Leonardo Officiana Italiana Messenger Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Up until the last couple of weeks, I haven't had the pleasure of using a Leonardo fountain pen. I've heard about them and seen plenty of photos of these Italian beauties, and I've wanted to try one out to see what all the fuss is about. Based in Italy, the Leonardo brand uses unique and colorful materials to create modern fountain pens that perform beautifully at a reasonable cost. Unlike a lot of premium luxury brands, Leonardo pens don't compare in price with things like rent or a mortgage payment.

The Messenger fountain pen is a limited edition that celebrates the leap year. Since there are 366 days in a leap year, there are also a limited number of each Messenger color option (366 of each). The number of each pen copy is stamped into the lower exterior cap opposite the clip side. It's a nice touch for a really fun and pretty material design. Even if 2020 is easily the worst year in modern history, these bright pens can (hopefully) bring joy to your day.

The Messenger is what I call a "standard" size, which is similar to a TWSBI 580 or Lamy Safari in length and diameter. The silver accents go nicely with the cool and refreshing teal material. This particular color is called Aqua or Water, and it has veins of lighter colored material rippling through the translucent teal body and cap that really make this pen a joy to behold. The grip section features the same material, which allows you to see the metal assembly that holds the nib and feed collar in place. The grip is a nice shape and fits well in the hand.

The cap secures to the pen with a quick twist. Capping and uncapping the pen takes about 1.5 rotations to fully remove or secure the cap. It's a quick motion but also feels very secure when you've tightend the cap down. There's also a good "closed" feeling when screwing down the cap so that you know it's set. Some caps feel a little mushy or vague when capping, which can cause you to over-tighten the cap, increasing the likelihood of the cap developing tiny fractures, cracks, or even splitting over time. The cap also posts on the back of the pen body, but I found that the combined length is too much for normal writing.

The pen comes in a case that also includes a cartridge converter. I'm always very thankful when a pen manufacturer includes a converter because they understand the wide, wide world of ink choices, and it also means I don't have to go digging through a drawer to find the right size and fit of converter laying around.

The Jowo nib is a fairly large stainless steel nib, but the size of the nib fits the size of the body perfectly. It's a stiff nib but still has a pleasant feel when writing; it doesn't feel like you're writing with a needle. The grip section is also quite comfortable. Even though the section is smooth, it has a nice tapered shape and a butt at the of the grip to keep your fingers from slipping off onto the nib and feed. I've been really comfortable when writing with this pen.

The writing performance of the Messenger is also quite nice. It's a smooth writer and has zero issues starting after being unused for a while. I even left the pen uncapped for a while when I had to step away unexpectedly during the photoshoot. After 20 minutes, I came back and tried using the pen again — to my shock and surprise, it started writing with zero hiccups or dryness!

The fine nib in my copy is a great representation of the European fine nib size. The nib is smooth and creates a reliable and consistent line. I've had zero complaints with this nib out of the box, and it always makes me happy when a nib performs as expected without the need for any tuning or adjustments.

At $164, the Messenger isn't an impulse buy, but it's also really fairly priced given the quality and beautiful, unique materials that are used in the pen. Sure, you can find some fountain pens in this price range that feature a great gold nib, but the body will be quite boring in comparison to this one. I've really enjoyed having this Water variant on my desk to add a bit of cheer to the day.

If the Water / Aqua color isn't for you, you can also choose from Green, Orange, Red, and Caramel.

(The Pen Addict ordered this pen from site sponsor Pen Chalet using the 10% off podcast code.)

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Noodler’s Triple Tail Flex Nib Fountain Pen: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

Noodler’s Triple Tail Flex Nib Fountain Pen is an unusual pen with a combination of unique features. It is made from cotton butyrate resin, which is apparently quite strong and lacks the strong odor associated with other Noodler’s pens. The resin is completely clear, so you can see the pen’s inner workings as well as whatever color of ink you’ve chosen. The barrel unscrews to reveal an interesting push/pull converter that draws in a large quantity of ink (1.9ml) with two plunges. You can also purchase the 308 non-disposable ink cartridge if you prefer. The pen can be completely disassembled for cleaning and maintenance or just for tinkering, if you like.

