That Aurora piston works like a charm!

Today we would like to share the process for assembling and testing the piston system on the new Aurora Marte. The Marte has an 88 silhouette and shares the same fountain pen piston system as other Aurora 88 and Optima pens. Aurora goes the extra mile to ensure each pen is ready to be inked and today we provide an example with the steps for their piston assembly process.

The piston stem and soft rubber seal is manufactured and ready to be applied or inserted to the pen body. However, before the stem can be inserted, there are a few steps that are required.

First the seal which slides up and down to create a vacuum for ink must be lubricated to ensure a smooth draw. The Aurora piston functions when the end knob is rotated right or left and the seal slides up and down to create a syringe like system. The knob is rotated counter clockwise to push air out and clockwise to draw in. the seal has been manufactured perfectly to fit the inside of the barrel and therefore a touch of lubrication creates a smooth performance.

The next step in the piston assembly is the sealant application. The Aurora piston is applied and threaded to the barrel. In order to prevent ink leakage, the service team applies a silicone sealant to ensure an air tight seal.

Most companies would be satisfied at this point, but not Aurora. The next step is labor intensive, but one that affirms the Aurora quality standards. Every Aurora fountain pen piston is tested with pressurized air. They have developed a system where they can apply pens to a nozzle, force air and drop in water to check for bubbles. If they see bubbles, then the sealant process must be applied again.

Below you will see photos and short video clips from the factory that show how each step is applied. There is a reason why Aurora manufactures some of the best quality fountain pens and the piston assembly is just one.

See our short video clips below..

 

 

 

The High Yield Aurora Ebonite Feeder

Ebonite, substance discovered in 1839 and obtained by vulcanizing natural rubber in excess of sulfur (about 30% – 40%) for prolonged periods, is the historical material for the production of quality fountain pens’ feeder.

This material has numerous qualities that provide a high user experience; the main features, for which Aurora has always used ebonite for its high range products, are:

 

  • excellent wetting
  • the production is done with articulated processes (therefore expensive) that guarantee a very high yeld –> the resin feeder are produced by moulding (it is a large scale production)
  • the production does not require chemical-physical processes (unlike resin feeder)

 

Ebonite allows a pleasant user experience, especially for the excellent wetting, maintaining alive  the fountain pen tradition as the feeders of historical models were born in this material.

Stratos: The Big U-Boat Without the Bulk and Weight!

“Freedom in Creation” has always been Italo Fontana’s motto since the early steps in the watch industry.

As he often states in interviews: “I like the identity and originality of my creations, I do not have an obligation to create the same things that I have always designed, or to continue to do oversized timepieces. When an inspiration comes to me, I see it through. I plan it strategically and I do what I like.”

Italo unveils two versions of Classico, named Stratos, in sizes 45mm and size 40mm but scaled down to an unusual thickness respectively of 11,70mm or 18,0mm and 9,50mm.

This new design gives an extremely flat and lightweight watch, perfect to be worn under a nice tuxedo or a man suitGentleman’s elegance that perfectly matches the strong and bold character, identity  of the U-BOAT brand.

Discover more about STRATOS 40 and STRATOS 45