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Mike Matteson aka Inkdependence, gives an up close video review of the new Montegrappa LE Miya 450 in celluloid and sterling silver. Fitted with a 14k nib of course. Watch the full review!

ITALY TRIP WITH KENRO AND GOULET

At Kenro we are most fortunate to have wonderful relationships with our vendors and retail partners around the world. One of our greatest pleasures is when we have the occasion to introduce some of them to each other. We recently had the opportunity to do so with two of our vendors in Italy, Aurora and Montegrappa, and our retail partner in Virginia, The Goulet Pen Company. 

 Joel and Bryan from Kenro were joined by Brian Goulet and his associate Drew Brown for a week in Italy.  The fall light makes Italy even more beautiful this time of year and this week was no exception. When we weren’t marveling at the beauty of the country, we were inside Aurora and Montegrappa’s magnificent facilities meeting with the people that are the heart of these incredible companies. 

 This kind of adventure is a perfect opportunity to allow our retail partner to see the kind of pride that these family owned companies are known for. It is also a chance to see how the factories operate, what is currently on their lines and their vision and direction for the future. 

 Our first stop was Torino, the home of Aurora. The first Italian capital in the mid-19th century, Torino is largely an industrial city famous for auto manufacturers Alfa Romeo and Fiat. 

Aurora celebrated their 100 year anniversary this year and is found in an impressively large factory with over 50 employees who specialize in various stages of pen production. We were graciously welcomed and led through the facility by Aurora owner Cesare Verona and their sales manager, Linda Difonzo. We were also fortunate to spend time with Nib Master Filippo Longhero. He and his experienced team, spends time with each nib that leaves the Aurora factory, ensuring that your pen will be perfectly tuned as soon as you take it out of the box.  We were able to watch the new Oceans and Mamba models make their way through production and were given a sneak peek at new introductions planned for the rest of 2019 and into 2020.  We also visited the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile to bookend this part of our trip. 

 Then we were off to Bassano Del Grappo in the region of Veneto.  The city is approximately 90 minutes from Venice and has been the home of Montegrappa, Italy’s oldest pen manufacturer, since 1912. 

Bassano is set in the glorious Italian countryside and is a smaller town of 70,000 people. We were joined by the gregarious Giuseppe Aguila, CEO of Montegrappa.  He showed us various stages of production, including the assemblage of Goulet’s purple Elmo pen. As a special treat we were shown the celluloid shed, housing the last of this very coveted material.  We also met the talented team that hand paints and etches Montegrappa’s most special pens, customized for clients who are looking for a pen to commemorate their favorite work of art. At Montegrappa we also had the chance to see new models that will make their way to us later this year and next year. 

We finished this trip with a tour of the Neo-classical sculptor, Antonio Canova’s home and museum. 

 All of us enjoyed the buzz and energy of these companies and the people behind them. To see production first-hand is always a pleasure and a learning experience that allows us to bring back new information and expertise for all of you. Team Goulet captured hundreds of photos and minutes of video which we can’t wait for them to share and for you to see. It’s our way of bringing our manufacturing partners to you through us and great retail partners like Goulet, with a little bit of the Italian spirit thrown in for good measure. 

FORBES reviews the Montegrappa LE Queen Pen!

In addition to its reputation for making exquisite products, Italian pen maker Montegrappa is also known for its giving heart, having produced a number of products with a philanthropic purpose over the years. The company’s most recent example of its altruistic work is the Tulip for Team Fox pen collection, wherein a portion of the proceeds from every purchase will help fund the Michael J. Fox Foundation and its efforts to help find a cure for Parkinson’s Disease. The collection was conceived and designed by Australian visual artist Timothy John, a Montegrappa ambassador, collaborator and friend, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2017…

Read more HERE

Aurora Duo Cart

The Aurora Duo-Cart in “Vespa” Green (okay, they just call it green but really it’s vintage Vespa green if you want to get specific, its early 50s All-State VBB green. But, let’s not be that scooter nerdy, shall we?) Suffice it to say, that when I saw the new Aurora Duo-Cart colors, I knew this was the color for me. Not only is this pen a reproduction of a classic design but it’s also in a very vintage color. I was 95% in love with it before the pen even touched paper…

Read more HERE

FORBES reviews the Montegrappa LE Queen Pen!

