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Onionartz
December 22nd, 2017, 10:32 AM
I have had many pens over last year or so (M800s, Pilots, Sailors etc....), but since i used visconti HS, i am exclusively using only Visconti Homo Sapien fountain pens. Something about the weight and feel of the pen is very exclusive for me. So now i am using exclusively 3 HS pens for my daily writing (Bronze age maxi, Chiantishire and London Fog). The nibs needed some work before they wrote well, but i hardly use any of my other pens. I do not see much topics about visconti's in forums. Are there any other visconti exclusive users out there?

RocketRyan
December 22nd, 2017, 12:49 PM
Your a brave man to put that much faith in visconti.

inklord
December 22nd, 2017, 01:18 PM
...here's one who will never use a Visconti - but glad to hear you enjoy them so much. However, the HS would be the most interesting pen from Visconti for me. :)

mulrich
December 22nd, 2017, 03:19 PM
I'm a big Visconti fan and even though I don't use them exclusively I almost always have one inked.

Onionartz
December 22nd, 2017, 03:35 PM
Thanks for the reply :-) I use Visconti exclusively because I some times get choice anxiety. So i try to always use a single model pen to keep it simple. I was using M800s exclusively for a while until i wrote with my first Visconti which was a chiantishire my brother gifted me :-). Since then hooked to visconti.

Scooby921
December 22nd, 2017, 08:20 PM
I had the same thought, but didn't follow through. I love my HS Bronze Maxi with an XF nib. Everything about the pen is just fantastic. I thought about buying a few more to have a full quiver of HS Maxi's.

SIR
December 23rd, 2017, 01:25 AM
I was very interested in the HS until i saw the barrel band issue so many folks experienced...

Scooby921
December 23rd, 2017, 07:28 AM
What barrel band issue?

RayCornett
December 28th, 2017, 02:10 PM
I love my HS Dark Ages. I am a vintage pen guy but my HS is one of 2 modern pens I own and it will never leave my collection. The other is a limited edition Brunelleschi. I have had other Visconti's and never was able to replicate the problems many seem to have with them.

SIR
December 31st, 2017, 01:29 PM
What barrel band issue?

http://www.peneconomics.com/blog/2015/1/12/the-visconti-homo-sapiens

https://alwayssunnyalwaysreal.wordpress.com/2016/07/10/pen-review-visconti-homo-sapiens-steel-age-midi/

Onionartz
January 1st, 2018, 06:13 AM
Here are my current 4 pen rotation. Daily writers. I do not use any other pens other than these 4 and it have been awesome so far. I use same ink in all of them (Faber Hazelnut brown) and Same paper (Tomoe River 52GSM white), that helps me with my choice anxiety :-).

https://i.imgur.com/Kz5TS8C.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/PgIGCV2.jpg

penwash
January 1st, 2018, 07:46 AM
Thanks for the reply :-) I use Visconti exclusively because I some times get choice anxiety. So i try to always use a single model pen to keep it simple. I was using M800s exclusively for a while until i wrote with my first Visconti which was a chiantishire my brother gifted me :-). Since then hooked to visconti.

There is nothing wrong at all with choosing to use one brand at a time.

Visconti pens are very attractive and I can see why people like them so much.

The only Visconti that managed to make me open my wallet is the Van Gogh Impressionist series and I love that pen because the material is so pretty and its pattern is unique to each pen.

07camrymx
January 2nd, 2018, 11:05 AM
You have a nice Visconti collection there, I own a few Visconti pens myself, I have the H. S. Bronze, H. S. Chiantishire, Medici and Manhattan Teal, I've been using these Viscontis a lot, but not exclusively that brand, the nibs are great, only one I sent to replacement, I find them beautiful to watch, reliable and very nice to write with, I will try to get the London Fog and Florentine Hills this year or the next.

Cheers,

Luis A.

