Leonardo - Urushi Essenza Ishime Otto Nero 2026 Pen Venture Exclusive

To celebrate eight years dedicated to the world of fine writing instruments, we brought to light a truly exclusive anniversary edition created in collaboration with Leonardo Officina Italiana.

Limited to just 15 fountain pens worldwide, this edition is conceived as a collector’s piece, a tangible expression of the journey, the people, the passion and the craftsmanship that have shaped Pen Venture over the past eight years. This exclusive edition contains the DNA of the latest venture and its full story is close to be shared with the launching of our HQ and the physical gallery store.

The foundation of each pen is ebonite, carefully refined by PenTeo before undergoing a complex, entirely handcrafted Urushi process. The surface is built through multiple layers of lacquer, each carefully applied, dried and refined to create the foundation for the distinctive finish.

At the heart of the process is the traditional Japanese Suzu Ishime technique, a highly refined form of Ishime inspired Urushi technique designed to evoke the subtle texture and character of natural stone. Kanishitsu lacquer is applied and painted by hand to create the characteristic granular surface, which is progressively layered, shaped, and polished. Rather than simply decorating the surface, the technique builds texture and depth into the finish itself, allowing its character to emerge gradually through the successive stages of craftsmanship.

Black Urushi layers are then carefully applied to consolidate the structure and prepare the surface for the metallic elements. Fine Sterling Silver powder is introduced between successive layers of lacquer, creating a subtle sparkling metallic depth beneath the surface. After drying, the fountain pen was meticulously polished to reveal the interplay between the dark lacquer, the textured structure and the luminous metallic sheen.

Several final layers of protective Urushi are applied and polished by hand, creating the deep gloss and dimensional finish characteristic of the technique. The result is a surface that changes subtly with the light, revealing different nuances as the fountain pen is held and admired.

Urushi Essenza comes with all the qualities already known from Leonardo Officina Italiana, piston filling system that you can disassemble with the piston tool, a 14kt size #8 La Fenice rhodium plated nib and a matching grey ebonite feeder.

Because every stage is performed by hand with curing time in between layers, each fountain pen possesses its own individual character, making every one of the 15 pieces a unique object in its own right.

Each writing instrument is presented with a bottle of Leonardo Black ink, completing the experience of this anniversary edition.

This is eight years of Pen Venture distilled into fifteen extraordinary pieces, created to be written with, admired and ultimately treasured as part of a collection.

Leaking pen. Poor support! Very disappointed

Customer names "Leak" - a natural phenomenon named "Nib Creep" (the phenomenon where fountain pen ink slowly migrates up through the center slit of the nib and pools or forms a thin film on the top surface of the metal) - the picture uploaded by the customer stands as proof.

Milestone Pen, Stellar Writer

I ordered this pen as an advance present to myself - a reward for a challenging but fruitful year, and especially for reaching a notable age milestone.
The first time I saw it presented by Emy on Youtube, I will admit I was a bit hesitant, as it wasn’t in a shape, texture or material I was familiar with, nor was its body in my preferred range of colors.
I eventually went ahead with the purchase, with the only addition being a bottle of Leonardo Asa Blu ink, and I am so very glad I did.

The solid-but-light nature won me over, along with the surprisingly well-balanced feel - it’s like it was sculpted to fit my hand perfectly. And the Urushi coating gives the pen a comfortable warmth that no other pen in my collection has.
The texture is another aspect of this pen that I grew to love. It’s soft and tactile at the same time, and the specks of silver under the Urushi lacquer give the impression of distant clusters of stars frozen in space and time, lending the pen a cosmic aura of sorts.
The No. 8-sized Leonardo gold nib is TREMENDOUS. In size and in feel. I went with a “happy” Medium tipping size, aiming to have it usable as a daily writer as well as to enjoy the shades of color the ink can imprint on paper. The actual writing feel is buttery smooth with a decent bit of bounce, and the Asa Blu ink works beautifully with this pen, leaving impressions of clear and peaceful skies with every sentence I write. Upside-down writing works surprisingly well too, bringing the stroke thickness down from M to EF.
Lucky bonus: I received the pen with the number that perfectly aligned with my intended occasion, which makes it all the more meaningful and precious to me.

Wonderful jewel of a pen, Emy and Pen-Venture team. To many more brilliant years ahead!

Leonardo - Urushi Essenza Ishime Otto Nero 2026 Pen Venture Exclusive

Customer Reviews