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Hello everyone! First I am very impressed. I would never imagine an entire and large community would exist for fountain pen art so I am really excited! I already found help and learned a lot on the website but there is so many choice that i am confused so i allow myself to request your advice. I spent the day watching different video and review and I felt overwhelmed. That's why this title. I am ending a contract and my colleagues will offer me the traditional pen Caran d'Ache ivanhoe but I am sure I will not use it. instead of that it is a good opportunity for me to get a fountain pen with flexible nid but I do not know which one. I would like to do calligraphy and drawing with it only and not an everyday writing use. The budget is 200 - 300 Dollars. I already checked and saw the following brands: PILOT CUSTOM 912 14k falcon Noodler's Ahab Desiderata Flex Pen (no idea if i can find this in Switzerland) I also saw that it worth to check the vintage choices but since it is a gift and it has to be engraved it need to be new. I also know it is better to test before doing a choice but I do not have time. Finally I saw video like this or that made my mind blown. So I am lost :-) Thanks for your help. I am looking forward to learn more about FPN! Best Vanessa

I have to talk about my dissapointed experience with my first Visconti. It is very sad for me because I had huge expectations for this brand, and for italian pens in general. First, I know it is the "cheapest" Visconti pen in their line, however for the price I paid ($200), I thought I was going to be pleased with my new pen. When I received the package from Fahrneys Pens I was very excited, only yo my surprise when I held the pen it is veeeery light, not what I was expecting at all. The cap is generously heavy because the magnet thing, but the barrell and section is too light overall. So light that when I opened the cap, there was NO nib section!!! The description says that the set comes with three nibs in total. I only got two, the 1.5 stub, and a flexy nib. The medium nib with the chromed section was not included in the box, very strange Fahrneys! Ok, so After my first dissapointment, looking close at the fit and finish of the pen I started to look at small imperfections that I was not expecting from an Italian manufacturer like Visconti. The small chromed button at the end of the barrell was not in place, I could see and feel a gap between the end of the resin and the chromed button or finial. Well, it was because the converter when installed was so large that it was pushing the button out. I had to cut part of the converter so it could fit correctly inside the barrell. The imprint "Visconti" on the clip is not well made, it has some blemishes and is not even. Nothing to be worried about, but still noticeble. Now to the nib perfomance. I first installed the so called flex nib. I know that Visconti uses Bock to make their nibs. Well, I am very disapointed with this particular nib. It is very dry, and veeeery scratchy. So scratchy that it tears the paper. I tried to smooth it with micromesh but no difference is noted. It has so much starting issues that it is very frustrating. It never writes the first time, and I have to tap the nib onto the paper so that the ink flows to the tip of the tines. Then I tried the 1.5 italic nib. It was also very dry, after some tweakings on the feed I was able to write with it with some skips now and then. Also it has starting up issues like the flex nib. In conclusion, it has only been one frustrating day with this pen. But I am really dissapointed with this pen. Maybe it was my high expectations. Hopefully it doesn't happen with my next huge expectations pen that I will buy next. The Pelikan M 800.