Tuscany Dreams by Stipula

Stipula's newest addition to its Etruria Architectural series, Tuscany Dreams, is a breathtaking writing instrument.

Tuscany Dreams reminds one of the homage paid to the Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi, which was also issued under the Stipula brand. The Tuscany Dreams is made of black ebonite with red striations. What catches the eye first are the pocket clip and the band, both of which are bronze and finished with a rose gold patina. The pocket clip is a homage to Firenze (Florence) in miniature. The upper portion of the clip is the dome of the Duomo Cathedral in Florence. The lower third of the clip feature Michelangelo's David which terminates with a fleur-de-lis.

The cap band bears the coat of arms of the Medici family as well as bas-relief portraits of Davinci, Michelangelo and Dante. I purchased the cartridge / converter version with a rose colored T-flex titanium nib which writes very smoothly. I knew what ink I was going to fill it with before I even purchased the pen: Noodlers Red-Black, which is a perfect pairing. Noodlers Widowmaker would also be a good choice.

The pen is rather large with some heft, but it is neither bulky nor is it fatiguing to write with for extended periods of time. In size it's comparable to a Montblanc 149. It is a limited edition pen and the one that I own is numbered 35/351. There is also a piston-fill version with 14k rose gold nib which is available at the higher price of $700. The cartridge /converter version sells for approximately $280.  This pen is available for purchase from Art Brown Brothers:  http://www.artbrown.com/Stipula-Tuscany-Dreams-Ebonite-Piston-Fountain-Pen-Limited-Edition-P37246C0.aspx

Clifford Jacobs

Have Pen, Will Write