A Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze (Maxi) Review

[mreich1964]

Thank You for the great review, I will be getting online to order my own.

[Filot Palcon]

Great review, that pen looks great.

[Citizen]

Thank you for the review!

This is definitely the next pen on my list.

[sannidh]

Thank You for the great review, I will be getting online to order my own.

All the very best Did you decide between bronze/steel or ruthenium (dark age) ?

 

Great review, that pen looks great.

 

Thank you

Thank you for the review!

This is definitely the next pen on my list.

All the awesome best

[Stylo_dOr]

Thank you for the fine review. I had wondered about the Palladium nib. I think you answered my questions for the most part. Thank you again.

[ggrosjean]

Great review, thank you. I have one with a 1.3 Stub and I love it, not much of a stretch to say it's one of the best writers I own. My choice of ink for it raises some eyebrows, however, it is always filled with Noodler's General of the Armies.

[ct315]

thanks! i liked the pictures too!

[sannidh]

Thank you for the fine review. I had wondered about the Palladium nib. I think you answered my questions for the most part. Thank you again.

Thank you Feel it's a nice touch of a noble metal

 

Great review, thank you. I have one with a 1.3 Stub and I love it, not much of a stretch to say it's one of the best writers I own. My choice of ink for it raises some eyebrows, however, it is always filled with Noodler's General of the Armies.

Thank you

Now I am thinking of filling it with Iro Yama Budo or Sailor Yama Dori

 

thanks! i liked the pictures too!

thank you

[Betweenthelines]

Great review, like all of your reviews, with fantastic photos. Thank you!

 

I, however, will continue to avoid Visconti because of the consistent reports of QC issues. I stand by the fact that having to take 12000 grit sandpaper to a $600 pen out of the box in order for it to write smoothly is absolutely absurd and inexcusable, especially when Pilot is pumping out $10 metropolitans that write smoothly almost every time. Of course, Visconti is not the only "luxury" brand that seems to prioritize looks over actual writing experience and nib quality (*cough* Pelikan *cough*). I say this as someone who really likes (or rather, a love/hate) with Pelikan, and as someone who often drools over Visconti pens (Divina Elegance blue is often on my mind). Now if only we could combine Japanese QC with European styles and filling mechanisms, we'd really have a winner.

[sannidh]

Great review, like all of your reviews, with fantastic photos. Thank you!

 

I, however, will continue to avoid Visconti because of the consistent reports of QC issues. I stand by the fact that having to take 12000 grit sandpaper to a $600 pen out of the box in order for it to write smoothly is absolutely absurd and inexcusable, especially when Pilot is pumping out $10 metropolitans that write smoothly almost every time. Of course, Visconti is not the only "luxury" brand that seems to prioritize looks over actual writing experience and nib quality (*cough* Pelikan *cough*). I say this as someone who really likes (or rather, a love/hate) with Pelikan, and as someone who often drools over Visconti pens (Divina Elegance blue is often on my mind). Now if only we could combine Japanese QC with European styles and filling mechanisms, we'd really have a winner.

 

Thank you betweenthelines. Completely agree with you on this front. Should never have to bother for a grit/buff-stick on these expensive pens. It's ok if a metro comes out a bit scratchy, but not a HS/Omas. my *coughs* with pelikan too

Have drooled over the Divina (Blue one) and desert springs for quite a while now

Better to get it from CFP on expensive pens, which have minimal price arbitrage options , till European designing marries Japanese QC

Edited May 12, 2016 by soniknitr

[Betweenthelines]

 

Thank you betweenthelines. Completely agree with you on this front. Should never have to bother for a grit/buff-stick on these expensive pens. It's ok if a metro comes out a bit scratchy, but not a HS/Omas. my *coughs* with pelikan too

Have drooled over the Divina (Blue one) and desert springs for quite a while now

Better to get it from CFP on expensive pens, which have minimal price arbitrage options , till European designing marries Japanese QC

 

I must admit I'm a bit of a hypocrite - despite my outrage at poor QC on expensive pens, it doesn't stop me from buying them (I can't seem to resist Pelikan) . I would buy from CFP but the markup is just too high to justify - it's honestly cheaper to order directly from the country of origin and then pay a nibmeister to fix it if need be. Silly, but it's true. Ah well!

 

Thank you again for all your top notch reviews. In my opinion, having read hundreds on this site, you set the standard for quality in both content and photos. Cheers!

[888007888]

So I sold my HS Bronze Age 1.3 stub. Searching for a HS with a fine or medium or broad. The 1.3mm was too wide for office use. It was a short lived ownership. What nib do you all suggest? It will be used primarily at work as a daily writer. Thanks!

[sannidh]

 

I must admit I'm a bit of a hypocrite - despite my outrage at poor QC on expensive pens, it doesn't stop me from buying them (I can't seem to resist Pelikan) . I would buy from CFP but the markup is just too high to justify - it's honestly cheaper to order directly from the country of origin and then pay a nibmeister to fix it if need be. Silly, but it's true. Ah well!

 

Thank you again for all your top notch reviews. In my opinion, having read hundreds on this site, you set the standard for quality in both content and photos. Cheers!

 

I would join you too, when it comes to the case of pelikans

At least you would not have a concern around filling system, ink capacity etc when it belongs to the flock.

Thank you so much

Cheers!

[sannidh]

So I sold my HS Bronze Age 1.3 stub. Searching for a HS with a fine or medium or broad. The 1.3mm was too wide for office use. It was a short lived ownership. What nib do you all suggest? It will be used primarily at work as a daily writer. Thanks!