The pen comes in a standard Noodler’s cardboard box. It’s nothing special. Inside is a leaflet explaining the parts of the pen and how to fill it.

The Triple Tail is a medium to large-sized cigar-shaped pen, measuring 6.0 inches/152mm capped, 7.0 inches/177mm posted; and 5.2 inches/132mm uncapped. It weighs 13 grams uncapped (without ink) and 20 grams capped or posted (without ink). The barrel measures 16mm at its widest, but the grip is only 11mm, so it is quite comfortable to hold.

Trims on this pen are silver colored (presumably stainless steel). The springy clip is engraved with “Noodler’s Ink” as is the cap ring, though quite sloppily. Another metal ring appears on the nib end of the grip.

The barrel is engraved with “Triple Tail” on one side and “Noodler’s Ink” on the other. One gets the impression from the branding that this company is really proud of their ink.

The plunger filler is quite simple to use and functions smoothly. You simply dip the nib into your ink and push and pull the mechanism twice.

The nib is a stainless steel, triple-tine flex nib, also engraved with “Noodler’s Ink.” In fact, the three-tine nib is why the pen is called “Triple Tail.”

The ebonite feed is handmade and has three channels to help it keep up with ink flow.

Unflexed, the nib writes like a stub nib with a line width of slightly less than 1mm. Flexed, it can make a line 1.5 to 2mm in width.

I inked the pen with Kala Ink Neon Violet (review coming soon). I was able to write quickly and problem-free using my regular handwriting (no flex).

When I applied pressure, the nib flexed well, offering terrific line variation. I didn’t have any issues with skipping, railroading, or dryness. This is a super fun nib with lots of flare.

I am really pleased with how smooth and wet this nib is. And, if you want to decrease or increase the ink flow, you can do so by adjusting how deeply the nib/feed unit sits in the grip.

To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t expecting much from this pen. The material feels like cheap plastic (even if it’s strong and durable), and the sloppy engraving on the cap ring just makes it look a bit chintzy. I’m curious how well it will hold up over time.

But, man! This pen fills and writes like a champ. I love how much ink it holds, which is especially important with a triple-tine flex nib. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed writing with the Triple Tail. Because it’s so easy to clean (since you can take it apart), I plan on using my Triple Tail as an ink tester from here on out.

You can purchase your own Noodler’s Triple Tail Flex Pen from JetPens for $55.00.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

LAMY Safari Candy Series Aquamarine Fountain Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

Nothing says summer like a bright new series of special editions from Lamy! The Candy Series has been well received, with Violet, Mango, and Aquamarine bringing a bit of much-needed sunshine to the pen world. I'm not really sure why it's called the Candy Series, with colors named after rocks, flowers, and fruit, but it's definitely sweet.

The model I have is the Aquamarine, with an extra-fine steel nib. It has all the standard Safari traits: The u-shaped clip, ink window so you can see your ink level, the love-it-or-hate-it molded grip, and the easy-to-use cartridge/converter fill system. On this edition, the clip has been color-coated to match the body color, which looks fantastic. It also has a matte finish and slightly textured body, similar to the Dark Lilac edition.

The steel nib writes very well. It's firm, but smooth, with just the right amount of feedback. It's not wet or dry, but it puts down just the right amount of ink. The extra fine nib on mine is definitely thicker than my usual preference with EF nibs--a little broader, even, than a TWSBI or Pelikan EF nib--but it writes so nicely that I don't mind at all. I just think of it as more of a medium-fine.

I don't have a lot of Safaris. I've never actually bought one for myself, because they're not my style, aesthetically. But there's no denying their popularity, and their ability to lure in new pen aficionados. While I usually recommend the Pilot Metro or TWSBI for new pen users, the LAMY is what I see most of my friends go for when the time comes to pick out their first pen. There's just something exciting about them, and I think it may often be the great color options. I think these three new colors are sure to attract lots of happy pen users.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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