Totally gripping video. Full of useful information, and a very fair review. Kudos to Joost for being so customer focussed (as always).

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful! +1 on Appelboom. That will be my first stop for non-Chinese pens from now on.

your experience with the Momento Zero makes me glad that I purchased a Moonman 800 that had none of the problems and cost much less./ Bravo to you for fixing the nibs!

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Good to hear! Without the M800, I would never have even known about Leonardo.

There is no disappointment as great as getting a new pen with operating problems. I own 12 pens from the Leonardo workshop, with varying combinations of nibs, barrel material and size, and cost. Every one of them wrote perfectly, straight out of the box. My sellers included Appelboom, a shop in Italy, one in Rumania, and two shops in the US. I feel sorry for those who have not had the wonderful experience I have had. I'm an unabashed fanboy. BTW, as glorious as the resin and celluloid models feel in the hand, try out an ebonite model; that is HEAVEN.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

As much as I was bummed by both nibs being crap at the start, that feeling has faded because of my feeling of accomplishment at getting them working. I don't think I would be adverse to getting a Furore when the well fills up again. Of course, Appelboom will be THE place I would buy it and I will get Joost to tune it first.

@JoelTurrell

4 жыл бұрын

Awhile back, I got a Furore simply to see what it was, and to have one in the collection. I expected so little difference from the MZ that I got a steel nib model. It is really nice, and now I won't sell it. Hint, the 2020 Dutch Pen Show model at Appelboom is exclusive to them and the same length. It is girthier and even nicer - and also more expensive. My prediction is that if you can afford it, its limited production will mean that you could resell for a profit any time you tired of it.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

@@JoelTurrell Thanks for the tip, Joel! That is a very PINK (peach) pen!

I love your descriptions Doug, I have termed them Dougism's. My favourite to date, has to be, "the section is milk bottle shaped". It just says it all. no further description required. Bravo Sir, great video. I seems that some manufactures these day rely on the their brand name to sell their products at inflated prices yet take their eyes off the ball, when it comes to quality control. Not a good idea. Thanks again Doug, peace and love as always. ✌❤

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Robert! I knew when I said "milk bottle" I'd date myself. But it is true! LOL

@robertreid7221

4 жыл бұрын

I think the kids of today wouldnt know a milk bottle if it jumped up and bit them on the derrier. I loved the look of the old Square American milk bottles, I'm not sure but I think they held a quart of milk, did you have those in Canada Doug ?

@ukrainiansniper5916

2 жыл бұрын

Back in 1966 when my family moved to our home in Flushing we still had milk delivery in a tin box on our back "stoop". Flushing was somewhat still a shade rural back then. In about 4-years(i.e.1970) the tin milk box on our back stoop was gone. My first exposure to fountain pens was at St. Luke's School in Whitestone, in 3rd grade we used Sheaffer cartridge-based school pens. So while the milk bottles and their conveyances are long gone (tin boxes on back stoop) my enjoyment of fountain pens, with the exception of 6-8th grades, high school and freshman year of college, remained.

@ukrainiansniper5916

2 жыл бұрын

@@robertreid7221 Milk bottles were the first recyclable beverage containers; used ones were put in the tin milk box on your back stoop; these were taken back to the dairy and sanitized and refilled. Unfortunately the cost for glass bottle was higher than cartons and eventually became prohibitive.

Love the honest review, very enjoyable. I like the feeling that it’s not a “sponsored” review. Also great to watch the nib tweaking used in a real life situation. Thanks

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

I appreciate that!

Thanks for the review, Doug. I've toed the waters of triple digit pens and had similar experiences. The expectation for near perfection is completely justified at that price point. Sure I can probably fix what's wrong, but for hundreds of dollars, I shouldn't have to. I'm glad you got the nibs working well, and that resin pattern really is stunning.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, FB!

I'm enjoying your videos more and more. Thanks Doug.

@InkquiringMinds

3 жыл бұрын

Glad to hear it! Thank you, Bruce!

Can’t believe I watched the whole thing! Very good and or interesting! Thanks

@InkquiringMinds

3 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Wow...another mesmerizing review...like therapy. 😍

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Writing with this pen now that it is an architect italic is like therapy! Thank you, J. Vincent!

Such a sharp pen! Blue is always such a striking choice for so many things but in fountain pens and inks you just can't go wrong.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, JC!

Great insight into your experience, Doug. I'd agree, Joost shouldn't have to do that for the price, and I'll second your high recommendation of Appelboom. Glad you were able to remedy a beautiful pen.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, James!

@sheric141

3 жыл бұрын

Does anyone know if a L oblique nib is available for the Leonardo Italiana Officina Momento Zero (not sure I got the name in the correct order) and if so what the price is in a steel Jowo?

Excellent as always. So looking forward to the comparison with the 800. I have one with the Bock nib in amber and it is just beautiful. Bought on your recommendation.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Coming soon! This Saturday in fact. I'm glad your M800 Amber is a good one. My M800 Amber Bock is excellent... now!

Thanks for the honest review. A sincere tale of your personal experience. The tarnishing of the brands reputation caused by faulty goods represents vastly more than the actual percentage faulty products. Quality control is sweat well spent.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Well said! Thank you, Johan!

