Visconti Van Gogh

[TheNobleSavage]

Visconti Van Gogh

 

 

First Impressions

 

I have wanted a Visconti Van Gogh for quite some time. I saw my Dad’s White Van Gogh when he came to visit me about 6 months ago. I thought the color was just fantastic and the feel of the pen was just as good. I decided to buy a Van Gogh a few months ago and I was expecting the pen to have the ‘TRI Cam Locking System” rather than the typical threaded barrel and cap. When the pen arrived, I was quite disappointed when I opened the box. The pen did not have the Cam Locking System that I really wanted, the clip was turned around 180 degrees and scratched up and there was no ink well included. The website stated that the pen includes Visconti’s revolutionary locking system and an inkwell in a presentation box.

 

I contacted the online store that I bought it from and they were more than willing to either refund my money, give me a store credit OR a good deal on another pen of my choice. I took them up on the offer of a pen that I wanted at a MAJOR discount. I was told that Visconti quit producing the Van Gogh pens with the Cam locking system due to the fact that there were a lot of complaints and problems. So they opted for the typical thread locking system that has been used for the longest time. I was happy to have the problem rectified but there was still something missing. I had a feeling of being incomplete and a piece of my heart missing. I really wanted a Visconti Van Gogh with the older locking system.

 

The Visconti that I sent back was a wonderful and masculine “Musk Green” color. It looked very earthy and unusual, considering the color of pens that I usually buy. There has been several Visconti Van Gogh fountain pens sold on the Pentrace “Green Board” but only very few in the color I was looking for and most importantly the nib width. I am a Medium Nib kind of guy and low and behold a Van Gogh for sale with a medium nib but not a Musk Green; this was what they call a Sandal Brown/Red color. I never seen it in person until the day that it arrived. If looks could kill, I would be dead on the floor but looks has nothing to do with the writing performance of a pen. So lets see how this pen matches up through the rigorous tests that The Noble Savage throws at it!!

 

 

Appearance/ Finish 5 out of 5

 

Ok, this is pen came quick and was at my doorstep around 3 days after ordering. The color on this pen is truly stunning. It is rather hard to describe in words, that’s why I always include pictures with my reviews!!! The pen has a turd brown and tan color with swirls with the barrel being semi-translucent. The pen was buffed to a mirror polish that is reflective. This makes the pen a bit on the slippery side so you have to be very careful handling this pen. Since I have butter fingers, everything seems to slip out of my hands and this pen is no different. So I made sure that I use this pen while I sit down and then put it away in my pen case when not in use. This reduces the chance of having fountain pen causalities and ruining my day!! The section is metal and it is a high polished metal. The same goes for the clip and the engraved cap band. Overall, this is a very stunning sight to see, when it comes to this pen. Fantastic job Visconti, Bravo, Bravo!!!

 

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a71/TheNobleSavage/Visconti%20Van%20Gogh/overall1.jpg

 

 

Design/Size/Weight 4 out of 5

 

Guess what? There are no threads on this pen, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!! This is what I wanted on this pen and I waited very patiently for it!! The Tri Cam Locks are a rather interesting way to secure the cap to the pen when not in use. Rather than using threads, which has been traditionally used in fountain pens, Visconti decided to go out on a limb and try something new. Rather than having threads on the section or barrel to screw the cap on to the pen, there are 3 raised notches on the barrel and 3 cut out notches on the inside of the cap. To apply and lock the cap on to the pen, you have to turn the cap or barrel less than ¼ of a turn in fact, much less. The cap is nice and snug and it takes greater force to open it up with the cams versus the traditional threads.

 

Sounds good, right? Well, kind of sort of a problem. The cap does not always lock down the first time you try to tighten it up. The twisting action takes much more force than you would ever consider on a traditional threaded pen. Don’t be afraid because if it is not tight enough then the cap will come off and leave a mark on your shirt pocket called a stain!!! What I generally do is tighten it up very snug and t then slightly tug on the barrel and cap in opposite directions using minimum force. Too much force will cause stripping or breaking the locking system. But if the cap stays on then you have properly secured the cap to the barrel. I can see where people get bent out of shape when the pen cap pops open. As long as you get this technique down, this cap will not open up unless you drop it from the roof on to the concrete. This cap is locked on!!!

