Montegrappa Venetia Turquoise Review: A Limited Edition Celluloid Fountain Pen

Introduction

Montegrappa has been producing an increasingly strong run of fountain pens, and the Venetia in turquoise is a good example of why the brand keeps earning a place in more collections. This is a limited edition of just 100 numbered pens, sold exclusively through Goldspot Pens, where it retails for $895. The review unit was provided on loan for evaluation.

The pen arrives in Montegrappa’s current packaging: a sharp outer box with the updated M logo, with an inner box that flips open from the side to reveal the pen, a use and care guide, and two standard international cartridges. It is a presentation that feels considered without being fussy.

Design and Materials

The standout feature here is the celluloid. Rather than a flat material, the turquoise celluloid has a twist running through it, which adds a genuine sense of movement and flow to the body. On top of that twist, the material has real richness and depth, with a considerable amount of chatoyance that brings it to life under light.

The trim is gold-plated brass, which complements the turquoise nicely without overpowering it. This is a material that rewards a second look: in bright light the depth of the celluloid and the shifting sheen within it are very noticeable.

Cap, Clip, and Finials

The top of the cap comes to a rounded-off point, not sharp at all, and transitions into Montegrappa’s standard clip, the same one found on many of the brand’s models. The clip is slightly bowed and finished with a small wheel, and it proved functional on materials of varying thicknesses.

The cap itself angles upward for almost its entire length, straightening out only over the last half inch or so. A gold-plated band carries the company name on one side and “Italy” along with the limited edition number on the other, a nice touch given that only 100 of these exist.

The barrel mirrors the cap’s language: after a medium rounded step down, it tapers at an even rate until ending in another rounded-off point. The result is a silhouette that feels cohesive from end to end.

Nib and Section

Twist the cap off with one and a quarter rotations and you find a number six 18k gold nib. It is offered in extra fine, fine, medium, and broad, plus a 1.1 stub, which is the option fitted to this example. Montegrappa’s engraved nib patterning is attractive, and the octagonal shape gives it a distinctive look, with an ebonite feed underneath.

The section begins with a slight flare, angles up slightly to the cap threads, then runs straight before an angled step up to the barrel. This elongated section is genuinely comfortable: the threads are not sharp or unpleasant if your grip lands on them, and the shape accommodates a variety of grip styles and positions.

One manufacturing note worth mentioning: because the barrel and section are produced separately and then assembled, the twist of the celluloid does not always align between the two parts. On this particular pen, the section’s material runs in the opposite direction to the barrel’s, essentially rotated 180 degrees. It took a while to notice and does not detract from daily use, but in a perfect world the twist would run consistently.

Filling System and Usability

This is a cartridge converter pen. It accepts standard international cartridges, two of which are included, and a converter is provided in the box. Because the section housing and barrel interior are metal, eyedropper conversion is not recommended.

The pen is plenty long enough to use unposted, which is the preferred way to enjoy it. The cap does post, but not securely unless you push it on with real intent, and even then it creates a slightly unbalanced, mushroom-like look. Unposted, the pen is sleek and comfortable in the hand.

Writing Performance

The 1.1 stub nib is very crisp and not especially forgiving. It rewards deliberate technique: keeping the nib squared to the page produces solid, broad downstrokes and much thinner cross strokes with pleasing line variation. Let the angle drift, though, and ink coverage and flow suffer; writing too quickly can also cause the flow to dry out.

Ink flow is decently heavy, which suits a stub nicely. Reverse writing is not what this nib is made for, and it is scratchy in that mode, though it does function. Keep the orientation right and there are no issues at all; in fact, the stub adds a nice bit of flair to everyday writing.

For this sample the pen was filled with Diamine Skull and Roses, a deep blue with a purplish sheen from the brand’s Rock and Roll collection. With a stub that lays down plenty of ink, the shading and sheening really show, sitting comfortably alongside other sheening blues in the same family.

Buying Advice

The Montegrappa Venetia Turquoise makes sense for collectors who value material above all else. The twisted turquoise celluloid is genuinely special, the numbered limited edition of 100 adds exclusivity, and the six-way 18k gold nib lineup means you can tailor the writing character to your preference. At $895 through Goldspot Pens, it is a considered purchase rather than an impulse one, but for anyone drawn to classic Italian celluloid pens, it is easy to see the appeal.

Conclusion

The Venetia in turquoise combines a truly striking material with a comfortable elongated section, an attractive octagonal gold nib, and a sensible cartridge converter filling system. Its quirks are minor: cap posting is best avoided, the 1.1 stub demands a deliberate hand, and material alignment between section and barrel is a matter of chance. None of these outweigh what the pen does well. For fans of Montegrappa or celluloid in general, this limited edition is well worth a close look.