Visconti Ragtime 20th Anniversary

**john** · June 8th, 2013, 08:05 PM

Mr Bogon, I like your Pelikan Lizard very much, and your penmanship is great too.

**fountainpenkid** · June 8th, 2013, 08:35 PM

That pen looks great!

**tandaina** · June 8th, 2013, 10:13 PM

Bogon my Ragtime doesn't HAVE a breather hole. Just a straight slit down the nib....

**tandaina** · June 8th, 2013, 10:33 PM

I'll post another pic, but it is a small sorta odd shaped nib, with a slit half way through it and the words 20th Anniversary are prominent. How do two LE pens of the same model have different nibs??

**Bogon07** · June 9th, 2013, 03:39 AM

Originally Posted by tandaina

I'll post another pic, but it is a small sorta odd shaped nib, with a slit half way through it and the words 20th Anniversary are prominent. How do two LE pens of the same model have different nibs??

Tandaina, I wouldn't worry, yours is the nib seen on most LE Ragtimes with the engraved 20 (see the FPN review: http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/fo...e&fromsearch=1 ) .

I suspect that mine was a dealer replacement or maybe the engraved 20 nib was supplied to only a portion of the 1988 pens say the first 200 or so?

**tandaina** · June 9th, 2013, 07:21 AM

Not worried so much as annoyed.

That nib and I would probably get along. Ah well.

**reprieve** · June 9th, 2013, 08:22 AM

It's a very pretty pen. You could have the nib modified to a stub or cursive italic (?).

I agree with AltecGreen about searching for a vintage Italian pen. A vintage Aurora 88 with a semi-flex or flexible nib is an affordable, though less colorful, option that I think you would love given your affinity for vintage German piston fillers. It would fit right in with your vintage Montblancs. Keep an eye on the Gopens.com catalogues--they frequently have a nice selection of vintage Italian pens, and sometimes a less expensive model will pop up.

**fountainpenkid** · June 9th, 2013, 10:02 AM

Zona 900 is GREAT for vintage Italian pens. They ship anywhere in the world, and the selection is great and there are updates practically every week.

**tandaina** · June 10th, 2013, 12:50 PM

Thanks for the recommendation. I use the German equiv quite a bit so glad to have that one as well!

So long story short, I am keeping the pen, not because I am thrilled with it, but because the vendor would not issue a refund, not even a partial refund by choosing a cheaper pen.

This is not an issue I have encountered before. I have ALWAYS evaluated pens by inking or dipping them. Always. How one can evaluate and chose whether or not to keep a pen without even dipping the nib remains an eternal mystery to me. I wouldn't buy a car without driving it (yes with caustic gas in the engine), yes the EXACT car not just an example of the model. My husband and I just did that with his new vehicle. There was no question at the dealer that we would first drive the car before deciding if we'd take it, the EXACT car. I certainly wouldn't buy a pen without test driving it (yes with CAUSTIC ink) either.

(For a cheap car, a little Kia whatever I could see it, and for a cheap pen. But for a sports/luxury car, or a luxury pen? Sorry, no dice unless there is a test drive.)

So it is mine, for now. It has been shipped straight to Pendleton to make the nib into something I can live with. And then I'll decide whether to resell it, or keep it. While the vendor was very polite and friendly, I won't be doing business with them again.

Overall, not a very pleasant experience and I'm not satisfied, but nothing to do but move on and be more careful to read all vendor policies before doing business with them in the future. I'm apparently spoiled by the folks I've dealt with in the past in and out of the pen industry.