Diplomat Magnum Fountain Pen Review

One of my favorite categories of stationery to review are entry level fountain pens. Not only do I love helping people discover their first fountain pen, I love using these inexpensive workhorses myself.

Why? Amount of money spent does not directly correlate to superior writing performance. If you have been in this hobby for any amount of time you know this, but for those just starting I think it is important to repeat. Heck, this is basic life advice that we all sometimes forget. It’s easy to assign the “more expensive=better” formula to anything, and that’s simply not the case.

In the case of the Diplomat Magnum fountain pen, the story starts with the price. At $23, the brand has positioned it as their entry level writer. That’s a good price for a good pen. The challenge for Diplomat is if it is a better choice than the huge amount of competition it the same price range.

In breaking down the Magnum, the first thing I noticed is the ultralight weight of the barrel. It is a standard length pen, checking in at 13.5 cm inches capped (12.5 uncapped,) but has a thinner than normal barrel diameter and grip section. The total weight of the Magnum is 19 grams, which places it well above the Kaweco Sport (9 grams) and Platinum Preppy (11 grams,) but if I didn’t look these numbers up I would have guessed it was much closer to the other two. That’s an effect of the narrower barrel I believe. Lightness aside, it feels good in the hand.

As with many entry level pens, your nib choices are limited. In this case, Fine or Medium, of which I went with the former. (Note: My mistake-they come in Extra Fine and Broad too!) It was smooth and had great flow out of the box, but it does skip on some of my faster vertical downstrokes. It’s not bad or repeatable, but it showed up enough to make me bring out the loupe to see if there was an issue. I didn’t seen any obvious baby’s bottom or misalignment, but I did smooth it a bit on 12000 grit sandpaper and that seemed to help.

Another nib comment: I find it soft for a #5 sized fine steel nib. As best as I could find online, these are Jowo nibs, and they have more give than I expected. That’s not real knock on the nib, other than making the fine line broader than you would expect. It is a good writer overall.

L to R: Lamy Safari, Platinum Preppy, Diplomat Magnum, Kaweco Sport.

The Diplomat Magnum is generally loved by everyone who has picked one up. I can’t disagree with that sentiment, but I can’t say it would be in my top five entry level fountain pens - maybe even the top ten. Off the top of my head (in no particular order) I’d go with:

Platinum Preppy

Pilot Metropolitan

Pilot Kakuno

Kaweco Perkeo

Kaweco Sport

TWSBI Swipe

TWSBI GO

Lamy Safari

All of these pens are under $30, with only the Sport ($24) and Safari ($29) more expensive than the Magnum. If I open up the over $30 price point, that brings in both the TWSBI ECO and Pilot Prera, which I believe are better as well. That’s ten pens right there that are easy choices, and I’m sure I’ve forgotten some.

None of this is a knock on the Magnum, but rather a state of the union in this price range. There are a ton of great pens! And I would certainly recommend the Magnum if you like the style and weight of the pen, especially over more particular pens like the Safari (a more extreme molded grip than the Magnum, which has three flat sides) and Sport (short length, half the weight.) Diplomat has leaned into the fun with the Magnum, too, as seen by the translucent orange barrel I chose to review, along with a range of other bright and subtle colors.

The Diplomat Magnum is a box-checker. Meaning, if it checks all of your boxes for what you like in a pen, then you will be happy with your purchase. If it doesn’t, then it is an easy pivot into other options in the same range.

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

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Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Magico, The OG

Several years ago, Leonardo Officinia Italiana burst onto the fountain pen scene and has been going gangbusters ever since with a variety of colors, models and filling systems, including the Momento Zero and Furore among others. In late May of 2021, they announced their newest model, the Momento Magico, which is a piston filler fountain pen that bridges the gap between the Momento Zero (MZ) and the Momento Zero Grande (MZG).

Now, I know what you’re going to say. You’re probably going to tell me that Leonardo released a new version of the Magico a couple months ago, so why bother writing about a prior version? For starters, I actually wrote this article last year but for one reason or another, it just never made it to the blog. I do plan on reviewing the new Magico (soon, my precious, soon) when it gets to me, but I wanted folks to get a sense of the original version so they can make an informed decision about which one they may like better.

The Magico has a special box sleeve and the pen was enclosed in the standard black Leonardo pen box. Inside, you will find the pen and a booklet for the Magico - on the back, you can scan the code to get instructions on how to disassemble the pen with the piston tool, sold separately.

No mistaking this box sleeve for the regular Momento Zero!

Sizewise, the Magico is the Goldilocks of the Momento Zero family, not too big and not too small in both grip size and length. The Magico is a bit larger than the MZ and a bit smaller than the MZG, both capped and uncapped. Both the MZ and MZG sports a bit of a sloped “step” in the section which some users may find distracting. The Magico has a different grip section which also has a slight flare near the end to prevent fingers from slipping forward, which the other two do not. As an owner of all three models, I have found them equally comfortable, but the Magico may be a better fit for those who don’t like the MZ/MZG grip section.

Left to right: LMZ Pietra Marina, Magico Tropical, MZG Caraibi.

