To be quite honest, I really didn’t know what to expect when I bought this pen. I have wanted an Ancora pen for quite some time and the one from Levenger was at a darn good price. I received an email from Levenger (I am on the mailing list) and they listed some pen prices as much as 50% off the normal price. Surprisingly the pen that I wanted dropped dramatically in price and I was left with no choice but to buy it. I tried to convince the wife about that and for some reason she just didn’t understand nor did she want to understand!!! Oh well, I was glad to get that off my back, I know you penaholics understand what I am talking about!!! The pen confessions of a mad man I guess!!!
It took about 4 days for it to make it to my front door. I have to say that I counted every day since I ordered it!!! When it got to my door, I ripped the box open and I threw the packaging material all over the front room. Kind of like a child opening presents on Christmas!!! The pen came in a nice faux red leather box that actually looks very nice. When I opened the box, I saw the light emanating from contents and I must of heard the voice of God in a deep voice say”My son, here is the blessed holy pen I have give you. Use it wisely and you will be able to conquer nations with a scribble of the nib”. If you believe that, then I have a bridge I would like to sell you!!! Anyways, everything looked in order and I was extremely excited to fill it up with ink and take it for a test run. Lets see how this pen performed!
Appearance/ Finish 5 out of 5
Ok, at first I was a tad bit undecided on what color and nib size I wanted. Out of the Blue and Orange I chose the Orange color with a Broad nib. I have plenty of blue and black pens and it is time for a bit of a change. The material of this pen is acrylic and the finish is just mind blowing!! I was expecting the color to be a vivid orange but it was more of a dark reddish orange color. There is a marble swirl along with some striations; this is a very 3 dimensional looking material and finish on this pen. I have to say that I was very pleased with appearance; I just hope that the pen writes as good as it looks.
This version of the Ancora Perla for Levenger is a bit different than the standard Perla. The Perla for Levenger version lacks the two large decorated silver bands one of them on the rear of the pen and the other one is where the section connects to the barrel. There is also another difference where the threads are located. On the Standard version, the threads are located near front of the section near the nib. The Special Edition for Levenger, the threads are located further up the section next to the barrel. The main design is the same but with some minor cosmetic differences.
This is the standard Ancora Perla
This is the Ancora Perla for Levenger
Design/Size/Weight 4.5 out of 5
The threads are not the typical resin threads on the barrel. They used silver plated (that’s what it looks like) threads to secure the cap with the rest of the pen. As far as I am concerned, this makes for a tight fit with the possibility of stripping the threads at a minimum. I also noticed something else that was a bit strange, it only takes a ½ turn for the cap to be removed from the pen. Other manufactures usually use a full turn to a turn and a half to remove the cap. I have a Parker Duofold Centennial that is 2 complete turns for the cap to be released. Now is it bad that this pen takes a ½ turn to release? No, not at all, it just takes some getting used to
The Cap band is a nice silver plated material that has an interesting engraved design. The clip is extremely difficult to lift and there are no springs at all. I never use a clip so that is not an issue. For others, this might be an issue due to the fact that it takes a good amount of force to push the clip to make the material of your shirt pocket slide through to secure it. On the other hand, once it is on there, the chances of the pen falling out of your pocket are very slim.
Ok, let me see, the pen is not very heavy at all and the design seems to be pretty solid. This pen does not feel like a tank due to the lack of the 2 metal bands on this version of this pen. With the cap posted or not, this pen does feel good. The dimensions are 5 1/4 X 2 1.1 OZ and that’s without the cap posted. With the cap posted the length is roughly 6 ¼ inches in length. This is about a standard size pen, even though I am used to oversized pens, writing with a slightly smaller pen is quite enjoyable and a good change of pace.
We already went over the color of the pen but I have to say that the color is just beautiful and I think a lot of time was used to come out with design the resin. The swirls and striations really make this pen stand out. As far as I am concerned, this pen is very well designed and I think this pen will stand the test of time with normal use.
Nib Design and Performance 5 out of 5
This pen has a nib that is a tad bit less than an inch in length. It is an 18kt gold nib with rhodium plating. The thing that really made me scratch my head was how long the point is on the nib. You can see this in the picture below. Of course there are the typical engravings and designs on the nib. On this one, there is the trademark Anchor and the inscription of 1919 right above the Anchor. Why Anchor for an Ancora pen? Anchor, Ancora? Come one, you get it, don’t you??? It is the same! Ancora means Anchor in Italian.
Ok, here is what it boils down to, how does this pen perform? I bought the pen with a broad nib because I like the nice thick lines and the broad nibs that I have bought in the past have been extremely smooth. I filled this pen up with some Noodlers Air Corp Blue Black ink because I know it has great lubricating properties. The pen fills via cartridge or converter and both are supplied by Ancora.
I put the pen to the test and I have to say I was very shocked by how smooth and springy the nib is!! I don’t know too much about flex but this nib is as flexible as the Stipula 22 with the titanium nib. There is very nice line variation and the nib feels extremely natural when you write. The nib glides effortlessly across the page of paper. There is a good amount of space from the tip of the feed to the tip of the nib. I think this is what explains the springy and flexible characteristics of this nib. This is one of the better nibs I have wrote with and there was ZERO skipping and no feed issues as of yet.
The Filling System 4 out of 5
Unfortunately, this pen uses a Cartridge Converter filling system. As we all know, I do not care too much for this type of filling system. The main reason why I don’t care for this filling system is that this pen drinks up ink like it was a Wino who came across a case of Thunderbird. I believe if they would have used an intergraded filling system such as a button or piston filler, this would have solved the problem. Then again, I bought the pen with a broad nib. Broad nibs tend to lay down a good amount of ink and that is what causes the pen to drain so quickly. On a personal level, I have a Visconti Ink Pot and I carry it around with me in my pen case. So as long as I know I have a good supply of ink, there is no need to fret.
Cost 5 out of 5
This is the place where most people go to when it comes to a review. “How much is it” and “is it worth the price” are the questions I normally ask. Well Levenger lists this pen for roughly $198.00USD but because they are having what they call the “Pentathalon”, the pen is now $99.95 USD. That is almost 50% off of the listed price. The regular line Ancora Perla goes for about $199.00USD and it would be silly for me to get the Levenger version for the same price and without the little extras that the regular line Perla has. For almost $100.00 off the listed price, I think it is a good price but if you want the 2 extra bands, then you will have to shell out an extra $100.00 for the Regular Perla. I do not think it is worth it at all. As far as I am concerned, for the price, this pen is a steal.
Conclusion
This is my first Ancora and I have to say that I am extremely pleased. Not only am I pleased by the performance but also the workmanship and thought that went into the design. I believe this pen is an “attention getter” but at the same time it has class and it will make people want to use it and try to swipe it away from you. I had to hide it from the wife; I don’t want it to end up missing like my Namiki Vanishing Point. This pen is a real pleasure to use and the price is right. I have to give this pen my full recommendation and for the price, this is your chance to own a writing instrument from one of Italy’s oldest and reputable pen companies.
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