Well how can I start this review? It is very important for me to be exact.
I actually didn’t write this review the moment I tried the pen, I decided to wait just a bit that the natural excitement will ware off and the true performance of the pen will be correctly reviewed.

For the last few years I’ve been using almost solely my Omas Paragon HT (old style) as everyday user. My Paragon has a lovely 18K fine nib that I can’t stop talking about. Until today I didn’t find a pen with a nib that wrote as good as my Paragon. The pen that so far was the closest to the Paragon was my Mont Blanc Virginia Woolf but it still wasn’t there in comparison to my Paragon (I wrote a nice review comparing these 2 pens).

I tried so many other pens and the main issue was the nib, they were smooth, pretty, wet but when you are talking about that special thing I call character or feedback they lacked what it had to be as good as the Paragon. You guys know I am a big MB fan but no MB pen was as good and no other pens.

Well last month while I was at the monthly Cambridge (in Ontario Canada) monthly Pen Meeting I got the chance to try a pen I didn’t believe will touch me so deep.
One of the members had an Omas Ogiva Guilloche with HT trim. The pen was lying with few wonderful pens in his pen wallet so it was hard to notice this pen but after trying few of his pens I asked to try this pen. Now the Ogiva is a lovely pen but not one that sticks out in a crowd of colorful pens. With its black body and white trim it looks respectable but not eye popping.
Well in any case I held the pen in my hand and without too much ceremony I put the medium nib on the paper and started to write with it.
Ladies and gentleman I was AMAZED, I felt as if I am in fountain pen heaven. This was it, this was the nib we are all looking for. This relatively quiet and serious pen had the BEST nib ever!!! Yes even better then my Paragon.
Right away I offered to buy the pen but sadly the owner didn’t want my money but rather another pen I have and cherish so we had to part as friends and I knew I MUST have this pen.
I posted a WTB post both on the FPN and Pen trace and after few days I found a FPN member that was willing to sell me his pen. The pen was exactly the same pen as the one I tried, it’s an Omas Ogiva Guilloche with HT trim and a medium nib. The price was fair, the seller was super nice and 2 weeks later I had the package in my hands.

The pen came with its original box and as was very pleased with it. The box is beautiful and matches the overall package of this lovely pen.
To be honest after few weeks I forgot how big this pen is. This pen is really big. It is actually slightly bigger then my Mont Blanc 146 and just a bit smaller then my MB 149.
When I took the pen in my hand the first thing that struck me was how light weight this pen is. Its not just light weight for a pen its size but its light compared to pens much smaller then its size. The black resin has a very familiar feeling to it, oh yes it feels like my Paragon and I am happy it does, the Ogiva is smooth in the hand and the HT trim just gives it a nice modern look to it but still very respected and serious.
The white clip is a typical Omas nib with a roller at the end of it.
The cap has the same lovely white Greek keys as the Paragon does. The pen has interesting lines on it (both cap and barrel), this is the Guilloche but Omas also made this pen in a nice clean body. Overall I like this Guilloche pen and I think it adds a very nice touch to the overall look of the pen.
I unscrewed the cap and there was a very familiar nib looking at me. The Ogiva nib is the exact nib I have on my Paragon only the one on my Paragon is a fine and the as mentioned the Ogiva’s nib is medium size.
I rinsed the pen thoroughly. I don’t think the pen was ever filled only dipped because no ink came out of the pen but there was a nit of ink coming from their feed and nib.
In any case this pen has piston filler (my favorite) and it feels much smoother then my Paragon. It still isn’t as smooth as a Pelikan piston but is I would say par with my Mont Blanc pens. It still has a plasticky feeling but I guess Pelikan piston filler has spoiled anyone that used them.
So after a good serious rinse I filled the pen with Waterman Havana Brown and I was amazed how much ink this pen gabbles up, I think it has the biggest ink capacity in my collection.
Anyways I put the nib on the paper and the ink was too watery. I should have expected it, I was impatient and a bit disappointed. On a positive note the nib is S M O O T H just as I expected it to be.
Well after few hours of playing with the pen the ink started to flow in a constant and normal manor and then this pen showed me its true colors. This nib is AMAZING simply nothing short of amazing. Its everything I ask for in a nib. I tip (yet again) my hat to Omas, Bock or who ever is responsible to design this superb nib it’s a true masterpiece of design.
Many of the Ogiva’s out there were bought from John Mattishaw and he always checks and takes care of every pen that comes out of his shop so it is nice and important to find a pen that came out of a factory and to test it how well it writes without the tweaking of a nib master.

So as you see I am extremely happy so Omas original nib and feed setting are excellent.
The feed is of course ebonite and is of a classic Omas design.
The line the pen leaves on the paper is wet almost very wet (just the way I like), it is an average European medium line but really not too fat. The true magic of this nib is of the information it gives you, it talks to you and is a tour guide of what’s happening all the time. This is the character I love so much. It really is hard to explain or describe and the only way to truly understand and appreciate this nib is by trying it.

