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Visconti Pininfarina Carbongrafite Or Smartouch Nib Reviews?

ac1115

By ac1115
in Italy - Europe

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ac1115 New

ac1115

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Hello all,

 

I'm considering buying a visconti carbongrafite and I was looking for reviews on the nib. I'm unable to try one in person and I've never used the smartouch or flextouch nibs so I'm understandably a little hesitant to make a purchase of this size. I like their Pd and older 18k au nibs so I'm assuming their new nibs are of the same quality.

 

I'm looking for either posted reviews or first hand accounts.

 

Also I've heard the tubular nibs run finer than the Pd. So a F smartouch nib would have a thinner stroke than a F Pd nib. Is there any truth to this?

 

Thanks for the info.

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cjr Mint

cjr

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I have the Visconti Pininfarina Designo with the EF conical chromium steel nib and find it perfect! It writes as well as my Homo Sapiens EF 18k Dreamtouch nib. I get a slight springiness with the conical nib even though it is steel. I'm very impressed with this nib.

Favorite pen/ink pairings: Edison Brockton w/EF 14K gold nib and Noodler's 54th Massachusetts; Visconti Pinanfarina w/EF chromium conical nib and Noodler's El Lawrence; Sheaffer Legacy w/18k extra fine inlaid nib and Noodler's Black; Sheaffer PFM III fine w/14k inlaid nib and Noodler's Black; Lamy 2000 EF with Noodler's 54th Massachusetts; Franklin Christoph 65 Stablis w/steel Masuyama fine cursive italic and DeAtramentis Document Blue; Pilot Decimo w/18k fine nib and Pilot Blue Black; Franklin Christoph 45 w/steel Masuyama fine cursive italic and Noodler's Zhivago; Edison Brockton EF and Noodler's El Lawrence; TWSBI ECO EF with Noodler's Bad Green Gator.

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ac1115 New

ac1115

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I have the Visconti Pininfarina Designo with the EF conical chromium steel nib and find it perfect! It writes as well as my Homo Sapiens EF 18k Dreamtouch nib. I get a slight springiness with the conical nib even though it is steel. I'm very impressed with this nib.

 

Perfect thanks!

 

Do you feel the line thickness is the same on the EF chromium and EF Pd?

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cjr Mint

cjr

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The HS EF Pd is just a bit thicker line than the Chromium EF. I prefer a finer line, so I've been using my Pininfarina more than my HS.

Favorite pen/ink pairings: Edison Brockton w/EF 14K gold nib and Noodler's 54th Massachusetts; Visconti Pinanfarina w/EF chromium conical nib and Noodler's El Lawrence; Sheaffer Legacy w/18k extra fine inlaid nib and Noodler's Black; Sheaffer PFM III fine w/14k inlaid nib and Noodler's Black; Lamy 2000 EF with Noodler's 54th Massachusetts; Franklin Christoph 65 Stablis w/steel Masuyama fine cursive italic and DeAtramentis Document Blue; Pilot Decimo w/18k fine nib and Pilot Blue Black; Franklin Christoph 45 w/steel Masuyama fine cursive italic and Noodler's Zhivago; Edison Brockton EF and Noodler's El Lawrence; TWSBI ECO EF with Noodler's Bad Green Gator.

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FOUR X FOUR Collectors Item

FOUR X FOUR

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The nib on my Pininfarina Carbongraphite is very smooth. Did I mention, that it's very smooth?

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gerigo Vintage

gerigo

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Contrary to what's written and ignoring marketing speak, this is an $1800 pen with a steel nib. The writing characteristics of this steel nib is very different than their "Dreamtouch" palladium nibs. These tubular steel nibs are hard as nails with no bounce or flex whatsoever as compared with the dreamtouch nibs, which are nice a bouncy. I have quite a few of these "smartouch" nibs and their feeds are particularly problematic because they either allow too much air through, which makes them leak, or they are too dry. I have both the Carbongraphite version of the Pininfarina as well as the Nanotouch version. Both very beautiful pens, but unfortunately highly unreliable writers partly because of the difficulty in sealing the nib so that it does not dry up, and also the problematic feed.

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  • 2 weeks later...
jmccarty3 Antique

jmccarty3

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I have the blue "Ocean" Visconti (part of the original release of the Smartouch steel nib). I agree with gerigo that this tubular nib is a total nail. It does have a little Waverley upturn that makes it a very smooth writer. I've never had any trouble with it, except that I lost the mosquito filler at last year's Dallas Pen Show. So much for being able to sell it as a complete pen. The double Power Filler can be sort of a pain, because the active reservoir doesn't hold much ink, and it's time consuming to clean if you change inks. I don't hate the pen, but would sell it if someone wanted it.

Rationalizing pen and ink purchases since 1967.

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desertdingo Dipped Only

desertdingo

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My pininfarina nanotech tends to dry out when left unused for a couple days, it seems to me that the sealing isn't very tight.

 

Anybody else have this issue?

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gerigo Vintage

gerigo

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Yes this is a problem with my pens too. I have 2 of them, and both suffer from this problem. It's a pen that needs to be used everyday and cannot be left unused for more than a day. I wonder what cjr's experience is with the pen?

 

My pininfarina nanotech tends to dry out when left unused for a couple days, it seems to me that the sealing isn't very tight.

 

Anybody else have this issue?

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cjr Mint

cjr

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Gerigo,

 

My Disegno has the Visconti magnetic cap and it stay wet for at least a week. No issues with nib drying out with no use for a few days.

Favorite pen/ink pairings: Edison Brockton w/EF 14K gold nib and Noodler's 54th Massachusetts; Visconti Pinanfarina w/EF chromium conical nib and Noodler's El Lawrence; Sheaffer Legacy w/18k extra fine inlaid nib and Noodler's Black; Sheaffer PFM III fine w/14k inlaid nib and Noodler's Black; Lamy 2000 EF with Noodler's 54th Massachusetts; Franklin Christoph 65 Stablis w/steel Masuyama fine cursive italic and DeAtramentis Document Blue; Pilot Decimo w/18k fine nib and Pilot Blue Black; Franklin Christoph 45 w/steel Masuyama fine cursive italic and Noodler's Zhivago; Edison Brockton EF and Noodler's El Lawrence; TWSBI ECO EF with Noodler's Bad Green Gator.

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gerigo Vintage

gerigo

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Gerigo,

 

My Disegno has the Visconti magnetic cap and it stay wet for at least a week. No issues with nib drying out with no use for a few days.

 

Oh that's a different pen altogether. But thanks anyway.

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LuisAAbrilRomero Mint

LuisAAbrilRomero

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Contrary to what's written and ignoring marketing speak, this is an $1800 pen with a steel nib. The writing characteristics of this steel nib is very different than their "Dreamtouch" palladium nibs. These tubular steel nibs are hard as nails with no bounce or flex whatsoever as compared with the dreamtouch nibs, which are nice a bouncy. I have quite a few of these "smartouch" nibs and their feeds are particularly problematic because they either allow too much air through, which makes them leak, or they are too dry. I have both the Carbongraphite version of the Pininfarina as well as the Nanotouch version. Both very beautiful pens, but unfortunately highly unreliable writers partly because of the difficulty in sealing the nib so that it does not dry up, and also the problematic feed.

 

+1

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EclecticCollector Extremely Rare

EclecticCollector

Posted
Posted

My pininfarina nanotech tends to dry out when left unused for a couple days, it seems to me that the sealing isn't very tight.

 

Anybody else have this issue?

My Carbongrafite dries out after just a single day, I envy you!
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