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Thread: Visconti HS BA nib

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    Default Visconti HS BA nib

    I own a Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age lava fountain pen with palladium EF nib. I enjoy it quite a bit even if it doesn't hold that much ink and even if there's no ink window. My nib is single tone but I've read others writing about their 2 tone nib on this pen. Did Visconti fit some of these pens with a single tone nib and others with a 2 tone nib?

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    Default Re: Visconti HS BA nib

    I have only heard about Bronze Age pens with two-tone nibs. It sounds like the nib has been exchanged with another similar nib (Midnight in Florence, London Fog etc.)
    My nib looks like this:

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    Default Re: Visconti HS BA nib

    Quote Originally Posted by Occipital Lobe View Post
    I have only heard about Bronze Age pens with two-tone nibs. It sounds like the nib has been exchanged with another similar nib (Midnight in Florence, London Fog etc.)
    My nib looks like this:

    Thanks for the info Occipital Lobe.

    Since I've had this pen for more than 1 year, I suppose there's nothing I can do about getting the proper 2 tone nib. I know this nib is famous/infamous for being poorly tuned (or not even tuned!) so I might get a bad one if I were even able to procure one.

    I see that on your pen the "Homo Sapiens" lines up nicely with the nib. I think my "Homo Sapiens" also did that once but maybe the number of unscrewings of the nib-feed unit that I've done probably altered the relationship. On my pen, the "Homo Sapiens" is on the "bottom" when writing with the pen.

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    Default Re: Visconti HS BA nib

    In looking into this matter of 2 tone and 1 tone Visconti HS BA lava fountain pen nibs, I found out from the Goulet Pens website that the newer editions of this pen do indeed only have a 1 tone nib. It's the older editions that had the 2 tone nib.

    I'm still wondering if there's some way to get the "Homo Sapiens" (on the bronze band at the lower end of the section) back to being aligned with the nib-- I think it was once that way when I got the pen over 1 yr. ago. I mentioned above that my "Homo Sapiens" is at the "bottom" of the pen when in use. Maybe that name is also "on the bottom" for others owning this pen-- I don't know.

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    Default Re: Visconti HS BA nib

    I just received my HS BA Monday, the 18th of March. I got it from Appelboom.
    It has a 1 tone nib. The medium nib sucks, by the way.

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    Default Re: Visconti HS BA nib

    Quote Originally Posted by Takasnooze View Post
    I just received my HS BA Monday, the 18th of March. I got it from Appelboom.
    It has a 1 tone nib. The medium nib sucks, by the way.
    I'm sorry Takasnooze that the nib's lousy. I know Visconti's famous for poor and lousy nibs. Does your pen have the "Homo Sapiens" on the brass band (by the section end) nicely lined up with the nib?

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    Default Re: Visconti HS BA nib

    IMG_1783.JPGIt does.

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    Default Re: Visconti HS BA nib

    From what I heard, Visconti will no longer produce 2 tone nibs. They will be (are) replaced with singletone ones due to the complexity and cost of the extra colouring. I've seen a lot of 23k duotone nibs that were poorly coloured anyway (like outside of the lines).

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    Default Re: Visconti HS BA nib

    Quote Originally Posted by usgs View Post
    I know Visconti's famous for poor and lousy nibs.
    I haven't heard this. Are there any specifics? Visconti used a variety of nibs - steel, 14k, 18k, 23k Pd.

    From my experience, and those I've talked to about nibs, Visconti has been better than average in consistence and performance out of the box. Certainly better than the big Pelikans, Omas, or Oldwin. About the same as Montegrappa or Dupont. Not as good as Montblanc. But I wouldn't hesitate to buy any of these makes. I don't consider any of them to be poor or lousy. At worst they just need a tune up. That's a fountain pen.

    I've had at least fifteen Vicontis over the years. They included all of these materials (though the only steel nib I had was a Tropen). I've had no trouble.

    By the way, I think the Bronze Age looks better with the gold nib.
    If you want to align it differently you can add some sealant to the nib unit threads and stop it wherever you please. You can't turn the nib/feed in the collar. The feed has an alignment slot.

    I believe the two tone nibs one sees for sale with poor masking are factory seconds. I've never seen a new from the factory Visconti come with poor masking. Any reputable dealer wouldn't offer such a pen as it would be returned.

    Good luck!

