Visconti Homo Sapiens Fountain Pen - Dark Age (Custom Nib Grind)
Special Goulet exclusive! These fountain pens feature a custom Architect nib grind by nibmeister Mark Bacas.
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 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 (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
- Architect
- 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
- 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
Love the pen but was very apprehensive about the custom nib being an architect grind. This is now my favorite pen! Butter smooth yet still producing a fine line. Goulet pens have been amazing, as usual!
At first, I didn't love it. Was disappointed with extent of line variance. After using it a few weeks it became one of my fav pens because of the way it writes. Love the vac filling system and the heavy, solid feel of the pen. Owning several Visconti pens, I've learned the painful way about the poor quality from the factory; purchasing one that comes with a custom nib grind is the way to go to save one or more return/replace cycles.
I'm sooooo happy that I pulled the trigger and got this one. I have been looking at this pen for awhile and when I saw the custom grind that I also have wanted, it just made sense. Writes like a buttery dream. Can't say enough about how wonderful it is and well worth the cost. I can't seem to put it down and look for reasons to use it all the time. Currently inked with Iroshizuku, tsuki-yo and I couldn't be happier. Excellent shipping as always! Thanks again Goulet Pens!
I purchased the architect grounlnd nib. While I've found the pen writes well and is in good shape, the description is inaccurate. It states that Mark starts with a broad nib which is ground into the correct shape, however the nib I received was clearly stamped medium. It certainly writes well and isn't too thin by any means, however I have large, thick handwriting and would have preferred the broad base. As it stands the medium is fine and if not for that I'd have given this a higher rating.
This is a Beast of a pen. Made from Lava, are you kidding me? Totally awesome in every respect. It's a great heavy pen, but not too heavy. The custom nib (Fine Italic) provides an exceptional writing experience. The guidance and advice from Susan was extremely helpful and resulted in a second purchase of a Pineider Arco which is also an incredible writing instrument. Life long happy customer!
