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Quick answer
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.
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The Momento Zero in black matte, capped, to scale at Leonardo's 142 mm.
Product facts
Product
Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Zero Fountain Pen (Black Matte, steel nib)
Acrylic or resin body turned from a solid bar, metal trim, steel or 14k gold nib
Released
2017*
Price range
$$$$over $75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count)
Colors
black mattematte
Special editions
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Notes on these facts
Made by Leonardo Officina Italiana (Italy). Made in 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. Price: example listing. Released: Leonardo says the Momento Zero was designed at the end of 2017 as its first pen; Endless Pens says it launched at the end of 2017.
Colors: names per Leonardo Officina Italiana, checked October 24, 2026. 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. 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
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.
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 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 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.
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 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, 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.
