Visconti's Divina Proporzione has become one of my favorite writers. The pens look great, write a smooth wet reliable line, and have a particularly interesting design theme.

But I cannot completely empty either of the two DPs I have using the instructions in the documentation. The documentation says that to empty the pen, I need to push the end cap to activate the plunger, then pull completely out on the hidden plunger, and then push the plunger all the way back into the pen in one smooth motion - all without the pen being immersed. Well, this does empty the pen of about 75% of the ink, but there is still enough ink in the pen to half-fill the ink reservoir window when holding the pen nib down. Repeating the maneuver several times still leaves this residual ink.

The clever Push-Pull-Touchdown filling system also seems to incompletely fill the pens.

So I have been unwilling to routinely flush the pens with water - because if I can't get all the ink out, I probably won't be able to get all the water out either - resulting in watery dilute ink when I refill the pen with ink.

Is there something I'm missing? I tried inverting the pen several times to move the ink around, but that doesn't seem to make a difference.

So for now I have decided to empty as much ink as I can, and then just soak the nib overnight in a water filled glass - without drawing water up into the ink reservoir.

If it was just one of the two pens, I would suspect there was a manufacturing defect. But both pens perform exactly the same - and one of the two is the gold 618 edition, which I presume was subjected to a higher level of quality control.

Has anyone else had this issue with Visconti's Push-Pull-Touchdown filling system, or with the Divina Proporzione?

The best way to fill their power fillers (with either ink or water) is the traveling inkpot.

Hey Deirdre -

The DP uses a different filling mechanism than the Power Filler. The Push-Pull-Touchdown system actually cannot be used with the otherwise amazing Traveling Ink Pot.

I learned this the hard way, before reading the traveling ink pot documentation.

Because the Push-Pull-Touchdown both expels the current contents on the reservoir (incompletely) and aspirates new ink into the reservoir in one push of the plunger; using the ink pot with the DP results in an amazing geyser of pressurized inky spray blowing out of the ink pot. Quite a surprise.

But, like you, I like the Visconti Traveling Ink Pot for most of my other pens.

Doh!

I'm so tired tonight. I was thinking of a different pen.

I take it, then, this push-pull touchdown system is not synonymous with the double tank system.

Fred

as with most indirect fillers you'll find if you go very slow for that last little bit it will empty better, air will travel through the exits easier than liquids. try wadding a paper towel around the nib after pulling the filler all of the way up and pushing it down slowly allowing the ink/water to wick into the towel. hope that helps.

Hey Fred - thanks for your help.

Visconti lists the Push and Pull system separately from the Double Tank and Power Filler systems (see www.visconti.it and VIEW ANIMATIONS under the BEHIND THE SCENES tab).

And the Divina Proporzione does not have the feature of moving ink from one reservoir tank to a smaller active tank like the Double Tank Pens do.

So I think the mechanism is different.

The pens are performing flawlessly right now, but I just can't figure out how to completely empty them. Maybe they were not designed to be flushed - only to be soaked. But it would seem that this issue would complicate things if you wanted to change ink colors as well. The new ink would mix with the old ink.

I'm sure it's something simple I am just missing, but I cannot figure out what the secret is.

Thanks Lex - I'll try that tonight. I had been pushing the plunger quickly throughout the stroke length.

I'm painfully unfamiliar with the system, but based on general experience, I'd suggest this for a good clean-out: Empty as well you might, fill with water, then without emptying put in head-down in a paper towel-filled cup. I find it takes a wartime Sheaffer vacuum-filler rather less than a half-hour to empty itself into the paper, and you can repeat the process several times to enhance the cleaning without putting undue stress on the filler (with the Sheaffer. Painfully unfamiliar with the Visconti).

But that is what the power vac does as well Just put the pen on before you work the filler then it will pull the air from the inkpot then push it back then pull up the ink. My understanding is that you are not suppose to be able to fill a lever filler on an inkpot but I've done it fine.

Kurt

Excellent! A good common-sense work-around. Thanks.

That makes sense. I'll try that tonight, though maybe wearing a darker older shirt than on my last attempt.

I just bought a Divina today and noticed the same thing when I filled it and emptied it (or tried to empty it). Did you ever find the secret or is the work around with the paper towel filled cup the best solution you have found?

Hey Larry -

I've been a bit of a chicken.

So far, I have just soaked the nib in plain water every week, without aspirating the water up into the reservoir. Then I set the pen nib down in a glass filled with paper towels to drain the water from the nib and the remaining ink from the reservoir. Then I refill the reservoir with ink.

I'm planning to attend the Raleigh Pen Show in June, and I'll ask Ken Jones, Visconti's National Sales Manager. I'll post his advice here.

Thanks Ray for the quick response. I'll do the same then and hopefully Ken will give you a good solution. Looking forward to see what he says.

Ray, I decided to go ahead and flush out the pen since I wanted to change colors. I flushed it with water 6 times to get the previous color out - Diamine Mediterranean Blue. When finished flushing, I noticed a very small amount of water (slightly tinted blue) remaining in the view window. I think if I would have continued to flush it out another 6 times to make an even dozen times, which is what I normally do when I flush my pens on refilling them, I could have gotten all visible traces of the blue ink out. On the final flush, I then tried to expell the remaining water another 6 times without using any water to actually flush, in other words, I just worked the filling mechanism dry and got out most of the remaining water. When finished, I could see what appeared to be about 1-2 drops of water in the view window. I then filled the pen with Diamine Dark Brown and tested it for several lines each day for 3 days. I then emptied the ink from the pen as per the directions, ran a little water over the nib, dried the nib, and refilled again with Diamine Dark Brown ink. I tested it on the same paper a few lines down from my first test of the brown and to be honest I can't tell any difference in the color or shading. So I don't think the ink was noticeably diluted with the residue water from the initial flush on the first fill of brown.

So I'm happy with the flushing procedures. I do wish I could get more ink into the pen when I fill it. Once filled, if I turn the pen 'nib up' the ink will flow down and the window is clear as though it contains no ink. When I return the pen to the 'nib down' position, I see the ink flow towards the nib and the view window is full of ink. That appears to be quite a bit of wasted volume that could be used for a larger supply of ink. I guess I need to do a test and find out how many pages I can write with the pen full.

Please do post any other information you receive on this issue as I'm definitely interested in any ideas on a better method of flushing or filling the pen.

Larry

I tried flushing out my Divina this morning and had the same problem. I used the Traveling Inkpot filled with water to see if I could get more water into the pen but it didn't seem to be any better than just sticking the nib in a cup of water. And as you've noted trying to get the last little bit of ink / water out is a wonderful exercise in frustration. Near as I can tell the pen has the same ink capacity as a Namiki VP with the converter. Which is to say not a helluva lot. I think I'll just put the pen on the shelf for a while. Gorgeous pen, but frustrating...

Hey Larry - well at least one of us had the courage to try this out. Good work. Maybe after a 6-12 dry cycles, I could finish up with wicking the remaining water with paper towels. Or maybe I'm going to need to find a Salad Spinner for this pen.

Bruce, I empathize with the frustration - it just seems there has to be a simpler trick we're missing. But come-on now, this is way too handsome a pen to surrender to the "drawer of disappointment."

I'll post more here after the Raleigh Pen Show when I pick the brains of the Visconti guys.

BTW, does anyone know if Visconti made a ballpoint or rollerball companion pen for the Divina Proporzione? I see the Divina Desert Springs ballpoints, and I see the Black Divina ballpoints - but no Divina Proporziones.

Oh man I am really feeling your pain with these pens. If it becomes too much to stand, I'll willingly but with reservations take that troublesome pen off your hands!