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Describe The Magic Of Visconti Homo Sapiens


SomethingWicked

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I've only seen it in pictures, yet members here talk with such reverence for the Visconti, I just gotta know...what is the attraction? Better yet, what's it like to write with one?

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I just got one. I love the capping mechanism and the feel of the pen body material. The nib - meh. Either I got a mushy version of it or I prefer my gold nibbed pens.

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I just got the crystal swirl version with a 1.1mm stub nib. There's a lot to like - beginning with the fact that it writes beautifully - but also one major flaw IMO: the cap doesn't post, period. I was so disappointed to discover this that I called Visconti, and they confirmed that it's not really designed to post, due to the quick twist mechanism for capping the pen. As one who has pretty large hands and ALWAYS posts his pens, this is a real bummer.

"...there are three things men can do with women: love them, suffer for them, or turn them into literature. I've had my share of success and failure at all three." - Stephen Stills

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The volcanic ash and resin construction give it a very unique feel in the hand. As for the palladium "dream touch" nib, it does have a softer feel, but I still prefer a 14 or 18 kt Visconti nib.

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Visconti in general has interesting designs, but often too flashy for my taste. Homo Sapiens Bronze is an interesting concept anyway (and has an unique design idea), so I kept that one. Writing experience is ok, but nothing that another manufacturer can't deliver, too.

For me it's a nice, good brand which definitely brings some more color and joy to the fountain pen world, but no magic for me.

Edited by mirosc

Greetings,

Michael

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I only like the demonstrator. I dont like the feel of the steel or the bronze. I do like the 23k nib enough I want a dali with it.

WTB Sheaffer Balance oversized with a flex nib, semi flex, broad, or medium in carmine red or grey striated.

 

Wtb Sheaffer Pfm in black or blue with a medium or broad nib.

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I like the design, but I'm not ever going to purchase it because of the bad reviews on the nib. I imagine such expensive pen should write out of the box without any compromises.

http://imageshack.com/scaled/large/16/k6ic.png

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I just got the crystal swirl version with a 1.1mm stub nib. There's a lot to like - beginning with the fact that it writes beautifully - but also one major flaw IMO: the cap doesn't post, period. I was so disappointed to discover this that I called Visconti, and they confirmed that it's not really designed to post, due to the quick twist mechanism for capping the pen. As one who has pretty large hands and ALWAYS posts his pens, this is a real bummer.

My Steel Age Midi posts very well, so I guess it's a difference in the material?

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I was a high school dropout with personal hygiene and self-confidence issues. I used to work the night shift at the Qwik-E Mart, and hadnt had carnal relations with anyone else for years. I couldnt even afford meth - which meant I ended up gaining 60lb and a tendency to sweat profusely. My life, in short, wasnt going anywhere. The most I could aspire to was the day shift at the Qwik-E Mart, and a last-page mail order bride from a former Soviet block nation (one of the desperate ones, not the pretty ones, at that).

 

Then, one day, while i was sifting through the dumpster for my dinner, I heard a sound. Something had fallen from one of the windows of the apartment above me. I looked and I couldnt see anything except a chip in the concrete that hadn't been there a few moments ago. I searched some more, and found it - a lambent shaft of smooth basaltic rock adorned with brass, with the words Visconti written on it. Hmm, an old-style pen. Who uses these things anymore, I wondered. I grabbed it and stuck it in my pockets, thinking i could sell it for some meth later, and went back to searching the dumpster for my meal, after which I walked into the Qwik-E Mart to start my shift.

 

"Damn, DPD, ever heard of a shower?", the departing evening shift guy, Todd, said as he walked away. Todd and I are good friends. This is our daily banter. He lives either alone or with his family (I am not sure, we dont talk much) somewhere in town (dont know where, never been invited to his house) and has a lot of hobbies (dont know which ones - as I said, we dont talk much).

 

Later that night, I was sitting there trying to do something about an itch in a private location when 2 very pretty ladies walked in, obviously after a party. As they were in line to pay, a guy walking in with a gun and pointed it at me, asking me for the money in the till. My brain was frozen in terror, i didnt know what to do and I think I may have peed a little into my shorts. The mugger then shot me - the bullet hit me in the chest and I collapsed, with only the fleeting thought that even though my life hadnt turned out the way I had envisaged when I was at Caltech, i still had many more miles to go and that this wasnt supposed to be how it ended.

