Hi All!
So this is my first pen review. Like others I've shamelessly stolen the format from Dave, who I'm sure shamelessly stole it from someone else.
This will also be the first time my atrocious cursive will be shown on this site. I will provide a translation under the pic.
I've wanted a Visconti since I first saw the Homo Sapiens and found out it was made of volcano ash. Unfortunately, I haven't yet been able to free up $600 for one. I decided to try out a slightly lower model to see if I liked the nib and if I should start working on convincing my wife now to buy it for me.
Appearance and Design
This pen is bigger than both my Faber-Castell Basic Black and my vintage Sheaffer Imperial 827 which, to me, makes this a large pen. I chose a gorgeous red that has Palladium accents. There is kind of a darker red/black flowing through the pen as well, giving it a swirl-ish appearance. Like other Visconti's the pen also incorporates the my pen system where you can get small medallions with initials or gem stones to put in the end of the cap.
Construction and Quality
The pen seems to be constructed very well. It feels much smoother in my fingers than either my Sheaffer or FC do. It's so smooth in fact that it seems like it may slip out of my hand. So far that hasn't happened but I've only written one page with it. The clip is nice and tight, definitely won't be falling off of whatever it's clipped to. The cap is unique in that it's not a screw or clip on, it's actually a magnet. I know Franklin Christoph has something similar but I haven't used it so I cannot compare. This cap seems to click when it closes and the magnet kicks in. Quite stable and nice without the screw threads.
Nib Performance
Holy smooth batman! I got a fine nib 'cause usually my office paper is crap. My medium Sheaffer bleeds over everything like exxon in the gulf...My FC is a fine nib but I find it's very scratchy. Not a bad thing really but not great. The Visconti Fine is buttery smooth. To me it's about the same quality as the Sheaffer (14K gold inlaid), the difference being this one is just steel which is supposed to be not as nice. The design on the nib, while hard to see in the photo, is very intricate. I've got to say I'm pretty impressed by the worksmanship that went into this.
Weight and Dimensions
I pulled the below from another site online. There wasn't anything that Visconti had (that I could find) with the specifications.
Overall Size - 5 1/2 in. x 9/16 in. (140mm x 15mm)
Body - 4 15/16 in. x 1/2 in. (125mm x 13mm)
Cap - 2 9/16 in. x 9/16 in. (65mm x 15mm)
Weight - 30 g
Filling System and Maintenance
Filling system is a basic converter or cartidge. No fanciness there. I haven't done a test of the filling system yet as I'm still not 100% sure I'm going to keep the pen.
Cost and Value
The MSRP on this pen is $175 (in Canada). I found it as low as $159 which isn't bad. I was able to get it on the 'Bay for a bit cheaper...until customs, duty and brokerage fees came in. At that point I saved literally $1.33. That, however, is another story.
The cost of this pen makes it the most expensive I've ever purchased. So expensive in fact that I actually told myself I'd never buy one this expensive. Being caught up in the bonus/ebay bug does a number on one's resolve. The FC Basic Black cost me $45, plus the converter so $55 total. Between the two is this one really worth almost 4 times as much? Actually ya, so far. The differences in nib smoothness alone is amazing, not to mention the way the pen feels in my hand. While I appreciate the weight of the FC (it is a bit heavier at 35g) this one still feels like I have something substantial in my hand to write with.
Conclusion
Quite simply, I like this pen. Very much in fact. As I've been writing this review trying to find reasons to sell this one in favour of the Visconti Van Gogh I have on the way I'm having trouble finding something wrong with it. I'm still going to refrain from inking it and just use up the little bit of ink that the dip gave me. It's definitely going to be a hard choice between the two pens though.
Writing Sample:
![$[Untitled]001.jpg](https://xfdata.badgerandblade.com/attachments/135/135974-7e9aee9151f847b8e0250bb5b52ffc16.jpg "$[Untitled]001.jpg")
Translation:
Visconti F nib
Rembrant (sp!) in red.
Nib dipped into Sailor Jentle Ink Blue-Black. My favourite ink =). Writes nice and smooth. None of the scratchy-ness I experienced with other fine nibs. No real feedback from the pen which is actually nice. Pen itself is nice and smooth in my fingers.
Converter included with the pen is typical international converter. Weight empty is similar to FC Black I have (this was written prior to me finding the actual weight.) Written on Staples Sustainable Earth Notebook.
The notebook blew me away btw. Normally we get these crappy MEAD books that feather and bleed thru like nobodies business. I'm pretty impressed with the Staples stuff!
