I have a lot Visconti pens and they remain among my favorites even when compared to my higher prices Montblanc pens all the way down to my TWSBI and Lamy pens. I have a number of Homo Sapiens, Earth Origins, Opera Master, Ocean Breeze, and Divina Elegance models. No experience with the Van Gough models and I prefer the hook lock safe closure system. Have never had any issues with the filling mechanisms in any of them. Have you tried to reach out to Coles of London in regards to a warranty replacement? It’s definitely not supposed to be broken like yours.
Thanks! I really appreciate hearing from owners of various Visconti's that has had a great experience with their performance! It's good to be able to identify and dud and not be too hasty to knock the entire company. I have my Visconti Viscontina and absolutely love it:)
I currently have a few, but I would say that I haven't really been so interested in the past. Traditionally, they were kind of known for distinctive and sometimes quite innovative designs, but not always in a good way. I would say that the quality has gone up a lot since the early 2000's. They had this old cam lock cap that would often work itself loose in one's pocket, and I remember some of the early magnetic closure pens getting corroded magnetic parts. Back then the build quality was not as good. I had one where the nib hit the inside of the cap and one that split just by the ink window. Both of these problems were fixed for free. All the ones I have now are recent production and I will say that the fit and finish has really gone up and the pens are quite functional and usable now. I think they really took off once they made the Homo Sapiens pens. The hook lock bayonet closure is one of my favorite cap mechanisms. That said, I still feel that the fit and finish lags behind others like Aurora. The nibs on Viscontis are a mixed bag. All four of mine had work done on them because they had trouble out of the box. Once they are tuned properly, they do write extremely well. It's nice that they have brought nib production in house, but I think that they might need to have someone who is more of a nib expert work with them to refine their process so they can produce consistent nibs. The nibs have sure improved, but it's not like Aurora where generally out of the box the nibs are excellent without any tuning needed. If you want something that has the fit and finish and super consistent nibs out of the box though, Pilot is really the way to go. Their fit and finish is really even nicer and cleaner than Montblanc's Meisterstück (I also have handled a lot of Montblancs and own them too). Super well polished and clean. The nibs are also more consistent than nearly any other maker out there The last thing is that Viscontis tend to be larger pens and being a pretty petite person myself, I tend to go for smaller pens. I have been enjoying my Homo Sapiens though and all of mine are the oversized variety
Thank You so much for sharing this information! It's very interesting and helpful to understand Viscinti better in this way. It seems to me that their innovation has carried them to where they are, but their Quality Control Department didn't keep up. Glad to hear in a general way they are on the up and up! I recently acquired an Aurora, and it is immediately a favorite with me! I love the writing experience the nib has to offer! As much as I have regard for Pilots work, I definitely have a love for Italian Pens.
I was confused when I saw you mention the closing of the pen. I have a Homo Sapiens Dark Age which has the hook lock and I thought all of them were. Seeing that yours is magnetic confused me. I have a medium 18k black nib on it which lays down a lot of ink. I also ordered a fine nib (the old 23k version) but I haven’t used that one yet. It writes with no hard starts even after months of leaving the ink in. After you showed this I made a not very scientific check (as it was empty) which water and I pulled it up with a syringe. I got 1,8-1,9 ml. Agree with you on the quality control issues at Visconti. My Visconti Van Gogh is driving me bonkers with its magnetic closure…
Yes, haha, the Visconti lava colors are their only HomoSapiens offering with magnetic closure instead of the hook safe lock. When you get around to trying out your 23k Palladium Nib, I'd love to hear your feedback on how it differs in writing experience compared to their in-house 18k gold! Yes, 1.8-1.9ml out of 2.5 capacity sounds wayyy more appropriate! Thanks for letting me know about that, my 0.6ml fill was ridiculous! What's going on with your Van Gogh magnetic closure? Intrigued...
@@fountainPENdulum I went to Visconti's website. There are no magnetic closures. I went to Goulet Pens website as well as looked at their youtube where they talk about that being an intrinsic part of the Homo Sapiens. I find this very confusing.
I had the same sticky cap on a brand new dark age (with the hook safe)! It took 1-2 months of daily use to (mostly) resolve itself. During this period I noticed the pen making a popping noise when not being used which made me think the problem was something to do with the finial. I also have the same issues with the nib sitting sideways on the feed and a small misalignment of the tines. A beautiful pen but deplorable quality control at this price point. I will not buy from Visconti again.
