Leonardo Momento Magico 2022 - New and Improved!

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

A few months ago, I did a review of the Leonardo Momento Magico which I affectionately called “The OG” because there is a new Magico in town! Earlier this year, Leonardo Officina Italiana released an updated version of the Momento Magico, which I will refer to as the Momento Magico 2022. I won’t go into the same level of detail as in the previous writeup and instead, will highlight the differences.

Thank you to Stilo e Stile for sending the Momento Magico DNA for review. The DNA is black and orange and it is no coincidence that the DNA is reminiscent of the Delta Dolce Vita, since Ciro Matrone (father of Salvatore Matrone, founder of Leonardo) was the co-founder and production manager for Delta.

The Momento Magico 2022 comes in 4 standard colors, available in gold and palladium trim, and the black pens are also available in ruthenium trim. They continued this model in Pietra Salata and Millefiori but discontinued Tramonto (Sunset) or Miele (Honey). DNA is available in gold and silver trim as well.

Top to bottom: Momento Magico 2022 Millefiori, Matte Black, Emerald and Pietra Salata (PC:Leonardo)

The packaging and contents are unchanged for the 2022 Momento Magico - standard black Leonardo box in the yellow Momento Magico box sleeve, along with instructions on filling and how to disassemble, etc.

The biggest difference is that the ink window is no longer visible when the pen is capped. This was something that they got a lot of feedback about so I’m glad that they decided to redesign this.

Leonardo Momento Zero Devil’s Kiss, Momento Magico (Pietra Salata), Momento Magico 2022 (DNA) and Momento Zero Grande Girasole.

The cap band for the 2022 Magicos is the same as the original version. The DNA cap band, however, is different; the design of which is meant to remind you of the handles of the amphorae in ancient Rome which were used to carry water, wine, and other liquids.

The DNA’s cap band, along with the individual number on the back.

The size of the 2022 Magico is the same as the prior version, both capped and uncapped, and ever so slightly longer when posted. Note that the DNA has a transparent gray window with matching trim bands while the regular Magicos have clear ink windows with no trim bands. You can really see how much shorter the 2022 ink window is compared to the original version.

The grip for the 2022 Magico remained unchanged (the uncapped photo is the most accurate depiction of the barrel and grip) and works well for folks who dislike the “bump” in the Momento Zero and Grande models.

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

I don’t have any Delta Dolce Vita pens, even though I’d love to get one, but the closest I have is the Aurora Optima, O Sole Mio, which is also a black and orange pen. Just for kicks, I compared it to the DNA as well as the Pen Chalet exclusive Leonardo Momento Zero. The resins in the DNA look a bit more like the Aurora’s barrel but the differences could also be due to batch variances.

Left to Right: Aurora Optima, O Sole Mio, Pen Chalet Exclusive LMZ in Glossy Black/Orange with Ruthenium trim, and the Momento Magico DNA.

Like the original Momento Magico as well as the other steel Jowo nibbed Leonardos, this one wrote beautifully out of the box. This was a Fine nib and there were no issues with ink flow or scratchiness.

I inked this beauty up with Ferris Wheel Press Pumpkin Patch which is a great shading ink for different oranges in the barrel.

The Momento Magico 2022 is well-priced at 163EU/199EU with VAT (or 352EU/430 with VAT for the gold nib upgrade) - making this a good deal for a good sized pen that is neither too small nor too big. With the change in the ink window, Leonardo has really made the 2022 Momento Magico a very compelling pen. Now to tell myself I don’t need that Emerald one ;-)

(Stilo e Stile provided this pen to The Pen Addict at a discount for purposes of this review. All of the other pens in this review were purchased with my own funds and received no compensation from Leonardo Officina Italiana or any vendors for this review.)

Laban Rosa Lilac 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!)

I have no previous experience with Laban Pens, but in my browsing to find specs for this beauty, I feel a strong need to become better acquainted with the brand. This Laban Rosa fountain pen certainly serves as an excellent ambassador to further enabling.

The Rosa has an acrylic body, this one in the Lilac colorway, with gold-toned furniture. The body tapers slightly and has gently pointed finials. There are narrow rings at each end, and then a wider cap band with the Laban name against a matte gold background. There is a shaped gold clip that is quite stiff, but holds a notebook cover or pen case very securely.

The cap screws off with two rotations and shows a grip section made of the same material as the body. It's a comfortable section that is very slightly flared at the end to prevent fingers from slipping toward the nib. The threads are smooth and the pen is light and balanced, so it's great for long writing sessions.

The nib is a two-toned steel with the Laban name on it with some pretty scrollwork. This one is a fine nib, and it writes like a true fine. The nib does have a bit of spring to it, but I wouldn't call it flexible. It has just enough give to not feel like a nail. It writes a decently wet line, but has a dry-feeling feedback. If you like feedback, but dislike dry nibs, this is a win.

