Help Deciding...gvfc Intuition X2 Vs Dupont Atélier Vs. Visconti Homo Sapiens

[seimodern]

Greetings,

 

I apologize for dragging others into my internal hemmings and hawings, but I am feeling pulled in several directions and have lost perspective. After way too much virtual browsing, I would find other people's opinions & actual experiences useful.

 

The context: I recently bought a new Graf von Faber Castell fluted black resin Intuition (smaller size, not the Platino) with a broad nib. And then, as luck would have it, I found a really good price on a used black resin Platino Intuition (with larger nib) in an XF, not fluted. Both are on their way to me in the mail.

 

I'd initially thought I would keep both--after all, it's nice to have an XF and a B. (I tend to gravitate b/w very fine & very broad).

 

But the dealer I bought the new GvFC from will allow me to exchange. (Return is possible, but would result in various fees that would make this less desirable).

 

So I'm wondering if I would be better off exchanging the new GvFC fluted Intuition & use the exchange (worth $375) to pay towards a different pen, even though this will inevitably lead to spending more money in the process.

 

First question: does anyone have both the smaller and larger (Platino) resin Intuitions? Is this desirable, or reduplication and overkill? (While the two GvFC pens are different in certain respects--fluted vs. not, B vs. XF, one slightly smaller one slightly larger--they will probably look pretty similar to the casual eye.) When they actually arrive, I will no doubt have a better sense of how similar they will look.

 

If I go for an exchange, the pens that seem most attractive to me now (& that are sold by the dealer) are:

 

1) Dupont Atélier Cherry:

I've had a hard time finding photos of this in the wild--i.e,. not the highly processed photos from retailers. If anyone happens to have the Cherry and wouldn't mind sharing photos and thoughts, I would appreciate it!

 

One consideration: I have come to love Dupont pens, but also have a fair number of models, including the the purple Atélier. Red is probably my favorite color, though, and if I had seen the cherry first, I probably would have gotten that one instead.

 

2)Dupont Vitruvian Man fountain pen

This one seems really lovely because of the extra embellishments...it would also involve additional input (an extra few hundred $$ compared with the Cherry). Colorwise, the red is preferable, but the Vitruvian seems like a model that would fascinate in new ways.

 

If anyone has the Vitruvian, does this look as nice in person as it does online? Or does it look too overwrought?

 

 

3) Visconti Homo Sapiens (probably Bronze)

I've never had a chance to hold one of these...does the lava-resin feel nice in the hand?

I only have one Visconti (a used low-end Rembrandt vanilla with a steel nib), so this would be a move up in the Visconti world too.

 

Both the Dupont & Visconti would require additional money (beyond the $375 exchange for the Intuition), so that's a factor too.

 

So, assuming a not unlimited budget, is it better to double down on GvFC or Dupont, or to explore further with other brands, such as Visconti? (These will be my first GvFC pens, though...I also have a classic with OB nib on its way to me!)

 

The other pen on my horizon is a Caran D'ache Léman--the bicolor white seems particularly nice--but sadly isn't among the pens offered by the dealer.

 

Many thanks for any perspectives you would be willing to share!

 

--------------------

 

ps I am also painfully aware of how obsessive and middlebrow all this sounds!!!

Edited May 19, 2020 by seimodern

[PAKMAN]

The Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze would be a very nice choice! I love mine, the lava material feels really nice in my hands.

[seimodern]

Thanks for sharing....I am fascinated by the lava-ness of it all! And apparently it kind of wicks away (or absorbs?) hand moisture...I don't have particularly sweaty hands, but find that quality of the material fascinating in its own way.

 

Does the lava-resin have as smooth a texture as any other resin, or does it have a more textured feel to it?