An unmistakable Italian lifestyle – discover the magical world of Aurora fountain pens!
During my travels in Italy, I was captivated not only by the vacation, the charm of the beach, and the delicious offerings of Italian cuisine, but also by the world-famous architectural, artistic, and industrial landmarks of the Italian peninsula. I try to visit an Italian city every year, where I have not been before, to enrich and color my days with new memories and experiences (fountain pens) as much as my opportunities allow.
My fountain pen collection does not consist of many pieces, as I am quite critical of these tools when it comes to personal use. Any writing instrument that I do not immediately fall in love with and can only use with compromises does not even catch my attention. I never would have thought that after my trip to Florence, the fountain pens from a manufacturer that is less „popular” in Hungary for me – Aurora – would become my favorite writing instruments, following Montblanc, Pelikan, Sheaffer, Eversharp, TWSBI, Waterman, and Parker pens. So much so that I even exchanged my Pelikan M800 pen for an Aurora and I do not regret it at all.
A few thoughts about the manufacturer
The Aurora company was founded in 1919 in Turin by Isaia Levi, a wealthy textile merchant, after World War I under the name Fabbrica Italiana Di Penne a Serbatoio. Levi saw many smaller manufacturers in the industrial district of Settimo Torinese in Turin, and based on what he observed, he precisely defined the principles of his newly founded company in the spirit of quality and precision, in order to be present as a leading writing instrument manufacturer in the Italian and international markets.
In the production of the first pens, the design and filling mechanisms of American and other European fountain pen models can primarily be observed, a trend that characterized Aurora models until the 1970s.
The most successful models of the factory, which now has a history of over 100 years, are the Optima and the unofficially named flagship „88” types. The market launch and spread of both versions date back over 70 years.
Based on available documents, the appearance of the Optima can be dated to 1938. These models were made of celluloid, the pen body was semi-transparent, just like the Parker Vacumatic, in order to make the ink quantity visible in the pen. The nib was made of 14-carat gold as the factory's own product, as were the gold-plated clip and the wide „Greek pattern” ribbon decorative elements on the cap. During the production period, the decorative elements, the clip, and the material usage were slightly modified, for example, the wide ribbon was replaced with thinner stripes.
Aurora Optima from 1940.
The exact completion of the type's production is not known due to World War II and the bombings of Turin in 1945, when nearly all of the factory's production lines and archives were destroyed. After the war, great efforts were needed for the company to get back on its feet, as everything had to be rebuilt practically from scratch.
The factory management invited architect Marcello Nizzoli, an industrial and graphic designer – among other things, he designed the Lexicon 80 Olivetti typewriter – to design the new post-war fountain pen type for Aurora. Nizzoli posed the question: if we want to innovate, we must produce a fountain pen, since the first ballpoint pen was recently introduced? It seemed that the ballpoint pen was still too „young” a product in the world of writing instruments, so they stuck with the production of fountain pens. The designer was inspired by the very popular Parker 51 fountain pen in Europe to design and create the new Aurora type, which appeared in 1947 under the name „Aurora 88.”.
Aurora 88 K
The 88 was equipped with a very precise piston filling mechanism. The pen body was made of celluloid with a transparent „grid” ink window. The cap was made of metal, which was gold-plated in certain versions, but it was also made of silver. It became a very popular writing instrument in the Italian market, and according to some information, it was the type sold in the highest quantities at that time due to its reliability.
By the end of the 1950s, ballpoint pens began to spread increasingly in the writing instruments market, and with their appearance, it seemed they would displace fountain pens or at least push them into the background. Manufacturers – not just Aurora – had to think about how to keep pace with development, what new innovative solutions to surprise their clientele and customers with so as not to lose them.
In 1957, Aurora launched the „Duo Cart,” which was nothing more than a cartridge fountain pen. This pen could hold two cartridges so that ink flowed from one towards the pen tip, while the other supported this cartridge in the pen body to prevent ink from leaking out.
Soon after, the „888” model followed, which became the cartridge version of the „88.”.
In the 1960s, the rise of ballpoint pens began worldwide, resulting in a stagnation of demand for fountain pens, even as cartridge and converter versions became increasingly widespread, greatly facilitating their use primarily due to easy refilling. In the following years, Aurora came under the management of the Verona family – which remains the case to this day – and they began to manufacture ballpoint pens alongside fountain pens. This new business line significantly diverted energy from the work invested in fountain pens, as they had little experience in it.
The last fountain pen that was of „historical” significance was the Aurora Hastil model designed by architect Marco Zanusso, which was released in stores in 1970.
They tried to apply all their knowledge in creating the pen according to the expectations of the time; however, it did not achieve the same success as the earlier Optima and the „88”. The body of the pen, along with the cap, reflects a thin, almost minimalist style without any special decorative elements. Interestingly, the Aurora Hastil also inspired the engineers at Montblanc, who in response launched the Montblanc Noblesse Slim Line product line in 1973.
The „modern” Aurora fountain pens
In order to stay in the market, the factory ventured into several business areas: manufacturing papers, leather goods, and later wristwatches as well. Across Europe, the fountain pen market began to transform into a practically „declining” industry due to the rise of IT devices and ballpoint pens. The customer base using such pens became increasingly smaller, as people completely switched to using ballpoint pens and later digital devices in many areas.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the management of Aurora thought to take out the blueprints of previously manufactured fountain pens from the depths of the „drawer,” dust them off, and with the necessary innovations, modifications, new models, and limited edition series, they would once again accelerate the production of fountain pens. The fountain pens began to experience their renaissance...
Newer models began to appear: the Ipsilon, the Talentum, the new Optima, and the flagship, the „88”. The latter two are most often made from various materials, also in limited editions, which are released exclusively with 18-carat gold nibs.
The Ipsilon is Aurora's „friendlier” priced pen, whose Deluxe version can also be ordered with a 14-carat gold nib. Perhaps this is the cheapest fountain pen with a gold nib on the Italian market. There are also ballpoint pen and rollerball versions available.
The Talentum is the „entry-level” writing instrument of Aurora's high-end pens with a cartridge/converter filling system, featuring a screw cap and a 14-carat gold nib manufactured by Aurora itself.
Both the Optima and the „88” have a piston filling mechanism, with nearly identical ink capacities of 1.2ml and 1.4ml. The pen body features, in my opinion, an excellent and functional ink window, where the presence of ink in the pen body can be easily checked. The section is specifically long, and the diameter at the nib end excellently supports the fingers. The threaded part on the pen body, to which the cap can be attached, is meticulously crafted and does not interfere with or press against the fingers while writing.
Unmistakable Italian lifestyle
Interestingly, although we are talking about two different models, both have the same nib, and they can even be swapped with each other. The interesting thing about the mass-produced Aurora nibs is that you might encounter two that are marked „Medium,” and when trying them out, one will write thinner, like a „Fine” size. According to my unverified information, this is a kind of „Italian looseness,” as the nib leaves the factory from the hands of the master who grinds it. I plan to visit Turin and ask during a factory tour what the real reason for this is.
Whenever I pick up my Aurora pens, I somehow always get the feeling of „dolce vita” and find it hard to put them down. Anyone who has not experienced what it is like to hold and use these impressive pens and has the desire and opportunity to try them should definitely do so.
