Leonardo Momento Magico Emerald Review: Italian Resin With Real Personality

Introduction

The Leonardo Momento Magico Emerald is the latest release in Leonardo’s Momento Magico line, and it is a new version of a pen that has been covered before, this time in a color that makes a strong first impression. Beyond the fresh resin, there is one significant change between this version and previous Momento Magico models, and it concerns the ink window. This review covers the parts and features, the changes, the design details worth knowing, sizing, and the writing experience.

As with previous Momento Magico releases, the pen arrives in a box with an outer sleeve featuring cutout slots that show the inner black box through the openings. Inside you get a standard Leonardo box, a use and care guide, and the pen itself. It is a tidy, presentable package.

Who This Pen Is For

The Momento Magico Emerald suits anyone who wants a piston-filling Italian fountain pen with characterful resin, a choice of trim and nib options, and a comfortable everyday size. If you post your cap while writing, this is also a good candidate, since the cap posts securely and is not heavy enough to unbalance the pen. If you prefer shopping around for the best deal, price variation between retailers gives you some room to save.

Materials and Design

The Emerald uses Italian resin with a lot of variance and personality. Some areas show swaths of pearlescence, while others have a different patterning and depth; the cap patterning is almost reminiscent of the surface of the moon. In photos the material reads a little more blue, but in person it leans more emerald green. Because of how the light interacts with the pearlescence, the pen offers a different look from just about every angle, which is one of its best qualities.

This example has gold trim, though the pen is also available with rhodium trim. While rhodium is a personal preference for some, the gold matches the emerald blue-green resin well. The trim color also matches the nib color.

Other details add up nicely. The top of the cap comes to a rounded cone tip, as with most Leonardo models, and the clip is size appropriate, with a wheeled design that looks great. The cap angles up a few millimeters to the band, and the design of the box mirrors the band’s engraving, a nice touch. Through the slots in the band you can see the underlying resin, another interesting visual element. Just above the band, the cap is engraved with the Leonardo name and the pen’s number. The Emerald is not a limited edition, but Leonardo numbers the majority of their pens. The end of the cap stair-steps down to a medium-sized step into the barrel.

The Redesigned Ink Window

The biggest change from previous Momento Magico models sits on the barrel. On older versions, the ink window could be slightly visible while the pen was capped. On the Emerald, it is not, because the ink window is roughly half its former size and has rings on either side of it rather than a straight transition from window to barrel.

Overall, the new window size and design are arguably an improvement, even if the capped glimpse of ink level is gone. The rest of the barrel is slightly bulbous, angling up ever so slightly before tapering toward the end, where a ring marks the beginning of the piston knob, capped by a rounded cone point that mirrors the cap’s finial.

Filling System and Handling

Given the piston knob and ink window, this is a piston filler. The piston mechanism is smooth and the pen holds a decent amount of ink. A separate metal tool can be purchased to disassemble the pen for thorough cleaning, and while it works well, it is somewhat pricey at around 35 dollars.

The cap twists off in a single rotation, revealing a stainless steel number six nib. The section begins with a flare and uses a more traditional shape rather than the stair-step section on the Momento Zero. It is a bit short and quickly transitions into the threads, the ink window, and the barrel. The grip does spill slightly onto the threads, but the resin threads are not sharp or uncomfortable, so this is unlikely to be a problem. The pen is plenty long enough to use unposted, and posted use works well too.

Nib and Writing Experience

The nib is available in extra fine, fine, medium, broad, and a 1.1 stub, with the steel finish matching the trim. Some retailers also offer the option of a 14 carat gold nib, or one of Leonardo’s elastic (flex) nibs, which are highly regarded.

In this configuration, the medium stainless steel nib is fairly smooth with just a hint of feedback. There is not much line variation, and ink flow is decent. Reverse writing is a little scratchy but lays down an extra-fine line, and during fast writing the feed keeps up just fine. Paired with Leonardo’s own emerald green ink, the writing experience is strong on paper.

Measurements and Comparisons

The Momento Magico is a few millimeters longer than the Momento Zero model, and side-by-side comparisons confirm it is slightly larger. Against other pens, it sits comfortably among common full-size fountain pens such as a Pilot Vanishing Point, a Montblanc 146, and a Sailor pro gear style pen.

One more detail worth knowing: Leonardo uses three different end-of-cap styles across their range. This pen has the stair-step style, the Momento Zero has a straight end, and models like the Fiore Grande angle down slightly. Knowing which cap style you prefer helps when choosing between Leonardo models.

Buying Advice

Retail pricing has been seen anywhere from about 170 to 220 dollars depending on the retailer, so it is worth shopping around. That range feels appropriate for what you receive: a characterful Italian resin body, a smooth piston filler, a well-behaved steel nib, and thoughtful details throughout. If a 14 carat gold or elastic nib interests you, check retailer options before ordering.

Conclusion

The Momento Magico Emerald is a well-executed update to an already appealing pen. The emerald resin delivers genuine visual variety, the redesigned ink window is a subtle improvement, and the medium steel nib writes smoothly with reliable flow. If you are in the market for a piston-filling Italian fountain pen in this price range, the Emerald deserves a close look.