Tibaldi N60 Amber Yellow Fountain Pen
The Tibaldi pen company was founded in Florence in 1916 by Giuseppe Tibaldi. The company is now run by the Aquila Family, “life-long Italian virtuosos in the pen design and manufacturing industry, and a major proprietor of both Tibaldi and Montegrappa trademarks.” The company moved from Florence to Bassano del Grappa in 2004. I have seen Tibaldi pens at a few pens shows and have always been intrigued by their designs. They are a wonderful mix of vintage and modern design. I reached out to the Tibaldi company and they graciously sent me one of their N60 Amber Yellow fountain pens for review. Thank you to the good people at Tibaldi and if you are interested in getting one of their pens for yourself, please check out the Tibaldi website.
Packaging: The pen arrives in a matte black box with an orange outer sleeve. The outer sleeve is plain except for “Tibaldi” embossed on two sides. The black inner box has “Tibaldi” embossed on the top, the company logo and website on the sides, and a geometric design imprinted on both ends. The inner box pulls out to reveal the pen which is held in place by a grey elastic ribbon on a soft grey plush bed. Underneath the pen bed there is a credit card style warranty card and a small black packet with two black cartridges in it.
First Thoughts: The material is captivating, and the design looks like it stepped right out of the 1940’s of 1950’s.
Design: The pen has matching cap and bottom finials styled like the jeweled style finials on “classic” pens. The finials are made from the same material as the pen and are shaped like inverted diamonds with the points sticking up. Below the cap finial, is a stepped steel cap band. The barrel gradually widens and reached the sword shaped clip which is inset into the body. Below the clip’s tip, “TIBALDI” and “MADE IN ITALY” are stamped into the body, I like this simple branding and feel it is effective and classy. Below the imprints are three steel cap bands which match the other steel trim perfectly. The bottom finial sits on top of the same stepped steel barrel band as the cap finial. The barrel gradually widens from the finial before beginning to taper again before reaching the barrel threads which are smooth, thin, and barely noticeable. There is no step down from the barrel to the grip section which I love. The grip section is made from glossy black material and gradually tapers down to a flared finger stop.
Nib Performance: The nib appears to be a #6 size stainless steel nib. I received a fine nib for this review and the nib performed beautifully, with just the slightest bit of feedback. The nib is engraved with “TIBALDI,” the company logo, and “F” for fine. What really surprised me, is that the pen came with an ebonite feed, which is normally only found on more expensive pens. The feed kept up perfectly with every type of writing and every ink I put through it.
Filling System: The pen uses a Standard International cartridge converter.
Value: €185 or roughly $219 USD
Overall: This pen is freaking amazing! The material is warm and captivating and not only grabs your attention, but it holds on and does not let go. I am a big fan of vintage pens and I love when a modern company comes out with a classic design and does it right. The material, trim, finials, and feed all work perfectly in this pen and were clearly thought out and designed well. This model line would fit well in a modern or vintage collection and in the boardroom, a classroom, or even in an everyday carry bag.
Specs:
Name: Tibaldi N60 Amber Yellow
Design: Resin with Palladium trim
Length: 146mm (5.74in)
Posted: 168mm (6.6in)
Diameter: 13mm (.51in)
Weight: 28g (.98oz)
Nib: Stainless steel
Filling System: Standard International cartridge converter
Pros: Amazing material, beautiful performing nib, ebonite feed
Cons: None that I can think of
In the same price range:
Lamy 2000
Stipula Etruria Tortoise
BENU Supreme Nebula
