I've finally spent enough time with the leonardo momento magico: extra fine gold nib to tell you if it's actually worth the hype. If you've been hanging around the fountain pen community for more than five minutes, you know that Leonardo Officina Italiana has basically taken over the world of artisan pens lately. They've got this knack for making resins that look like trapped storms or Mediterranean sunsets, but the real question is always: how does it actually write?
Specifically, when you move away from the standard steel nibs and shell out for that 14k gold upgrade, do you actually feel the difference? I'll be honest, I was a bit of a skeptic at first. Steel nibs these days are so good that sometimes gold feels like a luxury tax rather than a performance boost. But after a few weeks of daily journaling with this extra fine setup, I've got some thoughts.
The First Impression: It's All About the Balance
The Momento Magico is a bit of a departure from the classic Momento Zero. The biggest deal here is that it's a true piston filler. I love a good converter as much as the next person for easy cleaning, but there's something incredibly satisfying about integrated pistons. It feels more "grown-up" as a writing instrument.
When you pick it up, the weight is the first thing you notice. It's light because it's turned from a solid bar of resin, but it doesn't feel cheap or hollow. It has that substantial, warm-to-the-touch feeling that only high-quality Italian resins seem to have. But really, the body is just the delivery system for that extra fine gold nib.
The nib itself is a #6 size, which looks perfectly proportional to the pen's body. Leonardo's gold nibs are 14k, and they come with an ebonite feed. If you aren't a total pen nerd, let me explain why that matters: ebonite feeds are old-school. Unlike plastic feeds, they are porous and tend to keep the nib "wetter" and more consistent. For an extra fine nib, which can sometimes feel dry or scratchy, an ebonite feed is a total game-changer.
Putting Pen to Paper: That Extra Fine Experience
Let's get into the nitty-gritty of the writing experience. When people hear "extra fine," they usually expect a needle-point that feels like a scratchy nail. With the leonardo momento magico: extra fine gold nib, that's not what's happening at all.
Italian "extra fine" is usually a bit broader than a Japanese extra fine (like a Pilot or Sailor), but it's still definitely a thin line. It's the perfect size for someone like me who has small, messy handwriting and needs to cram a lot of notes into a narrow-ruled notebook.
The "gold" part of the equation adds a layer of bounce. It's not a "flex" nib by any means—don't try to push it too hard or you'll spring it—but it has a certain softness. When you write, you can feel the nib tines subtly opening and closing, absorbing the pressure of your hand. It makes long writing sessions much less fatiguing. If I were using a stiff steel nib, my hand would start to cramp after page three of a journal entry. With this gold nib, I feel like I could go for ten pages without a break.
The Feedback Factor
I have to mention feedback because it's a polarizing topic. If you want a pen that feels like it's sliding on a layer of oil, this might not be your first choice. The leonardo momento magico: extra fine gold nib has what I'd call "tactile feedback."
It's a bit like writing with a very sharp, high-quality HB pencil. You can feel the texture of the paper beneath you. Personally, I love this. It gives me more control over my letterforms. If a pen is too smooth, my handwriting starts to look like a series of uncontrolled squiggles. The extra fine point provides just enough resistance to keep my hand steady, but because of that 14k gold and the ebonite feed, it never feels like it's "digging" into the paper. It's a sophisticated kind of friction.
The Ink Window: A Small Stroke of Genius
One of my favorite things about the Momento Magico is the ink window. It's integrated so cleanly into the barrel design. When the pen is capped, you can't even see it. When you uncaps it, there's this clear section that lets you see exactly how much ink you have left.
With an extra fine nib, your ink lasts forever anyway. You aren't dumping massive amounts of liquid onto the page like you would with a double broad or a music nib. Still, being able to see the ink sloshing around inside is just cool. It adds to the "magico" vibe. Plus, it's functional. There's nothing worse than being halfway through a meeting and having your pen go dry because you couldn't check the level.
Is the Gold Upgrade Worth It?
This is the $150 (or more) question. You can get a Momento Magico with a steel nib for a significantly lower price. So, is the leonardo momento magico: extra fine gold nib worth the extra cash?
If you're a casual writer who just wants a pretty pen for occasional notes, the steel nib is honestly fantastic. Leonardo's steel nibs are some of the best in the business. But, if you're a writer—someone who spends an hour a day with a pen in hand—the gold nib is a different beast.
The gold nib offers a level of personality and "soul" that steel struggle to match. It's the difference between driving a reliable sedan and a hand-tuned sports car. Both get you to the grocery store, but one makes the trip a lot more interesting. The way the gold nib reacts to your specific writing pressure over time is something you just have to experience.
Maintenance and Daily Carry
I've been carrying this pen in a leather sleeve in my bag for weeks. The piston mechanism is smooth as silk. I haven't had any issues with leaking or burping, even when taking it on a short flight.
One thing to keep in mind with the extra fine gold nib is that it's sensitive to the ink you choose. Because it's an EF, it can be a bit picky. I found that "drier" inks can make it feel a bit too toothy. If you pair it with a nice "wet" ink—something like Iroshizuku or even Leonardo's own branded inks—the pen really sings. The ebonite feed does a lot of the heavy lifting here, keeping the ink flowing even if you pause for a minute to think about your next sentence.
Final Thoughts
The leonardo momento magico: extra fine gold nib isn't just a tool; it's a bit of an experience. It bridges that gap between modern engineering and that old-world Italian flair.
It's not a cheap pen, and the extra fine nib isn't going to be for everyone. If you like huge, bold lines and shimmering inks that pool on the page, you'll probably find this nib too restrictive. But if you value precision, if you love the feeling of a thin, elegant line, and if you want a nib that has just enough "give" to feel alive in your hand, this is about as good as it gets.
Leonardo has really hit their stride with the Magico. It feels like they took everything people loved about the original Momento Zero and just refined it. They added the piston, they tweaked the proportions, and they offered a gold nib that actually feels like a premium upgrade. Every time I unscrew the cap, I get a little hit of dopamine. And really, isn't that why we're all into fountain pens in the first place? It's about making the mundane act of writing feel like something special. This pen definitely does that.