Visconti Homo Sapiens Fountain Pen - Bronze Age
The 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 a rose gold-plated oversized 18k gold nib to match the trim color (note: our images may still show the old 23kt palladium nib).
- 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
- Extra-Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad
- 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
Love the feel of the pen; unposted weight just right for my large hand. I generally write on the large side and this nib keeps up smoothly. Enjoy the texture of the lava-resin mix. Put this purchase off for a long time; now I’m glad I made it! Great Fountain Pen!! 🖋️👌😀✒️
Excellent writing instrument. Great customer service.
It turns out that this is fast growing to become a favorite pen. The Pelican 800 was the prior with a strong contender in the Waterman (is fantastic for my work situation because of the paper used in the office).The Pelican is a very wet writer and tends to feather and bleed through the documents. Both the Waterman and the Visconti are less juicy but still lay down a bold line. The Homo Sapien, however, is aesthetically appealing and just plain fun to write with. It is well balanced, with or without the cap posted. Also, It doesn’t hurt that it is unique in its construction and the tactile feel of the grip while writing versus the other pens in my collection with metal or resin grips.
I'm fairly new to fountain pens and had been disappointed with the mid-range pens I'd bought. I was nervous about laying down the money for this pen, but it turned out to be everything I hoped it would be.
The most challenging attribute of this pen to describe is the material. It's substantial yet velvety-smooth to the touch. It's always within arm's reach, as I enjoy just holding it and rolling it around in my hand as I'm thinking. The size, shape, weight, and balance are all perfect for my hand and preferences. It disappears into my hand as I'm writing. There are very few pens I'd describe that way.
I was torn between the medium and broad nibs; I wanted something that would write comfortably in a 5mm grid but also show off the ink. I went with the medium nib, which was the perfect choice for me. It is quite generous/wet, which puts enough ink on the page to allow it to do its thing.
I'd seen a number of video reviews of this pen that were not kind to the writing experience. Some of them may have been with the old nib design. Or maybe I just received a particularly good one. Whatever the reason, I can't imagine a better writing experience.
The quality is indeed very high. I think the price is more than fair, but I can't really rate the value as "very" high at this price point for any pen.
At the moment, I honestly can't think of another grail pen I'd want except maybe another Home Sapiens version.
Great pen - distinctive appearance - smooth writer large ink capacity
