Blake, Tibaldi is one of the oldest Italian pen companies. It operated from 1916 - 1965, that's a long time. Yes, it's been revived a few times since then, The latest acquisition was by Montegrappa, another old, long-time Italian pen company. If you look at old vintage Tibaldi pens from the '30s, you would understand the connection with the Tibaldi name and design.
Thanks for the comment. Can you show me your source that says Montegrappa is the current manufacturer (or owner) of Tibaldi pens? The new N60 resembles the N60 from the 1930s. The nib design is nothing like an original Tibaldi.
Thank you! That is very interesting. They do not share the same distribution in the USA. It says they have had the brand since 2004. I wonder when they actually relaunched it because I haven't seen new Tibaldi pens until the last few years.
another spot on and honest review. they came out with a few limited edition models a few years back with a piston fill mechanism and 18k phoenix embossed nib. I have the speckled olive model and am happy with it. The other models don't impress nearly as much. Perhaps it was a Montegrappa-backed venture that lost steam and will eventually die and re-resurrect as the "NEW NEW" Tibaldi... I love Italian design though...
I have two rollerballs (Infrangibile and an N60 like yours) so I can't speak for nibs but the pens are nicely made, hefty, and with their own style. Tibaldi shares the showroom and the storage with Montegrappa in the city of Bassano, Tibaldi name can be spotted in some "behind the scene" YT video at Montegrappa so they arguably use the same materials or the same equipment. Differently from the sister company, however, Tibaldi doesn't seem to come up with new models and it's fairly easy to find their pens on sale. IMHO the Infrangibile ballpoint (on sale) makes it for a very nice present or gift for a variety of occasions.
Hi, Blake…I always especially enjoy your reviews of Italian pens. Our tastes often align a lot, as well. I have two Tibaldis; a Bononia Pearl Mist and the N60 Retro Zest ( a beautiful green color finish) - both with the steel B nib. I like both pens , but prefer the N60. You’re obviously quite correct in that the N60 has an unmistakeable, cool vintage-y vibe and style. I dig that very much. I was surprised and happy to find the pen larger than I had quite expected. And although I find the pen very light, it thankfully doesn’t feel cheap, especially given the price. Ha, you are somewhat harsh in your comments about the nib being particularly ugly. I find it rather too plain and just disappointing in looks, but not ugly, per se. More importantly, though, both my broad nibs initially wrote rather too dryly. I tweaked both nibs a little to improve the flow and the writing experience. I’m glad I chose the broad nibs. I wonder how the more expensive gold nib Tibaldi pens are like. The price ($236/street) is certainly rather steep. But I don’t mind too much, except that the overall fit and finish on the pens could be better coming from a company that is cashing in on the hallowed Tibaldi name of old and charging premium prices. The Tibaldi pens and the N60 , in particular, are an interesting, attractive alternative to the Leonardo mania that reigns today. Of course, getting a vintage Tibaldi would be especially sweet. Kudos for the review of a lovely pen.
Hi Sajjad, Regarding the nib, I think the combination of the simple design and cheap looking engraving make it ugly to my eye. I think this style of engraving is acceptable for a new brand but I am not a fan of it on a "Tibaldi". It would be like if they brought back the Talbot-Lago moniker and used 3 cylinder Hyundai engines. This is just my personal bias. I will be doing a review of the Leonardo Mosaico soon. I think this pen offers more for the money, although, I have to say I find most Leonardo pens to be uninspiring. I have started noticing some of their pens have a new higher quality nib decoration (sadly absent from my Mosaico).
@@BlakesBroadcast ..Your point and analogy about the out of place, ‘ugly’ nib on an otherwise very attractive pen is well taken. I still haven’t bought a Leonardo. For one, the spate of routine new, hyped releases of funky color finishes just annoys me no end. I want a Santini or Scribo instead. The new Delta’s generic Jowo nibs mean I’m unlikely to be getting any.
