Est. 2026 · Price: FreeEditor-at-large: The Hedgehog

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Aurora 88: Italian Piston Pen With a Reserve Tank

Compiled from 8 sources; we haven't tested this product ourselves yet. How we research

Quick answer

The Aurora 88 is a piston-filling fountain pen from Aurora of Turin, designed by Marcello Nizzoli in 1947 and still made. It has a 14k gold nib and a hidden ink reserve. Iguana Sell lists it at 135 mm closed and 15 mm across; Aurora lists the black resin 800 at €650 (about US$728). It sits in our $$$$ band.

On this page10 sections
Aurora 88 fountain pen in black resin with gold trim drawn to scale at 135 mm closed, with a close-up of the 14k gold nib
The black resin 88 with gold trim, 135 mm closed.

Product facts

Product
Aurora 88 (Ottantotto) piston fountain pen, black resin with gold trim (800)
Brand
Aurora
Brand origin
Italy
Made in
Italy*
Material
Black resin cap and body, gold-plated trim, 14k gold nib, ebonite feed (Aurora; Iguana Sell)
Released
1947*
Price range
$$$$over $75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count)
Colors

Resinablack resin, gold trim · item 800

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Notes on these facts
  • Made by Aurora (Turin). Made in Italy: Aurora's Italian store marks its pens "Made in Turin", and Iguana Sell's 88 listing gives Italy as the country of manufacture; Online Mantra says the gold nib is made in-house by Aurora. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Aurora's history page says Marcello Nizzoli created the 88 in 1947; Akkerman says the 88 was reintroduced in 1980.
  • Colors: names per Aurora (Italy), checked October 24, 2026. Aurora's Italian store sells the 88 fountain pen in two versions: Ottantotto Resina (item 800, black resin with gold finishes) and Ottantotto Millerighe (item 801, black resin body with a gold-laminated guilloché cap). Neither is in Aurora's limited-edition category. Tints were hand-picked from Aurora's product photos. Tints are representative, not measured. Shops stock different colors.
  • Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).

Key takeaways

  • Aurora says Marcello Nizzoli created the 88 in 1947 and that more than 7 million have been sold.
  • Aurora's Italian store lists the black resin 88 with gold trim, item 800, at €650 (about US$728).
  • Iguana Sell lists the 88 line at 135 mm (5.3 in) closed, 157 mm (6.2 in) posted and 15 mm across.
  • A hidden reserve lets you write about another page when the main supply runs out, per Akkerman and Online Mantra.
  • Aurora offers the 14k gold nib in EF, F, M and B; Iguana Sell lists an ebonite feed.

What is the Aurora 88?

It’s Aurora’s classic piston-filling fountain pen, created in 1947 by the designer Marcello Nizzoli and still in production. Aurora’s Italian history page says more than 7 million have been sold and calls it a symbol of Italian design.

Aurora was founded in Turin in 1919. The Dutch retailer Akkerman says the 88 was its response to the Parker 51 and was reintroduced in 1980; Aurora’s Italian store sells it as the Ottantotto, Italian for 88.

It is Aurora’s best-known pen, though far less common at US retailers than the Japanese and German pens in our guides. Most of the figures here come from European and Asian retailers.

Aurora 88 specs

Spec Aurora 88 (88 line)
Length closed 135 mm (5.3 in) (Iguana Sell)
Barrel length 130 mm (5.1 in) (Iguana Sell)
Length posted 157 mm (6.2 in) (Iguana Sell)
Barrel width 15 mm (0.59 in) (Iguana Sell)
Weight 22 g with cap, 13 g without, 800C (Iguana Sell, search results)
Filling Piston, with a hidden reserve (Aurora; Akkerman)
Nib 14k gold, EF, F, M or B (Aurora)
Feed Ebonite (Iguana Sell)
Italy list price €650 (about US$728), black resin 800 (Aurora)

Aurora’s own store doesn’t list dimensions, so the size comes from Iguana Sell’s listing for the 88 line. A Spanish owner’s review of the silver-capped 803 gives 13.6 cm and 27 g, so expect a few grams’ difference between versions.

Aurora 88 lengths to scale: 135 mm closed, 130 mm barrel length with the cap off and 157 mm posted, 15 mm barrel
Closed, cap off and posted, drawn to scale from Iguana Sell's figures.

How does the Aurora 88’s ink reserve work?

Part of the ink stays in a hidden reservoir; when the pen runs dry, unscrewing the piston knob releases it for about another page. Akkerman and Online Mantra both describe it this way.

