Aurora Il Viaggio Segreto in Italia: Volterra Reservoarpenna

Author: Ian Riela

• Review Add on: 15-01-2024
• Average Rating: (5)

In my opinion, the pinnacle of the Viaggio Segreto in Italia collection. The only pen with Rose Gold trim in the collection, and one of the most fantastic Auroloides ever created. The alabaster material is mesmerizing, white, gold, sepia, and even an iridescent green/blue can be seen within its depths. Build quality and finishing are second to none, and the tuning of the stub nib I received is the best of any nib in my collection. This is one Aurora not to miss while it is still available.

Author: Lao

• Review Add on: 15-09-2023
• Average Rating: (5)

The pen is a 10 stars out of 5, Appelboom's service is 10 stars out of 5, and the writing experience of this nib is also 10/5! The only thing that's not quite 5/5 is the price!

The Price: It is very expensive...however...this is very subjective. The pen itself made me feel expensive and rich, so to me, I think it looks and feels as expensive as it was. I do believe that its limited production has something to do with the price increase - this I don't think is quite justified, but a brand can do whatever they want.

The Pen Body: If they used a brass or metal piston instead of plastic (I assume it is plastic since the pen is very light), the added weight would make this pen super balanced. It is quite light and a very good length when posted. The resin is exceptionally beautiful - there are mixtures of cream, ivory, white, and chatoyant white and green throughout the design. This is definitely one of the most beautiful vintage looking pen that is truly unique. I don't know of any other pen that shines green like this amongst these soft velvety ivory cream colors. While their Auroloide is just another form of plastic/resin, it definitely does not feel cheap. It does have a slight marble-esque feel to it and is very smooth. The rose gold is a lovely match to the cream colors of the body. The resin pattern continues all throughout the body - which I find to be MUCH BETTER than their black sections and black finials. As timeless as that design was, it just isn't pretty. This pen is longer than their Optima model, so I appreciated that about this model over the Optima. One drawback to this pen is the cap does not have an inner cap. Your nib will dry out towards the tip - thus, causing darker ink when writing your first 1-2 sentences before the ink returns to normal color. (I haven't tested this with this pen, but all my pens without an inner cap have this issue and it is a consistent observation).

The nib: The nib is beautiful - the engravings are beautiful. Appelboom tuned this pen very well and it writes wet, so the Fine nib writes slightly like a medium fine - which I like. I think you can ask in the notes section for the nib to be tuned to be on the drier side, otherwise, nib tuning usually allows for the tines to be more spread out and provid easier ink flow (thus more wet). It writes super smoothly and I don't find the feedback unpleasant at all. If you dislike Sailor feedbacks, this pen does not have a strong feedback, but it is there and it feels nice. The 14k Auroras might be the ones with the louder feedbacks.

The Gift Box: At this price point...a lovely box is a great bonus and if they have one, I do expect it to be nice. Most pens at this price just have a basic large cardboard box, but Aurora goes above and beyond to create a lovely gift box for their beautiful writing instruments. However, apparently, some boxes are difficult to unbox and the inner felt parts can be ripped apart when trying to inspect to make sure everything is in the box. That is what I assume happened to my box...since the pen bed (where the pen lied in), the inner felt linings, and the bottom of the false bottom were all torn, smushed, and tattered upon arrival to me. I had to super glue everything in order to gently place the pen bed nicely into the box and close it securely. This was a poor presentation that I felt Aurora should have changed boxes for me if they inspected it before sending it out to Appelboom. HOWEVER...there's the off chance that customs may have ruined the box for me - but I highly doubt they had a need to open the contents of the package. Although this did bother me, it's not a deal breaker - the pen arrived safe and sound.

Overall, I do recommend this pen if it is one of your very first Aurora pens. If this color suits your tastes, you'll be very happy with the pen. If you do not care for this color, the green chatoyance, or a lighter pen, this might not be for you. What you're paying over $600 for is the unique in-house nib and writing experience as well as the craftsmanship and artistry in making the unique resin body design.

Author: Alistair L

Review Title: My favourite pen

• Review Add on: 22-03-2023
• Average Rating: (4)

As soon as i saw this pen i fell in love, the design and style is my perfect pen, flecks of gold with that whisper feedback you get with aurora nibs.

As always the service was impeccable from appelboom and Anabelle times the nib perfectly, i will only ever order my pens through appelboom because i know I’ll get a pen that writes like a dream it the box, more than you can say if you don’t get it checked out before ordering, I’ve ordered more expensive pens elsewhere and Ben left feeling disappointed with out the box nib performance.