NJ Pen Club Pen-B-Q 2016 Wrap Up

Thank you to all who attended our inaugural Goldspot Pens & NJ Pen Club Pen-B-Q cookout and mini-pen show that was held last weekend on Saturday, August 27th. We appreciate everyone who was able to make it and enjoy a sunny, Jersey afternoon with us. Anyone who wasn't able to make it, but wanted to come, this post is for you! We've collected the highlights of our meet up in this convenient, bite-sized post. Enjoy!

We set up on a beautiful, low-humidity Saturday morning. Our tents pitched and our tables clothed with white linen, we were set to bring out the pens and the food!

Thanks to the support of Kenro Industries and Blueline Rediform, we had two awesome reps from each company come out to set up their own tables and show off some of the latest and greatest pens. Below is Kenro Industries' Neil L. with his spread of Aurora and Montegrappa pens with a couple of Ballast Watches to throw in some luxurious variety.

Montegrappa pens (left), Aurora Pens (right)

Jennifer R. from Rediform enthusiastically represented Lamy pens and Filofax organizers at her table. This was her first "pen meet up" experience as a sales rep and she absolutely loved it.

Filofax organizers (left) Lamy Lx, Lamy 2000 and new Scala pens (right)

So, what did Goldspot have cooking? Besides our own table of closeout special pens, we also had ink bottles you can sample and a top-secret case of Parker pens that are expected to debut fall 2016. Plus, Tom was manning the grill, flipping burgers and turning dogs for guests. A special shout-out goes to our long-time pen club members, Karen and Debbie, for bringing several summer snacks and goodies to add to our spread of food. There was a lot of food to eat!

Tom was also demonstrating the Pilot Parallel modified 6.0mm nib that writes like a folded nib. "Ooohs" and "aaahs" could be heard from the gathering of on-lookers. The pen was inked with Lamy Dark Violet.

One of the highlights of the event was the huge door prize giveaway. We received great support from our vendors, who graciously provided us with plenty of goodies to giveaway. We raffled off a Retro 51 Spaceglow, which was released back in 2010 and we would estimate is worth now about $100. We also had a Caran d'Ache Essentially Swiss ballpoint pen, several Pilot Metropolitan Retro Pop ballpoint pens, a Lamy logo ballpen, Filofax notebook, Pilot sport water bottles, totes and desk caddy organizers. We had so many prizes that everyone who attended received something!

Overall, it was a fun afternoon enjoyed by all. We're already talking about making it a bigger event next year. Perhaps this is just the beginning of a beautiful, yearly event. If you're in the NJ metro area, would you be interested in coming? Please let us know below in the comments.

The $10,000 Montegrappa Q1 Fountain Pen - a 360 Look

When a $10,000 fountain pen comes walking through your door, it's hard to resist sharing the hands-on experience.

You may have heard about the Montegrappa Q1 back when it made a flashy debut in Baselworld earlier this year. A fountain pen that can change ink color at will. At first, one could imagine that this is a "game changer" of a pen. The idea of being able to change ink colors on the fly would be revolutionary and hard to replicate with current cartridge / converter technologies. Then, I saw the price tag.

A whopping $10 G's.

Well, at least the idea is noteworthy. Although wildly impractical for the average fountain pen end-user, the years of development and investment in patenting this concept may eventually translate into a version of the pen that can be somewhat accessible to the other 99%.

Courtesy of Kenro Industries' Blog

The Q1 is limited to 100 pieces world wide and is crafted from solid titanium and genuine Italian leather. The design of the pen is reminiscent a revolver pistol. The cap and blind cap unlatch with a bolt-action lock mechanism. The blind cap is attached with a piece of leather to keep the cap from being misplaced while changing ink colors.

The active chamber slot has the piercing feed mechanism that leads to the nib's feeder. The other three chambers are plugged with a small metal stopper that prevents the ink from the open cartridges from leaking or drying out when not in use.

Courtesy of Kenro Industries' Blog

The solid 18kt gold nib is standard issue for Montegrappa on a limited edition pen of this value. The heft and weight in-hand is quite significant, like holding a .45 caliber pistol in your hand. The sample piece that our representative had brought to the office had a broken nib, otherwise we would have inked it up for a writing sample.

Although the pen is way out of the ballpark in terms of price, it certainly is noteworthy and interesting to look at. Hopefully, Montegrappa will use this patented technology to bring a more economic version of this pen to market.

