You can probably guess how quickly I jumped at the chance to review this pen, the Montegrappa Passione. I've never owned a Montegrappa - prior to receiving this pen I'd never even written with one - so I had no idea what to expect. I came away impressed and looking to learn more about the brand.

Though their edgier, super-expensive limited editions like the "Pirates" and "Memory" pens tend to grab the most press, Montegrappa's more classic designs have developed a following among fountain pen fans. In recent years, the company has introduced the Fortuna series (in countless variants), as well as pens such as the Parola and the Ducale. All of these pens are vintage-inspired and good examples of what could be considered classic Italian pen design. The celluloid and sterling silver Passione is the latest entry into the Montegrappa lineup, and it's both visually stunning and an excellent writer.

Build

The Passione has all the hallmarks of a high-dollar pen that's worth what you pay for it: a sterling silver section and trim, celluloid, an 18k gold nib with an ebonite feed, and an understated design that is easily characterized as "timeless" rather than "trendy." Yes, this pen does have a metal section, which might rule it out for some people, but the the heft of the silver balances the lightweight celluloid nicely. It's an extremely well-balanced pen to write with, though I opted to use this pen unposted. Posted, I found the Passione a bit long and top-heavy, probably due to the sterling silver trim on the cap.

The "1912" finial on the cap ended up being one of my favorite features of this pen. Also, check out the red enamel inlay on the clip.

I'm always happy to see modern pen companies use celluloid, which is one of my favorite pen materials of all time and gives pens a vintage feel. This particular celluloid, which Montegrappa calls "Cinnamon," to me resembles red and black swirled ebonite. It's a very pretty material, and at some point I'd like to see the other Passione options in person: the pen is also available in Mediterranean Blue, Orange, and Zebra. Each celluloid has a different pattern. Zebra looks particularly stunning - you can check it out in Matt's review over at the Pen Habit.

The Passione sports a cartridge-converter filling system. While some people might balk at the lack of a piston filler at this price point, I honestly don't mind, and have come to prefer cartridge-converter pens overall due to the ease of cleaning, especially since I change inks often.

A close-up of the Passione Cinnamon celluloid, with Montegrappa's roller-clip and engraved cap band.

Montegrappa Passione in Presentation Box

Nib and Writing Experience

The Passione is a great writer, period. Montegrappa uses relatively stiff 18k nibs - I'd compare the nib on this particular pen to an Aurora Optima nib, or maybe a Sailor. The Passione also features an ebonite feed, which can be heat-set to the nib to ensure steady ink flow. I'd characterize this nib as extremely smooth, moderately wet, and size-wise on the narrower side of medium. While the pen probably performs best on fountain-pen friendly paper, paired with a drier ink I wouldn't hesitate to carry this pen to work and use it as a daily driver.

Takeaways

If you're looking for a celluloid pen with an excellent nib, the Montegrappa Passione should be on your list of pens to try. It's an expensive pen, but it's made with expensive materials, and Montegrappa didn't cut any corners on the workmanship. In my opinion, you get what you pay for here. Whether the design appeals to you, of course, is always an issue of personal preference.

Time spent with the Passione has definitely increased my interest in Montegrappa as a brand. I've already placed an order for the Montegrappa Fortuna in white with ruthenium trim (the "stormtrooper" aesthetic), and I'm anxious to see how Montegrappa's steel nibs compare to their gold. While I'm not sure that I'll be picking up a Passione in the immediate future, it's not because I dislike the pen. Rather, I'm saving my money for one of Montegrappa's Flagship Extra 1930s in the Bamboo Black. (And I'll probably be saving for a while.)

Where to Buy

Montegrappa recently lowered the MSRP on the Passione to $795, with most retailers now listing the pen for just over $700. Nibs.com currently has all four colors of the Passione in stock and priced at $716. In case you're unfamiliar with the company, Nibs.com is owned and operated by master nibworker John Mottishaw, one of the best in the business. Every pen sold is set up and tuned to the purchaser's preference, and you even have the option of requesting a custom nib modification at checkout (for a supplemental charge). I've purchased pens from Nibs.com before and have always found their service to be top notch. They've also recently redesigned their website, making it much easier to navigate.

