Jump to content

Goodbye Dreamtouch?


Twister292

Recommended Posts

I posted this in the Italy forum, but I think this is a better place... I've heard that Visconti are going to phase out the Dreamtouch Pd nibs...the relaunched watermark series and the Voyager 30 all have 18K nibs.

 

 

Flipside? The newer nibs are insanely expensive. I queried getting one for my watermark feom 2017 to swap out the Pd nib, and they are EUR315+VAT for F, M and B and the EF and Stub will be EUR363+VAT

 

 

I'm not sure whether they're just meant to replace the Pd nibs or are simply another tier up...Considering they're a good EUR125 (ex-VAT) more expensive than the Pd nib units, this could mean the refreshes of the HS series could go up by as much as US$200(!)

 

 

Your thoughts?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 29
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Honeybadgers

    6

  • Twister292

    3

  • TheDutchGuy

    3

  • como

    3

I posted this in the Italy forum, but I think this is a better place... I've heard that Visconti are going to phase out the Dreamtouch Pd nibs...the relaunched watermark series and the Voyager 30 all have 18K nibs.

 

 

Flipside? The newer nibs are insanely expensive. I queried getting one for my watermark feom 2017 to swap out the Pd nib, and they are EUR315+VAT for F, M and B and the EF and Stub will be EUR363+VAT

 

 

I'm not sure whether they're just meant to replace the Pd nibs or are simply another tier up...Considering they're a good EUR125 (ex-VAT) more expensive than the Pd nib units, this could mean the refreshes of the HS series could go up by as much as US$200(!)

 

 

Your thoughts?

My thoughts . . .?

I'm lucky enough to own an EF dreamtouch nib. I'm also lucky enough to own a similar sized Bock Ti Ef nib - It came with my Namisu Nova. If I were blindfolded, I'd be hard pushed to tell the difference.

£315+VAT vs £45inc VAT, hmmm. I ADORE my VHS but I know what I'd do next time around. :unsure:

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My thoughts . . .?

I'm lucky enough to own an EF dreamtouch nib. I'm also lucky enough to own a similar sized Bock Ti Ef nib - It came with my Namisu Nova. If I were blindfolded, I'd be hard pushed to tell the difference.

£315+VAT vs £45inc VAT, hmmm. I ADORE my VHS but I know what I'd do next time around. :unsure:

 

 

 

Yeah, but the Ti nib doesn't have a Visconti imprint, does it? :P

Add lightness and simplicate.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I posted this in the Italy forum, but I think this is a better place... I've heard that Visconti are going to phase out the Dreamtouch Pd nibs...the relaunched watermark series and the Voyager 30 all have 18K nibs.

 

 

Flipside? The newer nibs are insanely expensive.

 

 

Your thoughts?

Italian pens, as always, are insanely expensive...maybe Italian pen maker insanity problem... :gaah: Regards

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My thoughts . . .?

I'm lucky enough to own an EF dreamtouch nib. I'm also lucky enough to own a similar sized Bock Ti Ef nib - It came with my Namisu Nova. If I were blindfolded, I'd be hard pushed to tell the difference.

£315+VAT vs £45inc VAT, hmmm. I ADORE my VHS but I know what I'd do next time around. :unsure:

 

 

I also have a Dreamtouch and several Bock Titanium nibs. The Bock wins every time!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also have a Dreamtouch and several Bock Titanium nibs. The Bock wins every time!

 

Don't get me wrong. I'm not in ANY way bashing Visconti nibs. Far from it. They are a beautiful thing. Just saying that there are many, many beautiful things in this world that can be had for a lot less.

:) :wub:

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly, I'd prefer they get rid of the dreamtouch. it was a great nib when it worked, but the QC on it was always (bleep). So if the alternative is an 18k that WORKS, I'd take that.

 

But not at an increased price. Sorry, but the homo sapiens isn't worth $150-200 more than they already ask.

 

But I'd also be down with the dreamtouch (with the damn QC fixed) as the mid tier, $300-700 range, and then throwing a huge 18k nib on their top of the range models. As it stands, I really am turned off by visconti's highest end pens when they come with the exact same nibs as are in my homosapiens and divinia metro.

Edited by Honeybadgers

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So if the alternative is an 18k that WORKS, I'd take that.

 

Is Palladium that much different to gold that their nibs would start working out of the box? Sheaffer made gorgeous PdAg and Pd-plated nibs for years and seemed to manage fine.

