Leonardo Momento Zero Pausilya Fountain Pen Review

The Leonardo Momento Zero has been a long-time favorite in the fountain pen world, and on this blog. We have reviewed several Leonardo models since their launch in 2017, and they consistently rate as some of the best on the market. So why, if the Momento Zero has been reviewed many times already, is it worth spilling a few words on again?

The market changed, and the Leonardo Momento Zero is an even better option now than it was a few years ago.

One of the topics I want to focus on in the coming months is to revisit and update some classic pen reviews. The LAMY Safari is on that list, for example, and the LMZ fits the bill as well. Quality pens that remain quality options over years, and sometimes decades, are worth repeated discussions, because as we have all learned, the market can change rapidly.

To be clear, a $200 fountain pen is very expensive, but the Momento Zero more than lives up to the price tag. You can feel it in this pen from the first moment you pick it up. The fit and finish of the hardware and material is perfect, the design is classic and comfortable, and the writing experience is unparalleled. Do you even need another fountain pen? I’d argue that this one could be your one and only. Yes, it’s that good.

Big fan of this material, and the fancy converter.

And the Momento Zero is considered Leonardo’s entry-level fountain pen! The craftsmanship continues on up the product line with larger barrels, gold nibs, and piston-filling mechanisms, but I’d argue you don’t need more. This one is nearly perfect, at least for me.

That said, do we really need a blind cap for any converter-filling pen?

If there is one consideration when trying out the Momento Zero, it is that the grip section design is slightly different than similar pens. It has a taper toward the nib that only begins after a slight transition in the middle of the section. I wondered about this myself back when I bought my first one years ago, but it works well with my lower grip style. I can lock into it, and there is no issue when writing for any length of time. If you have a higher grip, it may not be as comfortable.

From a writing perspective, the Jowo #6 Steel Extra Fine nib is perfect. Leonardo must tune these before shipping because they feel fantastic right out of the box. The Momento Zero uses a cartridge/converter filling system, and I inked this one with Taccia Rikancha, one of their new releases. It’s so good, and matches this Pausilya material so perfectly, that it could have been a Parings Party.

What’s left to say about this great pen? It might be a better value today than it was when I bought my first in 2019. I paid $180 then, and this model ranges from $200-$225 now. That’s not an insignificant increase, but given that this price point was vacated by most gold nib fountain pens last year, it represents the best of the bunch by a good margin.

I think it is obvious how much I love the Leonardo Momento Zero, and I shouldn’t have shelved it for as long as I did. It’s a complete joy, and I’ll be keeping it within reach for the foreseeable future.

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

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Pairings Party: Kaweco Sport Marble Ocean, Pennonia x SultilsAttila Stormy Meadow

What do you do when you have one of the best-looking Kaweco Sports ever released, and one of the wildest inks ever made, sitting on the desk right next to each other?

🍍🖋️🍍Pineapple Pen!🍍🖋️🍍

The Kaweco Sport Marble Ocean Fountain Pen and Pennonia x SultisAttila - Viharos Tisztás, translated as Stormy Meadow, look like they were made for each other. Marble Ocean features a Blue and Green swirl pattern throughout the barrel, with some translucent areas mixed in, and Stormy Meadow is a bright Green with a matte Blue “shimmer,” which is definitely something to discuss further.

The Sport Fountain Pen is an all-time favorite of mine, but I did something for the first time when filling this one: I eyedroppered it. Traditionally, this is a straightforward operation with the plastic barrel of the Sport, but I’ve avoided doing so in the past. Why? The Sport is the perfect pocket pen, and I’m known to toss mine around a bit when on the go. I don’t even use those terrible little Kaweco converters, just whatever short international cartridge I’m feeling. Cartridge usage is safer.

That said, converting this pen to an eyedropper is simple, especially with the new threaded nib unit Kaweco is starting to use. A little silicone grease on the nib housing threads, and a little on the barrel connection threads, and you are good to go. This one hasn’t left the desk yet, but the seal has been perfect so far, with no leaking or burping.

The ink flow is wonderful, too, which I was concerned about. Stormy Meadow is considered a shimmer ink, and I have an Extra Fine nib in this pen, so that feels a little bit like playing with fire. Not only has there been no issue with ink flow, I’d argue it has been exceptional. It writes consistently wet from when I uncap the pen until I’m done.

