Unfair Comparison: Montblanc 146 - Pilot Custom 823 - Visconti Homo Sapiens 

I think I can speak for every one: In Short Order: (1)P.C 823 = Best every day luxruy smooth writer. (2) MontBlanc 149= obvious resons; it holds second because of its girthy grip not as tolerable for smaller hands. (3)Visconti homosapiens = Its 3rd because of the elephant in the room of some control quality issues regarding the nibs (right out of the box) Ive heard this in 4+ too many reviews and from a pen pal and friend giving the same gripe and had to have it serviced by a nib meister … none the less, a superior pen. Ive had my reserves about the visconti and montblanc. Only for one factor each: Visconti, if I pull the trigger, will the nib I choose perform out of the box? It would hurt to have shellled out that much and to have it sent away for a week or two to have it properly tuned to my liking... Montblanc: simple wariness of getting one second hand online and not knowing what to expect when you get it.....

i just love watching people talk about things i'm never going to ever have let alone use

Love your handwriting! Really relaxed me, just watching you write

My first fountain pen experience was a broken vintage MB 146 that had a shattered barrel and a nib that needed adjustment. Spent a few months bringing it back to life and now it goes with me almost everywhere.

823 all the way. I have had problems with Visconti sometime ago, and their response was pretty bad. Either the LeGrand (146) and the Diplomat (149) are great pens I have have enjoied mine a lot. The 823, however, was a surprise to me: is has the perfect combination of ergos, balance (shape and weight) and aesthetically pleasing good design and fit and finish. On top, the nib glides through the paper. I am affraid that once I keep it inked, I will not use any other pen... and I have to...

Among the three the Pilot custom 823 is my favourite.

I have all three and like them all, but the 823 is a perfect pen at a great price.

Thank you, sir. I enjoyed the candle too 😊 I have been a prolific writer for years but have been more like a basic carpenter making a living with well-worn tools. Looking forward to buying myself the 823 soon. Lord willing. Shalom!

Great vid. Thank you. I got the MB 146 as a present in 1981 from my mother. One of the best presents ever. Still love the pen.

Love your hand writing, I have been leaning towards the Custom 823 as my next purchase for a while now.

823 is really just perfect. its a writers pen. built to function. there are so many other pens nowadays that are just meant to look pretty. 823 just checks all the boxes for an amazing pen for someone who uses their pen.

I love the 823, something magical happens every time I use it

Love your videos! Hope to see you back!

Bought an 823 a couple of days ago. I can't wait to get it.

I own all 3. I have a #146 from the 1980s, and it will always be my favorite pen .. even if it stopped working .. so, I can't be very diplomatic about it. LOL But the truth is, the nib on it is spectacular. My Bronze Age has been to Coles of London, repaired for leakage at the factory in Italy, and finally was tuned by Mark Bacas and it's one of the best writers I have ever owned. I have never outgrown the novelty of the pen, nor will I ever!!! My 823 rolled off a counter one day and was sent to Mark for repair and tune & smooth. Once returned, I couldn't put it down. I wrote with that pen for weeks. So . . . in their own way, all three of these pens have worked their way into my heart, and all for their own reasons. And each one would easily be replaced in a heartbeat if I only could keep one pen in my collection ... My Conid Bulkfiller ,,,, Now THAT is a pen!!!!!!

This video covers 2of my 3 holy grail pens. The Pilot Custom 823, Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age are two of them. The third is the Mont Blanc 149 Meisterstuck with the calligraphy nib. Good video. Thank you.

I have all 3 but it is hard to compare because they have different nib sizes. I have the MB 146 in Extra Fine and a custom grind stub nib, HS in EF and M, and Pilot 823 in M. I use the 823 the most. It is a smooth, wet written and holds a ton of ink. I also use it the most because I write on yellow legal pads and the M nib is the smoothest. With the other 2 being EF, I save those for journaling or writing on higher quality paper. The HS M nib, I love, but I've had the 823 the longest, so it hasn't bumped it out of continuous rotation. The MB stub nib is a treat to write with, and I typically use it for addressing stationary or something along those lines. They all have a regular place in my rotation

Never understood the charm of Visconti, more of an Aurora guy over here when it comes to Italian fountain pens; great video all the same. Subbed!

I have 5 grail pens and I have bought 2 of them so far, 3 to go. Lamy 2k, Pilot 823, Pelikan M800, MontBlanc 146, Parker Duofold/Sailor King of Pens.

Buy the Montblanc 146 if you want to impress others. Buy the Pilot Custom 823 if you want to impress yourself.

The 823 would be ideal for me with all the stories I write. Although I enjoy the process of refilling my Metro, it can be a nuisance when I'm in the zone. (I'm also biased toward Pilot pens, come to think of it).

