Visconti Divina Proporzione

[jaytaylor]

Well, here it is the long awaited Visconti Divine Proportion review. This is my first review so here I go.

 

After being teased by the review on Stylophiles the Divine Proportion really caught my eye and I just had to have one.

 

 

1. First impressions -

The pen arrived in a Visconti marked yellow box, inside this is a red velvet bag which contains a high gloss varnish wooden display box. Most certainly the most impressive packaging I have ever seen.

The box opens to reveal the Divine Proportion pen sat in its display mount and a golden gauge, a device that allows you to measure and identify the Golden Ratio in objects.

The quality is outstanding, it all adds up to something special.

 

 

2. Appearance & Finish -

The photos below will really speak volumes about the appearance – the pen is simply stunning.

The celluloid body and cap are very striking, looking almost like a deep walnut burl.

 

 

3. Design/ Size/Weight –

This is a large pen at 15cm capped with a barrel diameter of 1.4cm. Unposted, this pen feels good in the hand, posted it is unbalanced for my hand.

Stirling silver spirals down from the cap to the end of the barrel to create a very unique and stunning effect, separated only by an ink view window.

The heavy cap attaches to the pen by a unique bayonet style fixture, which Visconti calls "Hook Safe Lock". The cap is secured by a light push down with a slight twist – I really like this design, it almost achieves the convenience of a snap on cap.

 

 

4. Nib Design & Performance-

The nib is a standard Visconti 18k affair with (aside from being brown) standard feed so performance wise it is a good combination but alas standard. With the exceptional packaging, unique and stunning pen design the nib is a bit of a let down, it would have been nice to see the same attention to the nib which MontBlanc put into limited edition pens.

That said it is very good nib but nothing to get excited about.

 

 

5. The Filling System-

This is a new experience, the Push and Pull Touchdown filler system that hides completely within the barrel. A light push on the end of the barrel reveals a button, pull on the button and a beautiful metal cylinder decorated with Fibonacci numbers extends. Pushing down sharply on the filler mechanism allows the nib to drink ink from a bottle.

The filler is not a true Touchdown system as used by Sheaffer but more a vacuum filler in a similar fashion to Sheaffer vac fillers. It is a smaller version of Viscontis Power Filler without the double chamber.

The ink capacity is average, holding maybe slightly more than an international cartridge, a drawback to the filler mechanism occupying the barrel.

 

 

6. Usability and Cost –

With a retail price of $1618 US it is certainly a very expensive pen. Do I think it is worth $1618? No. The X-factor is what makes up the difference on what I think this pen is worth.

Bargains can be had on this pen at around the $1000 mark but be warned – the warranty may not be valid if purchased from a non Visconti dealer / stockist.

Is this pen usable with its eye-grabbing looks and high price tag? Yes. I will be inking this pen up and using it but only at home as this pen is just a bit too “bling”.

I personally prefer to use objects which do not attract attention for the “Liberace” factor.

 

 

7. Conclusion –

I love this pen and will enjoy the ritual of inking and writing with it. It is one of the most beautiful pens out there but - This is not a pen I would use at work or in public, it is just too bling for my liking, whilst being a beautiful object it just does not have the cool factor of a MontBlanc 149, a VP or a Parker 51 vac, the Visconti Divine Proportion just isn’t cool.

 

If this pen was lost/stolen would I replace it? Yes, cost aside it is a very unique and high X-factor pen.

[Shelley]

Well done, it is certainly beautiful... does it feel strange with those spirals, or does it fit naturally in the hand?

[Farace]

What a stunning pen! I have to wonder, though, what the price would have been if they hadn't applied the Divine Proportion (1.618) to the cost.

 

[jaytaylor]

Well done, it is certainly beautiful... does it feel strange with those spirals, or does it fit naturally in the hand?

 

 

The pen is very comfortable to use.

[omasfan]

Hey Jay, finally a happy ending. I am glad for you it worked out in the end. Great review and pictures with wonderful background contrast. It's a gorgeous pen, and I hope it'll behave now and stay intact for decades to come.

 

The celluloid is striking. I've never seen a celluloid that resembled wood as closely as this one. Did Visconti develop this color? As far as I know, it has not been used in any pen before, which is a good thing!

 

I was a bit surprised at the low amount of ink it holds! The equivalent of one international cartridge only? That means a little less even than a normal cartridge/converter would hold? That's a shame for such a big and otherwise beautifully accomplished pen.

Edited January 1, 2008 by omasfan

[southpaw]

Beautiful pen and an excellent review. THANKS! I was curious about how the spirals would make it feel as well, so thanks for commenting on that.

[jaytaylor]

Hey Jay, finally a happy ending. I am glad for you it worked out in the end. Great review and pictures with wonderful background contrast. It's a gorgeous pen, and I hope it'll behave now and stay intact for decades to come.

 

The celluloid is striking. I've never seen a celluloid that resembled wood as closely as this one. Did Visconti develop this color? As far as I know, it has not been used in any pen before, which is a good thing!

 

I was a bit surprised at the low amount of ink it holds! The equivalent of one international cartridge only? That means a little less even than a normal cartridge/converter would hold? That's a shame for such a big and otherwise beautifully accomplished pen.

 

 

Thank you for comments, this pen gets better each time I look at it and I'm sure I will get decades of enjoyment using it.

 

Unfortunately I know very little about the pattern, I assume Visconti developed or commissioned the pattern as I have not come across this pattern before.

 

The ink capacity is a minor negative, I may get a better capacity using a Visconti traveling ink pot, I'll keep you posted. Although having to fill up more frequently isn't such a bad thing when the mechanism is a pretty as this one.

