Jump to content

Describe The Magic Of Visconti Homo Sapiens


SomethingWicked

Recommended Posts

I have both a HS and a Blue Typhoon. The HS has always been my pen for long productions as it writes great and is comfortable to hold. I seem to have more accidents filing the HS than any other pen and I can't figure out why. Having said that, the mosquito filling system on the Blue Typhoon is the neatest (just don't forget the mosquito filler retains ink and you need to keep it covered until you can clean it). No accidents whatsoever. Personally I love the nibs (mediums). I think I wrote longer with the HS before I felt it was "broken in" than other pens, but I now love it. Overall, I think the Visconti's are among my favorites.

 

Walt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 50
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • de_pen_dent

    7

  • georges zaslavsky

    6

  • sarahfar

    2

  • Regulateur

    2

The aesthetics of Viscounti's pens don't appeal to me at all, but I may have to reconsider after this:

 

I was a high school dropout with personal hygiene and self-confidence issues. I used to work the night shift at the Qwik-E Mart, and hadnt had carnal relations with anyone else for years. I couldnt even afford meth - which meant I ended up gaining 60lb and a tendency to sweat profusely. My life, in short, wasnt going anywhere. The most I could aspire to was the day shift at the Qwik-E Mart, and a last-page mail order bride from a former Soviet block nation (one of the desperate ones, not the pretty ones, at that).

 

....

 

As we were leaving and I turned to lock the door, I heard one of them ask the other:

"Is that a Visconti in his pockets or is he happy to see us".

 

That day changed my life. Thank you, Visconti Homo Sapiens, made of unbreakable basaltic lava.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The aesthetics of Viscounti's pens don't appeal to me at all, but I may have to reconsider after this:

 

Then my work here is done! :)

True bliss: knowing that the guy next to you is suffering more than you are.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't top de_pen_dent's story, so I won't try. My lesson with my HS Bronze is that I should have done more research and tried to hold/write with the pen before purchasing. The filler system is inconsistent, and, missing an ink window, the pen doesn't meet my expectation of reliable. I was initially enamored with the Palladium nib, but I've found much better writing experiences in vintage pens and modern Japanese pens. The clip is a bit much, but I understand the branding.

 

I will be honest and say the material does have a nice feel. I can't vouch for its ability to deflect close-range, pistol rounds, but it does have a different feel than any other pen I own. I also like the cap twist and lock. It's fast and easy, and it's unique in the fountain pen world.

 

Changed my life? Only in the fact I spend more time researching before buying a pen. The HS is my least-used pen.

 

Buzz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quality control can be a hit or mis with Visconti, the nib is nothing special nor exceptional and the general reliability is very questionable. You buy the hype not something utterly reliable and durable.

Pens are like watches , once you start a collection, you can hardly go back. And pens like all fine luxury items do improve with time

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"The nib is nothing special nor exceptional" - which nib is "exceptional"? Given that nib design is about as stable a technology as it gets, the whole idea that some company makes an "exceptional" nib is a bit of a placebo, IMO. I've had good nibs and bad nibs from Montblanc, Visconti, Conway Stewart, Pelikan and pretty much every non-Japanese brand.

 

"You buy the hype not something utterly reliable and durable" - again, this argument could, and has been, used against Montblanc, with about the same degree of validity. Or Delta. Or Conway Stewart. Or <pick a brand>. I have 8 Viscontis (2 Homo Sapiens, 2 Wall Streets, an Opera Crystal, a Michelangelo, 2 Divinas and am soon getting a 9th Visconti - no problems with any of them so far, other than a flow issue on the Michelangelo.

 

It is ok to state your own preferences, but if you are going to write off an entire brand as being unreliable or lacking durability, then some statistics would be nice.

True bliss: knowing that the guy next to you is suffering more than you are.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quality control can be a hit or mis with Visconti, the nib is nothing special nor exceptional and the general reliability is very questionable. You buy the hype not something utterly reliable and durable.

+ 1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quality control can be a hit or mis with Visconti, the nib is nothing special nor exceptional and the general reliability is very questionable. You buy the hype not something utterly reliable and durable.

+1

@arts_nibs

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am very surprised.

 

I bought the HS partly for the lava & partly for the nib.

 

It is one of the few pens that I likely will never part with. And that, only because of the way it writes. We all know when someone says that a fountain pen nib is a nail what he means. We all know what a wet noodle is.

