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Thread: Entry level Italian Fountain pen

  1. #21
    Senior Member Bogon07's Avatar
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    Default Re: Entry level Italian Fountain pen

    Quote Originally Posted by sebastien_morissette View Post
    A shop in Montreal sells the calligraphy set in orange for 150$ Seems like a pretty good price...

    http://www.stylo.ca/fr/produits/Visc...1913_0001.html
    "The Calligraphy Set contains:
    - A medium-fine nib for contemporary stylographic writing
    - An extra-fine, highly elastic nib for English Script
    - A firm, square 1.5 mm nib for Italic or Gothic Script

    - An inkwell
    - A set of plastified blotting paper to clean your nibs without getting your fingers dirty
    - Two magnetic stands to hold the nibs between one exercise and the next"

    I would strongly advise checking with seller before purchasing to see if the M-F steel nib is included in the set as there are several versions of the Calligraphy set.
    One set with the three nibs list and the other with just two nibs.
    More than a few sellers list all three but only offer two nibs or have both sets - I had this problem a year ago & Mr Murfie found the situation still the same this past month.

    Another thing to check is whether the grip sections are chrome or black plastic.
    sinistral hypergraphica - a slurry of ink
    "Nothing means less than zero"

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    Default Re: Entry level Italian Fountain pen

    I echo Bogon's comments strongly. I found numerous sellers advertising 3 nib sets that on checking were found to be only 2 nib sets. Visconti discontinued the 3 nib sets some time back, but there are a few left but at a much higher cost. It would pay to ask prior to purchase. At the advertised price, even if it is a 2 nib set, it is just fair value remembering you will only get plastic sections, and a single Rembrandt with a metal section is less than $130 anyway.

  3. #23
    Senior Member Bogon07's Avatar
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    Default Re: Entry level Italian Fountain pen

    Quote Originally Posted by gwgtaylor View Post
    My Rembrandt with a medium nib doesn't write at all. Terrible pen and wouldn't recommend it.
    What's the problem ?

    Out of 30+ Visconti including three Rembrandts - the only time I've had one that doesn't write at all is a totally empty one.
    sinistral hypergraphica - a slurry of ink
    "Nothing means less than zero"

  4. #24
    Junior Member sebastien_morissette's Avatar
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    Talking Re: Entry level Italian Fountain pen

    Roaming the Sates on my summer vacations I have made a stop at the Mall of America in Minneapolis and recruited this Visconti Rembrandt to join my collection.

    Another one down from my wish list.
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    Senior Member VertOlive's Avatar
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    Default Re: Entry level Italian Fountain pen

    No expert, here, but I've recently purchased the Delta "Ivory Passion" pen with a Medium nib. Extremely smooth writer and lovely to look at. It was $160 shipped from Italy through an FPN classified.
    "Nolo esse salus sine vobis ...” —St. Augustine

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    Member HeresyHammer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Entry level Italian Fountain pen

    Quote Originally Posted by VertOlive View Post
    No expert, here, but I've recently purchased the Delta "Ivory Passion" pen with a Medium nib. Extremely smooth writer and lovely to look at. It was $160 shipped from Italy through an FPN classified.
    That's a stunning pen, VertOlive. I remember you posted pics of it in another thread. You really got a great deal. I'm mostly a Visconti man but my next pursuit is the Delta Dolcevita Mid-size. I'm saving up now so I can have it for the fall. It just reminds me of autumn which is my favorite season.

    I too would like to join the choirs and recommend the Rembrandt. I had a Van Gogh and then a Rembrandt and both were wonderful writers with smooth steel nibs. Visconti is well known for their wetness and I've never had a "dry" Visconti.
    "Hominem unius libri timeo." - Saint Thomas Aquinas

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    Default Re: Entry level Italian Fountain pen

    I would go for it I've heard rave review of the nib, the magnetic cap, and the My Pen System. Not to cause alarm, but I have read of isolated incidences of the Metal on the section/collar being removed over time with regular care.

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    Default Re: Entry level Italian Fountain pen

    Quote Originally Posted by sebastien_morissette View Post
    Roaming the Sates on my summer vacations I have made a stop at the Mall of America in Minneapolis and recruited this Visconti Rembrandt to join my collection.

    Another one down from my wish list.
    Looks great. How does it write?

  10. #29
    Senior Member Mags's Avatar
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    Default Re: Entry level Italian Fountain pen

    Congrats/félicitations Sébastien on your pen.
    Mags or Rob Maguire MB 149, 147, 146,144, Mozart, Boehme, Sailor Realo, Aurora Optima, Churchmen Prescriptor and Parson's Essential, Parker 51 1.3 mm stub, Parker Vacumatic 1939 OB Can, TWSBI's (540,580, Mini and Vac 700), Pelikan M 1000/800 Demonstrator 600/200 demoM/200 OBB, Visconti Rembrandts (2), Lamy, Cross, Watermans, Pilots, Sheaffer's, Omas 360 LE 84/360, GvFC, Esterbrooks J and SJ, Bexley Jitterbug, Taccia, Eversharp 1952 flex, Edison Herald, Franklin Christoph Piper.

  11. #30
    Senior Member Lady Onogaro's Avatar
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    Default Re: Entry level Italian Fountain pen

    Quote Originally Posted by sebastien_morissette View Post
    Roaming the Sates on my summer vacations I have made a stop at the Mall of America in Minneapolis and recruited this Visconti Rembrandt to join my collection.

