Ink Review: Scribo Verde Prato

July 16, 2022

I’ve enjoyed getting back to full-time reviewing, as I step back from expanding the shop and refocus the site. If you’ve missed it, I’m in the process of thinning out my accumulation of pens, inks, and paper; selling off a huge chunk of what I don’t use, and - relevant here - rediscovering things I forgot I had, such as six or seven bottles of Scribo Ink at the back of a cabinet. (Ridiculous, right?)

Scribo Stackable Ink Bottles — Scribo sells their ink in a hefty 90ml glass inkwell, which not only gives you plenty of ink for your money but also makes for an attractive desk accessory, if that’s your thing.

I’ve previously tested a few different colors from Scribo’s ink lineup, and found them all to have good flow with zero bleed and feathering. For those unfamiliar with Scribo (or “ScriBo,” as I’ve seen it written), the moniker is short for “Scrittura Bolognese”, a reference to both the company’s location and the fact that it was started by former employees of OMAS who wanted to keep that former brand’s legacy alive. Scribo places a strong emphasis on nibs and ink: the nibs tend to be “soft”, with “extra flexible” options available, and the inks are formulated to accommodate the company’s nib style with a special emphasis on inkflow. I’ve also taken an in-depth look at the ink bottle, which is impressive in its own right.

Scribo Verde Prato Writing Sample — This particular ink dries fast, in addition to behaving well. This writing sample was dry to the touch within 15-20 seconds.

The ink I’m looking at today is “Verde Prato,” a very bright grass/spring green that’s a difficult color to get right. I enjoy using bright greens such as this one for highlighting and annotation, but with some brands, the dyes used in this shade of green tend to make for a drier writing experience and/or precipitate out to form nib crud. Verde Prato, however, is a different story. Scribo has done a very nice job of making a bright - almost neon - green ink that’s still highly usable and likely to stick in my collection since I don’t currently have something similar.

Scribo Ink Bottle Packaging — While I store my Scribo inks in the sturdy cardboard packaging, the caps on the ink bottles helpfully have a color reference in case you keep your inks in a drawer and have to view/organize them from above.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

As I noted above, I’ve tended to stay away from these light green inks despite generally liking the color. Unlike some brighter colors such as orange, I’ve found light greens to have a tendency towards extremely dry flow. Scribo Verde Prato flows much better than most, and going forward this one will definitely remain in the collection as my “nuclear green” option. The ink’s legibility makes it an excellent option for both highlighting and annotation.

You can purchase Verde Prato and other Scribo pens and inks from our friends at Vanness Pens. At $35, the ink isn’t inexpensive, but you do get the impressive glass inkwell bottle containing a full 90ml of ink (which is approaching Akkerman territory!).

Disclaimer: I purchased the ink featured in this review for my own use, though I purchased it so long ago I can’t recall whether I may have received a discount or not. This post does not contain affiliate links or paid advertising. To support The Gentleman Stationer, please consider shopping at the T.G.S. Curated Shop (large inventory reduction sale ongoing!) or visiting our Patreon Program.

First Impressions: Scribo Feel Fountain Pen

January 16, 2021

The other day I took an initial look at the line of inks by Scrittura Bolognese, otherwise known as Scribo, a new Italian pen company helmed by former employees of OMAS. The inks are quite good, both in terms of performance and presentation, and the Scribo ink bottle is one of the best designs I have used. But what about Scribo pens? Today, I offer my initial thoughts on Scribo's flagship fountain pen, the "Feel".

Scribo adopted the slogan "Feel the Writing," and while maybe a touch cheesy, it fits, because the Scribo Feel is an extraordinarily comfortable pen. Per Scribo's website, each pen is turned by hand from a single bar of resin, and features several well-conceived design touches intended to maximize writing comfort.

The body of the pen evokes a Doric column, fluted with twelve facets around the cap, grip section, barrel, and blind cap/piston. I found that the fluting/facets enhance my grip on the pen, giving me greater control over my writing. The texture is subtle, not sharp, especially on the section where it appears only at the end closest to the nib, allowing you to adjust the writing angle of the nib to your preference. While I would characterize the Scribo Feel as an oversized pen, approximately the same size as an Opus 88 Omar and slightly larger than a Montblanc 149, the contoured shape keeps it from feeling unwieldy. While I love both the Omar and the 149, I'd actually give the slight edge to Scribo in terms of comfort.

Scribo-Feel-Fountain-Pen-Scribo-branding

I have mixed feelings about the decision to engrave Scribo's slogan, "Feel the Writing," on the cap band. At the $500+ price point, I would have strongly preferred that Scribo simply continue the coin-edge band all the way around.

The Scribo Feel (center) compared against the Montblanc 149 (left) and Opus 88 Omar (right).

