I've got a great OMAS 360 with a fire-hose of a nib (which suits me very well). The only problem is that the triangular section coupled with a hand injury of many years ago means that the nib hits the paper way off the sweet spot. The options seem to be having my thumb re-broken to suit the pen (perhaps showing a little more dedication to the cause than is strictly required) or re-seating the nib to suit my hand. Before I set about either task, does anyone have any useful tips on the procedure?

I'm fine on tips for re-working the thumb, I completed combat medic training and still have my notes somewhere in the loft.

Where is your dedication to the hobby??? reset the thumb.
Seriously, I have the same problem with 360's, and I have heard that the place to go is John Mottishaw (Nibs.com)..

I often ask myself the same question and have recently removed the only mirror in the house as I can no longer stand the sight of my own weak-willed reflection...

I shall seek guidance from Mr. Mottishaw but wonder if there are any fixes that would avoid the pen collecting about 5,000 airmiles and qualifying for a weekend break in Paris.

I've done this to an Omas Cinema LE and Omas Dama -- not because there were any problem with the nibs or angles -- but because I was merely curious about how easy it would be to remove and re-seat the nibs. I was surprised to find that the nibs on those pens were screw-in types, not friction-fitted. No challenge in that... So I reached for the Omas Ogiva Autunno, which has a friction-fit nib. To unseat the nib, I moistened a paper towel, gripped the nib, and wiggled it firmly but gently at first just to loosen it. Do not grip the nib/feed at its sides; grip it at the front and back. Sometimes soaking the nib in warm water (not hot water, but warm water) will help loosen it. You will still, however, have to wiggle it free to remove it.

While gripping and gently wiggling the nib and holding the barrel firmly, I was able to get the nib out eventually without damaging it. I made sure not to twist the nib/feed, so as not to misalign it or damage the feed in the process. Once I unseated the nib, resetting it back was not a problem. It requires a delicate, but firm touch and is not as daunting as it seems.

You may to practice removing and re-seating friction-fit nibs on less coveted pens -- at least on a first pass -- just to get the hang of it. It may be trial and error at the get-go, but once you master the task, you can then proceed with the Omas 360 and play with different angles to find one that suits you. Pointing out the obvious, you do run the risk of misaligning the nibs altogether and/or damaging the feed -- rendering the sweet spot to be nonexistent no matter the angle. However if the pen has to travel to Mottishaw's pen grotto anyway, you might as well give it a go yourself first... Are there no local nibmeisters in your area who can take on the task?

If not, then alternatively, I'm a firm believer of the original solution to every problem: duct tape. Have you tried duct taping your thumb to your palm or even your index finger, so as to retrain your hand to write without a thumb? If this won't do, then you may be able to effectively communicate the "urgency" of the matter to Mottishaw by cutting off your thumb altogether and shipping it to him -- properly iced, of course -- along with the Omas 360 and instructions to align the nib in accordance with the enclosed thumb.

By the way, my advice to duct-tape or cut off your thumb applies only after you've first attempted to remove and re-seat the nib yourself. Methinks the procedure to remove/re-seat nibs is hairy enough that you'll require both thumbs to do so. Good luck, and let us know how it turns out.

Though girlieg33k's advice might seem like good advice at first glance, I can tell you from experience that John M does NOT take kindly to having body parts mailed to him.


I've said too much.

PS If it comes to it, Greg Minuskin can also do this kind of work, but much faster. I don't mean to dissuade anyone from using John's services, but I know that I don't always have the patience to wait that long or the money to pay for the rush fee.

Thanks for the advice, it is gratefully received.

After an earlier incident following the unattributable disappearance of a local ruffian my outgoing mail is regularly scanned by the security services for traces of "unauthorised meat products". That being the case, I shall attempt the task in accordance with girlieg33k's wise words, secure in the knowledge that a "nibmeister safety-net" is in place in the unlikely event when it is required.

Furthermore, U.S. customs and border protection forbid the import of any foreign meat products. Your thumb might get confiscated and will then end up in the port authorities' garbage bins.

girlieg, you got caught in a catch-22 here. If he cuts off his thumb he will not need to retrain his hand for writing without a thumb. He will just be able to write without a thumb. Therefore, it will not be necessary for him to send the thumb to Mottishaw.

Oh, I offered the alternative of thumb amputation as an "or" not an "and" given the situation. Mottishaw has a backlog longer than the line to heaven -- so I thought perhaps the thumb might hurry things along. I also assumed that Mottishaw, being a gentleman and professional, would return the thumb (properly iced and bubble-wrapped, of course). And, having completed combat medic training, IANAN ought to not have any problems re-attaching his own thumb, and if there's any trouble doing so, there is always duct tape as mentioned above.

Now that cellulophile has chimed in to let us know that Mottishaw would frown upon this sort of thing, I take back the suggestion altogether. I thought of it only because I, myself, have considered sending an eBay seller or two a "finger" -- so why not a "thumbs up" to our favorite nibmeisters?

I do hope he gets the problem sorted out... I was considering the smaller Omas 360 Mezzo, but after trying one at Joon Pens a few weeks ago, I ran into the same problem with the triangular section and nib angle. The Old Style 360s are nifty in concept, but as mentioned in another thread, it does remind me of a Toblerone as well...

John Mottishaw will do this for you at a pen show if you bring in your pen. He charges a nominal fee. He did mine at the DC show this past August, and it now writes wonderfully.

Have not used a nibmeister BUT for the laugh

Reset the thumb or fix the nib?

(kidding)

Job done.

I took girlieg33k's advice (up to a point, I am after all a man and therefore genetically incapable of following any set of instructions through to their conclusion). The nib has been successfully rotated though about 7 degrees and even more surprisingly, in the direction that I originally wanted.

Thanks for the help, the 360 is now back on the extended-duration writing list. Were it an option I'd give this two thumbs up!

It's a brave man who admits men can't follow instructions.

Glad you've got your pen back in rotation [belated pun alert]