Good [time of day], fellow nibblings!
I'd been looking long and hard for this current review pen for a very long time (nearly a year to be exact) and happened to stumble across one with the help of some nibblings on another forum about a month ago. I was very specific in my asks, I wanted a particular model which was no longer produced but with a particular nib in a particular material with a particular piece of paper contained in the box. So after many moons of fruitless searches I finally stumbled across an ad for a re-sell and bit the bullet immediately. After such a long and exhaustive effort I am now happy to share my excitement in owning the limited edition version of Visconti's Divina model in the Desert Springs celluloid!
Packaged in the customary lacquered wood box with enough bubble wrap to survive a Red Bull stratosphere jump, the pen arrived at my door unscathed and with all authentic papers. Needless to say, I was quite pleased.
The pen is a delicious redish-brown celluloid with waves of cream and ocean blues scattered across its surface. If you've not had the pleasure of seeing a celluloid pen in person I encourage you to track one down as the depth and luster of the material is never captured beautifully in photos. I've done my best here but failed miserably:
Now note a couple distinguishing characteristics of this pen in particular as it's exactly what I was looking for. Firstly, it was the LE version, distinguished via the ink window (the non-LE has a band around it) and all metal detailing plated in platinum. Secondly, the previous owner had replaced the gold nib for the Dream Touch! Oh joyous day, right? Well, moreover, they had changed it to an EF Dream Touch. I nearly cried when I read it! Thirdly, and most importantly, the seller was willing and happy to send the pen international!
So now, having never even held one of these things in my hands until today, I am literally hooked on this combination of nib and pen size, material, and looks.
This is me introducing him to the family:
(Top to bottom: HS midi steel, HS maxi bronze, Desert Springs LE, HS crystal LE, Van Gogh Room in Arles, Van Gogh Starry Night)
Physically the Desert Springs is a long and slender form. The Divina body is built with the golden ratio in mind with the proportions divided up between the cap and body as well as with a twisting coinciding with the golden spiral. The mathematician in me geeked out at the prospect. Better examples of the twisting can be seen by looking up photos of the Divina Proporzione or other Divina bodies.
I believe this was one of the first form factors to come with the hook and latch capping system. As a huge believer in this system I was more than pleased to see it included in the pen's specs. I would actually pay very good money to have this system installed on any and all pens I own going forward if it were an option! Visconti got me with that one!
Moreover, this pen has a filling system that I haven't seen on any others apart from the Proporzione: the push and pull system. Succinctly, there is a nub on the back of the pen that, once pushed in, releases a piston of sorts that one pulls out then dips the pen in the ink and finally pushed the button back in. It's very similar to the Power Filler or Vac Filler system on the Homo Sapiens or TWSBI Vac-700 but without the capacity and a magical hidden button. My one beef with this pen will be the capacity. I have a sneaking suspicion I can't hold much ink in this pen which means I'll be bringing the Travelling Ink Pot out of retirement and praying the two are compatible.
(Top to bottom: HS maxi bronze, Desert Springs, Vac-700, Model #19, 360 Vintage with some terrible nib creep)
I tried posting the pen while doing the writing sample. While large and long it wasn't completely off balanced as the celluloid is incredibly light. Still though, because the pen has twists in the body, the cap doesn't fit on at any angle but rather those that are in line with the twists. Insomuch as I won't cap the 360 for the same reason, the Desert Springs will most likely remain uncapped too.
Like all Viscontis with the Dream Touch nib, my reaction is the same: pure joy in writing.
In conclusion, I'm mostly boasting about a pen that I believed in for a very long time that I finally had an opportunity to purchase in the exact specs that I wanted. Excuse me for an otherwise undirected review.
I hope someone enjoyed it though!
I'd been looking long and hard for this current review pen for a very long time (nearly a year to be exact) and happened to stumble across one with the help of some nibblings on another forum about a month ago. I was very specific in my asks, I wanted a particular model which was no longer produced but with a particular nib in a particular material with a particular piece of paper contained in the box. So after many moons of fruitless searches I finally stumbled across an ad for a re-sell and bit the bullet immediately. After such a long and exhaustive effort I am now happy to share my excitement in owning the limited edition version of Visconti's Divina model in the Desert Springs celluloid!
Packaged in the customary lacquered wood box with enough bubble wrap to survive a Red Bull stratosphere jump, the pen arrived at my door unscathed and with all authentic papers. Needless to say, I was quite pleased.
The pen is a delicious redish-brown celluloid with waves of cream and ocean blues scattered across its surface. If you've not had the pleasure of seeing a celluloid pen in person I encourage you to track one down as the depth and luster of the material is never captured beautifully in photos. I've done my best here but failed miserably:
Now note a couple distinguishing characteristics of this pen in particular as it's exactly what I was looking for. Firstly, it was the LE version, distinguished via the ink window (the non-LE has a band around it) and all metal detailing plated in platinum. Secondly, the previous owner had replaced the gold nib for the Dream Touch! Oh joyous day, right? Well, moreover, they had changed it to an EF Dream Touch. I nearly cried when I read it! Thirdly, and most importantly, the seller was willing and happy to send the pen international!
So now, having never even held one of these things in my hands until today, I am literally hooked on this combination of nib and pen size, material, and looks.
This is me introducing him to the family:
(Top to bottom: HS midi steel, HS maxi bronze, Desert Springs LE, HS crystal LE, Van Gogh Room in Arles, Van Gogh Starry Night)
Physically the Desert Springs is a long and slender form. The Divina body is built with the golden ratio in mind with the proportions divided up between the cap and body as well as with a twisting coinciding with the golden spiral. The mathematician in me geeked out at the prospect. Better examples of the twisting can be seen by looking up photos of the Divina Proporzione or other Divina bodies.
I believe this was one of the first form factors to come with the hook and latch capping system. As a huge believer in this system I was more than pleased to see it included in the pen's specs. I would actually pay very good money to have this system installed on any and all pens I own going forward if it were an option! Visconti got me with that one!
Moreover, this pen has a filling system that I haven't seen on any others apart from the Proporzione: the push and pull system. Succinctly, there is a nub on the back of the pen that, once pushed in, releases a piston of sorts that one pulls out then dips the pen in the ink and finally pushed the button back in. It's very similar to the Power Filler or Vac Filler system on the Homo Sapiens or TWSBI Vac-700 but without the capacity and a magical hidden button. My one beef with this pen will be the capacity. I have a sneaking suspicion I can't hold much ink in this pen which means I'll be bringing the Travelling Ink Pot out of retirement and praying the two are compatible.
(Top to bottom: HS maxi bronze, Desert Springs, Vac-700, Model #19, 360 Vintage with some terrible nib creep)
I tried posting the pen while doing the writing sample. While large and long it wasn't completely off balanced as the celluloid is incredibly light. Still though, because the pen has twists in the body, the cap doesn't fit on at any angle but rather those that are in line with the twists. Insomuch as I won't cap the 360 for the same reason, the Desert Springs will most likely remain uncapped too.
Like all Viscontis with the Dream Touch nib, my reaction is the same: pure joy in writing.
In conclusion, I'm mostly boasting about a pen that I believed in for a very long time that I finally had an opportunity to purchase in the exact specs that I wanted. Excuse me for an otherwise undirected review.
I hope someone enjoyed it though!