Cheers,
M.
So this is my first pen review. Like others I've shamelessly stolen the format from Dave, who I'm sure shamelessly stole it from someone else.
This will also be the first time my atrocious cursive will be shown on this site. I will provide a translation under the pic. Pen Review: Visconti Rembrandt
I've wanted a Visconti since I first saw the Homo Sapiens and found out it was made of volcano ash. Unfortunately, I haven't yet been able to free up $600 for one. I decided to try out a slightly lower model to see if I liked the nib and if I should start working on convincing my wife now to buy it for me.
Appearance and Design
This pen is bigger than both my Faber-Castell Basic Black and my vintage Sheaffer Imperial 827 which, to me, makes this a large pen. I chose a gorgeous red that has Palladium accents. There is kind of a darker red/black flowing through the pen as well, giving it a swirl-ish appearance. Like other Visconti's the pen also incorporates the my pen system where you can get small medallions with initials or gem stones to put in the end of the cap.
Construction and Quality
The pen seems to be constructed very well. It feels much smoother in my fingers than either my Sheaffer or FC do. It's so smooth in fact that it seems like it may slip out of my hand. So far that hasn't happened but I've only written one page with it.
The clip is nice and tight, definitely won't be falling off of whatever it's clipped to. The cap is unique in that it's not a screw or clip on, it's actually a magnet. I know Franklin Christoph has something similar but I haven't used it so I cannot compare. This cap seems to click when it closes and the magnet kicks in. Quite stable and nice without the screw threads.Nib Performance
Holy smooth batman! I got a fine nib 'cause usually my office paper is crap. My medium Sheaffer bleeds over everything like exxon in the gulf...My FC is a fine nib but I find it's very scratchy. Not a bad thing really but not great. The Visconti Fine is buttery smooth. To me it's about the same quality as the Sheaffer (14K gold inlaid), the difference being this one is just steel which is supposed to be not as nice. The design on the nib, while hard to see in the photo, is very intricate. I've got to say I'm pretty impressed by the worksmanship that went into this.
Weight and Dimensions
I pulled the below from another site online. There wasn't anything that Visconti had (that I could find) with the specifications.
Overall Size - 5 1/2 in. x 9/16 in. (140mm x 15mm)
Body - 4 15/16 in. x 1/2 in. (125mm x 13mm)
Cap - 2 9/16 in. x 9/16 in. (65mm x 15mm)
Weight - 30 g
Filling System and Maintenance
Filling system is a basic converter or cartidge. No fanciness there. I haven't done a test of the filling system yet as I'm still not 100% sure I'm going to keep the pen.
Cost and Value
The MSRP on this pen is $175 (in Canada). I found it as low as $159 which isn't bad. I was able to get it on the 'Bay for a bit cheaper...until customs, duty and brokerage fees came in. At that point I saved literally $1.33. That, however, is another story.
The cost of this pen makes it the most expensive I've ever purchased. So expensive in fact that I actually told myself I'd never buy one this expensive. Being caught up in the bonus/ebay bug does a number on one's resolve.
The FC Basic Black cost me $45, plus the converter so $55 total. Between the two is this one really worth almost 4 times as much? Actually ya, so far. The differences in nib smoothness alone is amazing, not to mention the way the pen feels in my hand. While I appreciate the weight of the FC (it is a bit heavier at 35g) this one still feels like I have something substantial in my hand to write with.Conclusion
Quite simply, I like this pen. Very much in fact. As I've been writing this review trying to find reasons to sell this one in favour of the Visconti Van Gogh I have on the way I'm having trouble finding something wrong with it. I'm still going to refrain from inking it and just use up the little bit of ink that the dip gave me. It's definitely going to be a hard choice between the two pens though.
Writing Sample:
Translation:
Visconti F nib
Rembrant (sp!) in red.
Nib dipped into Sailor Jentle Ink Blue-Black. My favourite ink =). Writes nice and smooth. None of the scratchy-ness I experienced with other fine nibs. No real feedback from the pen which is actually nice. Pen itself is nice and smooth in my fingers.
Converter included with the pen is typical international converter. Weight empty is similar to FC Black I have (this was written prior to me finding the actual weight.) Written on Staples Sustainable Earth Notebook.
The notebook blew me away btw. Normally we get these crappy MEAD books that feather and bleed thru like nobodies business. I'm pretty impressed with the Staples stuff!
Cheers,
M.
Last edited:
