Leonardo Momento Magico Combustion Review: In-House Gold Nib Meets Jonathan Brooks Resin

Introduction

Few things are more encouraging than watching a manufacturer push beyond its comfort zone, and Leonardo’s newest Momento Magico does exactly that. This limited edition Combustion model pairs a familiar, well-liked design with something genuinely new for the brand: a 14 karat in-house gold nib.

This pen arrived as a limited edition exclusive through Limited Pens Korea, with only 50 units produced. In this review we will walk through the parts and features, discuss what stands out for better and worse, look at sizing, and finish with a writing sample.

Design and Materials

The resin here is called Combustion, created by Jonathan Brooks, and it is easy to see why the name fits. The mix of pearlescent orange, gold, brown, and rust red evokes the slow-motion view of fuel igniting inside an engine cylinder. Rather than a loud, in-your-face palette, the material feels alive in a subtle way, with genuine depth and movement under light.

The cap comes to a rounded cone tip with a gold-plated clip. This limited edition model is available only with gold trim, and while silver is often the safer preference, gold plays far better with the warm tones of this resin. The cap angles up a few millimeters to the stepped band, whose slots run all the way through the material, letting the underlying resin show through. The back of the cap is engraved with the Leonardo name and the limited edition number.

Barrel, Section, and Filling System

This is one of the newer Momento Magico designs, and the most obvious change is the ink window. On older models, the window was larger and visible at the cap-to-barrel transition while capped. On the newer version, the cap must be removed to see it. Although the old arrangement offered a convenient ink check, the redesign has a cleaner overall look and flow, and the shortened window is still large enough to get a good read on your ink level.

The barrel angles up gently before tapering to a gold band and the piston knob, with a rounded cone finish at the end, mirroring the cap. The cap twists off in a single rotation and posts securely without back-weighting the pen or feeling sharp in the hand.

The filling system is a piston filler that operates smoothly. A separate tool, sold outside the Limited Pens Korea site, allows complete disassembly of the piston mechanism on this and any Leonardo piston filler. In practice, though, it is hard to imagine needing it: no ink has made its way behind the piston in this or any other Leonardo pen tested.

The New In-House Gold Nib

Under the cap sits the headline feature: Leonardo’s brand-new 14 karat in-house gold nib, paired with an ebonite feed with crisp sight lines. The stamping is sharp and complements the wing design of the Leonardo logo, with the nib size engraved rather than stamped, a sensible production choice that does not detract from the look.

Whenever a company starts making its own nibs, quality is the obvious question. Leonardo has gotten off to a strong start here. The nib is offered in extra fine, fine, medium, broad, double broad, and a 1.4 stub, which gives buyers real flexibility.

Measurements and Comparisons

The Momento Magico Combustion sits comfortably among Leonardo’s other models in terms of size. Next to the original Momento Magico, the newer ink window no longer protrudes onto the barrel. It also compares naturally with the Momento Zero Grande, the Leonardo Fiore, and alongside non-Leonardo pens such as the Visconti Homo Sapiens, Pilot Vanishing Point, and Schon Design Pocket 6.

The cap posts securely, and because it is light, the balance remains comfortable whether posted or not.

Writing Sample

The writing sample used the 14 karat medium nib with Private Reserve Copper Burst, a brown ink with enough pop to suit the pen’s character. The ink shows decent shading and sheen, and the wide-opening 60 milliliter Private Reserve bottles make it easy to fill just about any nib.

The new gold nib delivers a very pleasant writing experience. There is a touch of line variation and a slight bit of feedback, so it is not glassy smooth, which many writers will appreciate. Ink flow is decent, and the feed keeps up comfortably with fast writing. Reverse writing is not a strong suit, however.

Buying Advice

The Momento Magico Combustion sells for $545 with free worldwide shipping through the Limited Pens Korea site, where it is currently available for pre-order. Even with a gold nib included, that price sits at the upper end of what most people would evaluate for this model, so it makes the most sense for collectors drawn to the exclusive resin and the appeal of Leonardo’s first in-house gold nib. Leonardo also offers the Omnia Amnest in Brooks resin with the same gold nib at the same price, which is worth a look if this model sells out.

Conclusion

The Momento Magico Combustion is an interesting combination: a genuinely beautiful resin with subtle life to it, a refined updated design, and a first-generation in-house gold nib that already writes very well. If the price fits your budget and the limited edition nature appeals to you, it is a rewarding pen to use and own.