Leonardo Momento Zero Apex Review: A Limited Edition Fountain Pen with Personality

Introduction

The Leonardo Momento Zero Apex is a retailer exclusive limited edition fountain pen available through Atlas Stationers, the family run stationery shop based in the Chicago area. Limited to just 150 units, it pairs Leonardo’s well loved Momento Zero design with a resin you will not find on any other model. If you already enjoy the Momento Zero platform, this edition offers a fresh look on a proven writer.

Design and Materials

The Apex is made from a resin created by Bob Dudas of Little Rock, Arkansas, known online under the name Coral Creations, a resin maker with many years of experience. The material blends blue and green hues accented by vivid splashes of pink, red, and yellow, with a fair amount of pearlescence that stops short of feeling over the top. Because the resin varies so much, every pen in the run looks a little different.

At the top of the cap the pen comes to a rounded conical point, followed by the standard Leonardo clip, which the brand apparently produces in only one size regardless of model. The cap angles up until it straightens over the last inch, and the back of the cap carries a silver filled engraving reading Leonardo, Atlas, and the limited edition number. Below that sits a cap band of three thin rings. The barrel begins with another thin band, runs straight for about an inch and a half, then tapers evenly to a blind cap that ends in a matching rounded conical point.

Everyday Practicality

Like other Momento Zero models, the Apex has a removable blind cap that lets you twist the converter to fill the pen without unscrewing the section from the barrel. It is a nice touch, though not one everyone will use. The converter does not protrude much into the barrel, which makes the knob harder to grip, and filling blind means you cannot see how much ink you are drawing in. The pen accepts standard international cartridges and includes a Leonardo branded converter.

One caution: with the metal section and blind cap, dropping this pen would not be recommended. The cap twists off with a single rotation, and the ergonomic section, which runs straight then angles up toward the cap threads, fits the grip securely even without a flare or raised edge. The pen is long enough to use unposted, and the cap posts securely without throwing off the balance or adding unwieldy length.

Nib and Writing Performance

Under the cap sits a number six stainless steel nib, which Leonardo calls its La Fenice nib, Italian for the Phoenix. It is not a specialty grind, just the name Leonardo gives its nibs, and the winged stamping design remains one of the sharper looking nib treatments around. The Apex is available in extra fine, fine, medium, broad, and stub, plus elastic fine and elastic extra fine options.

In broad steel form, the nib is very pleasant to use. It is decently smooth with just a hair of feedback, slightly firm, and offers little line variation. Ink flow is generous, reverse writing is fairly smooth, and the feed keeps up very well even with fast writing.

Size and Comparisons

Capped, the Momento Zero sits comfortably alongside other Italian pens such as the Visconti Van Gogh line and the Aurora Optima, while appearing noticeably smaller than Leonardo’s own Momento Zero Grande and Momento 2.0 Grande. Next to a Pilot Vanishing Point it reads as a fuller, more traditional pen. For most hands, it works well both posted and unposted.

For context on value: standard Momento Zero models generally retail around $170, and limited editions, especially retailer exclusives, tend to run a bit more. The Apex retails for $250, which is on the higher end of the value proposition for this model, so much of what you are paying for is the exclusive Coral Creations resin and the limited run of 150 pieces.

Buying Advice

If you love the Momento Zero platform and want a colorway that no one else will carry, the Apex is an easy recommendation, provided the $250 price fits your budget. If you are more interested in the writing performance than the material, a standard Momento Zero delivers the same nib, section, and filling architecture for noticeably less. Either way, the platform itself is a solid performer that earns its reputation.

Conclusion

The Leonardo Momento Zero Apex is a handsome limited edition built on one of the most reliable designs in Leonardo’s catalog. The custom pearlescent resin is the headline attraction, the steel nib writes pleasantly with generous flow, and the ergonomic section keeps the pen secure in hand. At $250 it asks a premium over the standard model, but for collectors drawn to exclusive materials, it delivers a genuinely distinctive pen.