What do you think? Would you be interested in a fountain pen that can change between 4 colors on a whim? Or is it just a novelty that wears itself thin quickly? How much would you pay for such a fountain pen?

Quincy Jones Cuts Ribbon at Grand Opening of Montegrappa Flagship Store in Italy

July 10th in Bassano del Grappa, Italy - the global headquarters for the Montegrappa company - the oldest and most celebrated Italian pen manufacturer cut the ribbon on their flagship store in grand fashion.

Montegrappa, primarily known for their writing instruments, has built their reputation upon the quality and artistry of their pens. Since Guiseppe Aquila had purchased the company back from the Richemont group several years ago, the brand has attained new heights in the luxury market, expanding their manufacturing repertoire to include cufflinks, fragrances, leather accessories, watches and licensed products in cooperations with such prominent icons like Muhammad Ali, DC Comics (Batman), Elvis, Frank Sinatra and so on. Their business had already expanded overseas to open boutiques in Dubai, Moscow, Doha & Riyadh. The opening of their flagship store in Bassano del Grappa was like a homecoming, proudly displaying how high the brand has risen internationally while keeping their roots steeped in Italian heritage.

Famed musician and muse of his own limited edition set of Montegrappa writing instruments, Quincy Jones participated in cutting the ceremonial ribbon to officially open the doors of the boutique. The guest of honor has his own section of the boutique dedicated to the pen that bears his name and ineffable style.

On the second floor of the ancient renovated palace, the first Bugatti and Bently fashion boutiques made a home for themselves and include pens & cufflinks made for Bugatti exclusively by Montegrappa.

The opening was a "Blue Carpet" event, attracting plenty of glitz and glam and providing cocktails and live music to party into the night. You can view all the professional press photographs here.

Like Pens Much?

It's always fun when we have one of our sales reps in the office to show off all the pretty pens. We took a few pictures of the spread at this pen buffet. This post is drool-resistant, so feel free to view with mouth agape.

Bonus : spot the most expensive pen on the table and get a free congratulatory pat on the back.

The last photo is of some luxury lifestyle items that we are contemplating carrying in our online catalog. They certainly make some handsome, high quality items including clocks, pocketwatches and leather wallets. What do you think?

Coming this Halloween - Montegrappa Skull Pens

] Whether you're into Ed Hardy, Harley Davidsons or the macabre themes of Halloween, the new Montegrappa Fortuna Skull Pen Design should be right up your alley. Due to arrive right around All Hallow's Eve, this Montegrappa pen gets dressed up with a pattern of engraved skulls around the acrylic resin barrel of the pen, and a large skull emblazoned on the top cap portion, positioned 180 degrees from the location of the clip. The cap band, trim and clip are all dark gunmetal colored to match the "black" theme of the pen.

The Montegrappa Fortuna Skulls design will be available in three standard modes : twist-ballpoint pen, screw-off capped rollerball pen and fountain pen fitted with a black, stainless steel nib that fills via cartridge converter.

We were just informed by our Montegrappa US distributor that the prices on these pens will come in significantly less than originally anticipated at the $600 level (fountain pen). Prices are not official yet, but we are being told the price of the fountain will be in the high $300 range, which is far more reasonable.

Where's the Nearest Montegrappa Store? There's an App for That

Traveling pen aficionados can now roam untethered around the world with little worry of being destitute and lost without knowledge of the nearest Montegrappa dealer. Introducing the Montegrappa Store Locator App (link goes to the App Store on Apple's website), an App that allows you to find and map the nearest dealers that are listed to retail Montegrappa pens and luxury accessories.

According to Montegrappa,

Montegrappa Store Locator is a free App for all the brand's aficionados and the lovers of hand writing. Constantly updated, it allows you to locate the nearest Montegrappa authorised dealer, wherever you are.
Not only will it find the closest points of sales and after-sales-service, but also allow you to contact the dealer selected via phone or e-mail, showing you the best route to reach them.The App also enables you to view the three most recent brand newsletters.

 So, if you are an avid lover of Montegrappa products and find yourself jet-setting in Japan, the UK or Abu Dhabi, the Store Locator App will be your best friend in seeking out that boutique dealer that would be only a short walk, rickshaw ride or gondola ride away.