I owned a lot of nice fountain pens (among those the Homo sapiens in both sizes), and sold most of them when I switched to using cheaper pens.... the 823 is the one pen I really regret selling. 😢

My husband has used same 146 for years - it's almost vintage now :)

All beautiful pens in their own right. For me, an everyday carry with a smooth nib at 20% the cost of these three is my Pilot E95S. As smooth as the three, I have the satisfaction of knowing that I have coin left to buy another pen. Maybe on of the three you have but (in a fine nib).

Of the three, I much prefer the 823. It is consistently the most reliable writer at any price. I actually have rarely inked my 149s and 146s since I picked the 823 up for the first time. I have used a large number if each of these pens. The 823 is the only one of the three that writes every time as expected without any adjustment.

The Visconti has an unmatched presence due its size,quality build and nib. I would definitely get a Pilot 823 because of the quality of its medium nib and the amount of ink it can hold. It's a piston filler so you don't have messy ink situations or have to refill it very often - what more could you ask for from a Pilot pen? An 823 with an FA nib and ebonite feed. Everyone in the pen world knows about legendary Mont Blanc fountain pens but that's it, most people haven't used or owned one including myself. A Pilot 823 Custom FA nib with a Visconti Homo Sapien would be a profound combination for me.

I already have the CH 92 which is a pleasant writer out of the box but, the Pilot Custom 823 is my dream pen.

I own all three. My 146 is the calligraphy version. My favorite writer is the pilot 823. The next is the 146. My homo sapien lava blizzard is awful but I love the material and weight of the homo sapien. I sent it off to a nib meister. Hope they can fix it.

I would pick: MB 149, Sailor KOP, Pelikan M1000, Pilot Custom 823 and Visconti HS

Thank you, AWG - as always, beautifully presented. I note, with interest, your disclaimer in regard to the Visconti - "...with a well tuned nib..." - this is precisely the reason I won't go near this brand; certainly, aesthetically beautiful - but the nibs (straight from the factory) are invariably poor in performance; I have several pen friends who own this model - each one has had to return same for nib re-alignment/adjustment; common sense dictates that an expensive writing instrument that does not write, straight out of the box, is not worthy of my time or money; it's a great shame - but perhaps that "audacity" you speak of, is the self-appointed arrogance of the manufacturer - clearly, their quality control does not pass muster. The other two models are flawless - but that's only my opinion.. :)

You've got such beautiful handwriting...and hands if I may add. 😀

you deserve more followers

Great video but i got one question: which model of the visconti homo sapiens would you choose and would you keep the M-nib?

I would probably put the 146 first(so long as you can find it for a reasonable price. I don't have a 146 but I have a 145 and it works extremely well, plus it's a classic design. The 823 and the homo sapiens can be a toss up. For the price the 823 is phenomenal and in sheer writing performance, it is better for those who don't like super wet nibs(seriously, the HS is ridiculously wet). But with the Homo Sapiens you are mostly paying for the material, style, etc. So if you are more interested in a very high quality grail pen, I would go homo sapiens. If you are more interested in sheer writing performance, I would go with the 823.

Very nice demonstration of these pens. My personal list seems to be the opposite of most. I prefer the Visconti pens. I have a Medici Rose Souveran, a Divina Elegance as well as 4 of their lower priced models. Every one has been spectacular out of the box. I have 2 vintage Montblancs as well and they take second place. Unfortunately, my experience with the Pilot 823 was not good. I owned it for a month before the section cracked and Pilot did nothing to warrant their product. I cannot recommend them. I removed the nib and placed it in an acrylic body from Ranga so it's not a total loss but I did expect better. BTW, you have lovely writing. Do you have any experience with Leonardo Officina pens?

Finally a fountain pen reviewer with nice handwriting!

I have owned two Homo Sapiens (one full size and one small) - and two 823s - and tried numerous 146s at Montblanc stores. About the 146 - I was never impressed enough to buy it. I felt that it is overpriced. I couldn't ever recommend this pen when someone could buy an 823 instead. For the Homo Sapiens - I really liked the feel of the material. Since it is sort of absorbent it feels better than other pens with smooth surfaces. I hate having my hands feel oily/sweaty and slippery on a pen surface. That didn't happen with the Homo Sapiens. The nibs seemed great but personally I like harder nibs so they weren't my style. The full size HS felt too big for me. And the small one - I didn't like how small the nib was. I wanted the big nib in the little pen. I sold both of my HS but I do think they are worth trying or owning for many people. The 823 is - I think without question - the best pen of these and the best pen of all that I owned or tried. It's a spectacular all-around pen. Great quality. Great size/weight. Amazing nib. And it costs less than the other two compared here

As a sound guy, i would like to say that, even liking very much every video of yours, there is a very low (bassy) noise through the video. I believe its caused by some kind of machine, or even eletronic noise. You can apply a Low Cut filter or EQ in your audio that may fix it!