As I mentioned earlier, the shimmer particles in this ink are matte, not shiny. Instead of a glittery line on the page, this one has more of a flat coat. The base ink color is Green, and the matte pigment is Blue, with the end result showing a wonderful mixture of the two. The effect on the page is what looks like a Green ink with Blue shading, and it’s kind of awesome.

The left side of the page shows some of the matte dust transfer.

As awesome as this ink is, there is a downside: the matte shimmer behaves like graphite on the page. When the ink dries, you can run your finger across the page and the powdery surface will transfer onto your fingers, and leave behind smudges. If you are active in your notebook, it will transfer onto the previous pages. If you are left-handed … well, you get the picture.

Amazing results on the page, even from an Extra Fine nib.

Why would you use an ink with this level of downside? It’s beautiful on the page, the effects are unique, and it’s downright fun. Would I use it as my journaling ink? No. Would I use it in most other short-form writing situations? Yes. My biggest surprise is just how well it works from this Extra Fine Kaweco nib. I had low expectations, which were exceeded by miles.

I’m thrilled with how this pairings party turned out, but I have a few questions for you:

• Would you eyedropper a Kaweco Sport?
• Would you use a matte “shimmer” ink?
• Would you use a matte “shimmer” ink in an Extra Fine nib?

I feel like I did everything I wouldn’t normally do with this setup, and it worked out perfectly. It looks like more experimentation is in the cards, and in my pens!

(Vanness Pens provided the Kaweco Sport at a discount, and Amarillo Stationery provided this ink at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Opus 88 Mini Fountain Pen in Baby Beluga

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

The Opus 88 Mini Pocket Pen has been in my daily rotation for several months now, and it has really impressed me with how many of my favorite pen features it fits on its tiny lil body.

For one, it's pocket-sized. I love a pocket pen. Pocket pens are so practical for carrying around, and I'm constantly on the go. I also have small hands, so they tend to be comfortable for me, too, though that won't be the case for everyone. This one does post, though. I love the full-sized Opus 88 also, but I do feel like I'm wielding a baseball bat while I'm writing with it. The main downside to most pocket pens is their ink capacity. Tiny body means tiny ink reservoir. But not here! This thing is a mini ink tank. Nearly the whole body fills with ink, thanks to the handy included eyedropper. I've had a lot of eyedropper-filling pocket pens, and quite a few of them have leaked. Not this one! It has a plunger seal that blocks the ink from even reaching the feed unless the end-cap is unscrewed to release the vacuum. That makes it safe for pocket carry and travel.

Its other practical features include a sturdy clip and spare o-ring. It also writes very well, even after being neglected for a few days. It does take a while for the ink to saturate the feed when it is first filled. It's an eyedropper-fill pen, so the ink is deposited directly into the pen body with the included eyedropper. For this pen, the grip section unscrews to open the ink reservoir. Since the ink isn't drawn up through the nib, it needs to take the long route there. I let the pen sit nib-down for a while with the plunger open to let the ink flow to the nib.

Okay, that's enough practicality. The reason it first caught my eye is because it's cute! I particularly like this Baby Beluga design, but Opus are not stingy in creating an abundance of fun and interesting designs for this model. From florals to stripes to animal prints, you're bound to find one you like. On this model, the main body of the pen is an aqua-tinted semi-translucent acrylic, so you can see your ink sloshing around inside like the water it's meant to resemble. The ocean waves and whale illustrations, along with schools of wee fish, add to the oceanic effect.

The Opus 88 Mini Pocket Fountain Pen sells for $89 at Goldspot Pens, which is a very fair price for the quality of this pen. It's refreshing to see a pen this nice for under $100. I missed some special Halloween designs they did in this model a few years ago, and now that I know how nice the pen is, I doubly regret that. So if you see an edition of this one that speaks to you, I highly recommend grabbing it while you can. This one is coming with me on a trip to Lake Superior next week. There aren't any whales in Lake Superior as far as we know, but when it comes to that epic inland sea, we don't know very far at all. I'll settle for some whale-sized freshwater cryptids.

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

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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!