Doug- I splurged on this some months back, and the experience initially left me less than satisfied. I purchased it from a reputable online dealer. The first one came with baby bottom and I had to send it back. The second one came back and would skip on certain strokes. I sent it back and was told there was nothing wrong with it- that didn't make the experience any better! I then sent it to a nibmeister who sent me photos showing there was an alignment problem. He tuned it and it is now my favorite, but the experience was marred by the issues above. It now writes like soft butter and is delightful. I just think that at this price point, a pen should come out of the box writing perfectly, as you said in your comments. Lesson learned- I will never purchase a pen of high price point without trying one out first in a shop or at a show, once the pandemic is over, or purchasing it from a vendor that does in house tuning prior to shipping. Just my two cents. Thanks for all your great work and Happy New Year.
I was glad of the opportunity to try Sean's Visconti HS. I had a lust on about the model and using one cooled that fervor a bit. Thanks for sharing Mr.Cabimero!
I recently bought this pen (Dark Age trim) and its a dream, but with 2 big differences with youre reviewed pen. 1) i got a M nib, way less wet and never a problem, right out the box perfect 2) i have the 18K gold nib, Visconti has allready stopped the Palladium nibs Yes expensive: but the looks, the feel, the touch and above all: the excellent (superb maybe) writing: highly recommended if youre looking for a pen in this price range. Heavy?, maybe, but i allways liked the more heavier pen and use it with the cap on the back, imo its not too heavy but that will be personal preferences. My Waterman Serinite does not like the Visconti as its now boxed and stored.
Doug, thanks again for another informative review. I've been looking at the HS for some time now and wondered about the section. You noted exactly what I was concerned about due to the latching mechanism. An interesting note the two models with the ink windows hold more than twice as much ink. I've also been looking at a Pelikan 800 maybe a review subject for the future? German vs Italy. Hope you make it to Europe with the wife sometime soon.
Yes interesting Doug. It was great that you were loaned this Visconti. I have some reservations in delving again into an premier priced pen as this mirrors my own experience. It’s a tricky thing to criticise such kindness and we all have our own thoughts on what constitutes ones aims in a purchase. But thanks for the work which is involved in putting this together. My best wishes to everyone who may read this.
I appreciate that Tim. It IS a difficult thing. And it is a brave and generous thing for Sean to do as well. Another pen friend from the US is currently sending me his Pelikan M805 Stresemann on loan for review and I always get a bit queasy in the pit of my stomach at the prospect thinking, "what if I don't like it?" LOL
I've got an older, oversize version of this (beautiful) pen. It's one of my favorites and it writes magnificently. I was fortunate to be able to buy mine at a manufacturer's expo day at Fountain Pen Hospital in NY. It was bought straight from the hands of the Visconti representative, so I was able to try writing with it before taking it home, etc. Mine does not have a shutoff valve (I think it's my only vac filler without one). Also, for a pen a large as it is, I think the ink capacity is a bit below expectations, but I'm being really picky as I LOVE this pen and the material is really one-of-a-kind. I don't polish the bronze on mine at all, and just let it age. I always make sure to clean the section well after filling, as it can get ink stains due to the hydrophilic nature of the material (I also always use brown ink in this pen, just to be on the safe side). Great video as always!
Nice objective review. I had one Visconti, sold it. Had to have first nib replaced by retailer, won't write. Second nib required much work to be usable. Based on that and other's experiences I have no desire to own another Visconti. I have been tempted at many pen shows, but never enough for a buy. Yes, they do look great & have great Italian artistry. But to quote another reviewer "Pens are made to write."
That is so true, Chris. Thanks. I'm taking this to Jack to look at it. BTW I got your letter in the mail yesterday. Thanks so much. Will write back. :)
Getting it at a pen show is probably the best option. You can try it right away, and have it tuned as needed. And maybe we will have pen shows again at some point.
Hey Doug. Good to see you! I've done the same fogging of the glass at Two Hands Paperie here in Boulder.. a great pen and paper shop.. nice selection of lovely pens.. the Bronze has sold well there .. love Parker Posey! Best to you my friend! Frank from Boulder, Colorado, US
The Homo Sapiens is my grail pen too, and I got a Steel Age this past year. I have had a bit of trouble with the nib (because someone dropped it), but it is repaired and writes very smoothly. I experience the railroading when I use pressure, but when I write regularly, there is only a pleasurable writing experience. I wanted the Bronze Age initially, but now that I have the Steel Age, I am glad I got it. It doesn't tarnish (patina) as the Bronze Age does, and I really like the look of it.
I don't really know because this pen was on loan and I only wrote with it briefly. This one was VERY wet but I'm not sure that's typical. Besides, if it is too wet, you can make it less wet with simple adjustments.
Great review, but my understanding is that the normal Bronze Age isn’t a double reservoir power filler, so you wouldn’t need to release the piston knob when you write. The Bronze Age Skylight has a double reservoir, but not the original.
Great vid, Doug. I have heard that Visconti has stopped using the Pd nibs and gone back to 18K Gold due to many owners having some of the same problems you demonstrated. I have two Visconti(s) on my Grail List: HOMO SAPIENS CRYSTAL DREAM & DIVINA ELEGANCE. Given what they cost, I think making it on to the Grail List is as close as I will ever get.
That is true. They initially went to palladium because it was cheaper than gold, and the quality was inconstant. Also, bounce is NOT flex. These are not flex nibs.
They are in that price range that makes them show pieces instead of practical writing instruments. I can't imagine writing with a $1000+ pen every day.
@@InkquiringMinds My Visconti Opera has been in my shirt pocket since I got it as a gift for my thirtieth birthday. And back then it was essentially worth my weekly wage. Served me well for over a decade. Resin is just fine. Some of the gold plating has worn off the metal parts, but not much, andvhardly unexpected with all the use. There is some ink trapped between the cap and cap liner, so you can see it as a black ring from the outside as the resin is semi translucent, but there is no way of cleaning it out as one would have to disassemble the cap completely to get at it, and it would just happen again anyway. I think of it as character. ;) Didn't clean it for a decade, just fed it new ink once or twice a week as it ran low. Eventually this started to cause some issue, but literally after a decade plus of constant use, so not unexpected either. Spend couple hours giving it a good flush, and flushed out a whole bunch of dried old ink. When it ran clear filled it again, and it has been writing like new since. Many other pens insist on a good clean after a few fills, or few months, so this was a heroic performance. Most of my other pens get a flush a lot more often, as I do it when switching inks, but this one was my black ink pen, so it had Noodler's Black till I switched to Noodler's Heart of Darkness, which it has had since.
Hi I saw your video about this pen several times. At first congratulation for the video is very analytic and need it cause interesting to buy one, but it cost a lot of money (in Greece is less than 600 dollars but still quite expensive) and noticed three things didn’t like it for this price. The first one is that you need to unscrew the refilling system for better ink flowing… second thing is how ink flowing. And third problem with dry pen while writing. I think for this very beautiful pen, to unscrew the refiling system its not elegant. Also its ink flowing is a problem if you write something fast and need to give to someone for example. My latest pen is the Pelican Souverin M800 with similar refilling system, medium nibs. With this pen never need toy unscrew the refilling system and also ink flowing is too much if you compare with parker Sonnet with medium nibs also, but never need to wait until the ink dry. So from one hand I like a lot to buy and use this Visconti pen but from the other hand have these disadvantages. Thank you again for this video I have to think a lot about this pen
Terrific review, thanks. I have my heart set on one of the Visconti Van Gogh series. (By the way, small correction from the retired English teacher. You used frou-frou as an adjective not a noun. 😂🤪)
Pardon me, teach. 😂😀 I should have said, "It has the Italian frou-frou AS adornments". Merriam Webster says "These days it also shows up as the adjective "frou-frou," meaning "very heavily decorated and fancy," as in "frou-frou designs." So, usage as an adjective is acceptable as well.