MarkInLondon
January 2nd, 2018, 01:03 PM
Though I have TWSBI 700R and a Pilot 92 inked up and in my backpack, my HS Bronze is used almost exclusively for daily journaling and work notes. The size and feel of it appeals to me more than the others and it writes perfectly. It's probably refilled once a week with either Kon Peki, Asa Gao, or PR DC Supershow Blue.

mtgross
February 3rd, 2018, 07:28 AM
My two favorite pens are my HS steel age, and my HS dark age. I just need a booze and the new thames at night to complete my collection of what I really want.

Scooby921
February 3rd, 2018, 03:24 PM
I'm apparently following this dark, expensive road as well. I love my HS Bronze, and within the last 30 days have purchased an HS Jade and an HS London Fog.

07camrymx
February 5th, 2018, 01:25 PM
Where did you buy the London Fog if I may ask? that's in my wishlist as well as the Florentine Hills.

Scooby921
February 7th, 2018, 09:48 AM
Where did you buy the London Fog if I may ask? that's in my wishlist as well as the Florentine Hills.
I happened to find the London Fog in the For Sale forum here on FPG.

StacyBean
February 7th, 2018, 04:47 PM
My Viscontis are: Red Wall Street (1.3mm stub), Saturno Brown Dione (M), Van Gogh Room in Arles (steel M) and Van Gogh Maxi (M Gold). They all write beautifully. I have looked longingly at the Homo Sapiens in every variety as well as the Opera Master models and concluded that the power filler system isn't ideal for me, nor the expense. I am delighted with my Visconti pens and will most likely not acquire more.

JJPanozzo
February 7th, 2018, 07:47 PM
Bought a Chiantishire a few weeks ago and have to agree. Likely will be the only pen I use from now on

Love it!

s_t_e_v_e
February 23rd, 2018, 07:59 AM
I have about 20 pens in my collection, 5 of them are Viscontis. 3 have the older 14K nibs and two have the palladium nibs (one is stiffer than the other). The 14K Visconti nibs, by far, offer the best writing experience to me. The M800 comes next. I like to mix things up a bit every once in a while, so I have pens from other manufacturers too. But Visconti is top on my list of favorite brands when it comes to the over all package (writing experience, aesthetics, build quality, size). They're expensive but I buy only when I find a deal that offers them at a price I am willing to pay, which is usually quite lower than retail prices. I haven't reached a point yet where I want to buy and use pens from only one manufacturer.

OP, you have a nice collection of Viscontis there. Except for the Lava HS, all others you have are out of my budget. Nonetheless, I drool over them all the time and would love to try them sometime.

Scooby921
February 27th, 2018, 08:14 PM
I have about 20 pens in my collection, 5 of them are Viscontis. 3 have the older 14K nibs and two have the palladium nibs (one is stiffer than the other). The 14K Visconti nibs, by far, offer the best writing experience to me. The M800 comes next. I like to mix things up a bit every once in a while, so I have pens from other manufacturers too. But Visconti is top on my list of favorite brands when it comes to the over all package (writing experience, aesthetics, build quality, size). They're expensive but I buy only when I find a deal that offers them at a price I am willing to pay, which is usually quite lower than retail prices. I haven't reached a point yet where I want to buy and use pens from only one manufacturer.

OP, you have a nice collection of Viscontis there. Except for the Lava HS, all others you have are out of my budget. Nonetheless, I drool over them all the time and would love to try them sometime.
Perhaps we can meet up on a weekend sometime and you can try mine. I'm a bit north of metro Detroit (Independence Twp).

s_t_e_v_e
March 2nd, 2018, 07:44 AM
Perhaps we can meet up on a weekend sometime and you can try mine. I'm a bit north of metro Detroit (Independence Twp).

That would be nice! Do you attend the Ann Arbor Pen Posse meetings that happen on the second Sunday each month at ABC's Corner Brewery, 720 Norris St, Ypsilanti at 2:00PM?

