omas ogiva vision,

[davyr]

this may be the quickest second look/follow up review on a pen in the history of fpn. i noticed the noble savage's excellent (do you expect anything less?) review of this pen just as i was about to start my own of the very same. drat, he beat me to it, i initially thought...on the other hand, it would be for the betterment of the FountainPenNuthouse crew if there were multiple opinions on the same pen, so enjoy...

 

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to tell the truth, i was looking for a pen to match the watch i received from my wife for our 10th anniversary. call me loco, but i try to have my pen match my watch. the requirements: gold trim, classic dress looks and transparency. my short list included the stipula/swisher demo vermeil trim, the aurora 88 demonstrator, the omas 360 vision, the nakaya skeleton, and the sailor 1911 demonstrator. i wanted a piston-fill mechanism, so the last two were out (but the nakaya looked to have the nicest clear resin). the stipula/swisher, aurora and omas 360 were piston-fillers, but the stipula had a two-tone nib (i wanted monochromatic), and the aurora was too much - close to 500 bucks; the watch had already broken the bank. the omas 360 vision had a lovely bronze tint, a monotone gold nib and piston-fill, but i preferred the wild celluloid model (black with white veins and no longer produced) over the 360 vision.

 

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as soon as i read the description of the ogiva vision on john mottishaw's site, "the clear resin of the barrel and cap has been delicately carved in a guilloche pattern," i knew i found the winner. my watch's small dial is engine-turned manually on a rose machine - a technique called guilloché. so i chose the ogiva vision. it's also out of production. it's currently on special at mottishaw's site - $175. tns got an even better deal from john on the same pen at a recent show - i think for 145 - argghh! just goes to show you that someone somewhere will always beat you at getting the lowest price. i highly recommend john (and pat is great to deal with) when it's time to get your omas, as omas unfortunately seems to have had a qc problem with their nibs and leaking. john checks each one before they're shipped to ensure that there's no problem.

 

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as tns points out, there's the slightest yellowish tinge to the resin, which is fine by me given the golden trim. the greek-key motif is present on the cap and on the section near the nib and is well-executed. the guilloché pattern on the cap and body (there are sixteen stripes) allow for a nice tactile sensation. that sensation is somewhat diminished, however, by the cheap feel of the resin and tiny nubbins of plastic at the treads, presumably excess from injection molding. eh, what can you expect at this price point, though, you know? the clip's roller is made of black plastic - likely a compromise solution as metal would have scratched up the clear resin cap.

 

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the medium 18k nib has been mottishawed for a flow factor of 6/10, and to provide a glassy smooth feel for this lefty sidewriter (sending them a photo of your writing position helps). they have delivered the goods, and this nib rocks. i'm two for two when it comes to omas nib nirvana - my arco paragon is also excellent. the feed is ebonite, and the nib proportional to the size of the body, which is large, but not x-large. it's just slightly smaller than the conway-stewart churchill and just slightly larger than the lamy 2000 and bexley owners club pen.

 

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the vision is packaged in a simple black padded box, which contains a leatherette slip cover for the pen. the pen, like it's celluloid brothers, is lightweight. balance is fine whether posted or not. the cap comes off in one and three-quarters of a turn. if you cannot control your obsessive-compulsive disorder (and i'm willing to bet most of us are afflicted), this pen may not be for you. the clear resin puts a spotlight on all ink splats, condensation, fingerprints, scratches and dust. just be prepared for that and suck it up. :ph34r:

 

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test results

 

cap and body (15/20): fit and finish ok, somewhat cheap look and feel of the resin

section (7/10): cylindrical but no flaring, some may not enjoy the trim near the nib

nib performance (19/20): mottishawed to near perfection

writing comfort (18/20): comfortable, not too large, not too small, not too heavy, not too light

design (8/10): "guilloche" refracts light nicely, classic old school omas details

value (8/10): $175 special represents a very good value. but tns got it even cheaper at a show!!!

filling system (9/10): classic omas piston-fill goodness

total: 84/100 (100 would be the perfect pen, which as you & i know, doesn't exist, unless of course you think otherwise, but then pray tell)

 

 

like tns, i think some of omas' novelties (and most of their special editions) are a stylistic step backwards. some designs are over the top. the new paragon smacks of montblanc styling - let omas be omas. and let montblanc be montblanc - are you listening sailor, pilot, and nuovo tibaldi? and don't get me started on tibaldi's new stuff. as it is, with many of the paragon and 360 celluloid models being discontinued, as well as the ogiva visions, i'd get one sooner rather than later, lest we no longer have a choice of classic omas models.

 

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the omas ogiva vision has met my above requirements, and has even exceeded my expectations. this is a great writer, and a good looker. the only serious contender for me is the aurora 88 demonstrator, but that's more than twice as expensive. the omas combines value, looks, interest, and utility in one sweet package. it's a nice match to my 10th anniversary present.

Edited March 31, 2006 by davyr

[southpaw]

Great review, davyr! Thanks for posting even though TNS had already reviewed it. You hit the nail on the head - multiple perspectives are certainly needed on the same pen. Hopefully this will encourage all of us to step the reviews!

[grasshopper]

Yes, I agree wholeheartedly too. The more reviews, even on the same pen, the better - I think it should give readers a more balanced view of a pen.

 

Excellent stuff, Dave! (You seem to be a natural at co-ordinating your belongings - my wife would be very impressed. )

 

 

G.

[davyr]

You seem to be a natural at co-ordinating your belongings - my wife would be very impressed. 

nah, my wife always has to dress me before i go out...

[DrPJM1]

Excellent review & great pics!

I think I am going to have to get a digital camera.....

[RichardS]

Davy, great informative and balanced review - and outstanding pics!

 

That Breguet ain't so dusty either!

[TheNobleSavage]

Nice review, "Smart minds think alike", dont they????

 

 

 

TNS

[chainwhip]

Thanks for the review DavyR - between you and TNS, that Ogiva is looking killer!

 

Great pics as usual!

[davyr]

thanks for the kind words southpaw, grasshopper, DrPJM1, richardS, tns, and chainwhip. glad everyone enjoyed this second take on a very nice pen.

 

drpjm1 - get a digicam - they're lots of fun, providing instant feedback, and it's so easy to post pics here...

 

richardS - yeah, that ol' breguet is gonna make me wanna dress up more often, just so i can wear it.

[saintsimon]

...

richardS - yeah, that ol' breguet is gonna make me wanna dress up more often, just so i can wear it.

Dave, your Chairwoman of the Watch Denial Committee seems not to be that restrictive, given this superfine Breguet, aka 10th anniversary 'bankbreaker'

[Ann Finley]

Nice review, Dave, I enjoyed reading it...Very nice pics, too.

 

Best, Ann

[davyr]

thanks saintsimon and ann. hope the review was helpful.

 

saintsimon Posted on Mar 29 2006, 05:30 PM

Dave, your Chairwoman of the Watch Denial Committee seems not to be that restrictive, given this superfine Breguet, aka 10th anniversary 'bankbreaker'

she's been known for the occasional lapse in judgement and rare bouts of extreme generosity. now as the chairwoman of the PEN denial committee, she wears a stricter hat.

[cmeisenzahl]

The only thing more beautiful than that Omas is that Breguet, one of my dream watches!!!

[_John_]

Have you had any trouble with ink stains on the inside of the pen? I have one of these due to arrive this week, in high tech trim rather than gold, and I'm a little concerned that the ink will stain the inside of it.

[georges zaslavsky]

Nice pen and nice watch Thanks for the review

Edited February 19, 2007 by georges zaslavsky