Hi

Bought perhaps what is my last italian pen today, a second hand Omas 360.The choice was difficult but I favored the Omas because of the Noble Savage 360's review but also the Omas had much better nib. Omas is in my opinion the finest italian penmaker alongwith Montegrappa. For the price I paid for my 360, 220€, I can only say my purchase was a very good deal. I regret that the Extra wasn't available in the same diameter than the 149 or the 360 magnum but the 360 magnum was more sober and less flamboyant which is also why I chose it. I mainly buy black or dark colored pens because I like soberty and I dislike flamboyance. So here is the pen review:

Apparence/finish:
The 360 is a visually strucking pen because of its shape . It is a big pen. The finish of the barrel and the cap are made of the traditional vegetal resin which is finished by hand like on every Omas and which is perfect and the pen is warm to touch.

Size/Weight:
It has the same weight than a 149 but is a bit taller. It is not too light and not too heavy. The triangular section makes of it a great pen to write with. I immediately liked the 360. You never get tired to write with it. It is a real delight to write with.

Filling System:
Like on the Arte Italiana, the traditional piston filling system which works flawlessly and with no efforts.

Nib Performance:
This is where Omas makes the difference. Despite being less decorated than the Paragon Arte Italiana nib, the 360 nibis offering the same level of incredible performance which combines smoothness, perfect ink flow and ability to write in reverted mode.

Conclusion:
The 360 magnum is a revolutionnary well designed pen, it combines a first quality nib and very good ergonomics. For the price I paid, 220€, I am more than happy of my purchase. The 360 in black is combining two more qualities: class and elegance.

I wish I could gain an understanding of this pen, or the brand Omas in general.

I don't get it.


I checked out a 360 that was 40% off at a local jewelry store. I thought the resin felt like cheap, tacky plastic, very much like one would see a Sharpie marker made from. I would have a hard time buying this pen....at any price.

I'm glad you like yours. I guess it's an acquired taste.

Congratulations Georges,

My 360 Magnum is one of my favorite pens, also. Mine has a broad nib that writes like a dream. I wish it had bigger capacity, though.

Alejandro

I've owned and used Pelikans, Cartiers, St Duponts, Montblancs, and I've owned an Omas. I had an Ogiva rollerball for awhile. Thought it was ok, but nothing special. Actually the refill sucked. It was scratchy and not crisp. Sold it.

Sorry guys, I don't like the materials. I'm well versed in pen materials and nice qualities. I don't see the qualities in Omas.

Not everyone likes the same thing. Doesn't mean that because I think it feels cheap that you should too.

Hi,

The Ogiva rollerball, what brand was the refill? Was it second hand?

Dillon

The Ogiva refill was a OEM Omas. Terrible.

I tried to write with the 360 rollerball at the jeweler just to get feel of the dynamics...and they had no ink to dip the FP version with. It was a terrible rollerball as well. Scratchy with a thin line. Definately a fine, but not smooth in the least.

Hi,

It's a Schmidt cartridge if I remember right.

Dillon

i didn't feel like setting up the light tent. here's my omas 360 in ebony wood. very smooth medium nib. i love the triangular shape and the feel of wood.

It seems to me that The Toecutter is echoing the feelings of Jonathan Steinberg in his book "Fountain Pens - their history and art". Steinberg points out repeatedly that one of the steps in the decadence of fountain pens after the war was the use of injection molded plastic for cutting costs; he thinks that the quality of the pens went down, at the same time that pen prices and publicity hype went up, and this paved the way to the introduction of the cheap ballpoints. He hints that injection-molded plastic products can not really be considered "hand-made" products, and that plastic is always plastic - a relatively cheap material. In page 123, he comments on the introduction of Montblanc limited editions, saying that "Montblanc realized during the 1990s that they couldn´t hype injection-molded products forever, and that they would need a flagship product to add more substance to the hype... MB could still produce huge quantities of injection molded pens, but a minuscule production of flagship models would increase their sales of their other lines". (I know MB insists they use "precious resin", but Steinberg prefers to call it "plastic").
I too collect fountain pens, but sometimes I think just like Steinberg - what´s the point of paying 500 usd on a mass-produced plastic pen? I know the pens are pretty and write well, etc., but they are still plastic (not a expensive material), and mass-produced (not hand-turned on a lathe, like a Hakase, or hand-painted like a Namiki, for instance).

(now, I run for cover...)

Well sorry to be off topic, but I own two vintage Montblancs that are in perfect shape, I also know people owning modern Montblanc and who never had probs with it. The reason why I bough the Omas 360 was because of its nib and of its comfort. I know that Omas pens are made artisanally and that what counts for me. Craftsmanship is one of the strong advantages of Omas. I have seen some limited edition of Omas that are exceeding Namiki in terms of quality and finish. So don't bash Omas just because you had a bad experience. My Paragon and my 360 can hold more than easily a candle to a Sailor King of pen and a namiki. Anyone who buys an Omas knows that he is buying a very high quality writing instrument.

Also,i heard from the Omas rep at the LA pen show that the 360 will be changed next year.It will offer the 360 in a round bottom barrel as an option to the 360 style.Many of us like the design and look of the barrel but not how it holds in your fingers.
Should be an interesting look.

JD

I think the wood Omas 360 is very nice.


Tell me more about vegital resin. Why is it so special?