on sale(Bottom Shelf) Visconti Homo Sapiens Fountain Pen - Bronze Age (Custom Nib Grind)
MSRP $945.00
Bottom Shelf: This pen has been gently used, but is otherwise in great shape. While every effort to clean these pens is made, you might see residual ink or water, as they are not brand new. All Bottom Shelf sales are final.
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
- Used
- Brand
- Visconti
- Type
- Bottom Shelf
- 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
FAQs about The Bottom Shelf
What does the Bottom Shelf mean?
The Bottom Shelf is for an item that cannot be sold as brand new. There will be detailed in each product description, but generally it means a product has been pre-owned and used in some fashion, or show slight signs of use or visual imperfections, including but not limited to scratches, dents, or dings. All items on the Bottom shelf will function as new.
Bottom Shelf items are not eligible for returns.
What if I have a problem with my Bottom Shelf item?
Since we have tested every used item before putting listing it online, Bottom Shelf items are not eligible for return. However, our Customer Care team will be happy to help you troubleshoot if needed.
Can I see what my actual item looks like before I purchase it?
We do not rephotograph items when listing them on the Bottom Shelf, but the product description should describe what, if any, differences you should expect from what is pictured.