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First Visconti

EricaTX

By EricaTX
in Italy - Europe

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EricaTX Mint

EricaTX

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Posted

HI all! I bit the bullet and bought a Visconti I've been looking at - the Salvador Dali blue. It's my first Visconti. Any tips or tricks or advice special to Viscontis?

 

Thanks!

 

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Calabria Collectors Item

Calabria

Posted
Posted

I'd like to add to this thread. I'm currently considering my first Visconti, an Opera model in the metal Speed Boat version. It's an innovative design, but it carries a high price tag (500 Euro) for a C/C with steel nib. I looked at the construction and the brass threads seem epoxied into the aluminum body.

 

There has been some chatter about the quality of the Van Gogh line. On the other hand, I believe this brand makes its own nibs and is family owned, which is appealing.

 

What are some of your Visconti experiences?

"If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live."

– Lin Yu-T'ang

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SujiCorp12345 Collectors Item

SujiCorp12345

Posted
Posted

I've heard of quality control issues so I recommend trying out the pen you intend to buy or getting someone to try it out for you. I got Bryant from Chatterley Luxuries to check mine and do a writing sample for me. (No affiliation)

Pelikan 140 EF | Pelikan 140 OBB | Pelikan M205 0.4mm stub | Pilot Custom Heritage 912 PO | Pilot Metropolitan M | TWSBI 580 EF | Waterman 52 1/2v

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Algester Donor Pen

Algester

Posted
Posted (edited)

isnt it the nibs has always been made by boch (the same can't be said of the limited conical nibs from the Opera Crystal, Parinfarina)... I dont think they are made in house either way it doesnt hurt to try the pen you would buy

Edited by Algester
Store Exclusive Sailor Inks click here this has been my "personal obligation/service"
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______Zaphod_Beeblebrox Vintage

______Zaphod_Beeblebrox

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I have two Visconti pens and my experience says.....

 

....the Opera pen is nice but stay away from the Rembrandt line, or any pen from Visconti that uses the magnetic cap closing system.

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Calabria Collectors Item

Calabria

Posted
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So - are the nibs made in house or not? Does anybody know?

"If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live."

– Lin Yu-T'ang

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______Zaphod_Beeblebrox Vintage

______Zaphod_Beeblebrox

Posted
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No but that is why it is nice to have Autherized dealers near where you live so you can get answers to these types of questions (Possibly).

 

Unfortunately, like most people, there are no shops in my local area for me to patronize (Spelling?).

 

So in the mean time hopefully someone here can give a definitive answer. I would imagine that like most companies they actually have their nib made to their specs but by a third party.

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EricaTX Mint

EricaTX

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Zaphod, why do you suggest to stay away from the ones with the magnetic cap closing system? The Dali has that...

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Algester Donor Pen

Algester

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So - are the nibs made in house or not? Does anybody know?

no they arent made in house they are made by Boch to visconti's specification (the dreamtouch nib for example) however the nibs found in the Pininfarina Carbongrafite and the Opera Crystal are made by Visconti
Store Exclusive Sailor Inks click here this has been my "personal obligation/service"
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Uncial Antique

Uncial

Posted
Posted

I have a Visconti HS Bronze and I really like. It's quite a heavy pen when posted, but the quality is good. I had a problem with the first one that had a dodgy nib, but it was quickly and efficiently replaced with no quibbles at all. It's a piston filler.

 

The other Visconti I own is the Van Gogh, but it doesn't have the magnetic cap. Perhaps its the maxi version (it's quite a big pen) or just an older model. It's a cc filler and a screw cap. The only thing I dislike about it is the screw that attaches the clip - it looks clumsy to me, but I know it serves a functional purpose. It is a beautifully smooth writer.

 

Both write very wet, both have gold nibs, both are very springy, but the HS has a more expressive line. Considering both of them, my experience with Visconti is that they are very good pens, well made and very nice nibs. There is a QC issue with some nibs, but I'm beginning to think that is power for the course with many fountain pens these days, even with really high end pens like MB. The good thing is that Visconti replace pens that are faulty without any quibble (in my experience anyway).

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langere Antique

langere

Posted
Posted

EricaTX, I have a Visconti Rembrandt with a magnetic cap and I have had absolutely no problems with it. In fact, it's quite practical (just keep it away from your credit cards that use magnetic stripes).

 

So - no worries. Visconti makes some great pens - some of the best designs around.

