Help Identifying Early Visconti

[ncdobson]

I just bought this brown marbled celluloid Visconti pen with a plated nib, but I don't know which line it's from: Classic? Replica? D'Essai? It's a c/c filler.

 

Can anyone identify it for me? Molto grazie,

 

Nick D.

[Susanna]

It may be a Classic, made in 1988

Take a look of Visconti's Museum section: http://www.visconti.it/museum/

 

http://www.visconti.it/archivioImg/classic-i.jpg

[eric47]

It may be a Classic, made in 1988

 

I think it's most likely a Classic as well because the pen is C/C...although Nick's capband doesn't match the photo on Visconti's site. But after looking at my photos of confirmed Classics, indeed the Classics had the capband ("in the cap") like Nick's pen -- I have one just like it with a glass nib however.

 

The photo on Visconti's site is most likely incorrect* -- probably a photo of the later Replicas which had capbands stuck on the edge (like the D'Essais). (*But Visconti changed designs mid-production often, so sometimes it's hard to say.)

 

Many (all??? I can't remember) of the later Replica's were piston; and I'm pretty sure all the D'Essais were as well. You'd know a D'Essai if you had one because it would have a number on the band -- they were the first numbered Visconti LEs. And I'm pretty sure the brown marble wasn't used on the D'Essais. The Classic and Replicas weren't numbered.

Edited June 1, 2011 by eric47

[ncdobson]

Thanks to both of you. I had checked the Visconti site before posting, but the quality of photos wasn't good enough for me to be sure. Since I've never personally seen any of the models in question, I thought I'd ask if anyone with firsthand experience could weigh in.

 

Thanks again,

 

Nick D.

It may be a Classic, made in 1988

 

I think it's most likely a Classic as well because the pen is C/C...although Nick's capband doesn't match the photo on Visconti's site. But after looking at my photos of confirmed Classics, indeed the Classics had the capband ("in the cap") like Nick's pen -- I have one just like it with a glass nib however.

 

The photo on Visconti's site is most likely incorrect* -- probably a photo of the later Replicas which had capbands stuck on the edge (like the D'Essais). (*But Visconti changed designs mid-production often, so sometimes it's hard to say.)

 

Many (all??? I can't remember) of the later Replica's were piston; and I'm pretty sure all the D'Essais were as well. You'd know a D'Essai if you had one because it would have a number on the band -- they were the first numbered Visconti LEs. And I'm pretty sure the brown marble wasn't used on the D'Essais. The Classic and Replicas weren't numbered.

[eric47]

Here are couple of photos with the Classic, Replica and D'Essai, so you can see the differences.

 

1-3: Classic, C/C. Nick your pen looks like the same as pen n.3, although mine has a glass nib. Note the cap bands compared to the Replicas and D'Essais

4: Replica, piston - has a steel Tropen nib, quite flexy.

5: D'Essai Ocra, piston - special run only 50 pens made (I have the card with the name and total pens made); this was not part of the official D'Essai set of pens. Celluloid was also used earlier on some Replicas.

6-10: D'Essai, piston. n. 10 has a form closer to the Replica (n. 3) with an ink window. But it's the D'Essai Fuchsia, only 170 made.

11: Pontevecchio, C/C (regular, non-LE version). Adriatic Stone celluloid.

12: Viscontina purple, syringe.

 

 

[ncdobson]

Wow, what great pics!

 

Mine certainly does look like the 3rd pen, but with a stainless nib (& the name Visconti going vertically the length of the nib instead of across it).

 

The 4th & 5th pens look like ones made by Kato Seisakusho in Japan. I have an ocra piston filler by Kato. Do you know whether he made pens for Visconti?

 

I have the Ponte Vecchios, & the blue/orange may be my favorite pattern of all my pens. I also have the Viscontina in gray. I'm eagerly awaiting a set of Stagioni, & I'll post pictures when they arrive.

 

Thanks for the info, Eric.

Here are couple of photos with the Classic, Replica and D'Essai, so you can see the differences.

 

1-3: Classic, C/C. Nick your pen looks like the same as pen n.3, although mine has a glass nib. Note the cap bands compared to the Replicas and D'Essais

4: Replica, piston - has a steel Tropen nib, quite flexy.

5: D'Essai Ocra, piston - special run only 50 pens made (I have the card with the name and total pens made); this was not part of the official D'Essai set of pens. Celluloid was also used earlier on some Replicas.

6-10: D'Essai, piston. n. 10 has a form closer to the Replica (n. 3) with an ink window. But it's the D'Essai Fuchsia, only 170 made.

11: Pontevecchio, C/C (regular, non-LE version). Adriatic Stone celluloid.

12: Viscontina purple, syringe.

 

 

[georges zaslavsky]

very nice visconti collection Eric 47

[sansenri]

Hello

 

I know this thread is years old however I am interested in further info regarding the Visconti Pontevecchio, C/C (regular, non-LE version). Adriatic Stone celluloid, 2nd pen from the right in eric47's post.
I have this pen, bought at a very cheap price because the nib is not its original nib.

I am wondering what nib was mounted on the original version.

Was it a gold nib? 14k? 18k? or gold plated? I have seen the Peninasia web showing this pen and it looks to me like it might be a 750 (18k) nib, however I have also seen other images of this pen on an auction site with a gold colour nib marked Visconti Firenze M, but no gold markings.
The product leaflet says that the ring, clip, AND NIB are marked in honour of Benvenuto Cellini (famous for building musical intruments, a statue of whom is on the Pontevecchio in Florence). So was this a specially marked/decorated nib?

Anyone who has this pen in it's original version NON LE can post an image of the nib?

Thanks for any help!!

Enrico