It comes with a converter for filling, but would also take a standard cartridge. The converter has the Laban name printed on it. It holds a decent amount of ink, filled well, and has a good seal.

I've enjoyed writing with this pen for the past few weeks. It doesn't hurt that this material is my two favorite colors, so I was immediately stricken by its loveliness. There are a lot of these standard acrylic pens out there these days, but I can't get enough of them. This one is well-made with a particularly pretty material, and the price is better than most of the similar pens I've tried.

The Laban brand runs the gamut on price range for their pens, but this one retails for a very reasonable $140, and is currently available at Goldspot for $111.95. Other colors are available at the same price. I'm very glad to have been introduced to Laban with this pen and I've now got my eye on more of their lineup.

(Goldspot provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

---

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Happy Birthday to Me!

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

Another trip around the sun for me (my birthday was yesterday) and while I don’t have a birthday pen picked out (yet), I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on past birthday pens.

2017 - This was the first birthday I had after discovering fountain pens just a few months prior. I wanted to celebrate with something special but I didn’t know what. I had seen some pens by Mike Allen of Woodshed Pen Company I and messaged him to see if he could make something with blue and purple, my two favorite colors. He recently announced that he is no longer making fountain pens, which bums me out, but it also makes me extra thankful for the ones I own, including this one.

First birthday pen in Purplue Borealis by Woodshed Pen Company.

2018 - In the spring of 2018, I had put myself on the waiting list at Tokyo Pen Shop Quill for a Pilot Custom 823 in Clear with the FA nib. (Sadly they aren’t allowed to sell that outside of Japan anymore). It ended up being available right before my birthday, so this became my birthday pen. I really enjoyed working on my penmanship with that semiflex pen while watching the ink slosh around.

I love looking at the ink in my Pilot Custom 823, Clear!

Look how awesome Colorverse Chesapeake Bay looks from a flex nib!

2019 - By this point, I was a pretty big Pilot Vanishing Point fan. And when the Tropical Turquoise was launched in September that year, it was a no-brainer. Birthday pen! I still wish Pilot would make more of these cool colors/patterns and not so many black VPs, but that’s another story. I just used this one recently and yup, it still gives me all the feels.

Pilot, pretty please make more pretties like this, Pilot Tropic Turquoise Vanishing Point!

2020 - What can I say about 2020 that hasn’t already been said? For many, it was a crappy year, filled with fear, anxiety, sickness, death, lockdowns, masks, isolation, Zoom meetings/classes, etc. For me and my family, we had an additional upheaval due to a planned home renovation, which resulted in us moving to a small apartment (packing/moving sucks) and when birthday time came around, I needed something to lift my spirits. I ended up splurging on a pen that I had been in love with from the first moment I saw it at Pen Posse several years prior - the Platinum 3776 Chinkin Karakusa Blue. It wasn’t a “big birthday” or anything that “deserved” a significant purchase like this, but 2020 was a big kick in the rear reminder that life is short and not to wait for “some day” because who knows if or when that day will come.

The Platinum 3776 Chinkin Karakusa Blue is a stunning pen that I absolutely love looking at and writing with.

The detailed scrollwork is just amazing!

2021 - What roller coaster year! Things got better, got worse, then vaccines (yay!) and pen shows were back! I was so relieved (and also a bit nervous) to be able to go to the DC pen show and then a few weeks later to the SF show which is always a couple weeks before my birthday. I definitely bought #allthethings because I was so happy to see vendor friends again and wanted to support them. I didn’t know what I was going to get but I knew I was going to get something as a birthday pen. I didn’t really know about the Waldmann Grandeur, but when I saw it in person at the show, the decision was made for me. And because it’s always birthday season for me at the SF Pen Show, I upgraded to the gold nib. No regrets!

I love the classic styling and beautiful guilloche of the Waldmann Grandeur, even if it is red ;-)

2022 - This has been a crazy year for me, but in a good way! Lots of pen shows, traveling, seeing family and friends again, kid’s team won their Little League division, so many good things! Heading into the SF show, I was on the lookout for something special (Pen? Pen box? Musubi notebook?) but nothing screamed “birthday present”. If you saw my SF Pen Show haul, that didn’t stop me from buying #allthethings, but I knew that I’d eventually find something. As of this writing, I haven’t found it yet, but I trust that the universe will help me find the right present. Until then, I’ll be sitting over here eating some cake, playing with my birthday pens and refreshing my emails hoping for good pen news (if you know, you know, wink).

What will the birthday pen be this year?

The best part of birthday pens isn’t just the pens, but being able to share them with you! So thank you for indulging me in a little trip down the birthday memory lane! Happy Birthday to me and to all the other September babies out there!