Visconti Homo Sapiens Steel Age Oversized Ef

[devaldez]

Great review, but I have to say, my bronze HS is one of my very favorite pens ever. I had a catastrophic accident with my HS...that apparently happened when I wasn't around and the pen was in my saddle-bag briefcase. Don't ask me how, but my HS snapped in half?! It's away getting replaced now, but my wife gave me a Carbon Dream as a wedding present, so I still have a 23k Palladium nib. It's EF and I would say it's wet and a bit thicker than most, but it's SMOOTH for an EF.

 

Quite honestly, though there are others with much more experience who will refute this, I find Viscontis to be the best pens, both in build and nib quality. I've written with MBs and find them much less impressive. I have a Waterman with a 14k nib here which is nice, but simply doesn't compare. I gave my wife a Van Gogh with an 18k nib (plug for classifieds here!) and it's delightful, too...

 

Oh, and a HUGE shout-out for Bryant at pentime.com...simply the best service, pricing, and selection for Viscontis...I will ALWAYS buy my pens from him because of his awesomeness!

 

 

Has it broken in half?!! Do you have pics? I thought the Lava body was unbreakable!

 

I agree with you that Visconti make theirs pen in high quality material and they are very well designed, probably better than Montblanc, Pelikan etc. However, sometimes, some of their metal (probably steel parts, I don't know...) used to get rusty, but it's a minor issue. Usually their pens are made in high quality, with the very best materials available.

If you tell me how to upload a picture, I'll do so...I'm a computer geek, but I don't have a place from which I can link and it doesn't appear to allow simple uploading...but yes, I have pictures...Bryant saw them...

[fabrimedeiros]

Great review, but I have to say, my bronze HS is one of my very favorite pens ever. I had a catastrophic accident with my HS...that apparently happened when I wasn't around and the pen was in my saddle-bag briefcase. Don't ask me how, but my HS snapped in half?! It's away getting replaced now, but my wife gave me a Carbon Dream as a wedding present, so I still have a 23k Palladium nib. It's EF and I would say it's wet and a bit thicker than most, but it's SMOOTH for an EF.

 

Quite honestly, though there are others with much more experience who will refute this, I find Viscontis to be the best pens, both in build and nib quality. I've written with MBs and find them much less impressive. I have a Waterman with a 14k nib here which is nice, but simply doesn't compare. I gave my wife a Van Gogh with an 18k nib (plug for classifieds here!) and it's delightful, too...

 

Oh, and a HUGE shout-out for Bryant at pentime.com...simply the best service, pricing, and selection for Viscontis...I will ALWAYS buy my pens from him because of his awesomeness!

 

 

Has it broken in half?!! Do you have pics? I thought the Lava body was unbreakable!

 

I agree with you that Visconti make theirs pen in high quality material and they are very well designed, probably better than Montblanc, Pelikan etc. However, sometimes, some of their metal (probably steel parts, I don't know...) used to get rusty, but it's a minor issue. Usually their pens are made in high quality, with the very best materials available.

If you tell me how to upload a picture, I'll do so...I'm a computer geek, but I don't have a place from which I can link and it doesn't appear to allow simple uploading...but yes, I have pictures...Bryant saw them...

Most of people here post the pics on sites like Flicker, Photobucket etc and put a link here. On reply bar, there is a icon to add the link. If you put the link there, the pic will be showed directly on the thread! Probably there are lot of people here very curious to see your pen and the Visconti follow up.

[Earl Pitts]

Good review and photos.

[WendyNC]

If you tell me how to upload a picture, I'll do so...I'm a computer geek, but I don't have a place from which I can link and it doesn't appear to allow simple uploading...but yes, I have pictures...Bryant saw them...

 

Look at the list of words just below The Fountain Pen Network at the top of the page. On the far right is the word "Upload." Click on it and follow the directions to store the photos right here on FPN.

 

Once your pictures are uploaded, you can go to the same place and click on the name of a picture. It will open in a new tab or a new window, depending on how you have your browser set. Copy of the URL for that photo.

