One of the Holy Grail Fountain Pens (IMHO)
In the same class as Edson , Churchill, 149 , M1000 , Grand Viceroy etc
Admittedly in the past visconti were inconsistent with their nib quality but this seems not be case any longer (?)
Design
more of a personal preference ? Pen has lovely feel to it , the basaltic lava only gets better as you use it
Doesn't need posting & is well weighted
Price / Quality
Price is steep ... but the quality is superb & will last a lifetime
if well looked after
Cons
Although many love the filling system , personally I'm not a great fan. Works very nicely but is a nightmare to clean especially if your'e using different inks
Overall
5 stars
Only points I'd take away are personal preference points
and maybe the price ?
Additionally the team at Appelboom are wonderful & can fully be trusted
I have wanted this particular pen for many years, but had always hesitated to purchase it because it is a lot of money for me and QC questions have always hovered around it. I finally ordered it through Appelboom because I've always heard they have an excellent reputation and they offered a tuning option prior to delivery. I am very glad I waited for it because it came in wrote wonderfully out of the box.
As for the pen itself, the material is as superb as has often been said in reviews and writeups. It looks better in person than it does in videos and it has just the right heft to it. The pen is not cheap by any means, but to me it was well worth the cost of admission. Many thanks!
I purchased a Visconti Homo Sapiens from Appelboom, but unfortunately it didn’t meet my expectations. The hook-safe mechanism is not going smoothly, it gets stuck a bit when trying to get it off. The nib - long story short - not that great, dry and inconsistent line, hard-starts, not at all what I hoped. Yes, it is bouncy and I kinda get the excitement of all those who have a well-tuned one.
Delivery was delayed due to Visconti’s quality control issues, but I had expected Appelboom to inspect the pen before shipping—especially since I requested the "Tune&smooth" adjustment, which they offer. It seems this step was skipped.
However, Appelboom's customer service is excellent. When I reported the issues, they responded promptly and provided a prepaid return label for an exchange.
Overall, great support from Appelboom, but I wish the initial quality check had been more thorough. Hoping the replacement pen is better!
There is a reason that a pen develops a great reputation over time.
The homosapien lives up to the hype.
Visconti has mastered the art of making fine writing instruments.
A very robust, high quality fountain pen made from a unique material and with a striking and original design, plus an in-house nib with a distinctive character.
Capping uses the 'hook safe' locking system, which means the pen has very chunky engraved slots instead of regular threads. If you grip the pen a bit further back than the section, you definitely feel them.
Mine has an 18K gold fine nib, which writes finer than other European / American fine nibs, and was quite dry when it first arrived. The nib has quite a bit of flex due to the long tines,
The lack of an ink window on this vacuum-filled pen might be an issue for some, as you don't know how much ink remains in the pen. But the large ink capacity at least means you don't have to refill too often.
This is a great pen. The Visconti arrived just in time for Christmas and it is January 9th and I have already ran through 4 fills of this pen! It is great! I had Appelboom check the nib for me and it was perfect when it arrived. I am very happy with my purchase. The only negative I would say is I bought it in a Broad nib and it is not really that broad. I’d say a .7 mm line, which is on the thinner side of broad. It is still a great line and I obviously enjoy writing with it almost daily considering how many times I have refilled it. If I get another Visconti Homo Sapiens, I will try the stub and I will definitely buy from Appelboom again! Thank you!
Before ordering I was aware of the nib quality issues Visconti has had over the years. I have no idea what the situation is nowadays but luckily I didn't have to find out myself since I selected the Nib Tune & Smooth service. My pen has the 18k gold F nib and the writing experience is sublime.
The spring-loaded cap locking mechanism and the vacuum filling system make opening, closing, filling and cleaning the pen effortless.
I like how the pen looks understated and classically elegant while keeping its outrageous material a secret until close inspection. The matte black surface has good grip and almost feels soft and rubbery. The body is big enough to hold comfortably without posting even in my massive hands. The pen has been my daily writer since its arrival.
Appelboom didn't have the pen in stock when ordering but their time estimate was spot on even with the nib tuning service. Excellent work from everyone involved!
I had heard a lot of criticism related to the QC of Visconti nibs but thanks to Appelboom's free tuning service my pen writes flawlessly. The pen took some time to deliver as it was backordered for me. But once Appelboom received the pen from Visconti, it was smooth sailing. Overall, a great purchase experience.
I really liked the pen. It fits perfectly in the hand. It writes great. Truely speaking, it was purchased with the nib customization service. Many thanks to the store for the opportunity to purchase this model. And special thanks to the store for the service. As always, you are the great.
I heard a lot about this pen and all the feedback was correct. It is a wonderful pen. The feel and weight is amazing. It fits like a glove. I had the nib custom ground and tuned so therefore no issues with the nib,
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