Measurements: Momento Zero (with converter)

Weight (g)

29.50 (capped)

21.36 (uncapped)

Magico

23.61 (capped)

15.72 (uncapped)

Momento Zero Grande

32.00 (capped)

20.24 (uncapped)

The Magico, being a piston filler and larger than the MZ, is surprisingly lighter. This surprised me but I was reminded that the MZ converter is a bit longer and heavier than a regular standard international converter because of the longer, metal knob. It is similar in weight to a Pilot Metropolitan, a touch heavier than the Sailor Pro Gear, and a little lighter than the Esterbrook Estie. This lighter weight can give the impression that it feels less sturdy than its MZ/MZ counterparts. While not necessary for cleaning, one can disassemble the Magico with the Leonardo piston tool (sold separately). I’m not sure I’d want a piston tool to be included with every Magico, especially since they cost ~$35, which would make the price go up.

As piston tools go, this one feels substantial, which is good given its price tag.

As one would expect, the Magico’s Jowo 6 nib wrote great out of the box. The Magico uses the standard plastic feed (the MZG has an ebonite feed) and the nib unit can be unscrewed from the grip section. You can also upgrade to a gold nib. Like the MZG, the Magico also holds 1.5ml of ink. This model also sports a transparent ink window which is visible while capped.

Writing sample from the Stilo e Stile exclusive, Tropical with a Broad steel nib and Akkerman 28, the best bright green ink ever.

The pen comes in several colors/patterns as well as silver or gold trim (though there were exclusives that came in rose gold trim).

The Magico was originally released in these colors: Miele, Tramonto, Pietra Salata, Millefiori, Black Matte and Glossy (Image credit:: Leonardo Pens)

Comparison against other similarly sized pens as well as other piston/vac fillers: Platinum 3776, TWSBI 580, Sailor Pro Gear, Pelikan M600, Leonardo Momento Zero, Aurora Optima, Memento Magico, Pelikan M800, Momento Zero Grande, Esterbrooke Estie, TWSBI Vac 700R, Pilot Custom 823.

Pros

• The Leonardo Momento Magico pen is a great option for folks who want a different grip from the MZ and MZG models and also want a piston filler.
• Unlike earlier models of the MZ, which also used Bock nibs, the Magico’s Jowo nib unit is easily removable, making nib swapping a breeze.
• The Magico was available for ~$200 USD and lower prices may be found now that the 2022 version has been released.

Neutral

• The ink window is visible while capped, which does not affect functionality. This is purely aesthetics which may or may not bother folks.
• The piston tool is not included and is sold separately for ~$35.

Cons

• If you prefer heavier pens, this may not be the best model for you as it is lighter than the other two Leonardo models.
• There is a sizable jump in price for the gold nib, as is the case with all of their models; it would cost an additional ~$200 to upgrade to a gold nib..

In short, the Leonardo Momento Magico is a great pen for folks who don’t love the MZ/MZG grip, and also prefer piston-fillers. If seeing the ink window when it is capped doesn’t bother you, consider snagging one of the original Magicos - especially if you like the Miele or Tramonto patterns. The price was very reasonable before and deals may be found now that the new 2022 model is out. I’m glad I have the OG Magicos and I can’t wait to try the next one!

(All pens in this review were purchased with my own funds and received no compensation from Leonardo Officina Italiana or any vendors for this review.)

Edison Pen Co. Comet 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!)

The new Edison Comet pen model first caught my eye on the Edison Pen Co. Instagram, and when I saw they were bringing them to the Chicago Pen Show, I knew I might be in trouble. Sure enough, there were trays and trays of temptation there--but this one stood out. I've been drooling over Jonathon Brooks's abalone material since its debut, but hadn't scored any yet. Edison and Brooks combined? There was no way I was going home without this pen.

The unbalanced look of this pen is a bit odd. The top-heavy domed cap is unusual and may not have captivated me if I hadn't nerded out over the inspiration--a comet with a trailing tail. The translucent material at the top reminds me of a crystal ball, and the shimmery abalone looks absolutely magical. It reminds me of very happy memories studying the Hale-Bopp comet in my 8th grade physics class, when my best friend and I were studying astronomy for Science Olympiad.

But you don't need to be a nerd to love this pen. While the cap looks top-heavy, the material is light and the cap posts deeply, so it feels perfectly balanced when writing (whether your post or not). The joins are smooth and the clip is sleek and flexible. The grip section has a comfortable concave center that flares enough to keep your fingers from slipping down to the nib. The threads above the grip section are very smooth.

Mine has a broad stainless steel nib. I don't usually get broad nibs--I prefer needle EFs--but that means I have a lot of EFs, and I knew I'd want to put lighter colored inks in this pen. I also had Brian tune the nib to be super wet and smooth--so it's the perfect pen for inks that I love that are too pale to be read easily in finer lines. Of course, getting a custom tuning of the nib is an advantage of pen show attendance, but I've always had good experiences with Edison's nibs.

Overall, the pen is beautiful, a pleasure to write with, and makes me think of happy memories. The only criticism I have is that it's so pretty that sometimes it distracts me while I'm writing and I just twist the pen in the sun watching the shimmer while time passes by.

I conveniently forget what I paid for my pen (pen show brain fog), but Edison offers a lot of customization of materials and filler systems that influence their prices. A base price for the Comet on their site now is $275, and they have a large selection in stock currently—several of which want to come live at my house. Please go buy them so I don't.

(I bought this pen at standard retail from Edison Pen Co. at the 2022 Chicago Pen Show.)

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