Posted 19 July 2012 - 01:18

Hello FPN members! Title says it all, I've gotten my hands on a Visconti Homo Sapiens Steel Age Midi pen. (whew, what a long name) I've had it for a few months now, and its time I do a review of one of my favorite pensAppearance & Design (9/10)  Its very hard to rate this pen any lower, its made out of a combination of igneous rock from Mt. Etna in Sicily, Italy, and some resin. At first look it appears a matte black, maybe even gray. Once you look closer to it, you can see there's a lot going on, its got a porous surface that is slight hygroscopic, which means it will absorb a little moisture, such as sweat from your hands, its no towel however, so don't use it as such! The nib is unplated for the Steel Age version, which is to my preference, if the trim is silver-colored, (its actually steel) I feel the nib should be the same color. The cap is a very nice arc, which features the brand name on both sides. It is spring loaded, and is very firm, although I never leave fountain pens in my pocket, this is one pen I could trust in there. Also, the cap has a very unique mechanism that I can only call a combination of a pull/push and a screw cap. Its hard to describe, but what appears to be a design on the pen is actually similar to what you'd expect to be pen threads. Visconti HS Midi by miadhoque , on FlickrConstruction & Quality (10/10)  I hear a lot on the Italian pens sub-forum of sketchy quality from Visconti, being my first Visconti (and Italian pen!) I went to the Fountain Pen Hospital in Manhattan, NY to pick one up. It was flawless from the start, and it feels like I'm holding tank armor in terms of how strong it is. I haven't dropped it, but the material is very thick and strong on this pen.Weight & Dimensions (7/10)  Compare the size of this pen to the Pelikan M600, its certainly heavier, unlike the feather light feel of a Pelikan. Its cap can be posted, but grossly imbalances the pen, making it too strenuous to write with it, to my left hand to be held it goes.Nib & Performance (7.5/10)  Now this is what sets the Visconti Homo Sapiens Steel Age Midi apart from other pens. Not only is it made of a unique body material that is understated, yet functional and appealing, its nib is also very unique. Its made of 23k palladium. Visconti is the first to use it (to my knowledge) in the making of nibs. Its very soft, not nearly a flexible type of pen, but it rebounds to a fine like slowly, like any modern pen with line variation now. Its really a nice writer, feels comfortable in the hand, and looks very nice. I purchased this pen with a fine nib, and it writes far more like a medium, which irritated me in the beginning, but I've since learned to adjust to, and love it. I can write for extended periods of time, several pages without any issues. Demonstration of the Nib by miadhoque , on FlickrFilling System & Maintenance (7/10) - Its a piston filler, but said to be a "trapped" or non-removable piston converter inside the pen, which is a waste of space in an already small ink compartment. The innards are made of titanium to avoid corrosion, which is cool. Its easy to clean and fill, but there is one glaring issue. This is the nib being "flooded" with ink, the pen holds excess ink it cannot take in under the nib due to its curvature. This is a minor gripe, as it can wiped off or you can simply remove the nib from the bottle before finishing twisting the piston knob, which is very smooth. Thankfully, the nib and feed can both be removed and easily separated from one another.Cost & Value (10/10)  I got it on a whim (thanks Visconti rep) while browsing the Fountain Pen Hospital during its Spring Expo, this pen cost a lot of money (for me) and I've saved up quite a while for a pen like it. My original intention was an Pelikan M800 from the FPN classifieds, but I'm glad I was sidetracked. I got this pen for $375 instead of its usual $500 price tag (woohoo sale!) I honestly can't recommend this pen enough, its not a punch you in the eye attention grabber, but is very pleasing. In addition to its unique material and nib, it is a very secure and well built tank, kind of like German cars!More photos! Nib/Cap by miadhoque , on Flickr Entire Pen by miadhoque , on FlickrWriting Sample- Keep in mind this is a wet pen! DSC00429 by miadhoque , on Flickr