I think so. The problem with these Palladium nibs is that they were either very good or very bad. And the good ones very good and the bad very bad. And you never know.
I recently got this Grail pen (from Goulet Pen Co.) and I love it! I don't find it has the double reservoir or shutoff you mentioned. Other vacuum fillers do I know. My Bronze Age HS will write forever till it runs out of ink. I've never had to release more ink to the feed by unscrewing the blind cap. Does anyone else know anything more about this? Thanks
Thanks for sharing! I've never heard of a Homo Sapiens model where the vacuum filler piston doesn't seal the section. There might be a flaw in the gasket at the end of the rod?
@@InkquiringMinds Interesting. Thank you. I don't think I'll try taking it apart to check. Loll Nope. It works and writes beautifully for me as it is. I don't fly and don't miss the shutoff feature if mine is broken. Thanks again.
@@InkquiringMinds I contacted my vendor the Goulet Pen Co. to ask about the HS shutoff system. As per GPC: "The Homo Sapiens Dark Age and the others in that run (dark age, magma) do not need to be opened for extended writing and will continually write if the valved is fully closed. The pens don't have a sealing function built into them so I don't think you've lost any parts!" I was worried a gasket might be floating around in my ink chamber waiting to jam the filling system. Looks like I'm okay. Phew!
@@InkquiringMinds I love my Visconti Opera, which has the pre-palladium gold nib. It is medium, but writes very broad, which was normal behavior of those nibs. I have used it everyday for well over a decade, and it has served me well.
I love the feel of the material, but have never written with one. It is a striking pen. I like how you are willing to mix and compare 'low' and 'high' end pens in your reviews. I'm not a fan of gushers - there is too little control unless your handwriting is massive. I prefer nicely wet with a capable feed.
Your early description of the pen is positively baudelairean, driving me to a state of frenzied pen lust - that is until you uttered the words six hundred...dollars. Still, if I had the means it would not be out of place in the back seat of my Rolls-Royce Ghost Extended body which I recently purchased from Walter Mitty. Another review hit out of the park.
It really does write better than in the writing sample. It decided to choose THAT moment when it was on camera to behave like an Italian DIVA! LOL It is going to my nibmeister for a checkup.
My Visconti Opera with the pre-palladium gold nib is a gusher, as the nib marked medium writes a nice wet broad line. It really sparked my desire for other broad and double broad nibs. (I mean it is broader than some nibs that are officially broad.) I would love to get my hands on one of the palladium nibs before they entirely disappear.
Wow...that is a BEAUTIFUL pen and it has sooooo many features that I desire, but that nib is uber-super wet! I have an xxf flex nib like it that I heat-tempered and do not use because it just gushes ink no matter what feed/pen I put it on. Farewell xxf lines...lol I personally prefer xxf tips and flex-write microscopically small for fun...to that end, I grind all of my flex nibs down to that specification. Is the "Wall Street" pen a variation of that Homo Sapiens pen? I definitely agree with your points on the negatives about the pen. That newer model with the ink window is definitely preferable. Of course, I'll probably never buy one due to the price...but it's nice to look at. Thank you for this in-depth review!
I think the Wall Street was a variation of the Opera. Wanted it, but couldn't afford it when it came out, and it is very collectable, so it has essentially turned into unobtanium as any that come on the market do so at insane prices.
Extremely nice looking pen Doug until you came to the section,it would annoy me too it seems a really short section for the size of the pen.I know its a different class of pen but the moonman S5 diamond facet on the barrel above the section sits right in the middle of my thumb when i grip the pen(so annoying).I would have to say that i have learn`t that this pen is off my grail list.By the way what colour is your Van Gogh please you use in the size comparison its stunning?
Doug, this Broad nib is pouring ink. Please get it tuned. I have been using Visconti pens for quite sometime including Special editions and I love all of them.
Douglas Rathbun - Great Sir. I am sure you are enjoying it. Even the new Gold nibs offered by Visconti are amazing. Thanks for the wonderful review Sir. Your videos are v interesting.
I am a woman with small/medium hands and I love writing with the HS. My birthday is coming up and I was planning on getting the Dark Age for myself but then they went and announced the Lava Color! Now I just don’t know what to do!
@@InkquiringMinds The choice is excruciating, as lack of ink window was one of the few downsides. I could do with a smaller one though. The new colors are also interesting, and will certainly patina more with use than the all black one will.
Visconti has struggled with art vs function with art winning by several touchdowns. My first Homo Sapiens had a Palladium Nib Broad like the one in the video. It was a paintbrush although it never exhibited either hard starts or ink starvation. Exchanging the Palladium nib with the 18Kt gold Broad fixed that problem.
These nib issues are not make specific. They happen to all manufacturers. If you buy from a good dealer, it's no problem. We had a Sailor with 21k gold music nib (stub). Starting problems on almost every down stroke. Dealer (La Couronne du Comte in Tilburg, The Netherlands) send the pen back to Sailor UK. We got a new one within 2 weeks that writes beautifully. Good video!
There’s my grail pen! Except I kind of wanted the Dark Age. Then they came out with the ink window versions. It seems you and I are on a very similar journey to get a Homo Sapiens. I want to buy it in person from a shop in Wisconsin, and the virus ruined that plan. Then I spent the money I’d saved, so I’ll have to build it up again before next summer.
Viscont..... Visconti.....whatever it takes! :). Such a stunning looking pen. Masculine, rich, gorgeous. I think medium is on the thick side of the line for my taste so Broad is out of the question. Price tag...OUCH !! Especially with that writing sample.
220, 221, whatever it takes. You caught that did you Andy? LOL The broad is a freakin' paint brush! The pen writes a LOT better than that writing sample indicates. The pen was being a DIVA for the camera it seems. Still skippy.
@@InkquiringMinds yeah I'm a fine, extra fine guy....always have been since drafting days. I simply cant get used to the gushers. If I want to use a paint brush I'll get out my acrylics. I also print 99 percent of the time I write and pet peeve is sloppy letters.
@@agradoville I'm sure some people (lawyers, doctors) would appreciate a big, broad pen like this on their desks for signatures only. Trump uses a Sharpie.
@@InkquiringMinds A lot of celebrities use a sharpie, as it writes on most things, so they can easily autograph whatever they are asked to. Will even do skin if the fans should so desire. That is a bit tricky with fountain pens, but some inks could manage.
Did you spring that nice man's nib? Tsk tsk. 😉 Thanks for the great, extended leer at that exquisite pen. Speaking of Mt Etna, a great way to see the source of the material is to search for Giro d'Italia Mt Etna. The Tour of Italy bike race frequently includes a stage with the road to the top of Mt Etna, Sicily, on the course.
NOT AT ALL! I want to be clear that his is NOT a flex pen. I bounced it a bit, but it is a very soft nib and glides so smoothly you don't want to put any pressure on it. I'm having my nibmeister look at it before it goes back to the owner.
