Visconti Palladium Vs Gold Stub

[sightsome]

I am in the fortunate position of being able to acquire a new Visconti; it will be my first. And I am definitely going to get their factory stub, but I am not sure if I want to order it in the palladium or the gold—I can still get either one. So far, I've been able to find a few online resources outlining the difference between gold and palladium in the F, M, B, but no info on the difference with regard to the stubs. Has anyone out there written with both? Is there any notable difference in writing quality? If so, which do you prefer?

 

Thanks!

[esteroids]

I've had a few of each of the 14k, 18k and 23k Pd stubs. My Pds are usually softer and flex a bit more, varying the ink delivery.

 

I make my stubs much crisper, more italic, and fairly wet without flexing. And I write with little or no pressure. I like the gold nibs for this use because the fine lines are always fine; the variation is consistent. I found I had to make the Pd nibs a sharper italic to try to get the same variation.

 

But if you want a big, wet, softer stub to use up your extra ink then I'd suggest the Pd. If you've ever used a M800 IB nib my Pds came more like that than my golds did.

 

I also have the Pd in fine round nibs, which I recommend over the 18k fine. Here I like the softer and flexier feel.

 

Have fun,

Craig

[sightsome]

Thanks, Craig. This sounds consistent with what Ive read about gold v palladium across the Visconti line in other places. But I was wondering specifically about the Visconti factory stubs. Are you saying that you find the gold stubs to be stiffer but crisper grinds, and the palladium stubs to be softer but offers more variation in ink flow?

 

Second question: I too like to write with little to no pressure; hence why I write with my old Omas and my M1000 more than any other pens in my collection. And Ive avoided Visconti this far because of the stories about over polished, skippy nibs in their broader nib widths. But now I want to take the chance. However, Im not sure if I should stick with a palladium or just go for the gold, as it were.

 

The obvious answer is to get palladium now and a gold later. But still, curiously kills me.

Edited December 25, 2019 by sightsome

[aardvarkbark]

I have three Visconitis -- a HomoSapiens with palladium nib, a brown Medici with rose gold nib and a blue Medici with yellow gold nib. The gold nibs are gold plating over palladium. I also have Delta 14k and Omas 18k nibs. My experience is that there is increasing flex going from solid 14k to solid 18k to anything Visconti, which is to say I experience no difference between their 23k palladium and gold-plated 23k palladium nibs.

 

I guess my point is that if your choice is between a palladium nib and a gold-plated palladium nib, I don't think you'll see much difference. But they'll both be wetter and more flexible than a solid 14k and solid 18k nib.

 

I send my Viscontis off to a nibmeister to reduce flow/wetness, and still use a dry ink (Pelikan 4001) to tame their flow.