Visconti Homosapiens.. The Last Pen On The List..

[Betweenthelines]

Well I am winding down my pen collecting having bought and sold many pens and narrowed my collection down to 12 or so. I am finding that I am very satisfied with my refined group and the endless desire to keep buying has all but ceased. My collection as it stands is -

 

1. Lamy 2000 F (my oldest pen that still remains, and my finest nib now that I've gravitated towards broader and away from Japanese fines)

2. Pilot Custom 823 M (nice buttery wet nib)

3. 1980s Montblanc 149 F (writes like an EF with a bit of an architect shape, smoothed by Dan Smith)

4. Omas Milord Arco in M (juicy, springy, a bit broad but really enjoyable)

5. Newton Majestic with an EF titanium nib (comfy, nice smooth and springy nib, eyedropper, but all resin so feels very 'plasticy')

6. FC Model 02 in Emerald Ice with M Masuyama CI (I adore this pen.. Never thought I'd spend so much on a steel nib pen but worth every penny)

7. Nakaya Naka-ai heki with 0.6 stub (probably my best pen when the flow is right)

8. Pelikan M805 EF (juicy, buttery smooth, albeit stiff [boring] nib)

9. Ranga Bamboo blow filler with vintage Waterman Ideal spencerian (xxf - BB) flex nib (modern oversize ebonite pen body + vintage flex = fun)

10. Delta Roma Imperiale Oversize ebonite and sterling silver 14K M (in the mail, to be determined but I'm optimistic)

11. Nakaya Long Cigar Kuro with a soft medium CI (also on the way, to be determined)

12. Newton Moody (medium, long) in blue marble ebonite and sterling silver with #8 Ti nib (wait list)

 

SO... The last pen on my radar is the Visconti Homosapiens in bronze. It's been on my list for a while but I've avoided it because of the QC horror stories.

 

When adding a pen to my collection I try to think in terms of 'what does it add?'. And I buy to use, not to hoard, hence the 12 pen limit.

 

Right now I'm debating.. I would probably have to sell my Newton Majestic in order to fund it if I were going to get the Visconti. I would get it in EF as I have heard they run broad and wer. The way I see it is the Visconti adds 1. An interesting material, and 2. A springy nib with personality, and 3. An interesting filling system. However I risk QC issues.

 

The other option would be to pick up another Custom 823 in Fine (I sold one and I miss it, and now don't have any fine nibs left).

 

This gets to my question - for those who are long time Homosapiens owners - how do you feel about the pen? Do you see it as a worthy addition to my 12 pen collection? Is it worth the QC risk?

 

Cheers

[SpecTP]

I applaud you for your self-control.

[Tas]

"From my cold dead hands"

I love mine but for sketching only. I'm unable to write, legibly, with the pen. Its nib is too smooth and its flow too wet and my writing just becomes even more of a scrawl.

 

I too have been thinking of pens to sell on or let go but like your title suggests my VHS would probably be the last pen on my list to let go

 

Best of luck.

[Betweenthelines]

I applaud you for your self-control.

 

Well considering I own multiple pens costing over $500, I don't know whether I am truly worthy of that applause..

 

 

"From my cold dead hands"

I love mine but for sketching only. I'm unable to write, legibly, with the pen. Its nib is too smooth and its flow too wet and my writing just becomes even more of a scrawl.

 

I too have been thinking of pens to sell on or let go but like your title suggests my VHS would probably be the last pen on my list to let go

 

Best of luck.

I figured you would chime in Tas! I've enjoyed your avatar for some time. I am a bit concerned about what you report though, if I have a nib that is a broad firehose it won't be used much.. I wonder if the EF would be manageable..

[Mulrich]

I have a HS bronze in EF and definitely enjoy it. It's about the same as my other Visconti F nibs which is fine with me.

 

I really like the cap system for quick access writing. I wish it had an ink window but otherwise love it.

[Uncial]

Honestly, I think it's Visconti's best offering. I adorable the pen. It took me quite a while to adjust to the weight and slightly peculiar balance (I post), but once I did it was a dream. I have the gold Dreamtouch nib and I think the new ones are another kind of metal. The gold nib I have is lovely to use and extremely wet and bouncy. I'd recommend it. The only negative is the filling system. QC issues are easily corrected with a wait time, but the filling system can't be changed. It can be a little hit and miss but more recently I've found that plunging it twice makes for a better fill. Of course you have to ensure that it is thoroughly clean before doing so. Some will say cleaning this pen is an utter pain. I only find it to be so with stubborn inks.

[PAKMAN]

Love my Homo Sapiens bronze pen! It was a bit wet and wide for my liking but had Mike-it-Work give it the once over and I totally love writing with it!

[Mulrich]

I'm not sure what the going rate is for one of these but Fpgeeks has one for listed at $440 in a F nib in like new condition.

[Out0Mind]

This is one of my favorite pens (unposted). Posted, the weight is a bit topheavy, but man is it perfectly balanced unposted. The palladium nib is incredibly smoothe, the body is a fascinating material - and stays comfortable for long sessions - and I've had no QC issues thus far. I've purchased examples of the Bronze, Iron, and Dark Age pens, and haven't had any QC issues.

