Hands-on with the Giuliano Mazzuoli Officina Quattro Tempi

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Brand	Giuliano Mazzuoli
Model	Officina Quattro Tempi End Mill
Nib Material	Steel
Nib Sizes	Medium only
Filling System	Cartridge / Converter
Dimensions	Capped Length: 5.46″ / 139mm Posted Length: 6.77″ / 172mm Uncapped Length: 4.88″ / 124mm Barrel Ø: .59″ / 15mm Section Ø: Tapers from .45″ / 11.5mm to 0.3″ / 7.8mm
Weight	1.7oz / 49g
Notes	The Quattro Tempi includes all 4 writing modes, buy they are available individually. Three styles available: end mill, micrometer, or thread.
Price	MSRP $325, Street $255
Availability	Now

Giuliano Mazzuoli has created a very interesting writing instrument with the Officina. The Officina can be purchased as a ballpoint, rollerball, fountain pen, or 5.5mm graphite holder. It can also be purchased in a set that includes all four writing modes, which is what we have here today.

The Giuliano Mazzuoli Officina Quattro Tempi End Mill (referred to from now on as the ’4 Tempi’) is much more than just a fountain pen. As the name implies, quattro tempi means ‘four stroke’ which signifies the number of writing modes of the Officina. The Officina is available in three different styles: end mill, micrometer, and thread, and two different colors: the standard matte aluminum finish or a red anodized version of the Ducati Edition.

In case you haven’t noticed, Giuliano Mazzuoli uses a lot of automotive themes in his products, to good effect. Officina translates to workshop, quattro tempi to four stroke (referring to a type of internal combustion engine), the names of the pen styles: end mill, micrometer, thread. They’re either automotive related or tools you’d find in a machine shop. I find I’m interested in many of the items reflected in these products and it’s one of the reasons I’m drawn to Giuliano Mazzuoli’s designs.

Let’s start with the ballpoint and rollerball versions since they’re so similar and only differentiated by the refill. Attach the chrome cone to the front of the barrel, drop your preferred refill in the back, and close it up with the screw-looking end piece and you’re good to go. I was happy to see the number of refills included in the box. You get five rollerball refills, one black and four fun colors that are actually very usable for daily writing. I’m glad they only included one ballpoint refill. Any more than that and I would have been upset by the wasted space and money required for those extra refills.

Switching to the lead holder is a pretty simple affair. Remove whatever section attachment is in place and the screw-like end piece, then insert the lead holder unit into the front of the barrel and screw down securely. That’s it. You’re now ready to spread graphite to your heart’s content.

Operation is even easier than installing. Simply push down on the back of the lead holder and the fingers at the front extend, loosening their grip on the lead, allowing you to adjust the length of the lead or easily swap it out for one of the other four included colors. When the lead starts to get dull, grab the knurled portion at the rear of the lead holder and unscrew it. Inside is a built in sharpener that puts a decent point on the lead, but I would like to see it achieve a sharper point.

The fountain pen includes a section of its own, which is similar to the section used for the ballpoint and rollerball in that it tapers drastically from the barrel to the tip and is shiny chrome plated. The screw-like end piece is, again, used with the fountain pen. Included in the box is a converter and a single cartridge.

There’s nothing too outstanding about the Officina fountain pen. During my time with the pen I learned I had to keep my hands clean and dry to keep a good grip on the section. There’s no doubt that the shape and plating of that section is what I like least about this pen. The nib is a plain Jane steel unit only available with a medium tip. It works decently well, although the flow was a bit on the dry side for my tastes. It’s as stiff as a nail but smooth enough to create an enjoyable writing experience.

I find the cap to be aesthetically pleasing and it does its job very well. The clip provides a large amount of tension but is still able to be clipped into place with one hand. I really like that the clip is made from two pieces and riveted together. It fits in well with the design of the rest of the pen. The cap attaches and posts securely to the barrel via large, course threads that are chrome plated and offer nice contrast to the matte aluminum barrel.

After spending a few weeks with the 4 Tempi I’m a little ashamed to say that I enjoyed it most as a lead holder. What made the difference was the position of my grip while using each tool. When set up as a fountain pen my thumb would rest on the barrel while my index and middle fingers would sit on the section where I’d often have to reposition my grip because of how slick the section is. With the lead holder my entire grip was on the barrel and proved much easier to handle.