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Dear all, I have a question about fully disassembling a Homo Sapiens pens. I am specifically interested in removing the packing unit of their power filler mechanism. I have not found one that has attempted it yet, and there seems to be no resource for any potential complications online. The pen is made so that the only thing you can take off is the nib unit. Even the blind cap has no notches to help you unthread it, should you need to. They like their pens sealed. Nevertheless, this can be problematic and challenging for us fountain pen folks, and we love a challenge. So I have some questions. Notice that my main concern really is with the material as I have not worked with their resins before and don't want to badly affect this pen that I'm working on. Like its glass transition temperature or its reaction to any chemicals. Has a full disassembly ever been attempted? This mainly refers to removing the rear packing unit. If so, what is the best method for removing it. I suspect the threads in the barrel might be glued. If so, what is the best method for weakening the glue without affecting the barrel resin? and what does Visconti use to glue it in the first place? (for when I put it back). My second question is regarding cleaning staining ink off the inside of a clear barrel. If there is anything you suggest I totally avoid on this resin please let me know now. any ideas welcome. Thank you for passing by. I'm looking forward to hearing any input on this. Best regards KR

Sharing these in case anyone wants to pick up a Visconti Opera Demo Carousel or Skeleton model for very good prices ($109 and $399 respectively) but with steel nibs. Opera Demo @ $109 https://www.worldofwatches.com/pid/1095745/visconti-opera-demo-carousel-mint-fountain-pen-fine-nib-kp32-04-fpaf-z-pfkn9 Link showing steel nib: https://www.jomashop.com/visconti-opera-demo-carousel-mint-fountain-pen-fine-nib-kp32-04-fpaf.html Reddit thread showing few more photos of the pen with #6 steel nib: Skeleton @ $399 https://www.jomashop.com/visconti-skeleton-red-limited-edition-fountain-pen-kp43-01-fpam.html Since the product pages don't provide any information on the nib material, the product images are blurry/ unclear, and the pricing is very tempting, I called customer service at World of Watches, and confirmed the Demo comes with a steel nib. Jomashop, which is selling the Skeleton model for $399, couldn't tell me what the nib material is on the Skeleton, but my strong hypothesis is these are steel nibbed based the model numbers. This appears in line with Visconti's MO of getting rid of overstock pens by swapping in alternative nibs into high end pen bodies. Now debating if I should get the Skeleton for research purposes/ to compare and contrast with the 18K Visconti Bronze Age or the 14K Voyager 30 I have in my collection. Also fyi, these are both likely grey market goods which means no warranty etc.

