This is another edition of
Martini pens unlike any other made so far and is made by Danitrio.
The design, a spider in pursuit of a dragonfly, uses the antique
process of Raden, with steps requiring hand work from beginning
to end. Pieces of sea shell, egg shell and other materials are
carefully placed into the hand grooved hard rubber. After the
lacquer is set, the surface of the pen is hand finished in progressively
finer stages. This pen is approximately 5 7/8" long capped,
has a barrel diameter of 19/32" and weighs 29 1/2 grams
without ink. It fills with a converter and takes a standard
international cartridge.
The captivating part of this
design is the swirl of the spider legs. As the pen is turned,
the legs seem to extend.
The body of the spider is
reflective with abalone, a shell that refracts different colors
as the pen is turned. The final polish appears to have been
done on a spindle with the results visible under a loop, and
visible on the bottom close-up seen below. We suspect that this
technique was employed to avoid damage to the variety of inlays.
Large areas of
the barrel and cap are free of design, leaving one to conjecture
whether the spider has lunch.
Retail Price: $800.00
Our price: $720.00
The Spider pen
is presented in a lovely moderate sized, black lacquered wood
box with a magnetic clasp.
The 18k nib is the same one used on the Martini
Blue Sky. It has a platinum plating over the solid gold
and is available in Fine, Medium, Broad, 1.3mm Stub and two
new styles: Fine Flexible (FF), and Medium Flexible (MF). Note:
Every flexible nib that we have tested so far was poorly set
at the factory and has needed resetting here before it would
write well. We guarantee every pen and nib that we ship.
Each pen has a hand carved signature on the
top of the section and the edition number, --/50 hand engraved
on the underside.
We believe that these
will not be available for long.
Pat,
Really good news. The pens that I ordered arrived yesterday
night. Absolutely beautiful. Exactly as described... The Spider
is almost too realistic to put in one's pocket. A nice work
of art....
As ever, thanks for carefully adjusting the nibs. Your store
is well named, as I think it may be the only one that thinks
nibs are the heart of the pen, rather than an afterthought.
Oz Latrobe" (01/10/07)
Pat and John...
My Martini Spider arrived on time and without incident, and
immediately became my favorite pen. Now this is no small feat
considering I have been collecting for over 30 years and have
a multitude of fountain pens:
some are functional, some are beautiful, and a rare few combine
the best of both function and beauty. Many pens I own I love
to handle and look at, but they are not my favorites with
which to write. Others I love to
write with, but aesthetically (and I know this makes me very
shallow) they are not a joy to behold. The Martini Spider
is a larger pen than most that I own and I love how it feels
in my hand. Although I am a big fan of the ultra-fine Japanese
nibs, I am enjoying the flexible fine nib more than I anticipated.
It has a nice, soft feel and the ink flow is perfect. Of course
I am enamored of having a LE that few folks will own, but
this pen has a standalone beauty that would make it special
no matter what. It isn't just the workmanship; it is the design:
Simple, clean, and beautiful.
I am using it every day and carrying it with me everywhere.
I smile every time I pick it up.
Thanks again, Shannon Casey
(7/14/06)
Dear Pat,
The Spider pen with flexible medium nib arrived last week
on schedule. Then I had to go to Anchorage for a few days
and took the pen with me to enjoy its appearance and writing
capabilities. The size and shape are just right for my hand.
The Raden produced spider and dragon fly (? looks like a damsel
fly to me) are fascinating and conjure up intriguing questions
about the biological world around us. I like both of these
animals and cant imagine that the spider gets the damsel
fly, but rather some other less desirable insect. Enough of
that. The nib and flow system work very well just the
right med width and smooth, steady ink flow. I am very pleased
with the whole pen and the way it writes. Thank you (and John)
again for your usual pleasant, considerate, and rapid service.
Its always a pleasure to deal with you folks.
Best
Regards,
Dale Feist 8/8/05