Posts filed under Fountain Pens

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.)

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Posted on September 9, 2016 by Susan Pigott and filed under Visconti, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Kaweco AL Sport Light Blue Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The Kaweco AL Sport is a familiar pen to the pen community for its stellar design, portability, and rugged durability. With a lot of different pen lines, you might buy one and think that you're done buying anymore from that line. Then, the manufacturer goes and releases an awesome new color to the lineup that's irresistible. That's exactly what Kaweco have done here with the all new Kaweco AL Sport in Light Blue.

From the inside out, this is a standard AL Sport. The only difference in this model is the color. Before we jump into the color, let's do a brief recap on the AL Sport itself.

If you've never had the pleasure of using a Kaweco AL Sport, you really should seek one out at some point. While they aren't exactly cheap, they're not really on the expensive end of the fountain pen spectrum either. Made of aluminum, they have a solid feel in the hand and do extremely well in regards to durability. You can throw it into a bag or pocket on its own, or you can install a small pocket clip to keep it secured. Hands down, this pen oozes quality, and it's a joy to handle and use.

The nib units of all AL Sports (and other similarly-priced Kaweco models) are easily interchangeable, which means you can have a nib customized to your liking, and move your custom nib to a new pen when you're ready. It's as simple as unscrewing the nib unit from one pen and inserting it in another. Piece of cake.

Of course, the Kaweco nibs are fantastic when they arrive in a usable state out of the box. However, they have been known to have some quality control issues that require some DIY tuning in order to get a useable pen. That said, these pens are great writers and will likely outlive you.

The nib I received with this review unit is an EF, and it wrote like a charm write out of the packaging. Smooth and crisp — exactly how they're meant to be.

Now, back to the color. The light blue is a beautiful shade that looks different depending on the lighting conditions. In some lighting, it looks like a cool light gray, while in others it may look slightly violet. Most of the time, though, it has a pleasant sky blue hue that makes me smile. All of the other hardware is a silver color, which compliments this cooler color.

There are several colors available in the Kaweco AL Sport line, including a similar silver color, but this Light Blue is my current favorite. Even though autumn is approaching, this color reminds me of spring and summer. It's light and joyful, and I can't help but keep it close even when not using it just so I can catch a glimpse of the color throughout the day.

If you've been on the fence about trying an AL Sport, this is a perfect one to start on! And, if you enjoy collecting all the colors, then this is a no-brainer. Stock may be a little difficult since they're brand new, but you can find one eventually when stock starts to normalize.

The light blue Kaweco AL Sport is a new favorite thanks to the beautiful new color. It's a great match with the Diamine Turquoise I currently have inked, but my next ink will probably be Iroshizuku ama-iro to match the body more closely.

At JetPens, you can find the Kaweco AL Sport in Light Blue with an EF, F, M, or B nib size for around $80 at the time of this post.

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

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Posted on September 7, 2016 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Kaweco, AL Sport, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

The Retro 1951 Tornado Prism EXT Fountain Pen: 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.)

When I saw the Retro 1951 Tornado Prism fountain pen on Jet Pens, I was immediately taken by its colorful patterns. It reminded me of a patchwork quilt. Although I had a few qualms about ordering a Retro Tornado fountain pen (I read some negative reviews a while back), I decided to give this one a try.

Packaged in a cylindrical cardboard box, the pen is nestled in the center like a spaceship ready for launch. It comes with a couple of cartridges and a converter.

The exterior of this pen is really nice. The colors and design set it apart from other fountain pens. The barrel and cap both have a light texture to them.

The barrel is made of metal as is the cap, the trims are chrome plated, but the grip is plastic. The reason the pen has the "EXT" in its name is the barrel is extended "to hold a converter, one standard international long ink cartridge, or two standard international short ink cartridges" (Jet Pens description).

The cap has the signature Retro 1951 finial with "Tornado by Retro 51" inscribed in the metal. The upper portion of the finial sports an engraved diamond pattern.

In my opinion, the top looks like it's missing something. Couldn't they have put a stylized "51" there or maybe a shiny, prism-like color of some sort?

In the usual Retro 51 style, the clip is metal and quite rigid. I suppose with some use it might loosen up, but you would need to work to get it onto a thick shirt pocket or a sheaf of papers.

Although the cap screws on to the barrel, it doesn't post well. You can jam it on the back of the pen, but it pops off pretty easily and throws off the balance of the pen anyway.

The nib is a Schmidt steel with an iridium tip. It has a basic scroll work design, along with a stylized "F" for the nib size and the Schmidt branding.

I honestly did not expect much from this nib, but it is fairly smooth with just a little feedback, depending on the paper. It seems to be a true western fine.

The converter is all plastic but works smoothly and holds a decent amount of ink.

Although the pen is light, the metal gives it just enough heft to feel substantial in the hand. I find it comfortable to write with for short periods, but after grading several papers with the pen, I experienced some hand cramping and fatigue. The grip is fairly narrow (10.1mm), and I suspect that's why my hand got tired.

The Retro 1951 Tornado Prism is a decent fountain pen for $44.50. My main concern is that the ink doesn't always flow perfectly, and you have to push it down into the feed with the converter. This intermittent ink flow causes some skipping, especially if your writing surface isn't perfectly flat.

The other concern is the cap. It screws on, but the threads aren't machined very well, so if you don't get the cap positioned just right, it gets stuck on the threads and you have to start over. I usually have to try two or three times to get the cap on correctly, and that's frustrating.

Overall, I like this pen and it will join my grading pen rotation. But, to be honest, my $12 Pilot Metropolitans are much more comfortable, better writers, and a lot cheaper than the Tornado. They remain my top-choice grading pens.

Pros

The unusual design and subtle texture make the Retro Tornado Prism a unique-looking fountain pen. It is a colorful and fun pen to use.
The pen is light, but not overly so, the metal body giving it some heft.
The Schmidt nib is reasonably smooth and writes a solid western fine line.
The plastic converter does its job fairly well. An agitator ball would help keep the ink flowing.
The Tornado makes a good EDC pen because it is metal and should hold up well to abuse.

Cons

Although the nib writes smoothly, the converter doesn't always supply enough ink to the feed and you have to push the ink down manually. I'm having this trouble with several of my converters. The only ones that don't seem to suffer from ink flow problems are those with agitator balls in them.
The cap does not screw onto the barrel smoothly most of the time. I think this is an issue of bad threading.
You cannot post this pen.

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

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