(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!.)
My first introduction to Gioia Pens was when I got a Gioia Partenope for my birthday last year at the SF Pen Show. It isn’t a pen that screams “Kimberly!!!” but it quickly became a favorite because it looked so different from my other pens and because it wrote so nicely. Not surprising, I was excited when the Bossman had Luxury Brands of America send me a Gioia Alleria for review.
The review pen is the Gioia Alleria in the Grotta Azzurra color which comes in Ruthenium trim. The material is a darker teal blue with swirls of lighter and darker colors and with a bit of pearlescence. The name “Alleria” comes from the Neapolitan word for “happiness” and “Grotta Azzurra” means “Blue Grotto.
Gioia Alleria, Grotta Azzurra.
You can see the different shades of blue of the Grotta Azzurra.
The Alleria is similar to the Partenope but since I do not have the latter with me, you may wish to check out some of the comments/pictures from the Partenope review. The two pens are similar in size and weight but with a different filling mechanism. The Alleria uses a piston, while the Partenope uses a cartridge or converter. The Partenope’s converter adds a bit to the weight so if you prefer a lighter pen, the Alleria might be a better fit. The Alleria does not have an ink window, which I generally prefer with piston-fillers so that I can tell how much ink is left. It is not a dealbreaker for me but something to note if that’s important to you.
Like the Partenope, the Gioia Alleria uses Jowo 6 nibs engraved with their branding. Their nib units can be easily swapped as the nib units are screwed in. This makes cleaning a breeze as you can remove the nib, and syringe it clean (be sure to move the piston a few times during cleaning as ink can get on the edges of the piston valve. The Gioia Alleria is available in Extra Fine to 1.5mm stub (the “Stub” size is 1.1 mm). This pen has a medium nib and wrote beautifully out of the box (my usual lazy self did not clean the pen prior to inking). I inked it up with Colorverse #47 Ham, which is a great match color wise and I had no problems with the ink or the pen, despite a period of 2-3 weeks where I didn’t get a chance to use it.
Writing sample with Colorverse #47 Ham on Tomoe River 68 gsm paper.
The cap has an inner cap sleeve which minimizes evaporation. The pen also screws into the cap at the end of the grip; my understanding is that this also helps with evaporation as less of the writing end is exposed to air. This does mean that there are threads near the nib end, which might bother folks who write close to the nib. I am a “close to the nib” writer, but I didn’t even noticed the threads which are smooth and not sharp or bulky at all. In fact, some users might like that because it provides a bit of a “stop” to prevent your fingers from sliding downward.
As I said above, the Alleria feels very similar in girth and length to the Partenope. I like the slightly girthy grip and am glad that it is not heavy. Some folks expect girthier pens to be heavier, and this is not that pen. The Alleria cap is lighter because it doesn’t have the Partenope’s thick clip band, so it doesn’t feel as back-weighted for those who like to post their pens. For comparison, I have included a few similarly sized pens that are with me in my currently inked binder.
Comparison with Lamy 2000, Leonardo Momento Zero, Narwhal Voyage, Gioia Alleria, TWSBI 580, Pilot Custom 74 and Platinum 3776.
Note that the Narwhal does not post at all and that the Gioia and TWSBI pens do not post very well.
The Gioia Alleria has an MSRP of $240 USD and a street price around $190. Gioia is discontinuing some of the colors to make room for new resins that will be exclusive to them. As such, some of the colors of the Alleria are being discounted; the Mare Blue, Vittoria, Nuvola and Tramonto colorways will be discontinued and pretty heavily discounted (I’ve seen them ~$150-160). The Amaranto, Crepuscolo, Grotto Azzurra and Mare Chiaro colors are not being discontinued, so they will remain at their current pricing. I, for one, don’t love seeing different pen brands using the same acrylics, so I am looking forward to seeing Gioia’s new exclusive materials.
Pro:
- Nice, lightweight piston filler
- Good nib
- Good value for a steel nib piston filler, but some models being discounted makes for an even better value.
- Lifetime warranty
Neutral:
- Piston filler does not have an ink window so you can’t see ink levels
- Clip design may not suit everyone’s aesthetic
Con:
- Pen may be too girthy if you prefer slimmer pens
- Pen may be too light if you like girthy pens with more heft
In summary, I really enjoyed using the Gioia Alleria because it is a nice writer and is very comfortable for me. The cap seal means that I can pick up the pen after weeks of non-use and know that it will write right away. I am looking forward to seeing the new versions of the Alleria with their exclusive resins when they come out later this year.
(Thank you to Luxury Brands of America, who sent this pen at no charge for review.)
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