 

My EF Palladium nib is somewhere between the two. It is soft on the paper very unlike a nail. It doesn't do the wet noodle thing, but it loves to make flourishes and the line it produces is not boring.

 

I really like to write with it because of the way it writes. I am astonished that all of the posters above are dismissing this pen due to the way it writes. Perhaps I am lucky because mine is an EF or The stars simply aligned for me. I would encourage the 0P to try one. Obviously, it is not to everyone's taste – but some of us do love the way it writes.

"how do I know what I think until I write it down?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"The nib is nothing special nor exceptional" - which nib is "exceptional"? Given that nib design is about as stable a technology as it gets, the whole idea that some company makes an "exceptional" nib is a bit of a placebo, IMO. I've had good nibs and bad nibs from Montblanc, Visconti, Conway Stewart, Pelikan and pretty much every non-Japanese brand.

 

 

It is ok to state your own preferences, but if you are going to write off an entire brand as being unreliable or lacking durability, then some statistics would be nice.

Perhaps you should see the number of threads and reviews questioning Visconti's reliability and supposed quality control. A good nib is one that is not a rip off of another brand's like the chromium 18 which is very inspired from the sheaffer triumph nib which has proven its value and worthiness over years. The original 14K AND 18K Visconti gold nibs were stiff and the Palladium dream touch nibs were and are more or less soft but line variation on them is non existant.No an exceptional nib is something like a vintage duofold senior nib, a vintage senior maxima nib, a vintage sheaffer triumph nib, a vintage sheaffer inlaid nib, pel m1000, a pre 1997 m800, a stip etruria, an omas extra flessible, a pre 1984 mb 149, a waterman le man 100, a montegrappa extra, a pilot bamboo, a dani trio nib or a bexley nib. A good nib writes well on any paper or any surface and it doesn' t have baby bottom or scratchiness out of the box. I have read also that older Visconti productions were prone to crack especially on the very early ones.

Edited by georges zaslavsky

Pens are like watches , once you start a collection, you can hardly go back. And pens like all fine luxury items do improve with time

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am very surprised.

 

I bought the HS partly for the lava & partly for the nib.

 

It is one of the few pens that I likely will never part with. And that, only because of the way it writes. We all know when someone says that a fountain pen nib is a nail what he means. We all know what a wet noodle is.

 

My EF Palladium nib is somewhere between the two. It is soft on the paper very unlike a nail. It doesn't do the wet noodle thing, but it loves to make flourishes and the line it produces is not boring.

 

I really like to write with it because of the way it writes. I am astonished that all of the posters above are dismissing this pen due to the way it writes. Perhaps I am lucky because mine is an EF or The stars simply aligned for me. I would encourage the 0P to try one. Obviously, it is not to everyone's taste – but some of us do love the way it writes.

If or perhaps your pen was well adjusted by a nibmeister and fine tuned then it might explain why you won't part with it. I don't know what it would have been if it wasn't tweaked. Some people are more demanding when it comes to nibs than others, I am in that category, I want absolute flawlessness out of the box especially when I buy a +300$ pen

Pens are like watches , once you start a collection, you can hardly go back. And pens like all fine luxury items do improve with time

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Perhaps you should see the number of threads and reviews questioning Visconti's reliability and supposed quality control. A good nib is one that is not a rip off of another brand's like the chromium 18 which is very inspired from the sheaffer triumph nib which has proven its value and worthiness over years. The original 14K AND 18K Visconti gold nibs were stiff and the Palladium dream touch nibs were and are more or less soft but line variation on them is non existant.No an exceptional nib is something like a vintage duofold senior nib, a vintage senior maxima nib, a vintage sheaffer triumph nib, a vintage sheaffer inlaid nib, pel m1000, a pre 1997 m800, a stip etruria, an omas extra flessible, a pre 1984 mb 149, a waterman le man 100, a montegrappa extra, a pilot bamboo, a dani trio nib or a bexley nib. A good nib writes well on any paper or any surface and it doesn' t have baby bottom or scratchiness out of the box. I have read also that older Visconti productions were prone to crack especially on the very early ones.

 

 

I dont want to keep arguing this, but:

 

1/ I have seen a lot of threads questioning the reliability and QC of a lot of brands. Does the brittleness of precious resin ring a bell, perhaps?

