Drawing A Line, Somewhere: Another Fountain Pen

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Another Fountain Pen - Ducati

Aliens, they walk among us. They are difficult to spot in normal day to day life, but put one on a MotoGP motorcycle and they are easy to recognize. Their blinding speed compared to the best of the rest gives them away. From time to time a youngster will join the cast of riders at racing's top level and be revealed as another such alien.

Currently common opinion is that there are four aliens riding in MotoGP. There is Dani Pedrosa the Spanish rider at Honda. There is Casey Stoner the Aussie who won the World Championship for Ducati in 2007. There is aging super Champion Valentino Rossi. Now there is the youngster Jorge Lorenzo who in the reigning World Champion. Over the last two years Lorenzo made Rossi's life at the Yahama Team less than comfortable with his sheer speed. Finally Rossi decided to leave Yahama for greener pastures. And by greener, I mean redder. As in Ducati.

An Italian riding for Ducati is a big deal, but if that Italian is 9 time World Champion Valentino Rossi it is a huge deal. The Ducati GP bike has for years been a bike that only Casey Stoner could win with. Stoner moved on to Honda and it is Rossi's task to get the red machines to work for him. So far this season it hasn't looked good.

Here is a model of Casey Stoner's Ducati in 2008.

Ducati is known for their motorcycles, but they also make fine fountain pens. I recently purchased one of their limited edition pens. I figure there when be a limited edition Rossi pen out in a year or two, but I had to have this one.

Today I got it out and inked it up for the first time.

Only 500 of these pens were made worldwide. Each is numbered on the ring around the cap.

It is made out of aluminum which might make you think it is light. It is not light. It is a substantial pen. I like the styling of it. It is a retro look, almost Flash Gordon like.