I plan to attend on March 11. It would be nice to see you there along with many other folks.

Onionartz
March 2nd, 2018, 09:08 AM
Where did you buy the London Fog if I may ask? that's in my wishlist as well as the Florentine Hills.

For London Fog check Rozmenko ebay store. He has one in stock. He is a very reliable seller. I bought mine from him. He sometimes carries other nib size as well which he can exchange for you - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Visconti-Homo-Sapiens-London-Fog-Crystal-LE-fountain-pen-23kt-Pd-EF-nib-MIB-N-/323110149915?hash=item4b3add9f1b

I am getting my florantine hills (ordered yesterday) from - https://www.stilographcorsani.com/en/product/homo-sapiens-florentine-hills-2/. Stefano provides amazing customer support. They can send you the pictures to check pattern before buying and also provdes nib grinding service if you need it.

07camrymx
March 13th, 2018, 01:23 PM
Hi there,

I actually found both London Fog and Florentine Hills in a Pen Shop in my home country, I couldn't resist and bought them...and I love them! there's the Crystal still to be bought.

Thanks for the tip anyway.

Luis A.

Onionartz
March 13th, 2018, 03:46 PM
congratulations. I have been looking for a Crystal for a while :-) If you don't mind, can you please tell me the shop and location. I might have no way to reach them, but it would be good to know.

Triaed
March 25th, 2018, 07:31 PM
I have been following this thread on and off. I am a Visconti fan and i can relate to the comments and suggestions.

What do you guys think of the limited ed Silver Dust?Ihttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180326/e279cf5cb5efa6e288b19e640253bfdf.jpg

Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk

Onionartz
March 26th, 2018, 01:18 AM
I think it is a beautiful pen. I can't decide between Bronze Swirls or this one. I am waiting for Bronze swirls to be released and then i decide :-)

Scooby921
March 26th, 2018, 06:36 AM
I am intrigued by it. I owned an Opera Master for about two weeks. I hated the length and heavy stainless cap on the end for the power filler. It was an incredibly unbalanced pen. This Opera model appears shorter and with an acrylic / polymer cap on the end. It should be better balanced and might end up a stellar pen. I'm not sold on the colors for the Silver Dust, but if they are offering more in this size / series I might pick one up.

penstaking
March 29th, 2018, 10:09 AM
You've chosen well, Onionartz. Visconti have made a remarkable contribution to pens and the HS is a remarkable pen.

Nothing wrong with keeping them in your permanent rotation. All my Visconti are in my rotation permanently.

Rossler
April 1st, 2018, 11:37 AM
Just ordered one! the Silver Dust.
my first Visconti, let's see what happiness it might bring into my house-
I am a little worried about these new steel nibs....

Onionartz
April 3rd, 2018, 09:51 AM
Congratulations..:-) Let us know the experience once u get the pen...

Rossler
April 9th, 2018, 03:21 PM
My Visconti Silver Dust has arrived!
Nice pen overall.
Aesthetically, I like it very much. But the steel tubular nib is a sore sight, no decoration, rather disappointing, I mean visually.
My stub nib lays down a good line, very well defined, but a little scratchy. A little smoother and it would be perfect.
Great service from Giardino Italiano.

Northern Gentleman
May 28th, 2018, 07:43 PM
I've never owned a Visconti, but can see that changing in the not too distant future. Two models appeal to me - the Manhattan (any of the three colours) and the Homo Sapien Bronze. A bit pricey, so maybe I'll have to get it down to one for now - I've already told my wife I've found my 2018 birthday present and have an idea for what Santa could bring me next Christmas. Any suggestions as to which pen should be my first Visconti, or is that like asking a parent to choose between his children? :)

Onionartz
May 29th, 2018, 03:01 AM
I've never owned a Visconti, but can see that changing in the not too distant future. Two models appeal to me - the Manhattan (any of the three colours) and the Homo Sapien Bronze. A bit pricey, so maybe I'll have to get it down to one for now - I've already told my wife I've found my 2018 birthday present and have an idea for what Santa could bring me next Christmas. Any suggestions as to which pen should be my first Visconti, or is that like asking a parent to choose between his children? :)

I would go for Manhattan now and Bronze age later :-)

RayCornett
May 30th, 2018, 02:35 AM
My HS Dark age is one of two modern pens in my collection. The other is #2 of the original Brunelleschi limited editions and I absolutely adore them both and use them often.