1. You have reinforced my casual avoidance of Italian pens. Not that I can afford them. 2. I very much look forward to your upcoming comparison video. In particular the feeds. 3. Is the bad Bock nib the fault of Bock or Leonardo? Do companies routinely work on third party nibs, or just stick 'em in? 4. Thanks for another entertaining and informative review.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

I'm still not put off Italian pens. I'm drawn to the designs of Visconti, Pineider and Leonardo, just not the price tags. If I could get a Homo Sapiens that would be awesome. I'd say the fault of the bad nibs is Leonardo for simply not checking. As you saw, I fixed the nibs in about 10 minutes each (the Medium still needs a bit more work as I didn't completely remove the baby's bottom). I'm guessing Leonardo just commissions the supply of the Bock nibs with their logo engraved on them and Bock would not check them.

Fantastic video. I am also a lover of my Moonman pens. They are the BEST writers of all my pens apart of my Brass Kaweco Sport and Lilliput. I own 5 or 6 and I’ve been writing with them since the beginning of my fountain pen life. I’ve purchased other more expensive, higher end pens over the last year and a half or so and I have sold almost every one of them. 🤭 They just don’t write as well. I don’t care about knock offs at all. I like things that I like. It’s as simple as that. I’m a new subscriber and am about to binge watch your videos.

@InkquiringMinds

3 жыл бұрын

Oh no! Don't binge watch! Thanks for subscribing! :)

Thanks for your thoughts on this, 100% agree on a pen of this caliber, should write out of the box. Looking forward to the comparison

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Ashley. The comparison will be up Saturday morning. Just putting the funny bits in right now. Oh, crap.. I forgot... one viewer told me they hated the funny bits. Oh well.

@Johan-vk5yd

4 жыл бұрын

Douglas Rathbun I endure the funny bits without complaining. I wish I had your editing expertise.

Thank you Doug for this super video! There may be things that can frustrate and angry someone more than this, but having spent your hard earned money on a luxury product that you've saved for so to speak, and have such crappy quality control on the nibs is just stinky poor judgement on the part of Leonardo! Joost and Appelboom Pennen do seem to have some really great prices on pens. I regret I haven't YET purchased from them, but I'm thinking bout a Pelikan M800 Souveran in either blue or green ~ just can't decide which color? Which is good as the prices are excellent, but still stout 🙂. Joost allowing you the freedom to fix those nibs is really gutsy IMO. I'm not sure most would have done the same. Excellent Joost. Thank you for the extra work that went into this video. For us, who watch. Great job, and thanks.

@InkquiringMinds

Жыл бұрын

This was a few years ago when Leonardo was using Bock nibs. Salvatore switched to Jowo and sent me replacement Jowo for both the Bock nibs.

Great video! Just ordered the Leonardo and hopefully it'll be okay out of the box!

@InkquiringMinds

3 жыл бұрын

I hope so too! I look forward to your video! I will have my new MZ Prugna this Friday! Woot!

Great video Doug I swear your getting better and better with every video, and your right, $250, that dam pen better write, that my exact fear of a grail pen, it might suck bad.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Scott! The difference of course, is you buy a grail Visconti, Leonardo or Pineider and you get a bum nib, they will make it right (and write) for you. You buy a Moonman from Etsy and it doesn't write and you just have to suck it up. (But you're only out $25).

Thanks for the review Doug. You just saved me some money. I was very close to getting a Momento Zero when the M800 started showing up on KZread, so I decided to wait. I'm glad I waited, but I'm a little sad. Leonardo uses such beautiful resins...but like Alan says, "Pens were made to write."

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Kathy! I'm still not put off the Leonardo brand. The designs and finishes are magnificent and much more affordable than Visconti. Next time it will be Appelboom nib testing 100%.

@PenFriends

4 жыл бұрын

I wouldn’t let this put you off. Just ask who ever you buy from to do a nib test. I do this :) saves a lot of bother! Leonardo is just a father and son outfit at the end of the day.

@gadgetstop321

4 жыл бұрын

@@PenFriends That's a good point. I noticed that when you order from Appelboom's website you can request that they tune the nib...that's a nice service.

@PenFriends

4 жыл бұрын

@@gadgetstop321 Most companies you can actually request this :) I always ask now to make sure the pen writes before shipping! No matter who!

@Signal_in_the_noise

2 ай бұрын

Fast forward 3 years later and the guy has like 20 Leonardo pens

A new Doug video is here! A new Doug video is here!!! As soon as I get the notification I'm on it. This is an honest review, as always, and that's what I appreciate so much. I love the design of the MZ but at that price I expect it to be perfect right out of the box. It's a shame that this does not seem to be a shared sentiment among many fountain pen manufacturers. I would think it would be a matter of pride that every pen leaving the factory would function properly. Imagine buying a new high-end vehicle to find that it only starts occasionally or not at all. But you can buy a drastically less expensive vehicle that looks the same, has nearly the same quality materials & workmanship, and performs as expected. Hmmm, which to buy? Anyway, your reviews ALWAYS make my day! Right now!!!

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

I have to thank you, Jeff... RIGHT NOW!! :)

@karlpmueller

4 жыл бұрын

I don't need anything except this pen. And this other pen.

@jeffroberts532

4 жыл бұрын

...and this ashtray, but that's it! Except this paddle ball game, but that's all! I don't need anything else! But my dog. I need my dog, , I don't need my dog.

Plaid pants! Somehow I don’t predict a fountain pen resin with THAT pattern.

I'm sorry to hear about your problems with their nibs! My LOIMZBH came with the 1.1 stub which is great, and I ordered a fine nib from Goldspot, which is even better. Sounds like in the effort to make the nibs smooth, they over-polished them, but didn't check before they shipped them out. I'm looking forward to your comparison video later on!

