Aurora Il Viaggo Secreto in Italia Volterra FP Review

[@peterhofmann8292]

From a marketing / production perspective it is most likely easier to make different finishes than to make a whole new model line, which may not sell as well. Interesting "feature" of the cap, wonder if that is one of those one off defects that was not caught by the Q/A folks. Thanks again for a lovely review, very enjoyable.

[@fabiobelafatti425]

One correction: the goccia nib is not flex (PLEASE don't flex it if you own one!). The goccia nib is kinda like a naginata or an Arabic/Hebrew cut.

[@blakeward2]

I like a range of sizes of similar models. I enjoy that Pelikan and Sailor offer similar pens in different sizes for different preferences. There are rarely many compromises.

[@ms.rocketscience4924]

Thank you for this thorough review. I think you have a wonky pen in regard to to the cap. I have the Matera version in this series and the cap does not catch on the section or collect ink like the pen you received. How unfortunate for Aurora and Appelboom that the pen you reviewed was defective.

[@clementmanuel1987]

The grip section is long enough to be comfortable. The alabaster material makes it translucent so the ink volume is quite visible. Perhaps the pen is best kept at the desktop because of the cap problem.

[@angelopaola9985]

Excellent and informative as usual. Given similar prices, might we see a shootout between Aurora 88 and Scribo Feel??

[@ruthfeiertag]

After reading through the comments, I hope your friend Yoost will send you another of these pens to check out. I’d be interested to know if the cap issues are an unfortunate aspect of this pen alone. I do the chatoyant alabaster and the overall look of this pen, though I doubt I’ll be laying out the money to buy one.

[@keithwhitney7491]

Professor (my own favorite title), I appreciate your review. It is a romantic-feeling offering of trips to Italy (only 2 in my life), but I too am fearful of the staining possibilities, and I hate ink on the inside of the cap because (as a one-time lawyer or banker) the inky look was not a good thing. In general I like the Aurora pens I have owned (I lost my favorite on a business trip), but I will answer your question: I would prefer a little differentiation in the pen length and/or style. I do not collect “every” color, because not every color appeals to me and purchasing mere color differences is (to me) foolishness. Thanks for your continuing reviews!

[@guidoschwellnus7909]

I have a Volterra, and it does not have the cap issue at all. The reviewed pen clearly has a QC issue and should be returned, this is not a flaw of the pen as such and is not present on any similar Aurora (88/Optima) I own. Discoloration also is much less of an issue than e.g. the Pelikan white tortoiseshell I also have - that one needs to be wiped off thoroughly, the Volterra does not (I use SBRE Brown in it, perfect fit). Internal staining also is no issue for me - yes, you see the ink shining through when it's filled, but that looks nice, why should I bother whether it stays like this when it's empty? And yes, Aurora nibs have feedback (but it makes them special and I love it) and consistently write about one grade finer than "normal" Western nibs, so more akin to Japanese nib sizes.

[@Rgc571]

I have often wondered, what causes feed back? In general can feed back be eliminated by smoothing or tuning? Personally I did not like the rose gold with this color. Thanks for another informative and entertaining video.

[@daniloscipioni9705]

your italian is quite good...

[@KenchanKrafts]

A cap that is too tight and doesn't fit smoothly is always a deal breaker. XD but you definitely got a defective cap, that is all. It's like getting an expensive car where the car door requires you to push it down or upwards roughly before you can pull it open. That shouldn't exist. And neither should this cap issue! I've had to return my Leonardo with a tight cap issue, and anyone who got that aurora should as well and get a completely new one from Aurora! Thanks for the review! I will need to wait for this pen to go on a better sale... it's absolutely gorgeous.

[@osuata13]

I have this pen and don't have the cap issue you were experiencing, so it appears to be a defect in the pen you got. No excuse, at this price that shouldn't ever be a thing, but I can vouch for the pen being as good as all other 88s.

[@paulmchugh1430]

Pen manufacturers should always refine their existing models. Whether they should produce new models versus variations of the same model is a matter of debate, to be sure. If a new model offers innovation or styling, not just different finishes, then why not and it should be pursued. Truly, how many versions of Lamy Safari or Kaweco Sport or a Retro 51 can one have or even need? Well, sales probably say we need hundreds of versions of the same pen. I do not collect pens in that manner. Maybe I am weird in that regard.

[@katjaengelkamp3452]

This pen looks very very attractive to me. But I don’t like the view of the ink through the material. It makes the pen look ‘dirty’. Such a shame. I’d prefer the blue/purple gorgeous one. The cap must be a quality issue of this specific one; my 88’s don’t have any issue. The filling system is good, but quite a pain in the ass to clean (in a comparable way as the Visconti double reservoir power fillers, but without the huge ink capacity) and the pens are a bit small. But beautifully made and gorgeous writers, though. The Goccia nib is as I understand not a flex nib, but a kind of ‘branded’ architect grind? Thank you again, Stephen, for this helpful review.

[@franciscojaviermayor7431]

It is strange, I watched an old video from him about Aurora Epsilon saying that the nib was very very smooth a little step behind faber castell nibs

[@katjaengelkamp3452]

@@franciscojaviermayor7431 An Ypsilon is a different pen, with a steel nib if I’m right. What’s strange?

[@franciscojaviermayor7431]

It is strange that beeing a gold nib and beeing a more expensive item than ipsilon pen dies not writer smoother in my opinion

[@katjaengelkamp3452]

@@franciscojaviermayor7431 Please, listen to Stephen. Nothing strange here, because this is completely normal behavior of an Aurora nib. But I am repeating myself.

[@stewiegriffin12341]

I’ve never seen that issue with a pen cap. Weird.

[@franciscojaviermayor7431]

Does it write as smooth as an Faber Castell Emotion?

[@katjaengelkamp3452]

I guess you did not watch the complete review? No problem, but Stephen points out this pen has a typical Aurora nib, which are known for being not very smooth, but have just that typical Aurora feedback.

[@dsb1763]

There is only so much you can do with the design of a tube.

[@ironmic9244]

Sounds of Manhattan: Sirens and honking. Man I miss Manhattan........... Lovely looking pen, but not vibing with the block of ink that can be seen in the middle of the pen.

[@alferro3149]

" il viaggio seGreto"

[@FrancoisTHX]

WOW this nib is not defective? You really got lucky!

[@donatobarsi7506]

On the contrary you are very unlucky because we have been using Aurora pens for three (3) generations without ever having found a defective nib, and in any case when it happened to someone else we have seen that the factory has always solved the problem for free, good writing.

[@FrancoisTHX]

@@donatobarsi7506 Maybe you dont use recent EF nibs from them. In the last three years I tried to buy a Calleidoscopio Luce Gialla and got a dud nib, had to send it back twice and still is a dud - of couse they refuse to refund the shipping costs or to give ink in compensation of the costs like LAMY does. I returned an 888 Terra because the piston was leaking. I returned a Blue Mamba EF that did not even carry ink down the page and arrived dirty. I returned TWO ambienti Deserto in EF, they almost wrote perfectly but were very wide and one was scratchy on one side, one arrived without the limited edition ink and heavy corrosion of the silver, the other with defect in the silver casting center band. Aurora never explained why all this could have happened, and I even received an unapologetic and arrogant email from the CEO. I just know that I sometimes got a few of the best nibs I ever tried with Aurora. This and their attractive designs kept me clinging onto the hope that they cared about customers and the products they sell, but it seems they dont... Maybe it is an unfortunate recent trend, I havent known Aurora for very long.