Visconti - Galileo Galilei (LTD)

On its own, this pen feels very durable and premium, and the bead-blasted, matte black coated treatment gives it a very “professional” vibe. The Fine nib is bouncy and smooth, very usable on the underside as well (with added feedback, but not scratchy), the ribbed steel grip is very comfortable, the feed holds a lot of ink on its own, and the reservoirs behind it will keep it in writing condition for dozens upon dozens of pages after a fill.

The cap screws open and closed smoothly, with a very satisfying click at the end when closed; it posts deeply, and it also posts securely after being pressed down slightly on the barrel. It is light enough that it does not back-weight the pen significantly when posted.

The barrel construction, along with the newly-implemented Kraken filling system, ensure a significant amount of ink is pulled in from the first try. Much like the main cap, the blind-cap screws open and closed smoothly for refills or ink transfers between reservoirs.

Compared to its predecessor:
Fewer transparent areas overall, but the Vac 2.0’s structure feels more solid than the Ultemate Vac.
The body thickness and thread profiles are different on the Vac 2.0 than on the Ultemate Vac, no mix-and-match potential here.
The matte black coating gives the pen a more refined, premium feel on the metallic parts.
The inner lining of the cap doesn’t get stuck in the barrel thread as often, and when it does, it either slips back into correct position, or it is easier to unscrew and reposition, without the metal thread eating into the cap material.
The coated, no-breather-hole design of the new Gravitas steel nib may not be to everyone’s taste, but I like it a lot, and functionally, this nib feels more bouncy and polished, with smoother writing than its predecessor.
The feed seems to pick up a lot more ink on its own from just a 5-second dip, and the small reservoir behind it looks to have more capacity to back it up before needing to unscrew the blind cap and refill it from the large reservoir.
The Kraken filling system seems to suck up significantly more ink per pump than the mechanism from the Ultemate Vac.

Overall, a very well made fountain pen, and a thorough refinement to an already excellent design. Very satisfied with this purchase!

Wow!
Just like the Monster but thinner. For me it is more comfortable for longer writing sessions. The filling system is stellar. Holds lots of ink. As always Ben Walsh and Emy have delivered a innovative and enjoyable writing experience. Can't wait to see what's next. Keep up the wonderful work!

This is a pocket pen you can carry in your pants pocket. There is no clip, so you can’t clip it to your shirt pocket (with or without pocket protector). It’s kinda heavy, so you want to make sure it doesn’t fall out of whatever you carry it in. I can’t write with the pen without posting the cap on the back of the barrel, because it’s a pocket pen, designed to be short enough to fit a pants pocket.
The material the barrel and cap are made from Zirconium, known for hardness, high temperature tolerance, and corrosion resistance. This makes it suitable for high temperature applications, such as nuclear reactors, but not necessarily ideal for use as a writing instrument. Raw Zirconium is silvery white, meaning the Zirconium pen probably has a coating of some kind…which will wear off eventually, exposing the silvery metal underneath. However, it’s highly unlikely that you will ever damage this pen to the point of unserviceability through regular use. You’ll wear the stainless steel nib down to a nub before you’ll wear out the body or cap of this pen! And it is pretty cool to have and hold, and rarity of the material and difficulty of machining it into a fountain pen justifies the high price even though it has room for only one standard international cartridge, or the supplied mini-converter.
And here’s where I found an unexpected shortcoming: ink flow, specifically the lack thereof. I’ve used several of my nearly 100 different colors and brands of ink in the mini-converter. Almost all of them started to cause ink starvation sooner or later. I was able to replicate this phenomenon by using the mini-converter in one of my Sentry pens, where I also saw ink starvation, confirming that the mini-converter is somehow part of this “problem”. Similarly, ink cartridges cause ink starvation, so maybe it’s related to the size of the ink reservoir. With the mini-converter, you can at least “push” more ink into the nib unit to continue writing, but squeezing the cartridge may cause the cartridge to split, which allows air to get into the cartridge through the crack, which causes flooding of the nib…
My work around for loss of ink flow with the converter is easy. Remove the barrel from the grip section, pull the piston of the mini-converter all the way out, and with the nib pointing downward, re-install the barrel to the grip section, slowly. The mini-converter is just a little too big for the pen; when the piston is fully extended, the inside of the barrel will push on the mini-converter’s handle just enough to restart ink flow. Repeat as necessary.
Surprisingly, Pelikan 4001 Königsblau has provided the most consistently positive results, regardless of the size of the cartridge or converter. That’s surprising, because that ink is generally not known for superior performance or outstanding characteristics, but I’ve had no ink flow problems with it in any of my pens.
Writing with the Pocket Pen is a very “forgettable” experience, and I mean that in the best way possible. Provided you fix or don’t have any ink flow problems, the Pocket Pen is very smooth and consistent, allowing you to concentrate on what you’re writing rather than constantly fidgeting with your writing instrument to get it to write. The instrument fades into the background, so only your creativity occupies your mind, as it should be.