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Well this medium (the one in the box) wasn't checked, polished or even looked at. The naked eye could see the tines were misaligned.

@dimhelmet

4 жыл бұрын

True, they're producing so many pens right now they probably can't give the nibs the attention they should be!

Sorry to hear about the new pen, but I'm glad it worked out and sharing your experience helps others. My Leonardo M also had baby's bottom but when the captured converter seal failed that wrote me off the brand. The converter is not sold anywhere. Pretty but dysfunctional is too much effort. The silver lining is hearing that Appelboom provides excellent service.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

You didn't have warranty?

@ccahua

4 жыл бұрын

@@InkquiringMinds Got it last year August. Waay better pens since then worth my time. The authorized dealer didn't stamp the booklet but the little Made in Italy card notes "Guaranteed for life against any manufacturing defect." so I'll follow up and see if they honor that.

Very interesting indeed 👍🏻🙂 I’ve been disappointed so many times with pens I’ve ordered. It’s supposed to be an exciting and enjoyable time and turns out so frustrating.

Thank you for the video. I was interested in purchasing this pen but I was trying to justify the "why" and the "Do I really need this pen?"! This was very informative and I am forward to the comparison with this pen and the M800. Happy Canada Day!!!!

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful! Thanks, Marianne! I would have saved all of the hassle if I had Joost check the nibs before shipping. Next time! The comparison video will be up Saturday morning.

@danielste-marie779

4 жыл бұрын

@@InkquiringMinds As others have said Joost should not have to go through the hassle of checking each nib. It should not have left the factory that way. Leonardo are not the only ones to have nib problems, Visconti does also. Glad you now have a beautiful functioning pen.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

@@danielste-marie779 Thanks, Daniel!

@PenFriends

4 жыл бұрын

All the pens are hand turned, that's why you pay a little more. Plus they are a small family business, father and son affair, so they can't produce the volumes that you may see with cheaper pens. Yes, 150 pounds is pricy for a pen, but you're really paying for craftsmanship at this point. Shame about the nib, had it been a gold nib I would be furious!

Looks very fine for a broad nib. I have several Diplomat and Aero, Parker. They have much thicker lines.

@InkquiringMinds

3 жыл бұрын

It was in terrible shape. It had broad tipping but none of that mattered when the nib wouldn't write. Now that it is an architect italic it is brilliant!

Good job on that nib. Should not have to work on the pen at that price. I know mine arrive perfectly tune from Appleboom . And your situation was excatly what stop me from bying italing pens in the past. As for the M800 i regret not waiting to get the regular nib instead of the Bock. I swaped it for a Jinhao and now it smooth ...Thank You for the Video. Happy Canada Day!

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing Luc! Happy Canada Day my friend!

If you like the milk bottle section, I'd also recommend the Noodler's Ahab, which has one shaped and sized very much the same. And mine wrote great right out of the box....

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Karl!

Waiting on delivery of a Leonardo Momento Zero Delfino 1.1 Stub from Goldspot Pens. This video certainly has left me with some trepidation regarding quality control. A much closer inspection prior to use seems required. Hoping for the best.

@InkquiringMinds

3 жыл бұрын

Hope you enjoy it!

“With a faulty steel nib, the pen is just a high priced nib holder”. That comment is wonderful for its simplicity as well as its brilliance. I have to say I have begun to look at FP’s that way.... A JOWO or Bock is what it is. If it doesn’t write, you could have it in a solid gold barrel and it would still be horrible. I have been burned on a Visconti as I mentioned before. I have cheaper pens in my collection that after doing a “Rathbun Macdaddy Tune Up” ( spark plug gaping tool, some 12000 grit paper) they are my best writers- by far. Thank you for that. As such, it makes it hard to justify in my mind that I should spend more money on a name. And yes, I am cheap. I don’t view the pens as an investment for resale, but rather something to enjoy now. As far as who is responsible for the bad nib, there is lots of blame to go around. And, although Appelboom’s customer service is legendary, they would be well served to test every pen that leaves their shop whether you ask or not. Because in the end, you bought it from them, not Leonardo. Just my two cents, and I will continue to use Appelboom because I think they have good prices and stand behind their products. Meanwhile, I anxiously await tomorrow morning’s next review! Thanks for all you do!

@InkquiringMinds

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! To be fair to Appelboom, the option to tune the nib was there but I didn't ask for it. I never fail to tick that box now.

Great video Doug its ironic that i should recieve the very same pen last week & it wrote perfectly out of the box(lovely med nib).Although i agree about QC i have purchased Edison pens made in usa from a uk supplier & the always check & tune the nibs.The writing samplel included in the box.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Very cool! Thank you, Edward!

