KBeezie
February 27th, 2015, 03:22 PM
Info Bits:
Visconti Divina (#872 of 1618)
Celluloid "Desert Springs"
Platinum Plated Trim
2-Tone 18K EF
Push & Pull Touchdown Filler
A quick shot I took off the side of my computer desk (though I really should get a shot of the dark heavy wood box exterior). Mainly some sheets of printer paper propped up on the side and top, with strobes turned on behind me (since my tabletop studio is close by so I can actually reach and turn one of the softboxes towards me), and was holding some tissue in my left hand as I framed and focused the shot (the tissue helped give that sort of rippled diffusion in the light).
I certainly plan on getting some more 'arranged' shots later on the tabletop studio.
http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/visconti/divina/desert_springs/uncapped.jpg
1.618 is considered to be the "divine" number, Phi, or Golden Ratio. There's several pages of marketing in the book explaining the history of the divine number, as well as how the Divina was designed around it. The whole golden ratio aspect is one that really appealed to me as a photographer (aesthetic composition, etc), as something I will probably strive to replicate for years to come.
Feel and general height/weight of the pen reminds me a lot of the Taccia Momenta I had in blue with the same twisted shape, but without being as thick or using a #6 Jowo nib. Also Celluloid feels nicer than acrylic.
The filler kind of had me confused and somewhat worried at first that maybe it wasn't sealed correctly or something, since the initial water test only seemed to be drawing in around 0.5ml or so on a single push of the rod. But doing some searching around, and asking around, someone suggested that I treat it like the TWSBI Vac 700 and burp up the excess air then dip back into the ink to continue pushing the rod down (Basically looking at it with a bright light, it operates nearly identical to my Sheaffer Tuckaway Valiant Vac-Fill).
Once I got some Tsuki-yo in (figure it to be around 1.3 ~ 1.5ml taken in) I wrote up a short little write sample on Rhodia No.12 pad. Currently I only have 3 other pens inked right now in preparation for some Pelikans probably coming next week (400NN w/ 14K EF->B Flex in striated green and 140 w/ 14K B->EF cursive italic in black with a green ink window). So right now I have an XXF (Montblanc 225), EF (Divina), M (M640 Mount Everest), and 1.0 (M250). I'll probably ink either my Pilot Murex or Lamy 2000 later for my not-so-concerned-to-carry pen.
300DPI Scan:
http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/visconti/divina/desert_springs/write_tsuki-yo.jpg
Nib has some feedback, but it's a pleasant/comfortable kind of feedback which I prefer. I don't care for glassy/buttery slip-off-the-page smooth nibs as they don't give me the tactile response I desire when writing on paper. The nib is a bit on the wet side so some of my cheapie papers are out of the picture (though with such a pen why only mess with the cheap stuff?), funny enough though, It's fine on Mead 5-star with a light hand, no more show-thru than most of my other pens. The wetness brings out a bit of shading I been missing from Tsuki-yo for a little while as I generally prefer to go a little drier on the flow.
Generally whenever I ink up a new pen or change the rotation, I just scribble in on the first page of my Environotes Earthtones Notebook (sugar cane paper, not too expensive, not too cheap, about 3.99$ for a 1 subject , 80 sheets, 8.5x11) since it's the main notebook I use for my lecture classes and works with just bout everything. It's a little too wet for my CPP small notebooks.
So Divina at the bottom :
http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/visconti/divina/desert_springs/environotes.jpg
One of the main things I would like to do is get a decent case for it, the green leather case I love (Shown here (http://kbeezie.com/green-3-pen-case-by-3wunder/)) which works for most my pens including the M640, is too short for the Divina, but no problems regarding it's thickness. However my Nock Lookout seems to fit it fine with the flap being able to fold over and secure into the cross strap. But I'll likely be on the look out for something least semi-hard as my 3wunder case, or I'll just contact Adam and see if he can make me another case (maybe a 2-pen) that's taller, and maybe just a mm thicker on the end slots (allowing for the center one to still be used for a thinner pen or to slip in a felt/leather lining).