 

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a71/TheNobleSavage/Visconti%20Van%20Gogh/naked1.jpg

 

The length of this pen capped is roughly 5 ¾ inches in length. With the cap posted, the length is around 6 ¾ inches in length. Sorry, us Yanks really didn’t catch on to the metric system and what little we did, we do not use all that often!! Regardless, this is a nice sized pen and not necessarily an oversized pen, this is a very comfortable length for me.

 

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a71/TheNobleSavage/Visconti%20Van%20Gogh/uncapped1.jpg

 

They used an interesting new concept for the clip on the cap of the pen. It seems to be adjustable by a flathead screw on the backside of the cap. You are able to increase or decrease the tension to the clip by screwing or unscrewing the flathead screw on the cap. I found this to be very useful especially if you use a thick pocket, you clip the pen without having to worry about bending the clip or tearing your shirt or coat pocket. I found this to be a wonderful design and I know Visconti is using this kind of clip on some of their other fountain pen models.

 

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a71/TheNobleSavage/Visconti%20Van%20Gogh/rearcap1.jpg

 

Something I was glad to see is a solid medal section and metal threads inside the barrel. There has been a fair amount of issues with stripped threads on fountain pens. This seems to solve the issue of stripped threads. With the metal on metal fit, this provides a firm and snug feel and it is very solid.

 

Now here is the not so nice thing about the metal section. The section is slippery and my fingers tend to slip down the section. This is especially the case when the cap is posted. Is this a major flaw? Yes and no!! Now let me explain, if you have all the excess weight from the cap being posted then it becomes a problem. If you choose to write without the cap posted, then this flaw is less apparent and I am sure you won’t have any major issues. I usually write with my fingers low on the section but with this pen, I have to adjust my grip by going further up the section. No big deal, it just takes a little getting used to.

 

Ok, let’s get to the section about weight. This pen is heavy!! Nuff said!! Just kidding, this pen is very heavy with the cap posted. I would say it is weighs more than a Mont Blanc Meisterstuck 149 but not as much as the Pelikan M1000. There is a good amount of metal on this pen and that accounts for the majority of the weight on this pen. Believe it or not, this is one of the few pens I do not post while I write. For me, I find that posting the pen really counters the even balance, thus I have a difficult time writing. You have to consider all of the parts of the pen that are metal and then you will understand why this pen is so heavy. There is the clip system on the cap, solid cap band, solid metal section and metal threads inside the barrel. Now I am sure you understand why I call this a very heavy pen.

 

 

Nib Design and Performance 4.5 out of 5

 

This is where the rubber meets the road, or something like that!! The nib is a two toned 14 Karat gold nib that is close to 1 inch in length. If you were to remove the nib from the section, I am sure it would be substantially longer in length. There are typical Visconti engravings and designs on the nib itself. With the words “Visconti” and under that “14 K 585” and right under that is the nib width and this one is a medium thus having the letter “M”. This is a very nice smooth nib that seems to glide effortlessly across the page that you are writing. One thing I had to report is that the nib is a medium/stiff with minimal amount of spring to it. Regardless, the nib needed no smoothing unlike most of my other pens in my collection. This nib was created with perfection in mind and with that said, they did a wonderful job with it.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a71/TheNobleSavage/Visconti%20Van%20Gogh/nib.jpg

 

The nib lays down a nice medium to heavy line of ink and that is just the perfect amount I need for what I use this pen for. There has been ZERO episodes of skipping and what not. As a rule of thumb, before I do a pen review, I need to at least go through 3 to 4 ink filling before I can get a really good feel of how the pen performs. This gives me a chance to try a couple of different inks to see the difference in flow. I guess it is like meeting someone for the first time, it takes a few time to get to know that person, well the same goes for fountain pens.

 

Now when it comes to the actual act of writing, I noticed a couple of things that needed to be reported. First of all, the weight of the pen while I am writing. Like I said before, I cannot post the cap on the pen while I write due to the excessive weight. For example, if I were to write with the cap posted, the pen becomes top heavy and it seems that I have to fight gravity. After a while it becomes a bit annoying and also causes my hand to become tired. To remedy that, I just write without the cap posted. This makes using the pen less strenuous and also a nice balanced feel to it. Plus the pen is long enough to write with without the cap being posted.

 

This pen is a very nice writer and it seems to have been made rock solid with all of the metal. The nib is the brains in this pen and as far as I am concerned it comes in as a genius!!

