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Hello everyone on the Fountain pen network! I hail from the beautiful island of Cyprus, the place that inspired the Caroube de Chypre ink by J. Herbin. A land where the fountain pens are definitely not common. I have been using fountain pens for close to 15 years but only recently got into collecting pens and just discovered the amazing world of inks! Like mentioned above, fountain pens are not common here (except for some parker pens and 1-2 parker inks) and people are still surprised if the see you writing with a fountain pen. This make me a bit of an oddity I guess, but it's something I'm used to as I am also left-handed. I recently also discovered that mr. Lambrou is a Cypriot, which made me feel much better about how oblivious of fountain pens my country is. I love the whole process of inking, writing, capping and uncapping, cleaning and maintaining fountain pens, and it's what drove me to pursue it further. I am generally a collector of various items, especially things connected to history. Always open to having a chat with people around the globe! Anyway, looking forward to connecting with you all and learning more about this amazing hobby/lifestyle.

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!