Visconti Skeleton

[Apotheosis]

http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab19/yuckkie/Visconti%20Skeleton/DSC04515.jpg

 

Wonderful, heavy, solid and from Visconti...what more do I need to say ?

life is gooooood~

 

Additional information :

This is a limited edition pen of only 888 pieces produced in 2002 and uses Visconti's well known power filler that holds a a whole lot more ink than that of your usual standard converters.

It's made of clear resin cap and barrel with covered with a laser cut titanium skeleton filligree

It measures approximately 14.3cm capped and is a heavy pen (I've read somewhere its about 46g?).

It spots a huge 18k Fine nib (havent inked it yet so will let others chime in on how well it writes)

Edited July 14, 2010 by Apotheosis

[Yuki Onitsura]

Well, according to sub-forum guidelines, you need to go into a bit more detail than that! =P

 

Yuki

[Apotheosis]

and here I thought a picture paints a thousand words..! :blink:

[Yuki Onitsura]

That picture certainly paints more than it's fair share of words! But it would be nice to have some information about the nib and the filling mech and whatnot for those not quite so familiar with Visconti's MO.

 

Yuki

[Apotheosis]

That picture certainly paints more than it's fair share of words! But it would be nice to have some information about the nib and the filling mech and whatnot for those not quite so familiar with Visconti's MO.

 

Yuki

 

yes ma'am !

thanks for pointing that out Yuki

Leo

[jasam]

That picture certainly paints more than it's fair share of words! But it would be nice to have some information about the nib and the filling mech and whatnot for those not quite so familiar with Visconti's MO.

 

Yuki

 

yes ma'am !

thanks for pointing that out Yuki

Leo

 

 

You can copy and paste the guide lines.. this is such cool pen and quite rare that someone is willing to do a review on it, that if you could please share the details with us...

 

 

Great pen my friend!

[Apotheosis]

Thanks Jasam,

I wasnt actually planning on doing a review with this (I guess I was meant to put this in the Pen & Photography section) as I just got the pen and am scheduled on a 2 week business trip tomorrow (July 15th) but I guess I am sorta commited now . Will find the time to take more pics and do bit more research and *fingers crossed* do the review !

 

Thanks !

Leo

[Yuki Onitsura]

Why not ink it up and take it on the trip with you? You're bound to get plenty of writing done with it ;-)

 

Yuki

[Apotheosis]

so true Yuki ! hmmmmm what ink what ink

[Yuki Onitsura]

Why, Visconti blue, of course!

 

Yuki

[jasam]

Thanks Jasam,

I wasnt actually planning on doing a review with this (I guess I was meant to put this in the Pen & Photography section) as I just got the pen and am scheduled on a 2 week business trip tomorrow (July 15th) but I guess I am sorta commited now . Will find the time to take more pics and do bit more research and *fingers crossed* do the review !

 

Thanks !

Leo

 

I could not wait more ... AWESOME pen, I've always liked the Skeleton.

 

 

so true Yuki ! hmmmmm what ink what ink

 

Herbin Bleu pervenche is a lovely ink for the skeletons and it is well behaved... look at the 333 Bryant had with that ink..

[opus7600]

Well, according to sub-forum guidelines, you need to go into a bit more detail than that! =P

 

Yuki

 

Please, allow me to fill the gap.

 

I have a fondness for titanium. I love how light and durable it is. My watch is titanium, my wife's and my wedding bands are titanium, I've got knives with titanium handles. When I got into fountain pens, it was only natural I'd be drawn to pens with titanium parts. I've generally been disappointed with titanium nibs, and titanium bodies are few and far between. (I'm only aware of one new titanium pen released since http://www.stylophilesonline.com/archive/jan03/02tit.htm came out.) I've been possibly on the verge of ordering a titanium pen from Chris Thompson for ages now, but the one I really wanted was the Visconti Skeleton LE, because of my love of demonstrators. But with only 888 in the known universe, my chances were pretty slim. Then comes the New England Pen Show, and the Penopoly table. I couldn't believe that there was one for sale. I mean, that there was one for sale at all was one thing, that there was one for sale and nobody had yet bought it was completely another. I whipped out the credit card, moved my son's college education one step down on the "Harvard University"-"Hamburger University" spectrum, and took home my new best friend.

 

Oh, and then about a week later barriep put another one up for sale on FPN. For less money. In better condition. With box & papers. So, following the logic that if one was a good buy, two must be better, I bought that one, too.

 

Anyway, I sent one off to Mike It Work, and haven't seen it yet, so this is a review of the one I did have in my possession. I can update it when Mike finishes on the other one.

 

Appearance & Design

So perfect. It's sandblasted titanium over clear resin, so you see all your ink sloshing around, and you get the warm, soft touch of the titanium in your hand. The cap is totally clear, too, so you can see the nib when the pen is shut, which not all demonstrators allow (I'm looking at *YOU*, clear Pilot Custom 823.). Of course, that means you can also see any ink that gets out. Luckily, cleaning the cap is a cinch. Just unscrew the top, push out the inner cap, clean everything, put the inner cap back in, making sure to line up the channel with the clip, and it's pristine once again.

 

One thing I think I'd do differently if I were designing the pen would be to plate the whole nib in rhodium, so it was all white, rather than the two-tone appearance it has now. I think it would match the rest of the pen better that way.

 

Construction & Quality

Well, now. Here I have some complaints.