PRELUDE A search loop for the perfect ONE and then the more perfect OTHER With great fountain pens comes an even greater responsibility of carrying them around in this mortal world, where inadvertent scratches, dents, and corrosion become inevitable. Thus begins my search for sheaths and containers to protect these fine instruments, which have earned a reputation for being mightier than the sword; at least for the past 175 years. I digress; I wonder why the keyboard was never celebrated in the same way when it emerged around the same time as the original quote. If you like a pictorial blogger view, here is the link: A utilitarian review of my pen cases BACKGROUND AND OPINIONATED TRUTHS Experiments, measures and opinion I like to use a few fountain pens during my travels for note-taking and journaling. While I could use the original boxes for my limited collection, they tend to take up unnecessary space in my cupboard. Some of these cases are beautifully made, while others are more ordinary. That's where a storage pen case comes in handy. One advantage is that you can see multiple pens together to help with selection, or perhaps just to avoid making a choice. For example, I often tell my Opus 88 Jazz to just lie there, which has been my unfortunate treatment of that pen ever since I got it. In my case, the search has usually been for a value-for-money options. It’s rare to find a case that costs as much as a pen, but this highlights the absence of worthy alternatives. Another aspect is that in India, leather goods are available at a fraction of the cost compared to the West, although there is less general understanding of the premium quality of higher-grade leather materials. By a stroke of luck, a couple of us met Michael, a leather importer based in California, who sources leather from India, China, and Thailand. He supplies leather to some well-known premium brands, with the final products ranging from premium car seat covers to women’s bags. He explained what typically gets exported versus what is consumed domestically in these countries. Michael also described the leather qualities and grades he looks for when evaluating a shipment from the tanneries. By the way, you can check out some interesting expositions on leather grades and types , and here’s a brief write-up on leather quality if you’re short on time or patience: Full Grain: The highest quality. A cut of leather consisting of the outer layer of hide, left unsanded and unbuffed to retain its natural imperfections. It has a strong and durable surface. Top Grain: The top layer is sanded to remove imperfections, which reduces some of the strength and water-repellent qualities of full grain leather. It is commonly used in handbags, wallets, and shoes. Corrected: A broader term often referred to as genuine leather. It can be any layer of hide that has been treated to create a uniform surface. Commonly used in belts, wallets, bags, gloves, and shoes. Split Grain: A layer cut from the lower levels of top grain leather. It is not as dense, tight, or durable as full grain or top grain leather. Reconstituted & Recycled: Leather scraps are bonded together using polyurethane or latex. Here are a list of leather finishes: Aniline: Dyes allow natural surface of leather to show through. Semi-Aniline: Similar to aniline but with added pigments. Faux: Also known as PU, Vegan or Vinyl leather. Is made of polyurethane and made to mimic real leather. There are many more types (12+), but they may not be relevant to our search for pen cases and sleeves. Leather tanning is the process of treating hides to clean them of dirt, blood, and hair. This process alters the protein structure of the hide to make the leather durable and less susceptible to decomposition. Vegetable tanning: This method uses natural materials or tannins derived from plants and bark, which are astringents. It’s an ancient, environmentally friendly process. Chromium tanning: Chromium sulfate is used for a faster and cheaper tanning process, offering more color options than vegetable tanning. The hair and flesh are removed before the tanning process. Leather hides are graded as 1, 2, 3, or non-tannable, depending on the imperfections in the hide. The top-of-the-line branded pen cases are made from full grain cowhide leather with an aniline or semi-aniline finish. The case proliferation in my situation is rather proportional to the larger pen dimensions rather than the number of pens in my relatively limited collection. I found it increasingly inconvenient to carry flagship pens like the Wahl-Eversharp Decoband, Pilot Custom Urushi in the Pelikan TG32 three-pen case. While the Decoband fits inside Visconti Dreamtouch comfortably, the Custom Urushi does not. These pens could be a part of an everyday carry unlike a Namiki Emperor, unless you of course dare to carry it. In this situation, the Cross Leather Pen Box came to my rescue, but its dimensions pose a problem for my laptop bag if I want to carry two or three more standard pens. Given the rapid progress in design, manufacturing and evolving human desires, here are my standard set of guidelines, refined over the years, while looking for pen cases (YMMV): OBSERVATIONS & EXPERIENCE In Context Here are the pen cases I have acquired over the years: Single pen cases The Black Canvas Pen Capsule: Soft case. I got the English Violet variant which is made of top-grain chrome-tanned leather. The inside of the pouch is soft and velvety. Endless Companion Pen Pouch: Hard case. The company uses the term genuine leather which may indicate corrected leather. However, it seems well-made for standard pen sizes (such as a Lamy 2000, and it can stretch to fit a regular Montblanc 146) and has a matte buffed finish. The pen itself rests in a felt-like soft compartment, and the case is fastened by two buttons. They ensured that there is a felt-flap covering the exposed parts of a pen where it's buttoned. Cross Men's Leather Single Pen Box-Black: Hard case. Again corrected leather, but with ample space inside to house a Custom Urushi or WE Decoband. The flap is fastened with a magnetic closure, which is a nice touch. I have noticed some leather coming out off the edge of the flap from the newer of the two boxes, but this is what it is. Custom pen case for Namiki Emperor sized pen: Soft case. This was custom-made by fellow fountain pen collector Dr. Ashish Wakhlu for my Namiki Emperor pen. It’s good enough to protect the pen from minor scratches. From the texture, it seems like top grain or full grain leather with an aniline finish. It has some protection at the back. Multi pen cases Arista Leatherette Case for 6 pens: Hard case. I have two of Arista pen cases that I got from Amazon, primarily for storage. They’re lined with felt and have a partial over-layer to protect the finials from brushing against the zipper. It’s somewhat partial towards the pens in the first and last slots. Made of polyurethane, it closely mimics Saffiano leather and has a nice touch with bumpers at the base. The Black Canvas Jotbox: Soft case. A nice box for keeping pencils, parallels, and rulers reminiscent of the good old school days. It’s made of top-grain leather, and is pretty well made. Aegean Leather Case for Namiki Emperor/Pilot Custom Urushi: Hard case with pen tray. This is the most expensive case I own and it’s excellently made from Italian buttero leather. Full-grain, vegetable-tanned, aniline finish - this case checks all the boxes. I bought it to carry the Custom Urushi in my bag, may be sometimes the Emperor too. Pelikan Leather 3 Pen Case: Hard case with soft flap. Top notch full-grain, vegetable-tanned leather with aniline finish, but for medium sized pens. It’s good enough for a Pelikan M800/1000 or a MB 149. Visconti Dreamtouch Case for 3/6 Pens: Hard case with zippered flap. Felt inner lining. This is my favorite case and checking all boxes for full-grain, vegetable-tanned, aniline finish leather. The one with 6 pens hasn’t seen much motion, but it’s absolutely defies ageing, even after 10 years. I occasionally use a standard neutral shoe cream to polish them. Brown Bear Classic Pen Case for 2 Pens: Hard case with magnetic closure. By the looks of it, the case seems to be full-grain with an aniline finish. Its pretty sturdy and well made, with a single soft divider. The dimensions are good enough to hold a Pelikan M8XX sized pen. Their men’s wallets made of nappa leather hold well too. Essart Pen Case for 10 Pens: Hard Case with magnetic button for the flap. The lid has a transparent portion to get a quick account of pens inside. The frame is wooden and sturdy, with each pen slot lined with felt. It’s pretty & perfect for storage. Methodology The pictures below depict the way in which I have measured the inner length and available versus total width of these pen cases. MY TOP PICKS If I had to pick one It would be the Visconti Dreamtouch Pen case. Thank you for going through the review. You can find other pen and paraphernalia reviews here. REFERENCES Leather grade and types

I have a Homo Sapiens Bronze Age with a broad nib that I love. Am now being tempted by a Magma and was considering the 1.3 stub nib - this would be recent production. What I am interested in are actual experiences (again more recent production) with the nib. How was it out of the box? How well does it write? Are the edges sharper and more prone to catch than other similar stub nibs? Any comparison to their broad nib would be appreciated as well. FYI - I own a number of stub nibs including many 1.1's and a 1.5. But these are steel nibs (Jowo & Bock). Many thanks in advance for your insight!