Absolutely when the nib is pushed a bit. It isn’t a flex nib. But I experienced constant skipping on the downstrokes. It is going to a nibmeister to be checked.
If it wasent for that gosh dang short grip section i would be in love!! Really concerned about those grooves for the cap... And how they affect the comfort. Most of all i LOVE the filling system and double resivoir. Ugggghgggggg that grip section R.I.P :(
Great review Doug. I have the oversize with a F nib that writes like a medium (I normally like M, B and stubs). I added feedback by using micro mesh 6000 followed by 8000 for just a handful of figure 8s. The nib itself was fine.
As usual I enjoyed your review, but this one was a bit like watching the lottery draw. Interesting but the chance of it being mine is very slim :) I now only have budget pens though many years ago I had Duofolds, centennials and the most beautiful pen ever made (in my opinion) The Waterman Edson. Everything about it was perfect except that it did not suit my hand lol.
I know that I already commented on this but I found a Visconti that I have fallen in love with and had to give it a mention. Check out the Visconti Medici Rose Savrano. It is very reminiscent of one of my true Grail Pens, the OMAS Arco Celluloid. Difference is that I may actually be able to afford the Visconti one day!
I wouldn't like to spring that nib. Visconti have very strict rules about that sort of thing. I.e. It didn't leave the factory like that- you caused the damage, you pay, the warranty doesn't cover that sort of abuse.
I started the video then paused it to make a strong cup of tea first. Worth the wait. Maybe Visconti went deep when naming the pen Homo Sapiens. The flaws are a feature not a bug. A very human pen. Heh heh heh. I'll show myself out. Tip your servers.
@@InkquiringMinds Greco-roman gods hate it when you make stuff too perfect. They turn you into flowers and animals and stuff after they one hit kill you. Visconti plays it safe 😉
This pen alone can cover the full cost of my 26 pens, but even at that cost they can't fix some simple nib issues, what a shame. I don't know if this is true but some people say gold nibs tend to be more picky with their inks, so there could be a slight "chance" the ink played a part in those hiccups.
Well, I doubt the ink was the culprit as it is Visconti Blue. Woe to the pen company that makes an ink that won't work in their own flagship pen. The HS really did misbehave just for the camera. A DIVA! It does randomly skip on some downstrokes here and there, but I've been able to write with it effortlessly and continuously. Just annoying with the odd skip here and there.
@@InkquiringMinds well I did say "chance", this could means the nib may have minor baby's bottem like you pointed out or an inconsistent feed, kinda sucks they don't do some basic testing with their pens before being sold.
I have the smaller size homo sapien in the original finish, and the dream nib was anything but. I had the baby bottom corrected by a nibmeister at pen show. But that did not correct all the problems, there is still an ink starvation problem. I feel for the price of the pen neither should have been encountered. I love the feel of the barrel, but can’t use this as a daily carry, what a huge disappointment.
I'm sorry for your disappointing Visconti. I wish I could say your experience is isolated, but it is not. Hopefully things have changed with Visconti as they are doing their own nibs now instead of using Bock.
Unique due to the material used for the body but I wouldn’t give it a second look after seeing your demo. A fire hose that skips! Never been a broad nib fan. It’s funny how some are attracted to the pen because of the high price. When compared to the inexpensive Pilot E95S for a daily writer, I’ll take the Pilot every time. Visconti is just not my cup of tea.🤓🇨🇦
Great review as usual Doug. Never been a fan of that pen (I have held a few times in different variants). For me a grail has to be a true classic ... MB149, Pelikan M1000, KOP, Pilot Urushi. All these expensive boutique pens I don’t know. My experience with collecting watches if only the big grails are it: Rolex, AP, PP... everything else I end up flipping. Another of my view is that there is plenty of high quality low price pens/watches that fulfill the need for volume and are equal if not better than the mid range or $ boutique stuff... PenBBS is perfect example of that ... or Seiko divers under $500 that beat everything up to $10k.
After my experience with a Stipula pen, I am convinced it is the reason that the nib material is an overall mistake. In stretching to find a new flex, manufacturers stretch to a material just not well-suited to consistent performance. I am going to send my Stipula to a specialist nib-turner, but I would probably just prefer the 18K gold nib. I have yet to have purchased a pen with an 18K or 21K gold nib that did not write well. I am more interested in pens that actually write than pens that one puts in a cabinet and looks at, even if I could afford the garish or gaudy pen. Fountain pens must write! My Stipula does not. It is impossible to use without extraordinary pressure. My attraction to the Homo Sapiens (which I do not own, largely because of price) is that I feel like it will survive my clumsiness! :)
Well the HS is NOT a flex pen at all. The 23k palladium nib is super soft and bouncy and is like glass on the paper. No pressure required and line variation for days.
the nib has obviously a problem which is not surprising with the palladium nib , mine does not have a problem like this one ( it is also a broad one ) , anyway it is indeed a very very special pen a joy to my hart...actually I cannot believe that I bought it as the time I certainly could not really afford it but every time i am looking at it or hold it , I am surely glad I did..LOL
For that money I could have THREE Pilot Falcons! Or two Visconti Van Goghs. Or two Pilot 823s. Or two and a half Sailor 1911s! I could have the Lime AND the Fresco Blue AND half of a Stormy Sea! But I enjoyed the review nonetheless. Cheers.
Seems like someone drew a lemon in the "Italian Roulette". The pen looks beautiful but with this weight it's clearly not in my hunting range so I'll gladly pass and save a lot of money. Nah, not really saving money here but spending it on other pens. I've read a lot of complaints about Visconti nibs. Apparently those italian companies always have to tinker with otherwise perfect nibs. I'd already bought a "Visconti van Gogh" if it were available with a non-metal section because that acrylics are gorgeous. Leonardo can do that so they got my money instead (and they didn't ruin the nib).
Not the ideal nib unless you have a ton of ink, ink blotters and paper. For me it would not be ideally suited as an every day writer, more of a novelty. I do like the lava material and spring loaded barrel. Everyone has a “Holy Grail” in mind, I think that a MB 146 or 149 in a fine nib would be mine if they weren’t so over priced. But then the one and only true “Holy Grail” that everyone would agree upon is totally PRICELESS! 🙏👍🇨🇦
@@InkquiringMinds you’ll like either. I have a black/blue M800 fine nib as well as a M805 Blue Dunes in fine nib.The M800 is a smooth writing ✍️ instrument and fits my hand. The vendor does an excellent job tuning the nib prior to shipment and excellent pricing compared to here in 🇨🇦. 👍🇬🇧.
As of the pen being a pen for those w strong hands I will agree, I have a Dark Age in the smaller size, I think it was called the Midi ( I am not sure they make that size anymore). And even that smaller one is heavy and I have trouble writing w it for longer sessions if I grip the pen in my normal way, I have to learn to let the weight of the pen make it rest in my hand without gripping hard and then t is more comfortable. But my biggest issue w the pen, as for so many other Homo Sapiens owners, has been the nib. The shop was very helpful and sent the pen to Visconti for adjusting the nib ( skipping, tines not aligned in short useless to write with). But it took ages to get back and when it came back it seemed they had done nothing as it still was as bad as before. The shop then sent it to a nibmeister and now, finally it writes. And I have heard from other pen companies that apparently the customer service at Visconti is appalingly bad and after this experience I have to agree and it will be no more Viscontis for me, I rather save up for Auroras and Leonardos and Scrittura Bolognese if I want other Italian pens that actually write and write fantastically too ( except for the Leonardo stub nib that also skips, the other sizes are great).
