The Ultimate Visconti And The Ultimate Homo Sapiens?

[Keyless Works]

I haven't had a Visconti in my collection for quite a long time now. Back when I was getting in to fountain pens I had a Percales and then a Van Gogh (the very first version in a gorgeous ivory color). I would like to add a Visconti or two to my collection. So I have a few questions.

 

1) I read that the new Opera Master has an in-house (i.e. Visconti-made) nib. Is this true and what is the specific model?

 

2) What would be considered the ultimate Visconti?

 

3) What would be considered the quintessential Visconti?

 

4) Which of the Homo Sapiens is the most desirable version and which is the original? I remember when these came out but I never made one happen and now it seems there have been many versions.

 

 

[sansenri]

your questions are slightly too "definitive" in my opinion

 

nonetheless, as far as I am concerned

1) cannot help you on this one

2) Visconti Opera is really the Visconti pen I have settled for (although I do very much like the Van Gogh Maxi first version too). It just feels right. The gold nibs are very good.

3) probably the Homo Sapiens Bronze.

4) the Homo Sapiens Bronze. That is the first version and the one to have. The Steel is nice too but the Bronze is quintessential.

[zaddick]

There are various design eras at Visconti. Very roughtly speaking there was the Voyager era, the Opera era, and now the Homo Sapiens era of design with many more odd branches of whimsy.

 

For Homo Sapiens the original bronze age was the truest iteration of the design. After that it was about the shape but the concept stayed from the original.

 

I like larger pens so I personally liked the Ripple pens and their variants. They sort of came between Opera and Homo Sapiens eras. I also loled the Wall Street LE pens a lot.

[aardvarkbark]

If you prefer a larger pen, I recommend one of the Medici's. I find the faceted body to be comfortable in the hand, and the brown and blue very pleasant aesthetically. The piston functions well. From what I've read, Visconti is transitioning away from palladium nibs, moving to gold. Mine have the Pd and were too juicy for my taste, so were sent off to nibmeister to reduce flow, which was done successfully.

[da vinci]

I can’t answer all the questions as I am not overly familiar with the brand. I have a Wall Street with a stub nib which is excellent but my favourite model from Visconti is the Ragtime.

[PAKMAN]

My ultimate Visconti is the Ti Skelton.

 

If I was going to get a Homo Sapiens now, I would get the one with the window but will live with my bronze age which I really love.

 

But I love my Opera and Blue Davina too!

[sansenri]

There are various design eras at Visconti. Very roughtly speaking there was the Voyager era, the Opera era, and now the Homo Sapiens era of design with many more odd branches of whimsy.

 

For Homo Sapiens the original bronze age was the truest iteration of the design. After that it was about the shape but the concept stayed from the original.

 

I like larger pens so I personally liked the Ripple pens and their variants. They sort of came between Opera and Homo Sapiens eras. I also loled the Wall Street LE pens a lot.

Ah, thank you Zaddick, you just mentioned the other two that I consider on par with the Opera, the Voyager and the Wall street, possibly the Voyager is even nicer (ergonomically in particular) than the Opera.

[sansenri]

a quick showcase of some desirable Viscontis

 

Homo Sapiens Bronze

 

Opera (Summer Yellow)

 

Voyager Kaleido pearl grey

 

Voyager Midnight blue

 

Wall Street green (best would be to own the version with the ink window...)

 

Manhattan green

 

Divina Elegance green (bronze trim)

 

Van Gogh Maxi Ocean Blue

 

also interesting the Corsani versions

Corsani 90 HS

Edited August 5, 2020 by sansenri

[Keyless Works]

Thank you for all the replies and thank you sansenri for the beautiful pictures!

 

That Corsani 90 HS is beautiful. I've always liked the Wall Street but this might be better.

 

My ultimate Visconti is the Ti Skelton.

 

If I was going to get a Homo Sapiens now, I would get the one with the window but will live with my bronze age which I really love.

 

But I love my Opera and Blue Davina too!

I see there is a "Skylight" version and a "Crystal Dream" version...can't say I prefer these to a typical ink window. Which one did you like? I might prefer the Crystal Dream but it is quite an expensive pen.

[PAKMAN]

Don't care for the non volcanic versions but the Skylight version is the one I really wish I had waited for.

[dms525]

I am certainly no Visconti expert, and I have come to the brand relatively late (3 years or so). I have a half-dozen, I think, all with the Pd nib, which I have found very good, once it has been adjusted by a nibmeister. (All of mine are stubs made narrower and crisper.)

 

My very favorite has to be a Wall Street in red stacked celluloid with a celluloid section - a Chatterley LE, I think. My other most favorite is the Homo Sapiens Bronze. I am not crazy about the H.S. versions with swirly demonstrators. I like a lot of the The Medici series too.

 

I could be tempted to get another. I'm curious about the return of the gold nibs. I'd like to hear opinions from any who have experienced them.

 

David

[Keyless Works]

I just got my new Homo Sapiens in the mail today with the new 18kt stub nib and the pen is lovely but the nib skips. I am going to return it. I've dipped my toes in the Visconti pond once again. Maybe in another decade I'll give it ago or I'll find a used one from someone that has had it adjusted.