It’s a feature from the era of the 88’s design, meant to stop you running out mid-letter. Online Mantra adds that an ink window sits under the cap, so you can see the level once the pen is uncapped.

Which nib should you choose on the Aurora 88?

F or M for most handwriting; Aurora also offers EF and B on the black resin 88. Online Mantra lists specialty grinds at extra cost, including italic, stub and BB.

Online Mantra says Aurora makes its gold nibs in-house. Our nib sizes guide compares widths across brands.

How does the Aurora 88 compare to other gold-nib piston pens?

It’s slimmer and shorter than the big flagships and close in size to a Pelikan M400. The table uses each guide’s figures.

Aurora 88 Pelikan Souverän M400 Montblanc Meisterstück 149
Length closed 135 mm (5.3 in) 125 mm (4.9 in) 146.1 mm (5.75 in)
Filling Piston, hidden reserve Piston Piston
Nib 14k gold 14k gold 18k gold
Made in Italy Germany Germany
Price band $$$$ $$$$ $$$$

See our guides to the Pelikan Souverän M400 and the Montblanc Meisterstück 149, and the Parker 51 the 88 was designed to answer.

What versions of the Aurora 88 are there?

Aurora’s Italian store lists the black resin 88 (item 800) and the Ottantotto Millerighe (item 801), alongside 88 ballpoints and rollerballs. Retailers also sell metal-capped and limited versions, such as the sterling silver-capped 88 at Pen Boutique and the satin black 88 UNICA (809-NN) at Iguana Sell.

Akkerman lists matching 88 ballpoints, mechanical pencils and rollerballs. The fountain pens share the piston and the 14k gold nib; trim, cap material and weight vary.

Where is the Aurora 88 made?

In Turin, Italy. Aurora’s store marks its pens “Made in Turin”, and Iguana Sell lists Italy as the country of manufacture.

For Aurora’s one-of-a-kind jewel pens, see our most expensive fountain pens story.

Frequently asked questions

What does the 88 in Aurora 88 mean?

It's the model's name, Ottantotto in Italian. Aurora's sources we read don't explain the number, so we won't guess at it.

How does the Aurora 88 ink reserve work?

When the pen runs dry, unscrewing the piston knob releases ink held in a hidden reservoir, enough for about another page, according to Akkerman and Online Mantra.

Is the Aurora 88 nib gold?

Yes, 14k gold. Aurora offers EF, F, M and B on the black resin 88, and Online Mantra lists specialty grinds such as italic and stub at extra cost.

Was the Aurora 88 a copy of the Parker 51?

It was Aurora's answer to it. Akkerman says the 88 was first made in 1947 as a response to the Parker 51, the hooded-nib pen that led the market then.

Does the Aurora 88 have an ink window?

Yes. Online Mantra says there's an ink window hidden under the cap, so you can check the level once the pen is uncapped.

Is the Aurora 88 made in Italy?

Yes. Aurora says its pens are made in Turin, and Iguana Sell lists Italy as the country of manufacture.

Sources (8)

  1. Aurora (Italian): Ottantotto Resina, Stilografica, item 800 (piston filler, black resin, gold finishes, EF/F/M/B, €650 Italian-market price, Made in Turin; read October 23, 2026)
  2. Aurora (Italian): La nostra storia (founded 1919 in Turin; Marcello Nizzoli created the 88 in 1947; more than 7 million sold; still in production)
  3. Iguana Sell: Aurora 88 UNICA Fountain Pen, Satin resin, 809-NN (88 line: 14k gold nib, ebonite feed, piston, 135 mm closed, 130 mm barrel, 157 mm posted, 15 mm, made in Italy)
  4. Iguana Sell (Australia): Aurora 88 Big Fountain Pen, Black Resin, Chrome Trim, 800C (22 g with cap, 13 g without; seen in search results)
  5. Relojes Especiales forum: Aurora 88 Big Ottantotto 803 (13.6 cm closed, 1.4 cm body, 27 g, 14k EF nib, piston; seen in search results)
  6. Akkerman (Netherlands): Aurora 88 black GT fountain pen, item Au-800Bigm (1947 response to the Parker 51, reintroduced 1980, hidden reserve, 14k nib, ball clip)
  7. Online Mantra: Aurora 88 Black 14K Gold GT Fountain Pen 800 (ink window under the cap, reserve released by the piston knob, nib made in-house, specialty nibs)
  8. Aurora (Italian): Ottantotto Millerighe, Stilografica, item 801 (black resin body, gold-laminated guilloché cap)

Plain-text version for AI agents: aurora-88.md · Spotted an error? See how we check facts.