I have the Visconti Divina Proporzione Ltd Ed fountain pen and without ever having used it, several silver strips have come off! 👎🏻 Very very very disappointed!
This is an spectacular looking pen with an awesome feel in the hand ... but, and I’m surely not the only one to say this, the pen needs a good deal of tuning for one’s writing style. That was a kind way to say that it is totally unacceptable that a pen of such price is near useless without tuning right out of the box. However, and provided you know how to tune a fountain pen (which I know, based on practice & patience) , the resulting pen performance then soars the pen to that “grail pen” status. In other words, if you decide to spend the money, do it so in a shop that has the service/capability to tune the pen to your liking. Do not buy it online.
@@InkquiringMinds Easier said than done these days. And for many there aren't any shops within a reasonable travel distance. But many online shops will tune pens as well Appelboom, Nibsmith, etc.
I had seen that problem mentioned in other reviews of the pen. I was expecting it to be worse than it is. It is only bothersome when writing for a length of time as it leaves an impression in my thumb.
This is on the list...well one of the Homo Sapiens variants anyway. Eventually. :) Maybe next year with tax refund. Had to buy a new lawn mower this year.
If I spend six hundred quid on a pen I would expect it to write flawlessly. Most I have spent is £123 on a 2000 which is a flawless writer. Don’t think that I’ll be looking to Florence for my next pen. Excellent piece as ever, but no guitar again. Give us a tune when you can.
Well that is made by Germans not Italians. Just look at Italian cars, like Lambo, Ferrari, etc., they are gorgeous, but might require some tuning before they work just right. VW does not look great, but will work as delivered.
@@martinlebl631 Correct. My favourite range of pens are my Opus 88, but equal second are my Lamy, Faber-Castell and Diplomat. All superb nibs, especially Diplomat.
@@ZenMasterIDontThink I have it on good authority I am getting Diplomat Aero as gift in November, so we shall see. (I mean I suggested the pen and nib size, as surprise in this department might not work as well as with other things.) So looking forward to trying one of the Diplomat tuned nibs.
@@InkquiringMinds It will get one more view tomorrow. So many of the channels I follow had new videos over the weekend, so I had to just watch one from each, to spread out the views all around. And then there is the Indonesian sandal making channel that RUclips suggested, and that thus blew up from couple thousand views a day to about six million a day for last few weeks. Fascinating to watch, as you would never think you would watch more than one, but apparently everyone does. The guy is a real artisan making sandals of all sorts, which all look great, from minimal supplies, and with minimal tools. (But then I watched your guitar tuning video when RUclips suggested it, and I don't even own a guitar.) Magic of RUclips suggested videos. Getting on front page got the guy twenty seven million views instead of just few thousand. He now has well over three hundred thousand subscribers, and multiple videos in multi million view range. After three weeks of this he might be able to retire, but he keeps posting video a day. Striking while the iron is hot. So who knows, one day a video of yours might get on the RUclips front page through the dark magic of their recommendation algorithm, and then we can get reviews of the real expensive pens. :)
The price tag is more expensive than my Pelikan m1000, so nah.. Made from volcanic rock? Nice, but I would rather spend some more money to buy a m1 macbook Pro
Why are all these "grail" pens costing hundreds of pounds / dollars so poor at writing. The pen is beautiful and I love the looks but for that money i want performance as well. As to weight i have a pen that is 70g although as i rarely post my pens its only 38g when writing it has sat for 3 weeks without any use and wrote 1st time of asking no skips or hesitation and is sold with a hand ground and tuned nib for a fraction of the Visconti. Maybe its time we insisted performance as well as good looks otherwise they become beautiful ornaments.
Caution, magnetic system is flawed. Spend extra money on different finials and any magnet near your pen will capture it and to be seen no more. Forget it. A bad set-up.
Doug- I splurged on this some months back, and the experience initially left me less than satisfied. I purchased it from a reputable online dealer. The first one came with baby bottom and I had to send it back. The second one came back and would skip on certain strokes. I sent it back and was told there was nothing wrong with it- that didn't make the experience any better! I then sent it to a nibmeister who sent me photos showing there was an alignment problem. He tuned it and it is now my favorite, but the experience was marred by the issues above. It now writes like soft butter and is delightful. I just think that at this price point, a pen should come out of the box writing perfectly, as you said in your comments. Lesson learned- I will never purchase a pen of high price point without trying one out first in a shop or at a show, once the pandemic is over, or purchasing it from a vendor that does in house tuning prior to shipping. Just my two cents. Thanks for all your great work and Happy New Year.
I was glad of the opportunity to try Sean's Visconti HS. I had a lust on about the model and using one cooled that fervor a bit. Thanks for sharing Mr.Cabimero!
I have owned one for two years and have never had to unscrew the end to write. It never skips and has written perfect since I’ve had it.
Thank you, Pres NEODESMO!
Doug, congratulations for your reviews. You really show you love this hobby of fountain pens. Keep the good reviews coming !
Thank you so much, Carlos!
VERY nice review Sir. Your thoroughness was very impressive 👌
I recently bought this pen (Dark Age trim) and its a dream, but with 2 big differences with youre reviewed pen.
1) i got a M nib, way less wet and never a problem, right out the box perfect
2) i have the 18K gold nib, Visconti has allready stopped the Palladium nibs
Yes expensive: but the looks, the feel, the touch and above all: the excellent (superb maybe) writing: highly recommended if youre looking for a pen in this price range.
Heavy?, maybe, but i allways liked the more heavier pen and use it with the cap on the back, imo its not too heavy but that will be personal preferences.
My Waterman Serinite does not like the Visconti as its now boxed and stored.
You don't need to banish the Waterman! Just keep them apart! LOL
Doug, thanks again for another informative review. I've been looking at the HS for some time now and wondered about the section. You noted exactly what I was concerned about due to the latching mechanism. An interesting note the two models with the ink windows hold more than twice as much ink.
I've also been looking at a Pelikan 800 maybe a review subject for the future? German vs Italy.
Hope you make it to Europe with the wife sometime soon.
I have a review of a Pelikan M805 Stresemann coming up!
@@InkquiringMinds talk about great timing 👏
Yes interesting Doug. It was great that you were loaned this Visconti. I have some reservations in delving again into an premier priced pen as this mirrors my own experience. It’s a tricky thing to criticise such kindness and we all have our own thoughts on what constitutes ones aims in a purchase. But thanks for the work which is involved in putting this together. My best wishes to everyone who may read this.
I appreciate that Tim. It IS a difficult thing. And it is a brave and generous thing for Sean to do as well. Another pen friend from the US is currently sending me his Pelikan M805 Stresemann on loan for review and I always get a bit queasy in the pit of my stomach at the prospect thinking, "what if I don't like it?" LOL
Awesome video!!!! The Homo Sapiens series is definitely a grail pen for me. Thank you for your honesty while reviewing this pen.
Thanks, Marianne! :)
I've got an older, oversize version of this (beautiful) pen. It's one of my favorites and it writes magnificently. I was fortunate to be able to buy mine at a manufacturer's expo day at Fountain Pen Hospital in NY. It was bought straight from the hands of the Visconti representative, so I was able to try writing with it before taking it home, etc. Mine does not have a shutoff valve (I think it's my only vac filler without one). Also, for a pen a large as it is, I think the ink capacity is a bit below expectations, but I'm being really picky as I LOVE this pen and the material is really one-of-a-kind. I don't polish the bronze on mine at all, and just let it age. I always make sure to clean the section well after filling, as it can get ink stains due to the hydrophilic nature of the material (I also always use brown ink in this pen, just to be on the safe side).
