Visconti in Florence

[mjlf]

I am heading to Florence for a week in about a months time, I know that Visconti is based there, and I was just wondering if the pens/inks etc are cheaper over there? Is there a factory or anything like that? Or anything in particular I should look out for whilst in Italy realted to pens, bearing in mind I am a student, but I don't feel I can go to Italy and not buy a FP.....

 

Thanks.

[Vicary]

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit Florence last month. As a Visconti dealer, I was able to get a tour of the factory, which is housed in a old Medici villa from the Renaissance period. Apparently the Count's old maid still lives there as well.

 

What you'll find about pen shopping in Florence is that any store that sells paper will have a stock of one or two pen brands, usually Visconti or Delta. And those shops are all over the tourist area. There are only a small number of dedicated pen shops though. There was one on the Via Camillo Cavour between the Duomo and Piazza San Marco. Called the Casa Della Stilografica, it housed a great range of pens from all over the world. Like most Italian pen shops, most of what they have is stored in drawers away from sight, so ask for it if you don't see it! There was another very nice pen shop on a side street just south of the Duomo. All I remember is that it was a few storefronts south on a street a block or so west of the delicious Grom gourmet Gelato place. It was either Via Sant'Elisabetta or Via della Studio. Hope that helps! There was another really nice looking place on the north side of the Arno, a block or two west of the Ponte Vecchio. Unfortunately they were closed when I walked by and I never made it back.

 

On the Via della Vigna Nuova there is a Montblanc Boutique and the Visconti Store. Visconti's little shop has a great display of current Visconti production pieces and LEs, as well as inks and leather. You'll have a great time speaking to the man that works there. I wish I could remember his name! Make sure you sign the guest book!

 

What you'll find about buying pens or ink in Italy is it's expensive. Much more expensive than buying here in the US, especially if you have a good relationship a retailer. I looked long and hard for something unusual or unique. I found, at a small store facing the backside of the Duomo, a Visconti Opera in a non production color. Sort of a red-orange marble. It was priced (like everything you'll find in most of these new stores) at full retail. I was able to negotiate about 10% off, which is the best I could do at the Casa Della Stilografica on another unusual Opera they had. With the exchange rates being what they are, after my negotiations I got the pen down to about full US retail. Now you can get your tax back, which amounts to about 17 or 19%. There's a lot of paperwork to fill out and you absolutely have to get it stamped in Italy or at an EU airport. Since I flew out of non-EU Switzerland (and bought the pen on a Sunday when the local office was closed) I missed out on that. D'oh! Had I got my tax back, I would have felt better but still would have paid a fair bit more from one of the US dealers, let alone picking one up from my own stock. But because the color was so unique, I snagged it anyway.

 

I didn't even try for ink, after unwittingly spending $70 on two bottles of ink in Switzerland. Plus it all has to get packed in your checked luggage, which, no matter how many times you wrap it, always makes me nervous....

 

Hope this helps!

Doug

Edited April 29, 2008 by Vicary

[Deirdre]

As a Visconti dealer, I was able to get a tour of the factory, which is housed in a old Medici villa from the Renaissance period. Apparently the Count's old maid still lives there as well.

Wow. That would be so incredibly cool to get to visit.

[Vicary]

It was pretty neat. What a cool old place, with murals on the walls and ceilings in the office area. The production area was pretty modern, but fairly generic. There's a sort of Visconti museum in the office, showing one example of everything they've made. Pretty cool!

 

I got a tour of the CS facility in Plymouth a month before. As far as the shop floor goes, they were fairly similar, though CS is in a more industrial facility. The cool thing about CS was getting to see the stock room where they keep all the materials and rod stock. It was like being a kid in a candy store, looking over all the cool materials and imagining the possibilities.

[mjlf]

It was pretty neat. What a cool old place, with murals on the walls and ceilings in the office area. The production area was pretty modern, but fairly generic. There's a sort of Visconti museum in the office, showing one example of everything they've made. Pretty cool!

