Visconti's handmade fountain pens have been recognised for their quality and fine craft.[2] Its line of products has changed over time, with several collections released since the company's inception.[3]
The company was founded on the 20th of October, 1988, by Luigi Poli and Dante del Vecchio, two friends that were fountain pen enthusiasts.[4]
The first collection launched by Visconti was the "Classic", a pen made of celluloid, which would be used for several collections in successive years. The success of this pen encouraged the company's founders to release a new limited edition of a hundred pieces, "Urushi", made of ebonite and decorated with Japaneselacquerware techniques.[4]
During the 1990s, Visconti developed the high vacuum power filler system (1993), the travel inkwell (1997) and the double reservoir filling system (1998), which consisted of a double reservoir refilling system, to prevent leakage.[4] By 2008, the company had 25 employees who made its pens by hand.[1]
In 2009, Visconti reached a deal with Coles of London (actually based in North Carolina), whereby Coles became the official distributor of Visconti products in the United States.[5] Together, both companies launched a range of new products, including the Rembrandt Collection, Opera Masters, Homo Sapiens Collection, Divina Royale range, and the limited-edition Templari.[6]
By 2012, Visconti had exported its products to more than 50 countries around the world with 50,000 pens sold by year.[7]
Dante Del Vecchio left Visconti in 2016 due to a conflict with his business partner[8] and later became chief pen designer at Pineider.[9]
