When it comes to true handcraft, nothing separates the practitioners from the pretenders better than a solid, small-batch release. Montegrappa’s recent catalog has included a string of low-denomination editions made for the curious connoisseur. For this latest excursion into nostalgist nirvana, its craftsmen have turned to premium German ebonite to infuse a classic silhouette with masculine grunt.

Like celluloid (an in-house staple) ebonite is steeped in vintage mystique. Invented by the Goodyear brothers in 1851, this vulcanised hard rubber compound featured extensively in early-century Elmo pens produced in Montegrappa’s Venetian factory. Advancements in technology may have created industrial efficiencies, but few modern solutions can mimic the honesty and intimacy of early-generation industrial materials.

Keen-eyed aficionados will recognize the three mottled ebonite colors from 2019’s WWI-era reissue safety pen, the Mia Carissima. Rich-grain Brick Red, Blackcurrant and Petroleum provide a choice of housings for Montegrappa’s patented 32-tooth click-wheel piston-fill mechanism. 

Ebonite’s chemical composition causes sterling silver to tarnish, requiring trim materials to be substituted with high-grade stainless steel. Using Montegrappa’s much-loved Miya silhouette as a starting point, the Miya Ebonite features scaled-back hardware to reinforce its workmanlike honesty: adding grit to glamour. Besides its ultra-true writing performance, Montegrappa’s hallmark rolling-sphere brass clip is the most potent reminder of the Miya Ebonite’s privileged provenance.

This North American exclusive comprises only fifty numbered examples of each, and writers can select from a line-up of 18K gold nibs in four grades with ebonite feeds. The Miya arrives in a Montegrappa gift box.

Nib Material: 18K Gold, Rhodium Plated

Filling Mechanism: Piston