 

2/ Re nibs - just writing out the names of a bunch of nibs doesnt make them "special". I own several of the modern nibs you mention (in fact, I have a MB 149, a M1000 and a Visconti Divina inked right now), and from a writing POV, there is nothing special about them. Fairies dont fly out of my pen when I write with them. Visconti nibs are comparable to pretty much any other modern nib, period. Atleast Visconti is making an effort to create new nib designs, with their tubular nib (even if it is a copy of the Triumph) - can you say the same of most pen manufacturers?

 

3/ I dont see the point of comparing Visconti to vintage nibs - if you think vintage nibs are the bastion of perfection (which is a valid point of view), then NO modern pen manufacturer makes good nibs anymore. So this ceases to be a Visconti issue.

 

4/ Line variation? Now this is just getting silly. How many modern nibs give you line variation without being made into stubs?

 

None of this is to say that Visconti's nibs are perfect or for everyone. But there is nothing inherently unique to Visconti in any of the points you have raised - the same points can be made against pretty much most current-production pens.

 

It is ok to have different opinion and I personally dont care if you like or dont like Visconti - it isnt as if i own the company. But it would help if you actually make your points based on something substantial. Atleast now the underpinnings of your argument is out in the open and people can decide for themselves whether or not it makes sense.

True bliss: knowing that the guy next to you is suffering more than you are.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Georges:

 

I asked the seller to Ink the pen prior to shipping it to me and to test whether it had adequate flow and was not scratchy. The seller ( Bryant at Pen time) responded that he had tested the pen and it wrote well.

 

I don't believe that it received any special treatment. I had read a bit about the Visconti's problems with quality control before purchasing. I don't disallow the experience that others have had with the brand, only wanted to add a little balance in that this is one of the pens I write with purely for pleasure.

"how do I know what I think until I write it down?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The size, weight and feel of the HS are wonderful. The rest.... not so good. Mine has spent about 2 full years out of my possession being 'fixed'. I finally have one that doesn't leak but I still need to send it into John Mottishaw for inkflow issues.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The size, weight and feel of the HS are wonderful. The rest.... not so good. Mine has spent about 2 full years out of my possession being 'fixed'. I finally have one that doesn't leak but I still need to send it into John Mottishaw for inkflow issues.

Damn :yikes: I would have asked for a full refund if it happened to me

Pens are like watches , once you start a collection, you can hardly go back. And pens like all fine luxury items do improve with time

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Georges, I would like to be able to put your remarks about Visconti in a proper perspective. I know you own a lot of Omas pens and some Stipulas, but how many (and if so which) Viscontis do you own, have you owned and for how long?

 

D.ick

~

KEEP SAFE, WEAR A MASK, KEEP A DISTANCE.

Freedom exists by virtue of self limitation.

~

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Georges, I would like to be able to put your remarks about Visconti in a proper perspective. I know you own a lot of Omas pens and some Stipulas, but how many (and if so which) Viscontis do you own, have you owned and for how long?

 

D.ick

I don't own any but that is not the question here, I always read about quality control before buying a pen and I have read several numerous threads about not so good quality control at Visconti. I bought all my Omas and Stipula pens in second hand and they all work beautifully, are reliable and have semi flex to full flex nibs and I never had to send them for repair. I must have testwritten over 20 viscontis models including limited editions at my favorite penshop and I know what are the drawbacks of their filling systems. I am asking myself seriously, should I give a try with brand whose nibs are stiff, whose filling systems are fragile (exception made of the piston) and whose quality control leaves a lot to be desired????Those are the questions I ask myself all the time. Convince me that you own a couple of Viscontis for more than 5 years that have shown exemplar reliability and which were never sent to repair and perhaps I will rethink my judgement.

Edited by georges zaslavsky

Pens are like watches , once you start a collection, you can hardly go back. And pens like all fine luxury items do improve with time

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Out of curiosity, how are the filling systems fragile and how could you determine that from trying it out at a store?

True bliss: knowing that the guy next to you is suffering more than you are.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Out of curiosity, how are the filling systems fragile and how could you determine that from trying it out at a store?

Using the sheaffer vac fill system since a long time, I write a lot with a vac fill triumph, I can assume that over the years , there will be some play in the vacuum filler rod, other thing is that with the double reservoir, it is more or less problematic to get the remaining ink flowing correctly.

Pens are like watches , once you start a collection, you can hardly go back. And pens like all fine luxury items do improve with time

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Love mine. Bronze version. Buy again? Yes.

