Mayora Impronte Mirror Black Oversized Review: Handmade Italian Charm With One Big Caveat

Introduction

The Mayora Impronte in Mirror Black is an oversized, hand-turned fountain pen from an Italian maker with roots in the Delta pen company. Each pen is numbered, turned by hand from solid rod, and priced at 148 euros with a cartridge converter filling system and steel nibs from extra fine through broad. On paper, that is a compelling package. In practice, there is one notable caveat around the nib that buyers should understand before committing.

What’s in the Box

Mayora clearly puts thought into presentation. The pen ships in a box with a cardboard outer sleeve, accompanied by a small booklet. Inside, a translucent lid lifts away to reveal an hourglass-shaped holder cradling the pen, echoing the presentation style of classic Italian pen boxes.

It is a packaging experience that feels considered rather than generic, which fits a numbered, handmade product.

Design and Filling System

The design is bold and tapered. The cap narrows noticeably toward the finial, with gold rings at the cap and barrel, and the barrel tapers down toward the back where it reads “Mayora handmade in Italy” along with the unit number, in this case 108. The pens are numbered individually, though it is not a limited edition, and the clip is brass.

The standout feature is the blind cap at the rear. Unscrew it and you can operate the converter’s piston knob from behind the barrel, effectively giving the pen a piston-like filling experience without a true piston filler. If that does not appeal, the barrel unscrews the traditional way, and the included screw-in converter is a slightly refined affair with a turning knob, a small groove detail, and the Mayora branding. It is a nice touch of polish on an otherwise standard component.

Writing Comfort and Handling

The section is hourglass-shaped and, while fairly small, is genuinely comfortable and well designed. The pen posts securely and becomes a satisfying, chunky writer. The brass hardware adds a bit of weight, but not enough to make the pen uncomfortably top-heavy when posted.

If posting is not your preference, the pen works well unposted too, though it may read as slightly bulky for smaller hands. This is not a small pen, and whether it is truly “oversized” is debatable, but it has real presence.

Nib and Writing Performance

The pen uses a steel number six nib with the Mayora logo and a plastic feed. The broad nib reviewed here is a smooth writer, and on textured paper such as Rhodia there was no skipping whatsoever. However, on smoother or coated papers, the nib skipped considerably. The evidence points to an over-polished nib: the pen feels very smooth, and the skipping on coated stock suggests the tines have been polished past the point of reliable ink flow.

Worth noting: other Mayora pens have not shown this issue, so it may be specific to this particular broad nib rather than a brand-wide trait. Still, a pen that skips heavily on smooth paper is an objective fault, not a matter of fine-tuning preference, and it is the biggest mark against an otherwise appealing pen.

Buying Advice

If you can try this pen before buying, do so. The design, handmade Italian quality, blind cap filling trick, and comfortable posting all earn real credit, and at 148 euros the pricing sits reasonably within the handmade Italian segment. But since a fountain pen’s core job is to write reliably out of the box, test the nib on smooth paper first. If your sample skips, it may be worth requesting a different nib.

Conclusion

The Mayora Impronte Mirror Black is a charming, well-priced handmade Italian pen with a clever filling solution and a bold, tapering design. Its Achilles heel is nib quality control on this particular unit, with an over-polished broad nib that struggles on smooth or coated papers. For buyers who can verify the nib, or who mostly write on textured paper, it remains a genuinely attractive option.