 

I got a tour of the CS facility in Plymouth a month before. As far as the shop floor goes, they were fairly similar, though CS is in a more industrial facility. The cool thing about CS was getting to see the stock room where they keep all the materials and rod stock. It was like being a kid in a candy store, looking over all the cool materials and imagining the possibilities.

 

 

Thats interesting, thanks. I don't have any Italian pens at the moment, and I don't have vast amounts of money, so what sort of prices roughly were "bog standard" decent italian pens? I would like to get something since its my 21st next month and I am graduating in two months, but nothing too extravagant.

 

Thanks.

 

Mary

[Vicary]

Mary-

 

I think a great starter Italian pen is the Visconti Van Gogh. And I'm not just saying that because I have one for sale right now...;-) They retail for about $275, but can often be had for much less. For that you get a nice sized pen, crafted in some very striking mottled resins, with Visconti's great, large nib. These are very smooth and usually have great inkflow. Just make sure you get one of the more recent ones with a screw on cap. The older ones tend to dry out.

 

In any case, the Van Gogh is my pick for the best of the entry level Italians...

 

best,

Doug

[mjlf]

Mary-

 

I think a great starter Italian pen is the Visconti Van Gogh. And I'm not just saying that because I have one for sale right now...;-) They retail for about $275, but can often be had for much less. For that you get a nice sized pen, crafted in some very striking mottled resins, with Visconti's great, large nib. These are very smooth and usually have great inkflow. Just make sure you get one of the more recent ones with a screw on cap. The older ones tend to dry out.

 

In any case, the Van Gogh is my pick for the best of the entry level Italians...

 

best,

Doug

 

Thanks I shall bear that in mind. Being British I automatically translated the dollars into pounds, so I guess that is around £130, which I suppose is what I was thinking. I am not sure, I rather fancy a Parker Duofold... although thats not Italian! Maybe that could be my present to myself once I get the job....

 

I would assume that Van Goghs are easy to find in Italy? But as you previously said probably won't be any cheaper than me trying to find one in this very expensive country!! If there is a particular place to try them out and have them at reasonable prices let me know please!!

 

Thanks.

 

-Mary

 

[FrankB]

I hope you enjoy your trip. I made my first trip to Europe when I was just about your age, and exploring was part of the adventure for me. Maybe after your trip you can tell us what great buys you found.

[mjlf]

Would you say that I should spend money on a pen in Italy, or save it and buy myself something nice like a Parker Duofold? Not to say that Italian pens are not nice, but I have fancied a Duofold for a while now...

 

What are the best italian, low cost pens?

[FrankB]

I don't like to give advice because it sounds like I know what I am talking about. So I will just suggest what I would do.

 

As I said, being on the ground in country you might find something that really moves you. It also gives you something concrete to seek out as a reminder of the trip. Yet, this is a special time for you, and you seem to have your heart set on a Duofold. I would make up my mind before the trip whether I wanted the Duofold. If so, the money remaining becomes the ceiling price of any pen you buy on the trip.

 

(I am not going to mention that I have a drawer full of modern Duofolds, especially Centennials, and they are some of my favorite pens.)

 

Any chance you can con the parental units into parting with the money for the Duofold?

[mjlf]

I don't like to give advice because it sounds like I know what I am talking about. So I will just suggest what I would do.

 

As I said, being on the ground in country you might find something that really moves you. It also gives you something concrete to seek out as a reminder of the trip. Yet, this is a special time for you, and you seem to have your heart set on a Duofold. I would make up my mind before the trip whether I wanted the Duofold. If so, the money remaining becomes the ceiling price of any pen you buy on the trip.

 

(I am not going to mention that I have a drawer full of modern Duofolds, especially Centennials, and they are some of my favorite pens.)

 

Any chance you can con the parental units into parting with the money for the Duofold?

 

 

Parents have already got my an Omega watch for my birthday, so a Duofold is probably slightly out of the question!! I could always buy a Duofold with my first pay packet, I hope to be in London, and I am sure there will be a greta many pens there...I would like an Italian pen, just need to hope the friend I am going with doesn't mind me dragginf them around pen shops..I am sure there are plenty of other things they could see!

