Tibaldi Perfecta Fountain Pen Review

I’ve been watching the relaunch of the Tibaldi brand closely over the past serval months, and finally decided to pick one up for review. My intent was to grab the Bononia model, with its Leonardo-esque material design and barrel shape, but a different model caught my eye on the way to adding to cart.

The Tibaldi Perfecta is a throwback to the early-to-mid 1900’s safety pen model, a pen shape and design that I have always loved. Now, the modern Perfecta does not have all of the interior features that those classic pens had - this is a cartridge/converter filling pen after all - but on the outside, this is a nice throwback.

Tibaldi kept that classic style with the Rich Black model, featuring a full black barrel and cap, but it was the Tortoise Beige model that got me with its black and tan mosaic cap making all the difference.

When the pen arrived and it was time to ink up, I knew there was only one color I was filling it with: Black. A classic color for a classically designed pen. I even ordered a new bottle to mark the occasion. A perfect match.

It only took a minute or two of writing to feel at home with the Perfecta. The stainless steel EF nib, marked with the Tibaldi logo, worked perfectly out of the box. The lines were clean, and the ink flowed well. The upgrade to an ebonite feed likely helped in that area.

With all of my fawning words so far, you’d think this would be a no-brainer recommendation, right? Wrong. As much as I am enjoying it, there is a lot to consider when checking off the pros and cons for the Perfecta.

First off, the barrel design. Specifically, the grip section. It keeping with its classic safety pen aesthetic, the cap threads on the barrel hit smack in the middle of where most people would grip the pen. It looks great in pictures, but at the expense of functionality. I can grip below the threads, I can grip above the threads, and I can even grip on the threads (they aren’t that sharp,) but the fact I can’t grip the pen consistently in one spot is a bit frustrating. Picking it up blindly from the desk always requires an adjustment to get into the proper writing grip.

Secondly, I really don’t like the clip. It’s a poor design that stands out on an otherwise well—designed pen. It’s strong and sturdy enough, but it doesn’t look right. Maybe it they finished it in the same glossy style as the rest of the barrel instead of the satin/matte finish they used? I don’t know. It looks cheap.

And that leads me to last issue: It’s not cheap. At $187 this pen has all of the competition in the world, and it beats very few of them in that range.

That’s the dilemma I am having with the Tibaldi Perfecta. Despite is flaws, I enjoy using it. Despite how much I enjoy using it, I would never recommend it over the Leonardo Momento Zero or Furore, Montegrappa Elmo or Fortuna, and a whole litany of other pens in the $150-$200 price range.

If that’s the game you are going to play, you better bring your A-game. The Tibaldi Perfecta is a B. That’s a great grade in a vacuum, but the fountain pen market is a competition, and I think it falls one grade short from the best.

(I purchased this pen at 10% off from PenChalet.)

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Kaweco Sport x Goldspot Classic Blue Fountain Pen Review

In the world of stationery Pokemon products - the ones where you gotta catch ‘em all - The Kaweco Sport reigns supreme. While they are certainly a personal favorite of mine, I’ve avoided wanting to chase them all down. That said, I wasn’t going to let this Classic Blue with Silver trim Sport pass by without adding it to the collection.

I generally go for the brighter color barrels, but this translucent navy blue is just about perfect for me, especially with the trim. The Goldspot logo is stamped nicely on one of the cap facets, and doesn’t overwhelm the pen, which can be a concern on some branded models.

Where does a model like this fall in with Kaweco’s new changes around limited/special editions? Since this is clearly a branded model, it is just that, not part of their new Collection series, which are released from Kaweco themselves. Brands have more freedom now to choose the colors they like, without having to have the barrel color name printed on the pen. It’s a good change in my book.

