becomes available.

Disclaimer: As I mentioned, Kenro Industries loaned me this pen for review purposes. Other than a bottle of Aurora Blue-Black ink, I was not compensated for this review. This post does contain affiliate links.