The American inventor John Hyatt created celluloid in 1869.
It is a colourless, transparent and inflammable plastic obtained by gelatinising nitrocellulose with alcohol and camphor.
Celluloid is highly elastic, shock-resistant and pleasant to the touch.
Its characteristic colour is due to the presence of multiple streaks.
The material is produced in sheets, and turned into bars that require a maturing and processing period of twelve months.
After this period it undergoes a drying phase during which the bars are cut to size according to the objects that will
be manufactured.
To accelerate the drying process, the material of the rough-hewings is perforated for better ventilation and left to
dry for a period of six months during which Montegrappa carry out thorough chemical tests to control the humidity of the material
of six months during which Montegrappa carry out thorough chemical tests to control the humidity of the material to guarantee
perfect celluloid.
EBONITE
Ebonite has been used since the beginning of the 20th century to make feeders of the first fountain pens and Montegrappa
has always respected this tradition. It is obtained by heating elastic rubber with sulphur and mineral or organic substances
such as resins. The feeders of all Montegrappa fountain pens are manufactured from ebonite as the writing quality is enhanced
and the ink flow is consistent with the added benefit of reduced ink consumption.
The writing block adapts progressively to the pressure distributed by the writer's hand, thus giving handwriting a more
personal touch.
PRECIOUS STONES
Montegrappa's Exquisite craftsmanship is expressed in the refined use of precious stones such as diamonds, sapphires and emeralds.
These gems are all appreciated for their beauty, rarity and hardness and Montegrappa use their wealth of experience in cut and
polishing to obtain the .fire. of diamonds -the rainbow of colours the stone sparkles with and for the coloured stones the
transparency - the property of showing different colorations when observed from different directions.
18K GOLD
Gold is the most ductile and malleable metal and has been known throughout the ages not only for it's beauty and
resistance to corrosion, but also for its ease of extraction and use. Gold content is expressed in carats.
The acronym 18K means 18 parts solid gold and 6 of aluminium. According to the alloys used, gold can be yellow, white or pink.
Montegrappa has always used this most precious of all metals to create writing instruments of the highest quality and prestige.
STERLING SILVER
Sterling silver a white and shiny metal and it is the most ductile and malleable metal after gold.
The finest silver bears the title 925. and is made of 92,5% pure metal and of 7,5% copper.
Montegrappa has always used this precious material for all metallic parts of its pens and the formula of the alloy,
that allows to obtain a high gloss and a slower oxidation process, remains a well-guarded secret of the Bassanese company.
ACRYLIC RESIN
Acrylic resin is an organic product with high molecular weight, synthetically produced, it is used in the industry as a main
component of plastics.
PLATINUM
Platinum is a very rare chemical element, used in jewellery, special alloys, scientific equipment and Industry.
It is a noble metal, ductile and malleable, with a hardness of 4,3 and a very high melting point; it expands very
little when heated and is characterised by high electric resistance. Platinum is found in nature at the elementary state,
but is also present in minerals.
TITANIUM
Titanium is a very ductile and malleable silver coloured metal, mainly used for the production of light and resistant alloys as
it is highly corrosion resistant. It was discovered as a component of rutile by the German chemist Martin Heinrich in 1975.