The App seems pretty straightforward. It takes the iPhone's capability to sync your location via GPS (or wifi in the case of an iPod touch) and cross references the database of dealers worldwide to provide an overlay of businesses that one can find with Montegrappa products. Also helpful is the contact information for that particular business so you can give them a quick call to check if they have the pen you are looking for before you make the trek over. To keep fans updated, all the latest newsletters about the company are pushed into the App.

OK, so some of the comments I'm making about the App are a bit tongue-and-cheek, but one should not underestimate the ability of this App to find a "pen shop" that may also carry other brands that you care about. Usually, if a retailer sells Montegrappa, you can find other fine writing brands being represented on the shelves as well. And having the contact information for that store will allow you to quickly confirm the availability of other pens you can browse.

If you've downloaded the app and have had a chance to use it (in the US and abroad), please drop a comment below. We would love to hear about how well it worked, if you did visit the shop to buy Montegrappa or other pens and if you would recommend it as a good app for finding pen stores.

TMZ Reports Sly Stallone Chaos Pen is Ugly

Of course you know TMZ is not going to hold back when it comes to their celebrity commentary. In this video below, they lay into Sylvester Stallone and his taste in pen design.

Pen Manufacturers Not Showing the Love in February

2012 - a New Year means a new set of price lists from many of our prestigious writing brands that we sell over at Goldspot.com. Possibly related to the aligning of the planets and the Mayan calendar proclaiming our inevitable end, 5 of our bigger brands have all decided to increase their prices starting February 1st. The manufacturers are Delta, Sheaffer, Montegrappa, Lamy & Yard-O-Led.

Old Punxsutawney Phil is going to emerge from his burrow and run back inside, fearful of these pen price hikes. Some of the increases are nominal, while others are very substantial. Sheaffer, we were informed, are making only very slight changes. Their biggest change was the move to make the minimum advertised price (MAP) up to full retail value. That means, a pen that was originally advertised for $39.95 retail on our site is now up to $50 with an estimated $5 - $10 increase on top of that at the end of the month. Yikes.

Lamy is another brand that should have fountain pen enthusiasts clutching their wallets in anxiety. Since the primary reason for these price increases is the rising market value of gold and other precious metals, many of the Lamy fountain pens with 14kt nibs have ballooned in price. Best example would be the Dialog 3, which is going from a $300 retail to $390 on February 1st. Double Yikes. However, Safaris and AL-Star pens will be spared. And the villagers rejoiced.


Slightly less noteworthy, but still significant would be the Delta, Yard-O-Led and Montegrappa increases. Here, you may see ballpoints and rollerballs stay the same, but gold-nibbed fountain pens to increase by $20 - $50 depending on the model. More details on the pricing will be available at the end of the month. If you had your eye on a pen made by these manufacturers, get clicking and snatch one up!

A Pen Specially Designed by YOU

As pen enthusiasts, I think we can all agree that we've fantasized about creating our own pen design at some point. The design you envision may be as simple as adding a different grip to your favorite pen, or changing the color to a blue swirl, or adding a gold clip, or making the cap post better. But, if you had the opportunity to create a completely brand-new pen from scratch, what would it look like?

Would it look anything like what Sylvester Stallone dreamed of with his "Chaos" Pen? Knock it all you like, it is certainly a topic of discussion any time it is mentioned or seen. And you can't help but to think that this came from the same guy who played Rocky, Rambo, Judge Dredd and, my personal favorite, John Spartan. "Chaos" certainly has that bad ass (excuse my French), Harley-biker-this-pen-can-also-be-a-weapon appeal. If this pen could dress itself, it would don Ed Hardy gear and fistpump all the way to the Jersey Shore.

While I poke fun at it, and the critics certainly have come out in droves over how gaudily garish this limited edition pen is, this is probably a design that Sly is proud of and will cherish in his own collection, being this is the first (and probably last) commercially-released pen that he has ever designed. But, if you were in Sly's position - a part owner in Montegrappa, avid pen enthusiast, and celebrity - you would create a pen that you personally would enjoy as well. Be honest, if you had the chance to build a pen so intricately designed and sculpted by Montegrappa's skilled artisans, you would shoot for the moon. And, of course, not everyone is going to love it. Heck, few may only like it enough to pick it up, stare at it for a few seconds, put it down and say, "well, that's ugly."