I have a feeling this is going to be one of those pens I write into a will for my boys.
Visconti Divina (#872 of 1618)
Celluloid "Desert Springs"
Platinum Plated Trim
2-Tone 18K EF
Push & Pull Touchdown Filler
A quick shot I took off the side of my computer desk (though I really should get a shot of the dark heavy wood box exterior). Mainly some sheets of printer paper propped up on the side and top, with strobes turned on behind me (since my tabletop studio is close by so I can actually reach and turn one of the softboxes towards me), and was holding some tissue in my left hand as I framed and focused the shot (the tissue helped give that sort of rippled diffusion in the light).
I certainly plan on getting some more 'arranged' shots later on the tabletop studio.
http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/visconti/divina/desert_springs/uncapped.jpg
1.618 is considered to be the "divine" number, Phi, or Golden Ratio. There's several pages of marketing in the book explaining the history of the divine number, as well as how the Divina was designed around it. The whole golden ratio aspect is one that really appealed to me as a photographer (aesthetic composition, etc), as something I will probably strive to replicate for years to come.
Feel and general height/weight of the pen reminds me a lot of the Taccia Momenta I had in blue with the same twisted shape, but without being as thick or using a #6 Jowo nib. Also Celluloid feels nicer than acrylic.
The filler kind of had me confused and somewhat worried at first that maybe it wasn't sealed correctly or something, since the initial water test only seemed to be drawing in around 0.5ml or so on a single push of the rod. But doing some searching around, and asking around, someone suggested that I treat it like the TWSBI Vac 700 and burp up the excess air then dip back into the ink to continue pushing the rod down (Basically looking at it with a bright light, it operates nearly identical to my Sheaffer Tuckaway Valiant Vac-Fill).
Once I got some Tsuki-yo in (figure it to be around 1.3 ~ 1.5ml taken in) I wrote up a short little write sample on Rhodia No.12 pad. Currently I only have 3 other pens inked right now in preparation for some Pelikans probably coming next week (400NN w/ 14K EF->B Flex in striated green and 140 w/ 14K B->EF cursive italic in black with a green ink window). So right now I have an XXF (Montblanc 225), EF (Divina), M (M640 Mount Everest), and 1.0 (M250). I'll probably ink either my Pilot Murex or Lamy 2000 later for my not-so-concerned-to-carry pen.
300DPI Scan:
http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/visconti/divina/desert_springs/write_tsuki-yo.jpg
Nib has some feedback, but it's a pleasant/comfortable kind of feedback which I prefer. I don't care for glassy/buttery slip-off-the-page smooth nibs as they don't give me the tactile response I desire when writing on paper. The nib is a bit on the wet side so some of my cheapie papers are out of the picture (though with such a pen why only mess with the cheap stuff?), funny enough though, It's fine on Mead 5-star with a light hand, no more show-thru than most of my other pens. The wetness brings out a bit of shading I been missing from Tsuki-yo for a little while as I generally prefer to go a little drier on the flow.
Generally whenever I ink up a new pen or change the rotation, I just scribble in on the first page of my Environotes Earthtones Notebook (sugar cane paper, not too expensive, not too cheap, about 3.99$ for a 1 subject , 80 sheets, 8.5x11) since it's the main notebook I use for my lecture classes and works with just bout everything. It's a little too wet for my CPP small notebooks.
So Divina at the bottom :
http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/visconti/divina/desert_springs/environotes.jpg
One of the main things I would like to do is get a decent case for it, the green leather case I love (Shown here (http://kbeezie.com/green-3-pen-case-by-3wunder/)) which works for most my pens including the M640, is too short for the Divina, but no problems regarding it's thickness. However my Nock Lookout seems to fit it fine with the flap being able to fold over and secure into the cross strap. But I'll likely be on the look out for something least semi-hard as my 3wunder case, or I'll just contact Adam and see if he can make me another case (maybe a 2-pen) that's taller, and maybe just a mm thicker on the end slots (allowing for the center one to still be used for a thinner pen or to slip in a felt/leather lining).
I have a feeling this is going to be one of those pens I write into a will for my boys.