Damn, Pilot Blue Black looks great

I had a 149 before I got the 146; preferred the 146 so ended up keeping that one for a long time. Got my Homo Sapiens Bronze Age about two months back and it has knocked it out off my pocket 9/10 days ever since :')

I absolutely love the way you write 😍!

I've owned all three of these pens. I don't like anything about the 146. From a repair point of view, I hate every Montblanc I've ever seen. When a Montblanc works, it works well, but they have a surprising number of issues over the years because of how they're made internally. For me, though, most Montblanc pens are just not attractive. The 823 is much the same. It is, I think, a very unattractive pen, and a not terribly reliable pen. I've had two, and both failed. I've also seen many others than have had issues with the piston. But with a soft nib, it writes beautifully. People talk about quality control issues with the Visconti Homo Sapiens nibs, but it really is mostly a myth. And should you get a bad nib, Visconti will move heaven and earth to make it right. They absolutely WILL make it right. I've seen two hundred Homo Sapiens, and only three bad nibs in the lot. That's a pretty good percentage. The elephant in the Visconti room is really just a very small mouse. None of these were my grail pens, but the Homo Sapiens Bronze Age is, I think, one of the best made and most beautiful pens ever on the market. It writes every bit as well as the 823, and actually has a far better nib. Not a smoother nib, both the 823 and the Bronze Age have perfectly smooth nibs, or should have. Just a better made nib, and one with higher gold content. For me, there is no contest here. The Bronze Age is the pen to choose, if you want your great-grand children to treasure the same pen you do. For me, it's also the pen I want when important writing needs to be done, and that writing might take a thousand hours to complete. For years I carried vintage pens on a daily basis. I started to worry about the health of those pens, so I switched to a 3776 and a Custom 74. But those two pens just didn't do it for me, so now the Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age is one of my two daily carry pens, with the Scribo Feel being the other. Both pens are unique, both are excellent writers, and while I'd hate to lose one, or have it stolen, it wouldn't break the bank. To me, these are wonderful pens, but also work horse pens that, unlike the 146 and the 823, just won't quit, even when used for several hours every day, for years on end. It's funny, in a way, but my grail pen doesn't exist. . .yet. For years, Namiki Maki-e pens were the Holy Grail. After that, I could find other pens that rose to the level of grail, even though I did find many that I loved. Now I just look for new pens that have some degree of useful innovation to them. They're pretty rare. The Bronze Age filled the bill with its resin infused with lava, and with its balance because of this. The Scribo Feel did this with its unique shape that, to me, made it feel and write unlike any other pen I have. So far, nothing else has come along that attracts me at that level. All that said, when I think of a pen that is going to last for generations, I think of a cartridge/converter pen. There's just nothing to break, and nothing to dry out or decay. Where longevity is concerned, the fewer moving parts, the better.

Such an entertaining video, which I find very impartial (despite your best efforts to convince your audience otherwise). All three pens are beautiful and the extensive writing sample is something not every review has. Do you think there is a writing difference between the Montblanc 146 and 149? How much of the writing experience, and your overall experience with the pens, is solely based off of the nibs and their size (F vs. M vs. B)?

My daily writer, ball point replacement is a Platinum Century in UEF nib, with Mont Blanc Royal Blue ink. Very reliable. Ink flow is smooth till last drop. Writes better on feather touch of pen on paper. Boring part- No line variation, no exciting swirls and loops and strictly no flex.

His handwriting was absolutely beautiful

Boy I sure agree with you about the pilot 823. That is the smoothest pen I own. I just purchased the Mont Blanc 149 rose gold new with a fine nib looking forward to checking it out. I also have Homosapien on my wish list however I have heard some things about their quality control what are your thoughts?

The Montblanc 146 stands out for a few reasons. It has unparalleled writing right out of the box. It’s smooth, comfortable, and it feels like an extension of my fingers. The Pilot is a nice pen, but the translucency is a bit of a turn off. Instantly negates its potential for being a status pen, unlike the MB 146. The Visconti writes well, but it’s a bit clunky and lower quality than the other two.

Sir, are this all medium nibs that you use? What ink is this? very nice handwriting. kind regards from Belgium. Krist

Hello! Can you recommend from your experience a nib tuner/meister that you had positive results? Thanx!

My grail pen is a Pilot Falcon, since I got a Wing Sung 699 for 30 USD, and it's an 823 for all intents and purposes (mine is actually Chartres blue, a color that the 823 doesn't have).

Visconti Homo Sapiens bronze age for the win, period.