Quality-wise, the Kaweco Sport provides a good bang for the buck. Even the limited editions, like this one, will only set you back around $25. I’ve put several of my other models through a ringer of pockets, bags, backpacks, and plenty of drops onto the floor. It just keeps going no matter what or where. Never a crack, ding, or dent to be found. I have scratched some up beautifully though, which is part of the fun of a pocket pen. Use your pens!

The fine steel nib in this pen writes wonderfully. I tend to go for an extra fine, but I’m impressed with the line from this nib. It is neat and clean, and fine enough for me. Instead of going for a matchy matchy look with a blue black ink, I opted to go with the complimentary brightness of Kaweco Turquoise. It’s a great setup.

I don’t review every Kaweco Sport I pick up, but when I do, it’s because I have added another cool color to the collection. The Classic Blue from Goldspot is exactly that.

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

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Scribo Feel A Riveder Le Stelle 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.)

After I reviewed the Scribo Feel Amarena several months ago, I was smitten with the flex nib Italian pen. I discovered a special edition, available only from Scrittura Bolognese, called A Riveder Le Stelle ("to see again the stars"). Midnight blue with a sprinkling of white like the Milky Way, the pen called to me and I answered.

The pen comes in the usual grey-blue box associated with Scribo pens. There's a cotton and leather two-pen roll-up case inside, along with information about the pen and a warranty card.

In addition I received a hand-written card from Scribo and a complementary bottle of ink.

There's also a commemorative book included that features the Cineteca of Bologna.

La Riveder Le Stelle is a line from Dante's Divine Comedy. Dante and Virgil, emerging from Hell, observe the starry sky and exult in being able to see the stars again. After our year of Hell (i.e. 2020) Scribo created this pen with the hope that soon we will all be free to observe the stars, both literal and figurative. La Riveder Le Stelle is, therefore, a tribute to the stars of the cinema. 10% of the revenue from the pen is donated to Cineteca of Bologna to assist with the recovery and restoration projects of Immagine Ritrovata.

The pen features handmade midnight blue resin speckled with white. Trims are platinum and the 14k flex nib is white gold. Scribo Feel pens have a distinctive dodecagonal shape with curves that taper towards the mid-section of the pen.

This is a large pen, measuring 148mm/5.83 inches capped and 136mm/5.35 inches uncapped. The cap does not post. Capped and filled with ink, the pen weighs 39.15 grams. Uncapped and filled with ink it weighs 21.3 grams. The grip is a comfortable 11.28mm. A piston filler, the Scribo can hold 1.42ml of ink.

The screw-on cap features a finial etched with a quill, a rather tight clip, and a cap ring inscribed with "Scribo Feel the Writing."

There's a sharp drop from the barrel of the pen to the grip, but the grip is lengthy, so your fingers never come in contact with the drop or the barrel threads. The rounded shape of the barrel fits snugly between your thumb and forefinger. The pen is well-balanced in the hand and extremely comfortable for writing.

I opted for the 14k fine flex nib. The nib has a tiny bit of plain scrollwork and the words "Feel the Flex Scribo," along with the gold content. The fine nib is smooth and arrived perfectly tuned.

To assist with the ink demands of flex, the nib is fitted with an ebonite feed with two capillaries. I've not experienced any ink starvation or railroading when writing with this nib even when flexing.

Although no modern nib can really compete with vintage flex nibs, the Scribo Feel nib is very good. It's a smooth, trouble-free writer unflexed. Flexed, it provides excellent line variation, up to 2mm wide.

Unfortunately, I've managed to knock the tines a bit out of alignment. Clearly, I pushed the nib too far while experimenting, so I suspect a nibmeister is in my future.

The Scribo A Riveder Le Stelle is limited to 100 pieces, and you can only find it at Scrittura Bolognese. It costs €581.97 (approximately $709, depending on exchange rates). That's a pretty penny for a resin fountain pen, but this pen is so solid in the hand, so beautifully made, and such a great writer that I believe it's worth it.

(I purchased the Scribo A Riveder Le Stelle from Scrittura Bolognese with my own funds.)

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