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  1. Hi, I'm re-discovering my love for FP's after more than 30 years. I have purchased some really nice pre-owned Sheaffer FP's from eBay and two of them need to be re-furbished. I would need an ink-sac for one pen and O-rings for the piston filler. I'm sure this question has been asked before. Would someone be kind enough to direct me to the relevant string. Thank you,
  2. Hi guys, I recently purchased unused Omas Extra 630 via Ebay. I originally did not examine the photos extra carefully, but now that the pen is on my way via mail and couldn't wait to see the pen physically, I went back and checked the photos. I realized that the logo "Omas" is not placed at the center of the nib, and the spacing between the letters seem to be too far away. My common sense tells me that who would make a replica of this beginner's pen, but was wondering if I could get your opinions... I think the seller purchased this pen somewhere and I don't think he is intending to sell fake stuff...just wanted to say this because the way he communicated was very professional. These photos were from the original post on ebay: Thank you!
  3. billy1380

    Gold Italic

    I recently bought this Omas ogiva - beautiful pen. It seems that the nib was customised to write as and italic from the original nib marking (medium). The customisation looks like it was made by grinding or clipping the top of the nib off including the tipping which means that when I use this to write I will be writing directly with the gold part onto the surface of the paper. Given how soft these nibs are, I am not quite comfortable with that. So before I go spending 100s of Euros/Pounds on getting this one retipped and reground to an italic or cursive italic does anyone have any thoughts? EDIT: Another option might be to just get a replacement nib, so if anyone has any suggestions along those lines please let me know.
  4. Hello, I recently got this pens and I have had a hard time finding a lot of information about them and I was hoping someone can help me out. here is what I know 1. Omas - The barrel imprint says Omas Extra PREV 445946-454162. This is a Crok piston Filler, with a very flex nib and made of the red scarlet celluloid, So far i can put this on the 1930's but again it is just a guess. 2. Ancora, looks to be an Ancora lusso , but I could not find pictures of one with a black cap and end such as this one. it does have an striated body but is black with tinted yellow transparency. semi flex nib. Forgot to mention . they are uninked and never used! I'm having hard time not to ink them. http://i.imgur.com/UVaOkuX.jpg http://i.imgur.com/cjjFw0H.jpg http://i.imgur.com/xSOVcpr.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/z3rchxt.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/oUaTEzS.jpg
  5. Spotted this on the italianpens instagram feed (no affiliation). The new "Omas". Limited to 100 or less pens apparently, MSRP quite reasonable compared to recent eBay prices. I think this is a great start. Apparently the nib is the larger number 8 style.
  6. Hi, I have a vintage Omas extra in grey celluloid a beauty in my opinion. It uses a cork with the piston mechanism, but the cork is no good anymore is falling apart and is leaking. Can anyone help me with some guides to a) how to disassemble the piston mechanism and how to replace the cork? Much much appreciated https://imgur.com/a/qv09R https://i.imgur.com/ET7vm0U.jpg https://i.imgur.com/aukO6BS.jpg
  7. Does anyone remember what types of celluloid Omas made the new style bologna in (the one with the bottom metal section circa 2007 - 2008). As far as I can tell it was the black / gold celluloid with gold plated metal sections, scarlet with silver, burkina with silver, saffron with silver and Blue Royale with silver. Any others? Thank you
  8. payamedia

