I Would Love This As A Gift, Preferably The Fountain Pen - The Mont Blanc Limited Edition Leonardo Da Vinci

One of the pen's that stuck out for me this year was the Leonardo Da Vinci Limited Edition from Mont Blanc. It was recently that I learnt how to write with a fountain pen. I have lived in fear of them since I was a child because I was a left hander. It was after I met the team at Penultimate that I bought my first Lamy to write with and now I am itching to own a full blown collectors piece which I can hand-write the occasional note with. In a world where everything is done by email, I consider it a 'gift' just to receive or send a hand-written note.

So, if you were inclined to purchase this pen, either for yourself or for your special someone, you can head into Penultimate in Sydney's QVB or you can visit Mont Blanc itself on King Street.

About the pen:

Leonardo da Vinci – a man of many talents, was not just a remarkable painter, sculptor and architect; he was a man of science and a brilliant inventor with a particular interest in the study of flying. Montblanc celebrates the genius of the great artist with its Great Characters Limited Edition Leonardo.

The cap and barrel of the writing instrument are crafted from anodized aluminium, a reference to the material now used to build today's flying machines or aeroplanes. The polished platinum plated fittings are reproductions of da Vinci's studies for wedge connections, the shape on the cone refers to the double movement transmission conceptualized by da Vinci over 500 years ago and the red gold plated gear at the end of the clip is reminiscent of the many cogwheels the Italian master used in his designs.

This design is completed with the engraved nib with one of da Vinci’s famous drawings of a bat whose wings he studied, while the forefront of the pen is etched with his own sketch of a mechanical wing. A subtle reference to his  practice of mirror writing gives the Montblanc emblem in precious resin which is unexpectedly concealed within the cap and its reflection can be seen in a mirror placed inside the cap top.