Thanks for the review and congrats on a channel successful enough to buy such luxury pens! I find the fountain pen market rather fascinating as there are so many different definitions of value, and the products often have one foot in the art/design world and one in the tool world. What's also interesting is sometimes I think people have lower expectations from higher end products in terms of direct functionality than from cheaper products. It's like as you said, this pen is really an extremely beautiful, hand made, nib holder. I have seen numerous posts on reddit about taking, for example, a Visconti Homo sapiens to a nibsmith as simply part of the purchasing process. After all, after spending $700 on a pen, what's another $70 getting the thing to write? After spending that much money, the buyer is invested enough to get it working at their own expense. If a TWSBI Eco doesn't write out of the box it gets returned. What's probably kind of funny is I don't think this pen is a rip-off (not saying that holding that opinion is unreasonable though!) as hand turning a pen is a labor intensive process and that aspect of the pen seems really well done (as far as I can tell anyway). The value that adds is subjective of course. Being hand made doesn't add any value to the object as a tool to put ink on paper. What's odd is that I think some people get insecure about the purchase and want to find something objective to justify their expensive preference and thus get dismissive of cheaper pens (or maybe they feel bad that a wonderful fountain pen is no longer the status/wealth symbol it used to be and the "club" so to speak is letting in the low class riff-raff...who knows). That said, I think it is really sloppy of Leonardo not to be more careful when checking the nibs (although the level of mishap with your nibs makes me think they don't check them at all and just accept them as they are straight from Bock). There are much cheaper ways to get a bock steel nib, so maybe they know people aren't buying these for the nib anyway. The momento zero isn't even the most extreme example of this. You could spend $600 on a hand made titanium and carbon fiber Monty Winnfield that also comes with a generic bock steel nib. It's possible the guy who makes those checks the nib more than Leonardo does, but again, nobody is paying that much because of the bock steel nib. Ultimately I think it's a little sad when a manufacturer/artisan takes advantage of the consumer's willingness to correct faulty nibs, however, if I hadn't learned to adjust my own nibs, I think I would have quit using fountain pens as buying would just be too frustrating and stressful (or at least I would be sticking to platinum preppys, which have never needed adjustment in my experience).

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Great post Ian! Thanks. In my case, I don't even need a low priced Bock, I can just buy a $25 M800, pull the nib and put in a $5 Penbbs fine waverly and voilà, I have the perfect pen for $30. In fact, I'm off to ebay to do just that. Purple or Green this time??

@ichirofakename

4 жыл бұрын

I remain baffled at what people will pay for pretty plastic. Hundreds of dollars. This comparison is a stark contrast. Buy a Moonman with nice plastic that writes, for little money, or a Leonardo with nicer plastic that doesn't write, for too much money. Same dang nib (and feed?), only Moonman makes it work, but Leonardo can't be bothered... Maybe Leonardo should go ahead and sell the pen WITH NO NIB AT ALL. Since they obviously don't care about nibs. Or writing.

@Wreneagle

4 жыл бұрын

@@ichirofakename Well, I'd be inclined to believe that since they both use bock nibs, it can be assumed the Leonardo will write as well as the moonman in general (and that Doug got unlucky with the bock nibs that came with the Leonardo). So what people are paying for is something that's hand made vs. more mass produced, and the aesthetics of course.

@ichirofakename

4 жыл бұрын

@@Wreneagle Right.

@Wreneagle

4 жыл бұрын

@@InkquiringMinds I vote purple! Would look awesome next to the amber I think.

@inkquiringminds I love the MZ BH and just may get one soon. However, right now I'm trying to fix a bothersome nib. Can you tell me where you got your micro mesh? I see each pad is labeled with the grade. That's very helpful. Would like to pick up a set! Thank you!

@InkquiringMinds

7 ай бұрын

I got mine at Lee Valley Tools but you can get them on Amazon as a set as well.

Hi Douglas. Recently found your channel and have subscribed and am enjoying your reviews and commentary. I am a huge Moonman FanGirl, having several of their models, including the m600s, the m800, C1, C3, M2, and Wancai Mini among others. I recently purchased a T1 piston filler that I haven’t received yet. (also love Wing Sungs and Jinhaos). I prefer wet Broad nibs, and usually, my Moonman pens and Jinhao pens have decent nibs that write a thicker line than Japanese nibs. As popular and desired as Pilot pens are, they aren’t for me. I preferJowo, Bock, even Nemosine nibs. I’ll even take a Knox over a Japanese Medium anyday. I just wanted to mention one thing about paper. I am not a fan of Clairefontaine paper. It’s non absorbent and almost slick. It makes my Broad nibs into mediums. Even Rhodia will give me a fuller line than that. (and it’s cheaper). Consider this when writing and try some comparisons. One paper I found recently that is fountain pen friendly, nonabsorbent but not slick is that of the Write Notebook Company. They are reasonably priced. Not affiliated with them at all. Just found them through those ubiquitous ads run on social media. I like my Broad nibs to be broad, smooth, ink non feathering and if it takes time to dry, so be it. Not asking too much of the world, am I? (in addition to a vaccine for Corona, but hey, I think that’s on just about everyone’s wish list.) Cheers.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

I've got Rhodia and Tomoe River but I like the smooth surface of Clairefontaine. Everyone has their own preferences. I've got a lot of Moonman pens as well including a lovely S1 that is a little too small for my hand but I gave to my wife and she loves. The T1 is a nice pen and takes a lot of ink. The T2 is VERY interesting but I wish it didn't have such a slick section. I wish it had a section just like the T1. Welcome to my channel and thanks so much!

@SusieDiamond221

4 жыл бұрын

Douglas Rathbun Yes, a reviewer I watched said the same thing about the T2. I always read reviews and watch tutorials before purchasing anything anymore. Your channel is informative and entertaining. Yes, paper is a personal preference. Clairefontaine is very smooth, to me almost silky. I guess I don’t like my ink sitting on top of the paper but to sink in a little and show me some line width. Tomoe is excellent paper. It boggles my mind how wonderfully it works with water soluble materials like ink and watercolor. Thanks for you time. Be safe. Stay well.