As mentioned the pen is light weight. When I unscrewed the cap off it got even lighter, I work well with both light weight and slightly hefty pens. Different weights on a pen make me feel different and changes the way I write.
This pen is both big and light and that’s great. Even though it is light weight it feels very solid. The pen is very well made. It actually feels more solid in the hand then my Paragon.
You can feel the pen is made of good material and may I say it somehow reminds me how my Mont Blanc 146 feels. The body is very smooth and the pen is perfectly balanced while writing with it with weight almost evenly distributed between the top and bottom.

Conclusion

I really tried to be calm and look for both the good and the bad in this pen but really I loved it so much that the only thing I think Omas could improve in regard to this pen is to make the piston filles less plastic like but this is really a VERY small think if you look at this pen as a whole.
This pen is one level about any other pen I have tried (except my Paragon) in its writing characteristics. It is light weight, very classic looking and very well made.
It holds a TON of ink is well balanced and the icing is the nib, it’s simply the best of the best.

Very good, comprehensive review of an excellent pen, Goodguy. For the sake of transparency and full disclosure, however, I must declare a conflict of interest: I am the guilty party who introduced Goodguy to the Omas Ogiva Guilloche at the March meeting in Cambridge. I purchased mine from Mottishaw, so right out of the box it wrote perfectly and after several weeks of use it is one of my best writing pens. It's right there with my Bexley Americana from Richard Binder, my Bexley Fifth Anniversary in BCHR, my Glenmont from Brian Grey with a lucious 14k Bock nib and my Parker Duofold Centennial with the nib tweaked by Richard Binder; trying to decide which of these lovely pens is the best is an invidious excercise, so I'll leave it at that. What really attracted me to this pen is the Guilloche design, which I find stunning, and it's a piston-filler. The fit and finish of the pen is excellent and although it is a large pen, it's not over-sized. Unposted (and I never post) it is light without feeling insubstantial and perfectly balanced. Put simply, it's a darn nice pen and there was no way Goodguy was going to get his paws on mine no matter how hard he begged me, and boy did he beg. Goodguy, I'm very pleased that you were able to acquire an Ogiva Guilloche so quickly, as I was becoming concerned about the separation anxiety you seemd to be suffering after handling my pen at the March meeting.

I love the Ogiva a lot, too. I own the demonstrator version of your pen, and it's one of my very best writers.
Now, here is one penny for your thought, though: The Ogiva is based on the Paragon. It uses exactly the same nib and the same hard rubber feed. If you want to try, you can even screw the Ogiva cap on your Paragon and vice versa. They fit perfectly and snugly.
Other than that, I agree with you about the light weight and the great performance of the Ogiva. It's an outstanding pen. Unfortunately, Omas doesn't make it anymore. It's also the perfect pen for those who would like to try an old-style Omas but who don't like the faceted design of the Paragon. The resin and demonstrator models have a fluted barrel whereas the celluloid version comes with a smooth barrel wall without any flutes.

congrats on your new pen and may it bring you years of writing pleasure

My 2 MoMAs have nibs which seems like yours; mines are F and are great writers. The MoMA is a minimalistic version of your pen. Foe some arcane reason is the only *big* pen that feels comfortable in my hand; the paragon is too big for me. All my faceted Omas (3) are milords.

Juan

Wow, nice pics!

Nice review Amir, I have an Ogiva HT with a nice wet medium nib for about four years now and it never fails.

Come to the Cambridge pen meeting on the 19th and bring the Ogiva with you,we can see which Ogiva writes nicer

Whew!

Goodguy, I have to tell you, I was rather worried that the nib on your Ogiva wouldn't match the nib on the one you tried at the pen club meeting. What a relief that it met your expectations!

I just finished reading the thread you started about from whom you purchased the pen and who its previous owner was. What a lovely story; thank you for sharing it with us. This is obviously a special pen and it seems like it definitely wound up in the hands of someone who will appreciate it for a long time. Enjoy using your lovely Omas pen!

P.S. Almost forgot to say "thank you" for the great review and photos!

Wow, nice pen...may it give you lots of pleasure-it looks beautiful-you should give us a writting demo too!

A great review and great pics. Many thanks.

I have one coming with a EF nib. Any thoughts on Omas EF nibs anyone?

Ronin

All I can tell you is that the nib I have on my Omas Paragon (identical to the one on the Ogiva) is FINE and it feels almost as wide as the MEDIUM one I have on my Ogiva.
So I would expect the EF you will have on your pen to be closer to a true fine.

Hello goodguy,

I can only confirm your opinion. I also like very much to write with my standard OMAS Ogiva. It has a medium nib which is very flexible. The only weak point is, that I can't see how much ink is left. Therefore I learned to fill it all four days.

gemu

I am writing an update of my feeling after about 2 months of use of the pen.
The honeymoon is over and I dont go gaga every time I look at the pen and guess what this pen is still an AMAZING writer.
It is a superb user and I cant tell you enough how great this pen is.I cant stop writing with it as it flows like a dream on paper but still remains responsive.

If you look for the perfect user the Ogiva and Paragon (old style) are as close to perfection as can be

I wrote with my friend's Guilloche and, like you, was immediately smitten. His is a fine nib, tuned to his specs by John Mottishaw. I wanted one! Maybe one of these days I will get one, because it is a beautiful pen and fantastic writer.

Glad to hear you are so pleased with yours!

So did you get the pen in the end ?