The major selling point for those contemplating a Scribo, however, is the nib. On its website, Scribo expressly states that the company fits its pens with "the same nib used by OMAS." While I've only owned two OMAS pens, and neither stuck because the nibs wrote far too wet for my taste, the 18k ruthenium-plated nib on this Scribo Feel writes perfectly. I knew up front that Scribo uses ebonite feeds, so I opted for an extra-fine which was the right call. Despite the fact that the pen is a wet writer, the nib still maintains a true extra-fine line on quality paper. Currently, Scribo offers two nib options: an 18k non-flexible nib in EF, F, M, and B; and a 14k "flexible" nib in the same sizes. I’m not a flex-nib person, so this was an easy choice for me.

The nib on my pen wrote perfectly out of the box. Towards the end, OMAS suffered from quality control issues on its nibs, and both of mine needed tuning badly. I've heard only good things about Scribo, however. Writing sample shown here is done on M… — The nib on my pen wrote perfectly out of the box. Towards the end, OMAS suffered from quality control issues on its nibs, and both of mine needed tuning badly. I've heard only good things about Scribo, however. Writing sample shown here is done on Midori MD Cotton Paper.

Finally, while I normally don't get worked up over packaging or promotional "add-ons" such as free pen sleeves or pen cases - most freebies that manufacturers throw in are cheap and don't hold up well to actual use - the Scribo Feel ships with a cotton and leather pen wrap that to me represents added value. It seems quite durable and may see some use.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

If this pen is any indication, Scribo has a bright future and I look forward to seeing whether they release new models. While they have dabbled in other designs, including some extremely high-end limited editions and a collaboration with UK retailer Write Here, the Feel is the only standard model currently offered. Recently, Scribo has focused on expanding the range of materials and trim options in the Feel lineup.

I purchased the pen featured in this review from Appelboom Pens in the Netherlands. The specific model pictured here is the Scribo Feel in Grey-Blue with ruthenium trim, which retails for between $650-750. Like the OMAS pens that preceded them, these certainly are not inexpensive writing instruments, and the offbeat design may limit the appeal of this particular model. That said, the Scribo Feel is a well-built luxury fountain pen with a lot to offer, and compares favorably with competition from Aurora, Visconti, Montegrappa, Montblanc, and the limited edition offerings from Leonardo. Scribo is firmly on my radar and I plan to follow the brand closely in the year to come.

Disclaimer: I acquired the pen in question from Appelboom, using credit generated through the Appelboom affiliate program. The links in this post are NOT affiliate links, as I am moving away from an affiliate revenue model going forward.

Ink Review: Did Scribo Create the Best Ink Bottle Ever?

January 14, 2021

Scribo (a portmanteau of “Scrittura Bolognese”) launched following the closure of Italian pen company OMAS, helmed by former employees who sought to recreate the same writing experience loved by generations of devoted OMAS fans. While Scribo is not a direct descendant of OMAS (the assets of the company itself were acquired out of liquidation and revived in 2018 under the label “Armando Simoni Club”), many in the pen community have found that Scribo’s nibs are the closest you can get to the feel of OMAS in a modern pen. Scribo, however, makes no attempt to duplicate the look of OMAS, with their pens and inkwells taking on a unique new aesthetic that makes the brand a lot of fun to use. I’m working on a more in-depth review of the Scribo “Feel” fountain pen, which will follow in the near future, but today enjoy this look at the company’s excellent line of inks.

Scribo inks arrive in what I can only describe as an absolutely gigantic, 90ml glass bottle. While the ink is priced at $39 per bottle, the quantity of ink you receive, presentation, and practicality of the bottle put a lot of other ink companies to shame. I love the look of the square bottle, and the wide opening and deep inkwell allow you to fill even the largest pens with ease. Another feature many have commented on is the ability to “stack” these bottles for easier storage. While you can certainly stack the bottles - the underside is hollowed out to fit over the cap of another - given the weight of these things I wouldn’t recommend stacking them more than 2-3 bottles high. Otherwise things get a little “wobbly.”

The ink itself performs nicely. The insert that Scribo includes with each bottle indicates that the company designed the ink to flow well in their extra flexible nibs, and the ink does writes fairly wet. That said, I’ve found Scribo ink to dry quickly, not smear, and not feather or bleed on fountain pen friendly paper. (It’s a bit of a mess on less expensive office copy paper, as are most wet inks.) Currently, the colors I have tested are: “Blue Cosmico” (Blue-Black), “Rosso Chianti” (a wine red), and “Classico Sepia” (a rich brown).

Scribo Rosso Chianti. The color is slightly more muted and purple IRL than in the photo, which leans towards magenta. That tone is definitely there, but it’s not as pronounced..

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Scribo offers another good example of how the heritage of beloved former brand can live on in a new company, while still continuing to grow and bring new ideas to the table. I loved the old Omas octagonal ink bottles, but I may enjoy Scribo’s even more, and the ink itself is so good that I’m already looking to add additional colors to my collection.

I acquired these Scribo inks from Appelboom, located in the Netherlands, and international shipping is free on orders over 200 Euros. You can also purchase Scribo inks from Vanness Pens in the U.S. Bottles are priced around $39 U.S, for 90ml of excellent ink.

Disclaimer: I acquired the ink in question from Appelboom, using credit generated through the Appelboom affiliate program. The links in this post are NOT affiliate links, as I am moving away from an affiliate revenue model going forward.