 

[omasfan]

a shameless bump for that great piece of celluloid! :roflmho:

[georges zaslavsky]

I tried one but it felt strange in my hand. Great pen otherwise

[yachtsilverswan]

What a stunning pen! I have to wonder, though, what the price would have been if they hadn't applied the Divine Proportion (1.618) to the cost.

 

 

Just be thankful Visconti did an hommage to Phi, rather than to Pi.

 

So Jay - have you found any of the hidden numbers yet?

[jaytaylor]

What a stunning pen! I have to wonder, though, what the price would have been if they hadn't applied the Divine Proportion (1.618) to the cost.

 

 

Just be thankful Visconti did an hommage to Phi, rather than to Pi.

 

So Jay - have you found any of the hidden numbers yet?

 

 

I can not find any of the numbers, I examined my first two divinas with a loupe and nothing :blink:

 

I have not yet hunted the numbers on divina no. 3

 

Have you found any?????

 

Oh, an update - with the use of a Visconti traveling ink pot I am able to get more ink into the divina, about half what the Wall Street LE takes from the ink pot and the Wall Street LE holds a lot of ink so it isn't at all bad.

Edited January 3, 2008 by jaytaylor

[goodyear]

A stunning pen, and very fine images of it

 

Of course, I am now very jealous. This is probably as close as I have to a "grail pen". Maybe someday...

[ZeppRock7]

I LOVE this pen.

 

Nice review.

[Escribiente]

Truly impressive photographs that show the uniqueness of this design. Thank you.

[rustynib]

Hi all

 

I was in Florence Visconti shop last month and was given the most interesting round tour of the pens.

 

The divine proportion is really a wonderful object as are some other Visconti special pens.

 

Nevertheless the cost of this pen in Europe is more in the $1000 level.

 

The pens feel really good in Your hand and is a very solid object witg a reliable cap lock mechanism.

 

The guy in the shop was a big entusiast but I did not buy, and I think that if I did not buy from him, I will not buy from anyone.

 

Recommend to anyone a visit to the shop though.

 

Rusty

[Deirdre]

The guy in the shop was a big entusiast but I did not buy, and I think that if I did not buy from him, I will not buy from anyone.

I completely agree with this attitude. I love buying from pen lovers who aren't just pen pushers.

[slimnib]

Well, here it is the long awaited Visconti Divine Proportion review. This is my first review so here I go.

 

After being teased by the review on Stylophiles the Divine Proportion really caught my eye and I just had to have one.

 

 

1. First impressions -

The pen arrived in a Visconti marked yellow box, inside this is a red velvet bag which contains a high gloss varnish wooden display box. Most certainly the most impressive packaging I have ever seen.

The box opens to reveal the Divine Proportion pen sat in its display mount and a golden gauge, a device that allows you to measure and identify the Golden Ratio in objects.

The quality is outstanding, it all adds up to something special.

 

 

2. Appearance & Finish -

The photos below will really speak volumes about the appearance – the pen is simply stunning.

The celluloid body and cap are very striking, looking almost like a deep walnut burl.

 

 

3. Design/ Size/Weight –

This is a large pen at 15cm capped with a barrel diameter of 1.4cm. Unposted, this pen feels good in the hand, posted it is unbalanced for my hand.

Stirling silver spirals down from the cap to the end of the barrel to create a very unique and stunning effect, separated only by an ink view window.

The heavy cap attaches to the pen by a unique bayonet style fixture, which Visconti calls "Hook Safe Lock". The cap is secured by a light push down with a slight twist – I really like this design, it almost achieves the convenience of a snap on cap.

 

 

4. Nib Design & Performance-

The nib is a standard Visconti 18k affair with (aside from being brown) standard feed so performance wise it is a good combination but alas standard. With the exceptional packaging, unique and stunning pen design the nib is a bit of a let down, it would have been nice to see the same attention to the nib which MontBlanc put into limited edition pens.

That said it is very good nib but nothing to get excited about.

 

 

5. The Filling System-

This is a new experience, the Push and Pull Touchdown filler system that hides completely within the barrel. A light push on the end of the barrel reveals a button, pull on the button and a beautiful metal cylinder decorated with Fibonacci numbers extends. Pushing down sharply on the filler mechanism allows the nib to drink ink from a bottle.

The filler is not a true Touchdown system as used by Sheaffer but more a vacuum filler in a similar fashion to Sheaffer vac fillers. It is a smaller version of Viscontis Power Filler without the double chamber.

The ink capacity is average, holding maybe slightly more than an international cartridge, a drawback to the filler mechanism occupying the barrel.

 

 

6. Usability and Cost –

With a retail price of $1618 US it is certainly a very expensive pen. Do I think it is worth $1618? No. The X-factor is what makes up the difference on what I think this pen is worth.

Bargains can be had on this pen at around the $1000 mark but be warned – the warranty may not be valid if purchased from a non Visconti dealer / stockist.

Is this pen usable with its eye-grabbing looks and high price tag? Yes. I will be inking this pen up and using it but only at home as this pen is just a bit too “bling”.

I personally prefer to use objects which do not attract attention for the “Liberace” factor.

 

 

7. Conclusion –

I love this pen and will enjoy the ritual of inking and writing with it. It is one of the most beautiful pens out there but - This is not a pen I would use at work or in public, it is just too bling for my liking, whilst being a beautiful object it just does not have the cool factor of a MontBlanc 149, a VP or a Parker 51 vac, the Visconti Divine Proportion just isn’t cool.

 

If this pen was lost/stolen would I replace it? Yes, cost aside it is a very unique and high X-factor pen.

 

 

 

Sorry, think you have a very interesting pen. The Montblanc 149 is a boring pen.

 

Use it well.