 

Erick

Using right now:

Visconti Voyager 30 "M" nib running Birmingham Streetcar

Jinhao 9019 "EF" nib running Birmingham Railroad Spike

Stipula Adagio "F" nib running Birmingham Violet Sea Snail

Pelikan M1000 "F" nib running Birmingham Sugar Kelp

 

 

 

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Lubee Near Mint

Lubee

Posted
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My first foray into Visconti is a Wall St with fine nib. Very smooth, springy nib, wet and very wide for a fine - its more like a medium but I am a heavy writer.

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FP Newbie Near Mint

FP Newbie

Posted
Posted

Enjoy! I have not had any problems with the magnetic cap Visconti's I own ( 4 Michelangelo's and Van Gogh).

-John-

Visconti: Millionaire LE, HS Lava Steel, Opera Club Honey Almond, Michelangelo Black/Rose

Aurora Optima 365 LE, Mar Adriatico LE

Omas Galileo '93, '15 Year of Light, F.A.O., Paragon Burlwood LE

Delta MOMO Design Rose LE

Mont Blanc Johannes Brahms, Georges Solti, 146 LeGrand Platinum, Model #32 (cracked), WE Leo Tolstoy, 146 Burgundy, Model 22, 149 Platinum, Marc Newson, WE Charles Dickens, Rouge et Noir Coral

Hooligan LE #6

TWSBI Diamond 580 X2 and Eco

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Cordovian Vintage

Cordovian

Posted
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HI all! I bit the bullet and bought a Visconti I've been looking at - the Salvador Dali blue. It's my first Visconti. Any tips or tricks or advice special to Viscontis?

 

Thanks!

 

I have two Visconti FPs (a Michelangelo Back to Black and a Van Gogh Starry Night) and love them both. They both have magnetic caps and I have yet to have a problem with the mechanism on either one.

 

My only tip/word of caution is that the pocket clips do not clip very well. I found this out at the same time that I found out that my Michelangelo doesn't like being dropped on a tile floor. :( Visconti fixed it for me but it was still a hard lesson learned.

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Precise Extremely Rare

Precise

Posted
Posted

I view a nib made in house as risky. Most pen manufacturers buy from nib producers that make millions of nibs and know how to do it well.

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Freddy Donor Pen

Freddy

Posted
Posted

I view a nib made in house as risky. Most pen manufacturers buy from nib producers that make millions of nibs and know how to do it well.

Please expound on..why you view nibs made in-house as risky and that most pen companies buy from nib producers.

Aurora..in-house...Platinum..Pilot..et al..........Thank you.

 

Fred

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Precise Extremely Rare

Precise

Posted
Posted (edited)

Please expound on..why you view nibs made in-house as risky and that most pen companies buy from nib producers.

Aurora..in-house...Platinum..Pilot..et al..........Thank you.

 

Fred

 

The upscale in house manufacturers of pens are limited by economics. They probably don't have sufficient nib volume to:

 

Have a nib engineering team like Bock

 

Have the most advanced nib making machinery like Bock

 

Take for example Aurora, one of the few small companies who make nibs in house and admired for that. I have 7 and their nibs are good, but variable and some have required work. Bock probably makes hundreds of nibs for each Aurora nib. Their quality is more consistent in my experience.

 

But I would not apply this thinking to large volume houses such as Montblanc, Pelikan, Sailor, Platinum, etc. In my opinion they can equal a nib manufacturer like Bock. However I am not aware of any superiority that they offer over a Bock.

Edited by Precise
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Freddy Donor Pen

Freddy

Posted
Posted

 

The in house manufacture of pens is limited by economics. They probably don't have sufficient nib volume to:

 

Have a nib engineering team like Bock

 

Have the most advanced machinery like Bock

 

Take for example Aurora, one of the few who make nibs in house and admired for that. I have 7 and their nibs are good, but variable and some have required work. Bock probably makes hundreds of nibs for each Aurora nib. Their quality is more consistent in my experience.

Citations...

Thank you...

Fred

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Precise Extremely Rare

Precise

Posted
Posted

Citations...

Thank you...

Fred

 

Hi Fred,

 

What's your opinion? Do you think in house is better than a nib manufacturer? If so, please share your reasons.

 

Many thanks,

 

Alan

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Freddy Donor Pen

Freddy

Posted
Posted

 

Hi Fred,

 

What's your opinion? Do you think in house is better than a nib manufacturer? If so, please share your reasons.

 

Many thanks,

 

Alan

If you have no citation{s}..Ok...

 

Fred

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