@the_journeyman_project thanks for sharing! It's seriously a bummer because the potential of these pens is amazing! They are so nice! I hope they will get it together and reach the potential of what they really should be- especially at this price point! The lava resin is such an awesome offering, too!
I bought the H S Demo Sapphire from Goldspot and I’ve noticed an inconsistency with skipping sometime, for which I’ll take it to the NYC pen hospital to have it cleaned and adjusted, but other than that it’s been great. It feels good in my hand, writes smoothly most of the time. As with my 823, it may take two or even 3 pumps before it’s completely full. The caps aren’t magnetic and require a slight push in and the slight twist to the right to close/open. My next purchase will be the H S Starlight from Goulet or Goldspot.
My mistake on the cap, I just saw a Figboot review on this edition and says it is magnetic. He says his has never detached unintentionally, but maybe small imperfection might have made the narrow magnetic band a bit thinner.
Thanks for sharing your feedback! Hope once you get your HS tuned up, it writes perfectly for you. They are truly a special designed fountain pen! If I were to be in a position to get a HS new, I'd likely get it from nibs.com or some such retailer that does tuning in house for each pen before it ships out, because of Visconti's reputation. Thanks & Enjoy! :)
Probably not the response you are wanting or expecting; I found your evaluation fascinating. Makes me curious about what can cause so many problems with this premium fountain pen. Thanks for the extensive reveal.
Thanks! I don't really have any expectations but that others share their experiences! :) I've definitely known happy owners of a fully functioning Visconti! In fact, I am very pleased with an early 2000s Visconti I own. Link: ruclips.net/video/aK5yAmWVNdI/видео.html However, there definitely seems to be issues especially with the Nib, unfortunately. Thanks for watching!
Excellent critique. Just a few comments - many pen sellers warn that the lava pens, particularly the colors, are prone to staining, but even the black ones are as well. Regarding the magnetic cap, I have several Viscontis which have similar issues. The magnetic cap fits on well, but an extra push is needed to "seat" the cap. But I am appreciative of your review. I had considered a colored lava version, but now will reconsider and likely purchase a Bronze Age.
Thank you! That input is super helpful! It's good to know there are others who have that capping challenge. It is unfortunate because the lava color with magnetic caps that work perfectly are soo satisfying to cap! It's good to know about the staining as well. I take it the stain resistant is more to imply that if you ink and clean/wipe immediately, there is no staining. Strongly encourage the Visconti Traveling Ink Well, save the headache:)
@@fountainPENdulum I would also like to suggest that you send the pen to a good nibmeister like Kirk Speer or Mike Matsuyama and have them work on the nib. The nib does need to be aligned properly, but they can also "tune" the nib(or even regrind) to your specifications. Better yet, if you can make it to a pen show, schedule a time to sit down with a nibmeister and explain what is going on. Sometimes they can fix whatever the problems are and you will have a pen that you will treasure. I have purchased numerous "used" fountain pens, and I send them off to Kirk (or sometimes I purchase them from him), he works on them and they come back to me writing perfectly.
Absolutely, if the pen is in otherwise good condition, it is absolutely worth it to have a nib meister dial in the nib to your specifications! Great input and nib meister recommendations, thank you!
Buying off EBAY can be a roll of the dice. Have bought two. One new Lava all black and second black lava with rose gold accents. So far both seems adequate/functional. The filling system can be challenging but I have learned. So I'm satisfied. These are pricey but beautiful.
I'm glad the ones you got were keepers! When I've used a functional Visconti, they are lovely pens! What has been your best takeaway learning to work with the filling system?
@@fountainPENdulum Prior to Visconti I used a simple cartrige system. Push and plug. With Visconti &(OTHERS) have to realize your have to control pressure and beware of vacuum (bubble position) in filling. Obviously I am not an expert!
The quality control issues of this pen just remind me of some vape mod clones i purched to compair to the actual mods. Issues like week magnets and machining issues like the grit on the clips lettering. I always found simular issues on clone vape mods. Although it could be, being purchased used, the pen could have been an early production run, before these issues were addressed. Maybe the QC person was sick or hung over...lol. All this being said, the Visconti Sky light Homo Saipan is my grail pen! So i understand why you were drawn to this pen!
I have a dilemma to buy this. I still hesitate to buy. It is much thicker nib line than other pens. EF nib is almost other Medium (Japanese), F nib is thicker than other M nibs. Smooth but Nib is very wet. I do not think I will buy it. Lamy 2000 or Pilot 823 nib would be better choice.
