Most Intelligent Answer To The Criticisms Of The Visconti Line Of Homo Sapiens Fountain Pens

[dyoneda1]

Hello everyone. I have read numerous written and video reviews, by average users and by experienced users. It is surprising that some pen enthusiasts had a lot wrong. Finally I feel good about my purchase. I feel that I can close my month-long inquiry, because I greatly respect this opinion above all. I wholeheartedly welcome the Visconti company to my fountain pen collection.

 

Before we get to my correspondence with Mr. Michael Masuyama, I will outline the general argument that I have collected against the Visconti Homo Sapiens line of fountain pens. Then you can proceed to read this correspondence that either affirms or dismantles some of the opinions out there.

 

The top 5 criticisms of the Visconti Homo Sapiens Fountain Pens that I have found are as follows:

(1) Nib problems fresh out of the box;

(2) Palladium is a third the price of gold; therefore, there is no functional reason for the switch -- Visconti is merely choosing an economic alternative to gold;

(3) The Visconti company is overrated, overpricing their fountain pens;

(4) Palladium nibs will cost much more to repair because they are harder to work with (compared to gold); AND

(5) Once again, the Visconti company went cheap on us and used a plastic feed, instead of a superior ebonite one.

 

All of these questions are adequately answered by the great nibmeister, Michael Masuyama, with 30 + years of experience in working with an endless line of fountain pens. I do wish he had detailed the innovation that goes into creating a 23K palladium nib. I also wish someone could tell me how many karats were in the old palladium nibs of post WW2. That way, I can conclude that the value and innovation of palladium is not in the cost and use of this precious metal (as "a third the price of gold"), but in the creation of a "23 karat" nib . However, Mr. Masuyama did cut to the bottom line.

 

Please read further ...

 

Dave Yoneda: “Is the Visconti Homo Sapiens Fountain Pen supposed to need fixing brand new?”

 

Michael Masuyama: “It is a sad reality that a high percentage of modern pens do not write the way they should out-of-box and more than often you need to have them properly tuned. In the old times, people with nib adjustment skill worked at pen companies, assuring all pens they ship worked well. Nowadays, those folks are long gone, retired, and there are only few with such skill still working in the pen industry. The pen industry is not really a growing industry so it doesn’t have any young folks eager to learn such skill.

 

So, it is rather normal that a brand new pen needs some tune up work. It is not supposed to be that way, but it is what it is. You can contact the Visconti distributor and make a claim, and they may offer a nib replacement.

 

If not, I will be happy to make the necessary nib adjustments and get it fixed for you."

 

Dave Yoneda: “Is Visconti a good brand, if it looks and writes like this (please see pictures attached to this e-mail)?”

 

Michael Masuyama: “It is a difficult question to answer for someone who spent 30+ years in the pen industry because I don't want to say anything bad about any pens. Italian goods (cars or pens) often require good 'tune ups' before they start to work well. Consider this when you buy a 'Ferrari' next time. If you buy a Japanese pen (or a car), it usually works well right from the beginning and never breaks down.

 

This Visconti nib simply needs some nib alignment / adjustment and it will start working well."

 

Dave Yoneda: “Is the nib inferior? I hear Palladium is 23k or 95% pure, and even though it's in the family of platinum, it's only a third the price of gold. So basically, am I experiencing a problem with this because Visconti went extremely cheap and these nibs tend to fall apart easily?”

 

Michael Masuyama: “The 23kt Palladium nib is very soft. But it is not inferior. Visconti decided to use it for the softness.”

 

Dave Yoneda: “Is it true that palladium will cost more to repair because it's harder to work with?”

 

Michael Masuyama: “It is harder to work with compared to gold nibs simply because the Palladium alloy used is softer and has no elasticity. But I charge the same fee for steel/gold/palladium or any nibs. The Visconti Palladium nib has Rhodium plating over it. When bent, the plated coating gets wrinkled even after repair and the bent spot remains a bit 'fogged.' This is also true for other 'Rhodium plated' nibs.”

 

 

Dave Yoneda: “Can you change the Visconti feed to ebonite, instead of the plastic feed that Visconti uses? I hear Visconti uses a plastic feed, and I would rather have something that will last long. If you do, please let me know how much that modification costs.”

 

Michael Masuyama: “The reason that a majority of modern pens comes with plastic feeds is that the plastic allows very complex design of ink / air channeling using injection molding. Well-designed plastic feeds are much more sophisticated than ebonite feeds which can only come with a simple primitive channel design. The only advantage of ebonite feeds is that the material is more water friendly while keeping it wet with ink (ebonite tends to shrink once dried for a long time).

