Leonardo Dodich Fountain Pen Review: A Faceted Luxury Writer With a Number 8 Nib

Introduction

The Leonardo Dodich is a new, larger luxury fountain pen from the Italian workshop Leonardo, and it sits comfortably in the same size territory as the Momento Zero Grande. For this look, we spent time with the Magmatic version, one of three main variants alongside the Vulcana and the Mosaico, each available with either gold or palladium trim.

If you enjoy large, girthy pens with characterful materials and big gold nibs, there is a lot to like here. This review covers the design, the filling system, the nib options, sizing, and how it actually feels to write with.

Design and Materials

The body is made from an acrylic resin manufactured in Italy, and the name Dodich means twelve in Italian, referencing the twelve facets found on both the cap and barrel. On the Magmatic version, the colors recall deep seabed blues and the dark nuance of magmatic rock pouring into the sea, blending blue, white, and brown. Because of the nature of the material, the pattern varies noticeably from pen to pen, and ours has sections that genuinely resemble lava making its way to ocean depths.

Details are well executed throughout. The top of the cap comes to a rounded, conical point and transitions into the traditional Leonardo clip, which is slightly bowed and punctuated with a wheel. We have always been fond of wheeled clips, and three thin bands at the end of the cap match the faceting nicely. A stair step leads down to the barrel, which angles down at a consistent decline to a gold band at the piston knob, and the knob itself ends in another rounded conical point. The pen is numbered, though it is not a numbered limited edition.

Nib Options and Ink Window

Twisting the cap off takes just under one full rotation, and underneath sits what is, for us, a real highlight: a number 8 sized 14 karat gold nib. A number 6 option is also available. For the number 8, you can choose extra fine, fine, medium, broad, or a 1.1 stub. The number 6 adds an elastic extra fine and an elastic fine to that list.

The section begins with a medium-sized flare before angling up to the resin threads, and past the threads you will find a generous ink window. Small bands on either side of the window frame the transition, which looks a little nicer than a naked transition between materials would.

Piston Filler and Ink Capacity

The Dodich is a piston filler, and the mechanism is genuinely smooth. Ink capacity comes in at about 1.5 ml, which is generous for a cartridge-converter-free design like this. One practical warning: the large ebonite feed is very wet, so avoid touching it when the pen is inked, or you will end up with ink on your fingers.

In the hand, the pen is large with a generous, girthy section, which suits our preferences well. It is plenty long enough to use unposted. The cap does post securely, but it does not post deeply, adding a bit of length. Fortunately, the cap is light, so the extra length does not back-weight the pen or throw off the balance in any way that feels unwieldy.

Nib and Writing Performance

Our test unit carried the medium 14 karat gold number 8 nib, inked with Private Reserve Blue Suede, a lighter blue with a little shading that suited the pen nicely. The nib is fairly smooth, and you can get a bit of line variation out of it. It is simply a lot of fun to write with.

Ink flow is fairly generous, thanks in large part to that thick ebonite feed. Reverse writing is smooth and lays down an extra-fine line, and during fast writing the feed keeps up very well without any skipping or starvation. If you are fond of large nibs, this one from Leonardo is outstanding.

Size and Handling

Size comparisons put the Dodich very close to the Momento Zero Grande: similar in length, though slightly thicker. It is a little shorter than the Fior Grande, and noticeably larger than the standard Momento Zero. For anyone who finds the Momento Zero Grande comfortable, the Dodich will feel familiar and familiar-good.

Who the Leonardo Dodich Is For

This pen makes the most sense for enthusiasts who want a large, faceted, piston-filling Italian pen and appreciate material variation from unit to unit. Pricing runs around $750 for a pen with a number 8 nib and about $650 for a number 6, so it is firmly a premium purchase. As an alternative to some of the Momento Zero and Momento Zero Grande models out there, though, the combination of writing performance, looks, and style is genuinely compelling.

Conclusion

The Leonardo Dodich is a very nice package from Leonardo: a distinctive faceted design, a lively marbled resin, a smooth piston filler with a generous 1.5 ml capacity, and a fantastic number 8 gold nib to top it off. If large luxury pens are your thing, the Magmatic material alone is worth a close look.