Chatterley is offering the Visconti Opera Demo Carousel for $295. Its available in all four colors and 14K gold EF, F, or M nibs.

Hi, I am relitivley new to fountain pens, owning only 3 at this point. Yesterday I purchased my first expensice vountain pen, the visconti homosapiens steel midi, and am having some issues with the ink flow. What happens is, I fill it and it writes beautifully, then it will suddenly stop. At this point, there seemes to be no ink left in the feed, yet there is definetly ink left in the piston filler as I turned the piston and watched the ink drop out. If I give the pen a bit of a flick, It will write again as I have flicked ink into the feed, but this only lasts about a paragraph. The same goes for thurning the piston, which saturates the feed enough to write maybe half a page. I did some reading on the site and fushed the pen with soapy water, then with non soapy water a number of times to remove the soap. I then flushed it with ink before inking it up again. This did not solve the problem. I also removed the nib and feed to see if there was a blockage, but the feed looked fine, albiet dry, and the hole that joins it to the resovoir of ink had no observable blockage, though it was very difficult so see far down it. Just out of curiosity, I turned the piston and watched as the vacated cylinder where the feed normally sits, filled up with ink. I really dont know what to do now, and thougth to post here where it seems there are many knowledgable, long time pen owners who may be able to help me. Any help that is offered will be much appreciated.

Several online luxury watch retailers are offering Visconti pens on sale. Most notably JomaShop and WorldofWatches. The embedded links send you directly to the relevant search results. Caveat: nib material is not specified and its probably steel or chromium in some cases. No affiliation whatsoever.

I thought I should make my first real post something somewhat "exotic", or at least useful. I would have killed for this information a year ago when I was taking this pen apart without guidance! Maybe it will be beneficial to someone in my situation in the future! This is kind of a cross post from a post I made on another pen sub forum previously. I purchased a Visconti Pininfarina some time ago but the pen had some issues despite being new. I sent the first pen back due to the plating flaking off and some hacks in the carbon. This post is about the replacement pen. Let's get started! When I received the replacement pen, the stub nib I had ordered would not write. This is the chromium/steel tubular nib. I was bumping up on August for the Italian shutdown so I decided to work the nib myself. That was a success but took a few hours. The nib and feed on this pen just unscrews. There was a curvature to the nib so the tines did not really make contact on the paper in the middle by the feed channel. That means no ink flow. I ended up polishing and working the tines flat. Several months later I got the guts up to fix the other things that nagged me about the pen. The runout of the cap trim was never quite aligned to the body and that bugged me immensely. When you would twist the body of the pen, it would rotate eccentrically to the other half of the pen. I determined that the threaded trim was not bonded to the carbon tube aligned. 2 min hot water in the microwave, 1 min soak, and some pulling freed the trim from the carbon tube. I was able to align the threads and trim a little better to the other half of the pen and bond the trim with lacquer. I unfortunately dropped the pen a few weeks later from about 6 inches nose first on the bezel. There was a very small "flat" on the bezel from this. Again, small things bug me so I re profiled the brass bezel, polished, and Rhodium plated it. Looks like new but I did learn about how the bezel comes off and how the "door" seals the nib. There's two screws to hold this all together. One holds the assembly to the pen (rear screw) while the front holds the flat spring and the spot welded door. The nib retracting mechanism had an interesting problem were it would not stall out like it should in the open position and then downward pressure from writing would push the nib back into the pen slowly every so often. I thought I could grease my way out of this with tetra silicon grease. Once I got the assembly out of the pen, I thought better of it and just added grease where it rotated in the locking pins. This helped a little without disassembling the rotating assembly. One more fun issue was that the nib would randomly rotate as you wrote. This was corrected by applying a small amount of lacquer on the threads of the tubular nib to lock it down. It's like having an oblique nib at any angle you want actually. Kind of useful once you get it sorted and locked. The nib screws into a collar that can be rotated to suit your angle to paper. Overall this is an extremely unique pen. Much different than any of my pens I've worked on. It was emotional. It's not a cheap pen and there was zero information online about fixing it so every step was into uncharted territory. Luckily, the bonding Visconti used is easily defeated by hot water. Also equally bonded back with lacquer or shellac. Honestly I rarely use this pen despite the amount of work I had to do to get it right. I even ended up buying a Millennium Arc moonlight just for the medium tubular nib since it was on sale. I thought the medium nib would not dry out as fast as the stub. Still drys out after a day or so due to the trap door not sealing properly. Now that I read this in its entirety, it seems a little long winded and more or less a list of complaints. That's not my intent though. This is an amazing pen to look at. It just took more work than I thought to get it running and aligned to what I thought was possible of the design. I'm a little picky if I see an opportunity to make something better.