 

In the reply box, there's an icon for a link to insert a picture which is two to the right of the smiley (it sorta kinda looks like a picture in a frame). Click on that icon and paste the URL from the picture into it. This will make the picture appear in the body of the reply.

[devaldez]

Great review, but I have to say, my bronze HS is one of my very favorite pens ever. I had a catastrophic accident with my HS...that apparently happened when I wasn't around and the pen was in my saddle-bag briefcase. Don't ask me how, but my HS snapped in half?! It's away getting replaced now, but my wife gave me a Carbon Dream as a wedding present, so I still have a 23k Palladium nib. It's EF and I would say it's wet and a bit thicker than most, but it's SMOOTH for an EF.

 

Quite honestly, though there are others with much more experience who will refute this, I find Viscontis to be the best pens, both in build and nib quality. I've written with MBs and find them much less impressive. I have a Waterman with a 14k nib here which is nice, but simply doesn't compare. I gave my wife a Van Gogh with an 18k nib (plug for classifieds here!) and it's delightful, too...

 

Oh, and a HUGE shout-out for Bryant at pentime.com...simply the best service, pricing, and selection for Viscontis...I will ALWAYS buy my pens from him because of his awesomeness!

 

 

Has it broken in half?!! Do you have pics? I thought the Lava body was unbreakable!

 

I agree with you that Visconti make theirs pen in high quality material and they are very well designed, probably better than Montblanc, Pelikan etc. However, sometimes, some of their metal (probably steel parts, I don't know...) used to get rusty, but it's a minor issue. Usually their pens are made in high quality, with the very best materials available.

If you tell me how to upload a picture, I'll do so...I'm a computer geek, but I don't have a place from which I can link and it doesn't appear to allow simple uploading...but yes, I have pictures...Bryant saw them...

Most of people here post the pics on sites like Flicker, Photobucket etc and put a link here. On reply bar, there is a icon to add the link. If you put the link there, the pic will be showed directly on the thread! Probably there are lot of people here very curious to see your pen and the Visconti follow up.

I HATE using sites like that, but here it is:

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c132/nukadog/IMG_0133.jpg

 

I honestly have no idea how this happened...while it was in my briefcase, no trauma occurred that I know of and I was only out of the room for a few minutes...it's a scandal!

[devaldez]

could we see an up close of the inside of the barrel? are there any cracks, or was it a clean break?

 

I didn't try to get that photo and I've already sent it off. It appears that it was a clean break, though...

[kriskhang]

wow devaldez, your heart really must have dropped. A horror story come true...

[devaldez]

wow devaldez, your heart really must have dropped. A horror story come true...

 

The HS was my grail pen and a reward for getting back to the ranks of the employed...yeah...my heart was in meltdown. I need to call Cole's tomorrow and find out the status, actually...

[smoores]

According to an email I had today with Bryant (at pentime):

 

The first 50 or so (steel age HS pens) had power fillers and he got most of them to sell early on. Then Visconti changed to the Maxi and Midi size of the Steel Age as piston fillers only. Sounds as though the rest will be piston fillers and the Bronze Age will still continue on as it has been (vac fill, power fill).

[trurl]

I have since swapped the nib for a stub. Which is also very, very wet - I only got 3-4 pages of letter writing on A4 on my last fill.

 

It isn't normal. There must be some problem with the seals, probably it doesn't create vacuum as it should.

[fabrimedeiros]

could we see an up close of the inside of the barrel? are there any cracks, or was it a clean break?

 

I didn't try to get that photo and I've already sent it off. It appears that it was a clean break, though...

 

 

Thank you for the photo, devaldez! Oh it's so sad to see that ! That area where the pen was fractured probably is thinner.

 

The patina (oxidation) is so beautiful on your pen. My HS Bronze doesn't show so deep beautiful patina. I've been using mine for almost 18 months. I hope you get it back soon and in good shape!