Designing a pen to match your own personal taste is fine on its own, but designing a commercially-successful pen is a completely different subject. It's like the difference between heating up a lean cuisine meal-for-one and cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the entire family. Thinking outside of yourself has to happen at some point. For writing, the old adage is, "write with an audience in mind." Same idea holds true to many other creative endeavors that you want someone else to enjoy. You have to think of the person or people that you want to WOW and make it your #1 priority to knock them off their feet with whatever-it-is you are making. With there being such a high price tag on the Chaos pen, you have to imagine that the group Stallone and Montegrappa are aiming for has to be very small.  Maybe it was meant for Stallone and his Hollywood buddies. Maybe he's going around his neighborhood door-to-door like a kid selling candy bars, except he's got Montegrappa pens in his wagon.

At any rate, we can mock, criticize and poke fun at Sly all we want, but at the heart of the mockery is jealousy. We're jealous that he got to design a limited edition pen and no one asked us for our opinion. So, lets relieve some of that angst and comment below on how you would design your limited edition pen. Whether it be ballpoint, rollerball, fountain pen, mechanical pencil, eco-roller, 5th mode or even some crazy new mode that we haven't thought of. What color(s) would it be? How would it feel in your hand? What would you name it? How much would it cost and, most importantly, who would buy your pen?

Montegrappa is King of the Ring

As announced today by Montegrappa's Press Release :

"We are both pleased and humbled to learn that the editors of Robb Report, the USA's most prestigious luxury journal, have selected Montegrappa Icons Tribute to Muhammad Ali Knockout Edition as the "Best of the Best" Pen in their just-published signature June issue. This 23rd annual "Best of the Best" edition represents an entire year's search for the luxury world's most exceptional new products and services.

"Achieving this honour is a monumental accomplishment for Italy's oldest pen manufacturer, for the winning pen had to compete with every pen launched in the previous year, from around the globe. Such an honour recognizes the achievements of our design team and those who construct the actual pens, for any writing instrument earning the title "Best of the Best" must excel in both form and function.
"Montegrappa's Icons Tribute to Muhammad Ali limited edition addresses key elements of Muhammad Ali's life. 1942 is the year of his birth. He fought 61 fights. He won 56. His wins by knockout numbered 37. Guided by these figures, Montegrappa will issue 1942 fountain pens and 1942 roller balls in resin with sterling silver trims, 61 fountain pens with solid gold trims and 56 roller balls with solid gold trims. The Knockout Edition honoured by Robb Report is an exclusive version of the gold-trimmed pens, set with diamonds in the cap's end-piece. Only 37 in total will be produced, the client selecting either fountain pen or roller ball.

"Each solid gold version will bear a number corresponding to a specific opponent and fight, the pen engraved with the fighter’s name, as well as the date and location of the event.

"As a special benefit for being selected as a 2011 "Best of the Best" winner, Montegrappa enthusiasts can read the article describing Montegrappa's achievement thanks to Robb Report granting Montegrappa complimentary access to the article."

Congrats to Montegrappa! They did a fine job wit this limited edition and we cannot wait to see what they have in store for the Frank Sinatra Icons limited edition pen that will debut later this year!

Montegrappa Baselworld Press Release - Stallone and Sinatra

As you may have read in our previous post about the new Montegrappa Icon Frank Sinatra. Here is the whole press release from Montegrappa regarding their show debut at Baselworld in Switzerland.

For both the show attendees and for Montegrappa, BASELWORLD 2011 will go down in history as a spectacular highlight. The World Watch and Jewellery Show closed its doors after eight highly successful days in the end of March, with 103,200 visitors up 2.5% over 2010. Marked by outstanding sales and optimism, fueled by innovations and fascinating new trends, BASELWORLD’s position as the leading show for the watch and jewellery industry was the perfect venue for Montegrappa to launch its new line of NeroUno watches.

Visitors were able to see, alongside Montegrappa’s most impressive display yet of limited edition pens, the new NeroUno quartz and mechanical wristwatches. Along with the new watches, display cases overflowed with exceptional and exciting new pens for 2011, including the Sylvester Stallone-designed Chaos, the Frank Sinatra and Bruce Lee Dragon "Icons" pens, Montegrappa's colourful homage to Italy's 150th Anniversary, the Thrilla in Manila pen sets commemorating the historic Ali-Frazier boxing epic, the revived Cosmopolitan range, the limited edition dedicated to the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's first flight to space, and the new Privilege Gioiello and Parola lines.

Montegrappa’s stand was busy throughout the week, with 30 to 50 appointments per day, resulting in 30 new accounts and the potential opening of five new territories.