Hi, everyone! I wanted to introduce myself to this network. I have been a long-time pen enthusiast, and am the owner of luxury pen retailer Truphae, Inc. We specialize in high-end luxury pens from companies like Aurora, Montegrappa, ST Dupont, Visconti, etc...and have great relationships with them as well. We also carry brands such as Pelikan, Cartier, and many others. Our goal is to find the coolest pens around, particularly rare ones that many other people would have a hard time sourcing. We not only sell, but buy and consign as well. Looking forward to getting to know you all better! ~Chris

Does anyone own a Visconti Rembrandt rollerball and fountain pen, and kindly tell me if the sections are interchangeable between them. I read somewhere that the fountain pen section is longer and it wont fit in a rollerball to close the cap. ..I have a rembrandt fp, a boring dark blue and I found a van gogh rollerball for sale in a nice color and I'm thinking of doing the conversion. I know the sections in those models are the same, but I don't know if the rollerballs have different cap lining.

Hello, I posted previously about my Visconti Rembrandt and it also had this problem with hard starts and skips every line. I was able to exchange it for a Van Gogh starry night, and sadly it's no better. The starts are really bad. I have to apply more pressure than usual to get it started, and then 5 seconds off paper requires another hard start. Either im extremely unfortunate or visconti has the poorest nib QC here's a pic demonstrating the issue,. Visconti Van Gogh Starry Night B Nib http://i.imgur.com/nDeSjan.jpg?2 If theres any way to fix this without sending it to a nib mechanic let me know pleaseee

To celebrate the store's 70th anniversary, Novelli had Visconti make a celluloid fountain pen with a 14kt gold nib in a limited edition of 70. I ordered one with a stub nib, pretty much as soon as Marco announced it. The pen arrived a couple days ago, and I am very happy with it. Appearance and Design The style of the pen is somewhat old-fashioned in a positive way. The length is the same as that of the Homo Sapiens. The clip is a style that predates the current arc of the Homo Sapiens, I think. The clip is quite springy. For me, the tension is about perfect. The celluloid is dark blue with islands of gold and is much more attractive than what you see in my photos. Manufacturing quality is superb. The pen has a very comfortable section. There is a clear ink window, which i happen to like. Nib and Performance The nib is a 14 kt stub and writes rather wet. It is my first Visconti with a gold nib. The others I own all have the palladium nibs Visconti used for a number of years. I first loaded it with Visconti Blue - a good ink with a good color match for the pen. I then loaded it with Pelikan 4001 Blue-black to see if a very dry ink with provide a crisper line. Both inks performed about the same. The nib is rather springy and smooth writing but with a bit of feed back. The only negative is that there is mild hesitancy in ink flow after a brief break in writing. Ink flows well after the nib is gently flexed. I may (or may not) eventually ask a nibmeister to make it a bit crisper for my italic handwriting. The engraving on the nib is different from Visconti's usual. It is quite simple. I don't know if it has a particular symbolic significance. Filling system The pen has Visconti's well-known power filler, and it works well. As stated above, there is a clear ink window which I find a positive feature. Cost and value This is not an inexpensive pen, but the price is less than that of most of the Homo Sapiens limited editions. For a celluloid pen of this quality, I think the price is almost a bargain. Conclusion This is a handsome pen that is a pleasure to see and use. The only negative is the slightly hesitant ink flow described above. Once you are writing, ink flow is excellent. Overall, I am happy with the pen and feel it is a good value for a high-end fountain pen. David

Hello, The title says it all. I need some help identifying this visconti pen. Thanks!

Visconti Race Tech Limited Edition The limited Edition Race Tech pen is an ode to racing and is packed full of racing themes: The lightening holes on the clip, the black and white checkered finishing flag enameled on the pen's band, the body is crafted from sturdy race ready carbon fiber and all parts are trimmed in racing red resin. The Race Tech is limited to 388 pieces worldwide and is available in fountain pen and Rollerball. The fountain pen accepts cartridges or converter and is outfitted with the Visconti tubular chromium nib. Each pen is packaged in a luxury box. This beautiful tribute to racing is composed of red resin and carbon fiber with chrome plated trims. https://www.airlineintl.com/search?keywords=race

