A Tree Grows in Naples by BARRY GABAY

A Tree Grows in Naples by BARRY GABAY

Maiora Pens of Italy is the newest branch of Nino Marino’s writing instrument legacy.

Afamily tree is growing in Penland. Its roots run deep in rich Italian soil. Its branches stretch across decades, oceans, and continents, reaching any place where fine writing instruments are appreciated.
The family tree has branches of aesthetics, materials, and experience, all produced with love and dedication to a tradition of Italian and Mediterranean beauty.
The newest branch of this remarkable tree is Maiora Pen Company.
The name “Maiora” comes from Latin: ad maiora means “strive for greater things” or “to achieve greatness.
With this motto as his new company’s name, Nino Marino moves toward greatness. As a young engineer still in his 20s, Marino took a professional leap and founded Delta Pens in 1982.
Living and working in Naples, Italy, Marino’s appreciation of his region was translated into the colors and designs of various writing instruments. In 2017, with the closure of Delta, Marino looked for another avenue to pursue his love of writing instruments.
Within a year, he founded Maiora and continued producing beautiful fountain pens.
Immediately after its foundation, the Maiora Pen Company acquired the oldest Italian fountain pen brand, Nettuno 1911.
Marino now produces three distinct brands: Nettuno 1911, Maiora, and Nino Marino Pens. A familial atmosphere is the backbone of this enterprise.
The absence of a bureaucracy facilitates streamlining ideas and production. In fact, the team spends so much time together that they understand one another’s unspoken ideas and nuances; this evolves into a unified aesthetic.
In addition to Marino, the senior team is composed of Oksana Kit, who manages final assembly and packaging, and Gianfranco Raimo, who manages the implementation and manufacturing processes.

The essence of any company is revealed in its products, and Marino glows with excitement when describing his pens.
The new Maiora Impronte Collection has special meaning. In Italian, impronte means footprint, impression, even essence.
It is this allegiance to his cultural and historical footprint that inspired the name. Impronte is available as an oversize or standard-size fountain pen.
The oversize features a barrel turned from solid bars of a proprietary resin in black and orange, while the cap, section, and cap crown are made with a black high-gloss resin.
The combination of orange and black, reminiscent of the bright Italian sun and the depth of a night sky, has become a standard of contemporary pen production. The oversize Impronte is also available in solid matte or polished black.
The fountain pen is a cartridge/converter filler with screw-off end cap that permits the operation of its converter without the need to unscrew the barrel from the section. This “captured converter” is a feature of several Maiora models.
For the Impronte Standard Collection, the natural beauty of Naples’ environment—where Marino has lived his entire life and where his family has resided for generations—infused his spirit.
Like any artist, Marino seeks to re-create his impressions of the world, to give them form. In this case, the manifestation of that creative urge is evident in the three standard-size, nature-infused Impronte models.
Each pen and cap is turned from a solid rod of proprietary resin.
Capri reveals the deep blue luxury of the sea.
Terre di Mare is a unique brown and blue marbled swirl, reminiscent of the earth and sea in harmony.
Posillipo is a rich bright turquoise reflecting the sea and sky.

Although he produces several models, Marino admits that “Impronte is my favorite.
The nib is a stainless steel JoWo No. 6, gold plated to match the pen’s trim. Writers praise the sections of Maiora pens.
They are highly curved, and according to Marino, this scalloped, hourglass design relieves finger stress. Nib widths are available in extra-fine, fine, medium, broad, and 1.5 mm stub. Vesuvio is a limited edition of 888 pieces with an oversize orange and black barrel and black cap.
Some Vesuvios are available with both cap and barrel in striated orange and black. The bright orange of a Vesuvian eruption and the deep black of the sky at night blend to reveal the time when eruptions at Mt. Vesuvius are most dramatic.
Vesuvio is a large, tapered model, ravishing to the eye, sturdy in the hand, utterly dependable on the written page. Its 18 karat gold nib comes in extra-fine, fine, medium, and broad.
Another special collection is the Liberta Signature Collection, under the Nino Marino imprint, which is used for unique and special pen collections. Each Nino Marino Liberta writing instrument has an individual profile, characterized by mixed, marbled ebonite bodies, blending into perfect visual harmony.
But the Liberta series is not simply beautiful, it is a wonderfully functional fountain pen with a variety of nib choices. Liberta fountain pens have a built-in piston filling system.
The three models are distinct. Luna Blu is a rich blue-gray ebonite, Astrum features a blend of blue-orange, and Magma shines with a brilliant marbled red-rust.
All are highlighted by stunning yellow gold or rhodium-plated trim and matching 18 karat gold nibs in extra-fine, fine, medium, broad, and 1.5 mm stub.