SCRIBO LA DOTTA Fountain Pen - Al Zigant (Limited Edition)
Handmade in Italy, the SCRIBO LA DOTTA fountain pen features a rounded barrel and cap with flat ends. The swirly and shimmery blue, purple, and orange Diamondcast resin body is complemented by ruthenium trim, and fills with a built-in piston mechanism. It is fitted with an in-house made nib in 14k gold Flexible sizes or 18k gold standard sizes, with an ebonite feed. Each pen comes with a matching pen sleeve made of genuine leather and cotton.
LA DOTTA Al Zigant is a limited production run of 219 pieces.
The history of Bologna, Italy in the Middle Ages and Renaissance is full of significant events that helped shaping the city and its culture. There are many architectural monuments that tell the rich history of Bologna from these historical periods.
The Neptune Fountain is one of the most famous monuments in Bologna and it was built in the 16th century to celebrate the power of the city. The famous fountain has been given an affectionate and ironic nickname in the dialect of Bologna by the Bolognese people, “Al Zigant” (the Giant), and it is meant to emphasize its size and impact on the city. This nickname is due to the large size of the statue, which is 3.2 meters tall and weighs 28 tons.
Thus, the LA DOTTA Al Zigant fountain pen is a tribute to the history of Bologna and some of its most significant monuments from the medieval/renaissance ages.
About SCRIBO:
SCRIBO, short for Scrittura Bolognese, was founded by former employees of the retired OMAS brand. Fundamental values include writing tradition, design, craftsmanship, and made in Italy. Every working component of the fountain pen is handmade. The heart of every SCRIBO fountain pen is the gold nib. The classic 18-carat alloy and the special Extra-Flexible 14-carat alloy both offer elasticity, mechanical memory, and softness that highlights every fountain pen's writing quality.
- Condition
- New
- Brand
- SCRIBO
- Type
- Fountain Pens
- Color
- Blue, Orange
- Demonstrator
Whether or not the barrel of the pen is translucent, allowing you to see the ink and filling mechanism inside.
- No
- Body Material
- Resin
- Cap Rotations
For pens with a screw-cap closure, how many rotations it takes to uncap/recap the pen.
- 0.75
- Cap Type
How the cap is opened/closed from the barrel of the pen. Some common options include Snap-Cap, Screw-Cap, Magnetic Cap, or Capless (no cap).
- Screw-cap
- Compatible inks & refills
Which ink this pen will accept. Choices include bottled ink and various styles of pre-filled ink cartridges.
- Bottled ink
- Filling Mechanism
How the pen fills with ink. Click here to watch our video tutorial on common filling mechanisms.
- Piston
- Grip Material
- Resin
- Nib Size
- Flex Extra-Fine, Flex Fine, Medium
- Nib Color
- Ruthenium
- Nib Material
- 14k Gold, 18k Gold
- Postable
Whether or not the cap fits securely onto the back of the barrel when open.
- No
- Retractable
Whether or not the nib/tip can retract into the body of the pen (usually for click or twist-open style pens).
- No
- Diameter - Body
- 16.2mm (0.64in)
- Diameter - Cap (without clip)
- 16.7mm (0.66in)
- Diameter - Cap (with clip)
- 20.4mm (0.80in)
- Diameter - Grip (mm)
Measured from the place most people choose to rest their fingers, which varies with each pen.
- 11.0mm
- Length - Body
The measurement from the back end of the barrel to the tip of the nib.
- 133.3mm (5.25in)
- Length - Cap
- 66.6mm (2.62in)
- Length - Nib
The measured length of the visible portion of the nib when it is installed in the pen, from grip to tip.
- 22.4mm (0.88in)
- Length - Overall (Closed)
- 148.6mm (5.85in)
- Weight - Body
If a converter is included with the pen, this weight is reflected in the total.
- 19g (0.67oz)
- Weight - Cap
- 17g (0.60oz)
- Weight - Overall (g)
- 36.0g
- Max Ink Capacity - Piston Vac
The maximum volume of ink that can fit in the pen when using the built-in piston or vacuum filling mechanism.