IN PRAISE OF THE OLD STYLE VISCONTI VAN GOGH “MAXI” FOUNTAIN PEN Visconti are a Florentine pen manufacturer founded on 20 October 1988 by two friends who decided to make a business of their passion for fountain pens. The two founders, Luigi Poli and Dante del Vecchio are stars of the long tradition of Italian pen manufacturing. They succeeded in remaining at the top of a highly competitive international market for over 30 years, which is an outstanding achievement when one considers the sad demise of OMAS or Delta. Throughout their history, Visconti have set new standards for imaginative and striking designs, ranging from the very expensive to cheaper “every day” pens, earning a well-deserved devoted following of fountain pen collectors and users. Their “Homo Sapiens” line of pens need no introduction, and most people reading this will own or have seen a “Van Gogh” or “Rembrandt” Visconti pen. Some of the leading online pen reviewers, SBRE BROWN (https://www.youtube.com/user/sbrebrown) and PENULTIMATE DAVE (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmPrXpKKggCrGTmAhhMmvBA) have produced many highly entertaining and informative reviews of Visconti pens. In this review, however, I wish to celebrate a now sadly discontinued range of Visconti pens, the “Van Gogh Maxi” which were in production in the first decade of the 2000s (along with their smaller cousins the Van Gogh “Midi” and Mini” versions). The series was also produced as roller ball pens. The larger “maxi” size is one of my favourite pens as it fits my hands beautifully, so I will only be discussing this “maxi” line of the Van Gogh production as this is the type I own. More recently, of course, Visconti have produced a modern line of Van Goghs that are very widely available. They are hugely popular with their bright, fun colours, easily swapped or cleaned steel nibs, filling mechanisms that will accommodate standard size cartridges or converters and general sturdiness. But these are not of the sophistication as their earlier relatives, and they have steel nibs rather than gold nibs, so I will not be covering them in this review. THE VISCONTI VAN GOGH MAXI FOUNTAIN PENS Revealing a collector’s mania side of my character, I have acquired seven Visconti Van Gogh Maxis (VGMs) over the years. They are one of the jewels in my pen collection and are in constant use. I was introduced to the VGMs by Ray Walters, (http://www.vintageandmodernpens.co.uk/http://www.vintageandmodernpens.co.uk/] who is a regular vendor at Pen Shows, on his website and elsewhere. As always, he is charming and persuasive and I think the first pen he sold me was the VGM “Tortoise”. This pen was a discovery and a revelation. I was writing with a pen of different design than the Pelikans and Japanese pens I was used to but with outstanding performance qualities. This purchase was quickly followed by the Musk version: And then, throwing financial discipline to the winds, I also bought the beautiful “Sandal Wood” coloured version from Ray: As I had the income to collect then, I quickly added (from eBay) a Demonstrator version: Later on came a “Starry Night” version: And a “Fantasia”: And finally, an Ivory version (sometime also called a Vanilla, but I think Ivory is more appropriate): There are other colours available, and these sometime turn up on eBay or at Pen Shows. From my online searches, I gather that the other VGM colours are Cappuccino (sometimes called Espresso), Black, plain Green, bright Yellow and Mint Blue. If there are other colours I would be interested to know from readers. Design These pens are in the “oversize” range. They are slightly larger than the Pelikan M800, but slightly girthier and heavier as the weight is increases with the metal central band. Personally I don’t like oversize or very large pens and have therefore never bought the more recent range of large Viscontis like the Homo Sapiens and similar, which I find simply too large and bulky. The VGMs are therefore, for me, at the size limit of what I enjoy writing with, especially as I prefer to post my pens. The pens fit comfortably into my hand while writing (either posted or unposted) As always beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but in my view, these pens are beautiful and very stylish. They have a happy, joyous range of colours with strikingly stylish bodies. Clips Their clips are the signature “Ponte Vecchio” arches and these are very flexible, making them easy to place in a pocket. One controversial aspect of the design is the screw on the top of the cap, which keeps the clip in place. For some this is a serious error in design, detracting from the overall aesthetics with a rather “industrial” and crude intrusion in colourful body. Personally I don’t really notice the screw as I have the cap posted with the clip showing on top, so that the screw always remains in the unseen underside of the pen, but I agree with the critics: Visconti could have produced something more visually pleasing (like the design of the Pineider clips which have a more discreet clip holder mechanism). Locking mechanism The Visconti locking system changed over time. Initially, Visconti used a “3K” twist fastener system, where the cap was secured with a twist locking it on three threads. The system is not really satisfactory: I found that it uncaps inside a pocket which is irritating as then the nib stains ink on a shirt through the inner jacket pocket’s lining. More concerning were reports by some users of cracking of the barrel through the pressure involved in locking the “3K” twist system. So it was discontinued and replaced with threaded locking: Filling system The VGMs have cartridge converter filling systems. The system allows international size cartridges which is helpful as one of the really irritating aspects of Japanese pens or some European pens like Aurora or Lamy is having to use proprietary cartridges! The converters are threaded which makes them secure. They do sometimes have a tendency to “rattle” unless the top section is tightened, which is the case in one of my seven VGMs. Nibs The nib is, of course, the soul of a pen. In this respect, Visconti excelled themselves in producing superlative writing nibs. My own preference is for fine nibs and Visconti’s nibs tend on the wetter side. From my research the VGM nibs ranged from EF, F, M, B and Stub. Generally, the VGMs have 14 carat nibs but I have one 23K Palladium fine nib. These have beautiful decoration as shown below These nibs are wonderful writers. The fine duo tone VGM 14K nibs glide smoothly on the page, with just enough feedback to make the writer conscious of the grain of the paper on which the nib writes. The 23K “Dreamtouch” fine nib is also a joy to write with, although it lacks the flexing quality of the 14K nibs. An added bonus is that these nibs can we swapped between different VGMs, rather like the way Pelikan nibs can be swapped between pens. OVERALL ASSESSMENT These Visconti pens are among the finest pens in my collection (which is mainly composed of Pelikans and Sailors). Their design, joyous range of colours and wonderfully expressive nibs make them a set of pens that give constant pleasure whenever used. Although I would, if pressed, prefer the Pelikan M800 or the Sailor 1911 Large range of pens, these old style Viscontis are a treasure that I cherish. These Viscontis are now sadly discontinued and, in my view, one of the worst decisions taken by the Florentine manufacturer was to produce the modern steel nib Van Gogh series. While these are perfectly decent writing pens, with attractive colouring, they simply cannot match the exquisite precision of the VGM gold nibs and style of their design. If only Visconti would revive them, just as Pelikan has begun to revive old discontinued models!

