OMAS Bologna Celluloid Burkina FP

[omasfan]

This is a review about the OMAS Bologna Celluloid in the Burkina pattern. I bought the pen from Bob at Bittner’s brand new for $450 which I think is a really good price considering the MSRP of $750.

I’ve read that OMAS discontinued the Burkina pattern. If only for the Bologna or for other pens too, that I do not know. Worldlux clearly marked the pattern as discontinued on their webpage. All of you who want to get one should hurry up. The Burkina has not yet shown up on ebay very often. It is mostly the blue celluloid that you can find there. The Burkina was apparently also the most successful of the new celluloid pens.

The Bologna is no steal and you will not find it at a heavily discounted price like the celluloid Tibaldis but I think that it is well worth its money. If one considers that a brand new MB 149 will cost you nearly $600 in a boutique, it is no question that the OMAS is the much more advanced, innovative, and cool pen.

I have lots of Pelikans that I like but none of them can hold a candle to the beauty of good celluloid. The plastic on other pens (aka “precious resin” by one pen manufacturer) is just boring compared to celluloid, the true queen material of fountain pens.

 

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q313/wlueckel/burkina2.jpg

 

The Workmanship:

Truly excellent! I cannot find any weak spots! This is a marvelous pen. One little thing: The cap screws on nicely but it turns loose all too easily if you don’t give it a little force when screwing it on. The piston has the typical OMAS not-so-smoothness (I don’t want to say: rigidity) when turning it, but it performs flawless.

 

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q313/wlueckel/burkina1.jpg

 

The Materials:

The celluloid on this pen is – I would say – one of the most spectacular that I have ever seen on such pens. Every pen looks different due to the handmade composition: The barrel, the cap, and the blind cap are put together of hundreds of small single particles that form the pen. The black is just a deep black, but the amberish color has depth to it and you can see the structure of the celluloid when you look closely. The finish of the celluloid is meticulous and very glossy. Its pattern reminds me of Africa, I do not really know why. It is an absolutely intricate pattern that gets you sucked in for hours on end.

It seems to me that celluloid pens are always prone to scratching more easily than acrylic resins but this celluloid appears pretty tough to me.

 

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q313/wlueckel/burkina5.jpg

 

The grip section as well as the Greek key ring on the cap and the ring between barrel and blind cap are made of sterling silver. The clip seems to be rhodium plated since its gloss is a tad brighter than the sterling silver. There is a hallmark on the shaft of the grip section close to where the barrel begins.

Since the nib is rhodium plated, there is a difference in color between the nib and the silver section. As far as I know sterling silver contains copper. This imbues the silver with a tinge of red which stands out against the nib. Nothing, that really bothers me about it. It just becomes obvious for somebody who knows a little about metals. The silver is – you guessed it – susceptible to scratches if you don’t handle it carefully.

 

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q313/wlueckel/burkina4.jpg

 

 

Nib Performance:

This nib, a single color rhodium plated medium 18K gold nib is true to the M that it displays: It is a wet and full medium line. I love the way the pen writes. There is some springiness to it, not a true flexible, but springy enough to make writing a true pleasure.

With a little bit of pressure I can produce a wonderful medium-broad line on Clairefontaine paper but I can also write in small cursive in my Moleskin (which – as many as you know – is not at all a good paper for fountain pens). The ink flow never leaves me in the lurch.

The barrel holds a ton of ink: 2.9 milliliter which is more than all other OMAS pens. You can go a long way until it is empty.

 

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q313/wlueckel/burkina3.jpg

 

Overall handling:

This pen has a broad girth that feels very pleasant but might not be so suitable for smaller hands. I have rather large hands so I feel comfortable with it. The silver section has heft but it is at the right place: In your hands and not at the upper end of the barrel!

One shortcoming became evident: Posting the cap is securely possible, but the cap does not at all glide onto the barrel very far. That means that you have to slightly wedge it on there so that it won’t fall off. It will securely stay, albeit this might turn the end of the barrel scratchy over time. Posting the pen also results in a behemoth, similar in size to the posted new Paragon. The old Paragon is much more slender.

The pen undoubtedly has a bling effect, especially when you use it in a well-lit area where the iridescence of the celluloid will unfold to the fullest. This bling, however, happens without the support of any kitschy baubles. This is a no-frill pen that stands out – a successful amalgamation of classic materials and OMAS’s more modern design.

 

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q313/wlueckel/burkina6.jpg

 

OMAS pens have not gotten the attention that they deserve here, I think. They are exotic, they are cool, exquisite and wonderful writers. And they are typically Italian!

 

The measurements that I provide below are taken from John Mottishaw’s webpage (www.nibs.com)

 

OMAS Bologna: celluloid/silver

Weight: 34.4 gramms

Closed length: 5.5 inches

Length (posted): 6.167 inches

Barrel length 4.188 inches

Barrel width 0.57 inches

Section diameter 0.4 inches

 

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q313/wlueckel/burkina7.jpg

Edited January 6, 2007 by dupontfan

[Mike S.]

Very nice review! The Autunno version of this pen is on my list of pens to buy this year.

 

Mike

[handlebar]

Delightful review!!!Thanks.

 

JD

[omasfan]

Very nice review! The Autunno version of this pen is on my list of pens to buy this year.

 

Mike

Mike, I've seen the Autunno version at a pen show. While it is not as spectacular as the Burkina at first blush, it has wonderful depth when you look closer. The Autunno is a more understated beauty. Let us know how you like it once you get it!