This is a pocket pen you can carry in your pants pocket. There is no clip, so you can’t clip it to your shirt pocket (with or without pocket protector). It’s kinda heavy, so you want to make sure it doesn’t fall out of whatever you carry it in. And finally, its outer shell is made from solid copper, a relatively soft metal that’s not particularly scratch, impact, or corrosion resistant. The copper will discolor quickly from humidity, as well as moisture and other chemicals your fingers have on them when you touch the pen. Your fingers will rub off some of the darker oxidized copper, leaving brighter shinier spots wherever your fingers habitually touch the pen. And let’s not forget about the oligodynamic effect that compounds and amalgams containing copper have on microbes! Not quite as effective as vaccines, but close.
In addition to the darkened and spotted appearance, my pen has also accumulated some scratches from posting the cap. I can’t write with the pen without posting the cap on the back of the barrel, because it’s a pocket pen, designed to be short enough to fit a pants pocket. I accept the scratches and spots as “comes with the territory”, just like having room for only one standard international cartridge, or the supplied mini-converter.
And here’s where I found an unexpected shortcoming: ink flow, specifically the lack thereof. I’ve used several of my nearly 100 different colors and brands of ink in the mini-converter. Almost all of them started to cause ink starvation sooner or later. I was able to replicate this phenomenon by using the mini-converter in one of my Sentry pens, where I also saw ink starvation. Similarly, ink cartridges cause ink starvation. With the mini-converter, you can at least “push” more ink into the nib unit to continue writing, but squeezing the cartridge may cause the cartridge to split, which allows air to get in through the crack, which causes flooding of the nib…
Surprisingly, Pelikan 4001 Königsblau has provided the most consistently positive results, regardless of the size of the cartridge or converter. Surprising, because that ink is generally not known for superior performance or outstanding characteristics, but I’ve had no ink flow problems with it in any of my pens.
Writing with the Pocket Pen is a very “forgettable” experience, and I mean that in the best way possible. Provided you fix or don’t have any ink flow problems, the Pocket Pen is very smooth and consistent, allowing you to concentrate on what you’re writing rather than constantly fidgeting with your writing instrument to get it to write. After finding the perfect ink for your needs, this pen will most likely outlast you 🙂, even with daily use.

The Gravitas Vac 2 is a wonderfully looking and writing pen. The nib is very smooth and the pen holds a ton of ink. The #6 size nib feels more comfortable in my smallish hands than the Monster #8. I like that it's made of Ultem because now I don't have to worry about whether a particular ink will stain the barrel. A real winner - and relatively inexpensive!

The best Jowo #6 pen body on the market. Just an overall fantastic pen. Delivery was also really quick. Im in the US and recived the item in less than a week.

I bought the pens to customize to my liking using a dremel tool for a hammered finish. Although a bit heavy (something to keep in mind, brass pens are on the heavier side) it feels great in hand and writes beautifully.