Dear pen friends, I hope you are all doing well, I was wondering for my Canadian friends, where do you buy your Visconti pens? what is the cheapest place to buy Visconti in Canada? I want to buy the Orchards in blossoms pen which. Also, what is your experience with buying pens from the US? is it cheaper or since you have to pay customs its actually more or the same? Thanks

Hello Everybody, Just wanted to make a quick announcement for a show coming up. The official Dallas Pen Show 2020 was cancelled, but we have decided the show must go on! The show will not be quite like the normal show due to Covid. We are taking many precautions in relation to this. The show will be in the same location as normal at the Doubletree by Hilton near the galleria in Dallas. It is in the same two ballrooms. Due to Covid the number of tables are greatly reduced, and meet all CDC guidelines and social distancing procedures. Hand sanitizer will be placed all around the show in addition to face coverings being required. We will have face shields available at no charge at the door. There will also be restrictions in place as far as number of people allowed in the show, so a line could form. We want to make this show as fun as possible, but we are doing everything we can to make it a safe show for all vendors and attendees. I hope everybody is as excited for the show as we are, and we hope to see you there! The event is Friday September 25th from 12pm-7pm, and Saturday September 26th from 10am-5pm! Flyer attached with all of our exciting vendors that will be in attendance! Hotel Address 4099 Valley View Ln, Dallas, TX 75244

Today I took out my Visconti Federico II set and notice that the clips are rusting. The pens have been in containers with dehumidifiers together with other pens many of them much older and they don't show any rust. Is any solution ? It is a problem with the Visconti plating? Thanks for your comments.Sorry I can not post photos.

Hi! I am looking for an opinion about the new 14k nib, which is in the Visconti Voyager 2020 model. At the moment, I am considering the purchase of Visconti. I am thinking between Visconti Medici midi with a palladium FINE nib and the Voyager 2020 model with a new 14k FINE nib. This will be my first "expensive' Visconti (I have Van Gogh with steel fine nib now, I used to have Rembrandt and Pericle). I am curious about both the palladium and 14k nibs, because I do not have experience with them. I had an opportinity to tried to write with Visconti with palladium fine nib, pen from a friend. His fine nib turned out to be super wet, too wet for my taste, but it wrote really nice and I like it. But I'm a little worried about this wetness. I had not an opportunity to try this new 14k nib anywhere. I don't know what to expect... Does anyone have any experience with new 14k nib from Visconti an/or comparison 23palladium fine nib with 14k new nib? Thanks!

First Impressions (9/10) I have had a long held interest in all things related to classical antiquity. This applies also to my pen collection. I have been drawn to models claiming some sort of connection to these distant times. So, when I heard of the Art Ellenic model by Visconti I was immediately attracted to it. The inspiration for this model is a Doric Greek column. This was part of an Art series by Visconti, all made in sterling silver: Art Nouveau, Art Renaissance and Art Ellenic. The asking price was a bit prohibitive for my pen budget, but when I found a decent second hand model I did not hesitate and bought it. Appearance (9/10) The pen comes in a nice Visconti cardboard box, but inside there is a nice faux leather clamshell box which contains the pen, a bottle of Visconti Black ink and several instructions and promotional materials, including a mini CD with the catalog of Visconti at the time. http://i.imgur.com/7Zl6qML.jpg http://i.imgur.com/iJ8t3Gw.jpg In the hand the pen has many positive points. First is the design , based in black and silver. Then the pen is light and pleasant to hold in the hand. It can be posted very securely but then it tends to be a bit top-heavy. http://i.imgur.com/W0TKwY3.jpg Design/Size/Weight (9/10) Pen measurements: Length capped 138 mm Length uncapped 126 mm Length posted 159 mm Weight 43.20 g http://i.imgur.com/9SxEaTT.jpg http://i.imgur.com/DqjkhCw.jpg The pen is quite lightweight. No doubt this is due to the main construction material, which is Lucite . Lucite is a plastic also known as plexiglass, which is lightweight and durable. On top of this plastic the thin sterling silver cover is applied in the form of a Greek column, with 12 parallel concave grooves. The bottom is a black knob that can be removed to leave the wheel for the piston filler mechanism. The section is also black, quite comfortable and the threads to hold the cap are very close to the nib. http://i.imgur.com/fJEBXMX.jpg The finial has a clear Visconti logo in silver . This finial can be removed to be personalized with initials or semiprecious stones. http://i.imgur.com/SgXrOWa.jpg The clip has the typical bridge shape typical of Visconti. the company name is inscribed in silver letters on a black background. It has some spring to it. Nib (8/10) The nib is a 14 K gold nib. The colour is chromed and it has the legend VISCONTI 14 k 585 FIRENZE M. it is then a medium nib, although to me is rather a broad one. It is an extremely juicy nib with some degree of line variation. As my hand writing is small I often used it in reverse to get a fine line that I am more comfortable with. But I bought it as a medium so I knew where I was going. http://i.imgur.com/9JY8uDm.jpg Filling System(7/10) The pen is a piston filler. However, to me it looks like a fixed converter, as the piston mechanism looks exactly like some other Visconti converters that I own. There is no window to see the ink level, which is a disappointment as it is impossible to gauge how much ink is left in the piston. To me this has all the disadvantages of a converter and none of its advantages. Cost and Value(7/10) The pen is actually retailed at 490 UK pounds. I got it second hand for half that price. I think that I bought a beautiful pen, but for the normal retail price I would have not bought it. I have used it mostly for signatures but when writing for long has an excellent performance and it is pleasant for use. http://i.imgur.com/lnNYytj.png Conclusion (8.2/10) This is a beautiful, understated pen from Visconti. My main criticism of this pen is the filling mechanism, without any way to know how full is the pen. The sterling silver is not signed so we have to believe that it is silver form the marketing materials. No information about the silver purity is provided. However I think that it is a classy pen with a superb nib in the tradition of the black filigree silver pens so in fashion during the first two decades of the 20th century. Thanks for reading!