Great video as always!
Are you saying this fountain pen can be damaged by fountain pen ink?
@@ichirofakename Any pen can. This one, in particular, can be stained by ink.
Ain't that the truth!
Alan: I noticed how quickly the section absorbed that ink; almost before you could get to it!
@@WhatIInk Really? On the outside?
Nice objective review. I had one Visconti, sold it. Had to have first nib replaced by retailer, won't write. Second nib required much work to be usable. Based on that and other's experiences I have no desire to own another Visconti. I have been tempted at many pen shows, but never enough for a buy. Yes, they do look great & have great Italian artistry. But to quote another reviewer "Pens are made to write."
That is so true, Chris. Thanks. I'm taking this to Jack to look at it. BTW I got your letter in the mail yesterday. Thanks so much. Will write back. :)
Getting it at a pen show is probably the best option. You can try it right away, and have it tuned as needed. And maybe we will have pen shows again at some point.
Hey Doug. Good to see you! I've done the same fogging of the glass at Two Hands Paperie here in Boulder.. a great pen and paper shop.. nice selection of lovely pens.. the Bronze has sold well there .. love Parker Posey! Best to you my friend!
Frank from Boulder, Colorado, US
Hey, Frank frrom Boulder! Thanks!
The Homo Sapiens is my grail pen too, and I got a Steel Age this past year. I have had a bit of trouble with the nib (because someone dropped it), but it is repaired and writes very smoothly. I experience the railroading when I use pressure, but when I write regularly, there is only a pleasurable writing experience. I wanted the Bronze Age initially, but now that I have the Steel Age, I am glad I got it. It doesn't tarnish (patina) as the Bronze Age does, and I really like the look of it.
I'm glas your HS works for you. It is an extraordinary writing experience.
I am planning to buy this pen with Medium nib. Is it too wet for daily usage? Thanks for the nice review by the way 👍
I don't really know because this pen was on loan and I only wrote with it briefly. This one was VERY wet but I'm not sure that's typical. Besides, if it is too wet, you can make it less wet with simple adjustments.
@@InkquiringMinds thanks for the answer 😊
Great review, but my understanding is that the normal Bronze Age isn’t a double reservoir power filler, so you wouldn’t need to release the piston knob when you write. The Bronze Age Skylight has a double reservoir, but not the original.
Interesting. I didn't know that. I hope Bronze Age owners understand that their pens aren't safe on aircraft.
Great vid, Doug. I have heard that Visconti has stopped using the Pd nibs and gone back to 18K Gold due to many owners having some of the same problems you demonstrated. I have two Visconti(s) on my Grail List: HOMO SAPIENS CRYSTAL DREAM & DIVINA ELEGANCE. Given what they cost, I think making it on to the Grail List is as close as I will ever get.
That is true. They initially went to palladium because it was cheaper than gold, and the quality was inconstant.
Also, bounce is NOT flex. These are not flex nibs.
Absolutely not a flex pen. I'm sorry if I gave that impression. Just a really nice, soft bounce.
They are in that price range that makes them show pieces instead of practical writing instruments. I can't imagine writing with a $1000+ pen every day.
@@InkquiringMinds My Visconti Opera has been in my shirt pocket since I got it as a gift for my thirtieth birthday. And back then it was essentially worth my weekly wage. Served me well for over a decade. Resin is just fine. Some of the gold plating has worn off the metal parts, but not much, andvhardly unexpected with all the use. There is some ink trapped between the cap and cap liner, so you can see it as a black ring from the outside as the resin is semi translucent, but there is no way of cleaning it out as one would have to disassemble the cap completely to get at it, and it would just happen again anyway. I think of it as character. ;) Didn't clean it for a decade, just fed it new ink once or twice a week as it ran low. Eventually this started to cause some issue, but literally after a decade plus of constant use, so not unexpected either. Spend couple hours giving it a good flush, and flushed out a whole bunch of dried old ink. When it ran clear filled it again, and it has been writing like new since. Many other pens insist on a good clean after a few fills, or few months, so this was a heroic performance. Most of my other pens get a flush a lot more often, as I do it when switching inks, but this one was my black ink pen, so it had Noodler's Black till I switched to Noodler's Heart of Darkness, which it has had since.
You have so many fountain pens all of them so cool looking.
How many do you have
Between 150 and 175 at the moment.
Hi I saw your video about this pen several times. At first congratulation for the video is very analytic and need it cause interesting to buy one, but it cost a lot of money (in Greece is less than 600 dollars but still quite expensive) and noticed three things didn’t like it for this price. The first one is that you need to unscrew the refilling system for better ink flowing… second thing is how ink flowing. And third problem with dry pen while writing. I think for this very beautiful pen, to unscrew the refiling system its not elegant. Also its ink flowing is a problem if you write something fast and need to give to someone for example. My latest pen is the Pelican Souverin M800 with similar refilling system, medium nibs. With this pen never need toy unscrew the refilling system and also ink flowing is too much if you compare with parker Sonnet with medium nibs also, but never need to wait until the ink dry. So from one hand I like a lot to buy and use this Visconti pen but from the other hand have these disadvantages. Thank you again for this video I have to think a lot about this pen
Terrific review, thanks. I have my heart set on one of the Visconti Van Gogh series. (By the way, small correction from the retired English teacher. You used frou-frou as an adjective not a noun. 😂🤪)
Pardon me, teach. 😂😀 I should have said, "It has the Italian frou-frou AS adornments". Merriam Webster says "These days it also shows up as the adjective "frou-frou," meaning "very heavily decorated and fancy," as in "frou-frou designs." So, usage as an adjective is acceptable as well.
😂🤣
Platinum Preppy owner: "Wow a pen that expensive must be fantastic to write with!"
It is startling how incredible this nib feels on paper.
The new 18k Bock that they are putting now is... meh
@@MateuMatheu Where the 23K palladium nibs made by Bock too?
I think so. The problem with these Palladium nibs is that they were either very good or very bad. And the good ones very good and the bad very bad. And you never know.
That’s exactly what Stephen Brown said to me yesterday Mateu!
It only comes in one size right? Is he cao looking loose not too capped normal?
Many different varieties of the HS are available. The cap was okay.
I recently got this Grail pen (from Goulet Pen Co.) and I love it! I don't find it has the double reservoir or shutoff you mentioned. Other vacuum fillers do I know. My Bronze Age HS will write forever till it runs out of ink. I've never had to release more ink to the feed by unscrewing the blind cap. Does anyone else know anything more about this? Thanks
Thanks for sharing! I've never heard of a Homo Sapiens model where the vacuum filler piston doesn't seal the section. There might be a flaw in the gasket at the end of the rod?
@@InkquiringMinds Interesting. Thank you. I don't think I'll try taking it apart to check. Loll Nope. It works and writes beautifully for me as it is. I don't fly and don't miss the shutoff feature if mine is broken. Thanks again.
@@InkquiringMinds I contacted my vendor the Goulet Pen Co. to ask about the HS shutoff system. As per GPC: "The Homo Sapiens Dark Age and the others in that run (dark age, magma) do not need to be opened for extended writing and will continually write if the valved is fully closed. The pens don't have a sealing function built into them so I don't think you've lost any parts!"
