Visconti Homo Sapiens Iris Garden.
There’s lots to consider when choosing a pen, not the least of which is its size. Like fashion, flavors of pens come and go—materials, finishes and such—but size is a personal preference that may or may not change over time since it is somewhat governed by one’s hand size and writing style.
I’ve always preferred larger, heftier pens, but it was Pelikan’s M1000 that really sealed the deal for me. When the German brand first introduced the piston-filled fountain pen in 1997—the largest in its Souverän lineup (5.79 inches when capped)—I immediately ordered one, and I was awed by its appearance and engineering. It was considered somewhat avant-garde at the time because of its classic green-striped decor paired with its out-of-the-box proportions, vying with the popular Montblanc Meisterstück 149 in size. Don’t even get me started on its astonishing nib and near-perfect ink flow and flex...that’s a story for another time.
A few variations have emerged over the years, the most recent of which is the new Special Edition Souverän® 1000 Renaissance Brown shown here, alongside a couple of other supersize pens to pique your interest.
Pelikan Special Edition Souverän® 1000 Renaissance Brown
Pelikan M1000 Renaissance Brown.
This brown marbled fountain pen is fitted with an 18-karat gold nib available in extra fine, fine, medium and broad sizes. Pearly flecks enhance the coffee- and cream- colored acrylic on the body and cap, recalling the mood of Renaissance paintings, according to the brand.
The fittings are gold, which enhances the rich brown of the pen’s body, and the clip is the company’s signature pelican-beak design. The piston-filled pen measures 5.75 inches when capped, and it arrives in a champagne-colored gift box.
S. T. Dupont Eternity XL
S. T. Dupont’s new Eternity XL Collection measures 6.3 inches in length, and given S. T. Dupont’s knowhow in pen making, this oversized series ensures a well-balanced writing experience. For a quick size comparison, the Line D Eternity fountain pen measures about 5.9 inches, depending upon the variation.
The XL comes in four different finishes that recall the Paris-based company’s métiers in lacquer and guilloche. The fountain pen’s 14-karat gold “angel wing” nib is available in fine, medium, and broad sizes. A capped rollerball pen is also part of the collection.
Visconti Homo Sapiens Iris Garden
The limited edition Homo Sapiens Iris Garden is crafted from blooming shades of semi-transparent resin, trimmed in rose gold. Available as a fountain pen or a rollerball, the collection is limited to just 388 pieces, each packaged in a lavender limited edition box. The fountain pen is fitted with an 18-karat gold nib available in extra fine, fine, medium, broad and stub widths, and it is filled via Visconti’s own Double-Reservoir Power Filler, patented in 1998. This unique ink-filling system is able to manage the equivalent of 10 ink cartridges, thanks to its two reservoirs. Another cool detail is the pen’s Hook Safe Lock, which fastens the pen body to the cap to prevent the pen from accidentally unscrewing and leaking inside a pocket or handbag. The fountain pen measures 5.72 inches when capped.
