Review: Visconti Van Gogh Maxi

[BlakeM]

I have recently received my third high end fountain pen, the Visconti Van Gogh in Ocean Blue. My lovely wife gave me the okay to purchase this pen since it was on sale with a deep discount from Holt’s cigar.

The price for this Maxi was less than what most places sell the Midi with a steel nib for.

How does is look? Awesome. I like all of the swirls and different colors that mix in with the blue. You can stare at the pen for a long time just looking at the body and cap. In some places it almost looks like Tigers Eye.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2738/4304575299_302554e649_o.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4304575195_8e2b84d733_o.jpg

The nib is bigger than my Pelikan M400. It has the crescent shape hole in the nib which I like; I know some of them come with the circle and to me, they just don’t look as original.

How does it write? Smooth as butter. I was most concerned about this. I didn’t want to have to seen my pen to a nib mechanic for smoothing and adjustment. But not to worry, this is the smoothest nib I own. It writes wet. The main journal I use is a Readables brand notebook that Books-a-Million sells; and the ink does not feather at all. I have not experienced any problems with skipping either. The nib seems to be a really wide Medium. It is wider than my Lamy 1.1mm nib.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4032/4304575125_e6f61b68bc_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2773/4305318804_d6fd182278_o.jpg

The design of this pen is great. The threads for the cap are tight, but smooth. If I did put it in a shirt pocket, I would not have to worry about it coming unscrewed.

The clip is spring loaded and the tension is adjustable. All of the engraving on the section and cap band are very detailed at look good. I have had no problems with finger slippage on the section. The engraved portion of the section is where my fingers rest and give a good grip and feel. When I am writing I do not even notice that I am holding onto smooth shiny metal. Once it warms up, it is just like any other material, except for the fact that is is heavier. I also find this pen more comfortable to hold and write with. As you can see in the pictures, the section is wider than the Pelikan. I find the M400 threads obtrusive and the section and little small for my new found tastes, but I really love the color of my Pelikan. A M600 or M800 may be in my future.

 

This pen is very heavy. I don’t own many pens, but it is night and day between the Maxi and my M400. This is not a problem for me; I enjoy the variety. It is similar in weight to the Pilot Knight. I write with this pen unposted. It seems like a chore to my hands, to write with the cap posted. On the Pelikan, I write with it posted.

This is my favorite pen so far. Its looks are mesmerizing and its writing is smooth and wet. An all around great full size pen.

Edited January 26, 2010 by BlakeM

[Robert Hughes]

How do you like the metal section?

[BlakeM]

You know Robert, I thought it might bother me, but I had no issues with it being slick or slippery. It is a larger diameter than the M400 pictured and the threads are much softer to the touch than the sharp threads of the Pelikan.

[MYU]

I normally don't like a metal section. That's partly why I've avoided so many Visconti's. But I really like the knurled band around the section on this one. Very attractive... although I wonder if you end up "feeling" it as you write. It looks like it would feel a bit more prominent than something rather subtle like the "clutch pins" on the Lamy 2000.

[Geoff V]

In a word ... ! I have a couple of suggestions. Firstly, try Rhodia Webnotebooks with 90 g paper or Clairefontaine notebooks. These may reduce the width of your line, as nibs tend to write to a true size on them. Secondly, try the pen with Visconti Blue, Green or Sepia ink.

[carlc]

Okay - colour me confused - I thought the Maxi was more the size of an m800 and the m600 the size of a Midi.

 

So is this a Midi Visconti or a vintage Pelikan with different proportions to a modern 400? Or is everything I have read wrong?

 

 

By the way - nice pen - I have two Maxis- enjoy. Want a Pel one day but too busy buying Italians.

 

MYU - the knurled band is only going to bother you if you hold the pen very low down - the metal section is okay but I tend to hold the pens on the threads (I put up with it because I love the size and nib). I don't like sections that slope so I avoid holding the Maxi there - the only exception to the sloped section issue is the 2000 - I'm not sure why but that 'section' doesn't bother me - I do hold it quite high up though. Out of ineterest I never notice the 'pins' on the 2000 despite holding the pen at that point - 'no sense no feeling' as my Mum used to say.

 

Carl

[Ed Ronax]

Nice review, thanks.

[Dr Lopez]

Nice review of a beautiful pen. However, I find the pen small to be a maxi if I trust my eyes when compared with a Pelikan M400. I would need to double check when I got home but I would say my maxi is a large pen, something between a M600 and M800.

[Ghost Plane]

I've never touched a Pelikan, but Maxis certainly up there with my MB 149. Dimensions of a Maxi in inches are listed on PrahaBLEU's website on fleabay.

[significantpass]

I like the crescent shape breather hole. I've never seen a modern pen with one.

Thanks for the review.

[DanDeM]

My VG Maxi arrived yesterday -- Evergreen -- and visually it's a stunner. I haven't flushed and inked it yet, so I can't comment on the delivery of the M nib.

 

Made some measurements vs a Pelikan 800, and when posted the two pens have identical length. Although empty, the Maxi is noticeably heavier than the Pele 800 (which is about half full at this point).

 

Maxi VG

Closed 5 3/4

Open 5 1/2

Posted 6 9/16

 

 

Pele 800

Closed 5 5/8

Open 5 even

Posted 6 9/16

 

BlakeM:

Out of the box, any issues?

And of course, great review, knock-out pics.

Thanks

Edited January 26, 2010 by Blotto

[BlakeM]

No problems for me out of the box. The Med point on this pen is so smooth; in fact it is the smoothest pen I have ever written with. I bought my mother one of these for Christmas and the breather hole was round. I really like the crescent shape on this one. The pictures may be deceiving. Even though it looks to be only slighter larger, I found the section to feel completely different and definitely larger than the M400 pictured. I played with midi Van Gogh at a store. I found that the midi feels good in the hand posted, which will make up for it being smaller than the maxi; but I hated using the maxi posted, the weight of the cap made the pen way out of balance. Hope this helps.

[BlakeM]

Click here for more photos that show the depth of this resin material. Enjoy.

[777]

Want ...

 

I really like that pen! What a great color. Pretty nib design too.

[MS3607]

That is a beautiful pen. I am really liking that nib.

[Patrick C]

Great review. I have a black Maxi with a broad nib (beautiful wet writer). What rellay annoys me about it is the metal section - it looks great with a pattern at the base but that is also the problem, when you fill from a bottle the ink sticks in the pattern and guess what more than usual inky fingers - just a moan stll love the pen!

 

Thanks

 

Patrick

[mori45]

That's a great looking pen. Thanks for the review!

[Geoff V]

The nib seems to be a really wide Medium. It is wider than my Lamy 1.1mm nib.

 

Thanks for the review. I have to look the other way every time I pass a cabinet in which these are displayed.

 

I'm a little surprised that your M nib writes so wide. It may be that the paper you're using doesn't feather as such, but that the ink just spreads evenly through it. Have you tried Rhodia or Clairefontaine or such like?

[revbyrd1]

Thank you for the many images of this beautiful fountain pen. The information in your review is also very helpful as I consider acquiring a Visconti.

 

Peace

 

 

 

[RobbyM]

I have a funny question: Has anybody seen a Van Gogh Maxi Ballpoint that has a clip that is bridge-like (similar to the current clip on all the Van Goghs) but without the Visconti names on the sides of the clip? Thanks! Rob