Omas Arte Italiana Arco Celluloid Vs Omas Arte Italiana

[penguinmaster]

I'm planning out my 2011 Pen Purchase list and for the past few years I've wanted to purchase an Arco Celluliod Arte Italiana I just think they are gorgeous pens in the Arco Brown. However it's always been very cost prohibitive for me to purchase one and once I save up the necessary funds I struggle to justify purchasing it.

 

I know also that Omas makes a less expensive version of the pen (by about $300), and I'm wondering other than the material difference, what are the real differences.

 

I think the big problem I'll run into is justifying spending the extra $300 for looks, not writing experience. Also to be honest, I'm now thinking that if I can pick up the less expensive version I can probably pick up the Krone Fathom for the difference, another pen I have started to lust after as of recent.

 

Also, if I were to wait for a used Arco to show up for sale, one if very good condition, what can I be expecting to pay used for it.

 

Thanks for any insights

 

-Tom

[Strang]

I have the Arco Bronze Milord version with the celluloid section which I bought from a fellow FPNer in the summer. I don't like metal sections, so I held out and am glad that I did. I think I paid $400 in excellent condition.

[bugmd]

My comments are mainly regarding the sizes of the pens. Remember the older Paragons, 557f, are about the size of the current Milord pens, which do not have a metal nib section. The new Paragons are much larger, think Pelikan M1000 or MB 149 and they have a metal nib section. Either series, old, new Paragon, 555f, 556f or 557f are available in the vegetal resin or in celluloid. First, you need to decide on the size of the pen and the character of the nib section, then, IMHO, you should decide about the material they are made of. I personally prefer the new, large sized Paragons despite the metal nib section. Prices are off the chain. A year ago I paid $600 for a NIB Paragon with silver trim, much higher now, even around $1,000. The resin Paragons are fetching around $600 with the resin Milords NIB in the $400 range. I would strongly suggest you get to a B&M shop or visit a pen show or pen collectors meeting and give one a try before you buy, unless of course discretionary cash is not an issue. Sorry about the crappy photos and the lack of size comparison shots. The last two images are of 557f, or the older Paragon, sized pens made of vegetal resin.

 

As far as the writing experience goes, there is little difference between the older Paragon and the new Milord, at least IMHO. Big difference between the Paragon models because of overall size and the different nib sections.

 

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_DTUiJGMLxHs/S5POSjuDbAI/AAAAAAAAN54/4QemGi_In_o/s912/P1030419.JPG

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_DTUiJGMLxHs/S5POTJlmn0I/AAAAAAAAN6A/XuVdC57HBKA/s912/P1030420.JPG

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_DTUiJGMLxHs/S5PN6AJsFTI/AAAAAAAAN2k/QPzGuZj8bBI/s912/P1030393.JPG

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_DTUiJGMLxHs/S5PN4YUtHRI/AAAAAAAAN2U/tX1fykvp3II/s912/P1030391.JPG

Edited November 19, 2010 by bugmd

[Bill]

What bugmd said.

 

I have late model Paragon and Milord Arcos and an older black Paragon (shown in the below photo, starting third from the left).

 

The Arco Paragon's first owner wasn't happy with it. After it made a round trip to Italy, I got a bargain on it from the dealer. I'm not sure what adjustments were made at the factory but it is one of the smoothest, best-behaved writers I have ever used. The metal section is not my favorite aesthetically; however, it has not been a factor in actual use.

 

The Milord was purchased new but at the equivalent of a "used" price from one of our favorite dealers. It is not as smooth as the Paragon though it behaves perfectly and gets carried and exercised much more than the Paragon. The M800-like size is a Goldilocks sweet spot for me, large but light enough for comfortable pocket carry.

 

I got the older Paragon at a pen show and had the nib ground into a tight italic. I go through cycles with this pen. I might use it regularly for a couple of weeks followed by long stretches in storage. That is probably more a function of the nib instead of the rest of the pen because the nib is dramatic and does require more precision in orientation. Occasionally this pen will spit up into the cap. I do not carry it in pockets.

 

The pistons on my moderns work smoother than the older pen and they seem to hold more ink.

 

I know that Omas pens, like many Italian products, have the reputation of being either brilliant or terrible. But they are definitely not boring. I've been lucky with these as well as my other Omas pens. If I did not have too many pens already, I would probably add more to the herd.

 

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm82/spanielgang/10pen_cigarcase7460.jpg

[kazoolaw]

You will want to compare closely the photos of the old style Paragons in this thread with photos of the new Milord.

The "drop-off" has generated discussion like the metal section has for the new full size Omas.

It's enough that I think you should try to handle the pens before buying as they're not cheap.

http://web.me.com/richardspens/PenBlog/Sweepings_from_the_Studio/Entries/2009/3/30_Pens_are_for_writing_with,_right_files/arco_new.jpg

Pens are for writing with, right?

Edited November 19, 2010 by gary

[eric47]

Actually are you considering old-style resin v. celluloid, or new-style ones resin v. celluloid, or some mix of the two?

 

I don't own any new style Omas pens, only the old style. At least as far as the old-style Paragon goes, the resin and celluloid pens shared the same nib, feed, and filling system. So the writing experience was in those respect the same all else equal. However, the celluloid pen was slighly smaller than the resin pen, I think around 1-2mm shorter capped. (Acutally the same holds for the resin 1930 v. celluloid Dama.) This also affected the overall diameter of the pen as well as the section.

