Leonardo Officina Italiana Review

A new, innovative collection has hit the markets and it is just breathtaking! If you haven’t seen the new collection from Leonardo Officina Italiana then you are missing out. Salvatore Matrone founded this amazing and unique brand featuring handmade pens so that no two pens are the same. If that name sounds familiar to you, that is because Salvatore is the son of Ciro Matrone who was one of the founders of Delta Pens. Salvatore Matrone took a part of that heritage with him as he created his brand, Leonardo Officina Italiana. Read on to find an exclusive interview we had with Salvatore regarding his passion for making pens.

The first collection is called Momento Zero, meaning “a new beginning” for the company as well as a new generation of pens from the Matrone family. The new collection features a classical design with exclusive materials like celluloid, ebonite, wood, special resins, bronze and precious metals. The materials undergo special treatments as to preserve the pen so it can be passed down from generation to generation.

The Goldspot Pens Exclusive Interview with Salvatore Matrone:

Goldspot: What inspired you to create this collection?
Salvatore Matrone: Passion, that is the key word! The growing passion for old “vintage” pens and the Italian style are irreplaceable in this modern world. “Italian vintage” means that the design of our pens is inspired by the classical masterpieces that were created in the ‘30s and ‘40s, Italy’s Golden
Years.
Italy was famous for the design of their pens. Designs such as the shape of the cap made like an open umbrella inspired the whole world to create pens with well-balanced size and details that comes from the combination of tradition and innovation.

GS: What is one of your favorites from the Moment Zero Collection?
SM: I cannot say what my favorite is, but I can tell you that the “Blue Positano,” “Hawaii Blue,” and the new “Pietra Marina” are having a lot of success and therefore, I am very excited. Since we have introduced our brand, Leonardo Officina Italiana, we’ve experienced high demands for the Blue Positano, Deep Blue, Green, Horn and Red. Recently, we have introduced new colors to the Momento Zero Collection like the “Red & Gold, Green & Gold, Brown, and Hawaii Blue.”

GS: What made you continue the family tradition?
SM: It is impossible for me not to live in the world of fountain pens. I was born and raised in the pen world so when it was time I started working with my father, designing many collections. I am the author of many successes like the Capri Collection, Magnifica Almalfi, Enrico Caruso, Giacomo Puccini and many others from Delta Pens. I have learned all the secrets within creating and designing pens from my father, we are the perfect team: design and craftsmanship for the perfect result.

GS: What would be the most important aspect of making pens that was passed down to you?
SM: Two of the main aspects that was passed down to me is the materials and design of the pens. People are inspired by quality, so a pen that is created using resin, celluloid, or ebonite causes a buzz within the pen community as these materials will preserve the original delicate features of the pen for generations. We want the design of the pens to be bright from the resins without adding too much metal so the original beauty of the materials is observed.

One of the coolest aspects of these pens is that every single detail is obtained by hand, all the pieces are turned from solid bar and therefore not obtained from the mold. This allows us to be very flexible as we can create small special collections customized for our customers, for an anniversary or a special occasion. This aspect makes us special and we are appreciated for it. We are experts about nibs and filling systems, my father has revived many filling systems: lateral level, button filler, piston etc.

GS: What can we expect from you in the near future?
SM: We are currently searching for new quality resins and materials to experiment with for our future collections. As of right now, I have several projects I am working on which include materials like Italian wood as well as transparent resins. By the end of the year, there will be three new collections and many new additions to the Momento Zero and Furore Collections but I’ll keep that a surprise!