Thanks for the comparion: Those 3 are in my Top 5 Grail pens (The other 2 are the Sheaffer PFM II and the Conway Stewart Indiana Jones). From other youtube reviews I saw, it seems like the Visconti Homosapiens' nibs are sometimes caprichous and may need of some tuning, especially those (already discontinued) 21K Palladium nibs, either way, it's a very attractive pen and it's good that you have a friend from wich you can borrow it to and try it before. I like the Pilot 823 but I am not too convinced of the transluscent material (demonstrator pens are not my cup of coffe). The montblanc 146 is just so an Iconic pen: just like Rolex to the mechanical wristwatches. I am sure I'll get a Montblanc 146, but it surely will be from the second hand market, I like them but I don't like it price when is new XD. Thank you for the video.

Thanks for your video! Which pens are in your everyday carry?

So what would you recommend for the best "luxury" pen kn this list

Okay, nobody noticed substantial background hum?!? Or is it just me? (I'm using Sennheiser headphones)

que relajante ;-;

If you have to choose one, would you recommend the MB 146 or the Pilot 823. Which is softer, more fluid and smoother

Great review . Just wondering what the size of the pilot nib. It seems M . Thank you

Pilot for the win: closer to affordabiliity than the Montblanc, more reliable than anything Italian. Actually I just ordered MY grail pen, the TiLiner Titanium. Grail in that it is out of my price range, unneeded, and purchased for look and feel, not performance.

Yesss cam on anh.

The fountain pen laying ink on paper never gets old and can you tell why Vietnamese write using romanji

For Me 146

The eyes of truth are always watching you (in the wood table): beauty scene

Is that a piece of card stock under your wrist? Genius.

Thats a nice looking watch, what is it?

Hello I ask you something for you if you choese öne pen all pens 149_146 all of them. Wich one did you chose and wich nib. Plase answer. Thanks

What nib size is your MontBlanc?

Love your videos! Can you please tell me what pen case that is?!

I remember wanting all of these pens at one point or another. I ended up going for Pilot’s Custom 845 Urushi instead. I dunno, I just couldn’t break away from converters.

There is little I can add to the video or the comments below excepting that I first got a Pilot 823 and found it to be everything I needed and more. Such a superb pen to write with. The nib has a slight, gentle give which I think of as being good suspension. Later I bought a Pelikan Souveran 805. Another remarkably good writing pen, but with a different weight and feel and a stiffer nib than the 823. I cannot choose between them as they are both very good 'writers' and it is I who has to flex a little in order to get the best from each.

Did you like the m nib in 146

What is the pen case you have there?

How about a Lamy 2000?

I'm stealing the way you write your capitol letter "T" .

I have the Montblanc and Visconti…. So … only one left to get is the Pilot …. 😂🤣😂🤣

What does grail mean

Where are you from, I can't tell what your accent is

I own montblanc and pilot and visconti. I'm the owner of all fountain pen companies

Pelikan M800 all the way :-p

I have Pilot pens so I can understand why their more expensive pens could be coveted. But I do not exactly understand why a normal person would want the MB or Visconti other than to show off how much they can spend... In terms of the actual writing they offer zero advantage. Whether the pen is made out of gold or some rare comet is irrelevant when the balance, weight, girth, length are the same. Hence why the argument of Visconti's weird materials falls flat on its face imo. That plus their nib issues. And I have no idea why mont Blanc is so expensive in terms of valid justification. There are other gold nib pens out there at half to one third the price and same if not better performance. I have a $3 pen that performs better than most of my pens. Price doesn't matter, the actual experience does and I bet the price of MB increases mostly because of European salaries being high. Kind of like you can get similar chipset Android phone from Samsung and some knockoff brand, perform exactly the same. To me, to respect Mont Blanc and Visconti or any such high heritage brand is kind of like being racist. "I respect you only cuz of your race or Lineage or who your father was". That doesn't really resonate with me from the 21st century. I judge based on what the "you" is offering me, not what your 4 generations older ancestors did. I am grateful to them but why should I feel the same for you? Prove your worth and that's where heritage brands fail for me. We elect our leaders now, we don't just accept the old king's son as the new king and then his son as the future king...

1) Homogeneous 1st 2) 823 close second -great EDC 3) 149 follows way back. I'm not a fan of modern-day Montblancs. There are much higher build quality and higher quality writers at every price point.

Enjoyed the information and writing samples but could do without the pretentious candle, pen case, and glass swirling.

Do you have binaural beats in the background of the audio? If so, why?

No repairs at Pilot in Florida : point is not removable and the "fix" is to sell you another pen for $215.00 ! BS.

These are very good pens but I don’t think I’d regard any of them as a grail pen for me. My grail pen at this stage is the Pilot Justus 95. Also the Cross Peerless 125 and Visconti Homo Sapien with the ink level windows.

Homo sapiens is the biggest disappointment of all time for me. It's so obscenely wet, it's unusable