    Hello From Los Angeles

    Hi everyone, I've been writing with fountain pens since I was a kid. In first grade we made our own calligraphy pens out of reed and seems like I've had my hands dirty with ink ever since. Even though I hadn't been writing with my fountain pens for about 5 years, I recently got back into them after my brother started to buy a few of his own. As I was searching for new pens I found a band new Omas Ogiva Autumn on Craig's List, and once I started writing with it I was bit! The experience was like no other. Unfortunately the nib got damaged only a couple of weeks after I bought the pen due to someone using it incorrectly (flexing it too much). I mistakenly took it to a shop on the outskirts of LA and they botched the nib, it's not set correctly and the pen is just sitting there, with a dented nib. It kills me! So I got an Omas MoMa from Italy to replace the Ogiva while I find someone knowledgeable to repair it. The MoMa came with a super scratchy nib in F. Instead of trying to tune it, I just swapped it out with another nib which writes much smoother. But now I'm trying to get more ink flow as it's writing pretty dry, specially for an Omas, and the line is more like an EF. Anyway, I realize this is a long winded introduction, but this is how I got back into fountain pens and I'm very glad that now I can share ideas, issues, new finds, etc. and get some feedback as well. Cheers!
  9. After lamenting the loss of Omas this holidsy season whilst wishing I could purchase an Arte Italiana as a Christmas present, I was wondering if there was any interest from the fountain pen community in purchasing the rights to Omas (collectively, via crowdfunding), and its likeness in the hopes of someday being able to revive the brand. I realize that this is a bit of a long shot, but I was wondering if there was any interest within the community of at least being able to preserve what's left of Omas so that we could start anew.
  10. Hey everyone, I have really enjoyed perusing the forums on here for the past year or so. I finally have a -hopefully- interesting question or topic. Bought this pen off of ebay & cannot find any information about it. The seller described it as "...a LE set made for Fahrney's Pen shop. Listed here is the Proto-type set in beautiful swirl acrylic. Fountain pen has a wonderful 18k medium nib with ebonite feed. Each pen will come in an OMAS pen sleeve and you will receive an OMAS 90th anniversary journal." It seems at least real- everything else is a mystery to me . I'm just hoping its a piston filler & that it writes well- first Omas I've bought! Thank you guys for the awesome community & thanks in advance for any help! Merry Christmas!
  11. There are some of my pens for sale this week listed at my website that some of you might be interested in. A Montblanc 147 with a "B" nib. $375.00 http://www.fototime.com/4C5CBF4CD74117B/medium800.jpg A Waterman 100 Year Lady's pen set in fantastic shape with the original presentation box and guarantee. $487.00 http://www.fototime.com/34A52EA1BD18493/medium800.jpg An Omas D-Day Commemorative from 1994 with an 18K F nib. $450.00 http://www.fototime.com/0D6D2EFE30278BF/medium800.jpg Two small Waterman 52½v Ring Top pens. $130.00 each http://www.fototime.com/939E9B09656A58E/medium800.jpg A Montegrappa 302 with Sterling silver body and furniture and enameled cap. $225.00 http://www.fototime.com/FD9724D187539D8/medium800.jpg A Sterling silver Aurora 88 in the standard size (not the large size) with a factory stub nib. $850.00 http://www.fototime.com/7990E526E106679/standard.jpg
  12. Alex-Diamine

    Omas Turquoise

    Hello! I'm so sad! I purchased a sample of Oma's Turquoise and wasn't really thinking straight and used the whole thing thinking I could just go back and buy the bottle...all the while telling friends how mad I was that I didn't purchase the last Ogiva Alba like wanted too, waiting for a Teal similar to the one that came out a few years ago to re-release. IDK. Anyway, now I've searched EVERYWHERE and I cannot find a single bottle of Oma's Turquoise anywhere! I know there are similar colors, but a larger part of me wants the Oma's bottle just to have that little bit of history! Anyway, if anyone has any sources on where I could buy a bottle or if you have a bottle and don't want it anymore I'd be happy to pay for it!
  13. visvamitra

