Homo Sapiens

Visconti conceived the Homo Sapiens writing instruments line for real writers, for those to whom the fountain pen continues to represent a travelling mate, a daily friend to share with the same civilization that writing contributed to create.
The material in this pen is as antique as the world: lava from the Etna volcano. Nevertheless, it has several characteristics that render it unique in the manufacturing of writing instruments. Visconti has successfully produced a material containing over 50% of pure basaltic lava, catalysed together with resin in a formula - patented thus obviously kept secret -whose extraordinary characteristics practically transforms it into a material perfectly fit to writing instruments.



Visconti lava is:
Virtually unbreakable: It has a high degree of resilience.
Flameproof - Visconti lava has a resistance to heat of over 100°C.
Slightly hygroscopic, allowing to absorb hand sweat during use.
Dense at touch, allowing the best finger-relaxing grip.
Unquestionably new in the range of materials employed in the making of fountain pens.

With Homo Sapiens Visconti introduces the first ever made 23 ct 950 palladium Dreamtouch nib. Dreamtouch is the term we coined to define a nib that requires no pressure whatsoever in order to write, it traces in a gentle way thoughts and words for a dream handwriting.
Palladium has interesting physical features that allow the production of fountain pen nibs; its manufacturing is possible nowadays thanks to new metal-fusion technologies and to the welding of iridium tips. This metal has been the fundamental element in 1989's Pons and Fleischmann cold fusion theory.
Palladium actually melts at much higher temperatures than gold: 1552°C against 1063°C. It is therefore obvious that this metal has better mechanical features, being more resistant than gold and that any manufacturing process involving palladium becomes a lot more challenging.