[Ipsilon]

I have received the HM Steel recently for my birthday, and was very pleased by its look (I had only seen it on web sites, and never in real life). I was not as pleased when I tried to write with it, though. The nib has indeed some flex to it (I have an M nib), and this may be the problem: as an above the line left handed writer, I end up pushing on the nib more then I pull on it. This makes for very uneven strokes, as the nib is very wet when I pull on it, but becomes very dry when I push on it. It's a pity, as I really like the look of it. But with this unevenness problem, it will end up in the drawer!

 

Any idea how this flow problem can be solved (apart from becoming right handed!)?

Thanks!

 

Y

[Sham69]

just ordered a maxi oversized steel age from Bryant cannot wait!

[lahlahlaw]

I HATE using sites like that, but here it is:

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c132/nukadog/IMG_0133.jpg

 

I honestly have no idea how this happened...while it was in my briefcase, no trauma occurred that I know of and I was only out of the room for a few minutes...it's a scandal!

 

WOW, I thought they were indestructible too! It looks like you found the weak link. It's not visible in the picture but does the titanium chamber begin right where it snapped? Was the entire thickness the lava/resin material or is there some sort of liner?

 

It isn't normal. There must be some problem with the seals, probably it doesn't create vacuum as it should.

 

I have this issue with mine too and I think it's a characteristic of the filling system. These pens are REALLY hard to fill.

 

When I first bought it I wanted to see how much water it would take up, the most I got was .7ml. This small capacity (or rather, filling capacity) coupled with its super-wet F nib and I get about four pages of A5 with each fill. With drier inks (Pelikan 4001) I get about 5 pages.

 

I think one has to use the Visconti travelling inkpot to get a larger fill, but I'm not ready to spend $70.

 

I can only imagine how few lines folks get out of the ones with B nibs!

[Sham69]

apparently the maxi piston fills get 1.5 ml of ink, i will measure it when mine arrives but that would seem about right with a piston in a pen this size seeing the lamy 2k gets 1.3ml

 

i would assume if you used a travelling ink pot or the dizzy pen vacuum filling method the vac could fit 1.5-2ml of ink.. but it would be so hard and frustrating to do with a non demonstrator you are likely to get ink all over your hands. although a piston is not as exciting as vac filled it is definitely less hassle and more reliable; without even mentioning its cheaper.

[Sham69]

i got mine today in fine, its a wonderful pen truly.. the only thing i would really appreciate would be an ink window.. but that would ruin the design i can't imagine where they could have include done that would not ruin the design so i am happy without it.

 

there is always the travelling ink well that came with my pen..

i measured that this pen holds 1.4mls of ink when filled from the travelling ink well for everybody's information. this is my new favourite writer.. the nib oh my god the nib it is amazing, furthermore the materiel of the pen makes for comfortable long writing sessions where resin pens are slippery.

 

shout out to Bryant for fantastic service he tested the nib for me before he sent it, also it came all the way to Australia in 3 days!

[lahlahlaw]

i would assume if you used a travelling ink pot or the dizzy pen vacuum filling method the vac could fit 1.5-2ml of ink.. but it would be so hard and frustrating to do with a non demonstrator you are likely to get ink all over your hands.

 

After some trial and error I was able to get it filled with 1.25ml's, good enough for me

[lisantica]

I had a chance to hold the Homo Sapiens yesterday at a store in L.A. I did like the feel of the barrel. It's one I hope to someday own.

[Sham69]

it really is a beautiful pen, superior to many pens that are even more expensive

 

homo sapiens > 149

[Albinoni]

I have actually got one of these pens, bought it about a week ago also the oversize steel one but mine is the 25th Anniversary one and has the number 25 on top of the cap.

After I got it I was trying to work out the filling system thinking it was the same touch down system like the other bronze Homo Sapiens but luckily I worked it out and it was a piston filling system, actually I havent used it yet can you believe it, no ink it what so ever and still in the box. Just trying to work out what ink to put in it.

 

Actually when I bought it they threw in a free bottle of ink for me and I choose J.Herbin Bue Pervenche in which I really liked it.