Since 1912, Montegrappa has been manufacturing high-quality writing instruments in the same historic building in Bassano del Grappa, North East Italy.

Here is a link to the Montegrappa image gallery showing off their booth at the show. Although the images are not very large and detailed (you have to double click on each one to get a larger view, but really still can't see the pens), you get an idea of how sharp their presentation was. Hopefully, we'll have more information on release dates and prices fairly soon.

Pen Spotlight - New Caran d'Ache and Sinatra

Courtesy of Nancy Olson's (editor-in-cheif of Stylus Magazine) blog, we would like to share this new collection from Caran d'Ache that really looks stunning and sharp. Enigmatically named the RNX316, this new pen has a modern style available in a steel or PVD black finish (common to the stealth black trend). What truly seems amazing with this collection is the engraved design that spires up and down the barrel and cap of each design. If you've seen the CdA Ecridor, you know how precise and beautiful the Swiss-made engraving looks. Check out the RNX page on Caran d'Ache's website for an awesome introduction video and more information on this new series.

Continuing in the tradition of their "ICONS" collection, Montegrappa's newest inspiration is none other than the Chairman of the Board, Ol' Blue Eyes - Frank Sinatra. He follows Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and Bruce Lee as the next icon to be immortalized in pen form. More details to follow as the collection nears release.


Lots of new products on the horizon, subscribe to our pen news feed for the latest info on all the newest fine writing releases of 2011.

Pen Spotlight - Philadelphia Pen Show and Giveaway

Quick update on the giveaway that we posted a week ago : We're at over 50 entries and we will have the cut off later tonight at 11:59pm Eastern. Visit our post from last week for the instructions on how to enter the giveaway.

January 21st - 23rd (Friday - Sunday), The Philadelphia Pen Show will be hosted at the Sheraton Center City Hotel. If you are in the tri-state area and LOOOVE pens, this will certainly be the place to be that weekend. I will give you three solid reasons why any pen enthusiast will be punching their ticket for Philly :

#1 Visconti is debuting their hotly anticipated, limited edition Declaration of Independence pen. We are taking pre-orders on our site at the moment, but the first opportunity that collectors can get their hands on the pen will be at this show.  Goldspot has requested a few choice numbers for the fountain pen and matching rollerball. Michael Nutter, the mayor of Philadelphia, along with the Dante Del Vecchio, the owner of Visconti, will be on hand to introduce this historic pen to the public.

#2 Meet Smokin' Joe Frazier! To introduce the new Montegrappa Icons limited edition pen, Smokin' Joe will be at the show to shake hands and introduce a pen fit for a champion.

#3 We, the fine folks at Goldspot Pens will be attending the pen show as an exhibitor and will have a full selection of pens and accessories at special show prices. Since Montegrappa, Visconti and other brands will be present, you can try all the newest pens and get them delivered (by us) right to your door after the show!

More details to come as we get closer to the date. We're sending out e-mail reminders with updates to people who are subscribed to our newsletter list. Be back tomorrow to announce the giveaway winner!

Moleskine Ink Samples

Since early this year, I've been compiling a sample of pens + inks that have come across my desk. Every time I have a new fountain pen combination, I'd write down the pen name and ink in my Moleskine journal. It is very true what folks say about Moleskine paper and fountain pens. Some pen & ink combinations bleed right through the page like an extra-thick Sharpie marker would. Finer points fare significantly better in this test. It is also interesting to see how the same ink shows up using a pen from a different brand nib. For example, the Parker Premier and the Edison Herald using the same Noodler's Standard Brown. The Pelikan m215 vs the Montegrappa Miya using the same Pelikan Turquoise ink is also a helpful comparison. What can you learn from this sample? Moleskine works best (and has the least bleedthrough) when you use a fine or extra-fine point and a lighter ink color (turquoise, light green or light orange). If you have a Moleskine, what pen & ink combinations work the best for you? The worst?

