Visconti Opera Club – Cherry Blossom (SKU 386.25)

November 4, 2009

Source

Gilberston-Clybourn Pens, Chicago (brick and mortar)

Background

I've been wanting a Visconti for some time. When I found I had some extra cash, I went on impulse to a pen shop and looked at some Van Goghs, a Wall Street, and this Opera Club. All my other pens are either silver or black, and very sedate and conservative, so the maroon/red swirls against a pearl-white background appealed to me. This pen would stand out among my collection just because it was primarily white. The store gave me a good discount, so I couldn't pass it up. Ah! My first Visconti!

I didn't want to provide scores in the review below, but the FPN guidelines recommend them, so I tried. I tend to be a tough evaluator, so a 3 out of 5 is perfectly fine. To get a 4 or a 5 score, the aspect under review has to be really exceptional.

Packaging (3)

Black faux croc clamshell case. It's nothing special, and nothing unique to the pen itself, but presents it nicely. There's a cool slide-out tray with the instruction book, but mine was for the Divina, not the Opera Club. I suspect there may have been an inadvertent box switch.

First Impression (4)

When I got it home, I couldn't believe how beautiful the finish is. The detail, heft, and build made me think it was a solid piece of granite. The cherry swirls look three-dimensional in some places and white background swirls more subtly and has an iridescent glow. The sliver trim is very fitting. The excellent polish and "squaring the circle" shape of the pen makes it catch the light extremely well. I usually write late at night, in bars, lounges, and night clubs, and often there's a candle at the table. More than once I've been taken by a flash from this pen and I played around with it, collecting my thoughts.

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Bling Factor (4)

In spite of the cherry red and white swirls, the pen is not all that ostentatious. My black Conklin Mark Twain attract more attention, probably because of the crescent filler. However, the Opera series is part of the Visconti My Pen system, which means you can replace the Visconti emblem on the cap with initials, signs of the zodiac and semi-precious stones. I ordered six stones from Giardino Italiano (Susanna got these from Milano to Chicago faster than I usually can make it home on the bus!), and find I do change them out every three weeks or so. This little addition is only noticed by me, but it helps to make the pen new again. So it gets an extra private bling boost!

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Breakage

I haven't dropped this pen – yet, so time will tell, as I always drop my pens. It does travel well in my briefcase, bag, clipped to some pages in a notebook, and has no visible scratches or abrasions.

Weight/Balance (4)

I like a pen to have some weight to it. While not at all heavy, the Opera Club Cherry Blossom does feel substantial. I'd put it after my Conklin and my Kaigelu 316, but ahead of my Pelikan M805 in terms of perceived weight. It screws onto its cap with a nice firm turn, and posts securely. It is not at all hard to write with, even considering the metal grip. All my other pens have plastic/celluloid/resin grips and I was worried that the metal in the Visconti would be a problem. It was not.

Perceived Build Quality (3)

This pen does loot and feel like a $300 to $400 pen. As I stated before, the finish is definitely a work of art. One thing I will put here, unfortunately, is a design flaw that has to do with the transparency of the finish, and the construction of the cap. Unless I am EXCEEDINGLY careful filling the pen (and this can be hard to do in a bar at 3:30 in the morning!) some ink will creep from the nip and get caught in a metal ring inside the cap. This leaves noticeable marks on the outside. No amount of soaking or sticking a Q-Tip in the cap could get it out. I finally got some Amodex and discovered that the brush that comes with the Amodex fits the inside of the ring exactly, so it can be used to screw it out. Once out, I have to scrub the threads of the ring and the inside threads of the cap with Amodex a few times to get the ink stains out.

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http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/6840/visconticlubinkring.png

Never having had a white pen, I didn't expect this. And I'm sure the same thing is going on inside the caps of my Pelikans, Conklin, Picasso, Lamy, Cross, and Sheaffer, but it doesn't manifest itself on the outside finish of the pen, so it doesn't bother me. I'm resigned to expecting to clean this Visconti more than usual, and stick to J. Herbin inks over Private Reserve to minimize the staining. (My thanks to members of this forum for the J. Herbin and Amodex suggestions).

Filling System (3)

Cartridge/Converter. Ugh. OK. When I went into the shop, my only two criteria were an Italian pen (preferably Visconti) with an integrated filling system. At this price point, I expect a piston, or lever, or crescent, or vacuum, or rod, or something other than a converter and those disgusting cartridges. Well, unless you go German (Montblanc or Pelikan), you have to go into the limited editions to get a non C/C pen, at least in a shop. I wavered a lot over, this, to the point of almost going Montblanc instead of Visconti, but isn't a converter just a detached piston anyway? So I went with it. It works fine, but, again, at this price point, it cheapens the experience somewhat. And you miss out on two things: the greater capacity and the ability to check the ink level. I do get embarrassed to have to unscrew the pen to check the ink level. So much cooler it is to hold the pen up to the light or a candle, like my Pelikan Souverans, to check the ink. I write about 2,000 words a night and a Pelikan M805 can see me through two nights, whereas the converter in this Visconti can run out in one night. Ah, but then, don't I get to impress all by filling it from my J. Herbin Bleu Myostis bottle?