Hi everyone, I am a long time lurker on this forum but this is my first post. My first and only Visconti was a Homo Sapiens Bronze Age with a 23k Pd EF nib. It was my best nib but I found the pen slightly uncomfortable due to the slightly thicker section. However all the discomfort was counterbalanced by the really awesome nib. It made the pen worth it. It seemed I had won the Visconti nib lottery. Unfortunately, I dropped the pen and the nib developed some serious problems and I sold off the pen. However my awesome experience with the nib made me a Visconti fan. Recently, after selling a bunch of pens I ordered the new Visconti Opera Master Polynesia in 18k EF nib and am expecting this pen in the next 10 - 15 days. I bought this pen primarily because of three reasons: 1) First (or one of the first) Visconti pen with in house 18k nib 2) It seems the new Opera Master redesign has supposedly made the section thinner and the whole pen less top heavy 3) Demonstrator pen with the awesome double reservoir power filler (useful for large ink capacity as I do not change inks frequently) I am still worried about the metal section of the pen as I have oily hands (one of the other reasons I like the lava section on my Homo Sapiens). Can anyone who owns this pen or the new Visconti Opera Master Oceanic or Amber (the other two new design Opera Masters) let me know their experience regarding the nib, section slickness and the overall comfort with the pen? Just as an FYI, I have medium sized hands and am able to use pens of size comparable to Pelikan M800 comfortably. Thanks in advance!

I recently acquired this Visconti pen but cannot identify the model name, if it does have a name... it is evidently an early model, it is made of wrapped celluloid, black-brown flake, and has a steel two tone nib with Visconti written vertically, top down, such as I have already seen on a Visconti Classic the nib is steel I assume as it has no gold markings the pen is approx 13.5 cm capped, short of 12 cm uncapped, and it is rather fat. It is a cartridge-converter pen. The material used is surely celluloid, you can smell the distictive odour of canfor as you open the barrel, and it is wrapped celloloid you can see the seam by looking closely, the dark colour however masks the seam almost completely, in normal lighting conditions. There is an earlier post by fabri00 in another thead about this pen https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/260584-can-you-identify-this-pen/ where this pen is mentioned but no model name mentioned since I do not know the model name googling to find info so far has proven useless the colour of the celluloid is really nice, the nib is rather stiff, and smallish, but the pen is not so big either, and writes, now, reasonably smooth with a fine to medium line (I had to slighly adjust the tines because under the loope they were evidently misaligned) any information is welcome (eric47??) thanks Enrico next to a sheaffer balance II for comparison the celluloid picks up the light in certain conditions

First off, I wanted to give a big shout out for everybody that was able to attend the Dromgoole's Dallas Pen Show 2 weeks ago! We were extremely happy to put on an event like that, and you all helped make it a successful event. It was so great to get to see everybody! With that said we are doing a similar show in San Antonio November 6th-7th!. The show will be located at the Doubletree by Hilton San Antonio Northwest right off of Loop 1604 and I-10. 6809 N Loop 1604 W, San Antonio, TX 78249 There will be a special room rate of $82/night if signed up before the end of October, if you have any issues please reach out to us and we will be happy to assist. Copy & Paste this link in your browser to book your room! https://doubletree.hilton.com/en/dt/groups/personalized/S/SATJRDT-DRM-20201105/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG The show hours will be as follows: Friday November 6th 10AM-7PM Saturday November 7th 9AM-4PM The show will not be quite like the normal show due to Covid. We are taking many precautions in relation to this. Due to Covid the number of tables are greatly reduced, and meet all CDC guidelines and social distancing procedures. Hand sanitizer will be placed all around the show in addition to face coverings being required. We will have face shields available at no charge at the door. There will also be restrictions in place as far as number of people allowed in the show, so a line could form. We want to make this show as fun as possible, but we are doing everything we can to make it a safe show for all vendors and attendees. Attached is a flyer we have created that has a list of current vendors that have committed to attend, we expect to have some more as time goes on. Kirk Speer (Penrealm) will be on site offering nib grinding/tuning services!

