Omas Lives Again? Scribo

[ParkerDuofold]

Hi all,

 

It looks like some of the former Omas employees have re-united to form a new pen company... Scribo.

 

I do not know anything about it, but this:

 

http://youtu.be/gtWZh6vqnlg

 

 

Be well and enjoy life.

 

 

- Anthony

[whichwatch]

I hope their quality is better than the quality of the video.

 

I loved Omas, but I really don't see a thing of interest here, and at almost USD $600 there are an awful lot of great pens I would prefer to try.

[ParkerDuofold]

Hi Whichwatch, et al,

 

I know what you mean... I realize the pen in the video is only a crude prototype and the finished product is supposed to be nicer looking, but as it stands now, it's no where near a $600 pen IMHO,... of course, I haven't written with one, so you never can tell.

 

I cannot find a website for them, either; all I've been able to learn is scribo is Latin for "write"... which I knew already from my school days... but I could not find anything about the Scribo Pen Company.

 

Well, duty calls... I just thought you guys would like to know.

 

Be well.

 

 

- Anthony

[fabri00]

Scribo mean in Latino "I write", but the video posted explain it should mean Scrivere (to write) + Bologna.

I live at 50 km from Bologna, but I have not yet heard about this pen.

[Barkingpig]

I received the newsletter from Write Here Pen Shop, Shrewsbury (United Kingdom) maybe yesterday, where Mr. John Hall, owner of the shop announced this pen & included the video showing the prototype. He explained that two former employees of Omas are heading a group called, Scrittura Bolognese, or "Scribo" & are making 50 of these pens for his shop, Write Here. I interpreted the news that they were an "exclusive" to this UK shop but of course that may be merely my interpretation.

 

I am happy to hear of the possible continuation of any former employees of Omas & their manufacture of pens. This particular image in the video was not inspiring to me but hopefully if is well received, there will be more pens to follow. Mr. Hall did say the pen will be shown @ the London Pen Show, "if there are any left!"

[freakman]

If the nibs were well tuned, then it would match the price tag. Otherwise....

[catbert]

Here's their website: http://www.scritturabolognese.com Seems to be just a holding page for now.

 

A bit more about them here: http://www.incredibol.net/en/fifth-edition-winners/scribo-handwriting-in-bologna/

[freakman]

This one looks way better.

Edited September 8, 2017 by freakman

[Mulrich]

The nib is obvious really important, but I really appreciated the materials Omas used for their pens. If the new company focuses on basic acrylics I won't be persuaded to spend premium money for one of their pens. I imagine a small shop will have a hard time producing or sourcing celluloid, cotton resin, or other unique materials. Even still, I'm glad someone from Omas is trying to stay in the pen business and I wish them luck.

[FriendAmos]

If the nibs were well tuned, then it would match the price tag. Otherwise....

 

I'd expect a bit more than just the nib at that price. For just a nib, Classic Pens still has lots of all sort of OMAS nibs.

[freakman]

I'd expect a bit more than just the nib at that price. For just a nib, Classic Pens still has lots of all sort of OMAS nibs.

 

Stock OMAS nibs are not so well tuned unless they're selected from the in house production period.

[FriendAmos]

Stock OMAS nibs are not so well tuned unless they're selected from the in house production period.

 

If you say so. Still, I've had owned about 10 OMAs pens, with only 3 from the "in-house" period, and I never had any problems with any of them. Regardless, I would not pay those prices just to have a nib "tuned".

Edited September 9, 2017 by FriendAmos

[dapprman]

I saw the prototype today at the London Writing Equipment Show and changed my mind about it. The video left me semi-interested and uncertain, but in the flesh the acrylic shines and has depth. Trying the pen, it was buttery smooth. I tried one of the production pens with a fine 14k extra-flexibile nib and ... bought it. I've flushed it, let it dry, and filled it. Don't regret the purchase one bit (well my bank account might). I'm rather lazy at it but I'll try and get a review and photos of some kind done.