I was worried a gasket might be floating around in my ink chamber waiting to jam the filling system. Looks like I'm okay. Phew!
@@DBCuzitis Fascinating! Thanks for this.
Visconti pen joke:
They say, if it write properly then it must be a fake.
😁🙏
ha!
LOL This is the first Visconti with which I've ever had nib issues after a Van Gogh, Rembrandt and a Breeze.
@@InkquiringMinds I love my Visconti Opera, which has the pre-palladium gold nib. It is medium, but writes very broad, which was normal behavior of those nibs. I have used it everyday for well over a decade, and it has served me well.
I would take that pen AS IS , with the FROU-FROU and all, lovely pen and nib. Thanks for the review.
Thanks, Luc! Watch tomorrow. One of my top five pens (with your nib in it) is on display. :)
*Frou Frou.* Album: It's Good to Be in Love
I love the feel of the material, but have never written with one. It is a striking pen. I like how you are willing to mix and compare 'low' and 'high' end pens in your reviews. I'm not a fan of gushers - there is too little control unless your handwriting is massive. I prefer nicely wet with a capable feed.
It is certainly in the "signature pen" class for me.
Your early description of the pen is positively baudelairean, driving me to a state of frenzied pen lust - that is until you uttered the words six hundred...dollars. Still, if I had the means it would not be out of place in the back seat of my Rolls-Royce Ghost Extended body which I recently purchased from Walter Mitty. Another review hit out of the park.
I think the Rolls comes stock with a Montblanc 149 in the glove box if I'm not mistaken.
You said the magic word to get my attention: "gusher". But then the pen's performance was not up to snuff. Still got my eyes out for a g-pen...
It really does write better than in the writing sample. It decided to choose THAT moment when it was on camera to behave like an Italian DIVA! LOL It is going to my nibmeister for a checkup.
My Visconti Opera with the pre-palladium gold nib is a gusher, as the nib marked medium writes a nice wet broad line. It really sparked my desire for other broad and double broad nibs. (I mean it is broader than some nibs that are officially broad.) I would love to get my hands on one of the palladium nibs before they entirely disappear.
Wow...that is a BEAUTIFUL pen and it has sooooo many features that I desire, but that nib is uber-super wet!
I have an xxf flex nib like it that I heat-tempered and do not use because it just gushes ink no matter what feed/pen I put it on. Farewell xxf lines...lol
I personally prefer xxf tips and flex-write microscopically small for fun...to that end, I grind all of my flex nibs down to that specification.
Is the "Wall Street" pen a variation of that Homo Sapiens pen?
I definitely agree with your points on the negatives about the pen. That newer model with the ink window is definitely preferable.
Of course, I'll probably never buy one due to the price...but it's nice to look at.
Thank you for this in-depth review!
Thanks, Detman. The Visconit Wall Street isn't similar to the HS at all. There is a new HS called the Crystal Dream which has an huge ink window.
@@InkquiringMinds Ooooh...putting that into my youtube search STAT!! Thanks for the heads up!
I think the Wall Street was a variation of the Opera. Wanted it, but couldn't afford it when it came out, and it is very collectable, so it has essentially turned into unobtanium as any that come on the market do so at insane prices.
Extremely nice looking pen Doug until you came to the section,it would annoy me too it seems a really short section for the size of the pen.I know its a different class of pen but the moonman S5 diamond facet on the barrel above the section sits right in the middle of my thumb when i grip the pen(so annoying).I would have to say that i have learn`t that this pen is off my grail list.By the way what colour is your Van Gogh please you use in the size comparison its stunning?
Thanks, Edward. The Van Gogh is the "Starry Night". It is a beautiful looking pen and the faceted cap and body really show off the resin.
@@InkquiringMinds That is a great color. Liked the old Van Gogh model better than the current version though.
Nice pen! But for the price, you are correct it does have issues. Great presentation.
Thanks for watching! The owner has authorized me to have it checked out by my nibmeister.
Doug, this Broad nib is pouring ink. Please get it tuned.
I have been using Visconti pens for quite sometime including Special editions and I love all of them.
Already done, Kunal.
Douglas Rathbun - Great Sir. I am sure you are enjoying it. Even the new Gold nibs offered by Visconti are amazing. Thanks for the wonderful review Sir. Your videos are v interesting.
Definitely my grail pen as well.. Just something about it. I'm almost glad I can't afford it.
I was stunned the moment I put the nib to paper. Incredible feeling.
I am a woman with small/medium hands and I love writing with the HS. My birthday is coming up and I was planning on getting the Dark Age for myself but then they went and announced the Lava Color! Now I just don’t know what to do!
And now they've come up with the HS Crystal Dream which has a transparent ink reservoir and huge blind cap.
@@InkquiringMinds The choice is excruciating, as lack of ink window was one of the few downsides. I could do with a smaller one though. The new colors are also interesting, and will certainly patina more with use than the all black one will.
Visconti has struggled with art vs function with art winning by several touchdowns. My first Homo Sapiens had a Palladium Nib Broad like the one in the video. It was a paintbrush although it never exhibited either hard starts or ink starvation. Exchanging the Palladium nib with the 18Kt gold Broad fixed that problem.
Thank you, Rakesh Varma!
These nib issues are not make specific. They happen to all manufacturers. If you buy from a good dealer, it's no problem. We had a Sailor with 21k gold music nib (stub). Starting problems on almost every down stroke. Dealer (La Couronne du Comte in Tilburg, The Netherlands) send the pen back to Sailor UK. We got a new one within 2 weeks that writes beautifully. Good video!
Thanks, Paul & Deb!
A pen shoulder strap...I need this!
LOL!
Mine, with medium nib, also had problems with starting. The charm of Italian pens.
Thank you for sharing, greengohm!
The Visconti clip has a boomerang look about it. Designed to keep the pen coming back to its owner.
I love the Visconti clip!
There’s my grail pen! Except I kind of wanted the Dark Age. Then they came out with the ink window versions. It seems you and I are on a very similar journey to get a Homo Sapiens. I want to buy it in person from a shop in Wisconsin, and the virus ruined that plan. Then I spent the money I’d saved, so I’ll have to build it up again before next summer.
They are extraordinary writing instruments there is no doubt. The Dark Ages is very stealthy.
Viscont..... Visconti.....whatever it takes! :). Such a stunning looking pen. Masculine, rich, gorgeous. I think medium is on the thick side of the line for my taste so Broad is out of the question. Price tag...OUCH !! Especially with that writing sample.
220, 221, whatever it takes. You caught that did you Andy? LOL The broad is a freakin' paint brush! The pen writes a LOT better than that writing sample indicates. The pen was being a DIVA for the camera it seems. Still skippy.
@@InkquiringMinds yeah I'm a fine, extra fine guy....always have been since drafting days. I simply cant get used to the gushers. If I want to use a paint brush I'll get out my acrylics. I also print 99 percent of the time I write and pet peeve is sloppy letters.
@@agradoville I'm sure some people (lawyers, doctors) would appreciate a big, broad pen like this on their desks for signatures only.
Trump uses a Sharpie.
@@InkquiringMinds and they can afford it.....I'll stick with my $30 twsbi for now.....
@@InkquiringMinds A lot of celebrities use a sharpie, as it writes on most things, so they can easily autograph whatever they are asked to. Will even do skin if the fans should so desire. That is a bit tricky with fountain pens, but some inks could manage.
