About This Pen

Zeniths may not have been the apogee of Italian fountain pen manufacturing, but this is a pretty pen that will write well. It was far from clean, but one could see its beauty under the dirt; once cleaned and polished its beauty reappeared. At least two of its Parker 51-copying particulars put this pen’s appearance in the 1950s: its “aerometric” filling mechanism and the black hood over the nib. The aero filler came to me with an ordinary latex sac’s remains stuck inside, but it fills well. However, it’s a pretty pen that writes well! Its body is 18k gold-plate (marked “laminato oro 750”), and is very attractive. The overlay is chased with a brick pattern, and both ends are tapered. The view window is clear. The nib under that hood is not a tubular nib. It is an open nib marked “Zenith Extra Oro”, and writes a nice fine line with some flex, a typical Italian writing style. The cap holds firmly on the clutch ring, but not quite firmly enough to trust in a pocket. A very nice writer for shaded script.