To be fully honest, I bought the pen for the interesting material and for the awesome sound it makes. Ordered it in broad and as expected, it's a pleasure to write with. Will carry with it daily to impress and annoy my friends at work :)

Gravitas does it again. The new nib is a delight to write with and the minimalistic / industrial design is awesome. I’ve used the pen for a few hours now, fits great in hand and is well balanced. I feel like the pen is at the border of casual sport and elegance, and you can match a good variety of inks to it. Black will never go out of fashion.

Got this pen with a Broad nib. It is slightly smaller than the other Momento Magico fountain pen I have (Onda Blue), and the structure of the cap band is different, but overall, it has a very pleasant feel in hand. Light, but solid.
The looks of this pen are mesmerizing. Beyond the bright and cheerful nuances, the resin mix has a certain sheen that gives the waves of colour a lovely 3D effect.
Also, I don't know how much of the nib quality is from the factory, and how much is from Emy's tuning, but the Rose Gold #6 Steel Broad nib on this pen has been amazing so far. It writes surprisingly consistently after both minutes and weeks of time capped, silky smooth and surprisingly capable even when used upside down (in which case it goes down from B to M-F).
I filled it with Waterman Tender Purple ink, and found it to be a great combination, the smoothness and shading adding up to a truly magical writing experience.

I was hesitant to buy a Gravitas Monster because I saw a lot of users online mention how fragile the barrel is. Essentially if you drop it from even a short distance, the acrylic barrel is toast. At this price point, a pen so fragile sounded like a bad move. But I REALLY wanted one because it looks so cool, its got a huge ink capacity, and some reviewers said the nib is very well tuned right out of the box. The positive nib reviews and the fact that there is an Ultem version sold me on this pen.

Instead of going with the acrylic barreled version, I opted for the Ultem barrel with titanium. I haven't dropped it yet, as I am careful to keep it in the padded case it came in, and I only use it when I am seated at a desk.

I got an extra fine nib, and loaded it up with Pilot Iroshizuki grey ink. This giant #8 extra fine nib is an absolute pleasure to write with. It is so smooth and so consistent across my fountain pen friendly papers. (Colorverse notebook, Endless notebook, and leuchtturm notebook) I love the weight and feel of this pen in my hand. I can only describe it as, "solidly and definitively present." But it's not taxing to write with it for long periods. I love it so much I have to fight the urge to buy the green Monster with the acrylic barrel.

For the sake of proper disclosure: I have coveted a Conid Bulkfiller for a long time, since I first stumbled upon their ingenious (and back then - completely new and revolutionary) filling system. Alas, I hesitated long enough to realize that their current production & marketing model would yield nothing for me. Thus, I sought viable alternatives, found some - and wasn't satisfied with any of them. And then Fifty4T came along - and did it for me. I chose the SL simply because its bigger brother has no clip, and that's a deal breaker for me.
The pen is all I could wish for: I like its smooth, clean, high-tech design. The overall dimensions are just right for me (it is heavier than average, though, but not inconveniently so, for me at least). The EF steel nib (thank you again, Emy, for giving it your personal touch) is appropriately wet, and it's one of the smoothest in my collection - almost no feedback. Oh, and the filling system works flawlessly :)
As a bulk filler equivalent, it carries a huge amount of ink, and it is also a safety pen.
And last - but certainly not least - it is considerably cheaper than a Conid, without compromising functionality or quality.
Finally - a shout-out to the Pen Venture Team for their great service and excellent business.
Highly recommended all-round!

This was one of my first grail pens, and it has definitely lived up to expectations. Thank you to Emy and the Pen Venture team for taking the time to help me decide on the best nib for me and then tune it to perfection. The 18k Extra Fine nib is wet and smooth while keeping a fine line with a hint of feedback.

The vacuum system and toughness of this pen have made it a perfect traveling companion so far, and it has been inked constantly since I received it.

Thanks again to the Pen Venture team for your excellent service

Diamine 150th Anniversary - 1864 Blue Black Bottled Ink 40 ml

Diamine - Desert Rose | Exclusive Pen Venture | - Bottled Ink 80 ml