Hi.

I love celluloid, and I can't find an Omas for love or money so here is my next choice. Their celluloid looks wonderful, and I'm hot to trot. But I know so little about them. Which would you suggest?

Funny you should ask: I just traded an Iride (and some extras) for an Impero. They are beautiful pens, each with a distinct personality.

The Iride has a translucent barrel with great deep red celluloid. The button filler is works well, and some small part of me liked seeing the ink going up the inside of the barrel as it filled, and down the barrel as I wrote. My problem with the pen was the section. It has a waist, or hourglass, shape. I don't like using pens with that shape section, so the Iride went for long periods unused.

The Impero has a distinct personality. It is lighter, and is a piston not button filler. Whereas the Iride has a warm color, the gray, blue and white trim of the Impero is "cool". The section of the Impero is straight, though it tapers from the threads towards the nib. The barrel of the Impero is faceted, but above the threads and below the faceted barrel is another round area which is perfect for a higher grip.

Casual observation is that Irides are more available and cheaper than Imperos. Take a good look at the many on-line photos and decide whether the shapes will make a difference to you and your writing. As has been said, it's unfortunate that the pens never took off when they were being produced in the 50/60/Iride/Impero/Transparene styles, as I much prefer them to the present models.

gary

all what Gary said. The Impero has now risen in price considerably over the Iride. There were times when they were on a par. I personally love both pens and would have a hard time deciding. If you like the faceted Omas pens, then the Impero would be your choice. It's large and yet very light. Also, the color of the celluloid is really spectacular. While the Iride is a wonderful pen also, it's not as spectacular as the Impero I think. Also, the Impero got white gold trim rings which make it stand out. I like the clean looks of the white gold.

Iride is not a button filler per se. It is a pump filler closer to a Vacumatic than anything else. Unscrew the blind cap and the filler pops out. Pump it filled, hold the filler in and put the blind cap back on.

The girth of the Irdie is substantial, and IIRC the Impero is narrower. One is blue, one brown. What are your feelings on that?

Keep in mind that the nibs run like Omas nibs as well-slightly wider than US nibs. The EFs tend to be fairly fine and have a bit of tooth, in my experience.

Hello,

I like the Iride more. As stated already, the Iride is the thicker pen and I can write better with it. I like the barrel transparency very much. The colors show really nice and you can see if there is still enough ink in the pen.

Regards,

Nelson

I have had both and kept the Iride. Now, I just wish I hadn't sold the Impero. Why do we/I do such silly things?

So, my advice is, 'Buy both'. The 1990s' Tibaldi celluloid is wonderful, the Bock nibs are excellent, the filling system works, both pens are very well made and ...
buy them.

Not that I'd discourage you from the Tibaldi, but why can't you find an Omas celluloid? They can be had -- new, even -- for less than many of the Tibaldis.

I agree with Deidre here. Even the "inexpensive" Tibaldis have gotten more expensive and harder to find. Last year you could find a Modello 60 in blue/ivory celluloid NIB on these boards of eBay for around 180 USD. Last ones I saw were fetching 360 and frankly have become few and far between. Imperos have basically doubled and Irides have also risen in price. It is virtually impossible to find an Impero on the market with the rhodium plated nib and replacement nibs are not easy to find. This pen did also come with the gold plated nib from the company, at least in later production, but IMHO the mixing of the yellow gold nib with the silver clip and trim bands just was a little off.

Let me also second all the commments that the two pens that you named are indeed very different from one another. The Impero is like an Omas 557f sized pen whereas the Iride is more like the Pelikan M800 in size and weight with an obviously different filling system.

Since you are looking for hard to find Tibaldis you might as well consider another "rare as hen's teeth pen" the Trasparente. About the same size as the Impero but with a piston filled system and a vastly different celluloid.

Be forewarned, you develop a particular addiction to this brand and your purse will be in trouble. I recently added the Havanna brown Modello 60 and have the Bononia on the way. I am still reeling at the price I paid but am also very grateful to the sellers for letting me have the opportunity to own them. just don't tell the wife what they cost.......




No image of the Bononia yet, still en route.

Reading all your comments makes me so pleased that I have found my way to this forum. Most of my friends think I'm crazy (they're probably right), but at least I'm in good company.

I like the advise to buy both, only problem is I can't afford to.

I have bought the impero and now I'm really looking forward to delivery. I also have a modello 50 on the way. I really like the look of the celluloid on these pens.

As for the Omas, I have a 360 magnum, an Orange (Persimmon) Tokyo, an Ogiva Guillauche (sorry about spelling) with the silver cap (currently being caressed by Mr Mottishaw), a Milord Arte Italiana, and another that I don't know much about that has Omas engraved vertically on the cap, and a nib that is engraved Ero 1. I've been looking for the celluloids but just haven't seen any around, or that I could afford - so that adventure is somewhere down the track.

How did I let myself get into this!

Keep writing!

OK, if you're going to buy just one, make it the Iride. Of all the currently available, new-old stock from the 1990s, it's the one with the fewest 'issues'. The nib matches the cap rings (which some/many Imperos don't), the piston is reliable (which the Modello 60's isn't) and it doesn't cost an arm & a leg (which the Trasparente can and the Bononia always does). Add to this my subjective view that the Iride celluloid is the most attractive (and I have 3 of the 5 Tibaldi celluloids, am buying the 4th and have handled but dislike the 5th, the dull Bononia, so I'm not judging from pictures) and you can't go far wrong.

OK, if you're going to buy just one, make it the Iride. Of all the currently available, new-old stock from the 1990s, it's the one with the fewest 'issues'. The nib matches the cap rings (which some/many Imperos don't), the piston is reliable (which the Modello 60's isn't) and it doesn't cost an arm & a leg (which the Trasparente can and the Bononia always does). Add to this my subjective view that the Iride celluloid is the most attractive (and I have 3 of the 5 Tibaldi celluloids, am buying the 4th and have handled but dislike the 5th, the dull Bononia, so I'm not judging from pictures) and you can't go far wrong.
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Thankyou again, but the impero is a done deal, so hopefully it will be all I want it to be. I did like the look of the iride too, but decisions have to be made!

In the meantime, my modello 50 has arrived and it's just beautiful.