Ordered A Visconti Homo Sapiens Elegance

[Driften]

I ordered an Visconti Homo Sapiens Elegance today from Cult pens off clearance. They only have it in B but for $246 shipped I could not pass it up. They did not say if it was midi or maxi but from the few measurements they list I am expecting midi. I am fine with the midi. It seems like that should be about the size of my Pelikan M600 and I am happy with that. Actually with my hands even if it was Pelikan M400 size I could use it fine but would rather it be m600. If it for some reason turns out to be maxi I am also fine. It should not be too big for me. I was a little worried about bin QC but I have read from people here that with the Elegance models they seem to be doing much better on that. Also a bit worried that with a really wet nib the B might be a little to wide a line for me. I don't mind a nice 0.8-1.0mm nib if it is more stub or CI like, but for the money I saved off what other people want as a street price (~$360) for the midi I have more then enough money to have it reground and tuned how ever I would like it to be.

 

Reality check

Budget model HS

I like piston fillers and this is C/C

Ordering a pen from England to USA from a brand that can have QC issues

Nib may be wider then I like

Saving more then $100 off buying in the US with a M or B nib....

 

Maybe I am crazy... but don't think I would have bought it otherwise.

[PAKMAN]

Congrats! Hope you love it!

[Driften]

I got the pen today and it ended up being the Maxi/Oversized model! So I got a pen with a street price of $560 for $246.

The B nib is writing just fine with Robert Oster Blue Water Ice. I measured the line and it's on 0.7mm which is on the fine side for a B. It is writing more like a really wet M at the moment with this ink. So I worried over nothing about it being too wide for me. Even if the width changes after the pen has been used a bit it's still not going to be wider then I like. The nib is very smooth but is not having any issues with Rhodia paper. I like how it even feels smooth on cheep paper which I use more. I am loving the hook-lock cap but it's strange in how fast it works. It will take getting used to.

 

I think I am going to be happy with the pen. It does have me thinking now about getting one of the smaller Opera models to go with it. I don't need too many oversized pens. It does feel better then my Montblanc 149. Oh well something to think about next month.

 

Will post some pics later.

[Driften]

Here are some pictures with the pen compared to my Pelikan M805 and Montblanc 149.

Cult Pens also gave me free initials. They installed it before they shipped it. I am just happy they included the original logo one, I was not sure about having my initials on it but can leave it that way for now. No big deal swapping back.

 

(Sorry I just had time for some quick pics... not the best focus or quality)

 

http://driften.dragonsightsoftware.com/images/ViscontiHSE-1.png

 

http://driften.dragonsightsoftware.com/images/ViscontiHSE-2.png

 

http://driften.dragonsightsoftware.com/images/ViscontiHSE-3.png

Edited July 11, 2018 by Driften

[Stylo_dOr]

Your new Visconti Homo Sapiens Elegance is a really nice looking pen. I like the brightness of the black resin against the Palladium trim (bands and clip). Congratulations!

[Driften]

I am loving the pen, it's one of my favorites right now.

[Stylo_dOr]

In my opinion, there's nothing better than a favorite daily writer.

Edited July 28, 2018 by Stylo_dOr

[truphae_inc]

Beautiful pen! Hope you enjoy it!

[Driften]

It's really one of my top pens. I love it. I also really enjoy my Visconti Medici midi but the this oversized HS is more comfortable, but the Medici is nicer to carry around.

[Stylo_dOr]

  On 8/17/2018 at 5:03 PM, Driften said:

It's really one of my top pens. I love it. I also really enjoy my Visconti Medici midi but the this oversized HS is more comfortable, but the Medici is nicer to carry around.

 

Hey, Driften. I've read some vitriol on this forum lately about the apparent lack of QC by Visconti concerning their nibs. I have no doubt that those people had problems with their Viscontis out of the box. I'd be pretty upset too in all honesty. Fortunately, it doesn't sound like you had any problems with your two palladium nibs -- HS and Medici -- out of the box. Did you have your nibs adjusted by Cult Pens or anyone else before/after you bought your HS and Medici pens?

[Driften]

Of the four Visconti pens I bought in the last month three of them have palladium nibs and none of them have any quality control issues. None were adjusted by anybody. The Opera Club limited edition does write more fine then medium, but the rest are all just how I like them.