Very pretty, but can it WRITE? Yes, after considerable effort. So, you could have put a Jinhao nib in and it would have been an improvement, an expensive nib holder indeed. Informative and really interesting, Doug. Thanks!

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you, David!

🤔 Well, that was a real blunder from Leonardo Officina Italiana... I think the Coronavirus situation could had something to do with the fails on the nibs QC, maybe. Anyway, is good that you finally sorted out the problem with the nibs, I think is cool that Appelboom pens offered to honor the change of nibs even if you work on them. Congratulations, Doug, the pen is beautiful... although, personally is not my cup of tea. thanks for another great video. 👍

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Jorge!

Ok, five weeks from Italy to the Netherlands. Then I'll probably have to wait just one more week 8-) In comparison China seems to be right around the corner. My delivery from ChinesePen only took two weeks to arrive. I wasn't so lucky with my Moonman M800. The Moonman nib was very dry and skipping and wrote like an EF. I had to apply the brass sheet to carefully open the tines a bit and then it wrote ok. I found a small online shop here in Germany that sells Bock nibs and I ordered a #250. The Bock nib had no issues at all and it immediately started writing like a charm, so it was a very substantial improvement compared to the original Moonman nib. And now I'll anxiously wait for my Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Zero Positano Blue to arrive and then I'll see how much I have to tune that F-nib myself. I'll post an update here about my experiences.

@JoelTurrell

4 жыл бұрын

I had a Bock #250 on hand when my Moonman M800 arrived and wrote disappointingly. I substituted the Bock and had the same wonderful result.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

I remember you saying that, Joel.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

I don't blame anyone for the shipping time considering the world situation. But, Joost shipped the MZ when he got it on a Monday and I got it Friday. How much was your Bock #250 if you don't mind me asking Stephan? I'll be anxious to hear about your Positano. I really hope my two nibs were just an anomaly.

@stephanfeinen3923

4 жыл бұрын

@@InkquiringMinds The gold plated Bock nib costs about €8.50. I ordered another plain steel one (€9.00) for experimenting/spare. With shipping here in Germany the two nibs together cost €22 (that should be just under CDN$ 34). So for me it's cheaper to buy the M800 with the standard nib and then buy the Bock nib separately. These nibs come as an assembled module (nib, feed and housing). You can replace the complete Moonman module as they are of the same size and use the same threads but then you need a Waterman-like converter because the end of the Bock feed is a tiny bit thinner than the Moonman feed. However you can disassemble the modules and just swap the nibs without issues as I did.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

@@stephanfeinen3923 Thanks for the info, Stephan. I'm sure they are cheaper because you're closer to the source. The M800 with the Moonman nib uses the Jinhao standard cartridge size whereas the one with the Bock nib is standard international like the MZ.

I will let you know whether I get a misaligned nib on this pen. Like you, my attraction is the material, and I am attracted to assessing the Leonardo. Unfortunately, like you, my vendor is located far away. I learned the hard way that the most famous of the online retailers provides very little support for you when the nib is virtually unusable. So, despite all the warnings, I tried to adjust a Stipula pen. I am now paying to send it to a nib meister! So, much for good videos! I am leaning towards Chinese pens or Ebay bargains, for I at least expect to have to make my own adjustments!

@InkquiringMinds

3 жыл бұрын

I hope you get a good one. From now on, I will never fail to get Appelboom to check the nib before it is shipped in future - especially with Leonardo.

Oh lord. i know this video is old but I just ordered this same pen, my first Leonardo. Hopefully that issue isn’t common still. I believe they recently switched to JOWO nibs.

@InkquiringMinds

Жыл бұрын

Yes! The Jowo nibs have no issues I’ve seen.

This is the thing with pens, even well known manufacturers around the world have nib issues. Did you opt for appelbooms nib tuning? I had issues with my momento zero initially, bought a medium nib from emy and now it writes perfectly every time.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

No. As I mentioned in the video a couple of times, I did not see the option when I ordered, but will definitely use it in future. My point is, the retailer shouldn't have to check for a pen of this price range. Some retailers do and Appelboom is terrific that way.

@PenFriends

4 жыл бұрын

Douglas Rathbun I agree, but I’m there late the issue. Pens are usually tested, but not in the same way as sat a lamy is stress tested

Oh no, I've got a Leonardo Messenger coming and now I am really nervous! I have a Moonman M600s and had to replace the nib with a Fuliwen from Bobby - it's now an awesome writer...I hope that my Messenger writes well out of the box, fingers crossed!

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

I'm sure yours will be fine. The good part is, it is covered by warranty.

Great review and I hope not only does Leonardo learn from this, but other high end manufacturers. You're absolutely correct, there is no excuse for a poor quality nib no matter what the material. Question though. How did you exchange all the nibs? Did you replace the nib and feed by unscrewing them from the section, or did you pull the nib from the feed out of the section? Wanted to understand that process specifically. Finally, I assume you've not done any grinding of nibs say from a medium to something smaller, correct? Thanks for the time. W

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you, William! Yes, I unscrewed the nib/feed collar from the section. It is very easy on all three pens. Only the M800 with the Bock nib is compatible with the Momento Zero however. And, no, I've never ground a nib from one thing to another. I'm thinking of sending the MZ Broad nib to a nibmeister in Toronto to have it ground into an architect italic.

@willk4599

4 жыл бұрын

Douglas Rathbun thanks for explaining. Good luck with the architect grind. I think you’ll like it.

