--- title: "Leonardo Momento Zero: Size, Nibs, Resins & Price" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/leonardo-momento-zero/" description: "Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Zero explained: 142 mm and 27 g, steel or 14k gold nibs, cartridge or converter, turned resin bodies, Italian origin." category: "Pens" type: "Fountain pen" published: 2026-10-23 updated: 2026-10-24 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 8 products: - name: "Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Zero Fountain Pen (Black Matte, steel nib)" brand: "Leonardo Officina Italiana" brand_origin: "Italy" made_in: "Italy" material: "Acrylic or resin body turned from a solid bar, metal trim, steel or 14k gold nib" released: "2017" price_band: "$$$$ (over $75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Leonardo Officina Italiana (Italy)" model: "Momento Zero (fountain pen)" url: "https://leonardopen.com/it/products/momento-zero-black-matte-steel-nib" --- # Leonardo Momento Zero: Size, Nibs, Resins & Price > The Momento Zero is the first pen from Leonardo Officina Italiana, launched at the end of 2017 and turned from solid bars of acrylic or resin. Leonardo lists it at 142 mm (5.6 in) capped and 27 g, with a steel or 14k gold nib that fills from standard cartridges or the included converter. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/leonardo-momento-zero/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-23 - Updated: 2026-10-24 ![Black matte Leonardo Momento Zero fountain pen, capped, drawn to scale at 142 mm, with an inset of the steel nib](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/leonardo-momento-zero-16x9.png) *The Momento Zero in black matte, capped, to scale at Leonardo's 142 mm.* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Zero Fountain Pen (Black Matte, steel nib) | Leonardo Officina Italiana (by Leonardo Officina Italiana (Italy)) | Italy | Italy | Acrylic or resin body turned from a solid bar, metal trim, steel or 14k gold nib | 2017 | $$$$: over $75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Zero Fountain Pen (Black Matte, steel nib)): Italy. Leonardo's own Italian product text, reproduced on Galen Leather's listing, says the Confettini Momento Zero is "realizzata interamente in Italia" (made entirely in Italy); Leonardo's brand page calls its pens Italian and says the internal mechanisms are developed in its own workshops. The steel nib is a bought-in part, which Leonardo doesn't name. Source: https://www.galenleather.com/products/leonardo-momento-zero-fountain-pen-confettini-st-6 ### Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Zero Fountain Pen (Black Matte, steel nib) colors - Body colors (21 standard, 1 special edition): black matte (matte); Angel skin; Arlecchino (silver or gold trim); Artica; Blue Hawaii; Blue Positano (Positano in the gold-nib listing); Confettini (Rainbow Sprinkles); Corricella; green Alga; Horn; Lava/Cenere (Lava and Ash); Mango; Nuvola; Nuvola Lilac; Pausilya; Pietra marina; Prugna; Pura vida; baltic snow (custom nib); Aluminia (special edition, limited edition of 525); Siren (Dolcevita® collection, ST or GT trim); marmo Pompei (Dolcevita® collection, ST or GT trim). - Per Leonardo Officina Italiana (https://leonardopen.com/it/products/momento-zero-black-matte-steel-nib), checked 2026-10-24. Momento Zero fountain pen colors as Leonardo's own store lists them (October 24, 2026), counting steel- and gold-nib listings of a color once; the Grande, MZG and ballpoint lines are left out. Aluminia is a limited edition of 525 per Leonardo; Siren and marmo Pompei are Leonardo's Dolcevita® collection, each with silver (ST) or gold (GT) trim, and Arlecchino comes with silver or gold trim. Tints were sampled from Leonardo's product photos, with hand-picked values for multicolored resins and two-tone pens. Shops stock different colors; check the listing. ## Key takeaways - Leonardo lists the Momento Zero at 142 mm (5.6 in) capped, a 127 mm body, a 65 mm cap and 27 g. - Leonardo designed it at the end of 2017 as its first pen; each body is turned from a solid bar and numbered. - Nibs come in steel or 14k gold, EF to Stub 1.1 on Leonardo's own shop; it fills from cartridges or a converter. - On October 23, 2026 Leonardo's Italian shop listed steel-nib versions from €143.44 (about US$161) and gold from €459.02 (about US$514). - Leonardo says its pens are made in Italy, and the founders' father helped found Delta in 1982. ## What is the Leonardo Momento Zero? **It's the first pen from Leonardo Officina Italiana, an Italian maker, and still its best known.** Leonardo says it designed the Momento Zero at the end of 2017, and that it quickly became an icon among collectors for its vintage details, size and balance. Each body is turned from a solid bar of acrylic or special resin and numbered. Leonardo sells it as a fountain pen, a capped rollerball and a ballpoint. On Reddit's r/fountainpens it's one of the pens people recommend most for a first "nice" Italian pen: eight posts in the threads we read on October 23, 2026 named it. ## Momento Zero specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | Leonardo Officina Italiana, Italy | | Length capped | 142 mm (5.6 in) | | Body length | 127 mm (5.0 in), nib included | | Cap length | 65 mm (2.6 in) | | Cap diameter | 15.5 mm | | Grip diameter | 10.6 mm | | Weight | 27 g | | Filling | Cartridge or converter (converter included) | | Nibs (Leonardo shop) | Steel EF, F, M, B, Stub 1.1; 14k gold EF, F, M, B, Stub 1.1 | | Body | Acrylic or resin, turned from a solid bar, numbered | Sizes and weight are from Leonardo's Italian product page for the black matte pen; Endless Pens lists the same numbers. Weights vary a little with the material. ![Leonardo Momento Zero capped length, body and cap drawn to scale](https://stationerytimes.com/images/leonardo-momento-zero-lengths.svg) *The 65 mm cap covers the nib and part of the 127 mm body.