Disclaimer: Kenro Industries (Montegrappa's U.S. Distributor) loaned me this pen for review purposes. Though I contemplated keeping it and absconding to a remote island, I ultimately decided that I should send it back so Cary doesn't get in trouble.

My pen collection doesn't focus on a specific brand or model of pen. To the extent my collection has a "focus," that focus has been on acquiring pens made from unique materials. Over the past few years, I've snapped up several Italian celluloid pens. The pen featured in today's review: the Stipula Etruria in "Alter Ego" celluloid, was my first.

Most inks have worked well in the Etruria.  For this review, I used Iroshizuku Asa-Gao on Rhodia paper. — Most inks have worked well in the Etruria. For this review, I used Iroshizuku Asa-Gao on Rhodia paper.

The major Italian pen companies are Omas, Delta, Stipula, Aurora, and Montegrappa. I either own or have owned pens from all five, with the exception of Montegrappa. (Nothing against Montegrappa pens--for now most of them are out of my price range.) My favorite Italian pens are my Deltas and my Stipula, primarily because of the different celluloids those companies use.

A note on celluloid: Celluloid is a highly flammable material made from a mixture of nitrocellulose (aka "guncotton") and camphor, which gives the material its distinctive smell. Originally intended as a replacement for ivory, celluloid has incredible depth of color when used to make fountain pens. Unfortunately, modern celluloid pens tend to be extremely expensive, because the material is time-consuming to make and requires years to cure before it can be turned into a pen.

While the Etruria is large, I would not call it an oversized pen.

The Etruria is a large, cigar-shaped pen, and serves as Stipula's flagship model. Stipula has offered the Etruria in various materials (primarily different celluloids), as well as in tweaked designs such as this gorgeous faceted model created as a special edition for Chatterly Luxuries. The pen is a high-capacity piston-filler. The piston mechanism is very tight, and the head of the piston spins along with the rod as the piston is depressed. Stipula advertises this piston as "self-cleaning," and I can attest that this pen appears to be somewhat easier to flush than most piston fillers, presumably because the spinning piston head brushes ink off the sides of the barrel as it turns. The piston also turns counter-clockwise, which is unique.

The Etruria is a big pen, and has some heft. It does post, but many people may find it too top heavy since the piston mechanism already adds a lot of weight to the back end of the pen. To me, the weight/length is similar to a Pelikan M800 posted. My pen features sterling silver trim, which adds additional weight. The clip is engraved to resemble a reed, which the Romans used as pens (aka, a "Stipula").

I've thoroughly enjoyed the 14k, 1.1mm stub, but I originally purchased the pen with Stipula's titanium "T-flex" nib installed. While the "T-flex" is one of the "flexiest" modern nibs available, the flow was too heavy for me, and the pen didn't see much use until I had the nib replaced by sending the pen back to Yafa, the U.S. distributor for Stipula. It's been a couple years, but I recall that Yafa had to send the pen back to Italy so that the nib could be swapped out. Stipula's stock stub nib is a true stub--not a sharp italic--and has fast become one of my favorite writers. It's soft, with just the right amount of flow, and has good line variation. I had considered selling this pen due to my dissatisfaction with the T-flex nib, but I'm glad that I didn't.

At the end of the day, the material is what does it for me with this pen. The Alter Ego celluloid is a brown/orange with black veins running throughout. From what I can tell, Stipula no longer sells the Etruria Alter Ego with the sterling trim, but PenBoutique has been advertising a new Etruria "Magnifica" in Alter Ego celluloid, with gold trim, as "coming soon." Unfortunately, Stipula's celluloid pens are not cheap. The Alter Ego pictured in this review now sells for close to $600, but that may be because this specific pen has been discontinued. The new model looks like it will have a $450 MSRP but is on pre-sale at Pen Boutique for $360, which is, frankly, a good price for an Italian celluloid pen. This price will increase if you opt for a gold nib as opposed to the titanium T-flex.

If you like the Etruria form factor, Stipula offers the model in more accessible entries to the Etruria "Magnifica" line, which feature cartridge-converter filling systems and steel nibs. Stipula pens are generally well-made, and they are a good entry point into the higher-end Italian lines.

DISCLAIMER: I purchased the pen featured in this review with my own funds.