I hear you. They definitely use some pretty unattractive resins, "funky" is a nice way to put it. The only Leonardo I've wanted for myself is their arco celluloid model. I saw the Mosaico at over 50% off and I figured it was worth it to just see what the pens were about. The quality of the pen is good and I appreciate the large size, but the material is not to my taste. I will be selling it after my review. I need to try a Scribo. I never had the best luck with modern OMAS (pre-Pen Family) so I hope the quality will be improved with the Scribo brand. I know there will be some x-factor to the pens. I agree with you on Delta. The nibs aren't right for that brand. At some point I would like to add one of the original oversized DVs with the #8 nib to my collection.
@@BlakesBroadcast ..Yea, I really don’t think I’m buying a Leonardo anytime. But I’ll still be very interested to see your upcoming review of the Mosaico. Let’s both go buy Scribo. Both of us have been wanting to and have waited a lot. The prices are certainly daunting, but I’ve been there lots of times already with my pen purchases over the years. So, I’m determined to carefully choose and belatedly buy a Scribo. Possibly even a Santini. And another Stipula, if I can find the one I want. Where do you place a ‘modern’ OMAS? Mid-90s? post-2000? I have two OMAS pens: an Arte Italiana Precious Facets, (1990s); and an Iceberg 360 (circa 2000). I have three splendid vintage Deltas with Bock nibs. I have long stopped buying Jowo nib-holders for funny prices.
I will keep an eye out for a second hand Scribo. I've seen them go under $400 sometimes. Santini pens are great. If I had one complaint it would be that the finish of their metal trim isn't the most refined, still Santini is an important brand to support because they make their own nibs. When I say modern OMAS I mean the advent of LVMH ownership in 2000 and the use of Bock nibs. These were still really nice pens but I had a number of problems with them, mainly nib and trim issues. I will do a review of the OMAS Ogiva Guilloche in the future. This was my first $300 pen and one of my biggest disappointments. I don't have a ton of experience with OMAS from the 80s-90s. I had one celluloid Arte Italiana from the 90s and it was a great pen.
1. Nice looking pen. I approve of the old school looks together with modern (larger) sizing. 2. Using the Tibaldi name is already a success, given the number of times you said it. It's all just marketing, and inoffensive to us (majority?) unfamiliar with the original company. 3. Thanks for the show.
Hi Blake. Thank you for your video. When Italian pens come up, all I ever hear about is Visconti lol! Hey, on another note, I really love the Cosmo Air Light notebooks. Do you have them in stock?
Thanks for the comment! Visconti makes a lot of beautiful Italian pens but there are definitely a lot more brands out there. We have all of our Cosmo Air Light notebooks in stock, hardcover, and softcover. thepapermind.com/collections/the-paper-mind-collection
What do you like about Stipular? It isn't a brand I've explored much. I remember demoeing one of their Titanium nibs years ago. I have a Da Vinci retractable nib pen from them. I bought it new and it had to go in for repair before I could really use it. I should check in on that pen, they have had it for months now.
@@BlakesBroadcast ..I’ve always been besotted with old Stipula’s very uniquely gorgeous celluloid finishes, the distinct design aesthetics of the pens that I find really stylish and charming. There’s a kind of enduring romance to the pens I cannot fully describe, only sense when I see, touch and write with them. I own six, so far. The pens are usually large, even oversized, feel great in hand, and of course write truly wonderfully. Both the steel and gold nibs are great. Their flex nibs are oddly little talked about. Though the titanium nibs sometimes get a bad rap (I don’t own one, so cannot confirm). And current Stipula’s QC is apparently rather suspect. That saddens me. To me, (most, not all) newer Stipulas today lack the all around allure of the older pens. The ‘flagship’ Etruria line is still plenty, cool, nonetheless. Also, Stipula pens (the most desirable ones anyway) aren’t exactly readily available or sold by most retailers. I bought all of mine from Chatterley Luxuries and from novelli.it - or in Italy when I was there. Stipula is still strangely quite overlooked, though I’m a die-hard fan, as you can tell. 😀 Please do check in and get your Da Vinci retractable nib pen back. I think issues like these has probably deterred some people from buying these expensive pens. I hope your pen is fixed and you’ll be able to fully enjoy it soon. 🙂
Isn’t it Montegrappa who has brought them back? They themselves also have a storied history, even older I think (1912) and also in continuous production? So I’m equally puzzled by what they think they’re gaining by putting out pens under this brand. Unless it’s just to play about a bit and not risk damaging the Montegrappa name. I haven’t been particularly impressed by the fit and finish of any new Tibaldis that I’ve handled…
Is it Montegrappa that brought them back? That would be surprising given how high Montegrappa's quality is. Montegrappa has a history that I find slightly confusing because they started off making gold fountain pen nibs using the name "Elmo" and if I believe they changed their name a few more times before finally becoming "Montegrappa". You are absolutely right that they are older and they are still going. I guess I have blind spot for Montegrappa because I never collected them and never even owned one until the last couple of years. The company did change hands at least once but the company remained intact in the same facility.