 

Visconti's large size feed (Homo Sapiens) comes with very sophisticated channel design and made with such specification that fits to the Visconti's nib collar only. There is no ebonite feed that has a perfect fit for the Homo Sapiens nib collar.

 

Only downside of the plastic feed is that the plastic tends to repel water (i.e., ink). Pen manufacturers use chemicals (such as polyethylene glycol solution, etc.) to make plastic feeds more water (ink) friendly. There is no problem with it.”

 

* * * * * *

I want to add my overall feeling after corresponding with Mr. Masuyama. I felt sad. I realize that Neil deGrasse Tyson was right when he said in the Figboot interview on YouTube that, with our world of texting, chatting, and typing which dominates the current written tradition, the fountain pen represents a long tradition of scripting that is quickly becoming extinct. When fewer and fewer people seem interested in being a nibmeister, the art dies. And if that art dies, what will happen to fountain pens in general? And consequently, what will happen to the written tradition? Will it all turn digital?

 

Call it an evolving process, this written tradition; or, call it a terrible shame.

Edited April 20, 2017 by dyoneda1

[tgoto]

This is great post.

 

The interview with Mike is about Visconti, but seems that this post can apply to any other pens.

 

Very well explained.

[Mulrich]

Terrific post and interview. A well working Visconti is probably my favorite pen but I've certainly had some negative experiences with the brand. I'm planning to send Mr Masuyama some pens in the near future so help a few of the less than perfect pens.

[dyoneda1]

Can you wait until I send my pen? Adding your pens will just put me further down the queue. Just kidding. I'm just playing ...

 

Thanks for all the kind responses. Hope I did something for this great pen, and this great pen company.

Edited April 20, 2017 by dyoneda1

[Bill P]

Very interesting interview...thanks for posting it for all to benefit from...

 

Many of his comments seem to apply to many Fountain Pen companies, not just Visconti..

 

Bill P

Edited April 20, 2017 by Bill P

[Jan2016]

Great post! Very informative.

I use a lot of different pens, the Visconti Homo Sapiens is one of my favorites!

[ink-syringe]

The original seems like a thoughtful post but a more screen-friendly font choice would be welcome.

[dyoneda1]

Sorry man. Can't please everyone. I prefer the font I used. If anything, focus on the informative content. Enough there for everyone to walk away with.

[katerchen]

I swore off Viscontis after the continued troubles with my nib and feed in my HS (yes, I am super miffed about going through all that with a $400 pen).

 

Despite that I got myself a Wall Street because I couldn't resist the looks ... it fortunately has a real gold nib, not the crappy soft palladium. It turned out to be a very good writer.

 

Plus, I ended up throwing out the Pa nib in the HS and replacing it with a generic black coated #6 steel nib from Goulet Pens (matches the exterior quite nicely) and life is now good.

 

-k

[dyoneda1]

Seems like a lot of trouble either way you go. I'd rather just get the nib adjusted. Seems less trouble.

 

The Wall Street is a really nice pen. Good taste.

Edited April 20, 2017 by dyoneda1

[ink-syringe]

Hello everyone. I have read numerous written and video reviews, by average users and by experienced users. It is surprising that some pen enthusiasts had a lot wrong. Finally I feel good about my purchase. I feel that I can close my month-long inquiry, because I greatly respect this opinion above all. I wholeheartedly welcome the Visconti company to my fountain pen collection.

Before we get to my correspondence with Mr. Michael Masuyama, I will outline the general argument that I have collected against the Visconti Homo Sapiens line of fountain pens. Then you can proceed to read this correspondence that either affirms or dismantles some of the opinions out there.

The top 5 criticisms of the Visconti Homo Sapiens Fountain Pens that I have found are as follows:

(1) Nib problems fresh out of the box;

(2) Palladium is a third the price of gold; therefore, there is no functional reason for the switch -- Visconti is merely choosing an economic alternative to gold;

(3) The Visconti company is overrated, overpricing their fountain pens;

(4) Palladium nibs will cost much more to repair because they are harder to work with (compared to gold); AND

(5) Once again, the Visconti company went cheap on us and used a plastic feed, instead of a superior ebonite one.

