Visconti Homo Sapiens London Fog: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

The Visconti London Fog is another pen in the Homo Sapiens series that came out earlier this year. Originally, I had no plans to purchase one – I like the Crystal Swirls model better, but it is no longer available. Still, the more photographs I saw of the London Fog, the more it grew on me. So, I decided to pull the trigger.

The pen comes packaged in a large Visconti box. They are masters of ornate pens and flashy boxes. I never quite know what to do with such large, heavy boxes, so I just stow them in my office closet in case I decide to sell my pens later.

This pen is, to put it mildly, majestic. It is large (146mm capped, 130mm uncapped, 170mm posted) and weighty (40 grams), but I have come to love big pens. My right hand doesn't get cramps when I write with a pen like the London Fog.

The cap, grip, and piston knob are made of acrylic that is mostly silver/grey with dark blue swirls. The material sparkles in the sunshine.

The barrel is made of clear acrylic with celluloid ribbons of silver/grey and blue. Acryloid is Visconti's name for this special material that is a mix of acrylic and celluloid in microscopically thin strips. Whatever it's called, it really is fantastic. The layers swim like tropical fish through the clear acrylic. The combination of demonstrator with beautiful artistic swirls makes for a stunning pen.

The cap is quite heavy due to the sterling silver clip, rings, and finial. I do not recommend posting it because it throws the balance of the pen off, but to each his/her own. As with other Visconti pens, the finial is removable. You can replace it with the Visconti "My Pen" system. I think this pen would look gorgeous with a lapis lazuli stone, but that will have to wait for a day when I have money again.

The cap is also adorned with two silver rings and the iconic Visconti clip which is spring loaded.

Visconti's special "Hook Safe Lock" system is how the cap attaches to the barrel. I really like this system because the cap is so easy to get off and on. It is much easier than a thread system that requires multiple turns. The Visconti "hooks" are smooth and do not interfere with one's grip on the pen.

The barrel is adorned with a large silver ring engraved with "Homo Sapiens." It is simple and beautiful.

A plain silver ring connects the barrel to the piston knob. The piston unscrews to allow the user to pull the vacuum seal out to fill the pen. I haven't been able to get a complete fill on this pen, despite the "power filler" name. I don't know if I just need to practice more or if the system is not meant to fill the barrel completely with ink. I noticed that when the ink in the barrel got low, no ink went into the feed. I had to pull the piston out to let ink into the lower barrel. This got messy. I'll have to work with the system more to see if there's a problem with my pen or if you simply need to keep the barrel filled with ink for the feed to remain saturated.

I ordered my London Fog with a fine, 23K Palladium nib. The nib is springy and slightly flexible if you press into it. It is a joy to write with.

The nib is beautiful with Visconti's lovely scrolling and the moon-shaped breather hole.

When I ordered my London Fog, I requested two things. First, I wanted the pen to have lots of swirls. Some versions of these Visconti pens are mostly acrylic with just a few swirls. If you're going to pay this much for a pen, get as many swirls as you can! I strongly recommend that, if you can't purchase the London Fog at a physical store, you contact your online dealer and request photos of the pens in stock. That way you can choose the pen that has the look you want. The swirl factor was important to me.

Second, the other issue when ordering a Visconti is the nib. Almost every Visconti fountain pen I've purchased has had a bum nib. Maybe I've just been unlucky, but I have had to send all my Viscontis in for nib work. Not this time. When I placed my order with Bryant at Chatterly Luxuries, I asked him to make sure the nib was smooth and trouble-free. I am happy to say this is the first Visconti pen that I've received that has written well straight out of the box. Thank you, Bryant!

At a retail cost of $995, the London Fog is quite an investment. You can purchase this pen at a lower cost through Chatterly Luxuries (they can't advertise their price), but regardless, if you buy this pen, expect to pay a good amount for it. I am very happy with my purchase because this pen writes like a dream and is absolutely spectacular in appearance. Still, if I ever find a Crystal Swirls Visconti, I might just trade my London Fog for it.

Pros

• The London Fog is a truly spectacular pen.
• If you get a good nib, the Visconti really is a dream to write with. They aren't kidding with the "Dreamtouch" label! But make sure you have it tested before it is shipped.
• I find the vacuum filling system to be adequate. I honestly prefer piston fillers. But, the pen holds a huge amount of ink (1.51 ml) if you can get a good fill.
• The pen feels wonderful in the hand. It is hefty and large, but I've found pens like this reduce hand fatigue. I love writing with this pen.
• The capping system is quick and effective.