I have the same issue with my Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Zero nib, not write very well out of box (I bought used but the previous owner only have inked like once or twice), I do not have the receipt from the seller to replace it. I am thinking of buying a new nib (as I do not have the micro mash smooth pads), do you think a jowo #6 nib will fits and writes better than the Bock nib? otherwise I might need to order an official Leonardo nib for replacment.

@InkquiringMinds

3 жыл бұрын

My advice would be to order a replacement nib unit from Appelboom and ask Joost to tune the nib before it leaves his store. It will be a Bock, so the nib unit will screw in perfectly.

@yangyu67

3 жыл бұрын

@@InkquiringMinds thanks Douglas!

I’m so looking forward to the comparison video!

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Saturday morning, Cathie! :)

@cathiescott7382

4 жыл бұрын

Douglas Rathbun 👍❤️

Hi Douglas, Where can I get the grit pads from?

@InkquiringMinds

3 жыл бұрын

I got mine in Canada from Lee Valley Tools but Goulet Pens sells them too.

I have never been a fan of this brand and what you have shown me as the out-of-the -box performance convinces me that I need not change my opinion. At close to $300.00 🇨🇦 I would be very disappointed with it and would have returned it to Appelboom. The beauty of this gorgeous looking pen is IMHO lost when they pressed the inscription on the barrel. If all your going for is looks, buy a inexpensive Moonman.👍🇨🇦

@InkquiringMinds

3 жыл бұрын

I'm receiving a second Leonardo MZ today. All in, it cost around $250 Cdn (tax, duty and shipping included). As of January 1, 2021, Leonardo has switched to Jowo nibs on all of their models. Plus the fact that Salvatore personally replaced both faulty nibs that came with my first MZ, and the fact that my other three Leonardo Jowo nibbed pen are incredible writers, I'd have to defend Leonardo for their commitment to customer service and improving their products. That being said, I know how disenchanted you can become with bad initial experiences with a brand. I know I have some bad experiences of brands that I just won't return to no matter how much coaxing I get from others. Thanks for sharing Richard!

@richardc6932

3 жыл бұрын

@@InkquiringMinds changing to a JOWO or as the Italians call it..YOWO shows their interest in improving their product. With the response that you received from Leonardo shows a commitment to customer service. In the long haul it’s a win-win for the seller and the buyer. Now if I could just get them to put a Pelikan or Pilot nib in that pen for that price.🥴👍🇨🇦

1000% agree! Leonardo should have better quality control - especially for that price! And the community wonders why people are willing to buy the Chinese "knock-offs"? I mean, it is a sad day when the imitation is better than the original.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Liz!

After the initial disappointment of finding the tines not properly aligned, do you feel the extra work you put into tuning the nib made you feel more involved with it? More your own.

@InkquiringMinds

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, Andrew. The added expense of $40 to have the broad professionally ground into an architect italic and the $20 to have the medium made writable were well worth it. The MZ with the architect nib is now a treasured every day writer and I put the medium MZ nib on my Moonman M800 Amber making it a totally blasphemous fountain pen! :)

@MrAndrew1953

3 жыл бұрын

Douglas Rathbun So if you have a nib you feel is too Broad, can you have it professionally ground into an Architect Italic, half-way between a Broad and a Medium? I've never had or used an Architect Italic. Advantage of Chinese pens is that it's an inexpensive way of experimenting with nibs, filling systems. Highly recommend you look at Duke 551 with its bridge style fude nib. Apelboom have a Pineider 'Back to The Future Pen'. Top of the range and interesting. Maybe Jost would lend you one for review. All non essential businesses shut in Melbourne, Australia because of COVID-19 lock down until September 13th. Means I can't physically look at or try out these pens.

@InkquiringMinds

3 жыл бұрын

@@MrAndrew1953 I had the broad nib ground into an architect italic because the more tipping material there is, the greater the line variation is between the vertical strokes (thin) and the horizontal strokes (thick). If you grind a medium you'll get less and a fine even less.

@MrAndrew1953

3 жыл бұрын

Douglas Rathbun Are architect nibs easier to write with or just different than say a 1.1/ 1.3 Stub nib.I must get one if they can be ordered as an Architect Italic nib. Thanks.

@InkquiringMinds

3 жыл бұрын

@@MrAndrew1953 Andrew. They are different, but the same. They give a great deal of line variation but in the completely opposite way. A stub will go thin in the horizontal and thick on the downstrokes or vertical. The AI is the opposite. It gives a thick line in the horizontal and a thin line on the vertical. That's why they lend themselves to architect style printing and numbers. I love the way they write too. The intro to all my videos is the Leonardo with a broad AI.

Well Douglas, I'm sorry for your bad experince, that was really bad luck, but I have five Namisu fountain pens with the same steel Bock nibs (all sizes fron EF to BB and 1.1 stub) and never had any problem with them. Only the stub nib hard starts some times. I also have replaced the nibs of my Jinhaos with steel Bock nibs without any problems.... I believe that Leonard fine tuned in house these Bock nibs, but it seems that this is not the case... I really like the exquisite resins that leonardo makes, but after this video I'll think twice over buying one ... this alone cannot justify the price difference

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, korax! Now that I've tuned up the Bock that was in my M800, I like it quite a bit. I might look for some more in various sizes to put in some more M800s.

Which Leonardo is your favorite??

@InkquiringMinds

Жыл бұрын

My Momento Zero Blue Hawaii!

