Visconti Hs Lava Steel Midi F (Expanding Long Term Review)

[TheDutchGuy]

Six-month update.

 

+ The nib is becoming gradually softer, bouncier, more feathery, and hence is showing more wonderfully subtle line width variation. Its sort of verging on semi-flex territory and I love that. Its my only non-vintage pen that offers me this.

 

+ The beauty of the design continues to impress, without fail. I dont get used to it. It doesnt fade. Visconti really hit it out of the park with this one.

 

+ For longer sessions and/or for those who have larger hands, the cap posts very securely and when posted the pen has more length than youll ever need. Surprisingly, it doesnt become too back-heavy; instead, the extra weight of the cap seems to push down on the nib and boosts the wonderfully subtle line width variation.

 

/ Sometimes (and only sometimes), there seems to be an air bubble somewhere in the pen that trpas the ink and impedes its flow. A gentle tap against the section solves this, e.g. with a wooden pencil.

 

/ The ridges of the cap lock mechanism sometimes bother me when I write, but to be fair most pens have something that bothers me.

 

/ The cap lock mechanism, though ingenious and beautiful, is not secure. Put this pen anywhere on your body and sooner rather than later the cap will come off.

 

/ Having the Midi, frantic bouts of Pen Acquisition Syndrome invariably hit me whenever I see a nice, full-size Lava Bronze... Restraint is required.

Edited July 4, 2019 by TheDutchGuy

[TheDutchGuy]

Received a question via PM about ease of maintenance of the Midi. Indeed I have not mentioned much about that in this review, so here goes.

 

The Midi has a friction-fit nib/feed assembly that you can pull out if necessary, so if you really need to get in there, you can. But obviously you should not do that frequently because the fit will become less secure. I believe the full-sized HS has a screw-in nib/feed assembly. The piston mechanism on the Midi is well-built and works great, but to disassemble it you would need some specific tooling and knowledge (Visconti is not exactly forthcoming with info on how to do this). Having said that, I cannot think why it would have to be disassembled.

 

To clean my pen, I dip the pen in a glass of lukewarm water and repeatedly fill/empty it by turning the piston knob. Within a minute, clear water exits the pen. If needed, you can leave water in the pen overnight to remove all traces of ink. I only use high-quality ink in my HS and refrain from using pigment inks, iron gall inks or shimmering inks. I did use Sailor Kiwaguro once, which is an intensely black nano particle ink, and even that ink was easily removed from the pen.

 

To summarize, in terms of maintenance and dependability, this is a hassle-free pen. It simply works and requires very little maintenance.

[Tas]

You like this pen dont you The Dutch Guy. . . 🤗

🥰

[TheDutchGuy]

You like this pen dont you The Dutch Guy. . .

Yes, ma’am, I do. If you get a HS with a good nib and good flow, then it is almost impossible not to fall in love with it.

[TheDutchGuy]

Another reason to love this pen: reverse writing is a completely viable option. The abundance of tipping material makes it super-easy to create a reliable, mirror-smooth reverse-writing pen. Its a very thin line (note the scale on the left of the writing sample below), nevertheless a pleasant, ultra-smooth writing experience. Note that it did not require a regrind or major work; it was achieved within 5 minutes and some 12k grit.

 

 

 

Ive been considering to buy a Vanishing Point with F-nib to get a very thin line combined with a smooth writing experience, but after several weeks of serious writing with both sides of this nib, I can save myself that money.

[dennis_f]

I love this review. It was a brilliant idea and continues to be useful for those of us who haven't bought one yet.

 

Thanks for keeping the thread going.

 

One question for you: how has the material aged over time? I've seen several images of older models that show a discoloration of the material. It seems to develop a patina of white dots as it ages. Has this been the case with yours?

 

I was just on the cusp of purchasing one a few months ago (after reading through your review), and suddenly, all of the pens seemed to vanish from retailers in my area... I'm waiting anxiously for a restocking to take place.

[TheDutchGuy]

I love this review. It was a brilliant idea and continues to be useful for those of us who haven't bought one yet. Thanks for keeping the thread going.

Youre welcome! And thank you for reading it!

 

One question for you: how has the material aged over time? I've seen several images of older models that show a discoloration of the material. It seems to develop a patina of white dots as it ages. Has this been the case with yours?

Absolutely not. Personally I was worried about the section becoming recolored from dipping the pen in ink, but in fact it is easy to clean. I have seen pens in stores that were very pale-grey, at least compared to the usual black-ish look of most HS pens Ive seen. Personally I dont think the pens change colour over time, but that some of them happen to be made from a lighter shade of material than others.

 

I was just on the cusp of purchasing one a few months ago (after reading through your review), and suddenly, all of the pens seemed to vanish from retailers in my area... I'm waiting anxiously for a restocking to take place.

I strongly advise to try before you buy, or to buy from a webstore that allows a trial period refund policy. Pens are so very very personal... For some hands, the Midi may be too small. Some may be bothered by the ridges of the caplock mechanism. As has been noted many many times, the quality of the nibs can vary widely. I guess I was fortunate with my Midi, in the sense that it really suits me and doesnt have QC issues. I hope youll find one soon! Edited September 6, 2019 by TheDutchGuy

[dennis_f]

Thanks DutchGuy. I buy all my pens at stores because I absolutely agree with you; feel in the hand has everything to do with whether or not I'll like a pen. And there have been many pens I have wanted to buy but just haven't been comfortable for me. Thankfully the HS fits and feels wonderful! I'm looking forward to one very soon.

 

And thanks too for answering my question about discolouration. I'm glad to hear that that pale grey look isn't something that happens to the pen over time.

[Darcy1978]

Nice! I am also late to the party and got a second hand Bronze Age the other day. Funnily I am also at walking distance of Appelboom - though I guess it would be around an hour's walk.

[TheDutchGuy]

Nice! I am also late to the party and got a second hand Bronze Age the other day. Funnily I am also at walking distance of Appelboom - though I guess it would be around an hour's walk.

Congratulations on finding your Bronze Age! May it serve you well. It’s really nice to live near a good store like Appelboom. I always walk into town for my groceries and such and about once a week I pop into Appelboom, sometimes for a Preppy to give away to friends or colleagues, or for some ink, or just to stare at some nice pens, or for a quick chat with the always-friendly staff.