I hadn't heard of Tibaldi, from the picture I couldn't tell if it was a $50 Chinese pen or a $300 Italian pen. I agree this is too much for a steel-nib C/C resin pen, at least the HomoSapiens has fun filling system, interesting resin, & uniq capping system to partially justify the price.
At it's retail price it isn't an easy sell. I agree that the HomoSapiens offers a lot of unique features as well as a unique material that makes it easier to justify.
I bought this pen, to see if it compared to my Leonardo Momento Zero Grande...Doesn't even come close. It is very cheaply made. I got mine in a double broad nib. Was expecting it to write with a nice fat line because of the ebonite feed (another reason i bought it). Didn't do ANY of that. it writes with a fine line and writes completely dry. Also, the threads are chipping off on the body of the pen. Worst purchase, ever.
I am sorry to hear you had trouble with yours. I don't see any obvious QC issues with mine. The threads chipping off of the body is definitely not acceptable. How long did you have it before the threading began to chip?
Blake, Tibaldi is one of the oldest Italian pen companies. It operated from 1916 - 1965, that's a long time. Yes, it's been revived a few times since then, The latest acquisition was by Montegrappa, another old, long-time Italian pen company. If you look at old vintage Tibaldi pens from the '30s, you would understand the connection with the Tibaldi name and design.
Thanks for the comment. Can you show me your source that says Montegrappa is the current manufacturer (or owner) of Tibaldi pens? The new N60 resembles the N60 from the 1930s. The nib design is nothing like an original Tibaldi.
@@BlakesBroadcast On the About Tibaldi section of their webpage, they state that Tibaldi and Montegrappa are both owned by the Aquila family.
Thank you! That is very interesting. They do not share the same distribution in the USA. It says they have had the brand since 2004. I wonder when they actually relaunched it because I haven't seen new Tibaldi pens until the last few years.
another spot on and honest review. they came out with a few limited edition models a few years back with a piston fill mechanism and 18k phoenix embossed nib. I have the speckled olive model and am happy with it. The other models don't impress nearly as much. Perhaps it was a Montegrappa-backed venture that lost steam and will eventually die and re-resurrect as the "NEW NEW" Tibaldi... I love Italian design though...
Thank you! I too love Italian design.
I have two rollerballs (Infrangibile and an N60 like yours) so I can't speak for nibs but the pens are nicely made, hefty, and with their own style. Tibaldi shares the showroom and the storage with Montegrappa in the city of Bassano, Tibaldi name can be spotted in some "behind the scene" YT video at Montegrappa so they arguably use the same materials or the same equipment. Differently from the sister company, however, Tibaldi doesn't seem to come up with new models and it's fairly easy to find their pens on sale. IMHO the Infrangibile ballpoint (on sale) makes it for a very nice present or gift for a variety of occasions.
I could more easily recommend the rollerball or ballpoint version as the body is nice.
Thanks for another amazing review, Blake!
Cheers from Brazil!
My pleasure!
Hi, Blake…I always especially enjoy your reviews of Italian pens. Our tastes often align a lot, as well.
I have two Tibaldis; a Bononia Pearl Mist and the N60 Retro Zest ( a beautiful green color finish) - both with the steel B nib.
I like both pens , but prefer the N60.
You’re obviously quite correct in that the N60 has an unmistakeable, cool vintage-y vibe and style. I dig that very much. I was surprised and happy to find the pen larger than I had quite expected. And although I find the pen very light, it thankfully doesn’t feel cheap, especially given the price.