 

 

The Filling System 4.5 out of 5

 

Booooo!!! This is a cartridge converter system BUT I can understand the reason why they went with it. This pen is heavy to begin with; I cannot imagine a piston system with brass components in this pen. It would be so heavy you would need a weightlifters belt to lift it up and you would need to strap it on to your hand!! Yes, I think cartridge converter filling systems suck BUT there is a time and place for it and I think this is the time and place.

 

 

Cost 5 out of 5

 

The price for the regular size Visconti Van Gogh (this one) are usually around $160.00 or so. Well I bought this one used but I do not think that this pen has seen much writing time. It was completely clean and I couldn’t see a trace of any ink. This one set me back $90.00 on the PenTrace “Green board” and I think that was a steal. I have paid more money for pens that were very disappointing when it comes to the performance. This one was a real pleasure to use and I finally bought the version that I really wanted

 

Conclusion

 

This is my first Visconti, well second if you include the one I sent back the same day. Anyways, this pen met my expectations and it surpassed them in a few details. There were a couple of minor things that I found to be a bit disappointing but as I said, they were minor. This is an all around solid pen that really is a pleasure to use and also a pleasure to look at. Should I recommend it?? You betcha!!! If the price is right and there is a color that really tickles you then crack open that wallet of yours and thrown down the greenbacks. I don’t think you will be disappointed with your decision

[southpaw]

TNS,

 

Well done as usual!!! Awesome review of a great pen. Love the format, the picks, and the story with the review.

 

Couple of comments:

 

Personally, I don't find the VVGOS too heavy posted, but that's just me (VVGOS = Visconti Van Gogh, Old Style).

 

You certainly chose an, errr. . . . . "interesting" way of describing the color. Can't say that makes me want to run out and pick it up .

 

Excellent description of the clip! It's great!

 

It certainly is a great pen, and like you, I like the cam system. I actually have two Van Goghs now - the musk old style which I reviewed and an ocean blue new style, both with fine nibs. When I can, I plan on doing a comparative review. We'll see how it holds up over the long run.

 

THANKS again, TNSTRG (The Noble Savage, The Review Guru).

[Ann Finley]

Great review, as usual! I would have described the color differently, as I think it is an absolutely beautiful color.

 

Thanks for educating us!

Ann

[TheNobleSavage]

TNS,

 

Well done as usual!!! Awesome review of a great pen. Love the format, the picks, and the story with the review.

 

Couple of comments:

 

Personally, I don't find the VVGOS too heavy posted, but that's just me (VVGOS = Visconti Van Gogh, Old Style).

 

You certainly chose an, errr. . . . . "interesting" way of describing the color. Can't say that makes me want to run out and pick it up .

 

Excellent description of the clip! It's great!

 

It certainly is a great pen, and like you, I like the cam system. I actually have two Van Goghs now - the musk old style which I reviewed and an ocean blue new style, both with fine nibs. When I can, I plan on doing a comparative review. We'll see how it holds up over the long run.

 

THANKS again, TNSTRG (The Noble Savage, The Review Guru).

Thanks for the kind words, I thought I would get all of your attention when it came to the color!!! I could of said that it had corn color mixed in the brown!! j/k Ok Ok, bad joke, but I made you smile!!!

[Maja]

Your reviews always put a smile on my face, NS. Great sense of humour you have

 

Super review, as always! Thanks for the photos, too; they capture the pen's interesting colour very well.

 

Also, I really appreciate your thoroughness and the fact that you are patient enough to go through 3 or 4 fillings before you review a pen. I think it certainly gives one a better overall impression about a pen. I know someone in the coffee industry who does the same thing when reviewing coffee/espresso makers--he keeps the machines for several months before doing a thorough review.

 

Your pen is a real beaut....Enjoy!

[TheNobleSavage]

Your reviews always put a smile on my face, NS. Great sense of humour you have

 

Super review, as always! Thanks for the photos, too; they capture the pen's interesting colour very well.

 

Also, I really appreciate your thoroughness and the fact that you are patient enough to go through 3 or 4 fillings before you review a pen. I think it certainly gives one a better overall impression about a pen. I know someone in the coffee industry who does the same thing when reviewing coffee/espresso makers--he keeps the machines for several months before doing a thorough review.

 

Your pen is a real beaut....Enjoy!

Thanks for the kind words!!! I would be doing a disservice if I didnt thoroughly test out the pens before reviewing them. I tend to use the "Savage Test" and by that, I mean I go through at least 4 ink fills and by then I get a really good feel for the pen.