 

As I lay on the ground, waiting for the Death, the mugger turned and pointed his gun at the two ladies, who were shocked by this casual display of violence. However, as he was rifling through their purse, I realized something - my heart was still beating. I reached towards my pocket and found that same piece of smooth, basaltic rock that had fallen from an apartment. Or had it been dropped by my guardian angel? Regardless. a new hope flooded through me. Anything from now on would be an additional bonus to my life, so I decided to stop fearing the Reaper and stood up. Righteous rage flowed through my body into the pen and I walked up to the mugger and brandishing that Palladium soft BB nib at him, said "Hey buddy, miss me?".

 

He turned in surprise - and his eyes wandered down to the pen in my hand and widened in shock.

 

"A... a Visc.. Visconti! I am sorry, I did not know"

 

And with that, he dropped his weapon and lay down grovelling at my feet.

 

After the cops took him away, the two ladies looked at me in a whole new way.

 

"You are so brave" said one.

"You saved our lives" said the other

"How can we thank you" said the first

"Do I smell pee" said the second

"You must come and wash yourself at our place - we are housemates" said the first

"We have a jacuzzi - which fits 3" said the second

 

As we were leaving and I turned to lock the door, I heard one of them ask the other:

"Is that a Visconti in his pockets or is he happy to see us".

 

That day changed my life. Thank you, Visconti Homo Sapiens, made of unbreakable basaltic lava.

Edited by de_pen_dent

True bliss: knowing that the guy next to you is suffering more than you are.

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I personally got a midi Homo Sapiens because of the feel of the lava/resin material. Grippy and almost rubbery feeling but in actuality is a hard material. I also ended up falling in love with the cap mechanism. I don't use it much though because even though I got the smaller size, it's still too heavy for me to use on a regular basis.

 

I'm also not a huge fan of the palladium nibs. Too soft and mushy for me. I wish Visconti still offered gold nibs and if I had liked the pen enough for a regular carry pen I would have tried sourcing a gold nib for it. As it is now, I went ahead and put in a steel nib in place of the original palladium nib.

Message me about nib work in NYC

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I was a high school dropout with personal hygiene and self-confidence issues. I used to work the night shift at the Qwik-E Mart, and hadnt had carnal relations with anyone else for years. I couldnt even afford meth - which meant I ended up gaining 60lb and a tendency to sweat profusely. My life, in short, wasnt going anywhere. The most I could aspire to was the day shift at the Qwik-E Mart, and a mail order bride from a former Soviet block nation (one of the desperate ones, not the pretty ones, at that).

......................................................................................................................................

 

As we were leaving and I turned to lock the door, I heard one of them ask the other:

"Is that a Visconti in his pockets or is he happy to see us".

 

That day changed my life. Thank you, Visconti Homo Sapiens, made of unbreakable basaltic lava.

 

:lticaptd: :lticaptd: my weekend couldn't have started any better :lticaptd: :lticaptd:

 

BTW ... I have HS Bronze and I just love it !!!

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[snip]

 

http://reactiongifs.me/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Men-at-work-Golf-Clap-Short-Charlie-Sheen-and-Emilio-Estevez.gif

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I have HS bronze with a 1.3mm stub nib. Bought it new 2 years ago. I love the material. The pen is on the heavy side, not one with which you write for hours. The nib is super smooth with almost no feedback, it simply glides on paper. The pen is a bit delicate to use because the nib is very wet and you quickly end up with show through, even bleeding on cheaper paper.

 

The filling mechanism does not impress me much; it is different but not too efficient at filling the reservoir. Don't know which of the filling mechanism or the reservoir is the culprit, but I can't hardly got through a day at the office without filling it.

 

The bronze used for the various rings on the pen may be of a different grade than the clip as the colour is not the same. The printing on the clip looks cheap.

 

All in all, happy to have one but would not buy again.

Cheers,

Pierre

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I was a high school dropout with personal hygiene and self-confidence issues. I used to work the night shift at the Qwik-E Mart, and hadnt had carnal relations with anyone else for years. I couldnt even afford meth - which meant I ended up gaining 60lb and a tendency to sweat profusely. My life, in short, wasnt going anywhere. The most I could aspire to was the day shift at the Qwik-E Mart, and a last-page mail order bride from a former Soviet block nation (one of the desperate ones, not the pretty ones, at that).