Analogriter
June 30th, 2018, 03:21 PM
Hi have a question for other Visconti guys. I have a Dark Age with an EF nib that writes nice and wet but I just got a Medici in a fine nib that seems like it puts down a bolder line, only slightly through, but the line is a lot lighter even through it is the same ink. Should I be writing with it to let the nib settle in or get it adjusted? The next one is definitely a demonstrator, either a Chiantishire, London Fog, or a Bronze Swirl.

mulrich
June 30th, 2018, 07:19 PM
Unless you write with a very heavy hand I wouldn’t expect the nib to change much. It’s pretty easy to make a nib a little wetter so you may be able to adjust it yourself and save the time/money of a nibmeister (unless you want other things tweaked too).

Onionartz
July 1st, 2018, 05:04 AM
It is rare to get a dry visconti nib :-) But some time it happens. You can slightly open the tines to make it wetter. There are few videos about it in youtube.
I had a "M" 23K pd nib which was dry writer, but well tuned. I opened the tines a bit and it is now lovely.

Medieval
July 1st, 2018, 05:24 AM
I always wanted the London Fog version but the more I read about Visconti the more I realise that they are designed to be more ornamental than writing implement.

Onionartz
July 1st, 2018, 05:44 AM
I have been using London Fog almost daily for last 5 months. They are very good writing implement :-)
With a super Med CI grind from Nib Smith :-)

adhoc
July 1st, 2018, 11:43 PM
Why did it need a nibsmith if it’s such a great writer?

Onionartz
July 2nd, 2018, 01:09 AM
It didn't. I needed, because i love CI nibs. :-)

adhoc
July 2nd, 2018, 09:02 AM
A nibmeister can make any nib write perfectly...even a cheap Jinhao.

Onionartz
July 2nd, 2018, 09:51 AM
sure...how does that change whether London Fog is a daily writer for me or not? I was replying to original question -> Is it is an ornament or a good writing instrument -> For me it is a good writing instrument. Correct Size, quality, feel in hand, weight, and i love the look of it. Also very functional filling mechanism. It is a well made product for daily writing. And this one did come out of the box with an excellent "M" nib. So i did not get that nib ground. I bought a new nib to get CI grind :-)

Medieval
July 2nd, 2018, 10:02 AM
It didn't. I needed, because i love CI nibs. :-)
I believe he was referring to your original post where you said this:

I have had many pens over last year or so (M800s, Pilots, Sailors etc....), but since i used visconti HS, i am exclusively using only Visconti Homo Sapien fountain pens. Something about the weight and feel of the pen is very exclusive for me. So now i am using exclusively 3 HS pens for my daily writing (Bronze age maxi, Chiantishire and London Fog). The nibs needed some work before they wrote well, but i hardly use any of my other pens. I do not see much topics about visconti's in forums. Are there any other visconti exclusive users out there?

Medieval
July 2nd, 2018, 10:04 AM
Even a fake Hero costing £1 for a 10 pack can be made into a fantastic writer after sending it to a nibmeister. It's how the pen writes out of the box that matters.