 

I use the following inks:

 

1. Aurora Black,Private Reserve DC Blue, Tanzanite or Plum

2. Waterman Florida blue or blue black

3. Parker Quink Black or blue black

4. Diamine inks to include Imperial Purple, Presidential Blue or Tropical Blue

 

Here is the method to my madness:

I usually go from the most saturated and free flowing inks to the least saturated and slower flowing inks. Some may agree or disagree about which ones are faster flowing inks than others but IMO this is my experience (limited)

This allows me to see how the pen reacts to the different flowing inks along with different saturation levels.

Some Pens do better than others when it comes to different kind of inks. If the pen performs well with all inks, then I give the pen a higher rating on my Savage Scale. If the pen has issues with some of the inks, I make a note of it and adjust my rating accordingly. I might do additional testing to rule out feed and flow issues with the pen by switching to a different ink not listed above.

 

TNS

[wimg]

Thansk TNS, for your wonderful review, and explaining your system to boot.

 

It'll come in handy, one of these days. I just wil have to remember to make note about the different ink experiences

 

Warm regards, Wim

[Maja]

Your reviews always put a smile on my face, NS. Great sense of humour you have

 

Super review, as always! Thanks for the photos, too; they capture the pen's interesting colour very well.

 

Also, I really appreciate your thoroughness and the fact that you are patient enough to go through 3 or 4 fillings before you review a pen. I think it certainly gives one a better overall impression about a pen. I know someone in the coffee industry who does the same thing when reviewing coffee/espresso makers--he keeps the machines for several months before doing a thorough review.

 

Your pen is a real beaut....Enjoy!

Thanks for the kind words!!! I would be doing a disservice if I didnt thoroughly test out the pens before reviewing them. I tend to use the "Savage Test" and by that, I mean I go through at least 4 ink fills and by then I get a really good feel for the pen.

 

I use the following inks:

 

1. Aurora Black,Private Reserve DC Blue, Tanzanite or Plum

2. Waterman Florida blue or blue black

3. Parker Quink Black or blue black

4. Diamine inks to include Imperial Purple, Presidential Blue or Tropical Blue

 

Here is the method to my madness:

I usually go from the most saturated and free flowing inks to the least saturated and slower flowing inks. Some may agree or disagree about which ones are faster flowing inks than others but IMO this is my experience (limited)

This allows me to see how the pen reacts to the different flowing inks along with different saturation levels.

Some Pens do better than others when it comes to different kind of inks. If the pen performs well with all inks, then I give the pen a higher rating on my Savage Scale. If the pen has issues with some of the inks, I make a note of it and adjust my rating accordingly. I might do additional testing to rule out feed and flow issues with the pen by switching to a different ink not listed above.

 

TNS

You're very welcome!

And as Wim said, thanks for giving us a glimpse into the "Savage Method" vis-a-vis nib testing. I have PR Tanzanite and PR Plum from group #1 on your list, W'man Florida Blue from #2 and Parker Quink Blue-Black from #2 in your order-of-inking list. I don't have any Diamine ink yet, but it's interesting to read that they are among the least saturated inks. For some reason (nothing I've read!) I always associated Diamine with very rich, saturated ink colours...Maybe I was thinking "Diamine...Diamonds....Rich...." Word association. LOL.

[TheNobleSavage]

IMO Diamine ink is Not as saturated as PR or Noodlers ink. I find that Diamine ink has a vintage ink quality to it. It flows very nice but it is NOT AS free flowing as Noodlers or PR. I even go to the extent and say that on average, Diamine Ink is a bit on the drier side compared to Noodlers and Private Reserve. Dont get me wrong, I do not think Diamine is bone dry ink but out of all of my ink in my collection, I find it to be drier than I what I am used to. I think Parker Quink is faster flowing than Diamine BUT this is in my very limited experience. I like this modern ink because it flows so nicely through all of my vintage pens, kind of like quink and skrip. My vintage pens really do not like most modern saturated inks but Diamine works quite nice. This is really of topic isnt it??? Anyways that is the reason I put it on the list towards the bottom as more dry than the above inks.

 

At the top of the list, I should of added Noodlers Aircorp Blue/black. That is a fast flowing ink that is nice and saturated. I find it to be very lubercating.

[Maja]

Thanks for the info on Diamine; it sounds like a winner!

