Leonardo Momento Zero Kugi Blue: A Limited Edition Fountain Pen With a Story

Introduction

Some annual releases earn their anticipation, and Stilo and Stellay’s Black Friday limited edition has become one of them. The Rome-based retailer has a consistent track record of teaming up with Leonardo to create a themed pen with unique resin, and this year’s offering is a companion piece to last year’s Momento Zero Kugi: the Kugi Blue.

This is a limited edition of roughly 250 units, released for the Black Friday sale. Once they are gone, there will be no second editions or re-manufacturing. Here is a full look at what the Kugi Blue offers, from its unusual resin to how it writes.

The Resin: The Moment Before the Repair

Last year’s Kugi took its inspiration from the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, with plenty of gold leaf suspended in the resin. The Kugi Blue tells the same story from the opposite side: the fragile moment when a piece of pottery is still in broken parts, waiting to be made whole again.

The result is deep blue shards scattered throughout a clear resin, resembling shattered pieces suspended in place an instant before reconstruction. It is an evocative idea, and the effect is visible throughout the pen. One small critique: I would have liked a little more blue in the material, as the flakes are fairly scattered rather than dense.

The trim leans into the theme with a deep blue finish. The clip, the three cap bands, the coated stainless steel nib, and even the interior metal and converter hardware all carry that same deep blue treatment, and it matches the resin well.

Parts and Features

This is a standard Momento Zero in shape and size. The profile starts with a rounded, pointed tip that angles up before straightening out, the barrel runs straight for about an inch before tapering, and the step down from cap to barrel is relatively small. The back of the cap is marked with Leonardo, Stilo and Stellay, and the limited edition number.

The standout detail is the clip wheel. It is made from the same resin as the pen itself, blue flakes and all, which I have never seen on any pen before. Even if a particular wheel happened to come out clear, having the pen’s own resin in the clip is a genuinely novel touch, and wheeled clips are always welcome.

The section is one of Leonardo’s best designs. It starts straight, angles up, and straightens again near the threads. The angled area fits the hand well, and although there is a medium step up to the barrel, it sits far enough back that it does not interfere with grip, and the transition is smooth enough that brushing it is not an issue.

Filling and Everyday Use

The Kugi Blue is a cartridge converter pen accepting standard international cartridges, and a screw converter is included with a blue PVD coated inner housing and tip. The blind cap is present, and while it is a nice touch and the blue interior looks great, it is not the most practical feature. Only a small nub of the converter sticks out when the blind cap is removed, which makes gripping it awkward and puts fingers near threads that can feel a little sharp. In practice, removing the barrel to fill is the easier route, and it lets you confirm a good fill.

Nib Options and Pricing

The pen uses a number six stainless steel nib with the deep blue coating and the Stilo and Stellay logo. The review unit came with a broad nib. Specific nib size availability for this model is best confirmed on the Stilo and Stellay website, and since this is a plated nib, some specialty grinds may not be offered.

Pricing is approximately €219 for European customers and about €240 for US customers, with tariffs and shipping included in the listed price, so what you see on the site is the final price with no surprise charges at delivery.

Writing Performance

Inked with Stilo and Stellay’s own Pretorian Blue, a royal-leaning blue ink, the broad stainless steel nib lays down a nice thick line. It is fairly smooth with decent ink flow, and the feed keeps up well even during fast writing. Reverse writing is a bit hit and miss, which is common at this nib tier.

For writers who normally stick to medium nibs, this broad is a pleasant reminder of what a wider line can do, especially paired with a saturated blue ink.

Who Should Buy It

If you enjoy Stilo and Stellay’s previous collaborations, the Kugi Blue sits comfortably alongside the Andromeda, Prisma, and Cometa, all Momento Zero models with distinctive resins. In size it is comparable to pens like the Sailor Pro Gear or Esterbrook SD, so it will feel familiar to most mid-size pen users.

Given the limited run of around 250 units and the retailer’s history of selling out limited editions quickly, anyone seriously interested should check availability sooner rather than later. There are no restocks on this one.

Conclusion

The Kugi Blue is a thoughtful companion to last year’s Kugi, pairing a genuinely original resin concept with a first-ever clip wheel detail and Leonardo’s comfortable Momento Zero platform. The blind cap could offer a bit more converter access and some may wish for denser blue in the material, but as a limited edition with an included-something-for-everyone price structure and strong writing performance, it is a compelling pickup for collectors who move fast.