Leonardo Momento Zero Grande 2.0 Dutch Pen Show 2026: A Red-Hot Limited Edition Worth Knowing About

Introduction

Each year the Dutch Pen Show commissions a small run of exclusive fountain pens, and the 2026 edition arrived with a theme that fits the medium perfectly: love letters. Three pens were tied to the show this year, and the one that steals the show is the Leonardo Momento Zero Grande 2.0, made in a custom resin from Jonathan Brooks of the Carolina Pen Company.

Only 100 of these pens exist, each numbered with a discreet blind engraving, and the design leans fully into the theme: deep, sparkly red resin, gold trim everywhere, and a bottle of Leonardo’s Rosso Passione ink in the box. It is a limited edition with genuine character, but at roughly 1,001 Canadian dollars it asks a serious commitment. Here is what you need to know before hunting one down.

Packaging and First Impressions

The pen arrives in a cardboard outer sleeve with a nicely made Dutch Pen Show box underneath. Inside you get a colorful booklet telling the Leonardo story, filling instructions, a protective pen sleeve, a small medallion for the clip, and an unopened bottle of Rosso Passione special edition ink. It is a package with real presence, and the ink alone is a nice touch that goes to the buyer rather than being a display prop.

The pen itself is the real draw. The love letters theme produces a deep red material with glimmering sparkles and swirling depth that reads as luxurious without being gaudy. It is exactly what you would hope for from a Jonathan Brooks custom resin, and it is arguably the best-looking material of this pen’s generation. The trim package includes the signature Leonardo wheel clip, a broad center band with an Art Deco style pattern, and multiple gold rings along the cap and barrel.

One note on trim: this pen is gold trim, but rose gold and silver versions were also offered. Nib options include extra fine, fine, medium, broad, and stub, plus elastic extra fine and elastic fine for those who want a bit of line variation. Numbering is a blind engraving, so faint that you only find it when light hits it at the right angle; this example is number 30 of 100.

Nib and Writing Performance

The review example carried a 14k gold broad nib, and it is the standout of the whole package. Paired with an ebonite feed, the nib delivers superb, consistent ink flow. Filled with Akkerman Delftsblauw for testing, it wrote smoothly and confidently, neither too wet nor too dry, laying down a pleasant bold line. What initially can sound scratchy on recordings is simply microphone sensitivity; the actual writing experience is smooth and pleasant.

Reverse writing is also possible, and it is a genuine feature here rather than a gimmick: flipped, the broad behaves something like an extra fine without getting scratchy. Do not treat this as a flex nib, though. If line variation is what you are after, the elastic extra fine or elastic fine options are the right choice; squeezing a standard nib is a good way to damage it.

The 2.0 revision also brings an ink window and a slightly redesigned piston, which matters more than it sounds on a piston filler. Being able to see remaining ink without uncapping the barrel is a real quality-of-life improvement, and the section shape is a welcome update, tapering down before flaring slightly at the lip. The broad Dutch Pen Show logo is engraved right on the nib, a small detail that reminds you this pen belongs to a specific moment.

Who This Product Is For

This is a pen for collectors and enthusiasts who want a piece of a specific pen show rather than a workhorse. The limited run of 100, the themed resin, the engraved nib, and the matching ink bottle all point at someone who enjoys the story as much as the writing. It also suits anyone who already knows they like the Momento Zero Grande platform, which has proven itself across many special editions.

What We Like

The nib is genuinely stellar. Smooth, well-balanced wetness, great ink flow from the ebonite feed, and a beautiful bold line make it one of the better gold broad nibs you will encounter. The ink window is the other big win: it turns a sealed piston filler into a pen you can actually monitor, and it is a smart addition to the 2.0 design.

Size is another strength. The Momento Zero Grande is bigger without being obscene, comfortable unposted and pleasant posted, and it is not top heavy even with the cap on. The resin, of course, deserves repeated praise: deep, sparkly, swirly red that photographs as well as it looks in person. The piston filler mechanism and the gold nib complete a very traditional, very satisfying spec sheet.

Things to Consider Before Buying

Price is the honest hurdle. At around 1,001 Canadian dollars this is by no means a cheap pen, even accounting for the special edition ink, the premium box, and the limited production. Add in the other show pens from the same year, such as the Scribo exclusive at over 1,300 Canadian, and building a full Dutch Pen Show 2026 collection is a serious investment. A 10% discount code is available from Appelboom, which softens the number somewhat.

Availability is the second consideration. With only 100 pieces, these pens sell out, and aftermarket prices can move quickly. Scarcity is part of the appeal for some buyers and a source of frustration for others. Finally, the Momento Zero Grande platform is well trodden; Leonardo special editions of this model come out constantly, so decide whether this particular material and story justify the purchase or whether your money is better spent waiting for something new.

Buying Advice

If the love letters theme speaks to you and the resin wins you over in person, this is an easy recommendation for the writing experience alone. Buy it with the trim and nib you actually want, and consider the elastic nib options if line variation matters to you. If budget is a concern or you simply want a great writer, Leonardo’s standard line offers similar performance without the premium; this pen is for the edition, not just the pen.

Conclusion

The Leonardo Momento Zero Grande 2.0 Dutch Pen Show 2026 exclusive is a beautiful, well-executed limited edition with a stellar 14k broad nib, a genuinely useful ink window, and one of the loveliest red resins in recent memory. The price and the 100-piece limit mean it is not for everyone, but for collectors who connect with the theme, it is a pen worth chasing.