Visconti Michelangelo?

[jjaberg]

Has anyone had any experience with the Visconti Michelangelo? I have searched this Forum and the Fountain Pen Reviews and found very little. I think it might be a really nice pen - but then most of what I have seen of it has been from sources that are in the business of selling it. I'm trying to sort out whether this is a pen I want to keep high on my aspiration list before I start getting confused by the new Van Goghs. Can't afford to buy them all!

[amble63]

I got one of these recently - the black and bronze. There is a thread in which a lot of people express dismay that the pen is not more visually appealing. I said (in a post now lost in the great FPN crash of May 2011) that I found the pen to be understated and elegant. There are definitely more eye-catching Viscontis out there (e.g. all my Van Goghs and Wall Streets) but, as someone else said in that other thread, this is a perfect pen for a business setting where you don't want to project unnecessary flash. The Michelangelo is more slender compared to the Van Goghs and Wall Streets. It writes beautifully and I have found myself using it more than I expected to.

 

An interesting feature is the magnetic snap cap. I rather like it.

 

If given a direct head to head choice between a Michelangelo and the new Van Goghs (which have the same multi-facet shape), would I still go for the Michelangelo? Probably not. However, I don't regret the purchase.

 

Here is that other thread: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/184619-pictures-of-the-new-visconti-michelangelo/page__p__1862327__hl__michelangelo__fromsearch__1#entry1862327

Edited June 4, 2011 by amble63

[jjaberg]

I got one of these recently - the black and bronze. There is a thread in which a lot of people express dismay that the pen is not more visually appealing. I said (in a post now lost in the great FPN crash of May 2011) that I found the pen to be understated and elegant. There are definitely more eye-catching Viscontis out there (e.g. all my Van Goghs and Wall Streets) but, as someone else said in that other thread, this is a perfect pen for a business setting where you don't want to project unnecessary flash. The Michelangelo is more slender compared to the Van Goghs and Wall Streets. It writes beautifully and I have found myself using it more than I expected to.

 

An interesting feature is the magnetic snap cap. I rather like it.

 

If given a direct head to head choice between a Michelangelo and the new Van Goghs (which have the same multi-facet shape), would I still go for the Michelangelo? Probably not. However, I don't regret the purchase.

 

Here is that other thread: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/184619-pictures-of-the-new-visconti-michelangelo/page__p__1862327__hl__michelangelo__fromsearch__1#entry1862327

 

 

Thank you for your response. Some very helpful information. I appreciated the link. Somehow I had totally missed that thread. All the comments about the (current) Michangelo focused on the aesthetic qualities of the pen. Which is understandable since that is primarily what comes to mind when the topic is Visconti. Aesthetics also tend to be rather subjective. I see what people are talking about when they describe the Michangelo as "uninspiring" but I am more inclined to think in terms of "understated" - and, to me, that is a good thing in this case. The most distinctive thing about the design of this pen I found to be the faceted configuration of the barrel/cap - although that feature is something that is particularly difficult to assess from a two-dimensional picture.

 

Your comment that you find yourself using the pen more than you expected was most interesting. I think my question about this pen has more to do with its functional characteristics. I have several Van Goghs and a Rembrandt with steel nibs and I love not only the way they look but the smooth, luscious way they write. Recently I added a Van Gogh with a 14k nib and I have to say I like the way that pen writes even more. Which brings me back to the Michangelo (with a gold nib) and the new Van Goghs (which apparently will not offer a gold nib) and I'm trying to figure out how that might factor into the possible choice.

[FLJeepGuy]

I have the Michelangelo in Black/Rose Gold (Visconti calls it Rose Gold, others call it brass?) and am quite pleased with it. I own four Viscontis: Michelangelo, Art Nouveau, Homo Sapiens, and the previous Van Gogh Maxi and love them all. I used the Michelangelo for nearly a month straight after purchasing it and was thrilled with its performance. The nib was nice and smooth with just enough feedback to let you know you're in contact with the paper. I had no flow problems with a variety of inks and the magnetic cap provides the most secure cap closure I've ever used. There's no way this pen will accidentally uncap on you.

 

The darkened gold color is very appealing to me and I did get several comments from my co-workers on the pen. The multifaceted barrel adds a touch of shine and reflections to what would have otherwise been the basic black torpedo shape. The arched Visconti clip has always been aesthetically pleasing to me, but the design has never seemed sturdy enough for me to actually use it to hold the pen in my pocket.

 

As far as comparing it to the new Van Goghs, they're essentially the same pen with different colors and a steel nib. I don't have any experience with Visconti's steel nibs, so I can't say how much of a difference that will make in the performance. I do however like the Starry Night coloring and will probably pick one up at some point.