I suggest pushing nibs Towards the feed cause you can cause them to seperate from the feed if yoi push to much.Dont ask how I know that.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Nikos. Both nibs are writing wonderfully now. The Broad is now an architect italic and is a gusher! The medium is smooth and wet and living my my M800 Amber. All thanks to nibmeister Jack Hernandez.

@nikthegreek4223

4 жыл бұрын

@@InkquiringMinds Does he accepts international orders?I have a sailor 1911 that needs extensive repair (need new iridium tipping and grinding and all of that) and is the pricing costumer friendly?

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Contact him through his Instagram account jackokun and ask.

Interesting that the Conklin doesn't post; honestly for the price and reputation I would've expected better quality.

@InkquiringMinds

2 жыл бұрын

The Conklin is a copy of the Parker Duofold and the Duofold doesn't post to where you could use it either.

@ukrainiansniper5916

2 жыл бұрын

@@InkquiringMinds Thank you, was not aware of that. One of my collecting themes is "demonstrators" (transparent) pens. Does Moonman make an M800 in a transparent resin?

@InkquiringMinds

2 жыл бұрын

No. I’m only aware of four colours of Moonman M800; purple, blue, Amber and green.

Thankfully, I’ve been mostly pretty happy with my Leo nibs. My issue was with the stubs. For me, Visconti was the worst offender for QC issues. Now, I just get them sent to a nibmeister first...

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Getting the nib tuned first, and for free, at Appelboom, is a service I will not pass up in future orders. Especially on Leonardo or Visconti.

When you pay $230, call me a crazy man, but AT LEAST, I want the tines to be aligned! My Moonman M800 "inspiration" came with them perfectly aligned and wrote like a dream right out of the box!

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

I'm glad you got a good one Parma. Luck of the draw.

Instead of it being a Broad, it looked like it wrote Medium. More like broadly medium, Sir Doug. Speaking of Blue, I think the M800's Blue looked better for some reason

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, it is more like a medium. There is a lot of tipping material but not very well finished. I'm thinking of getting a pro to grind it into an architect italic. And yes, the Galaxy M800 is incredibly beautiful.

Sadly this is why I stopped my fountain pen collecting, many years ago. I found that often they did not write well and I did not have the skills (or confidence) to try and sort them. I am far happier with my chinese budget pens and I am learning to fettle them. Worse scenario I buy a new budget, nib, feed or pen itself

@InkquiringMinds

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Steve Cleary!

I had an issue with a Leonardo Momento Zero (Coral) from Appelbaum. Sent the pen back and Jost had Leonardo replace the Medium with a Broad nib. The pen came back perfectly tuned. Kudos to Jost, a bit of disappointment with Leonardo.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Joost has excellent customer service!

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

@@justinehughes9353 I assume you are asking Rakesh that question since I didn't send mine back. But, I'm positive Joost would cover shipping.

If you want perfect nibs out of the factory go either lamy or any Japanese brand.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Out of 27 Penbbs fountain pens I'd say I've had 25 of them close to perfect out of the box.

@nikthegreek4223

4 жыл бұрын

@@InkquiringMinds I agree penbbs are pretty good but if you go for expensive (for me at least 😂) 150-200 € pens you will be better of in my experience with either lamy (for team Germany) or any Japanese brand.

can you give me a link to the longest named product? i think i need it

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

www.quora.com/What-is-the-longest-Starbucks-order-possible

Great review. Had to be very frustrating and cringeworthy to get a “grail” type pen at that price point and have it in that shape....unwritable. I agree that the manufacturer of the pen must be at fault here as they are the ones that allowed those nibs to leave in that condition. An absolutely beautiful looking pen nonetheless. Now, back to your regularly scheduled program of reviewing CHEAP CRAPPY CHINESE PENS!! Thanks for the insight and detail in this video and maybe this will get Leonardo doing some better QA/QC going forward.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

More cheap, crappy, chinese pens to come! Thanks, Andy!

To be honest, this is an unacceptable level of quality control. FWIW - Appelboom has beyond excellent service, as well as an in-house nibmeister (afaik). Perhaps for future orders, it's worth it to ask for Annabelle to take a look at it. In the end, Bock nibs are just a $5 - $10 nib. Bock, like Jowo supplies them as material, and not so much as a finished product. I'm not sure if Leonardo even does anything with it beyond assembly. You can engrave it, plate it, coat it all you want, but they're all the same basically, and for pens like this, you need to rely on a manufacturer's QC to step up their game. Especially since they charge such a hefty premium on a pen that is at most $ 50 in materials

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, thanks Michael. I mention that a couple of times in my review. I overlooked the free nib tuning option when I ordered the MZ from Joost. In future, I will have any pen I order there, tuned by Appelboom before deliver. My point was, it should have never come to Joost in that condition in the first place. I'm having the Broad MZ nib made into an Architect Italic right now by a local nibmeister.

Doug, this is getting a bit disturbing: not only is this an outrageous rip-off of the Moonman M800 pen body, it seems Leonardo are *also* copying Moonman's approach to QC on their nibs? I've had a couple of Moonmans that wrote perfectly on arrival, but both my M800s needed serious 'tuning' before I could get them to write well! [And yes, like you, I went for the cheaper models with the Moonman nib, not the Bock...] Thanks for another fantastic review - really enjoyable watching!

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

LOL @ Jamerelbe! I just gave up and put Penbbs fine nibs in both my M800s. They write beautifully. Still fighting with the Bock from the M800. It is now in the Moonman T2. Review next week.

