Visconti Silver Skeleton Limited Edition (Chatterley)

[autopsy]

http://i.imgur.com/aTe4ikO.jpg

 

Stunning.

 

So, in general, I like to review only the pens of mine which are generally not really reviewed because it makes for a more interesting post. For me at least. This also came with a matching Visconti Traveling Ink Well.

 

Fair warning, I'm going to rant a bit about Visconti before this review is over... Let's get started.

 

http://i.imgur.com/R7H5euI.jpg

 

Aesthetics (9.5/10):

Quite the looker. Both filled and empty, this is an attractive pen, and seriously not something you can forget about. You might lose sleep over this pen. I mean, damn. I don't even know what to say. The ink glugging inside the pen is something you can stare at for hours in a lava lamp-esque trance. I love the traveling ink well too - it just looks great.

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/gxcT3ik.jpg

 

Construction (1/10):

Ah, dear. This is the reason I'll probably never buy another Visconti (I have 4). There is a piece of resin inside that is friction fit inside the body. It is not water tight and will easily trap ink inside (for a shot of that: http://i.imgur.com/npvg1Jt.jpg). You can sort of clean it by forcing water in via the power filler and dumping, but this takes literally, not figuratively, hours. Trust me. I've done it. It is the only reason it is not currently inked. I don't want to spend the time to clean it out, and for that my dear readers, I apologize. But I have better things to do. These days, I ink it maybe once every few months for a week at most. Since it's a demonstrator, I feel very anxious keeping it inked too long in case it stains. So for the most part, it just sits around looking pretty. The trophy wife of pens.

 

Then there's the ink well. It's also a nightmare to clean. I don't own their standard ink well, so that may be better. This one won't take hours, but it will take a good 20 minutes. It's perfectly functional otherwise, but that cleaning time alone makes me think twice before I fill it with ink. I'd rather just seal up a regular bottle of ink and take it with me on in a carry-on bag.

 

http://i.imgur.com/wUK9mPN.jpg

 

Usage (8/10):

I won't dock it points for cleaning issues, as I already ranted/docked points from the construction section of this review. In every other aspect, the pen is great. My only complaint is the weight. Clocking in at 59 grams empty (just weighed it), it is a force to be reckoned with. It actually makes writing normally, even unposted, a bit of a challenge after a while.

 

The ink well works great, and I've never had any issues with leaking or spills.

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/zUx0CNr.jpg

 

Nib (8/10):

There's a part of me that even wonders why I have this part in the review. 90% of the pens I own have been or will soon be seriously modified by a nibmeister. Stock nibs are just always a bit meh to me, and this is no exception. It's currently just a boring old medium. It's smooth but unremarkable. I don't think I'll get this one modified just because I don't think I use it enough to make it worth it.

 

 

Filling System (7/10):

The power filler is just annoying to me. Yes, it holds a lot of ink. I frequently change pens and inks, so I don't see the advantage here. It's just a complication that I can't open up and clean if I wanted to. I'd prefer a regular piston that I could pop out when needed. I suppose it would interfere with the aesthetics though...

 

http://i.imgur.com/FFwR5Aa.jpg

 

Overall (7/10):

Would I buy it again? I'm not sure. I won't buy another Visconti for a long time. To be clear, this is not the only issue I've had with the brand. They make beautiful pens with beautiful resins, but damn, they don't care about design flaws too much, do they? And also, random question, I feel like Italians make the best looking resins - what's up with that? Anyway, I really, really love the look of this pen. I just wish someone else made it.

Edited December 12, 2014 by autopsy

[Kyouju]

Thanks for the review. I had my eye on this pen but decided against it in the end since I realised what I really wanted was a Ripple and I merely missed out on that. Terribly shameful as it is to say, I may be feeling a liiiiiitle, teeny bit of schadenfreude to know I missed out on the troubles you described with this one too That cleaning regime would drive me nutters!

Edited December 12, 2014 by CatsLoveCrinkling

[Calamus plasticus]

I own the titanium version. To clean it properly you have to unscrew the nib and inyect water with a syringe. That's easy and efective. If you try to clean it in the old good fashion way, you simply won't succed. The same happen with every power filler Visconti on this world... But in a demo you see it.

[autopsy]

I own the titanium version. To clean it properly you have to unscrew the nib and inyect water with a syringe. That's easy and efective. If you try to clean it in the old good fashion way, you simply won't succed. The same happen with every power filler Visconti on this world... But in a demo you see it.

 

 

I'll give that a try next time, but I'm not sure if it would work. Still, thanks for the advice.

[saskia_madding]

I have the titanium version and i'll happily keep it, but yeah, I don't know if I'll buy another Visconti (even if the new HS is calling my name!). The power fillers they love so much are such a pain to clean. UGH.

[autopsy]

I have the titanium version and i'll happily keep it, but yeah, I don't know if I'll buy another Visconti (even if the new HS is calling my name!). The power fillers they love so much are such a pain to clean. UGH.

 

My HS is actually really easy to clean for some reason. Partly because it's not a demonstrator, but even then, it requires less flushes to run clear. I don't know why - if that's luck of the draw or something particular to HS's design.

[Calamus plasticus]

 

 

I'll give that a try next time, but I'm not sure if it would work. Still, thanks for the advice.

 

It will work. But please be very careful when unscrewing the nib unit

[zaddick]

Thanks for the review. I was thinking of getting the alutex version, but now I am more hesitant. I still do like the look of the Chatterley silver and clear Ripple though.

[glassjaw003]

Oh dear, a 1/10 for construction. I'd tend to agree with a negative review on such a fault in a demonstrator.

 

If the pen was not a demonstrator, would it still receive a 1/10?

[autopsy]

Oh dear, a 1/10 for construction. I'd tend to agree with a negative review on such a fault in a demonstrator.

 

If the pen was not a demonstrator, would it still receive a 1/10?

If it weren't a demonstrator, I wouldn't be able to see trapped ink. So it's probably get an 8 or 9 depending in his nit picky I felt. It would also become one of my more commonly used pens.

[glassjaw003]

If it weren't a demonstrator, I wouldn't be able to see trapped ink. So it's probably get an 8 or 9 depending in his nit picky I felt. It would also become one of my more commonly used pens.

 

Just goes to show you how important it is to get the details right when making a demonstrator.

[Ghost Plane]

Send it to me. I don't care about ink residue and it can keep my Ripple demonstrators company.

[Michigan]

Thank you. I thought about this pen but decided against it for the same reason I hesitated on the sterling Pelikan. I cannot abide by coating or plating silver on an entire pen (as opposed to trim).

[autopsy]

I should add that the syringe method of cleaning did indeed clear most of the ink relatively fast. I'm adjusting my scoring to reflect that, however, it's still a relatively non-obvious solution. It detracts from the pen, but not as greatly as I once thought.