 

Personally, I would expect the cost to increase and the performance to continue on its current trajectory... :P

Vintage. Cursive italic. Iron gall.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don’t really care what a nib is made of. I care how well it writes. The 23k Pd Dreamtouch nib in my HS is the only modern nib that I have which gives me beautiful, subtle line variation from the slight, natural pressure differences when I write. Which makes the HS my one modern pen which gives me something that resembles a vintage writing experience. For that alone, I cherish it.

 

Having said that, nothing that I know of surpasses the feel on paper of the cheap, Bock-made, super-feathery nibs in the Leonardo Momento Zero and Furore (and the Leonardo nib I transplanted into a Kaweco Supra Brass, which is currently my EDC).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Is Palladium that much different to gold that their nibs would start working out of the box? Sheaffer made gorgeous PdAg and Pd-plated nibs for years and seemed to manage fine.

 

Personally, I would expect the cost to increase and the performance to continue on its current trajectory... :P

 

 

I don't see any flaws in your logic, a nib is a nib, but at least visconti is known for their older gold nibs actually being good, and the dreamtouch has just been a QC nightmare.

 

Such a shame. The nibs feel amazing when they're tuned, the softness is definitely different from Ti to me, titanium is mushier, the Pd feels closer to a 14-18k hybrid.

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Is Palladium that much different to gold that their nibs would start working out of the box? Sheaffer made gorgeous PdAg and Pd-plated nibs for years and seemed to manage fine.

 

Personally, I would expect the cost to increase and the performance to continue on its current trajectory... :P

 

I'm afraid this will be the case as well...since Dante Del Vechio's departure, Visconti has been taking the absolute mickey on pricing. If the HS Evolution is anything to go by, and the relaunch of the watermark series, they're simply trying to push the price envelope as far as they can. And they're almost forcing people up the ladder...e.g. the Steel Age HS is now discontinued, which means the only black HS series pen with a silver trim is the HS Evolution...Which is EUR 790 for a steel nib.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Seems there are a few folks here that have seen the lifespan of the Dreamtouch 23k Pd nib and I'm coming up to speed here. For quite some time, it appears the two tone nib was used on the Homo Sapiens Bronze Age and current vendor stocks are selling through. In the past couple months it's been discussed that the Palladium nib is being replaced with an 18k gold nib. So my question for those in the know, when did the Palladium all gold plated/toned Dreamtouch nib come into existence on the HS Bronze Age? Is this too being discontinued?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seems there are a few folks here that have seen the lifespan of the Dreamtouch 23k Pd nib and I'm coming up to speed here. For quite some time, it appears the two tone nib was used on the Homo Sapiens Bronze Age and current vendor stocks are selling through. In the past couple months it's been discussed that the Palladium nib is being replaced with an 18k gold nib. So my question for those in the know, when did the Palladium all gold plated/toned Dreamtouch nib come into existence on the HS Bronze Age? Is this too being discontinued?

 

I doubt the HS is going to be discontinued anytime soon. The bronze age is their flagship pen, and they regularly release special versions of it. Maybe it'll get a different nib, hopefully they don't pull the torpedo/montegrappa idiotic idea of swapping in a steel nib on a pen worth over $500, but it'll likely stick around. it's not like it's a special bespoke size, any old JoWo #6 fits in it.

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Palladium is a much more difficult metal to work with than gold. It is also difficult to find consistent sources. Then of course there is always the price differential inherent with precious metals.

"Today will be gone in less than 24 hours. When it is gone, it is gone. Be wise, but enjoy! - anonymous today

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I feel like everyone is making this more complicated than it needs to be.

I doubt this has anything to to with performance and everything to do with cost. Over the last year gold is up about $350 but palladium is up over $500. Put simply, they are just about even right now and, if the trend continues, paladium will be more expensive. Coupled with the cost of all the QC-related customer service expensies, I don't think it's hard to see that gold is just cheaper.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I feel like everyone is making this more complicated than it needs to be.

I doubt this has anything to to with performance and everything to do with cost. Over the last year gold is up about $350 but palladium is up over $500. Put simply, they are just about even right now and, if the trend continues, paladium will be more expensive. Coupled with the cost of all the QC-related customer service expensies, I don't think it's hard to see that gold is just cheaper.

 

This. If we see the dreamtouch go away, it'd just be cost.

 

And nobody is clamoring for the dreamtouch anyways, visconti thoroughly killed that nib's potentially phenomenal reputation with awful QC.

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Except me. I tend to go against the grain.

 

It's glorious, no doubt, when tuned properly. But the 25-75% QC failure rate killed it.

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33501
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26627
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...