Nettuno 1911 Black Sands
Nettuno 1911 was originally founded in Italy in 1911 and was recently revived in Naples, Italy by the Maiora Pen Company, which is run by the former co-founder and President of the Delta Pen Company. The first fountain pen manufactured in Italy carried the Nettuno trademark. Per their website, “An advert from 1911 shows the god of the sea proudly holding the pen as if it were a trident as he indelibly marks the date of birth of a company that has accompanied and made its mark in the history of writing. A brand where the focus has always been on introducing innovative production techniques and materials and developing new styles and designs.” There has been a lot of talk about the Nettuno 1911 brand on the various pen forums since it was reintroduced in 2018. I reached out to the good people at Nettuno 1911, and they generously sent me the new Black Sands model to review. If you are interested in getting your own or learning more about the brand, check out their US site at http://www.nettunopensusa.com/
Filling System: The 1911 series has a captive converter system which allows the pen to be filled in three ways. First, utilizing a standard international cartridge. Second, by unscrewing the barrel and filling the converter as you would with normal converter filled pens. Lastly, utilizing the captive converter system by unscrewing the blind cap which reveals the end of the converter and then you fill the pen as you would with a piston filler.Value: The MSRP of the Black Sands is $395 but the street price is normally around $316.
Overall: This is a beautifully made fountain pen. Every detail is perfectly thought out and works well together. The steel nib outperforms many gold nib pens that I have used and I feel that at the $316 price point it is well worth the money if it is within your pen budget.Specs:Name: Nettuno 1911 Black SandsDesign: Black resin finish with ruthenium accentsLength: 135.5mm (5.33in)Posted: 158.6mm (6.24in)Diameter: 13.6mm (0.54 in) bodyWeight: 37.0g (1.31oz)Nib: Stainless Steel #6 Bock with ruthenium coatingFilling System: Standard international cartridge/ captive converter Pros: Wonderful nib, beautiful design, great detailsCons: Higher price point for a steel nibIn the same price range:Pilot Custom 823Lamy Dialog 3Montegrappa Fortuna Copper Mule
Overall: This is a beautifully made fountain pen. Every detail is perfectly thought out and works well together. The steel nib outperforms many gold nib pens that I have used and I feel that at the $316 price point it is well worth the money if it is within your pen budget.Specs:Name: Nettuno 1911 Black SandsDesign: Black resin finish with ruthenium accentsLength: 135.5mm (5.33in)Posted: 158.6mm (6.24in)Diameter: 13.6mm (0.54 in) bodyWeight: 37.0g (1.31oz)Nib: Stainless Steel #6 Bock with ruthenium coatingFilling System: Standard international cartridge/ captive converter Pros: Wonderful nib, beautiful design, great detailsCons: Higher price point for a steel nibIn the same price range:Pilot Custom 823Lamy Dialog 3Montegrappa Fortuna Copper Mule
