on saleVisconti Homo Sapiens Fountain Pen - Dark Age

Product Code VI-KP15-05-FP-EF

In Stock

out of stock

on saleVisconti Homo Sapiens Fountain Pen - Dark Age

Product Code VI-KP15-05-FP-EF

In Stock

out of stock

$716.00

MSRP $895.00

Color:
Dark Age
Nib Guide

Not sure which size nib is best for you?

Try our Nib Nook tool to view and compare nib widths using our writing samples. Learn more ›

The Homo Sapiens is handmade from hardened basaltic lava sourced from the Mount Etna volcano in Italy, with an all-black trim. Visconti lava is virtually unbreakable, comfortable and warm to the touch - and slightly hygroscopic, absorbing moisture from your hand. The basaltic lava is mixed with resin to create this pen.

The pen caps using the Visconti 'Hook Safe Lock', a revolutionary capping system so you can cap a pen without worrying about the cap accidentally unscrewing in your pocket and leaking. The fountain pen's vacuum power filler is made of titanium to resist ink corrosion, and it features an oversized black 18k gold nib to match the trim color.

Condition
New
Brand
Visconti
Type
Fountain Pens
Color
Black
Demonstrator

Whether or not the barrel of the pen is translucent, allowing you to see the ink and filling mechanism inside.

No
Body Material
Basaltic Lava and Resin
Cap Type

How the cap is opened/closed from the barrel of the pen. Some common options include Snap-Cap, Screw-Cap, Magnetic Cap, or Capless (no cap).

Hook Safe Lock
Compatible inks & refills

Which ink this pen will accept. Choices include bottled ink and various styles of pre-filled ink cartridges.

Bottled inks
Filling Mechanism

How the pen fills with ink. Click here to watch our video tutorial on common filling mechanisms.

Power Filler
Grip Material
Basaltic lava
Nib Size
Extra-Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, 1.3mm Stub
Nib Color
Black
Nib Material
18k Gold
Postable

Whether or not the cap fits securely onto the back of the barrel when open.

Yes
Retractable

Whether or not the nib/tip can retract into the body of the pen (usually for click or twist-open style pens).

No
Trim
Black
Diameter - Body
14.3mm (0.6in)
Diameter - Cap (without clip)
16.5mm (0.6in)
Diameter - Cap (with clip)
21mm (0.8in)
Diameter - Grip (mm)

Measured from the place most people choose to rest their fingers, which varies with each pen.

11.0mm
Length - Body

The measurement from the back end of the barrel to the tip of the nib.

132mm (5.2in)
Length - Cap
59.3mm (2.3in)
Length - Nib

The measured length of the visible portion of the nib when it is installed in the pen, from grip to tip.

24mm (0.9in)
Length - Overall (Closed)
146mm (5.7in)
Length - Overall (Posted)

When the cap of the pen is posted onto the back of the pen body, this is the measurement of the entire pen including the nib.

173.4mm (6.8in)
Weight - Body

If a converter is included with the pen, this weight is reflected in the total.

26g (0.9oz)
Weight - Cap
17g (0.6oz)
Weight - Overall (g)
43.0g
Max Ink Capacity - Piston Vac

The maximum volume of ink that can fit in the pen when using the built-in piston or vacuum filling mechanism.

1.51ml

Customer Reviews

Based on 41 reviews
78%
(32)
15%
(6)
2%
(1)
2%
(1)
2%
(1)
M
Marc D.
Worth the wait

I've been researching and waiting and finally made the purchase. Very pleased. This will be a daily writer for me and take its place among my pens. Well balanced and very comfortable in hand. Love it.

D
David L.
Great pen.

This was my first foray into what I consider a high end pen and it is worth ever penny. I writs so smoothly and is a pleasure to hold. As always Goulet's service was great.

J
James
Very dry not worth the price

I got the pen a little while back and it is rough does not write well at all very dry many issues just not worth the 700 dollars.

