Aurora 88P
1958-63
About This Model
The Aurora 88 model line is one of the more reliable and elegant fountain pens ever made. It heralded the reawakening of the Italian fountain pen industry after WWII, its design inspired by the Parker 51 seen in the pockets of many American soldiers in Italy for the reconstruction of Europe. However closely they resembled 51s with their gold cap over a black barrel/hood instead of a traditional gripping section and partially hooded nib, under the surface lay an all-Italian piston mechanism and workmanship. And, as Parker issued 51s in gold and Lustroloy caps, Aurora did as well it the 88, adding the a cap in a silver/nickel alloy called Nikargenta. The original 88, according to research by Jacobini and others, sold from 1948 until it was succeeded by the 88K in 1953 and the 88P in 1958, some 3 million sold pens later. The 88 line was one of very few pens that carried a serial number, which recent research has pinned down to years of manufacture and made it possible to identify each pen's age within a month or two. 88s were sold until the 1970s and are generally regarded as the most sold Italian fountain pen. In modern years, after 2005, Aurora began reissuing the 88, in an all-resin-bodied pen, with, after 2015, a wide variety of nibs.
About This Pen
This 88P is from my personal collection, being sold only because it’s not my birth month-made 88, which will stay with me for the long haul. This pen is from 1958-1963, and is in excellent condition, except for showing the microscratches of use on its gold cap and one grip mark on the section. Its piston mechanism has been freshly restored. It writes a fast, wet fine with just a touch of flex. The barrel and section are black celluloid and the cap is gold filled. The nib is a wet fine with a touch of flex. It is a delightful writer, a very sturdy and elegant pen that can be a daily user for years to come. I’ll probably have second thoughts about selling it until it’s sold.
Price: $135 Sold