So I’ve seen it twice: once at my local movie theater and once on a plane with my headphones. I strongly recommend the headphones. Bohemian Rhapsody is, in my opinion, amazing, and the four Oscars earned by this biopic about the British rock band Queen are well deserved. So imagine my delight to learn that Montegrappa’s latest limited edition pen is the Queen: A Night at the Opera Limited Edition, and it’s coming to a store near you just about now…

Read more HERE

Aurora Cento! A Celebration for the Ages!

Cento! Last week, Joel, Bryan and our guest, Dan Smith traveled to Torino to celebrate Aurora’s 100 Years of pen making. We arrived in Italy Tuesday morning and spent two days reviewing new products, touring the factory and spending time with our friend’s at Aurora. We had been prepped on some of the special plans for the week and were bursting with anticipation. Aurora had been planning the Cento event for over a year and it was sure to be the celebration of a lifetime. 100 years!

We arrived at the factory straight from the airport. We all had a good rest on the flight, so we felt relatively fresh and ready to see all that was taking place. We had heard about the stage, the light shows and other special events that were planned. We couldn’t wait to catch a glimpse.

We arrived at Aurora, which is located about fifteen minutes outside downtown Torino. Our Kenro team was greeted by Linda. Linda wears many hats and is not only our main contact at Aurora, but she is also responsible for much of the magic that will take place over the next few days. You could tell that she was beaming with excitement over their special plans and couldn’t wait to share her delight. She shuttled us around the courtyard and teased us with bits of what was being constructed by the fifty or so workers in the yard.

Linda ushered us to the familiar offices so we could speak about business and new introductions for the year. Thankfully, Aurora is not sleeping and they have a fresh lineup of amazing fountain pens planned. We’ll be sharing this news over time, but rest assure, we will have some cool pens arriving this year. we were tempted to write about them, but we’ve been sworn to secrecy. Soon! We promise.

As we ogled over shiny new pens, Dan was having some fun of his own. He was given a private tour of their museum and spent time in the factory with the resident Nib Master himself, Filippo. Dan exchanged thoughts on specialty Aurora nibs like the Flex, Italic and the new Goccia. You could see that Dan was in his zone, as he peppered Filippo with questions about his thoughts on these unique nibs. He at one point even offered to work there this summer lol. After some nib chat, they guided Dan through the many stages of production for an Aurora pen. He met the people who craft the pens and gazed around as the factory was humming on all cylinders. Pens were being turned and the process was in full motion.

We spent several hours at Aurora and headed back to the hotel to refresh and eat some pizza. Of course pizza, what would you eat?

The next day we toured the wonderful city of Torino. We were lifted to the top of the Mole, visited the home of the former monarchy and spent the day enjoying this ancient city. Dan was new to Italy and we enjoyed taking him around to the many points of interest. It was a perfect sunny day and one we’ll surely remember for sure. Unfortunately, rain was in the forecast and we were all concerned for the next day and the party.

June 6^th arrived and it was time to celebrate the Aurora Cento! We didn’t realize but our hotel was full with Aurora distributors and retailers from around the world. We were chatting it up with people from as far as China, Dubai and Australia. It was suggested that everyone wear something red and most were. We even spotted some red sneakers and ties that were made for a one time wear. The lobby buzzed with pleasantries and we were bussed off to the Aurora factory. It was time!

We arrived at the factory and were greeted by Cesare Verona, the owner of Aurora who was surrounded by a host wonderfully dressed staff and photographers. There was a ten foot poster announcing the Cento and two amazing automobiles parked on a red carpet. One car was a vintage Lancia produced in 1919 (the founding year of Aurora) and another car that was something from out of space. It was incredible. Cesare announce how the Lancia represents the history of the Aurora Pen brand and how it was looking at the other car to say that it’s ready for the future. What a wonderful way to introduce the story.

