Stipulate… purple!
Let’s get this clear right away: Stipula do make pens in other colours too. It’s just that our tester on this occasion has quite definite tastes. De gustibus non est disputandum.
But let’s talk about the brand, first. For quite a while this Florentine manufacturer has enjoyed a semi-mythical status as the Italian pen that one couldn’t acquire in Blighty. There are some good reasons for this, and some less good ones too.
The good reason, from the perspective of a niche retailer, is that the big firms want standardised products that they can obtain in large quantities, and this isn’t a source for those. The less encouraging reason is that there were, for a while, not entirely glowing reports about the quality of some pens – but Write Here would not be stocking them unless there was detailed reassurance that the production issues had been attended to in full, and the pens coming through now certainly appear to back that up. A glimpse at the factory website might suggest that another benefit of talking to a small retailer in Shropshire might be translation, but moving swiftly on…
This is, obviously, a beautiful pen – and not just visually. It’s also a lovely thing to hold. At first glance it hardly screams Bauhaus, and indeed is about as far from the Lamy 2000 as pen design could be, but pick it up and it is soon obvious that form follows function. Yes, it does have a few frills and curlicues, but the scooped section and broad barrel make this one of the most comfortable of instruments to write with.
Crucially, the piston turns smoothly and the system doesn’t leak, which is a fundamental point that even some luxury brands struggle to meet. It looks good, and it feels good, so we’re a good half way to this being a grand thing to live with. So, you may reasonably be wondering by this point, how does it write? Smooooooothly. There is a steel nib available too, but for now let’s focus on what is for most penthusiasts the real thing; a stylish blade of 14-carat gold, with a rhodium coating for extra panache. Technically, this is probably what other manufacturers would term a Soft nib; there is a bit of bounce, and some gentle line variation too, but no-one in the know would call this a full-on flex nib. If that rules it out of extreme calligraphy championships, the compensation is that it makes it much easier to live with; the Etruria is simple to use, can cope with writing quickly (see below) and is completely capable of serving as a daily driver.
For fans of Italian stationery, and there are many, this is a must-see. Come over to Shrewsbury and give one a try if you’re curious, but just be warned; it has the appeal to become a must-have.