 

You probably more about pens than I do, I am just a novice.

 

I hope they have good English, as my Italian is non-exsistant!

 

Thanks!

 

Four weeks today until I am in Italy!!

[Cloud]

I am also going to Florence this week.

 

Finishing my Bar exams on Wednesday and flying away for London -- Venice -- Florence starting Thursday.

 

I Will probably buy a nice leather bound journal in Florence. Italian pen can be very expensive. And there are way more souvenir I will be able to afford to remind me of that city. But at least I have a couple of Italian pens: 2 visconti (voyager and Ragtime), 1 Omas (Ogiva), and 1 Aurora (88 first model around 1948-1950). I'll try to find a vintage Aurora 88 if I can. Already have one but these can be very cool pens. I'd like to have a 88k or 88p. I have the original model without the laminated feed. Nice flexy nib. Piston filler. With an ink window.

[Ghost Plane]

I've got the most beautiful embossed and gilded leather portfolios from my trip to Florence. Sigh...

[bishop200]

Vicary,

Silvano is the gentleman at the Visconti shop. He was wonderful to deal with, even though he doesn't speak a lot of English. I met his lovely wife Adrianna too.

Ciao,

Andrew.

 

 

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit Florence last month. As a Visconti dealer, I was able to get a tour of the factory, which is housed in a old Medici villa from the Renaissance period. Apparently the Count's old maid still lives there as well.

 

What you'll find about pen shopping in Florence is that any store that sells paper will have a stock of one or two pen brands, usually Visconti or Delta. And those shops are all over the tourist area. There are only a small number of dedicated pen shops though. There was one on the Via Camillo Cavour between the Duomo and Piazza San Marco. Called the Casa Della Stilografica, it housed a great range of pens from all over the world. Like most Italian pen shops, most of what they have is stored in drawers away from sight, so ask for it if you don't see it! There was another very nice pen shop on a side street just south of the Duomo. All I remember is that it was a few storefronts south on a street a block or so west of the delicious Grom gourmet Gelato place. It was either Via Sant'Elisabetta or Via della Studio. Hope that helps! There was another really nice looking place on the north side of the Arno, a block or two west of the Ponte Vecchio. Unfortunately they were closed when I walked by and I never made it back.

 

On the Via della Vigna Nuova there is a Montblanc Boutique and the Visconti Store. Visconti's little shop has a great display of current Visconti production pieces and LEs, as well as inks and leather. You'll have a great time speaking to the man that works there. I wish I could remember his name! Make sure you sign the guest book!

 

What you'll find about buying pens or ink in Italy is it's expensive. Much more expensive than buying here in the US, especially if you have a good relationship a retailer. I looked long and hard for something unusual or unique. I found, at a small store facing the backside of the Duomo, a Visconti Opera in a non production color. Sort of a red-orange marble. It was priced (like everything you'll find in most of these new stores) at full retail. I was able to negotiate about 10% off, which is the best I could do at the Casa Della Stilografica on another unusual Opera they had. With the exchange rates being what they are, after my negotiations I got the pen down to about full US retail. Now you can get your tax back, which amounts to about 17 or 19%. There's a lot of paperwork to fill out and you absolutely have to get it stamped in Italy or at an EU airport. Since I flew out of non-EU Switzerland (and bought the pen on a Sunday when the local office was closed) I missed out on that. D'oh! Had I got my tax back, I would have felt better but still would have paid a fair bit more from one of the US dealers, let alone picking one up from my own stock. But because the color was so unique, I snagged it anyway.

 

I didn't even try for ink, after unwittingly spending $70 on two bottles of ink in Switzerland. Plus it all has to get packed in your checked luggage, which, no matter how many times you wrap it, always makes me nervous....

 

Hope this helps!

Doug

 

[Deirdre]

It was pretty neat. What a cool old place, with murals on the walls and ceilings in the office area. The production area was pretty modern, but fairly generic. There's a sort of Visconti museum in the office, showing one example of everything they've made. Pretty cool!

Some of this is even shown on the Visconti Metropolis DVD. I really love it.