Cons

• The London Fog is an expensive pen, no doubt about that.
• Vacuum fillers are notoriously difficult to clean.
• Visconti nibs are hit or miss in my experience. If you get a good nib, it is truly a great writing experience. But, if you get a nib with the tines out of alignment or is dry or has baby's bottom, you are stuck with paying more for a nibmeister to adjust it. Visconti really needs to do a better job of quality control.

(I purchased this pen with my own funds and was not compensated for this review.)

---

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Visconti Traveling Inkwell: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

The Visconti Traveling Inkwell is a conveniently-sized container for ink. The inkwell offers an alternative to traveling with heavy glass ink bottles. But at a retail price of $70.00 (at Goulet Pens), is it worth it?

I took my Visconti Inkwell with me on a recent trip to France. I slipped it in one of the slots of my Nock Hightower and carried it in my backpack the entire trip. It never leaked, and it went through every security check without anyone asking to examine it.

The Traveling Inkwell comes packaged in a Visconti faux-leather, clamshell box. Instructions for using the inkwell are included as is a glass eyedropper.

The inkwell is made of hard plastic and measures 5 inches (127mm) in length, a little over 1/2 inch (12.7mm) in width. It weighs only a few ounces without ink. With a capacity of 5.5 ml of ink, it will refill medium-sized pens about five times and large pens about three times. This blog post and video on Goulet is exceptionally helpful, explaining how to use the inkwell and listing pens that will and will not work.

The inkwell consists of a cap, a stopper, and the ink chamber.

Removing the cap exposes a wick that can be removed for cleaning off your nib after filling.

The stopper provides a secure seal so that no ink escapes.

To fill the inkwell, you simply put the eyedropper in your chosen ink and squeeze to fill it.

Then you insert the eyedropper deep into the inkwell and squeeze out the ink.

You have to do this several times to fill the inkwell to the maximum capacity line. The glass eyedropper is a little cumbersome to use. You might want to use a pipette or a syringe instead.

When you want to fill your pen, remove the stopper, prepare your pen to receive ink, push the nib and section firmly into the inkwell to create a seal, and turn the inkwell upside down to fill your pen.

You can use the inkwell with any filling system, though each type requires a slightly different methodology to fill the pen. I recommend watching Brian Goulet's video on the inkwell to get a good overview on how to use it with different pen types.

I used the inkwell with my Pilot Custom 823, which is a vacuum filler. I pulled the pump all the way out, inserted the pen into the inkwell, pushed the pump . . . and made a huge mess–ink everywhere.

It was my own fault. I (a) didn't create a good enough seal and (b) pushed the pump in too quickly. As a result, ink spilled everywhere. My second attempt, after following the instructions more closely, resulted in a good fill.

The Visconti Traveling Inkwell can be used with most pens as long as they measure a minimum of 9.2 mm at the grip and a maximum of 13.2 mm according to Goulet. Brands like Pelikan, Montblanc, Visconti, Pilot (but not the Pilot VP), Platinum, etc., should all work fine. Pens with small diameters will not work with the inkwell. For example, the Faber-Castell Ambition, the Pilot Vanishing Point, and other small pens cannot create the necessary seal. Oversized pens also will not work because they don't fit into the inkwell.

A couple of pens that won't work: Pilot Vanishing Point, Faber-Castell Ambition.

The inkwell requires a little practice, so it's a good idea to try it out with water first (add a little ink so you can see the liquid). Once you know what you're doing, the inkwell makes it easy to fill your pens with the bonus that you can get a complete fill by manipulating the converter/piston/or pump slowly. Brian's video shows you how to get the best fill using each system.

Most brands will work regardless of the filling system: converter, piston, lever fill, etc.

So, is the Visconti Traveling Inkwell worth $70.00? I'm a bit torn on this question, to be honest. I didn't actually use the inkwell in France because my Pilot 823 holds so much ink, I never needed a refill. On previous trips, such as to Ireland, I took plastic ink bottles that I sealed in a plastic bag and packed in my luggage so I wouldn't have to put them through security. I filled my pens from those ink bottles just like I normally would. None of them leaked, but that may have been good luck. Since I don't travel often, I probably wouldn't purchase the Visconti Inkwell for myself, especially since, when I do travel, I like taking several ink colors and can do this with inexpensive plastic ink bottles.

Plastic Ink Bottle

What sets the Visconti Inkwell apart, however, is its pen-like shape (so it fits in most pen cases), its leak-free construction, and its ability to fill pens without a big mess (as long as you know what you're doing). If you're a frequent traveler, and you don't mind taking along just one color of ink, the Visconti is an excellent choice. It is much simpler to use than ink bottles, and you can take it in your carry-on without any problems.