Clip (4)

The Visconti bridge. I like this clip. It is quintessential Visconti. It is a little harder to clip onto a shirt pocket with one hand, but not impossible. I like its sleek and very solid look.

Posted or Unposted

This pen is postable, and works fine either posted or unposted. I prefer to post, lest I lose the cap (highly likely after my fourth drink). And the build quality is so well done, that I get a very thrilling feeling to hear and feel the metal from the cap silver band snap and click across the metal section while capping. No cheap plastic here.

Nib Characteristics (4)

It's a 14 K white gold nib, not too flexy, but not too stiff, and just the right size for the rest of the pen. It has the Visconti crescent moon breather hole, and that crescent moon and that crescent bridge clip were what said and sold Visconti to me.

Writing Performance (4)

Here is where this pen really shines. I don't want to have to resort to using Florida Blue just to make a pen work. Neither do I want to have to soak it in water and dish soap. Even less do I want to have to send a $300 to $400 pen off to a "nibmeister" to make it right. It should work right out of the box, and this one does. It lays down a nice, wet line, and so smoothly. It always starts right away, and never skips, whether fed from a converter or a cartridge. This is a prime point that makes me use a pen, and I do use this pen every night. It is a joy to write with, so much so that I can end a sentence with a preposition and split an infinitive with glee.

Cost/Value (3)

I paid the about same amount for this pen that I paid for a Pelikan M805 a year prior at the same place. This means I gave the City of Chicago, which has the highest tax rates in the US, nearly $40 in taxes, but I believe in keeping brick and mortar stores, who let you try out a pen, in business. I think the Pelikan is the better value, but I wanted a Visconti and I got it, so I'm happy (at least until the Romanica comes tomorrow). It is a beautiful pen, the My Pen system keeps it fun and alive to me, and it is a very reliable writer. If only I didn't have to clean it so often and if only it had an integrated filling system. But, I paid for the name, the quality, the fun, and the joy of having this pen.

Conclusion and Final Score (3.6 out of 5)

The last thing I'll say is that the coolest thing is the pure uniqueness of the finish. There is no other pen that looks just like this one (same cannot be said for my Pelikans, Lamy, Cross, Conklin, Sheaffer, and Picasso). I've seen pictures of other Visconti Opera Club Cherry Blossoms, and mine, lucky me, has the the most interesting, most captivating pattern of cherry swirls and glistening pearly white soul, plus that little ring of J. Hebrin Bleu Myositis midway around the cap. There is no other pen like it.

November 4, 2009

I have the Opera Club in Summer Yellow and agree with all your points.

The Cherry Blossom is a real head-turner. Beautiful. This model feels substantial and

performs reliably. Class act from Visconti. And great first review!

MJ

November 4, 2009

I love this pen, just still quite a bit too expensive for me. If I ever am able to get it I would get it with the matching Visconti travelling inkpot! Then the convertor would bother far less.

November 4, 2009

I have one of these, but in the blue swirl (Nordic Blue I think). I agree with this review, and love my pen. I will add though, that even though this is a cartridge/converter pen, the converter is one of the most substantial I've ever seen, and actually screws into the section. Plus, the converter is made with a lot of metal, as opposed to plastic, which makes it look quite a bit nicer than a standard converter, when it has to be seen.

November 4, 2009

Thanks for a well balanced review - I really appreciate this kind of nuanced reviews!

November 4, 2009

Thanks for the kind words everyone!

Jakespeed: You are right about the converter and I actually filled the pen after posting the review and should have metioned that. It is by far the nicest converters I have.

Silexink: I have a traveling ink pot from prahaBleu on its way to me. I've read the reviews of it here, and some people have mentioned how clean the nib comes out of it. That may address my staining issue. I'll have to pay closer attention to when it happens. Last time, I noticed only after I had used the pen until it ran dry, then put it in my bag. So, the staining could come less when the pen is filled and more when it is empty.

I was writing with it last night and someone noticed it and said what a beautiful, substantial pen it is!!

The Visconti Romanica Vermeil arrived yesterday, as well. Oh my god!!!! I opened it, made sure everything was OK, while trying not to look at it, dipped it in J Herbin Gris Nuage and made some lines to make sure the nib was OK. Then I wiped it clean, put it back in its glorious box, and am wrapping it up. It's my birthday present to myself this year and my birthday is not until the 23rd. I wonder how much self control I can maintain not to tear into it.

Edited November 4, 2009 by pilotheinrich