Pens of Note - Stipula Etruria Classico Tortoise

The pen, Etruria Classico, refers to the classic Etruria cigar shaped pen. It is classic, as it mirrors the original shape of the Etruria model. Over the past few years Stipula has produced a number of the Etruria pens with a facetted body and cap. While I must say I like both body styles, you can never beat the classic smooth cigar shape.

 

Returning to Rome and Stipula Pens

In the fall of 2022 our travels through Italy included time in Rome. It always feel good to return to Rome. We met with Marco at Novelli Pen. Karen and I have been meeting with Marco almost every year since we were married. It is an important ritual in our life! It was good to be back together again.

I have talked about our ritual at Novelli. Marco and I walk about the store and when I show an interest in a poen, it is placed in a tray for further discussion. Once I get about ten pens in the trap I return to the main pen counter. The unfortunate part, there are more pens in the tray than I can buy. But this is just step one.

We discuss each pen. I dip and try the pen, and then Karen writes with the pen to provide her view. I can get carried away wanting them all, but Karen is very good at reminding me what I have said about my various pens over many years. This second step is a process of moving a pen into a group: must have, really want and should have. The Stipula Etruria Classicao Tortoise was a "must have" from the start.

This pen joins a number of other Stipula pens I own. The Etruria model has a great feel in my hand. Not too larger or small. The Stipula nibs are smooth and responsive to hand pressure. The sytle if clean. The resins or celluloids are very attractive.

This pen is a limited edition. There were only 88 pens produced. Novelli Pen worked with Stipula on the selection of this particular resin. This is a limited edition pen, and I have pen #28 of 88 pens.

I have similar looking pens on various pen website, however, the design of this pen is consistent with the classic Etruria model. For example, this pen has the classic single band showing the wheat emblem. This links back to the history of Tuscany producing wheat for the Roman Empire. Some of the other versions found on-line have four rings at the base of the cap. Other pens on-line look similar but use what Wild Honey resin, which has some similarity, but is different.

So my experience is with the Tortoise pen from Novelli, and I have found reviews, some poor, of different versions of this pen from other pen retailers. I see those pens have a different clip and band(s) and wh ile they look the same, I can not make comments on the other lines. My Classico from Novelli looks and feels identical to the excellent writing experience I have had with the Stipula Etruria line for the past two-plus decades.

The Cap & Body

The cap has a very classic appearance. It is fitted with the "classic" stipula clip that has the the wheat grass design to reflect the heritage of fields planted by the Romans throughout Tuscany. At the base of the cap is a single ring. Both the clip and the ring are sterling silver. The individual ring give a good balance of a presence of the cap without overpowering the design and look of the pen.

The Resin

The body and cap are made from rods of a beautiful rich blend of gold/orange, black and flecks of a tan/silver. There are even some shades of red in the resin. The colours of the pen caught my eye from the moment the pen was presented.

Stipula Etruria Classico Tortoise