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    Default Re: Visconti HS BA nib

    Hello broadoblique,

    Before buying my Visconti HS BA fountain pen with EF pd nib, I had read at FPN various reports and complaints about Visconti's poor QC letting awful nibs be on pens for sale. I suppose some people just got nibs that had to be adjusted and tuned. Perhaps I was lucky: my EF nib's wonderful.

    Thanks for the tip about using silicone grease on the nib-feed collar threads. Are the nib and feed simply friction fit into that plastic collar? I've never taken mine apart because I'm not familiar with the way the nib and feed are held in that collar. [Now I know from you that the feed has an alignment slot so I'm just guessing that both are friction fit into the collar. Yes?]

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    Default Re: Visconti HS BA nib

    Yes, nib/feed are friction fit. Because of the slot they need to be pulled straight out. Some Viscos have the flat on one side of the feed. It's probably whatever Bock is putting out at the time.

    I wouldn't use silicone. If anything grease would let the collar screw a little further into the section. But that may work for you. I was thinking of the usual sticky sealant, or a very little bit of teflon tape can work. I suggest you heat the section and collar when using sticky sealant.

    Have fun

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    Default Re: Visconti HS BA nib

    broadoblique, is the sticky sealant found in a glue stick used for paper? If you're in the US, you probably know what a glue stick is. If it's not the sticky stuff in a glue stick, what exactly is this sticky sealant?

    If you say "Yes, use the stuff in a glue stick", will that dry out or become a solid so that I won't be able to unscrew the plastic nib-feed housing unit from the section?

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    Default Re: Visconti HS BA nib

    No, not a glue stick. The normal fountain pen sealant. The kind of stuff you find in Omas, Montblanc and pens before o-rings became popular.
    Ron Zorn has a good one. Or other members have posted their personal recipes. Proper sealant will never glue pieces together.

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    Default Re: Visconti HS BA nib

    Quote Originally Posted by usgs View Post
    Hello broadoblique,

    Before buying my Visconti HS BA fountain pen with EF pd nib, I had read at FPN various reports and complaints about Visconti's poor QC letting awful nibs be on pens for sale. I suppose some people just got nibs that had to be adjusted and tuned. Perhaps I was lucky: my EF nib's wonderful.

    Thanks for the tip about using silicone grease on the nib-feed collar threads. Are the nib and feed simply friction fit into that plastic collar? I've never taken mine apart because I'm not familiar with the way the nib and feed are held in that collar. [Now I know from you that the feed has an alignment slot so I'm just guessing that both are friction fit into the collar. Yes?]
    There are plenty more perfectly good Visconti pens than bad ones. Inevitably it is possible to let product out the door which isn't perfect. The more product you make the less of it you have time to inspect before it goes out the door. Still, with any product you generally find more complaints than compliments online. Those with perfectly good working product just use it an enjoy it. Those who aren't happy yell the loudest. Like broadoblique, I've owned multiple Visconti pens and all but one wrote well right out of the box. That one just needed a little cleaning of the nib and feed with some soapy water. I think there might have been some oil or residue which didn't let the ink flow. After cleaning it was great.

    Quote Originally Posted by broadoblique View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by usgs View Post
    I know Visconti's famous for poor and lousy nibs.
    I haven't heard this. Are there any specifics? Visconti used a variety of nibs - steel, 14k, 18k, 23k Pd.

    From my experience, and those I've talked to about nibs, Visconti has been better than average in consistence and performance out of the box. Certainly better than the big Pelikans, Omas, or Oldwin. About the same as Montegrappa or Dupont. Not as good as Montblanc. But I wouldn't hesitate to buy any of these makes. I don't consider any of them to be poor or lousy. At worst they just need a tune up. That's a fountain pen.

    I've had at least fifteen Vicontis over the years. They included all of these materials (though the only steel nib I had was a Tropen). I've had no trouble.

    By the way, I think the Bronze Age looks better with the gold nib.
    If you want to align it differently you can add some sealant to the nib unit threads and stop it wherever you please. You can't turn the nib/feed in the collar. The feed has an alignment slot.

    I believe the two tone nibs one sees for sale with poor masking are factory seconds. I've never seen a new from the factory Visconti come with poor masking. Any reputable dealer wouldn't offer such a pen as it would be returned.

    Good luck!
    I was also going to point this out for anyone without the nib aligned with the "Homo Sapiens" on the band. The nib and feed are press fit into a collar which is threaded. You can remove it, put a little silicone grease on the threads, and then install the nib unit less than fully bottomed out on the threads. My own HS Bronze is about a quarter turn loose to get it aligned. Still enough friction that it doesn't twist while writing.

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