Visconti Homo Sapiens Lava Bronze with 18k gold nib Many excellent reviews of the Visconti HS Lava series can be found here on FPN so there’s not much point in doing that again. Since I purchased a brand-new HS last week, I will limit this brief review mostly to the 18k gold nib that succeeded the 23k Pd nibs, on fit and finish and on writing characteristics. ^—The HS Midi and its new companion FIT AND FINISH When the Lava series originally came on the market there were some reports about poor quality control, such as loose cap bands. A few years ago I bought a HS Midi and found the quality of that pen to be excellent. The same is true for my new full-size pen. Every aspect of fit and finish appears to be absolutely perfect. The pen inspires total confidence. Unscrewing the blind cap and using the plunger feels like military-grade quality. We’ll see how well the pen holds up over longer periods of intensive use, but so far I would put the quality of this pen on par with other top-quality pens in this price range - and perhaps even better. When I bought it at Appelboom, I did a direct comparison with a MB 149 F, an Aurora 88 F and a Scribo Feel F and spent some time with each of these top-tier pens. All three of these have excellent nibs and are of very high quality, but the Aurora feels vulnerable in the hand (I was worried about breaking it from the moment I picked it up) and the Scribo’s material felt cheap to my hand (even though it is a truly top-notch pen). The 149 exudes quality but is too large for me. To the best of my judgement, the Visconti stood head and shoulders above these pens in terms of fit, finish and how the material feels in the hand. ^—The pen in all its glory. THE NIB Visconti switched from their in-house 23k Pd nibs to 18k gold nibs insourced from Bock. Ever since I bought my HS Midi with 23k Pd nib, I have been deeply impressed by it. When I heard about the switch to Bock nibs, my initial response wasn’t enthousiastic. So I tested the full-size HS very thoroughly before committing to it. ^—The nib Normally I would have picked the EF, but since I’m currently dealing with some issues which make writing difficult I chose the F. So, how good is it...? I find it to be an utterly brilliant nib. It eclipsed the nibs on MB 149 F and the Aurora 88 F that I A/B’d it with. The Scribo Feel F also had a very, very, very impressive nib, comparable in quality and refinement to the HS. Of course I also compared it to the 23k Pd ‘Dreamtouch’ F nib on my HS Midi. Both nibs have a pencil-like feel, which is much more pronounced on the 23k Pd nib. The 18k is smoother, more refined (dare I say exquisite?) and a little bit softer. Both nibs offer wonderful tactile response and hand control, which is very important to me. The 23k Pd F writes a significantly wider line than the 18k F, the former edging towards Western M and the latter edging towards Western EF (depending on ink choice, but more on that later). I’m delighted to find a Western F that truly is an F! To summarize, this is a very impressive nib and an utter joy to write with. ^—A word about nib exchange. I’m not sure if the nib collar can be unscrewed from the section without the use of a special tool. In this photo, you can see two notches that seem to be intended for such a tool. WETNESS Early HS pens tended to be absolute firehoses and frequently needed to be tamed. Thankfully, that’s not the case with my HS Midi nor with this brandnew full-size HS. Wetness can be generous with some ink, but read on... it can also be dry! I noticed that the wetness of this pen is independent of feed saturation. Visible ink between the fins doesn’t make the pen write any wetter. In other words, ink flow is regulated solely by the pressure between both tips of the tines. Contrary to most of my other modern pens, there usually is some visible ink between the fins, i.e. the feed is at least partially saturated most of the time. In terms of wetness on the page, this pen is all over the place depending on ink choice. It was quite wet with Edelstein Moonstone and Pelikan 4001 Turquoise yet remarkably dry with Montblanc Royal Blue. The difference in wetness between these last two inks was really striking - it’s not subtle! It’s interesting to combine these two observations. With every ink, the feed is at least partially saturated most of the time, so the nib always receives plenty of ink from the barrel. Therefore it is the nib itself which is sensitive to different inks, going from quite wet (P4001 Turquoise) to quite dry (MB Royal Blue). Whether or not this is an advantage or a disadvantage is up to you. Personally, I like it because it allows me to ‘tune’ the pen by changing inks. ^—Comparison between the HS F, the HS Midi F and a Lamy Dialog 3 F. Inks: MB Royal Blue, Edelstein Moonstone, Sailor Jentle Blue. CONCLUSION If you like the design of the HS but you’re worried about QC issues and/or the 23k Pd nibs, then give this pen a try. Both on my HS Midi and the new full-size HS, the quality of the pens is excellent. And the new 18k nib is fantastic. The combination of a unique material, a striking design, top quality fit and finish and a truly wonderful nib make it worth the price of admission.

So I recently acquired1 a Homo Sapiens Maxi with the two-tone 23k Pd nib. The nib is a broad and, typically for a palladium, writes wet and really broad. I'm not really a broadside dweller, so I am now faced with a quandary. Do I keep the pen and have someone grind it down to a medium cursive italic, or do I not vandalise a beautiful broad, now discontinued, nib and pass it on to someone who would actuall enjoy it? I'm also conscious that having a narrower grind on a nib clearly stamped 'B' would probably trigger my OCD every time I uncapped the pen, so there is that... What are your thoughts? Respect the nib, or grind away? 1. I won this unexpectedly in an auction, and am still sort of surprised I now own it: so it feels like a windfall...