Montegrappa Miya Midnight Blue Fountain Pen Review

This was a long overdue review that was inspired by a customer of ours that purchased this pen in a turquoise celluloid. I opened the box to make sure the nib size was correct before packaging it for shipment and was struck by the beauty of this pen. Feeling the weight and balance in my hand, I just had to review this pen. First, a little bit about the pen and its maker : The Montegrappa Miya is manufactured in Italy from the same factory in Bassano del Grappa that has been producing fine pens since 1912. The barrel and cap material are made from hand-turned, precious celluloid. The contrast of vibrant blue shades is a marvel to behold in the light. Sterling silver, not chrome or silver plating, is used for the clip, trim, Greek-key patterned center band and the front grip section. The material adds a higher amount of gleaming luster and it will certainly benefit from an occasional polishing, just like fine jewelery. The presentation is also top notch. The pen rests on cream-colored, plush platform. The box and the interior have a leatherette or faux suede feel to them. Underneath the pen is a pull-out drawer, where you would normally find the complimentary ink cartridges and a warranty / instruction manual that also gives you a nostalgic look at the Montegrappa company. The unique, precisely balanced shape of the pen was the first quality that really impressed me. It might not be as evident in the photography, but the part of the barrel leading toward the front grip section has a subtle curve. It connects with the sterling silver section with no lip or hard edge. That was the second design feature that impressed me. The third was the overall size and cap posting. With the cap posted on the back-end, the size and weight did not throw off the balance or writing comfort of the pen. The nib is solid 18k gold that fills using cartridge or converter (provided with pen purchase). The fine nib that was used to test the pen was smooth (not very flexible) and gave a generous ink flow. My only aesthetic issue with the pen would be the heart-shaped breather hole that is on the nib. It immediately made me question whether this was a marketed ladies pen. Thankfully, I am secure enough in my masculinity to be accepting of that small detail. Summary:

• Writing Quality : 18k gold nib writes smoothly with a generous ink flow for a fine point. Designed for optimal writing comfort with a precisely balanced shape. (grade A)
• Aesthetic Quality : Visually stunning celluloid paired finished with polished sterling silver. Greek key pattern adds a classical flair to a bold look. (grade A)
• Utility : Cap posts well on the back-end without discomfort. Rotating sphere at the bottom of the clip slides and holds well when clipped to the pocket. Cap screws on and off smoothly. (grade A-)
• Price : Available in extra-fine, fine, medium or broad nib sizes for $495. True, this is a high price-point, but this has been the best time to own a Montegrappa in a while. Since ownership had changed hands over a year ago, prices have dropped across the board on all of their pen lines. Unfortunately, it will still be high for many pen aficionados. (grade B-)

Final Grade : A- There are only a few occasions where I will say this, but the pen is definitely worth the price. Considering the celluloid, sterling silver and 18k solid gold used in the construction of this pen, one can easily see why the value would be in the hundreds. Materials and price aside, the pen writes extremely well and is designed with balance and writing comfort in mind, which is main reason why you should be looking to buy this pen.

We Now Sell Montegrappa, Italia Writing Instruments

Goldspot is proud to announce that we have added Montegrappa Pens to our ever-expanding selection of fine-writing instruments. Italian-made since 1912, Montegrappa is the oldest Italian pen manufacturer. Their style is articulated in the finest resin, celluloid, sterling silver and gold used in pen production. As some pen aficionados may know, Montegrappa has been under the umbrella of Mont Blanc distribution for the last several years. Prices became bloated and customers stopped buying. This year, it has been sold back to the original family in Italy that brought the brand to its prominence. With the change in hands, retail prices have dropped up to 40%. This is unheard of in the fine-writing industry. Some special offers I think you should know: The Eternal Bird Limited Edition. Our mouths nearly dropped to the floor when we saw this pen for the first time. The wrap-around sterling silver engraving is finely detailed and absolutely breath-taking. With the purchase of any Eternal Bird fountain pen, the matching inkpot, which is valued at over $3,000, is included for free in the order. Here is a pic of this finely-crafted inkpot: If investing over $3,000 in a fountain pen and inkpot is not in the budget, there is a more enticing offer with another limited edition Modigliani fountain pen. Tributo Modigliani. This limited edition was created in tribute to one of the most well-known portrait painters in the early 20th century. The Montegrappa pen abstractly recreates some of the features you would find in the artist's portraits. For a limited time, purchase any of the fountain pens in this series and you will also receive a complimentary ballpoint pen in the same series, shown below: For $1,080 retail, the fountain pen and ballpoint pen combination is a great value for a limited edition of such high quality. Of course, we will also be selling the regular lines of Montegrappa pens, such as the Emblema, Picoola, Espressione, Miya, Micra and the NeroUno. For those who have looked at Montegrappa before from other pen retailers will be pleased to see the drop in price on our store.