Onionartz
July 2nd, 2018, 10:19 AM
I am not generalizing nor trying to get any one to agree with me. For me London fog was and is a good writing instrument. :-)
I do not mind some nib adjustment to make the pen write the way i want. It is part of the fountain pen experience for me.
I never had any pens which wrote the way i want out of the box and i own many pens (Visconti, Pelikan, MBs, Pilots...). They were all functional, but did not give me the joy of writing.
MB Rouge Coral with a Fine nib was the only pen which came close to my perfect nib preference.

lionheartlee
July 3rd, 2018, 01:56 PM
I own 14 Visconti pens, I love them all! The only nib I needed to send back was the chiantishire. It wrote fine, just not wet enough for my liking and Visconti gladly accepted it back to work on the Nib. I’ve owned and used almost every pen company from this tier or price point and non seem to check as many boxes as a Visconti. They are the pens I now exclusively use and buy.

penstaking
September 22nd, 2018, 11:40 PM
Couldn't agree more with those expressing positive views about Visconti, a unique and original penmaker. I have a modest seven Visconti pens, dating from early models up to the HS Bronze. Marvelous, beautiful and original designs that function superbly.

Misfit
October 12th, 2018, 02:38 AM
I own 8 Visconti fountain pens. The ones with the internal fillers are in my top 5 pens with only a Pelikan claiming a top 5 spot. The HS is the favorite of them all.

jamesjohn
January 13th, 2019, 02:01 AM
Your a brave man to put that much faith in visconti.

ilikenails
January 13th, 2019, 09:57 AM
Even a fake Hero costing £1 for a 10 pack can be made into a fantastic writer after sending it to a nibmeister. It's how the pen writes out of the box that matters.

Why? If a $2 pen plus $40 of adjustment produces as good or better a writer as a pen that costs $800, isn't that significant? I'd say so.

(And what happens if you buy that pen pre-adjusted for $21? Does it now count but not the one that has to make the trip?)

ilikenails
January 13th, 2019, 09:58 AM
Your a brave man to put that much faith in visconti.

It doesn't sound like "faith" but actual experience. The poster has tried Viscontis and found they suit him or her: no faith is required.

aj_ay
January 14th, 2019, 09:49 PM
I have found viscontis to be a hit or miss when it comes to writing experience out of the box, but they always hit it out of the park in aesthetics. I currently own 4, and will most likely add more to my collection in the future.

Scooby921
January 16th, 2019, 06:58 AM
Your a brave man to put that much faith in visconti.
Welcome to FPG. Nice to see your first post is an attack on someone else's experience, enjoyment, and comfort with a brand.

Misfit isn't the only one to own and enjoy multiple Visconti pens without issue. I've had six of them. The worst "issue" was needing to flush with soapy water to get some manufacturing or assembly oil out of the nib so the ink would flow. It's not brave. It's choosing not to believe and regurgitate the bullshit.

ilikenails
January 17th, 2019, 10:55 AM
Your a brave man to put that much faith in visconti.
Welcome to FPG. Nice to see your first post is an attack on someone else's experience, enjoyment, and comfort with a brand.

Misfit isn't the only one to own and enjoy multiple Visconti pens without issue. I've had six of them. The worst "issue" was needing to flush with soapy water to get some manufacturing or assembly oil out of the nib so the ink would flow. It's not brave. It's choosing not to believe and regurgitate the bullshit.

There's a very responsible and nuanced discussion re. Visconti here -

https://blog.gouletpens.com/2017/10/goulet-qa-episode-187-visconti-fails-crusty-ink-brians-journal-collection

...All companies ship faulty pens from time to time, possibly it happened more at one time with Visconti than average, but that's because they were trying to do something ambitious and interesting. And afaik they always stood behind their pens, at least if they were bought through a proper dealer.

Otoh it's natural that people who had bad experiences would be remember them too...

grainweevil
January 17th, 2019, 03:33 PM
Your a brave man to put that much faith in visconti.
Welcome to FPG. Nice to see your first post is an attack on someone else's experience, enjoyment, and comfort with a brand.