 

The difference is small but it's there. I find the resin Paragon somewhat uncomfortable for my grip -- it just doesn't work too well. The slightly smaller celluloid Paragon works a bit better.

 

I don't know if the new style pens have this same slight difference between the resin and celluloid pens.

 

Here are some photo of some old style pens, look towards the right. No illusion (or bad pen placement), the black resin Paragon at the very end is slightly longer (capped and uncapped) in reality than the celluloid Paragons to right of it.

 

 

Edited November 19, 2010 by eric47

[penguinmaster]

Thanks everybody for their opinions and info. It does sound like I need to go to a show hopefully and try writing with both to see if I see any big difference. It sounds like to I could potentially pick up a used Arco Brown Celluloid for what I was hoping to pay for a new Resin version. So that just seems to complicate things even more!

 

To confuse it even more, after reading the Richard Binder blog post, maybe I should be on the hunt for a Bexley Americana!

 

-Tom

Edited November 19, 2010 by penguinmaster

[youstruckgold]

Actually are you considering old-style resin v. celluloid, or new-style ones resin v. celluloid, or some mix of the two?

 

I don't own any new style Omas pens, only the old style. At least as far as the old-style Paragon goes, the resin and celluloid pens shared the same nib, feed, and filling system. So the writing experience was in those respect the same all else equal. However, the celluloid pen was slighly smaller than the resin pen, I think around 1-2mm shorter capped. (Acutally the same holds for the resin 1930 v. celluloid Dama.) This also affected the overall diameter of the pen as well as the section.

 

The difference is small but it's there. I find the resin Paragon somewhat uncomfortable for my grip -- it just doesn't work too well. The slightly smaller celluloid Paragon works a bit better.

 

I don't know if the new style pens have this same slight difference between the resin and celluloid pens.

 

Here are some photo of some old style pens, look towards the right. No illusion (or bad pen placement), the black resin Paragon at the very end is slightly longer (capped and uncapped) in reality than the celluloid Paragons to right of it.

 

 

What us the colour of the pen second from the far right? Looks fantastic!

[youstruckgold]

Get the Arco - make it an older one. They look wonderful, feel wonderful, write wonderfully. In the end, think about why you wanted it in the first place, go with the heart!

[Russ]

Someday, somehow, I'll get one.

[eric47]

What us the colour of the pen second from the far right? Looks fantastic!

 

You don't recognize the fuchsia, violet, scarlet, violet-blue celluloid? It's called officially Royale Blue.

 

It's a first year pen, 1991 or 1992, I can't remember. Something happened with some of that early celluloid because it *can* turn purplish. I've seen others that are purplish or have purplish areas. But I've seen other first year Royale blues that are uniform in color, more like my later Dama and Princess in Royale celluloid in the photo.

 

Mine's fairly extreme however with a spots that are fuchsia and scarlet. I asked a longtime Omas dealer and repairer, and he told me he's seen quite a few first years on the purplish side and others not. He told me none of his customers has ever had one crystallize, they just shifted color.

 

Some consider the color shifting a defect. I like it. I recently acquired a Royale Blue HT, so if this pen ever goes completely fuchsia, then I still have a blue one.

[eric47]

Thanks everybody for their opinions and info. It does sound like I need to go to a show hopefully and try writing with both to see if I see any big difference. It sounds like to I could potentially pick up a used Arco Brown Celluloid for what I was hoping to pay for a new Resin version. So that just seems to complicate things even more!

 

To confuse it even more, after reading the Richard Binder blog post, maybe I should be on the hunt for a Bexley Americana!

 

The old style Arcos, which I think look better anyway, are much more affordable on the used market compared the the new pens. Earlier this year, there a period where there was one after one another listed on eBay -- 3 or 4 in row. Haven't seen on in awhile however; but just keep your eyes open, they show up.

 

As far as the Bexley, I say apple and oranges. The Omas is celluloid -- the real stinky nitrate kind. It's a piston filler, and depending on the year you can get with an in house Omas before they outsourced to Bock. The Bexley isn't celluloid and it's C/C.

[georges zaslavsky]

I have a modern arte italiana paragon in vegetal resin and it is a superb writer. I also tried the celluloid version of that pen but felt no difference in terms of nib. Whether you choose the old or the new paragon, you can't go wrong.

[penguinmaster]

Just an update to this thread. I ended up snatching an Americana from Richards insane sale for them at $45 in the color I most wanted. For $45 I can't be any happier than I am. I'm actually glad I picked up the Americana at that price instead of the Paragon, the size is just almost to big for my tastes. For $45 I can enjoy it, but had I paid a ton for an Omas I think I would have been disappointed!

 

-Tom

[rroossinck]

Get the Arco - make it an older one. They look wonderful, feel wonderful, write wonderfully. In the end, think about why you wanted it in the first place, go with the heart!

I stumbled across the pictures that I took of that pen a few days ago. Forgot how gorgeous that pattern was/is. Sorta wishing I'd had the nerve to ink it up when I had it!

 

We've got an Arco Milord on order right now and are expecting it soon, so it'll be interesting for me to see how the size of that one compares to the old-style Paragon.