    Another one down from my wish list.
    If that's the purple one, that's the one I bought, though you have a lot more white in the cap of yours. Mine has a black section, though. I wonder what the difference is (why some Rembrandts with black sections and some with metal sections)?
    Lady Onogaro

    "Be yourself--everybody else is already taken." --Oscar Wilde

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    Member HeresyHammer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Entry level Italian Fountain pen

    Quote Originally Posted by Lady Onogaro View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by sebastien_morissette View Post
    Roaming the Sates on my summer vacations I have made a stop at the Mall of America in Minneapolis and recruited this Visconti Rembrandt to join my collection.

    Another one down from my wish list.
    If that's the purple one, that's the one I bought, though you have a lot more white in the cap of yours. Mine has a black section, though. I wonder what the difference is (why some Rembrandts with black sections and some with metal sections)?
    From what I've read, there are two versions of the Rembrandt that are almost identical except for the sections and by extension their weight. There is the standard versions of the pen which comes with the metal section. The only time that I've seen the plastic sections is in the calligraphy sets. In the past, the set came with three pens. One was metal, which usually had a medium or standard nib. This would be the pen in its customary form. The set also had two other nibs complete with their own feeds and sections. These sections were made of plastic. These would have been the "specialty" nibs which could be 1.5 mm and XF or some other arrangement. I think the three section sets are on their way out and have been reduced to two. I have seen recently some sets come with two metal sections, one metal section and one plastic section, or two plastic sections. It's very confusing and perhaps this varying setup helps Visconti cover a wide range of MSRP. Perhaps someone can chime in and let us know if the plastic section Rembrandt was ever sold individually or if it only came in the calligraphy set. The Rembrandt I owned had the metal section.

    We should never forget that Visconti is an Italian pen made by an Italian company. Sometimes they do things that just doesn't make sense to the rest of the world. Trust me, I lived there for 4 years.
    "Hominem unius libri timeo." - Saint Thomas Aquinas

  13. #32
    Junior Member fountainpen_forlife's Avatar
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    Default Re: Entry level Italian Fountain pen

    Yeah, I would agree with the Aurora Ipsilon. Nice pen. Definitely fits in your budget. I used to have an Ipsilon Satin Black...I think I paid a little under $100 for it.

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    Junior Member igor61's Avatar
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    Default Re: Entry level Italian Fountain pen

    Aurora Ipsilon
    Visconti Guliver
    Lamy

  15. #34
    Senior Member tandaina's Avatar
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    Default Re: Entry level Italian Fountain pen

    (Lamy is German)
    ---
    Current pen rotation: way too many!

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    Default Re: Entry level Italian Fountain pen

    My first Italian pen is a Delta Unica, and I just wrote a review of it. Really nice pen for the price ($85).

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  18. #36
    Senior Member Bogon07's Avatar
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    Default Re: Entry level Italian Fountain pen

    Quote Originally Posted by MyDarnSnakeLegs View Post
    My first Italian pen is a Delta Unica, and I just wrote a review of it. Really nice pen for the price ($85).
    Very pretty. That is an Anderson's LE Unica isn't it ?
    The regular ones seem to have a more streaky/swirly acrylic.
    sinistral hypergraphica - a slurry of ink
    "Nothing means less than zero"

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    Default Re: Entry level Italian Fountain pen

    Quote Originally Posted by Bogon07 View Post
    Very pretty. That is an Anderson's LE Unica isn't it ?
    The regular ones seem to have a more streaky/swirly acrylic.
    Yep. That's right. I really like this red. The blue one might be similar, but the acrylic is a little too dark to pick up as much detail and the white one is so white that it looks consistent.

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    Default Re: Entry level Italian Fountain pen

    I guess I am a little late to this party, but I guess OP's question is a common one anyway. The Rembrandt was my first Italian fountain pen. I purchased it in black with a medium nib. It does write well, but I can't recommend this pen. The cap band on mine fell off right out of the box and I had to epoxy it back in place. Six months later the magnet holding the factory "Visconti" insert on the pen cap came loose and I lost both the magnet and the insert. I couldn't get any support from the company and had to buy a replacement, personalized insert and epoxy it in myself. A $150 pen should not have these types of QC issues. There are MUCH better options available. I just picked up a Montegrappa Classica in blue (pearlized resin, with silver findings and 14k medium nib) for $235 on the bay (new, with box and papers). Yes, it's still $85 more than the Rembrandt, but the difference in quality is night and day. Rather than spend $150 on a mediocre pen, save a little longer and spend a little more for a much better pen.

    On the other hand, if you really must stick to a $100-150 budget, I did enjoy the Aurora Ipsilon (with a fine steel nib). It was a great writer and I loved that the cap posted with a clip, same as when capped on the section. It was smooth writer, with good ink flow. It was a bit small for my taste, but I think I am going to have to buy one again because it made a great pocket pen for when I am on the go. I definitely prefer the Ipsilon over the Rembrandt. For a bargain shopper, it appears Montegrappa discontinued the yellow version of the Parola. I see them selling on Amazon and eBay for anywhere from $75-110. Considering that it's a $225 list price (and in other colors it's going for much more), it's definitely worth considering if you like (don't mind the Yellow). I have no experience with the pen though, but at $75-100, I might have to give it a shot.

  21. #39
    Senior Member writingrav's Avatar
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    Default Re: Entry level Italian Fountain pen

    I agree about the Rembrandt. Loved it for awhile then the magnet disappeared. The cost to repair is prohibitive in relation to the cost of the pen. Recently bought an Aurora Ipsilon Deluxe and love it.
    To continue to diminish the place of the handwritten in our lives is to diminish, in a small but real way, our humanity. Philip Hensher

    Dunno ergo sum

  22. #40
    Senior Member AtomicLeo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Entry level Italian Fountain pen

    I own two Stipula Vedo. I've enjoyed both and I beleive they are in the price range $100-150.

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