[RichardS]

Great review as always NS, and tells me more about the Van Gogh model earlier than mine. Interested to hear about the firmness of the M nib on yours; mine is an F and has a wonderful springy quality that helps my writing a lot. I had wondered about getting an M nib in the first place; your remarks make me stop fretting!

 

I find I enjoy my Van Gogh more and more very day, and it now has the status of "most favourite moderrn pen"! I love the balance, the styling and the springy, free-flowing nib. It also starts instantly, even after a week or so of inaction!

 

Richard

[handlebar]

I was happy to read such a fine review of the Van Gogh. I have had mine now for a few months and must say it is my favorite pen as of now. Granted,i'm a wee bit new to the collecting aspect of pens but the Van Gogh is the first expensive pen i have purchased new in-store (Paradise Pen). I love the way it writes and am a fan of heavier pens. Some of the celluloid pens are way to light for me. Seems as if one drop on a floor in that always seems-to-happen accident,and the pen is cracked or broken.

With this pen i feel quality and a good weight. I only opted for the less expensive nib as opposed to the gold. It writes like a dream!!

 

As for the color: I chose this model from the others due to it's brown tones. I love greens a s well. This had more character than any of the other pens i viewed.

 

So for me this pen rates a 10 out of 10.

 

Handlebar

(Jim)

Edited December 26, 2005 by handlebar

[KCkc]

I have a VG Crystal Maxi.

It has been in rotation since 2 months ago, non-stop. This is rare in terms of my rotation habits. The smooth FINE wet nib is that good.

 

I got a VG roller ball in this same sandalwood color. It is the smoothest RB I've tried. There is something about the original Visconti RB refill that I like over a Parker, Pelikan or MB.

 

Given the positive experiences with Visconti, I decided to get another Visconti. This time Wall Street Blue celluloid regular edition. The nib writes exactly the same as my Crystal.

 

So far, I have been very happy with Visconti.

[djahughes]

My Van Gogh Maxi is my only pen at the moment and I love it!

 

The weight is great, the build is superb, the colours are amazing and the fine nib is just teh best I have ever tried. Smooth, wet and just a hint of flex/spring.

 

That sandalwood colour looks gorgeous - love the translucency!

[emrecan]

Hi folks,

First thanks for his Great Review to TNS!! As usual super-review.Nice pics.Somehow i missed this thread!!! :grrr: Thanks for bumping it and let me read the review.

 

Handlebar,congrats on your new Visconti!

 

 

Take Care

Emrecan

[TheNobleSavage]

Ill be adding another review on my New visconti VanGogh Crystal!!! The Crystal is a wonderful pen that writes as well as it looks!!!

 

TNS

[sdonahue]

I have the same pen. I wouldn't really call mine 'turd brown,'( I love that), it's more red, with splashes of yellow on the barrel and cap.

 

Mine has a Fine nib. I hate it, as it lays down a broad wet line; ergo, I do not use the pen, and am seriously considering exchanging it for something in the Aurora line, whose Fine nib I do like a lot.

[wpblaw]

Thanks for the review!

 

My first Visconti is a Van Gogh Maxi in this color (thanks to Barry at INK - www.penstore.biz, no affiliation, etc.)... I wanted the green and assumed I'd get green or blue, but this reddish-brown was too nice to pass up. I can't believe how much I like this pen! I've inked it up with two loads of Starry Night blue (fitting, I thought) and this is a pretty happy match! It's a pretty wet writer - is there an ink that seems to work best in Visconti nibs or wet nibs in general? I also find many fountain pens too light and the size and weight of this thing is perfect for me.

 

One question: any known problems with the metal section at the bottom of the pen cap? Mixing the metal and plastic materials seems like it may present a separation problem, especially with everyday pressure via screwing and unscrewing the cap...

 

I can see more of these in my future and and it is definitely an everyday writer! Go Visconti! (I feel like I should have a motorcycle jacket with the V logo on the back)

Edited June 4, 2008 by wpblaw

[matthewst1]

The pen has a turd brown and tan color with swirls with the barrel being semi-translucent.

has a turd brown and tan color

turd brown

turd

 

...hehehe

 

Seriously though, what a great looking pen! If I do ever get a Visconti - I'll definitely go with the Van Gogh; don't know which colour though, yet.

[jonro]

I have a Van Gogh Maxi with the original locking system and it's one of my favorite pens. I happen to like the weight and its slightly springy gold nib. I recommend it highly.