Need Help Deciding: Edson Or Skeleton

[DrHaire]

Sorry to those of you who have been around here a while and have read an abundance of posts. The apology is because I have not been able to find a post about these two pens, the Waterman Edson and the Visconti 14k Skeleton Demo, pitted against each other. Thus, the reason for this post is to engage in friendly discussion about which is better to purchase. Below are some details about each of them to help with the decision.

 

Both pens are the same price (within about 20 dollars of each other) from my particular retailer. Additionally, I am a loyal customer and buy most of my pens from him. This has allowed me to work out deals with him and the winner of these two pens will be a part of a deal. The pens are roughly $450 US, or lower if the negotiating goes more my way.

 

The Visconti comes with a M nib and the Edson is a B nib which I would send in to exchange with a M unless someone delivers a solid argument.

 

The Visconti has caught my eye because of the demonstrator barrel and the unique skeletal design. I also do not own a Visconti pen, but I do have one piston-filled pen, which is a Stipula Ventidue 22 (although it has problems as they all do).

 

The Edson caught my eye, because that is just what that pen does to people. I also own a Waterman Phileas and a Waterman Carene, which are both personal favorites. The Carene is a sentimental gift from my father and also is one of my two favorite pens, currently tied with a Cross Verve. The Edson is definitely a pen I want to own at some point, just not entirely sure about right now.

 

The next is some information about me personally to help with the discussion. I have personally written with steel, titanium, and 18k gold nibs. I think the titanium flex is unique, but I write so softly that flex or spring rarely make a difference to me (with the exception of the Titanium because that flex is extreme even for soft writers). My gold nibs are definitely my favorite with the exception of the Phileas and I prefer a moderately heavy pen. The Cross Verve is an exceptional writer that I love and keep in constant rotation with my Carene. These are my two favorites with the Phileas and my Schaeffar Legacy Heritage as the runners up. When the Carene and Verve are being cleaned, these two step in. The fifth in the running, which is used occasionally for light writing, is my Cross C Series. This pen would be number 3, but it has some pretty severe ink starvation problems that I haven't had a chance to send out to get fixed, yet.

 

I hope all this information is helpful and that you all produce friendly, helpful, and informative comments.

 

Thanks in advance,

Tim

 

P.S. Both are NOS

Edited June 18, 2015 by DrHaire

[Bisquitlips]

Just my personal opinion, but I think I would go with the Edson.

 

But please do more research before spending the $$$ as you are the one that matters.

 

I have owned both and the Edson nib is like writing with a nail, but I liked that.

 

I don't like touching metal when writing so the Visconti leaves me wanting.

 

Good luck!

[zaddick]

I need more specifics on the Visconti. Is this the old pen that is titanium coated with the power filler plunger? Or just post a picture. I can then give you a more detailed response. Thanks.

[DrHaire]

Thank you very much for the advice bisquitlips, I have heard that the Edson is very firm in the nib, but its also hard to understand how people judge. It seems relative without some caparison. Is there any other pen you can think of that is fairly common and/or inexpensive so I can try and get an idea before dropping 500 on a pen?

 

Zaddick I will post a link of the one below because the picture is copyrighted. I believe is the pen from 2002 that is not LE. It is the ag925 model that is clear with a goldish finish. Also I see that some come with the piston fill which is a plunger style if we are considering plunger the same (the piston mechanism extends outside the barrel and then is pushed/pulled in and out to fill or clean) and some are converter. This one is the piston fill with a M 14k 585 nib. I hope this helps.

 

Thanks again,

Tim

[zaddick]

Hi Tim. The one with the converter is a smaller pen, and this makes a difference in comparison to the size of an Edson.

 

Here is a list of pros and cons as I see them.

 

Edson pros:

- the blue and gold cap color combo is stunning (a matter of taste of course)

- secure slip cap makes it easier to jot things down vs a screw cap

- firm nib (like zero flex, will rip paper before it flexes a speak) but quite smooth

- beautiful inlaid nib is a pleasure to look at as you write

- safe for airline travel (but really so are most pens)

- a very distinct style, it is a flagship pen

- easy to hold the pen at various points as there re no threads or step in the section

- good quality reputation and warranty

- solid resale value

 

Edson cons:

- cartridge/converter has less ink capacity

- resin body can get internal fractures

- frosted cap surface can scratch easily

- cap dome dents easily if the pen is dropped (I have seen it first hand)

- may draw unwanted attention/flashy

- scuff lines on the inlaid portion of the section will develop

 

Visconti pros:

- Its a demonstrator with a skeleton. If you like it, it is great to behold the ink inside

- Good weight and quality

- Power filler has large ink capacity vs converter

- Strong design

- less common

 

Visconti cons:

- power fillers (what you are calling pistons) are a pain to flush and never seem to get all the way clean

- you can see ink in places it should not be in a demo pen. Hard to handle for neat freaks

- some Visconti nibs are prone to baby bottom (older 14K and 18K seem to have less issues)

- Visconti has so many pens you can't say there is a flagship

- weak resale value on Vsiconti pens in general

 

I like demo pens and have many and several from Visconti. I also like springy nibs. However, there is something quite nice about the Edson so I bought 2. It is a hard call. For me the main issue with demonstrator pens is the fact that ink will eventually get places it cannot really be cleaned out without taking the pen apart (and I am not that handy). The Visconti Skeleton pen is not my favorite design for a demo. I like the ripple pens that were produced for Chatterley Luxuries as demonstrators. I also like the Carbon dream. If the choice was one of them vs and Edson I would pick them. But for me, given your two choices, i would go with the Edson if my list did not raise any red flags for you.

 

If you buy the Edson and plan to use it, I would be happy to swap my M for your B and toss in a few bucks to make up for the fact it is used. Or if you swap for a stub and then swap with me I'll toss in a few more bucks.

 

It is hard to go wrong with either pen. It is a bit apples to oranges. Let me know if I can answer any specific questions.

[DrHaire]

Thanks Zaddick, i really appreciate the response. The Visconti is the power filler, but does not include the traveling inkwell, which is not a big deal to me (I will not be spending the extra 100 for it). I think I am going to end up going with the Visconti because upon going into the store this morning I realized I was looking at the roller ball Edson, not the FP. The FP is actually about 200 dollars more expensive so I may be waiting on this for later, perhaps could even find a ruby one around the same 700 dollar price point. I also do not think he will bargain that pen due to its nature and desirability.

 

However, I still am not totally decided so if anyone else wants to chime in, bring it on.

 

For those of you wondering the package deal I am trying to work out is: Either the Visconti or Edson paired with a discontinued Silver Cross Spire, a Yard-O-Led Viceroy Standard Barley, a Burgundy Pilot Knight, and depending on the deal a Pelikan or Parker (although I am still undecided on model for both and money will be taken into consideration, probably around 100 dollar for Parker and 200 for Pelikan mark before the negotiating).

 

P.S. The Skeleton below is the Titanium coating I believe and the one in my store is more of a goldish tint, but the only pictures I can find are copyrighted from Peninasia.com

[Wolverine1]

Tim- I like the Waterman Edson. Have one in the Blue/Gold color scheme. Like has been said, it had a rather rigid nib, so writing with an Edson can be a slightly different experience.