 

Then, one day, while i was sifting through the dumpster for my dinner, I heard a sound. Something had fallen from one of the windows of the apartment above me. I looked and I couldnt see anything except a chip in the concrete that hadn't been there a few moments ago. I searched some more, and found it - a lambent shaft of smooth basaltic rock adorned with brass, with the words Visconti written on it. Hmm, an old-style pen. Who uses these things anymore, I wondered. I grabbed it and stuck it in my pockets, thinking i could sell it for some meth later, and went back to searching the dumpster for my meal, after which I walked into the Qwik-E Mart to start my shift.

 

"Damn, DPD, ever heard of a shower?", the departing evening shift guy, Todd, said as he walked away. Todd and I are good friends. This is our daily banter. He lives either alone or with his family (I am not sure, we dont talk much) somewhere in town (dont know where, never been invited to his house) and has a lot of hobbies (dont know which ones - as I said, we dont talk much).

 

Later that night, I was sitting there trying to do something about an itch in a private location when 2 very pretty ladies walked in, obviously after a party. As they were in line to pay, a guy walking in with a gun and pointed it at me, asking me for the money in the till. My brain was frozen in terror, i didnt know what to do and I think I may have peed a little into my shorts. The mugger then shot me - the bullet hit me in the chest and I collapsed, with only the fleeting thought that even though my life hadnt turned out the way I had envisaged when I was at Caltech, i still had many more miles to go and that this wasnt supposed to be how it ended.

 

As I lay on the ground, waiting for the Death, the mugger turned and pointed his gun at the two ladies, who were shocked by this casual display of violence. However, as he was rifling through their purse, I realized something - my heart was still beating. I reached towards my pocket and found that same piece of smooth, basaltic rock that had fallen from an apartment. Or had it been dropped by my guardian angel? Regardless. a new hope flooded through me. Anything from now on would be an additional bonus to my life, so I decided to stop fearing the Reaper and stood up. Righteous rage flowed through my body into the pen and I walked up to the mugger and brandishing that Palladium soft BB nib at him, said "Hey buddy, miss me?".

 

He turned in surprise - and his eyes wandered down to the pen in my hand and widened in shock.

 

"A... a Visc.. Visconti! I am sorry, I did not know"

 

And with that, he dropped his weapon and lay down grovelling at my feet.

 

After the cops took him away, the two ladies looked at me in a whole new way.

 

"You are so brave" said one.

"You saved our lives" said the other

"How can we thank you" said the first

"Do I smell pee" said the second

"You must come and wash yourself at our place - we are housemates" said the first

"We have a jacuzzi - which fits 3" said the second

 

As we were leaving and I turned to lock the door, I heard one of them ask the other:

"Is that a Visconti in his pockets or is he happy to see us".

 

That day changed my life. Thank you, Visconti Homo Sapiens, made of unbreakable basaltic lava.

:lticaptd: :lticaptd: thanks :lticaptd: :lticaptd:

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I have to be honest and admit I hardly ever write with mine.

It makes my messy cursive writing even messier, although it does produce some very expressive block capitals.

 

I use mine for sketching and therein lies it's real magic . . .

 

Once picked up I never want to put it down.

Once a sketch is started I find myself embellishing and embellishing just to keep using it.

It's proportions, for me, are spot on as are it's looks.

 

I took a gamble and bought mine without even using it thinking I could sell it on if I disliked it, however, from my cold dead hands as Mr Heston used to say . . .

http://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn_blandys.jpg
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I have had my Homo Sapiens for a while now, and it has become the pride of my collection. Not only does it have an incredibly solid build, but it has a certain understated beauty that I can't get over no matter how long I have it.

 

Others mention the clip, I don't think it is fantastic, but for me it works just fine to keep it in my pouch, so not that big a problem. If you ever get the chance to purchase one, I would definitely recommend to get one.

"It is much more interesting to live life not knowing, than having answers which might be wrong."

"Courage is grace under pressure" ~ Ernest Hemingway

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I have had my Homo Sapiens for a while now, and it has become the pride of my collection. Not only does it have an incredibly solid build, but it has a certain understated beauty that I can't get over no matter how long I have it.

 

Others mention the clip, I don't think it is fantastic, but for me it works just fine to keep it in my pouch, so not that big a problem. If you ever get the chance to purchase one, I would definitely recommend to get one.

Nick 13 is right, the clip is spring loaded and works great. Only the word "Visconti" printed on it is poorly executed (at least on mine)

Cheers,

Pierre

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If I'm writing for an extended period, it's my first choice. The lava composite material performs as advertises. I have sweaty hands and never have to wipe it off. It has a nearly ideal size for my hand and grip. I have six 18k Omas nibs and prefer this paladium over all of them (EF).

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