* ## Which nib should you choose? **Steel suits most people; gold costs about three times as much.** Leonardo's shop lists steel nibs in EF, F, M, B and Stub 1.1, the same widths in 14k gold, and a few specials such as an Architetto grind. Galen Leather's listing adds Stub 1.5 and an elastic (springy) steel nib in EF or F. These are European widths, which run broader than Japanese ones; our [nib size guide](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/fountain-pen-nib-sizes-explained/) compares them. ## How do you fill it? **With a standard cartridge or the converter in the box, through the barrel.** Endless Pens lists a gift box, a gold-colored converter and a cartridge. Leonardo's page doesn't name a cartridge type, so ask your retailer before buying spares; the converter lets you use any bottled ink. Our guide to [filling a fountain pen](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/how-to-fill-a-fountain-pen/) shows how. ## How does it compare with other popular mid-price pens? **It's shorter than a TWSBI ECO but heavier, and the turned resin is the attraction.** | | Momento Zero | [TWSBI ECO](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/twsbi-eco/) | [Opus 88 Jazz](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/opus-88-jazz/) | |---|---|---|---| | Capped | 142 mm (5.6 in) | 138.8 mm (5.5 in) | 151.2 mm (6.0 in) | | Weight | 27 g | 21 g | 28.0 g | | Filling | Cartridge or converter | Piston | Eyedropper | | Origin | Italy | Taiwan | Taiwan | | Price band | $$$$ | $$$ | $$$ | The ECO and Jazz figures are retailer measurements from those guides. For pens with a gold nib in the same range, see our [fountain pens under $100](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-fountain-pens-under-100/) roundup. ## Where is the Momento Zero made? **In Italy.** Leonardo's own description of the Confettini Momento Zero says it is made entirely in Italy, and its brand page says the internal mechanisms are developed in its workshops. Leonardo's brand page names the founders, Salvatore and Mariafrancesca Matrone. Their father, Ciro Matrone, spent half a century making writing instruments and played a key role in founding Delta in 1982. ## How much does a Momento Zero cost? **It's in our $$$$ band, over $75 per pen, at US retailers we checked in October 2026, such as Endless Pens.** On October 23, 2026 Leonardo's Italian shop listed steel-nib pens from €143.44 (about US$161) and gold-nib pens at €459.02 (about US$514). The black matte steel-nib pen was €151.64 (about US$170). Limited colors and special editions cost more. Another cartridge-and-converter pen at a similar price is the [Esterbrook Estie](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/esterbrook-estie/), with a wide choice of nib grinds. ## Frequently asked questions ### Who makes the Momento Zero? Leonardo Officina Italiana, an Italian pen maker founded by Salvatore and Mariafrancesca Matrone. Their father, Ciro Matrone, helped found the pen brand Delta in 1982, according to Leonardo. ### Does the Momento Zero come with a converter? Yes. Endless Pens lists a converter and one cartridge in the box, and Leonardo's own page says the pen fills from a cartridge or the converter supplied inside it. ### Is the Momento Zero a good first gold-nib pen? It can be, but you pay a lot more for gold: Leonardo's shop lists the gold-nib version at about three times the steel price, so many buyers start with steel. ### What is the difference between the Momento Zero and the Momento Zero Grande? The Grande is Leonardo's larger version of the same design, sold as its own line, alongside a Grande 2.0 and the Momento Magico. ### Is the Momento Zero heavy? No, it's mid-weight. Leonardo lists 27 g, a few grams more than a 21 g TWSBI ECO and about the same as an Opus 88 Jazz. ### Is the Leonardo Momento Zero made in the USA? No, in Italy. Leonardo says its pens are made in Italy and turned in its own workshops. ## Sources - [Momento zero nero opaco (pennino in ACCIAIO), leonardopen.com (Leonardo's Italian shop: 142 mm, 65 mm cap, 127 mm body, 27 g, 15.5 mm cap, 10.6 mm grip, nib options, €151.64; read October 23, 2026)](https://leonardopen.com/it/products/momento-zero-black-matte-steel-nib) - [Collezione Momento Zero, leonardopen.com (designed at the end of 2017 as Leonardo's first pen; turned from a solid bar and numbered; prices €143.44 steel and €459.02 gold)](https://leonardopen.com/it/collections/momento-zero-collection) - [Leonardo Officina Italiana, brand page (founders Salvatore and Mariafrancesca Matrone; Ciro Matrone and the founding of Delta in 1982)](https://leonardopen.com/it/pages/brand) - [Galen Leather: Leonardo Momento Zero, Confettini ST #6 (Leonardo's Italian description: made entirely in Italy; nib options)](https://www.galenleather.com/products/leonardo-momento-zero-fountain-pen-confettini-st-6) - [Endless Pens: Leonardo Momento Zero (Stainless Steel), Corno (launched end of 2017, specs, box contents)](https://endlesspens.com/products/leonardo-fountain-pen-momento-zero-stainless-steel-corno) - [Endless Pens: Leonardo fountain pen size comparison](https://endlesspens.com/blogs/ramona-writes-whats-whys-and-hows/leonardo-fountain-pen-size-comparison) - [Reddit r/fountainpens: gold-nib, grail and recommendation threads naming the Momento Zero (search RSS, read October 23, 2026)](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/search/?q=momento+zero) - [Leonardo Officina Italiana: online store, Momento Zero fountain pens (colors, Aluminia limited edition of 525, Dolcevita® collection; October 24, 2026)](https://leonardopen.com/collections/all)