Ha, you are somewhat harsh in your comments about the nib being particularly ugly. I find it rather too plain and just disappointing in looks, but not ugly, per se. More importantly, though, both my broad nibs initially wrote rather too dryly. I tweaked both nibs a little to improve the flow and the writing experience. I’m glad I chose the broad nibs. I wonder how the more expensive gold nib Tibaldi pens are like.
The price ($236/street) is certainly rather steep. But I don’t mind too much, except that the overall fit and finish on the pens could be better coming from a company that is cashing in on the hallowed Tibaldi name of old and charging premium prices.
The Tibaldi pens and the N60 , in particular, are an interesting, attractive alternative to the Leonardo mania that reigns today.
Of course, getting a vintage Tibaldi would be especially sweet. Kudos for the review of a lovely pen.
Hi Sajjad, Regarding the nib, I think the combination of the simple design and cheap looking engraving make it ugly to my eye. I think this style of engraving is acceptable for a new brand but I am not a fan of it on a "Tibaldi". It would be like if they brought back the Talbot-Lago moniker and used 3 cylinder Hyundai engines. This is just my personal bias.
I will be doing a review of the Leonardo Mosaico soon. I think this pen offers more for the money, although, I have to say I find most Leonardo pens to be uninspiring. I have started noticing some of their pens have a new higher quality nib decoration (sadly absent from my Mosaico).
@@BlakesBroadcast ..Your point and analogy about the out of place, ‘ugly’ nib on an otherwise very attractive pen is well taken.
I still haven’t bought a Leonardo. For one, the spate of routine new, hyped releases of funky color finishes just annoys me no end. I want a Santini or Scribo instead. The new Delta’s generic Jowo nibs mean I’m unlikely to be getting any.
I hear you. They definitely use some pretty unattractive resins, "funky" is a nice way to put it. The only Leonardo I've wanted for myself is their arco celluloid model. I saw the Mosaico at over 50% off and I figured it was worth it to just see what the pens were about. The quality of the pen is good and I appreciate the large size, but the material is not to my taste. I will be selling it after my review.
I need to try a Scribo. I never had the best luck with modern OMAS (pre-Pen Family) so I hope the quality will be improved with the Scribo brand. I know there will be some x-factor to the pens.
I agree with you on Delta. The nibs aren't right for that brand. At some point I would like to add one of the original oversized DVs with the #8 nib to my collection.
@@BlakesBroadcast ..Yea, I really don’t think I’m buying a Leonardo anytime. But I’ll still be very interested to see your upcoming review of the Mosaico.
Let’s both go buy Scribo. Both of us have been wanting to and have waited a lot. The prices are certainly daunting, but I’ve been there lots of times already with my pen purchases over the years. So, I’m determined to carefully choose and belatedly buy a Scribo. Possibly even a Santini. And another Stipula, if I can find the one I want.
Where do you place a ‘modern’ OMAS? Mid-90s? post-2000? I have two OMAS pens: an Arte Italiana Precious Facets, (1990s); and an Iceberg 360 (circa 2000).
I have three splendid vintage Deltas with Bock nibs. I have long stopped buying Jowo nib-holders for funny prices.
I will keep an eye out for a second hand Scribo. I've seen them go under $400 sometimes.
Santini pens are great. If I had one complaint it would be that the finish of their metal trim isn't the most refined, still Santini is an important brand to support because they make their own nibs.
When I say modern OMAS I mean the advent of LVMH ownership in 2000 and the use of Bock nibs. These were still really nice pens but I had a number of problems with them, mainly nib and trim issues. I will do a review of the OMAS Ogiva Guilloche in the future. This was my first $300 pen and one of my biggest disappointments.
I don't have a ton of experience with OMAS from the 80s-90s. I had one celluloid Arte Italiana from the 90s and it was a great pen.
1. Nice looking pen. I approve of the old school looks together with modern (larger) sizing.
2. Using the Tibaldi name is already a success, given the number of times you said it. It's all just marketing, and inoffensive to us (majority?) unfamiliar with the original company.
3. Thanks for the show.
Thanks for the comment! Fair point on using the Tibaldi name.
Thanks for the warning! Great view.