- 1.13ml
Customer Reviews
When I first used this pen I was blown away by how well it fits in my hand. It feels completely natural! It's very light and the shape is comfortable in my hand I was able to write continuously so I ended up using the ink sample I bought with it in one session and that never happened before. It's also even more beautiful than the photos express. The way the light lets the pen sparkle is entrancing, I can say I spent a solid 10 minutes at least staring at the pen. The nib is stiff which is fine for me. It's the most expensive pen I bought but it's my grail pen which makes it worth the price!
The Scribo La Dotta Al Zigant is a beautiful pen. The 18k gold nib is buttery smooth and juicy. It is one of my new favorites of my collection. The only fault I have with it is the clip was bent away from the cap body. Goulet has other Scribo pens with the same issue. They even photographed one of the La Dotta Turrita models with a similar clip bent away. I could have returned the pen but since it is an LE, all I could expect is a refund. For a $590 pen, I expected it to be perfect. Fortunately, I noticed there is a single phillips screw inside the cap that secures the clip in place. I was able to remove the screw and bend the clip back and fix the issue. This is my first Scribo and the experience was less than I was expecting. Overall it is a lovely pen and I am happy with my purchase. I am glad I figured out I could fix the clip without having to send it in.
FAQs about Fountain Pens
How do I fill a fountain pen with ink?
It depends on the pen's filling mechanism, which you can find in the Technical Specs section above.
Here's a quick definition of the most common filling mechanisms:
- Cartridge - A small, disposable, sealed plastic reservoir that holds fountain pen ink. These come pre-filled with ink, and typically you just push to insert them into place and you'll be ready to write! Check out our quick guide here.
- Converter - A detachable and refillable ink reservoir that allows you to use bottled ink in a cartridge-accepting pen. Typically you will install the converter into the grip section, dip the nib/feed into the ink, and twist or pull the converter knob to draw ink into the converter. Here's a video for how to fill a cartridge/converter pen using a LAMY pen as an example.
- Eyedropper - A pen that utilizes the entire barrel as a reservoir for ink. Ink is directly filled into the barrel, allowing for a high ink capacity. Here's a video on how to do it!
- Piston - A type of filling system that uses a retracting plunger inside a sealed tube to draw ink into a pen. They are typically either twist or push-operated. These pens cannot accept cartridges or a converter, and only fill from bottled ink.
- Vacuum - A push-style piston that uses pressure to fill the large pen body with ink. They seal the ink chamber when closed, making it ideal for flying without risk of leaking. Check out our video on how to use a vac filler here.
Check out more info on these filling mechanisms including a video on how to fill each one on our blog.
How do I clean a fountain pen?
It depends on the filling mechanism, but it mostly comes down to flushing it out with water, and sometimes a little bit of Pen Flush if the ink is really stuck.
It's a bit easier to show than to tell, so we've put together a few quick videos showing you the process:
How often do I need to clean my fountain pen?
We recommend a good cleaning every 2 weeks, and any time you change ink colors.
Water will usually do the trick, but we recommend you use our Goulet Pen Flush if the ink has been left in the pen for a while and could have dried up, or when you’re switching ink colors.
My pen won’t write! What do I do?
First things first... make sure you have ink in the pen! Be sure that the ink cartridge or converter is seated properly in the pen, and that you aren't out of ink.
We always recommend you give your pen a good cleaning first, using our Goulet Pen Flush, or a drop of dish soap in some water. New pens often have some machining oil residue left in the feed, so a good cleaning often does the trick first.
If that still doesn't work, try priming the feed. This consists of either dipping your pen nib and feed in ink, or forcing ink from the converter down into the feed.
If it’s still not working after that, please reach out to us so we can help!
What's your return policy?
You can submit a return request within 30 days of your order date. You can read all our Return Policies here.
To initiate a return, please submit a request at the Return Portal. Our Customer Care team might reach out to you for more information.
Please note we are unable to accept a return of any Namiki or Sailor Bespoke fountain pen for any reason once it has been used with ink. Please thoroughly inspect and dry test the pen before use.