Even the fine lays quite a bit of ink, one of my friends had to exchange a medium for a fine for a daily use pen. Given the point that you would use a daily carry to write on cheaper paper as well.

Personally I would prefer a fine or extra fine (Fine has same width as pelikan m8XX Fine nib), though a little bit of pressure could increase the amount of ink put on paper.

[888007888]

Sounds good. I'll go for the fine HS. Thx. My current daily writer is a GvFC Platino Wood Ebony with the huge and springy Fine nib. Love it. Just nice to change thing s up now and again.

Edited May 12, 2016 by 888007888

[Precise]

I'm sending a new HS back for exchange due to defective vacuum. But I read all four pages here, seeking to learn more about the HS. Here are a couple of comments:

 

1. For less than $10 you can buy a digital scale which reads to 0.1 gram. With that you can know how much ink is in this, or any other pen.

 

2. Yes it's "inexcusable" for an expensive pen to need nib work. But unfortunately it has been true for more than half of the expensive pens I've purchased. It's a "dark fact" of our pen hobby. But you can mitigate your disgust by learning the art of tuning. I guarantee that when you do, you'll enjoy our hobby all the more. It so satisfying, that I don't even grumble any more when my new expensive nib needs work. I look forward to making it write superbly.

 

A lot is written here at FPN about this or that pen being too wet or too dry, or even just right. These are not characteristics of the model or the maker, be that maker Visconti, Omas, Montblanc or Pelikan. These are characteristics of one pen. The next from that maker may be quite the opposite.

 

Ditto for smoothness. That too is characteristic of one pen. And when you become your own nibmeister, you can make almost any pen essentially perfect.

 

Try it. You'll love it.

 

Alan

Edited May 15, 2016 by Precise

[sannidh]

Sounds good. I'll go for the fine HS. Thx. My current daily writer is a GvFC Platino Wood Ebony with the huge and springy Fine nib. Love it. Just nice to change thing s up now and again.

All the best

I love my GvFCs , one of the smoothest experiences..

[sannidh]

I'm sending a new HS back for exchange due to defective vacuum. But I read all four pages here, seeking to learn more about the HS. Here are a couple of comments:

 

1. For less than $10 you can buy a digital scale which reads to 0.1 gram. With that you can know how much ink is in this, or any other pen.

 

2. Yes it's "inexcusable" for an expensive pen to need nib work. But unfortunately it has been true for more than half of the expensive pens I've purchased. It's a "dark fact" of our pen hobby. But you can mitigate your disgust by learning the art of tuning. I guarantee that when you do, you'll enjoy our hobby all the more. It so satisfying, that I don't even grumble any more when my new expensive nib needs work. I look forward to making it write superbly.

 

A lot is written here at FPN about this or that pen being too wet or too dry, or even just right. These are not characteristics of the model or the maker, be that maker Visconti, Omas, Montblanc or Pelikan. These are characteristics of one pen. The next from that maker may be quite the opposite.

 

Ditto for smoothness. That too is characteristic of one pen. And when you become your own nibmeister, you can make almost any pen essentially perfect.

 

Try it. You'll love it.

 

Alan

 

Thanks Alan for the motivation and advice..I do hope your replacement HS is shipped soon enough. Really appreciate your words & experience. Measuring the volume of ink with a graduated tube leaves some ink inside the feed/nib unit. And we can take ink density around 1 g/ml to measuring the weight difference between filled and unfilled pens.

 

Though with limited experience, I have put some buff sticks to good/great use with a few of my relatively cheaper pens. Personally, I would refrain from smoothening an expensive nib because of limited experience in tuning nibs.

Also the experience of nibs becoming wonderfully responsive and smooth after a few months of writing (+ perhaps small adjustments like opening the tines a bit to resolve flow issues) makes me feel, that at times we get a bit impatient with pens/nibs... perhaps the true aphorism is..money can't buy happiness...it's a personal decision how to be....

 

joy,

sonik

[888007888]

Decided that since I have a GvFC Intuition in fine, and a 147 in medium, that I carry in my Visconti three pen case, I picked up the HS in broad and I'm so happy I did. First fill was with Delta black ink. Really flat and dull and was disappointed. Changed to Aurora Black ink and now it is perfect. So smooth. Nice line. Not too thick not to skinny and good line variation. I rate the HS Bronze Age a 9/10. Love the understated look and feel of the pen in my hands. Nib looks wonderful and is buttery smooth. I like the large size of the nib as well. If my thumb didn't rest on the blocky threads, this pen would be 10/10.

[sannidh]

Decided that since I have a GvFC Intuition in fine, and a 147 in medium, that I carry in my Visconti three pen case, I picked up the HS in broad and I'm so happy I did. First fill was with Delta black ink. Really flat and dull and was disappointed. Changed to Aurora Black ink and now it is perfect. So smooth. Nice line. Not too thick not to skinny and good line variation. I rate the HS Bronze Age a 9/10. Love the understated look and feel of the pen in my hands. Nib looks wonderful and is buttery smooth. I like the large size of the nib as well. If my thumb didn't rest on the blocky threads, this pen would be 10/10.

Congratulations .. I too got another, could not resist the urge to get a demo of the HS..Initially it ran wet with a EF line and wrote somehwhat different widths at different angles. Found the nib had come with misaligned tines, thankfully could align them at home.

 

Review - Coming Up

 

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/IMG_4529_zpsygfxf9zl.jpg

Edited May 31, 2016 by sannidh