Nettuno God of the Sea
First traces of Nettuno's foundation date back to 1911. That's why Nettuno is usually referred to as one of Italy's historical writing instrument brands.
The Neptune fountain (more so Neptune's trident) in Piazza Maggiore in Bologna Italy inspired the symbol of Nettuno.
Revived in January 2018, Nettuno writing instruments are manufactured in Naples, Italy by none other than Nino Marino (co-founder of the legendary Delta pen company) and his Maiora pen company.
The God of the Sea is Nettuno's first Limited Edition with only 888 pieces being made.
I have 039/888 with a medium nib (I'll get back to the nib later) and I love it!
The body is made from a special hand turned deep blue resin with swirls of lighter blue, which, to me, perfectly symbolises the captivating depths of the Mediterranean.
The material is lovely, very subtle and elegant. Yes it doesn't have multi layers of colour or chatoyance, and some people may feel it lacks depth; but for me I'm glad the body material is relatively "quiet". That way the body doesn't distracted you from the beautiful trim.
And the trim is lovely!
The finial of the cap is the Nettuno signature "cabochon" medallion representing the waves of the Sea.
On this Limited edition the "cabochon" is a hand worked solid piece of brass plated in Rose Gold and it compliments the deep blue beautifully.
The cap noticeably tapers more towards the finial then on other Nettuno 1911's and is longer and more in proportion to the rest of the body. (You can really see the modern design elements taken from the Maiora Impronte range)
The most eye catching elements of this pen are on the cap.
Here you will find two decorative hand worked brass bands, plated in Rose Gold, with waves engraved on them which represent the movement of the Sea.
The engraving is clean and crisp and I really like it.
However I have to be honest, the clip is my only bugbear on this Limited Edition. I can see why it was made like it is, and yes I can sort of see that it represents a harpoon... but I wish it incorporated the trident emblem. I've always loved the trident on other Nettuno models; but perhaps that would make the cap too busy?
The bands do add significant weight to the cap though. So if you like posting your pens, you will feel the balance of the pen shift more to the back.
The overall shape of the God of the Sea is definitely more contemporary than other Nettuno 1911's and it looks good for it.
The cap is not flush to the barrel, but the transition is smooth.
The barrel then tapers gently toward the blind cap which finishes in a smooth mild conical finial.
On the barrel is a lovely blind engraving.
The engraving is subtle and clean and is the only decoration on the body. There are no further decorative bands distracting you from that beautiful resin.
The Nettuno God of the Sea is a cartridge convertor which you can access either by unscrewing the body from the section or by unscrewing the blind cap.
The convertor is a screw fix item so nice and secure and it doesn't rattle in the barrel.
The operatimg mechanism of the cartridge convertor is shrouded in a Nettuno engraved rose gold plated brass cap and operates smoothly.
What about the nib... well it's Rose Gold and relatively simple in design, with the Nettuno "N", 1911, 18kt-750 and the nib width engraved on it.
My pen is pre-owned and although it is a medium nib, it does appear to be a bit stubby. Whether this was ground by the previous owner or came out the factory like this I can't say, and further more I don't care! Its a fantastic writer... wet, juicy, consistent and boy does this nib have some bounce. There is literally no feedback across the paper (I usually use Rhodia paper). It's glassy smooth so may not be to everyone's taste, but for me I love it! especially the expression you can squeeze out.
And boy the Rose Gold looks fantastic!
The section is girthy and tapers slightly with a little flare at the nib end. The threads are smooth and not sharp, and the small stepped transition from the section to the barrel is smooth and not at all sharp.
I find it very comfortable for longer writing periods with plenty of room to move my grip around if needs be.
Well I have to be honest... the clip irks me.
There is nothing wrong with the functionality, the quality or the look. In fact it's a lovely clip... it's just it's a Nettuno and I really love the trident emblem of the brand and I think it needed to be on the pen somewhere to celebrate the brand's history; but that is my personal opinion.
Other than that the God of the Sea, in my eyes, is perfect. I love the colour and the rose gold bands and that nib... wow!
But at around ~£430 (available from izods.ink) it is not cheap, and as with the Maiora Vesuvio some enthusiasts may expect more than a cartridge converter...
But at around ~£430 (available from izods.ink) it is not cheap, and as with the Maiora Vesuvio some enthusiasts may expect more than a cartridge converter...
However that doesn't bother me!
What you have here is an oversized hand made Limited Edition Italian fountain pen that is really very well made, complete with a glorious Rose Gold nib, wonderful Rose Gold trims and a pen that offers a truly wonderful writing experience.
It has become one of my favourite writing instruments and therfore worth every penny!
Size & Weights:
Capped: 146 mm
Posted: 154 mm
Uncapped: 130 mm
Girth: 16 mm
Overall weight: 36 g
Body: 21 g
Cap: 15 g
I hope you have enjoyed my review of my Nettuno 1911 God of the Sea Limited Edition.
You can check out other models in the Nettuno range at www.izods.ink or @izods_pens on instagram.
You can also catch a review of this exact pen by Pen Fiends on YouTube.
Please feel free to have a look at my instagram account; @ellz_penz where I feature the other pens in my collection.
Thank-you for reading!
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