I've seen some great deals for the Lamy 2000 in black, and you can't go wrong with the Pilot 823! I think for those who love this pen and Visconti in general, you have to be prepared for the gamble, the price tag, and the extra expense to have it tuned or ground by a nibmeister!
I purchased Visconti Kaleido Voyager 14k Fine nib but I sold out after test. What I feel that Fountain Marlen LX Steel Nib is better for me and Otto Hutt 04 and 06 are much smoother and pleasant than Visconti. Italian pens are very beautiful and good (Nettuno and Marlen nibs), but Gemany pens are more smoother (14K Lamy Nib). I used about 200 pens recently. Caran De Ache Leman and S.T. Dupont, and Parker Duofold are top quality bit better than Aurora Optima or 88. Most balanced pen is Pilot among all pens such as 912 FM or 743 M, and 823 these are better than Sailor 3776 pro gear or platinum 21k.
It's so important that we love our fountain pens, and with the price point and quality control issues with Visconti, it can be a dream or a nightmare. It's a gamble that is not for the faint of heart. It may pay off and be amazing when you get a great Visconti, but unfortunately, it's not always the case, and you have to be prepared to deal with the chance of getting a dud. However, whatever the journey, thanks for the feedback, and glad to know you're enjoying your Jinhao 100!
Tough luck, but not much of a surprise. I've heard so many horror stories about Italian pens that I've never even been tempted by them. Let me mention that Franklin-Christoph is a penmaker that has a nibmeister tune every single pen before it leaves the warehouse.
Visconti seems to have particularly poor quality control. For those with little or no intrigue for them, you won't have to risk it. For those that do love Italian pens, there's great ones out there and they are unparalleled, in my opinion. Do be aware the nib challenges especially, but this can all be avoid from purchasing from a retailer that checks each pen that comes in and goes out. Or be prepared to send it to a nib meister. The main point is just to be informed:)
I have a lot Visconti pens and they remain among my favorites even when compared to my higher prices Montblanc pens all the way down to my TWSBI and Lamy pens. I have a number of Homo Sapiens, Earth Origins, Opera Master, Ocean Breeze, and Divina Elegance models. No experience with the Van Gough models and I prefer the hook lock safe closure system. Have never had any issues with the filling mechanisms in any of them. Have you tried to reach out to Coles of London in regards to a warranty replacement? It’s definitely not supposed to be broken like yours.
Thanks! I really appreciate hearing from owners of various Visconti's that has had a great experience with their performance! It's good to be able to identify and dud and not be too hasty to knock the entire company. I have my Visconti Viscontina and absolutely love it:)
I currently have a few, but I would say that I haven't really been so interested in the past. Traditionally, they were kind of known for distinctive and sometimes quite innovative designs, but not always in a good way. I would say that the quality has gone up a lot since the early 2000's. They had this old cam lock cap that would often work itself loose in one's pocket, and I remember some of the early magnetic closure pens getting corroded magnetic parts. Back then the build quality was not as good. I had one where the nib hit the inside of the cap and one that split just by the ink window. Both of these problems were fixed for free. All the ones I have now are recent production and I will say that the fit and finish has really gone up and the pens are quite functional and usable now. I think they really took off once they made the Homo Sapiens pens. The hook lock bayonet closure is one of my favorite cap mechanisms. That said, I still feel that the fit and finish lags behind others like Aurora. The nibs on Viscontis are a mixed bag. All four of mine had work done on them because they had trouble out of the box. Once they are tuned properly, they do write extremely well. It's nice that they have brought nib production in house, but I think that they might need to have someone who is more of a nib expert work with them to refine their process so they can produce consistent nibs. The nibs have sure improved, but it's not like Aurora where generally out of the box the nibs are excellent without any tuning needed.
If you want something that has the fit and finish and super consistent nibs out of the box though, Pilot is really the way to go. Their fit and finish is really even nicer and cleaner than Montblanc's Meisterstück (I also have handled a lot of Montblancs and own them too). Super well polished and clean. The nibs are also more consistent than nearly any other maker out there
The last thing is that Viscontis tend to be larger pens and being a pretty petite person myself, I tend to go for smaller pens. I have been enjoying my Homo Sapiens though and all of mine are the oversized variety
Thank You so much for sharing this information! It's very interesting and helpful to understand Viscinti better in this way. It seems to me that their innovation has carried them to where they are, but their Quality Control Department didn't keep up.
Glad to hear in a general way they are on the up and up!
I recently acquired an Aurora, and it is immediately a favorite with me! I love the writing experience the nib has to offer!
