on saleVisconti Homo Sapiens Fountain Pen - Bronze Age (Custom Nib Grind)

Product Code VI-KP15-07-FP-FCSI

In Stock

out of stock

on saleVisconti Homo Sapiens Fountain Pen - Bronze Age (Custom Nib Grind)

Product Code VI-KP15-07-FP-FCSI

In Stock

out of stock

$766.00

MSRP $945.00

Color:
Bronze 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 ›

Special Goulet exclusive! These fountain pens feature a custom nib grind by nibmeister Mark Bacas, in options Fine Cursive Smooth Italic, Medium Cursive Smooth Italic, or Architect.

Mark describes his Cursive Smooth Italic (CSI) as a smoother version of a Cursive Italic grind. The CSI nib grind still provides nice line variation while providing a smoother writing experience in a larger variety of writing positions/angles. An italic nib writes more broadly on the downstrokes, and narrow on the sidestrokes.

For the Architect nib, Mark starts with a factory nib and grinds away the sides of it, polishing it smooth until it’s like the shape of a blade. This grind enables you to write with a thick cross stroke and thin down stroke, think of it as an inverted stub nib. Architect nibs are particularly dramatic in their line variation when writing print letters, though you can write whatever your personal style and see the variation in the line width pretty easily. They are sometimes also referred to as Hebrew grinds.

The Visconti Homo Sapiens is handmade from hardened basaltic lava sourced from the Mount Etna volcano in Italy, with a trim made of solid bronze. 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 18k rose gold nib to match the trim color (note: our images may still show the old 23kt palladium nib).

Visconti has recently updated their branding and font used on their clips. During this transition, you may receive a pen with a slightly different font than what is shown here.

As these nibs have been modified, please contact us directly for any warranty issues.

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, 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 ink
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
Cursive Smooth Italic
Nib Color
Rose Gold
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
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 35 reviews
97%
(34)
0%
(0)
3%
(1)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
A
Alanna
Worth it

I got the Medium CSI grind and Mark did a fantastic job on the nib. It writes smoothly and hasn’t required much of an adjustment on my part. It was my first custom grind and I have no regrets. Previously I had never considered having two of the same pen (especially one so expensive); this Visconti has changed that. I will be back for another!
I have small/medium hands and find the pen well balanced unposted and easy to grip. It does not cause my writer’s elbow to flare up so that’s a win to me. It will now be my everyday pen.
The feel of the lava resin is reminiscent of a quality leather wallet, smooth, yet easy to grip and warms slightly in the hand. Brilliant.
Thank you to Goulet and Mark Bacas!

M
Mark B.
First impressions

I've been accustomed to a Sailor fine nib, so this Visconti Fine CSI nib is a bit different. It's a relatively wet writer, and incredibly smooth; much more so than the somewhat scratchy experience with Sailor and Pilot fine nibs. I understand now what is meant when people say this pen has a "warm" feel in the hand. I think I would call it soft rather than warm, although it isn't soft - it's made from lava rock and resin, after all - but soft is the best description I can come up with. It definitely has a unique feel, though.

This is a truly beautiful pen. The body looks incredible, and the bronze trim is amazing. I'm not usually a big rose gold fan, but alongside the bronze trim, the rose gold nib is beautiful.

The vacuum fill mechanism is quick and effective. This is my first vacuum filler, and I'm not disappointed.

All things considered, this is an amazing pen, one that I'm glad I chose. That said, I still need to assess the cleaning process, and spend much more quality time with it to be certain; however, for now, it's my favorite pen.

T
Thomas G.
A wonderful pen.

This pen has turned out to be all the I had hoped it would be. It's the smoothest pen that I have.

D
DeanfromKelowna
Oh...My...Gawd...

This pen is my "go to" fun writing instrument. A GRAIL pen, all day long. The nib is superb. Nice flex, wet, smooth. I am not able to do it justice with my poor penmanship but this pen makes me want to try. The feel of the basaltic lava is warm and there is "something" to it. I am saving up for another with another Mark Bacas nib. I am glad I spent the money on the custom nib for this pen.

R
Randy K.
Great Pen

This is a fantastic pen. Feels very natural in the hand, writes very smooth. You will not be disappointed!

Frequently Asked Questions

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 this fountain pen? 8EDA1617-F73A-4DAF-8245-6D2BF4ABEB7B

It mostly comes down to flushing out the pen with water, and sometimes a little bit of pen flush if the ink is really stuck. 

We put together a blog post with step-by-step instructions, or you can watch the video here:

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.

For even more information about fountain pen cleaning, check out our Fountain Pen 101 video blog post.

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

We accept returns for up to 30 days from purchase. 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.