Did you spring that nice man's nib? Tsk tsk. 😉 Thanks for the great, extended leer at that exquisite pen. Speaking of Mt Etna,
a great way to see the source of the material is to search for Giro d'Italia Mt Etna. The Tour of Italy bike race
frequently includes a stage with the road to the top of Mt Etna, Sicily, on the course.
NOT AT ALL! I want to be clear that his is NOT a flex pen. I bounced it a bit, but it is a very soft nib and glides so smoothly you don't want to put any pressure on it. I'm having my nibmeister look at it before it goes back to the owner.
Understood. Cheers!
The heavy pressure on the downstrokes might be causing the railroading.
Absolutely when the nib is pushed a bit. It isn’t a flex nib. But I experienced constant skipping on the downstrokes. It is going to a nibmeister to be checked.
Yeah, it sounds like baby's bottom...
You do know that it takes a lot of peanuts to satisfy an elephant!🙀🥴
If it wasent for that gosh dang short grip section i would be in love!!
Really concerned about those grooves for the cap... And how they affect the comfort.
Most of all i LOVE the filling system and double resivoir.
Ugggghgggggg that grip section R.I.P :(
Thanks, Joshua!
Great review Doug. I have the oversize with a F nib that writes like a medium (I normally like M, B and stubs). I added feedback by using micro mesh 6000 followed by 8000 for just a handful of figure 8s. The nib itself was fine.
Yes, that is an easy way to add feedback. I wouldn't attempt it on another person's pen.
As usual I enjoyed your review, but this one was a bit like watching the lottery draw. Interesting but the chance of it being mine is very slim :) I now only have budget pens though many years ago I had Duofolds, centennials and the most beautiful pen ever made (in my opinion) The Waterman Edson. Everything about it was perfect except that it did not suit my hand lol.
The Edson is a beautiful looking pen and drew my eye, but the price had me moving on.
The Edson seems a fat Carène plus beautiful goldsmith. Better an Aurora if you want to sell your kidney.
@@MateuMatheu My kidney isn't worth that much.
@@InkquiringMinds ...A couple of days ago I saw on ebay.it a Big 88 millerighe NOS for 300€, the one with the long tines. Very tempting.
Rather gushy and a little bit 2 wet, seems a little more for fancy calligraphy, still my favorite design and metereal.
I know that I already commented on this but I found a Visconti that I have fallen in love with and had to give it a mention. Check out the Visconti Medici Rose Savrano. It is very reminiscent of one of my true Grail Pens, the OMAS Arco Celluloid. Difference is that I may actually be able to afford the Visconti one day!
Thanks for sharing! Beautiful pen!
I think this exceeds "grail" level for me... DREAM pen!
I know right?
I wouldn't like to spring that nib. Visconti have very strict rules about that sort of thing. I.e. It didn't leave the factory like that- you caused the damage, you pay, the warranty doesn't cover that sort of abuse.
Yeah. I’m not interested in getting a gold nib Visconti. My Mirage will suffice.
I started the video then paused it to make a strong cup of tea first. Worth the wait.
Maybe Visconti went deep when naming the pen Homo Sapiens. The flaws are a feature not a bug. A very human pen. Heh heh heh. I'll show myself out. Tip your servers.
Yeah, that's deep, Amy! As deep as Mt. Etna. :)
@@InkquiringMinds Maybe they were afraid Vulcan would strike them down in a fit of divine pettiness, but they went overboard on the funky nib 😛
@@InkquiringMinds Ah, that is why we come here.
@@amyr.862 LOL!
@@InkquiringMinds Greco-roman gods hate it when you make stuff too perfect. They turn you into flowers and animals and stuff after they one hit kill you. Visconti plays it safe 😉
This pen alone can cover the full cost of my 26 pens, but even at that cost they can't fix some simple nib issues, what a shame.
I don't know if this is true but some people say gold nibs tend to be more picky with their inks, so there could be a slight "chance" the ink played a part in those hiccups.
Well, I doubt the ink was the culprit as it is Visconti Blue. Woe to the pen company that makes an ink that won't work in their own flagship pen. The HS really did misbehave just for the camera. A DIVA! It does randomly skip on some downstrokes here and there, but I've been able to write with it effortlessly and continuously. Just annoying with the odd skip here and there.
@@InkquiringMinds well I did say "chance", this could means the nib may have minor baby's bottem like you pointed out or an inconsistent feed, kinda sucks they don't do some basic testing with their pens before being sold.
@@i.c.3157 To be fair, I don't know how long Sean has owned this pen. It is not new in box.
I have the smaller size homo sapien in the original finish, and the dream nib was anything but. I had the baby bottom corrected by a nibmeister at pen show. But that did not correct all the problems, there is still an ink starvation problem. I feel for the price of the pen neither should have been encountered. I love the feel of the barrel, but can’t use this as a daily carry, what a huge disappointment.
I'm sorry for your disappointing Visconti. I wish I could say your experience is isolated, but it is not. Hopefully things have changed with Visconti as they are doing their own nibs now instead of using Bock.
Unique due to the material used for the body but I wouldn’t give it a second look after seeing your demo. A fire hose that skips! Never been a broad nib fan. It’s funny how some are attracted to the pen because of the high price. When compared to the inexpensive Pilot E95S for a daily writer, I’ll take the Pilot every time. Visconti is just not my cup of tea.🤓🇨🇦
I just wrote with my Pilot e95s just five minutes ago. I hadn't put it down on paper for about two weeks. Smooth, wet, beautiful! Lovely pen.
Great review as usual Doug. Never been a fan of that pen (I have held a few times in different variants). For me a grail has to be a true classic ... MB149, Pelikan M1000, KOP, Pilot Urushi. All these expensive boutique pens I don’t know. My experience with collecting watches if only the big grails are it: Rolex, AP, PP... everything else I end up flipping. Another of my view is that there is plenty of high quality low price pens/watches that fulfill the need for volume and are equal if not better than the mid range or $ boutique stuff... PenBBS is perfect example of that ... or Seiko divers under $500 that beat everything up to $10k.
Thanks JPG!
Enjoyable review, Doug. I’ll put my “ pen-lust “ on hold betimes. Issues here indeed ( penwise, natch ).
Thank you, Peter!
After my experience with a Stipula pen, I am convinced it is the reason that the nib material is an overall mistake. In stretching to find a new flex, manufacturers stretch to a material just not well-suited to consistent performance. I am going to send my Stipula to a specialist nib-turner, but I would probably just prefer the 18K gold nib. I have yet to have purchased a pen with an 18K or 21K gold nib that did not write well. I am more interested in pens that actually write than pens that one puts in a cabinet and looks at, even if I could afford the garish or gaudy pen. Fountain pens must write! My Stipula does not. It is impossible to use without extraordinary pressure. My attraction to the Homo Sapiens (which I do not own, largely because of price) is that I feel like it will survive my clumsiness! :)
Well the HS is NOT a flex pen at all. The 23k palladium nib is super soft and bouncy and is like glass on the paper. No pressure required and line variation for days.
@@InkquiringMinds Exactly. It was marketed as a light touch nib, and not a flex nib at all. Any flex is just coincidental.
the nib has obviously a problem which is not surprising with the palladium nib , mine does not have a problem like this one ( it is also a broad one ) , anyway it is indeed a very very special pen a joy to my hart...actually I cannot believe that I bought it as the time I certainly could not really afford it but every time i am looking at it or hold it , I am surely glad I did..LOL
They are incredible to hold. The nib issue is fixable and isn't as bad as the writing sample showed. The pen was being a Diva for some reason.