[mholve]

What a gorgeous pen - and a great review. Thanks!

 

Love the use of sterling silver and the burkina celluloid looks divine.

[omasfan]

The pen is discontinued in the Burkina pattern. This might mean that there might be some good deals in the near future....

[georges zaslavsky]

excellent pen I am gonna buy the arco version of the arte italiana

[jonro]

Excellent review and great photos. Thanks!

[Mike S.]

I wrote above that I had the Autunno version of this pen on my "buy" list for 2007. I found one today with a medium nib for a good price and couldn't resist (the store also had the Burkina version with a fine nib, but I'm not a fine nib guy so I opted for the Autunno version instead). I bought it at my local new pen dealer, Ink, here in Minneapolis. Contact Barry at 612-455-2600 or via e-mail at Barry's e-mail if you're interested in the fine-nibbed Burkina (or any one of a number of wonderful pens, including many rare limited editions, if that's your thing. If you're looking for something, ask him -- he's probably got it).

 

Here's a photo:

 

http://www.penboutiqueonweb.com/acatalog/oms_bologna_celluloid_Autumn_fp.jpg

 

I only wrote with it for a couple of hours at work today, but so far I love the pen. It's a great size and weight -- the metal grip section does not make the pen overly heavy but the mass makes the pen easier to control. I love the silver trim with the olive green/brown/gold celluloid. I love the warm feel of the celluloid in the hand. Of course, the best part is the buttery-smooth Omas medium nib with an ebonite feed. Wonderful flow. I have a feeling this will quickly become one of my favorites, possibly competing with my New Paragon for the number 1 spot on my list of favorite pens.

[perstylo]

Yeah, I was sold after I read the review and picked up a Burkina with a fine nib from Mottishaw early this year. It's such a wonderful pen, I've been using it regularly since I got it. I was a little worried about the metal section--grip and weight--but I got used to it pretty quickly. I love how much ink this pen holds, and I've been a fan of Omas' nibs for a long time.

[damien]

Hi Wolfgang,

 

A wonderful review, as usual. May I know how does a Bologna compare with your Arco Celluloid? Trying to decide between the two.

 

 

THanks!

 

 

[Shelley]

Nice review and nice pictures!

[CharlieB]

Congratulations on acquiring such a lovely pen at such an excellent price!

 

In my opinion, the Bologna is the most underrated of the recent Omas pens. For some reason, the Paragon gets all the attention, while the Omas gets ignored. The truth is that the Bologna is a beautiful (and similar) design, lacking only the "facets" of the Paragon. One obvious advantage of the round shape is that you don't have to worry about the facets on the cap lining up with the facets on the barrel.

 

I also think that the Burkina is one of the most underrated celluloids used by Omas (the other being the Autumn). I predict that Burkina pens, whether in the Bologna model or the 360 model, will be seriously collected in future years. I'm frankly surprised that Omas abandoned this celluloid.

 

By the way, the newer Bologna (which comes in red and black/gold) has a different section than the older Bologna (which came in Blue Royale, Burkina, and Autumn). I believe the older model has a two-piece section that sometimes leaks ink just below the threads, whereas the older model has a one-piece section. Can anyone confirm this design change? Has anyone experienced the leaking?

[omasfan]

May I know how does a Bologna compare with your Arco Celluloid? Trying to decide between the two.

 

For longer stretches of writing I prefer the old-style Paragon over the old-style Bologna. It is lighter and feels more natural to me as a pen. Keep in mind that I have come to love light pens. The Bologna remains an exremely usable pen, though. It is much bulkier and heavier, not at least due to the arched clip and the silver section. But as CharlieB remarked, the Burkina celluloid is an extremely unusual material that has remained underrated and that - I concur with Charlie - will garner lots of interest among collectors in years to come, I am sure. I have mixed feelings about the new Bologna design as I prefer the old style in terms of looks and overall aesthetics. The new celluloid Bolognas are great pens also.

 

I guess what you should buy also depends on the availability of either of your choices, the old-style Arco Paragon and the old-style Bolgna Burkina. Whatever comes along at a decent price, pick it up and enjoy!

[omasfan]

I believe the older model has a two-piece section that sometimes leaks ink just below the threads, whereas the older model has a one-piece section. Can anyone confirm this design change? Has anyone experienced the leaking?

 

I had said leakage and cured it myself with Giovanni's non-hardening sealant. In fact, I returned my first Bologna as it exhibited the same problems. With the second then (the one described in this review) I took to curing the problem myself instead of sending it away for months to Italy.

 

Also, you're right that the new Bologna only has a shorter one-piece section. I don't know anything about leakage with the new style but I can imagine that the change in design has cured this.

[BMG]

I recently purchased this pen and do have the leaky section. Does anyone know if "Giovanni's non-hardening sealant" is available anywhere, and / or whether pure silicone grease would likewise fix the leak?

I'm also wondering how difficult this would be to do myself. Any explanations / advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

EDIT (in the event someone with the same problem should find themselves here looking for a solution):

Having sniffed around a bit further I found a couple of related threads. Following the advice in this post, I unscrewed the section of the pen, cleaned the section and barrel threads of old sealant, rinsed both the barrel and section, dried, then re-assembled it, sealing the section with silicone grease. I have since refilled the pen and after an hour or so, no leak. I'll report back tomorrow morning. With fingers (sans ink stains) crossed…

Edited February 20, 2015 by BMG