All of these questions are adequately answered by the great nibmeister, Michael Masuyama, with 30 + years of experience in working with an endless line of fountain pens. I do wish he had detailed the innovation that goes into creating a 23K palladium nib. I also wish someone could tell me how many karats were in the old palladium nibs of post WW2. That way, I can conclude that the value and innovation of palladium is not in the cost and use of this precious metal (as "a third the price of gold"), but in the creation of a "23 karat" nib . However, Mr. Masuyama did cut to the bottom line.

Please read further ...

Dave Yoneda: “Is the Visconti Homo Sapiens Fountain Pen supposed to need fixing brand new?”

Michael Masuyama: “It is a sad reality that a high percentage of modern pens do not write the way they should out-of-box and more than often you need to have them properly tuned. In the old times, people with nib adjustment skill worked at pen companies, assuring all pens they ship worked well. Nowadays, those folks are long gone, retired, and there are only few with such skill still working in the pen industry. The pen industry is not really a growing industry so it doesn’t have any young folks eager to learn such skill.

So, it is rather normal that a brand new pen needs some tune up work. It is not supposed to be that way, but it is what it is. You can contact the Visconti distributor and make a claim, and they may offer a nib replacement.

If not, I will be happy to make the necessary nib adjustments and get it fixed for you."

Dave Yoneda: “Is Visconti a good brand, if it looks and writes like this (please see pictures attached to this e-mail)?”

Michael Masuyama: “It is a difficult question to answer for someone who spent 30+ years in the pen industry because I don't want to say anything bad about any pens. Italian goods (cars or pens) often require good 'tune ups' before they start to work well. Consider this when you buy a 'Ferrari' next time. If you buy a Japanese pen (or a car), it usually works well right from the beginning and never breaks down.

This Visconti nib simply needs some nib alignment / adjustment and it will start working well."

Dave Yoneda: “Is the nib inferior? I hear Palladium is 23k or 95% pure, and even though it's in the family of platinum, it's only a third the price of gold. So basically, am I experiencing a problem with this because Visconti went extremely cheap and these nibs tend to fall apart easily?”

Michael Masuyama: “The 23kt Palladium nib is very soft. But it is not inferior. Visconti decided to use it for the softness.”

Dave Yoneda: “Is it true that palladium will cost more to repair because it's harder to work with?”

Michael Masuyama: “It is harder to work with compared to gold nibs simply because the Palladium alloy used is softer and has no elasticity. But I charge the same fee for steel/gold/palladium or any nibs. The Visconti Palladium nib has Rhodium plating over it. When bent, the plated coating gets wrinkled even after repair and the bent spot remains a bit 'fogged.' This is also true for other 'Rhodium plated' nibs.”

Dave Yoneda: “Can you change the Visconti feed to ebonite, instead of the plastic feed that Visconti uses? I hear Visconti uses a plastic feed, and I would rather have something that will last long. If you do, please let me know how much that modification costs.”

Michael Masuyama: “The reason that a majority of modern pens comes with plastic feeds is that the plastic allows very complex design of ink / air channeling using injection molding. Well-designed plastic feeds are much more sophisticated than ebonite feeds which can only come with a simple primitive channel design. The only advantage of ebonite feeds is that the material is more water friendly while keeping it wet with ink (ebonite tends to shrink once dried for a long time).

Visconti's large size feed (Homo Sapiens) comes with very sophisticated channel design and made with such specification that fits to the Visconti's nib collar only. There is no ebonite feed that has a perfect fit for the Homo Sapiens nib collar.

Only downside of the plastic feed is that the plastic tends to repel water (i.e., ink). Pen manufacturers use chemicals (such as polyethylene glycol solution, etc.) to make plastic feeds more water (ink) friendly. There is no problem with it.”

* * * * * *

I want to add my overall feeling after corresponding with Mr. Masuyama. I felt sad. I realize that Neil deGrasse Tyson was right when he said in the Figboot interview on YouTube that, with our world of texting, chatting, and typing which dominates the current written tradition, the fountain pen represents a long tradition of scripting that is quickly becoming extinct. When fewer and fewer people seem interested in being a nibmeister, the art dies. And if that art dies, what will happen to fountain pens in general? And consequently, what will happen to the written tradition? Will it all turn digital?

 

Call it an evolving process, this written tradition; or, call it a terrible shame.

Edited April 21, 2017 by ink-syringe

[onetwothree]

Interesting conversation and to some degree I was not surprised of his answers.

To be honest my Pd nib in my visconti divina desert is nothing short of perfect. Wet, smooth and a tiny bit springy. In fact the only thing I dislike from this pen is the horrendous filling mechanism. Every time a designer designs a pen where you cannot see how much ink you have left, how much ink you have sucked into the barrel or whether your pen is clean or not should be slapped in the face.

