On The Omas Paragon, Again

[fpupulin]

I know, with this topic and with the preferences I am expressing here, that I am in a minority. I hope, however, that talking about OMAS, now that this fabulous brand of pens is really gone, does not bother anyone by reopening old wounds. And I hope that speaking in favor of the last production of the Bolognese house is taken for what it is, only my opinion, in favor of some pens and against nothing and nobody, and that therefore does not trigger the heated diatribes that always accompany the theme OMAS.

Over the years, I have restricted the number of pen models that I prefer and that I use more frequently. If I take a quick look at my group of pens, I would say that it is evident that I prefer big ones. To make me clear: I have some Montblanc Meisterstück 149 (with various nibs) and only one 146, which I also consider a fabulous pen. Of the limited editions of the German house I only have two models whose design in both cases is based on a large pen, the Meisterstück 139. I had purchased (and I still treasure it) only one Bohéme, the Big model (which, in use, is bigger than a Meisterstück 149).

In my collection of pens I can also note that I have a strong fondness for "heavy" pens. The only "small" pen that I purchased for myself is a Kaweco Sport Brass, which compensates for the reduced length with a truly remarkable weight for its size. Who has had the opportunity to try the Extra and Miya models from Montegrappa (among my absolute favorites), will certainly have realized that they are heavy pens, even when they are not posted.

I have been (and continue to be) a big fan of OMAS. For a long time I found the Cavalier Simoni's pens beautiful but a little too expensive for my budget. Today, seeing how things turned out, it seems to me that the prices of OMAS from alive were actually more than acceptable and I I regret not having bought a few extra pens when you could simply choose them in the shop or order them without problems. Today the whole OMAS production has become almost crazy in terms of costs and the choice is often very reduced. In any set of finite things, the availability curve with time tends to zero.

 

A fountain pen, this was apparently Armando Simoni's opinion, should be light. OMAS was certainly faithful to this idea, and also their "larger" models for many years, the Extra (then 557-F then Paragon) and the 557-S (then Ogiva), both in the celluloid and cotton resin series, are actually very light pens. I have a Paragon in resin and two Gentlemen in celluloid (black and pearl gray) and both are among the lightest pens in my group. My only Milord (pearl gray, slightly smaller) is also very light. My favorite pen, for years, has been a Paragon in celluloid Arco brown with an amazing broad nib, light as a feather. Then I began to realize that I did not entirely agree with Cavalier Simoni: my hand wrote with more pleasure with a pen of a certain weight...

When OMAS passed into the hands of a luxury multinational, in 2005, I was grappling with other matters and I didn't pay any attention to the "change of lines" wanted by the new owners. When, years later, I noticed the new Milords and the "Grand" Paragons, the opinions of the stylophiles at their respect were almost uniform and far from flattering: a total refusal! I continued to pay no attention to the contemporary production of OMAS.

In 2011 or 2012, during my periodic pilgrimage to the revered pen shop of Brunori in Milan, I saw for the first time live a "Grand" Paragon in Arco celluloid and silver trims. It seemed to me one of the most beautiful pens I had ever seen. Brunori always let me touch the pens I liked, and I picked up the new Paragon. What delightful, solid weight! The price of the pen seemed outrageous to me, yet I would perhaps have taken the step anyway if it hadn't been for Brunori not to have the model with the golden finish at home, while I would have liked to see them next to each other to decide ... Soon, OMAS discontinued the model with silver finishes.

The pen with the golden finishes, live, I never had the opportunity to see it until I bought one on the web: in the shops, there was no way to see one of these big OMAS... This was at the end of 2014, just before the "collapse" of OMAS. I received a spectacular pen with a large nib that did not write well and I just had time to change it for an extra-fine one, which is among the best nibs I have ever tried.

And the pen ... Ah, what a pen! What a pen! Large, solid, heavy, balanced. Without the cap, having it in your hands is like handling a small Doric column. That of the Doric column has been said for a lot of pens, but the shape of the "Grand" Paragon is in my opinion the one that most visually approaches the beautiful Greek invention. The metal section (it's big! ... yes I know, I know, not everyone likes metal sections ... but try it to be sure!) moves the balance of the pen on the nib, with the result that the writing it's zero-effort. The nib (the replacement) is perfect.

The "Grand" Paragon had to fight, in my heart, against my Paragon Arco, my Number One. For a long time he had not won it. However, from the beginning, in a direct comparison between the two Arco celluloid pens, I could only have very flattering words for the newcomer. The text of that comparison can be downloaded here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/w4iwrsbyjefvwqg/Paragon%20vs%20Paragon.pdf.zip?dl=0

Over time, however, the qualities of the new Paragon became more and more evident to me, also thanks to the fact that all my friends and acquaintances (not pennophiles) who saw the two Paragons next to each other have, without exception, preferred the more modern lines and the dimensions of the "Grand" than those of its ancestor.

Today, the new Paragon is among my favorite pen models (one of my three favorites), and I realize that my indifference for years has made me "lose" some editions that seen in photography I find amazing (like Ludovico Einaudi, Wild , Aubergine...), but also the "normal' representatives of the resin series, both in golden finishes such as silver (or rhodium-plated). Unfortunately, finding them today is difficult if not impossible and the prices are mostly really exaggerated. And yet, the "Grand Paragon" series is for me one of the last frontiers of my collection.

In the meantime, almost ten years after admiring it for the first time, I present you my new Grand Paragon in Arco celluloid and silver finishes, shown here in various poses together with her golden sister. Live, it is breathtaking. Finally, as I would have liked to do at Brunori's shop long time ago, I can see the two Paragons next to each other and compare them, but I assure you that I am happy not to be forced to choose...

[jmccarty3]

Franco, thank you for the detailed history and photograph. I agree with you that the new style Arco Grand Paragon is a beautiful pen. I purchased mine at the Washington DC pen show a few years ago from Sarj Minhas, and had the nib tuned by Mike Masuyama. It is an absolute delight.

[fpupulin]

I do not know what happened with this semi-double post. If the moderator would consider it feasible, I think that this one could be closed.