Well after drooling and saving for a while,i finally have acquired what i consider my grail pen:The Omas Arco Milord.
I won't write up a full review as there are already four fine accounts given by FPN members.These reviews inspired me to
persevere in my quest for this pen.
At first i wanted the older model,the pre-2005 Paragon.But after comparing size,price and availability,i decided that the newer Milord would be
good.It is larger than the old style Paragon,is made of celluloid all the way down the barrel,and is a smashingly beautiful pen.
So i will just post some pics now and at the end of said show,will let out a secret:

















Ok.Thats enough of that.Most already knew what it looked like.But i had to share my joy at this new acquisition.I know many say "That's it!I will stop collecting".
I said that at first.For the next year,i most certainly have to unless some Omas pen for $5 shows up at a yard sale.
But i have blown my pen budget for a long time.

Now here is the best part:What i paid.

I looked all over for the best deal.I could usually get the price new(which this was,still shrink wrapped)from the retail of $775,down to around $625 or so.
So i gambled on an ebay auction and came up a winner only having to shell out $329.
Yes,$329. Shipped from Canada.
Not bad,eh? (pardon the accent)

So i'm happy all around.I have only inked it to test and will give it a full letter writing experience this weekend.So for those whom i owe letters:You know which pen i will be using.

Thanks so much for letting me share my delightful day.

Jim (A satisfied Omas customer)

Gorgeous addition to your collection, Jim!

Congratulations on the fantastic price too! Your wait was worth it.

An absolutely beautiful pen, and one that's on my list too. As for it being the last pen you'll ever buy... never say never.

very nice pen Jim.
I love my old Omas Arco Paragon !

Enjoy it
Nikolaos

Great pen, great price. Congrats!

Looks nice indeed. Congratulations Jim.

IT is a beauty. How does this nib compare with the old paragon nibs? J

Well done, sir!
That is one splendid looking pen....

I have both the new and the old. I love the new. The Milord is beautiful and a great writer. Enjoy. You really got a good deal.

I am happy for you Jim, I too, have thought a lot about that pen. It is a beauty!

That's a seriously beautiful pen and I'm glad you got a chance to find and buy your "grail" pen. Congrats and use it in the best of health Jim.

Because of you and a couple others, I'm on MY quest and have started proceedings to aquire a pen I've admired and coveted for quite a while. I hope I'm as pleased with it as you are with this when I get it in hand.

Congrats Jim!! You have been eyeing the Arco for a while now and I am glad you got at such a great price!

Congratulations, Jim! That is one beautiful pen and at a great price. The Arco is truly one of the most beautiful pens ever made.

Hi John,

I find the nib a wee bit stiffer(i like that BTW)and just as smooth if not smoother.A really nice writing pen.I prefer fine point nibs and thats what this is.
I toyed with the idea of having it made into an italic but have changed my mind.Still,my Stipula Etruria is my best writer and this is second now.

Yes,i really was surprised at the price.Amazing that it didn't sell for much more.
No matter. IT'S MINE NOW!!!!!!

Jim

Great pen, great price, great writer... What else does one need (FP-wise)?

Not bad at all...

That is one gorgeous fountain pen, Jim (I have a black old-style Milord myself) and I am so glad you finally acquired it. I know you had to sell some very nice pens to acquire this one, but I'm glad you got what you wanted...and for a really good price, too!

Enjoy!!

THAT'S MY GRAIL PEN!!!!! But I still refuse to pay +$500 for them. Boy, Jim! That was an excellent buy! Good for you!

I'm still pinching myself.Since i took it out of the box,i have used it for everything i can.Toook care of some letters,entered the journals and just stared lovingly at it's beauty.
Ahhh. Life is good.

Maja,if prices like that keep appearing from "the other Vancouver",i will never stop buying!!!

Jim

Jim,
The new Arco Brown Milord is indeed a beautiful pen. If you look closely at your photos, you can see how the Arco material was made -- by building up the celluloid in a series of layers to form a thick sheet that could then be cut into blocks to put on the turning machine. I have had occasion to tour composite factories in the aerospace industry, and I've always been fascinated by the process. I'm guessing that your material was "cooked" in an autoclave (an oven) after the layers were built up.

Well done Jim, a beautiful piece indeed.

Mike

Now, how's about a writing sample? Best,
David

I paid $400 and thought I got a bargain. Lucky you.

Use it well.

Harv.

What a beautiful pen, a birthday present to yourself?
And we can never have too may reviews-esp as this is a new one, go on, treat us!

Well done, sir. Congratulations.

Dang it.... now I cannot tease you anymore, Jim. Enjoy the Arco!

I am waiting very impatiently for mine. This was also my grail pen and I bought it on ebay for $389. I am awaiting delivery. The seller (outletline) had to order the fine nib for me. I think outletline will have more of these to offer as he mentioned that he had 10-12 of these, all with broad nibs, and was ordering more nibs from Omas.

When I can't stand waiting, I re-read the stylophilesonline review, which I know almost by heart.

mehitabel

Congrats on the pen and thanks again for the review. In one of your previous reviews you showed us a great photo of several pens for size comparison. Any possibility we could see your Milord next to a few Stipulas or other Omas pens? Thanks in advance and well done. Peace,

Well i need to set my sights on another pen now.
The Montegrappa Stradivarius looks VERY nice.

Jim

I will try to shoot some photos later tonight and post them. Thanks for the kind words.

Jim

Is it CC or Piston?

Piston.Thank goodness.Holds lots of ink.

Jim

Jim,
Got mine a couple of weeks ago. Do you have any trouble with the ring on the cap? Mine wiggles quite a bit. Wondering if this a common problem with the trying to fit a round ring on a faceted pen cap? I also find the screwing on the cap a bit finicky. I fear that someday if I'm not careful, I will cross thread as I screw on the cap.

These small niggles aside (I like to think of it as adding character to the pen), this pen has really messed up my rotation. I enjoy it so much that I haven't been able to set it aside for the others. I have to go clean out some of my other "favourites" before they get bunged up with old ink!

I have exactly the same problem with posting. To get the cap to stay snug I must jam it down onto the barrel more forcefully than I would like. If, I don't, the cap wiggles and falls off. If it landed on a hard floor - ouch! - that's how I cracked my favorite Parker Duofold. I really prefer to write with the cap posted. I have no other problems with the pen - it is one of the best, if not the best, nib in my collection. I have no problems screwing the cap onto the barrel. And I like the size and weight, as well. I have read every review of the Omas faceted pens in this forum, and no one else has had this complaint about posting. They're doing something right.

mehitabel

One great fountain pen congrats on the catch.

No problems with the cap at all.And no real problems other than the blind cap at the bottom for filling the piston that doesn't match up as well.A wee bit loose.
But consdiering what i paid,i don't mind.

Yes indeed!!! A delightful pen!

Jim

Thanks Jim.

Must be my pen then. I'm reluctant to send it in as I've read some horror stories about OMAS' service, and I'm having too much fun with this pen to give it up for any period of time. This is my first OMAS and am really taken by the nib (mine is a <M>). I've always been a huge fan of Japanese nibs because they are so smooth and reliable out of the box; but this OMAS nib, while as smooth, has a softer feels and in my mind gives more character to the line. It reminds me alot of my vintage Parker Vacuumatic nib.

Anyway, I'm wondering if just a tiny spot of gap filling superglue will hold the ring in place. Hesitant as I'm not sure what the superglue would do to the celluloid.

And not being an expert,i hesitate to say whether it would work or not.Perhaps one of the experts in celluloid here on FPN can advise.

Jim