As for the usage of palladium I rather like it. It is a different experience than gold and we have plenty of gold nibs available everywhere. So I always enjoy when manufacturers come up with "rarer" metals such as palladium and titanium. Visconti is already "scamming us" charging us $500-$1000 for a plastic item that writes, not unlike a Bic or Pilot Gel pen so why the indignation for getting Pd, another jewelry-grade metal, instead of gold. Specially when there are millions of pens with gold nibs already.

The one gimmick that does insult me is Delta with their "Fusion nibs." If you want to bark at some shady business practice go after Delta first . Stamp a tiny piece of gold, that has absolutely no purpose what so ever, on top of a nib and call it an improvement. It reminds me of the 90's when young idiots would put spoiler on their toyota camry and honda civics and call it a race car....

[dyoneda1]

Love your response. You're right. I can't stand expensive pens that are made of plastic. I always go for metal pens with some heft, or this lava / resin concept. That's why I love my Pilot Falcon, but the metal frame. Good point tho. Reminds me of those (bleep) removable battery smartphones that required a cheap plastic chassis. I always went with the non-removable battery because you get the beautiful metal chassis that looks and feels like quality.

[Tinjapan]

Great informatiom. Thanks for sharing.

 

This should be pinned.

[dms525]

The information in the OP certainly is consistent with my relatively limited experience. I have three Visconti fountain pens. Two of the nibs needed major tuning to write without skipping.

 

I got all three with 1.3 mm stubs which are too wide for my everyday italic script. Michael Masuyama has returned the first to me tuned and ground to 0.75 mm, and I rather like how it writes. It is springy, but not the same feel as the springy 18 kt. Bock nibs on some of my Conway Stewarts. I'm still learning how to best use it. The other two pens should be back to me any week now.

 

Visconti issues aside, I never cease to marvel at Mr. Masuyama's depth of knowledge and wise judgement.

 

David

[tokyobay]

Very useful information. Thanks for sharing.

 

My Bronze Age Maxi, fine Pd nib, writes buttery smooth. Didn't need to tune it. But I got it from Goulet bottom shelf at a discounted price. So maybe someone else tuned it for me.

 

I especially like the softness of the nib, which is different from a few 14k and 18k nibs I've tried. Also enjoy the feel of the pen when I hold it, though it's not my choice for a long writing session. Great for sheening ink!

[katanankes]

Thanks for sharing, very informative!

 

Please do not take it as nit-picking, but as for today palladium is 800 usd per ounce and gold 1280, not a huge difference (admittedly, when they shifted, the gap was wider). Also consider that the palladium nib is 23k, while gold nibs are (were for Visconti) either 18 or 14k, so in comparison more palladium than gold is used for a nib. So Visconti is now spending even more using palladium. I do not see it as going cheap (sure not now).

[dyoneda1]

Thanks for the update on value of palladium vs gold. Yeah I think that supports Michael's assertion that palladium is used for softness.

 

Do you know how pure the palladium was in post WW2 palladium fountain pens? That's what I want to know. I always want to push my research more and try to get details just not available out there. Maybe I should call Shaeffer.

Edited April 21, 2017 by dyoneda1

[torstar]

No hate for V, I just haven't had the urge to purchase.

 

Those whom I have very high regard in this passion swear by their V's, so I accept it's a great pen brand.

 

But I have no interest in purchasing one...

[dyoneda1]

Again, thank you everyone for your kindness and / or adding to my knowledge to a company that fascinates me. Visconti may not be everyone's fountain pen, because it doesn't work right out of the box. And it damn well should! However, "it is what it is." The reason why I'll spend the extra $50 is because I paid $350 for mine, and I see Visconti as an important player, especially with this pen, which seems to innovate in three different ways -- the basaltic lava / resin exterior, the 23k palladium (assuming this degree of purity is crucial for softness, which no other pen post WW2 has achieved), and the hook safe lock. Quite a bit of new for one fountain pen. We need a company to cover those people who want something that stands at the intersection of contemporary and antiquity. There's a lot of special pens out there, but it's worth an adjustment to have one whose Homo Sapiens line has firmly pushed the fountain pen world forward, especially when I hear people going through so much trouble anyway replacing the nib with a steel one, or replacing the feed with ebonite. For those people, with all due respect, consider a nibmeister who won't change the design but encourage it to work the way it was meant to work.

Edited April 21, 2017 by dyoneda1