I bought the Momento Zero because I felt guilty about having all 4 M800s, I actually regret buying it! The MZ is just not worth it’s price, even though the design is very cool (which Moonman have tacitly admitted in their copy). I have Sailors, Platinums and Pilots that cost less than my MZ, and have gold nibs, that write beautifully and are much better pens. The MZs also seem to have serious corrosion issues with their steel Bock nibs. Mine is already corroding away at the base after 2 months of use with Diamine Blue Black. Shame.

@ichirofakename

4 жыл бұрын

All I've heard about Italian pens makes me think that one shouldn't buy them without trying the individual pen first, in a store.

@64ftContraBombarde

4 жыл бұрын

Ichiro Fakename Good advice

@64ftContraBombarde

4 жыл бұрын

@@ichirofakename Actually, come to think of it, my only other Italian pen (a Visconti Mirage) had a bad nib out of the box and wouldn't write. Massively misaligned tines

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Your pen is still under warranty though Harry. They shouldn't corrode as it should be stainless steel. I don't believe Moonman just tacitly referenced the design, they outright copied it. If the Bock nib is corroding, I'd have concerns about anything with a Bock nib.

Ohhh - that pen is so gorgeous, that even if all it wrote was profanities, I'd still love it.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

It writes the letter F beautifully! F*** F*** F***!

Great review Doug! I would have expected to have the nib tuned coming from the factory given the premium price paid. What if someone doesn’t have your tuning skills? What a pain to deal with returning or worse accepting the disappointing nib. So much for snooty attitude of some people on the “real” European brand vs the unsophisticated Chinese copies! Reminds me of a comment on a previous review from a person who was offended how dare you question a famous German company who sells an overpriced pen without including a converter because they finance German workers comfortable salaries, give me a break! If one wants the prestige of a brand name or wants to support economy of her like minded country or culture, knock yourself out, but spare us with your political BS.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Beemrb1 Beemrb! Those are my points exactly. Minimum, the nib should have been looked at with a loupe before it went into the box like a German pretzel.

Ok, so Leonardo actually still have issues with their nib QC which is a shame to hear especially hearing so many glowing reviews about them. I think your decision to buy 2 nibs from them is a masterstroke since it shows that the defect rate is actually not small. The remaining question would be, would you shell out $100 more than a Moonman M800 just for the resin? For me, that is not worth it.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Priya! I just got the Broad because I wanted another nib choice and was thinking of getting the broad professionally ground into an architect italic.

@pntm2006

4 жыл бұрын

@@InkquiringMinds Definitely. I'm pretty sure you have your reasons in buying two nibs but that decision inadvertently proved issues at hand with the nibs

@PenFriends

4 жыл бұрын

I think part of the issue is that Leonardo is a small company that is trying to compete with MUCH larger manufacturers. This means they are rushing products out :(... however, this is partly the issue with BOCK nibs, it's not entirely Leonardo's fault as there has been a number of people in the pen community complaining about the inconsistency of BOCK nibs on other pens. They will be moving at some stage to jowo nibs on all their pens.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

@@PenFriends I've heard the same thing about Conklin. The original nib in my Conklin Duragraph was awful. But, at least that pen was only $60.

What a disappointment. I really like the pen design but the out of box experience you had is unacceptable for a pen of this price. You are fortunate to be able to correct the nib yourself but you definitely shouldn't have had to do that. I don't understand why a company that sells high end pens has such little regard for the quality of the thing that puts ink to paper. Unfortunately, your experience seems to be pretty common. I hope they will strive to up the quality of the nibs because the pens themselves are beautiful. Thanks for sharing the whole experience.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Jenso. Again, in batches of 1000's of nibs, they are going to get some bad ones from Bock. However, checking one in 100 isn't good enough because if even one slips through, you get a disgruntled consumer. Moonman doesn't care about a disgruntled consumer because their pen are only $25.

@therealjenso

4 жыл бұрын

@@InkquiringMinds All true but Leonardo are much higher end and hand made. I expect a much higher level of quality control but sadly many of the reviews I've seen don't bear this out. Even 2 of the nibs you received were not up to snuff. Kudos to Apelboom for standing behind their products. I would definitely buy from them. Happy Canada Day.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

@@therealjenso I am sure the lathes the Leonardo acrylics are turned on are not much different than those in the factory that makes the M800.

That is rather sad. I will tell you that I have a Momento Zero with a fine nib and it wrote well from the start. I will tell you that I only coughed up the money for it because friends had given me a gift card. I do love mine, too bad you had to beat yours into submission.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

LOL @ Beat it into submission!

Really disappointing. As you said "the pen would write out of the box". I think it will be useful to inform "Leonardo officina italiana" the troubles you had with two nibs of two. Sometimes the brands needs feedbacks directly from the users for improving their quality controls.

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

I'm in communication with Joost about it and perhaps he'll mention it to Leonardo. I'm hesitant to contact Leonardo because it isn't a warranty issue.

that is quite disappointing you paid all that money and it didnt even write out of the box what a shame I would have been very upset ..you would think that they might have better in house quality control for being such a high name brand expensive pen ... I mean its not a thousand dollars but I've had jinhao 992s that work better than that out of the box that cost less than 3 dollars shipped from wish.com .

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah, it was a bit of a letdown. Thanks, Marilyn!

About how much does Google pay you for one video?

@InkquiringMinds

4 жыл бұрын

It depends on how many views the video gets. But right now, with over 22K views for all of my videos combined in a month I’ll make about $60 US. Not a lot but I’m just a tiny KZread channel.