[freakman]

I saw the prototype today at the London Writing Equipment Show and changed my mind about it. The video left me semi-interested and uncertain, but in the flesh the acrylic shines and has depth. Trying the pen, it was buttery smooth. I tried one of the production pens with a fine 14k extra-flexibile nib and ... bought it. I've flushed it, let it dry, and filled it. Don't regret the purchase one bit (well my bank account might). I'm rather lazy at it but I'll try and get a review and photos of some kind done.

Do they have other models on display?

[dapprman]

It's the only model they do at present. I think they're testing the waters to see if it's a viable business, I certainly hope so even if they stay small scale.

[dapprman]

Here's some pictures I too for another forum:

Not my best pictures ever and I forgot to do a smear test. It does write like an OMAS, unsurprisingly, though I'm not sure just how flexible the nib is, the booklet with it warns against heavy flexing, and I enjoy it for the extra spring it gives with normal writing.
http://i.imgur.com/4aI6OcI.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/6jd589X.jpg
Funny enough, under normal light/eye sight I never noticed those micro scratches before

http://i.imgur.com/YmwdkUw.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/RgbNGkk.jpg

[catbert]

An updated video has appeared:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9XxLRoGnik

[John Hall]

I must declare and interest: I'm the owner of Write Here! - a modest pen shop on Shrewsbury High Street in the UK. It's my pen.

 

The story is that I was, for the last few years, OMAS distributor in the UK. I liked the pens and I liked the people, and kept in touch after OMAS closed. The pens had been a revelation to me - the OMAS staff kept to Armando Simoni's dictum that "a pen must make writing pleasurable" and the nibs on all of their output, right up to the end, were outstanding. When we lost them, we lost a unique writing experience.

 

So, when Luca Baglione asked if I'd be interested in a pen with a nib to the same specification as OMAS, I said yes. I was further reassured that the design and production team were led by former OMAS staff. It's pretty heroic to try to get a premium pen brand of the ground and I think SCRIBO - Scrittura Bolognese - should be supported.

 

And this is it. Obviously not an OMAS, but inspired and informed thereby. Not any of the wonderful materials OMAS used to use, but the looks appeal to some and, more than anything else, it's a pen to be written with. If it works for us, there will be others.

 

The video is refreshed and Scribble Monboddo has reviewed it. Judge for yourselves!

[georges zaslavsky]

Interesting stuff but I will stick with ASC

[OMASsimo]

I must declare and interest: I'm the owner of Write Here! - a modest pen shop on Shrewsbury High Street in the UK. It's my pen.

 

The story is that I was, for the last few years, OMAS distributor in the UK. I liked the pens and I liked the people, and kept in touch after OMAS closed. The pens had been a revelation to me - the OMAS staff kept to Armando Simoni's dictum that "a pen must make writing pleasurable" and the nibs on all of their output, right up to the end, were outstanding. When we lost them, we lost a unique writing experience.

 

So, when Luca Baglione asked if I'd be interested in a pen with a nib to the same specification as OMAS, I said yes. I was further reassured that the design and production team were led by former OMAS staff. It's pretty heroic to try to get a premium pen brand of the ground and I think SCRIBO - Scrittura Bolognese - should be supported.

 

And this is it. Obviously not an OMAS, but inspired and informed thereby. Not any of the wonderful materials OMAS used to use, but the looks appeal to some and, more than anything else, it's a pen to be written with. If it works for us, there will be others.

 

The video is refreshed and Scribble Monboddo has reviewed it. Judge for yourselves!

 

I've been in love with OMAS pens for many years now and I was very depressed when I learned that this outstanding manufacturer was gone. Despite all the bashing of Italian makers for their allegedly poor quality control, I don't have a single OMAS pen in my substantial collection which isn't an incredibly good writer. I think the craftsmen who made these incredibly beautiful pens are true artisans and they seem an endangered species. I hope very much that this initiative will keep them in business and will continue to provide us with such fantastic pens.

 

Good luck for all of you!