1) I haven't had any *trouble* with the clip, but it's just on a simple springy piece of steel. It doesn't look as solidly attached as Visconti's newer clip styles. It's an appearance thing. http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4115/4794869484_ea72f7812b.jpg

 

2) I have first hand evidence that the titanium section can come off the resin body, and that the titanium overlay on the cap can come loose. Easily fixed with a little binary epoxy, but I'd have preferred if it didn't happen in the first place.

3) Ink got between the section and body when filling, then leaked out onto my fingers as I used it. I think I've fixed that now, but until I get the second one back, I won't be able to tell if that's a result of problem #2, or inherent to the pen.

 

Weight & Dimensions

Length (closed): 5 11/16 inches

Length (posted): 7 1/4 inches

Length (unposted): 5 3/8 inches

Weight (closed, with ink): 46 g

Weight (uncapped, with ink): 31 g

Barrel diameter: .57 inches

Section diameter (min): .43 inches

 

I don't own a Ripple, but I suspect that these pens are similar based on photos I've seen. I'd be interested to hear from anybody who has both pens about how they compare.

 

Nib & Performance

Nib first - both of my Skeletons come with nibs labeled "M". The first one is at Mike It Work getting changed to an XF, and the second came to me Binderized to an F. I'm happy with the one I'm using now, but I think because of the after market alterations, I can't really rate the Skeleton here.

 

Writing experience - Postable, but I'd never use the pen that way, and can't comment on how it feels, because to me it just feels wrong. Unposted and mostly full of ink, the center of gravity is about 40% of the way forward of the blind cap, and it seats well in the crook of my thumb. The section is metal, which I know in previous posts I've claimed to hate, but those were smooth steel or silver. The matte titanium feels very comfortable, and it doesn't give me the cold slick feeling that usual metal sections can provide.

 

Filling System & Maintenance

The Skeleton uses a plunger filling system. This is a simple one chamber plunger, not Visconti's Doubler Reserve Power Filler. Simply unscrew the blind cap, pull back on the plunger, slam it home, and watch the ink gush in. Screw the blind cap back in, and you're done until the pen is empty. I haven't had any problems filling yet, but sometimes I need to shake the pen to get ink past the plunger up to the nib. It's a much better situation than I originally experienced with my Stipula Suprema Nuda, and not annoying enough to send it in for repairs, but the problem does exist. If it gets worse, I'll have to reevaluate. I've currently got the pen filled with Noodler's Green Marine, and there's no sign of any staining. See my other maintenance note about cleaning the cap above.

 

Cost & Value

Prices seem to fall into the $750-$1250 range when the pens are available, which is rarely. I think the cost is about equally based in rarity, design and material. Construction quality, on the other hand, has me a little nervous.

 

Conclusion

I love this pen's looks and feel. I hate some of the flaws I've mentioned. I don't yet regret spending the money on these pens, but I might if other flaws make themselves known as they age. If another one had shown up for sale the week after I bought the second one, I might have snatched that up too, but if one showed up tomorrow, I'd probably keep my money and get something less cool and more reliable.

Edited July 14, 2010 by opus7600

[777]

WOW, really nice pen. I would love to see some more pictures of it. Of course, if I really wanted a pen labeled skeleton and I had a ton of money I would be grabbing a mont blanc skeleton. But alas... I'll never have that kind of money. This pen however is a MUCH better price than the mont blanc one.

 

Enjoy your pen!

Regards,

777

[jasam]

Great review one of my favourite pens!!

 

I agree with you, posting feels odd to me, eventhough with some pens seems neccesary due to the short barrrel or low weight. Great pen!! all it is missing is a writing sample!!! I'm thinking of trying a 18K Visconti nib... should be amazing!

 

 

 

WOW, really nice pen. I would love to see some more pictures of it. Of course, if I really wanted a pen labeled skeleton and I had a ton of money I would be grabbing a mont blanc skeleton. But alas... I'll never have that kind of money. This pen however is a MUCH better price than the mont blanc one.

 

Enjoy your pen!

Regards,

777

 

 

The skeleton 333 is LOVELY but almost 14 Visconti Skeletons worth

[Apotheosis]

Thats why I love this place ! There's always someone who can help fill in the gaps !

Thank you so much for the additional information Opus ! (btw I now know who beat me to the Barrie's sale ! )

Would be great when you have the time to show us some writing samples of the modified nibs too !

 

Thanks again !

Leo

Edited July 15, 2010 by Apotheosis

[ballboy]

As someone who'd want to post that cap, I'd be interested to know if there's a plastic inner sheath to protect the barrel when posted. The pics suggest the metal is softly matted, so I wouldn't want any scratches to easily appear. Fabulous looking pen all the same.

[opus7600]

As someone who'd want to post that cap, I'd be interested to know if there's a plastic inner sheath to protect the barrel when posted. The pics suggest the metal is softly matted, so I wouldn't want any scratches to easily appear. Fabulous looking pen all the same.

 

The cap is clear resin with a titanium overlay. If you were to post, a far more likely outcome than scratching the barrel, in my opinion, would be that you'd scratch up the inside of the cap.

[breaker]

nice review on a nice pen

[opus7600]

nice review on a nice pen

 

I'd be more flattered by your praise if you hadn't posted that to every frickin' thread in the review forum.

[RayOski1]

Did a version of this pen come in cartridge fill?