Even though I won't be galavanting through France again anytime soon (le sigh), I may take my Visconti Inkwell to work. I can keep it there to refill pens without a big mess when the need arises.

Pros

• The Visconti Traveling Inkwell is well-constructed and leak-proof (at least I had no issues with it in my trip to France and back).
• It is shaped like a fountain pen and is about the same size, so it fits in carrying cases made for fountain pens.
• When used correctly, it makes filling a pen virtually mess-free, but practice first!
• The inkwell works with the vast majority of fountain pens regardless of their filling system, making it quite versatile.

Cons

• The Visconti Traveling Inkwell is expensive at $70.00.
• If you want to take a variety of ink colors with you when you travel, you'll need to buy several inkwells.
• The eyedropper that comes with the inkwell is a bit awkward to use and requires repeated fills in order to get the inkwell to capacity.
• Small pens and oversized pens will not work with the inkwell.

(Goulet Pens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

The Visconti Van Gogh Midi in Green Musk: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

Goldspot Pens kindly loaned The Pen Addict a Visconti Van Gogh Midi in Green Musk to review. This fountain pen comes nicely packaged in a faux leather clamshell box.

The pen is made of Italian resin that is semi-transparent. I really like the musk green color with its swirls of yellow, orange, and brown. The resin is stunning and changes with the light.

Rhodium-plated adornments accent the pen. The clip has the usual Visconti name on each side, and it is fully functional.

The cap is encircled at the bottom with a thick band that is engraved with "Visconti" and "Van Gogh" along with decorative texture.

They chose a strange font for "Van Gogh;" it almost looks like Comic Sans.

The portion of the grip nearest the nib is metal with similar engraved patterns.

One strange design element appears on the back side of the cap: a screw. Apparently, you can tighten or loosen the screw to increase or decrease the clip's tension (for a tighter or looser hold). On an otherwise beautiful pen, the screw, though practical, seems an inelegant aberration.

The pen is described as a "midi," but I find it to be a tiny pen, only 4.375 inches in length unposted and 5.5 posted. For comfortable writing, this is one pen you will probably need to post.

The pen is also small in diameter, and the metal is slippery, making it difficult for my fingers to find purchase. I have to hold the pen tightly which eventually results in hand cramps.

The Van Gogh comes with a medium steel nib that writes smoothly–when it writes.

Unfortunately, the nib on my pen performed quite poorly, exhibiting numerous hard starts, skipping, and simply running out of ink. I guess this is a feed problem that might be remedied by tweaking the tines. But, since this isn't my pen, I didn't feel the freedom to manipulate the nib or feed to see if I could get a better flow.

The barrel unscrews to allow you to insert an ink cartridge. This pen does not accept a converter. So, if you decide to order the Van Gogh, be sure to order ink cartridges as well.

For people with small hands or those who want an elegant pocket or purse pen, the Van Gogh Midi is an excellent choice, if you can get it to write consistently. Had the nib not been disappointing, I would have bought this pen for myself. It's absolutely beautiful.

The Visconti Van Gogh retails at Goldspot Pens for $174.95, and you'll need to add the cost of cartridges since only one is provided with the pen ($6.90 for 7 cartridges).

Pros

• The Van Gogh is an elegant, small pen with gorgeous resin colors.

• The rhodium-plated accents complement the pen nicely.

• The pen is light and can be comfortable for those who prefer thinner barrels.
• When the pen writes, it writes smoothly. The medium steel nib will be a good size for many people, but apparently no other sizes are available, nor are gold nibs offered.
• For those who like the convenience of cartridges over converters, this pen works well.

Cons

• The pen seems pretty expensive considering that it is so small, has a steel (rather than gold) nib, and only takes cartridges.
• I find a cartridge-only pen to be extremely limiting. I much prefer having the converter option so I can use my own bottled ink. Of course, you can refill cartridges with your own ink using a syringe if you wish.
• I found the pen uncomfortable to write with because of its narrow diameter and slippery grip. But that's just me. Others might find this pen extremely comfortable.
• Unfortunately, the nib on the loaner pen, though smooth, was fussy. It would not start without me priming it each time, even if I only paused for a moment while writing. In addition it skipped and sometimes stopped writing entirely. I suspect a little widening of the tines might fix this issue, but a pen priced over $100 should come with a nib that just works.

Thank you to Goldspot Pens for loaning me this pen for review.