As much as I have regard for Pilots work, I definitely have a love for Italian Pens.
I was confused when I saw you mention the closing of the pen. I have a Homo Sapiens Dark Age which has the hook lock and I thought all of them were. Seeing that yours is magnetic confused me. I have a medium 18k black nib on it which lays down a lot of ink. I also ordered a fine nib (the old 23k version) but I haven’t used that one yet. It writes with no hard starts even after months of leaving the ink in. After you showed this I made a not very scientific check (as it was empty) which water and I pulled it up with a syringe. I got 1,8-1,9 ml. Agree with you on the quality control issues at Visconti. My Visconti Van Gogh is driving me bonkers with its magnetic closure…
Yes, haha, the Visconti lava colors are their only HomoSapiens offering with magnetic closure instead of the hook safe lock.
When you get around to trying out your 23k Palladium Nib, I'd love to hear your feedback on how it differs in writing experience compared to their in-house 18k gold!
Yes, 1.8-1.9ml out of 2.5 capacity sounds wayyy more appropriate! Thanks for letting me know about that, my 0.6ml fill was ridiculous!
What's going on with your Van Gogh magnetic closure? Intrigued...
@@fountainPENdulum I went to Visconti's website. There are no magnetic closures. I went to Goulet Pens website as well as looked at their youtube where they talk about that being an intrinsic part of the Homo Sapiens. I find this very confusing.
I had the same sticky cap on a brand new dark age (with the hook safe)! It took 1-2 months of daily use to (mostly) resolve itself. During this period I noticed the pen making a popping noise when not being used which made me think the problem was something to do with the finial. I also have the same issues with the nib sitting sideways on the feed and a small misalignment of the tines. A beautiful pen but deplorable quality control at this price point. I will not buy from Visconti again.
@the_journeyman_project thanks for sharing! It's seriously a bummer because the potential of these pens is amazing! They are so nice! I hope they will get it together and reach the potential of what they really should be- especially at this price point! The lava resin is such an awesome offering, too!
I bought the H S Demo Sapphire from Goldspot and I’ve noticed an inconsistency with skipping sometime, for which I’ll take it to the NYC pen hospital to have it cleaned and adjusted, but other than that it’s been great. It feels good in my hand, writes smoothly most of the time. As with my 823, it may take two or even 3 pumps before it’s completely full. The caps aren’t magnetic and require a slight push in and the slight twist to the right to close/open. My next purchase will be the H S Starlight from Goulet or Goldspot.
My mistake on the cap, I just saw a Figboot review on this edition and says it is magnetic. He says his has never detached unintentionally, but maybe small imperfection might have made the narrow magnetic band a bit thinner.
Thanks for sharing your feedback! Hope once you get your HS tuned up, it writes perfectly for you. They are truly a special designed fountain pen! If I were to be in a position to get a HS new, I'd likely get it from nibs.com or some such retailer that does tuning in house for each pen before it ships out, because of Visconti's reputation. Thanks & Enjoy! :)
Probably not the response you are wanting or expecting; I found your evaluation fascinating. Makes me curious about what can cause so many problems with this premium fountain pen. Thanks for the extensive reveal.
Thanks! I don't really have any expectations but that others share their experiences! :)
I've definitely known happy owners of a fully functioning Visconti! In fact, I am very pleased with an early 2000s Visconti I own. Link: ruclips.net/video/aK5yAmWVNdI/видео.html
However, there definitely seems to be issues especially with the Nib, unfortunately. Thanks for watching!
Excellent critique. Just a few comments - many pen sellers warn that the lava pens, particularly the colors, are prone to staining, but even the black ones are as well. Regarding the magnetic cap, I have several Viscontis which have similar issues. The magnetic cap fits on well, but an extra push is needed to "seat" the cap. But I am appreciative of your review. I had considered a colored lava version, but now will reconsider and likely purchase a Bronze Age.
Thank you! That input is super helpful! It's good to know there are others who have that capping challenge. It is unfortunate because the lava color with magnetic caps that work perfectly are soo satisfying to cap! It's good to know about the staining as well. I take it the stain resistant is more to imply that if you ink and clean/wipe immediately, there is no staining. Strongly encourage the Visconti Traveling Ink Well, save the headache:)
@@fountainPENdulum I would also like to suggest that you send the pen to a good nibmeister like Kirk Speer or Mike Matsuyama and have them work on the nib. The nib does need to be aligned properly, but they can also "tune" the nib(or even regrind) to your specifications. Better yet, if you can make it to a pen show, schedule a time to sit down with a nibmeister and explain what is going on. Sometimes they can fix whatever the problems are and you will have a pen that you will treasure. I have purchased numerous "used" fountain pens, and I send them off to Kirk (or sometimes I purchase them from him), he works on them and they come back to me writing perfectly.