The theme of the event was the “Aurora Hotel” and we were greeted at a faux lobby, complete with a front desk and a staff in full costume. It was fantastic! The staff guided us on a tour through the factory, where we watched short Broadway-like performances and other special acts. We also found a redesigned meeting room to reflect that of a vintage movie theater, where they played a custom movie made for a pen audience. The movie featured moments from famous films where pens played an active role. The music was dynamic and the footage was amazingly well thought out.

Just outside the theater room, you could find museum like displays with different pens representing the many years from their history. Each pen was matched to a scent and and each was uniquely interesting. They were touching on all senses and we loved it. as we exited the museum,  we took a quick selfie in the giant nib chair and worked our way to the bar for an Aperol Spritz! We were now in a very large room that is used for events and overlooks the main court outside, where the main party would occur. The room has these incredibly large windows and they were all open, as Italians don’t believe much in air conditioning. Looking outside you could see that we were having a serious sun shower. Thankfully it passed rather quickly and we worked our way outside to the main event area.

Along the way, there were several stations for us to enjoy tasty treats. Each station hosted different foods that matched a particular pen or series. The most fun were the colored macaroons in green, red and blue. Who even thinks of these things? Linda, that’s who! Every detail was addressed and we were absolutely impressed. Keep in mind that our Kenro team has traveled all of the world, including Baselworld, Couture, Paperworld etc. and this event was quickly climbing and becoming tops.

The evening mood was set with an eight piece band, wonderful nations of food and flowing drinks. There was a great mix of people, including locals from Torino, family and internationals like us who were all there to celebrate 100 years of writing! The main stage evolved through the evening, as Cesare was front and center speaking about the history and chuckling over stories from the past. Cesare and Linda passed awards and congratulated people for special brand achievements. Kenro was honored for thirty wonderful years of service and dedication! We were among the first export distributors for Aurora and navigated the ups and downs of the fountain pen industry.

The party was thrust into the night, complete with a show for the ages. There was a runway modeling show! Yes, a modeling show for their different pen collections and their ten decades of time and life as a brand. Each stunning model showcased a pen to represent a period in time, including  a woman beautifully modeled as the Queen. Of course the Queen was holding the diamond encrusted 88, which was a show stopper.

If the modeling show wasn’t enough, the following events included a first class live opera and light show. This one is tough to explain, so you’ll just have to take our word and stay tuned for the video. People would have paid admission to see such a show! Absolutely first class!

It’s fair to say that this was the party of a century. Confetti and champagne popped, and people danced deep into the morning. We were all there to celebrate a pen, its family and the people who live this special brand. The Aurora Cento celebration will hold a special place for us, as we look to the next 100 years!

We must extend a big thank you to Cesare, Linda and the entire Aurora team. Thank you for having us and celebrating like family!

Factory Tours of ITALY

Join us for a virtual pen tour, as Kenro visits Italy’s most important pen factories. Kenro has partnered with the talented photographer Michael Rubenstein for a special photo tour in Italy. Follow us, as we navigates our way through Torino, Bassano del Grappa and Venice, all while capturing the beauty and hearts of the artists, craftsman and the people who develop our fine fountain pens. Follow our stories on Instagram as we share inside peeks into the homes of Aurora, Montegrappa, Pininfarina and the all new Loclen.

Follow the Instagram accounts  @kenro_official & @iheartfountainpens

You can also follow the tour on our Facebook Page

About Michael Rubenstein, the man with the camera:

Michael has been a photographer and director for more than 15 years. Professionally he photographs and directs advertising campaigns for some of the world’s largest corporations including Intel, Philips, Siemens, Nike, Budweiser, Verizon and Guardian Insurance among many others. With a background in photojournalism my focus on the stories behind the brands and the people who work at them has made me an in demand photographer for years. In addition to commercial work I also occasionally work for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Domino Magazine and NBC News. In 2014 Sony made him an Artisan of Imagery, one of less than 40 photographers in North America, representing their brand in professional and consumer circles.

In addition to being an experienced professional photographer Michael is also a fountain pen fanatic. He keeps a separate instagram showing off his pens, @iheartfountainpens. The history and current design and production of Italian fountain pens is a topic that is near and dear to his heart and absolutely loves to come and make beautiful images and video of these iconic brands.