E
Eric H.
A pen so nice, I bought it twice

As you can see in my photos, I liked the Visconti Homo Sapiens Magma so much, I decided to also buy the Dark Age. They are identical in usage--both medium nibs, moderate ink flow (not too dry or too wet), and smooth writers. The hook safe lock is a major reason I love these pens, in addition to the lava that that the pens are made of. They aren't too cold or too warm to the touch. They are the goldilocks of pens. The only real downside is the price, but if you can get past that, they're pretty great.

A
Anonymous
Amazing pen

The pen feels amazing in the hand and writes wonderfully. My own came with a nib that wrote a little too dry for my liking so I did some work on it and is writing wetter now. Overall an amazing pen that I believe is worth it. The new gold nibs from Visconti are great and they have better consistency compared to the older palladium nibs.

FAQs about Fountain Pens

How do I fill a fountain pen with ink? 8EDA1617-F73A-4DAF-8245-6D2BF4ABEB7B

It depends on the pen's filling mechanism, which you can find in the Technical Specs section above. 

Here's a quick definition of the most common filling mechanisms:

  • Cartridge - A small, disposable, sealed plastic reservoir that holds fountain pen ink. These come pre-filled with ink, and typically you just push to insert them into place and you'll be ready to write! Check out our quick guide here.
  • Converter - A detachable and refillable ink reservoir that allows you to use bottled ink in a cartridge-accepting pen. Typically you will install the converter into the grip section, dip the nib/feed into the ink, and twist or pull the converter knob to draw ink into the converter. Here's a video for how to fill a cartridge/converter pen using a LAMY pen as an example.
  • Eyedropper - A pen that utilizes the entire barrel as a reservoir for ink. Ink is directly filled into the barrel, allowing for a high ink capacity. Here's a video on how to do it!
  • Piston - A type of filling system that uses a retracting plunger inside a sealed tube to draw ink into a pen. They are typically either twist or push-operated. These pens cannot accept cartridges or a converter, and only fill from bottled ink.
  • Vacuum - A push-style piston that uses pressure to fill the large pen body with ink. They seal the ink chamber when closed, making it ideal for flying without risk of leaking. Check out our video on how to use a vac filler here.

Check out more info on these filling mechanisms including a video on how to fill each one on our blog.

How do I clean a fountain pen? 8EDA1617-F73A-4DAF-8245-6D2BF4ABEB7B

It depends on the filling mechanism, but it mostly comes down to flushing it out with water, and sometimes a little bit of Pen Flush if the ink is really stuck. 

It's a bit easier to show than to tell, so we've put together a few quick videos showing you the process:

How often do I need to clean my fountain pen? 8EDA1617-F73A-4DAF-8245-6D2BF4ABEB7B

We recommend a good cleaning every 2 weeks, and any time you change ink colors. 

Water will usually do the trick, but we recommend you use our Goulet Pen Flush if the ink has been left in the pen for a while and could have dried up, or when you’re switching ink colors.

My pen won’t write! What do I do? 8EDA1617-F73A-4DAF-8245-6D2BF4ABEB7B

First things first... make sure you have ink in the pen! Be sure that the ink cartridge or converter is seated properly in the pen, and that you aren't out of ink.

We always recommend you give your pen a good cleaning first, using our Goulet Pen Flush, or a drop of dish soap in some water. New pens often have some machining oil residue left in the feed, so a good cleaning often does the trick first.

If that still doesn't work, try priming the feed. This consists of either dipping your pen nib and feed in ink, or forcing ink from the converter down into the feed. 

If it’s still not working after that, please reach out to us so we can help! 

What's your return policy? 8EDA1617-F73A-4DAF-8245-6D2BF4ABEB7B

You can submit a return request within 30 days of your order date. You can read all our Return Policies here.

To initiate a return, please submit a request at the Return Portal. Our Customer Care team might reach out to you for more information.

Please note we are unable to accept a return of any Namiki or Sailor Bespoke fountain pen for any reason once it has been used with ink. Please thoroughly inspect and dry test the pen before use.