Cervinia Trasparente

The story of this pen is fascinating. In the early 1930's, Giuseppe Carboni started a workshop for safety pens in Turin, Italy. By 1936, his company was operating under the name Cervinia (this is the name of one of the highest peaks of the western Italian Alps. His company progressed from being a store to a factory with 40 employees.

There were about 30 colours of celluloid pens produced. The war, however, ended pen production. Carboni hid the raw materials and semi-finished parts for the pens. The six boxes of celluloid pens and hard rubber in rods were stored in the basement of the Carboni family store located on via Nizza in Turin. Someone, however, reported to the German SS the movement of materials. Could it be ammunition? The German SS came looking in the basement of the store. Finding no ammunition, the officer left.

Years later, pens by Cervinia and Royal (the other brand registered by Carboni) were found. Some pens were incomplete but some were completely produced. Because of time that has expired, refurbishment of the pens was required.

About the Pen

The Trasparente, made in 1926, has a semi-clear celluloid body, is fitted with a piston filling mechanism and an ebonite feed and a 14 kt gold nib. It reflects the simpler designs of pens of that time. It is smaller in terms of body and the nib, than the larger pens being produced today. What you have is an eighty-year old celluloid pen.

I find the look of the pen is very pleasing. It has a sleek common width body and cap. The celluloid is semi-translucent with subtle colour tones. I was worried the pen may be too small for my hand, but the length of the pen nicely clears to top of my hand as as write, with the pen posted.

The pen looks new as the Italian pen company, Stipula, took on the task to refurbish the pens. They did an exellent job.

The pen is fitted with a smooth 14-kt gold Globus nib that is crafted on the original Globus tooling equipment which were restored and put back into operation by Stipula at their workshop in Florence, Italy in 2014. Yes, this is a multi-year project.

Each pen in unique and numbered. I am so fortunate to have pen #45 of the 138 pens available.

The overall Cervinia Restoration Project has various models and colours of pens. Of the models I am aware of, they include the Model 57 -- a grey/green celluloid, button filler; the Regina Elena -- a black with organge tones celluloid, button filler; the Savoia -- a black celluloid, button filler; and my pen the Trasparente --a semi-clear green/black celluloid, piston fill.

Writing

Of course a pen holds its beauty in its appearance, and pleasure in how it fits the hand, but the ultimate aspect is how it writes. There is no dissapointment in this aspect of owning a Cervinia Trasparente. From the moment Marco at at Novelli in Rome showed me the pen I was taken with the appearance. Marco brought out a bottle of ink, the pen was dipped and I was immediately taken with the smooth writing characteristic of the pen. In a store, of course you write on pads of high quality paper. At home, and at my office, the pen delivers the same performance.

In 2019 I was taken with this pen, and now, years it is one of my top writing fountain pens.

The pen performs well on a variety of paper, from Fabriano, Clairefontaine, Rhodia or other quality note paper the smoothness, flow of ink and quality of the line of ink on the paper are excellent. Even writing on office copy paper, this pen performs very well. The ebonite feed is exceptional. I can leave this pen for long periods of time unused. Then pick it up and it just writes.

 

1936 Cervinia Trasparent Restoration Project

Cervinia Trasparente

1936 Crevnie

Crevinia Trasparent