It's also their only post and their sig contains spam - save your ire for more worthy targets, Scooby. :)

Owing, perhaps, to Scottish heritage and/or only happening on one Visconti bargain, I have, er, only one Visconti. (Everyone say "Awww") It writes. I liked it enough to replace its steel nib with an NOS gold one. That writes too. I kinda like it, but not, it seems, enough to purchase another Visconti thus far. Mayhap I will ink it up again sometime soon and see if that might change. That is all.

P.S. "London Fog" annoys the hell out of me as a name for a pen - we've only had the Clean Air Act since 1956, ffs. Love George Gershwin and his lovely wife Ira to death and back, but dammit, I wish they'd never written that particular damn song...

broadoblique
January 18th, 2019, 09:16 AM
I have a couple of Rebecca Moss Voyager demos (earlier version of the HS). I've put loads of miles on them over 10+ years as everyday work pens with no trouble at all.
When they were new the stories were about all the celluloid swirls separating from the acrylic in the barrels, causing leaks. I don't doubt that it happened, but I've never seen one with that problem.

I like Homo Sapiens a lot. I sold my Bronze only because I generally don't use black pens. I love the swirled demonstrators.

The crooked clip syndrome is a valid complaint. I much prefer the Voyager Il Moro clip.

And I've noticed that most of the unsatisfactory reviews are about the Midi. That's a very different pen with its small nib. Am I right that the Midi uses a captive converter?

Scooby921
January 22nd, 2019, 10:51 AM
Correct. The Midi has a captured converter of some sort, but it might as well be labeled a piston filler as the converter isn't something you can pull out of the pen like other converters.

My one problem with a Visconti was with my Midi HS. I didn't realize that most of the negative reviews were in relation to that specific size / variant. I guess mine is one more on the pile, though as noted the problem went away after thoroughly cleaning.

Currently using my HS Jade as my daily carry.

Kulprit
January 22nd, 2019, 08:15 PM
P.S. "London Fog" annoys the hell out of me as a name for a pen - we've only had the Clean Air Act since 1956, ffs. Love George Gershwin and his lovely wife Ira to death and back, but dammit, I wish they'd never written that particular damn song...

I always took “London fog” to refer to, well, fog. And, for the record, George and Ira were, er, *brothers*, not spouses.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

grainweevil
January 23rd, 2019, 02:11 AM
And, for the record, George and Ira were, er, *brothers*, not spouses.

Oh, do you not know that one? It's a bit of a classic (https://smtd.umich.edu/ami/gershwin/?p=1203).

biancitwo
March 3rd, 2019, 04:24 PM
I love my Visconti HS Bronze Age oversized, especially with my new Pendleton Brown CI nib. But, it will never lead to my use of only Visconti pens. I love my Pelikans, my Omas, my Nakaya, Platinums and Pilots too much to shelve them, much less to dispose of them. By the way, my HS stub wrote beautifully out of the box, just too little line variation. Besides, the potential of a great pen is not just what it does out of the box. It is what it can do out of the box, when adjusted, or when modified. Mine is far superior with its CI, than with its very nice original stub.

Tseg
March 3rd, 2019, 06:34 PM
I've been using a Visconti HS Elegance Oversize for a while. A Fine nib wrote perfectly out of the box. It is acrylic and/but it is a hefty pen. It feels heavier than it looks. That is a good thing. Very solid and put together. It has a converter and I like it much. Very easy to swap inks. With that said, I also recently ordered a new HS Bronze Age, also Fine. When it arrived the collar around the nib looked mauled and the nib was not parallel to the feed. I did not even ink it. Within an hour of receipt it was back in the postal system for an exchange. Hopefully the replacement will be better (the vendor said he's done a through inspection and confirms no apparent issues for this next one). With the above said, I have too many excellent pens for me not to use the others... and, in fact actually have several additional (non-Visconti) pens ordered and on their way. There are too many amazing pens in market for me to be committed to 1 brand. That kind of commitment is only between me and my wife.