 

There are some rumors that the current Visconti palladium nibs are adjusted by a nibmeister before they are put in distributor stock.

[Stylo_dOr]

  On 8/18/2018 at 1:11 AM, Driften said:

Of the four Visconti pens I bought in the last month three of them have palladium nibs and none of them have any quality control issues. None were adjusted by anybody. The Opera Club limited edition does write more fine then medium, but the rest are all just how I like them.

 

There are some rumors that the current Visconti palladium nibs are adjusted by a nibmeister before they are put in distributor stock.

 

Ah yes, I forgot about your new Opera Club Sparkling Blu Deep Ocean LE -- a real beauty, to say the least. Which was the fourth one?

 

It makes sense that Visconti would have a nibmeister adjust their palladium nibs before releasing their pens, especially in light of the prices for Visconti pens. I guess I've just been a little surprised how many folks on this forum seem to have a strong negative opinion about Visconti's QC concerning their palladium nibs. Like you, I have a few Visconti pens with palladium nibs, and I've never encountered any problems out of the box.

[Driften]

I think the nibmeister adjustment is something new. Maybe they started it about when the HS Elegance came out.

 

My fourth Visconti is a Ragtime PenChalet had for less then $100. I wrote up my impressions on that one as well. It's not built as nice as the others but it didn't cost anything like the others. I has been a good budget Visconti.

[Stylo_dOr]

You're probably right about the nibmeister adjustment. There's just too many people upset about Visconti nibs to assume their complaints are happenstance.

 

I somehow missed your Ragtime review. My Van Goghs have been my budget Visconti pens -- very decent pens with steel nibs, but no comparison to those with palladium nibs.

[Tseg]

Sorry to resurect from the dead this purchase summary... there is just so little discussion and few reviews about this Elegence pen. I just won a new maxi at auction at a price below the OP so am now in the phase of doing additiional "research" before the pen arrives. The good news is it has been nearly unanimous from the few reviews I could find this nib write fantastically out of the box. My top 2 expensive pens are converter and I already have the plunger in my Custom 823 so I don't ding this pen at all for having a converter. After having spent some time accumulating pens I definitely appreciate a brilliant nib as my #1 priority and writing comfort as #2. It seems this pen should check those boxes. We'll see how it goes.

[Driften]

I still love this pen. I am so happy I ended up buying it even when I didn't know if it was the Maxi or not. It actually helped me become more accepting of converters again.

 

Good luck I hope your nib ends up being as nice as mine.

[Tseg]

I just received this pen. Amazing!!! I got an F nib and it is juicy but not sloppy juicy with Pelikan Brilliant Black. This pen is positioned to be an upscale daily writer and it most certainly is. Great feel, great functionality and great look. I went over this pen with a loupe and the fit and finish is exceptional. This nib is flawless (knock on wood) - no skips or hard starts with nice ink flow. The tines are perfectly balanced. Smooth writing with a hint of feedback. This is a solid a weighty pen... in a good way. This Fine really is a Fine, maybe even more fine than my Waterman Carene Fine and Pelikan M120. I don't plan to flex the nib, but a bit there if needed, pretty stiff but springy. Good deals can be had with this pen, I can't believe there is next to no review coverage of this exceptional writer.

 

By the end of the week I'll have also received a HS Bronze Age Fine. I am looking forward to the comparison.

Edited February 25, 2019 by Tseg

[Driften]

Congrats Tseg! I don't know why everybody thinks Visconti, and Pelikan, write a size or two wide. Mine sure didn't. My Elegance is still one of my favorites after eight months of owning it.

[idawood]

How is the capping on this pen? I have seen one reviewer mentioning that cap doesn't fit securily or come off easily being a resin body etc.

[Driften]

  On 6/3/2020 at 12:44 AM, idawood said:

How is the capping on this pen? I have seen one reviewer mentioning that cap doesn't fit securily or come off easily being a resin body etc.

 

The cap works as I would expect, but on my Medici I was using it in a pen pocket on cargo shorts and the cap did come off leaving the pen to drop and stain my shorts. So it can't be trusted to hang by the cap in a pocket longer then the pen. To be fair I've had screw caps do the same thing in that pocket. I've even had the body unscrew from the section on a snap cap pen in that pocket. I would think being a leg pocket causes much more motion then a shirt pocket.

 

I haven't tried the HS model in that pocket.