Visconti Voyager Dutch Pen Show 2024 Sugar Rush Review: Gorgeous Resin, Troubled Nib

Introduction

The Visconti Voyager Dutch Pen Show 2024 Sugar Rush is one of a small run of exclusive pens created for the show, and it is a striking object on every level. It also arrives with a serious caveat: in this example, out of the box, it simply would not write without pressure. This review covers the design, the filling system, the writing experience, and whether the pen justifies its price.

Unboxing and Presentation

The outer sleeve states that only 40 of these pens exist, and this example is number 28. The stub nib is 14k gold. Inside the sleeve sits a charmingly designed box with a polished metal panel, a center band marked Dutch Pen Show in the show’s own font style, and a small cap sleeve.

The package includes a sticker, a credit-card-sized information card listing materials and the filling system, and a colorful Visconti booklet. It is a nice presentation overall, with a box design that feels fresh compared to earlier Visconti packaging.

Design and Materials

The resin was made by Tim Crow of Turned Pen Company, and it is the highlight of the pen. The swirl of pink and purple evokes Dutch candy, and while it may not suit everyone, the material is genuinely attractive and expertly finished.

The pen is large, noticeably bigger than a Pilot Metropolitan, and Visconti does not shy away from big pens. The clip is a Ponte Vecchio-inspired design, quite springy, and described by Visconti as unbreakable. It is now laser engraved rather than filled with enamel, a minor change since enamel can occasionally flake over time.

The cap uses Visconti’s bayonet closing system, so cap and barrel always align the same way. The section is slightly hourglass shaped with small bayonet tabs that are a little sharp to the touch, yet it remained comfortable throughout extended handling.

Filling System

The Voyager uses a power filler. You unscrew the knob, pull out the rod, dip it in a bottle of ink, and push it back in to fill the pen. It uses a primary and secondary ink chamber, the latter of which can run dry.

One notable omission is the absence of an ink window. With a power or vacuum style filler, you have no clear way to see how much ink remains. It is livable, but a genuine oversight at this price.

Nib and Feed

The 14k stub nib has attractive grooves and an S marking for stub, paired with one of Visconti’s signature curved feeds, which remains one of the brand’s more appealing design details.

Price is $1,350 including tax, or roughly $1,157 before tax, with extra fine, fine, medium, broad, and stub nibs in 14k or 18k. That is a serious sum, and it sets the bar for what should arrive out of the box.

The Writing Sample

This is where the review turns. Writing with no pressure produced faint, patchy lines. Only with noticeable pressure did the nib write properly, revealing a genuinely good stub with pleasing line variation.

After cleaning the pen thoroughly and filling it with a well-known, freely flowing red ink, the problem persisted. Removing the nib and feed revealed the cause: the tines splayed immediately, indicating the nib slit is far too tight. Adjusting the tines slightly would almost certainly fix it, but a pen at this price should not require that intervention. This is not a matter of tuning preference; the nib simply does not function as delivered.

What We Like

There is a lot to admire here. The material is stellar, the size works well, and the pen posts nicely while remaining reasonably balanced, though smaller hands may find it top-heavy when posted. The hourglass section is exceptionally comfortable, and the bayonet cap system is satisfying to use. The power filler offers generous ink capacity for a pen of this type.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The core issue is quality control. Visconti nibs have a long-standing reputation problem, and while many Visconti pens write beautifully, examples like this one keep feeding that reputation. The nib slit being too tight means the pen fails at its primary job until adjusted, likely by a nibmeister.

For context, this pen costs more than twice, approaching nearly three times, the price of one of the other exclusive pens made for the same show, and that other pen wrote out of the box. If you do buy one, have a nib specialist ready, and consider checking the nib immediately upon arrival.

Buying Advice

If the Sugar Rush material and the Voyager platform speak to you, the pen is worth considering only if you are prepared to have the nib tuned right away. Buyers who want a trouble-free out-of-box writing experience may prefer to look elsewhere, or to try the pen in person before committing.

Conclusion

The Visconti Voyager Dutch Pen Show 2024 Sugar Rush is a beautiful, comfortable pen with excellent materials and clever engineering details, held back by a nib that did not write in this example without pressure. At $1,350, expectations should be met, not managed. The design deserves better, and so do the buyers.