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Montegrappa Makes Play for the Iron Throne with New Line of Game of Thrones ® Pens

With its epic storylines of treachery and nobility, family and honor, ambition and love, and death and survival the hit HBO ® series Game of Thrones has captured the imagination of fans globally
and made it one of the most popular shows on television. Montegrappa is proud to announce a series of writing instruments that convey the grandeur of this most remarkable saga.

Montegrappa’s collection of writing instruments represents of each of the four key families: Stark, Baratheon, Lannister and Targaryen. Each is available as a fountain pen, rollerball and a ballpoint pen. The desirability of the pens is enhanced by a collective style, each pen individualised for the family it represents through sigils and emblems representative of the clan.

All barrels and caps are made with colourful lacquered surfaces, while the trims are fashioned of palladium, 18k gold or bronze plate, with “Game of Thrones” engraved on the cap ring. All of the fountain pens’ nibs are formed in stainless steel, decorated with a sword, and are available in the four writing grades: Extra Fine, Fine, Medium and Broad. The fountain pen is both cartridge and converter-fed.

Montegrappa’s Game of Thrones pens arrive in a double box consisting of a rich, black outer carton bearing each family’s symbol. The inner box is covered in material evoking the styles of the historical period that inspired Game of Thrones, with sigils and patterns relevant to the four families.

Baratheon: Coloured a sombre charcoal, but accented in contrasting yellow gold, the House Baratheon pen features a stag’s head for its pocket clip, with a stag rampant on the cap’s top, above the motto, “Our Is The Fury”. A fleur-de- lis pattern decorates the cap.

Lannister: For House Lannister, a regal red accented in contrasting yellow gold is the dominant colour. The House Lannister pen features a lion’s head for its pocket clip, and a lion rampant on the cap’s top, above the motto, “Hear Me Roar”. A floral pattern, reminiscent of the Tudor Rose, decorates the cap.

Stark: With House Stark’s northern origins, the colour chosen for the family’s pen is a silvery-white, accented in palladium, conveying winter. The cap is patterned with a runic symbol reminiscent of Norse artistry. A direwolf’s head forms the pocket clip, while the top of the cap shows the direwolf’s profile, above the motto, “Winter Is Coming.”

Targaryen: Only a fiery, metallic red against a coal-black background could represent House Targaryen. Naturally, a dragon’s head forms the pocket clip, while a dragon coils above the legend, “Fire and Blood”, on the cap’s top. A filigree pattern graces the cap.

That Aurora piston works like a charm!

Today we would like to share the process for assembling and testing the piston system on the new Aurora Marte. The Marte has an 88 silhouette and shares the same fountain pen piston system as other Aurora 88 and Optima pens. Aurora goes the extra mile to ensure each pen is ready to be inked and today we provide an example with the steps for their piston assembly process.

The piston stem and soft rubber seal is manufactured and ready to be applied or inserted to the pen body. However, before the stem can be inserted, there are a few steps that are required.

First the seal which slides up and down to create a vacuum for ink must be lubricated to ensure a smooth draw. The Aurora piston functions when the end knob is rotated right or left and the seal slides up and down to create a syringe like system. The knob is rotated counter clockwise to push air out and clockwise to draw in. the seal has been manufactured perfectly to fit the inside of the barrel and therefore a touch of lubrication creates a smooth performance.

The next step in the piston assembly is the sealant application. The Aurora piston is applied and threaded to the barrel. In order to prevent ink leakage, the service team applies a silicone sealant to ensure an air tight seal.

Most companies would be satisfied at this point, but not Aurora. The next step is labor intensive, but one that affirms the Aurora quality standards. Every Aurora fountain pen piston is tested with pressurized air. They have developed a system where they can apply pens to a nozzle, force air and drop in water to check for bubbles. If they see bubbles, then the sealant process must be applied again.

Below you will see photos and short video clips from the factory that show how each step is applied. There is a reason why Aurora manufactures some of the best quality fountain pens and the piston assembly is just one.

See our short video clips below..

 

 

 

The High Yield Aurora Ebonite Feeder

Ebonite, substance discovered in 1839 and obtained by vulcanizing natural rubber in excess of sulfur (about 30% – 40%) for prolonged periods, is the historical material for the production of quality fountain pens’ feeder.

This material has numerous qualities that provide a high user experience; the main features, for which Aurora has always used ebonite for its high range products, are:

 

  • excellent wetting
  • the production is done with articulated processes (therefore expensive) that guarantee a very high yeld –> the resin feeder are produced by moulding (it is a large scale production)
  • the production does not require chemical-physical processes (unlike resin feeder)

 

Ebonite allows a pleasant user experience, especially for the excellent wetting, maintaining alive  the fountain pen tradition as the feeders of historical models were born in this material.

Stratos: The Big U-Boat Without the Bulk and Weight!

“Freedom in Creation” has always been Italo Fontana’s motto since the early steps in the watch industry.

As he often states in interviews: “I like the identity and originality of my creations, I do not have an obligation to create the same things that I have always designed, or to continue to do oversized timepieces. When an inspiration comes to me, I see it through. I plan it strategically and I do what I like.”

Italo unveils two versions of Classico, named Stratos, in sizes 45mm and size 40mm but scaled down to an unusual thickness respectively of 11,70mm or 18,0mm and 9,50mm.

This new design gives an extremely flat and lightweight watch, perfect to be worn under a nice tuxedo or a man suit. Gentleman’s elegance that perfectly matches the strong and bold character, identity  of the U-BOAT brand.