For that money I could have THREE Pilot Falcons! Or two Visconti Van Goghs. Or two Pilot 823s. Or two and a half Sailor 1911s! I could have the Lime AND the Fresco Blue AND half of a Stormy Sea! But I enjoyed the review nonetheless. Cheers.
And I could have 181 Pilot Petit1's, which have the advantage of WRITING. But I only need about 3 more.
They are certainly not in everyone's budget!
Seems like someone drew a lemon in the "Italian Roulette". The pen looks beautiful but with this weight it's clearly not in my hunting range so I'll gladly pass and save a lot of money. Nah, not really saving money here but spending it on other pens. I've read a lot of complaints about Visconti nibs. Apparently those italian companies always have to tinker with otherwise perfect nibs.
I'd already bought a "Visconti van Gogh" if it were available with a non-metal section because that acrylics are gorgeous. Leonardo can do that so they got my money instead (and they didn't ruin the nib).
My nibmeister is going to work on it before it returns to the owner.
Not the ideal nib unless you have a ton of ink, ink blotters and paper. For me it would not be ideally suited as an every day writer, more of a novelty. I do like the lava material and spring loaded barrel. Everyone has a “Holy Grail” in mind, I think that a MB 146 or 149 in a fine nib would be mine if they weren’t so over priced. But then the one and only true “Holy Grail” that everyone would agree upon is totally PRICELESS! 🙏👍🇨🇦
I think I have my sights set on a Pelikan M800 or M1000.
@@InkquiringMinds you’ll like either. I have a black/blue M800 fine nib as well as a M805 Blue Dunes in fine nib.The M800 is a smooth writing ✍️ instrument and fits my hand. The vendor does an excellent job tuning the nib prior to shipment and excellent pricing compared to here in 🇨🇦. 👍🇬🇧.
As of the pen being a pen for those w strong hands I will agree, I have a Dark Age in the smaller size, I think it was called the Midi ( I am not sure they make that size anymore). And even that smaller one is heavy and I have trouble writing w it for longer sessions if I grip the pen in my normal way, I have to learn to let the weight of the pen make it rest in my hand without gripping hard and then t is more comfortable. But my biggest issue w the pen, as for so many other Homo Sapiens owners, has been the nib. The shop was very helpful and sent the pen to Visconti for adjusting the nib ( skipping, tines not aligned in short useless to write with). But it took ages to get back and when it came back it seemed they had done nothing as it still was as bad as before. The shop then sent it to a nibmeister and now, finally it writes. And I have heard from other pen companies that apparently the customer service at Visconti is appalingly bad and after this experience I have to agree and it will be no more Viscontis for me, I rather save up for Auroras and Leonardos and Scrittura Bolognese if I want other Italian pens that actually write and write fantastically too ( except for the Leonardo stub nib that also skips, the other sizes are great).
Leonardo are 100% Jowo nibs in the new year. So, hopefully, the QC will improve for them.
I have the Visconti Divina Proporzione Ltd Ed fountain pen and without ever having used it, several silver strips have come off! 👎🏻
Very very very disappointed!
This is an spectacular looking pen with an awesome feel in the hand ... but, and I’m surely not the only one to say this, the pen needs a good deal of tuning for one’s writing style. That was a kind way to say that it is totally unacceptable that a pen of such price is near useless without tuning right out of the box. However, and provided you know how to tune a fountain pen (which I know, based on practice & patience) , the resulting pen performance then soars the pen to that “grail pen” status. In other words, if you decide to spend the money, do it so in a shop that has the service/capability to tune the pen to your liking. Do not buy it online.
This is excellent advice, Carlos! Thank you.
@@InkquiringMinds Easier said than done these days. And for many there aren't any shops within a reasonable travel distance. But many online shops will tune pens as well Appelboom, Nibsmith, etc.
Minute 07:07 Exactly. That was my main objection.
I had seen that problem mentioned in other reviews of the pen. I was expecting it to be worse than it is. It is only bothersome when writing for a length of time as it leaves an impression in my thumb.
u're not alone on this. typical visconti nib struggles
Thank you, sghound!
This is on the list...well one of the Homo Sapiens variants anyway. Eventually. :) Maybe next year with tax refund. Had to buy a new lawn mower this year.
The Visconti will make a much finer line than the lawnmower.
@@InkquiringMinds Well depends on the nib...some are real gushers. ;)
If I spend six hundred quid on a pen I would expect it to write flawlessly. Most I have spent is £123 on a 2000 which is a flawless writer. Don’t think that I’ll be looking to Florence for my next pen. Excellent piece as ever, but no guitar again. Give us a tune when you can.
I did an entire guitar video, Allan! It got 100 views. LOL
Well that is made by Germans not Italians. Just look at Italian cars, like Lambo, Ferrari, etc., they are gorgeous, but might require some tuning before they work just right. VW does not look great, but will work as delivered.
@@martinlebl631 Correct. My favourite range of pens are my Opus 88, but equal second are my Lamy, Faber-Castell and Diplomat. All superb nibs, especially Diplomat.
@@ZenMasterIDontThink I have it on good authority I am getting Diplomat Aero as gift in November, so we shall see. (I mean I suggested the pen and nib size, as surprise in this department might not work as well as with other things.) So looking forward to trying one of the Diplomat tuned nibs.
@@InkquiringMinds It will get one more view tomorrow. So many of the channels I follow had new videos over the weekend, so I had to just watch one from each, to spread out the views all around. And then there is the Indonesian sandal making channel that RUclips suggested, and that thus blew up from couple thousand views a day to about six million a day for last few weeks. Fascinating to watch, as you would never think you would watch more than one, but apparently everyone does. The guy is a real artisan making sandals of all sorts, which all look great, from minimal supplies, and with minimal tools. (But then I watched your guitar tuning video when RUclips suggested it, and I don't even own a guitar.) Magic of RUclips suggested videos. Getting on front page got the guy twenty seven million views instead of just few thousand. He now has well over three hundred thousand subscribers, and multiple videos in multi million view range. After three weeks of this he might be able to retire, but he keeps posting video a day. Striking while the iron is hot. So who knows, one day a video of yours might get on the RUclips front page through the dark magic of their recommendation algorithm, and then we can get reviews of the real expensive pens. :)
It reminds me that hypercar as Pagani
Thank you, Massimo Riserbo!
The price tag is more expensive than my Pelikan m1000, so nah.. Made from volcanic rock? Nice, but I would rather spend some more money to buy a m1 macbook Pro
Why are all these "grail" pens costing hundreds of pounds / dollars so poor at writing. The pen is beautiful and I love the looks but for that money i want performance as well. As to weight i have a pen that is 70g although as i rarely post my pens its only 38g when writing it has sat for 3 weeks without any use and wrote 1st time of asking no skips or hesitation and is sold with a hand ground and tuned nib for a fraction of the Visconti. Maybe its time we insisted performance as well as good looks otherwise they become beautiful ornaments.
I don't remember a disappointing nib from Penbbs and I have 20 of those!
Caution, magnetic system is flawed. Spend extra money on different finials and any magnet near your pen will capture it and to be seen no more. Forget it. A bad set-up.
The clip is ugly and the nibs are hit or miss, and that’s a deal breaker for me on $800.00 + pen!
funny
Thank you!