You bet
Hi Blake. Thank you for your video. When Italian pens come up, all I ever hear about is Visconti lol! Hey, on another note, I really love the Cosmo Air Light notebooks. Do you have them in stock?
Thanks for the comment! Visconti makes a lot of beautiful Italian pens but there are definitely a lot more brands out there. We have all of our Cosmo Air Light notebooks in stock, hardcover, and softcover. thepapermind.com/collections/the-paper-mind-collection
Aurora, Montegrappa and Stipula are my beloved trio from Italy. ❤️
What do you like about Stipular? It isn't a brand I've explored much. I remember demoeing one of their Titanium nibs years ago. I have a Da Vinci retractable nib pen from them. I bought it new and it had to go in for repair before I could really use it. I should check in on that pen, they have had it for months now.
@@BlakesBroadcast ..I’ve always been besotted with old Stipula’s very uniquely gorgeous celluloid finishes, the distinct design aesthetics of the pens that I find really stylish and charming. There’s a kind of enduring romance to the pens I cannot fully describe, only sense when I see, touch and write with them. I own six, so far. The pens are usually large, even oversized, feel great in hand, and of course write truly wonderfully. Both the steel and gold nibs are great. Their flex nibs are oddly little talked about. Though the titanium nibs sometimes get a bad rap (I don’t own one, so cannot confirm). And current Stipula’s QC is apparently rather suspect. That saddens me.
To me, (most, not all) newer Stipulas today lack the all around allure of the older pens. The ‘flagship’ Etruria line is still plenty, cool, nonetheless.
Also, Stipula pens (the most desirable ones anyway) aren’t exactly readily available or sold by most retailers. I bought all of mine from Chatterley Luxuries and from novelli.it - or in Italy when I was there.
Stipula is still strangely quite overlooked, though I’m a die-hard fan, as you can tell. 😀
Please do check in and get your Da Vinci retractable nib pen back. I think issues like these has probably deterred some people from buying these expensive pens. I hope your pen is fixed and you’ll be able to fully enjoy it soon. 🙂
Isn’t it Montegrappa who has brought them back? They themselves also have a storied history, even older I think (1912) and also in continuous production? So I’m equally puzzled by what they think they’re gaining by putting out pens under this brand. Unless it’s just to play about a bit and not risk damaging the Montegrappa name. I haven’t been particularly impressed by the fit and finish of any new Tibaldis that I’ve handled…
Is it Montegrappa that brought them back? That would be surprising given how high Montegrappa's quality is.
Montegrappa has a history that I find slightly confusing because they started off making gold fountain pen nibs using the name "Elmo" and if I believe they changed their name a few more times before finally becoming "Montegrappa".
You are absolutely right that they are older and they are still going. I guess I have blind spot for Montegrappa because I never collected them and never even owned one until the last couple of years. The company did change hands at least once but the company remained intact in the same facility.
I hadn't heard of Tibaldi, from the picture I couldn't tell if it was a $50 Chinese pen or a $300 Italian pen.
I agree this is too much for a steel-nib C/C resin pen, at least the HomoSapiens has fun filling system, interesting resin, & uniq capping system to partially justify the price.
At it's retail price it isn't an easy sell. I agree that the HomoSapiens offers a lot of unique features as well as a unique material that makes it easier to justify.
what an odd comment: from a computer screen every pen looks like a chinese knock-off. once you hold it in your hand you can tell the difference!
Its actually very nice especially in simple chrome black. But yes as simple jowo6. Seems unworthy.
It would be quite elegant in black and chrome. It's a nice to pen to use. I just think the price needs to be significantly lower.
I bought this pen, to see if it compared to my Leonardo Momento Zero Grande...Doesn't even come close. It is very cheaply made. I got mine in a double broad nib. Was expecting it to write with a nice fat line because of the ebonite feed (another reason i bought it). Didn't do ANY of that. it writes with a fine line and writes completely dry. Also, the threads are chipping off on the body of the pen. Worst purchase, ever.
I am sorry to hear you had trouble with yours. I don't see any obvious QC issues with mine. The threads chipping off of the body is definitely not acceptable. How long did you have it before the threading began to chip?