Visconti Opera Typhoon Blue Fountain Pen Review

I picked up the this Visconti Opera Blue Typhoon at last years Atlanta Pen Show. It wasn't on the shopping list - the Visconti Wall Street was the pen I was hunting for - but I couldn't pass up a good deal, especially on a pen as pretty as this.

When you see pictures of the Opera Typhoon online, the first thing you are likely to notice is what they call the mosquito filler. This is what blew my mind well before purchasing this pen. It is a long, skinny, syringe-like apparatus that slides over the nib and section of the pen to help you fill the pen with ink easier. I love this idea because it eliminates some of the mess involved with filling fountain pens, similar to a snorkel filler. That is, when it works.

I gave the mosquito filler a few tries, but it does a poor job of filling the pen to capacity. It performs much worse than the built-in power filler (Visconti's piston mechanism in this pen) does. That's why you won't even see the mosquito filler pictured in this review. Don't buy the Opera Typhoon for that feature alone.

That small downer aside, there are several great reasons to check this pen out. Fist of all, the blue swirl resin barrel is spectacular. Pictures barely do this pen justice - see this one in person if you can because the color variation and depth of the swirl is amazing. It feels great too. There is some heft to it, allowing you to feel the density of the barrel when writing, but it is well balanced so you don't tire out quickly when writing.

Ink drawn into the rear chamber.

The tubular Chromium nib is something I had never experienced before, both in material and design. I was expecting a wet writer based on all of my research on this pen, but found it to write on the dry side of the spectrum. Normally, that is my wheelhouse, but with larger pens and wider nibs (this one is a European fine nib) I want more ink flow. I shipped it off to Shawn Newton for a quick adjustment and it came back writing perfectly.

The way the tubular nib is designed allows you to write at a more vertical angle if that is your style. I used to write that way with gel and ballpoint pens so it was nice to try it out, but I still prefer a slanted, more traditional fountain pen writing angle, which the Typhoon handles perfectly as well.

As pretty as it is, and as cool as the nib is, I think my favorite feature is the double reservoir found in the pen. In a nutshell, there are two chambers in the barrel that can be sealed off from each other, if needed. For example, if you are traveling and are worried about the ink leaking, just point the nib in the air and unscrew the piston on the back of the pen to draw the ink into the rear reservoir. Screw the piston back down tight and that locks the ink into the rear, keeping ink from sitting in the writing chamber and helping prevent leaks when you least expect it. Reverse the process to release ink back into the bottom chamber and the Typhoon is ready to write immediately.

Ink back into the writing chamber.

The feature list continues with what Visconti calls a "hook safe lock" that keeps the cap securely screwed onto the barrel. Think block threads with a bit more oomph. Visconti's clip design is one of its calling cards with its sleek, curved design and stamped logo. It clamps down firmly but has some travel built into it which allows you to raise it easily if needed.

Only 1000 pieces of this model were made, and with an MSRP of $695 it is a little panic inducing. That said, I see this pen going for much less in various places online. I paid less than $400 for mine, and Chatterly Luxuries currently has it on sale for $350, so that is the ballpark you should be looking to pay.

Would I recommend this pen to anyone looking for an interesting, unique fountain pen to add to their collection? No, I don't think I would, at least not without doing a ton of homework on it first. I enjoy mine, but don't go into this one blindly, and definitely shop around for the right price.

Kaweco AL Sport Stonewashed Roller Ball 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 classic, beautiful design that many of us love, but we also probably assume that we're talking about a fountain pen when that name comes up. Well, there's also a roller ball version of the pen, and it's pretty nice.

The Kaweco AL Sport Roller Ball is exactly what you might expect — it's the same as the normal fountain pen, but with a different section that uses a roller ball refill instead of the fountain pen nib. In fact, you can even swap the section out with other AL Sports if you want.

In my opinion, this is one of the best pocket carry pens out there. It's well made, durable, and has a refill that behaves better than most fountain pen nibs. Even better, it can accept the Schmidt capless refills. Yep, the same ones found in the Retro 51. Knowing that, this pen was an insta-purchase for me.

How does the pen perform? In many ways, it's the same as the regular fountain pen version, so I'll just summarize it with: it feels great in the hand, it's made of durable materials with high tolerances, and it can withstand a lot of punishment. With this particular version, the stonewashing effect means you don't have to worry about making that first scratch because there's already an infinite number of scratches on the pen from the factory. (I hope I'm not the only one who has a fear of making a first scratch on a new pen.)

If the body is the same as the fountain pen line, then the most important thing to consider here is the refill. I'll be honest with you — the Kaweco refill included with the pen is OK. It tends to skip every now and then and it doesn't fit in the pen perfectly. When writing, the refill moves a tiny bit and makes a noise that distracts me when writing. I like the refill to be snug when writing. And, the skipping can be a bit of an annoyance as well. Like I said, it's OK.

But, you have to also consider that the awesome Schmidt Capless refills work with this pen. Any Parker style refills will work this pen as well, but I'm a huge fan of the Schmidts. Most of us probably had our introduction to these refills from a Retro 51 of one kind or another, and you'll know immediately if you like it or not. Basically, the Schmidt refills are really smooth, dark, and skipless. I've never had problems with them hard-starting, skipping, or any other problems that sometimes come up with roller balls. They're really one of my favorite refills, and I'm really happy when a pen accepts them.

With that in mind, I whole-heartedly recommend this pen. Just remember to pick up a Schmidt P8126 or P8127 with your order. The combination of a comfortable, nearly indestructable pen with an awesome refill is what joy is made from. The price for the pen is a bit high, but you probably already know that this is a standard price for the Kaweco AL Sports, and it's certainly fair due to the materials and high quality craftsmanship that goes into them. If you're in the market for a great roller ball, definitely check them out!

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

*D* Rocket Titanium Oval Bolt Pen Prototype Review

Darriel Caston reached out to me a couple of months ago about his first Kickstarter project, the D Rocket Titanium Oval Bolt Pen. We exchanged emails, he shared his designs and thinking behind the pen, and a few weeks ago was able to ship me out a prototype, which I have put through the paces.

The primary design decision with the D Rocket was to keep the bolt as clean and flush with the side of the barrel as possible. Darriel succeeded in doing this by making the barrel an oval shape. This may be confusing to process, but the shape is subtle and in practice works quite well. I have a standard grip and I picked up the pen and was comfortably writing without hesitation.

The bolt action is smooth and snappy as well, a feature that is a must with this style of pen. It is easily workable with one hand, but something odd hit me after about the third click: The bolt is located in the left-handed position. Mike Dudek pointed out the same thing, so I'm glad I'm not crazy in thinking I've never used a bolt with this setup. It's not a deal breaker, but I have to flip the pen around to use it with the clip out after engaging the refill.

Materials wise, titanium is found in all the primary parts of the pen, making it a durable choice for EDC. I asked Darriel to send me the model with the D Rocket logo and laser markings to see how it would look on that type of finish and I like it. It gives the pen design a little extra pop.

The primary question with the D Rocket Oval Bolt boils down to this: Are titanium materials important to you? If so, this pen is well worth looking at. It fits Parker compatible refills, such as the Fisher Space Pen and the cool Ohto 0.5 needle ballpoint that shipped with mine, making it a durable, functional choice. If not, the aluminum Karas Kustoms Bolt or Maxmadco Bolt will save you a few bucks and suit your needs just fine.

My thanks to Darriel Caston for sending this pen over for review. If you like what you see be sure to check out the Kickstarter project for more details.