Edited August 12, 2020 by Keyless Works

[Paul-in-SF]

The Divina models look gorgeous, especially the green/bronze one in sansenri's photo, but can anyone speak to how they feel in the hand? Do you notice the twist design as you hold it?

 

The only Homo Sapiens I have had in my hand is the newest model, the Crystal Dream. I find it a very handsome pen, and the medium nib I got is lush and responsive. The filling system seems to work fine, but I have no need for the 2nd reservoir since I will never take it on an airplane.

 

As for whimsy, I have a model called Salvador Dali Dance of TIme, which has a clock melted over the clip, and Dali's signature reproduced on an overly-elaborate cap band. It's fun.

Edited August 12, 2020 by Paul-in-SF

[dms525]

I just got my new Homo Sapiens in the mail today with the new 18kt stub nib and the pen is lovely but the nib skips. I am going to return it. I've dipped my toes in the Visconti pond once again. Maybe in another decade I'll give it ago or I'll find a used one from someone that has had it adjusted.

 

When I got my first Visconti HS, it skipped horribly. After a friendly but unproductive exchange with the U.S. distributor, they agreed to have the nib tuned by their contract nibmeister. That turned out to be my man, Michael Masuyama. As I wrote above, all my Visconti's have been customized by Michael. In fact, when I mentioned to him I had ordered my second Visconti, he told me to just have it sent directly to him, implying that most all needed adjustment.

 

The nibs wrote so nicely once they had been adjusted, I decided to just figure that additional time and cost into the price of the pen, if I bought others.

 

I am very sorry to hear that the skipping problem is not restricted to the Pd nibs. It's a shame, because Visconti pens can be so nice in every other respect.

 

David

[dms525]

The Divina models look gorgeous, especially the green/bronze one in sansenri's photo, but can anyone speak to how they feel in the hand? Do you notice the twist design as you hold it?

 

The only Homo Sapiens I have had in my hand is the newest model, the Crystal Dream. I find it a very handsome pen, and the medium nib I got is lush and responsive. The filling system seems to work fine, but I have no need for the 2nd reservoir since I will never take it on an airplane.

 

As for whimsy, I have a model called Salvador Dali Dance of TIme, which has a clock melted over the clip, and Dali's signature reproduced on an overly-elaborate cap band. It's fun.

 

I don't have a Divina, but I have a Desert Springs with the torqued facets (but not the metal inlays). The section is round, and the edges of the facets are not at all a bother. I think the pen looks very cool too.

 

David

[sansenri]

The Divina is a very nice pen. My green bronze is a Midi, it feels nice, not too small. You do notice the twist design a bit as you hold it, not exceedingly, it's relatively smooth, similar to the HS.

In that respect the best design is the Voyager, perhaps not as elegant but ergonomically it's great in the hand.

[Keyless Works]

 

When I got my first Visconti HS, it skipped horribly. After a friendly but unproductive exchange with the U.S. distributor, they agreed to have the nib tuned by their contract nibmeister. That turned out to be my man, Michael Masuyama. As I wrote above, all my Visconti's have been customized by Michael. In fact, when I mentioned to him I had ordered my second Visconti, he told me to just have it sent directly to him, implying that most all needed adjustment.

 

The nibs wrote so nicely once they had been adjusted, I decided to just figure that additional time and cost into the price of the pen, if I bought others.

 

I am very sorry to hear that the skipping problem is not restricted to the Pd nibs. It's a shame, because Visconti pens can be so nice in every other respect.

 

David

I sent Michael an email. He is my go to nibmeister for modern pens. His current turn around time seems to be 4 weeks which isn't too bad. I will wait for him to respond and sleep on it before I go through with the return. I do find the material very nice and while I love two tone nibs I actually think the rose gold nib works really well with the bronze trim.

 

I guess in the future when buying a Visconti I should just add $100 to price (for tuning) and then psychologically it wont be a disappointment.

[pilotheinrich]

I agree with those above about the Homo Sapiens, especially the bronze version. To me, this pen represents the best of Visconti, and I'm sure it one day will be considered a classic.

 

Plus, it supports the My Pen cabochons, which allow you to customize the cap if you so desire.

 

My own ultimate Visconti is one of my first, the Romanica, for its beauty, detail, color, heft, and build quality. A very classy looking, substantial feeling pen.

Both the models I have sport the 23K palladium 1.3 stub nib - nice and juicy!

 

Edited December 19, 2020 by pilotheinrich
A far more informed member has saved me from making a glaring and embarrassing technical error!

[TheDutchGuy]

There’s not other brand like Visconti. Their designs are immediately recognizable, far removed from cigar-shaped pens, and they really carved out a niche for themselves. My first Visconti was a van Gogh ‘pollard willows’ and once I got to try the HS Lava pens, I was hooked. I’m sufficiently impressed with the Lava pens to get two of them: a Lava Steel Midi (with 23k F nib) and a fullsize Lava Bronze (with 18k F nib). I cherish all three of them. I appreciate understated beauty and my three V’s tick my boxes. A lot of other high-end V’s are too extravagant for me.

 

[Torrente]

I am considering to purchase a HS Crystal Dream or Skylight, my first idea is with medium nib as my other luxury FP is a Parker Duofold Centennial with fine nib.

I do not write much currently, basically post-its and document signing.

 

I would appreciate any comment/recommendation about it.

 

Edited December 21, 2020 by Torrente