 

Good luck with your choice!

[Jezza]

It's one of the most frustrating pens I own. And yet, every time I've sold one, I've had to buy another months or years later (which inevitably costs more). This happens every so often with certain pens. I always seem to need a Pelican M800, a Lamy 2000, etc. The Homo Sapiens is just a unique pen, from the composition of the resin, to the nib.

[Mulrich]

For what it's worth, the special edition London Fog hasnt had the same reported QC issues. It costs a lot more and is made from different material but the form factor and nib will be the same. That may also mean Visconti has tightened heir QC process.

[Tas]

 

 

Well considering I own multiple pens costing over $500, I don't know whether I am truly worthy of that applause..

 

 

 

I figured you would chime in Tas! I've enjoyed your avatar for some time. I am a bit concerned about what you report though, if I have a nib that is a broad firehose it won't be used much.. I wonder if the EF would be manageable..

 

Mine is an EF.

Don't get me wrong, this pen is more than capable of EF lines but with the lightest of touches (which I think is its charm). You won't know if you don't go . . . as I often tell my kids.

[SpecTP]

 

 

Well considering I own multiple pens costing over $500, I don't know whether I am truly worthy of that applause..

 

 

 

I figured you would chime in Tas! I've enjoyed your avatar for some time. I am a bit concerned about what you report though, if I have a nib that is a broad firehose it won't be used much.. I wonder if the EF would be manageable..

 

the fact that you could cull your collection to just those 12 pens is a great feat of self-control! Alas.. I have already pushed past 40+ pens.. and I only started this year.

[Joe in Seattle]

I love mine – for your three reasons. I bought it from a vendor and asked him to test it for flow and smoothness before he sent it. It wrote perfectly for him, and it has written perfectly for me several years now. I agree with your EF choice.

[langere]

The Quality Control issues, in my mind, are overblown. The vast majority of HS are fine; however, I can understand that the small minority of pen owners who got Homo Sapiens that did not write well were upset and wrote about it. This is to be expected from a pen at the Homo Sapiens' price point.

 

I have a Homo Sapiens Bronze Age I purchased now more than six years ago and have not had any problems.

 

Erick

[Buzz_130]

I can offer a contrarian view because my Visconti HS Bronze is my least used pen.

 

The filling system is unreliable. I'm familiar with most types of filling system found on fountain pens from a century ago to modern times, and I find the power stroke filler to not give me a consistent fill. Without an ink window, this is my only pen that runs out unexpectedly. All of my other pens allow me to know about when I'll be empty on a normal fill. Not the HS.

 

The pen is thicker than I like, and the balance seems tail heavy. This is also a heavy pen. None of these characteristics fits my style of writing.

 

The nib is very wet (I tame this with my driest inks), and the nib writes very well. I'd love to have this nib on a different body (and filling system). The material for this pen is also unique. I like how the pen feels in my hands, and it acts almost like ebonite as it warms to your touch very quickly. I also like the cap retention system--slight push and quarter twist, and it's off. I like that. But the cap can't be posted. That's not a problem for many, but this does mean you need to keep track of that cap.

 

When I get around to selling my pens that just don't see usage, my lightly used HS will be the first to go. It doesn't make my top 30 list.

 

I know many people love their HS pens, but I also wanted to give you another assessment (just an opinion).

 

Buzz

[Betweenthelines]

Thank you all for the input, I am definitely sold on it. However I'm having trouble bringing myself to sell any of my current pens to fund it. I was toying with the idea of selling the Newton Majestic but man is it a comfy, perfectly balanced pen with a lovely Ti nib. Guess I'm in a holding pattern for now!

[Mastiff]

Thank you all for the input, I am definitely sold on it. However I'm having trouble bringing myself to sell any of my current pens to fund it. I was toying with the idea of selling the Newton Majestic but man is it a comfy, perfectly balanced pen with a lovely Ti nib. Guess I'm in a holding pattern for now!

Try swapping with another member. This way you can bypass the QC issue. I've only had 4 visconti pens but 2/4 had nib-related issues which were promtly and professionally dealth with by the sellers (AD's).

 

I swapped my FC (+ cash) for BLS stub HS in mint condition- I don't really use this pen (or for that matter any of my pens) but it still is one of my best writer.

[TheRealMikeDr]

I was on the fence (leaning towards purchasing one) until I decided to try a Visconti Van Gogh. I got it for a decent price (under $200) and sadly it is the only pen I've purchased that I think I may sell. The nib had horrible hard starting and skipping issues out of the box. After much tweaking and working on it I finally got it to the point where it writes very well - however it (fine nib) is far too wet for my tastes. Yes - it is smooth (partially a factor of writing SUPER wet) and it glides across the paper with no effort - but it's just a big giant wet line that annoys me.

 

My experience with Visconti has been limited to this pen - so I'm certainly not giving the brand a fair shake - but it put a bad taste in my mouth and the itch for a HS has been removed.

[canibanoglu]

Definitely get it. It is a great pen with a very unique texture when you touch it and I personally like the nibs very much.