Please feel free to visit his instagram and website to see his work with different brands that produce iconic products in the US. Rusty Surfboards, Martin Greenfield Custom Suiting, Horse Custom Bicycles and Walt Siegle Racing Motorcycles.

MONTEGRAPPA

Montegrappa was the last visit of my 2019 Italian Fountain Pen Tour and in a lot of ways, it was the one I was looking forward to the most. The first pen I ever bought for myself was an orange celluloid Passione from the Fountain Pen Hospital and I had brought it with me so it could visit it’s home. I stayed in Venice the night before my visit so I had about an hour and a half worth of travel between my hotel and Bassano Del Grappa, the small town that Montegrappa is located in. Leaving Venice isn’t exactly easy. You can’t just go to your car and drive away. I had to get a water taxi to take me to the parking area in the far western end of Venice before I could even get to my rental car! After I got my car the drive was pretty quick, it was early and mostly highway so I got to Bassano Del Grappa early. I wasted an hour or so having an espresso (I’m sure you’ve seen a trend here) and a pastry and a quick walk around the Montegrappa factory. Montegrappa is still located in the same building it started in in the early 1900’s. Somehow they avoided the WWII bombings that forced Aurora out of their original building. Being in the same building that has produced some of my favorite pens over the years was really something special. Being in the shadow of the actual Monte Grappa, the mountain the company is named after, was pretty great too. When I finished my walk I walked into the Montegrappa building and was greeted by Giuseppe, the owner of Montegrappa, and given a tour. He showed me the limited editions they keep in their own room on the second floor and all the pens they have made for celebrities, athletes and politicians that cover two walls in the conference area of Giuseppe’s office. It was pretty incredible. Did you know that Prince Charles is an avid pen collector? I had no idea. After the tour, I had free reign. I was allowed to photograph anything I wanted throughout the factory, even the celluloid vault and ovens. I spent the entire day exploring the entire process. Everything from the Fortuna to an 800,000 Euro pen commissioned by someone in Paris that will remain anonymous, mostly because they didn’t tell me who it was!. Montegrappa has a tremendous operation. They have an entire wing dedicated to C&C machines, a quality control department and craftspeople who can paint sixteenth-century masterpieces on the side of a pen. Overall, it was a fantastic visit that I will recall every time I use my Passione, or any of the other Montegrappa pens I have in my collection.

LOCLEN

I left Pininfarina in the early afternoon and started my drive towards Loclen. My hotel was about 20 kilometers away just outside of Treviso. I drove from Torino, around Milan, and into the northern countryside. I avoided the highway for much of the drive and passed through tiny villages, vineyards, and hills full of olive trees. It was a beautiful country. As I got close to Treviso the sky darkened and it started to rain a bit, after a few minutes it started to pour and then the wind picked up, the day turned to darkness and it hailed dime sized hail for half an hour. When I finally arrived at my hotel the hail had stopped but it was raining so hard that I was drenched walking the twenty feet from my car to the front doors, but I was near Loclen and I was going to photograph a tiny family-run workshop the next day. I was very excited. The next day started early with a macchiato and some breakfast and a quick drive to Spresiano to meet Carlo and his son. The workshop is in a small industrial park and was tiny. I love one person workshops where everything is crafted by one or two people. Where the product they create is a piece of art and every piece is touched by one person’s hands. Carlo makes every single piece of the pen except the nib, feed and the converter. Everything other part is designed, milled and polished by hand on manual machines by Carlo. There is no C&C, no automation, no day labor, no factory. It’s all Carlo. As I watched him work it was clear to me how much care went into each piece. How perfect everything needed to be before it was cleaned up and boxed by his son at the front of the workshop. The quality of these pens is incredibly important to Carlo and as I’ve used the pen he gave me over the last couple of weeks it’s been obvious to me just how much effort he puts into each pen that leaves his workshop. Loclen isn’t the biggest company, it’s not the most high-tech company, but you can be sure that one person put everything he has into the pen in your hand and that means everything to me.

AURORA