Discover more about STRATOS 40 and STRATOS 45

THE NAZIONALE HAS RETURNED WITH ITS ORIGINAL 1930S STYLE

Finally Montegrappa produced a pen with a flexible nib, the Nazionale.
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“Nazionale” is a model name that was a part of the Elmo catalogue, from the late 1930s. It oozes with Art Deco attitude, its colours evoking the era with exquisite tints and shadings. Now highly collectible, the Nazionale has inspired Montegrappa to revive it with a key feature not available eight decades ago.
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Nazionale returns, visually remaining entirely faithful to the original style, with this limited edition being produced in Marble Green celluloid, precisely as it was in the 1930s. The pen’s design is enriched with black resin details on its junctions and blind cap, the material being the superior modern substitute for ebonite, made without sacrificing the correct “look.” Trim is necessarily in Sterling Silver. Its mid-section metal ring is further engraved with the brand logo, while the pocket clip ends up with a decorative teardrop element, augmenting the vintage feel.
What has changed is the nib, the most crucial functioning part of any pen, to ensure that its “write-ability” matches the expectations of the modern user. The new Nazionale, to be known as the Nazionale Flex, is so-named because it is fitted with a flexible nib that allows different types of hand-writing and calligraphic experiences to be performed with the same writing instrument by simply applying more pressure to the nib.
For enhanced flexibility, the nib is made of 14k gold, and will be made available only in the grades of Extra Fine and Fine, as it accomplishes the rest on its own, according to how it is applied. The nib’s cut-out shoulders offer comfortable curving, for an enhanced writing experience. Also in keeping with the era during which the Nazionale was born, which predates cartridges, this fountain pen’s filling system is piston-only.
Due to severely limited remaining quantities of the material that forms the Nazionale’s cap and body, Montegrappa will issue only 100 Extra Fine and 100 Fine Nazionale fountain pens. Its collectability is therefore assured.

CLASSICO SOMMERSO, A PRO DIVE WATCH BY U-BOAT

Following his passion for diving, Italo Fontana designed many watches ready to withstand the rigorous demands of professional diving and offering a bold, clear, technical design reminiscent of high-tech instruments.

Italo Fontana expands the Classico lineup with Sommerso, a watch boasting this characteristic feature of the professional diving watch.Sommerso features 45mm satin and hand finish stainless steel case and a rotating bezel with calibrated indexes every five minutes. The dial consists of three superimposed dials with the top one in black with beige hands and markers treated with luminova and an additional counter for the 24 hours of the day. Sommerso has a water resistance to 300 meters and a black strap in rubber with a lining in water repellent calf thanks to the Kodiak treatment.

The timepiece features the distinguishing crown on left side, with a patented protective device and a small plate fixed on the side of the case with the serial number engraved on it.

Montegrappa Corporate Gifts

Its time to spread some love, appreciation, and, of course ink! Give a Montegrappa pen with your client’s name, your logo or even create a one of a kind special edition that’s designed with your brand colors and identity. A fine pen can make a lasting impression that your clients or employees will treasure for years to come. Choose from many colors, materials and price points, including the new Armonia collection, starting at $125 MSRP. In addition to a great price-point, the packaging is upscale and makes a wonderful first impression!

To learn more about our corporate possibilities, please speak with our Kenro team and learn how we can help you with your company’s custom pens. We will make the process smooth and provide you with first class customer service. Please call 516-741-0011 or email all@kenroindustries.com

Crimson Skulls

Several years ago, the Montegrappa Skull pen hit the shelves like a storm, becoming one of the best selling regular edition pens from the fine Italian manufacturer. The pen spawned a full line of accessories that rapidly disappeared as fast as the pen. Now, Montegrappa follows up with one of two new bold styles for this line; Red Skull.

Skull is classic, and with this new addition, the line grows more robust. Collectors and enthusiasts both love this pen because it is designed to be a daily writer, but decorated to complete any collection as well.

You may also be interested in the Merry Skull, also known as the Silver Skull. Click here to learn more!

Genio Creative: Antonio Canova

To honour the world’s greatest artists, writers and thinkers, Montegrappa created the Genio Creativo series of pens. Each represents the achievements of an intellectual or artistic giant in a writing instrument that embodies the spirit of a specific work, as interpreted by Montegrappa’s artisans. Joining writer and philosopher Kahlil Gibran and the artist Vecellio Tiziano, known as Titian, is the sculptor ANTONIO CANOVA.

ANTONIO CANOVA (1 November 1757 – 13 October 1822) was an Italian sculptor famous for his work in marble. Often regarded as the greatest of the neoclassical artists, his work was inspired by the Baroque and the classical revival, but made more contemporary by dispensing with the melodrama of the former and adding a human element to the latter.

A limited edition of 260 fountain pens and 260 rollerball pens, the exact number of years since Canova’s birth will be offered with polished bronze trim, black resin and a pen barrel made in a special marble composite, depicting in miniature his famous sculpture The Graces, or “Le Grazie”. A further 12 fountain and 12 rollerball pens will be produced with solid 18k gold trim, representing the number of collaborators who worked with Canova.

Recalling the visual presence of Canova’s sculptures, the marble element is naturally grey. According to legend, Canova would pass over the freshly-chiselled, once-white stone with a cloth soaked with water, the same one used to wash the sculpting tools. The stone would absorb the dirt and acquire a more natural look.

Further details paying homage to Canova are the signature clip in the form of a pleated drape with which the artist used to clad his models, while the bronze or gold trim enriched with decorative motifs often crowning antique amphorae. The Genio Creativo Canova Fountain pen is piston-fed, and the nib is in 18k gold, engraved with the same symbol as the cap top, signifying the heraldic coat of arms of the family.

The Montegrappa Genio Creativo ANTONIO CANOVA limited edition has been developed in collaboration with Fondazione Canova ONLUS. www.museocanova.it

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