 

:) The cap mechanism is out of this world, I'm a teacher (primary school) and capping/uncapping happens about every minute for me (seriously) when I'm in the classroom, and several times a minute during peak times (special needs class, you don't leave a nib exposed for long, anything can happen at any time...)

:) Nib, 23K Medium, great. Super smooth and wet. If I need a finer line it reverse writes beautifully, and very smoothly (albeit with a small sweet spot). Springy, wipe it on the page and there will be a ink shed.

:) Materials, bronze lovely, develops great patina. Lava/rubber, fantastic to hold and use - 9 hour meeting is my record so far with almost continuous note taking, very happy hand at the end (don't go there...)

:) Nib and feed removable, from both pen and then from collar/each-other for full cleaning. BUT I've water rinsed using the vac mechanism three separate times now, then pulled the nib and feed, never has there been even a hint of ink between the two...on my example at least there appears to be no point in a complete strip-down clean. Maybe with some inks, or if left to fossilize, but that's not my style.

:) Clip, one hand operating is easy once you figure out the "Visconti squeeze", holds well enough in my jacket pocket or on my vest.

:) Vac mechanism is smooth and consistent.

:) Section is very comfortable

:) Size allows for different grip positions, I hold mine a fair way back (off the section in fact) and wipe the letters onto the page, and all this with pretty big hands (over 8 inches, measured the normal way). I do like to post, but with this pen holding the cap in the other hand feels...good, natural.

 

:( Clip has Visconti printed on. At this price point ...no laser etching...really? BUT, who knows what the pen cost to make, it's not like any of us have sunk the man-hours into R&D. On the up side once the paint rubs off there will be no banner branding on the pen, making it better IMHO.

:( When I got mine (second hand) the piston rod had ink on it, ink that had made it's way past the rear seal. There was no leak to speak of, I just worry about the vacuum...mind you the pen fills fine, so I may be worrying about nothing.

:( Nib is very soft, which is only an issue for me when when reassembling after a complete strip down (see comments above, this may never happen again). the problem being that very slight alignment changes between nib and feed are magnified dramatically in tine alignment. A few slight wiggles of either nib or feed is enough to sort this out. This is more of a warning not to reassemble, notice tine alignment issues and then start bending etc to try and correct. Just wiggle it, just a little bit.

:( Mine is an early example and needs to be sent in for the section operation (re. fitting of a sleeve) HOWEVER, what does it say about how much I love this pen that MR Cheap-ass here is actually looking forward to having this done, and getting my little Precious back...? ALSO, from what I understand this will be free, but postage is up in the air. Pretty good customer service if you ask me. Many complaints in Web-world about a $3-4-5-600 pen needing to have this done. Suck it up (vac filler joke), this is a new material and early adopters, like early adopters of any technology, should expect there to be small issues. As I understand the issue was soon corrected on all pens leaving the factory, so a non-issue if buying new.

 

:? Size, everyone says it's big, I don't think it's that big. A Wing Sung 590 is substantially bigger.

:? Wetness re. using the pen on dodgy paper. Yes, this can be an issue. HOWEVER, reverse writing on really bad paper is perfectly fine. N's Apache Sunset and Dragon's Napalm both behave VERY well in this pen and I get no show-through on almost all papers at school (some student books are pretty nasty, I reverse write my annotations in them). This is all with a medium nib, I would really like to try a fine or extra fine nib in this pen...then again the medium is very expressive when you want it to be...hmmm...

:? No ink window. WELLLLLLL......my motorbike doesn't have a fuel gauge, but I know roughly how many kilometers I'll get from a tank. Same with this pen. Trust the fill and guesstimate refill times. OR commit to an ink in it and just refill at the end of every day. My EDC is this pen and a Rotring 600 mechanical pencil. The pen occasionally changes (but not often), the pencil doesn't. It's the ultimate fail-safe. So I'm never worried.

:? Section staining...it's weird. With some inks yes, with others no. BUT with all staining it only lasts a day or so then it's gone...maybe the material sucks it up? Either way I don't care. I use my pens, I don't collect them. I can't wait for my (currently imaginary as my daughter is only 8 months old) grandson to receive this pen, all beaten up and gnarly...and to love it as much as I do/did. Then again maybe my daughter will be a writer with big hands, if so the pen is hers!

 

Y.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33501
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26627
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...