Absolutely, if the pen is in otherwise good condition, it is absolutely worth it to have a nib meister dial in the nib to your specifications! Great input and nib meister recommendations, thank you!
Buying off EBAY can be a roll of the dice. Have bought two. One new Lava all black and second black lava with rose gold accents. So far both seems adequate/functional. The filling system
can be challenging but I have learned. So I'm satisfied. These are pricey but beautiful.
I'm glad the ones you got were keepers! When I've used a functional Visconti, they are lovely pens! What has been your best takeaway learning to work with the filling system?
@@fountainPENdulum Prior to Visconti I used a simple cartrige system. Push and plug. With Visconti &(OTHERS) have to realize your have to control pressure and beware of vacuum (bubble position) in filling. Obviously I am not an expert!
@nrs6956 Vac Fillers that are not transparent or semi transparent leave the question of how full of a fill did you get, unless you do testing.
Wonder when Visconti went with the hook lock system. Cannot date pens from scratch!
Yea, and they will still do threads on some pens. Like the new LE that just came out, for instance.
This pen looks like a CLONE! like a counterfeit!
Really? How so?
They make other colors
The quality control issues of this pen just remind me of some vape mod clones i purched to compair to the actual mods. Issues like week magnets and machining issues like the grit on the clips lettering. I always found simular issues on clone vape mods. Although it could be, being purchased used, the pen could have been an early production run, before these issues were addressed. Maybe the QC person was sick or hung over...lol. All this being said, the Visconti Sky light Homo Saipan is my grail pen! So i understand why you were drawn to this pen!
Such a good design, material concept with the HomoSapien, is a real shame Visconti doesn't take care of Quality Control
I have a dilemma to buy this. I still hesitate to buy. It is much thicker nib line than other pens. EF nib is almost other Medium (Japanese), F nib is thicker than other M nibs. Smooth but Nib is very wet. I do not think I will buy it. Lamy 2000 or Pilot 823 nib would be better choice.
I've seen some great deals for the Lamy 2000 in black, and you can't go wrong with the Pilot 823! I think for those who love this pen and Visconti in general, you have to be prepared for the gamble, the price tag, and the extra expense to have it tuned or ground by a nibmeister!
exactly right statement
I purchased Visconti Kaleido Voyager 14k Fine nib but I sold out after test. What I feel that Fountain Marlen LX Steel Nib is better for me and Otto Hutt 04 and 06 are much smoother and pleasant than Visconti. Italian pens are very beautiful and good (Nettuno and Marlen nibs), but Gemany pens are more smoother (14K Lamy Nib). I used about 200 pens recently. Caran De Ache Leman and S.T. Dupont, and Parker Duofold are top quality bit better than Aurora Optima or 88. Most balanced pen is Pilot among all pens such as 912 FM or 743 M, and 823 these are better than Sailor 3776 pro gear or platinum 21k.
I would love to own a Visconti but considering that a Jinhao 100 for
It's so important that we love our fountain pens, and with the price point and quality control issues with Visconti, it can be a dream or a nightmare. It's a gamble that is not for the faint of heart. It may pay off and be amazing when you get a great Visconti, but unfortunately, it's not always the case, and you have to be prepared to deal with the chance of getting a dud. However, whatever the journey, thanks for the feedback, and glad to know you're enjoying your Jinhao 100!
Tough luck, but not much of a surprise. I've heard so many horror stories about Italian pens that I've never even been tempted by them.
Let me mention that Franklin-Christoph is a penmaker that has a nibmeister tune every single pen before it leaves the warehouse.
Visconti seems to have particularly poor quality control. For those with little or no intrigue for them, you won't have to risk it. For those that do love Italian pens, there's great ones out there and they are unparalleled, in my opinion. Do be aware the nib challenges especially, but this can all be avoid from purchasing from a retailer that checks each pen that comes in and goes out. Or be prepared to send it to a nib meister. The main point is just to be informed:)
That's excellent for Franklin Christoph, sounds like a good quality control approach for sure.
You should've gotten you a MontBlanc ‼️🫵🏾🤡
Haha, I have a Montblanc 221. Now, I've gotten a Visconti Viscontina I'm happy with. Aurora is next, perhaps:)