    Omas 360 Burkina Celuloid

    Founded in 1925 in Bologna OMAS was an Italian manufacturer of luxury goods. Their fountain pens weren’t cheap but they had strong following in the community. Sadly it wasn’t enough. In january 2015 company was put in liquidation. OMAS stands for Officina Meccanica Armando Simoni. The company was founded by Armando Simoni, who also designed the tools and equipment needed to manufacture the OMAS line of pens. Throughout the years OMAS manufactured a variety of pens, the top line being the faceted Arte Italiana range, as well as a variety of limited edition pens. In their history, they introduced a number of interesting designs such as the “Doctor’s pen” which had a tiny built-in clinical thermometer or the double-nibbed Itala in the 1920s and the 361 model in the late 1940s whose nib could be used as a hard writer if handled in one position and as a flexible writer in another. In 2000, the French company LVMH acquired OMAS from the heirs of Armando Simoni. In October 2007 the Xinyu Hengdeli Group of Hong Kong purchased 90% equity stake in OMAS. Xinyu had a strategic partnership with LVMH and planned to use OMAS for its expansion of luxury goods in the Asian market. The company continued to be unprofitable and in 2011 it was sold to another Chinese company, O-Luxe. O-Luxe decided to close Omas in November 2015 and the company entered voluntary liquidation in January 2016 ceasing all trading. My experience with Omas is limited. Two years ago I went bonkers and bought orange Omas Ogiva Alba – the most expensive pen in my collection. While the pen disappointed me a little – I expected it would emanate high quality but it doesn’t – the smoothness of its medium nib still amazes me. It glides across the paper. Pure poetry. And the reason I still have the pen. During last two years I bought two other Omas pens – vintage Extra and Emotica. While none of them is perfectly engineered, they all write like a dream. I always wanted to try one of Omas celluloid pens but as they were in the upper price range I hesitated. Celuloid looks stunning, but it’s not most durable material. And even though I try to take care for my pens and not abuse them too much, I tend to forget I have them with me. Accidents happen. One example is my first Eversharp Skyline – I’ve broken it on the first day. I simply forgot I had it in my backpack, and while coming back from work I leaned against the doors in a train and heard CRACK. It’s as simple as that. Therefore reason dictates that I choose either durable or cheap pens.Unhappily I enjoy iralian style too much to resist the urge. When vodnikvolsovecek proposed to borrow me some of his more interesting (and expensive pens) and I discovered that Omas 360 in burkina celuloid would be one of them I was impatient to try it.First because I find Burkina celuloid striking, second because I was always interested in trying Omas 360. Launched in 1996 Omas 360 was the company’s last major design innovation – it’s a fountain pen with a triangular body to maximize grip and writing comfort. Some people may find the shape odd – actually I was one of them. While looking at the pictures I couldn’t help but to ask myself how one is supposed to hold this pen to make writing comfortable. Is it possible at all to find a comfortable grip on such a bizarre section? It turns out the answer is YES. Actually it’s one of most comfortable sections I’ve ever tried. And the pen fits in my hand very well. Omas 360 is huge but very light. It feels well balanced when capped and when uncapped. The cap on this pen is snap-on. While I prefer screw caps, this one holds enough tension to post the pen securly. Also, given the shape of the pen, I don’t think Omas had a lot of choice. If you tend to post the cap, maybe you would do well to abandon this strange habit while using Omas 360. Posting is possible and balance will be there. On the other hand the pen will become huge, also I’m afraid that with time too much pressure could cause some unpleasant surprise like cracking celuloid. Maybe I’m just overly dramatical but why take a risk? Triangular section is metal. I enjoy most metal sections and I believe that even those who find them too slippery would enjoy Omas 3600 section. Due to it’s shape it remains comfortable in the hand, even when the hand tends to sweat a little. The pen sits well in the hand but if you hold it in a way that causes the triangular section to dig into you fingers, this shape won’t work for you. Burkina celuloid looks sensational. Olive and gold tones swirl together and are separated by solid and dotted streaks of black. In person and on a sunny day the effect is AMAZING. Construction Omas 360 is a solid, well made pen. As it’s made of celuloid, it’s rather light. Sure metal elemets add some weight to it. I can imagine that engineering triangular pen was undoubtedly challenging. I think Omas managed to do it in a satisfying way. On the other hand this pen, like most Omas pens, won’t give you highest quality feel you get from playing with Montblanc or Conid. When the cap is posted it feels a little loose and can be moved to some extent in all directions. Also the fit of the elements isn’t really perfect. Sure, everything works fine but if you’ve ever used Lamy 2000 or Pilot CH 92 in which the fit of the elements is simply perfect, Omas 360 may feel awkward in the hand. It just doesn’t feel so well built. There’s also the clip – it’s functional and eye catching. As it curves upwards it’s easy to slip the pen into any pocket. Nib Writing sample (L’Artisan Pastellier Olivastre on Fantastic Paper) The guy who invented a process of creating and tuning nibs for Omas was genius. This nib is simply stellar. In terms of pen-to-paper performacce it offers everything I look for – great looks paired with smoothness and wetness. I believe thar rich flow is possible because Omas used ebonite feeds instead of typical injection mold plastic feeds. Ebonite feeds aren’t mass produced like the plastic feeds because ebonite requires different technique to machine them into feeds. The nib and feed combo gives juicy feel that I enjoy and look for in fountain pens. Filling System Piston-filler. The piston operates smoothly and it holds enough ink for a typical day in the office. Or maybe even two. Dimensions Capped – 150 mm Weight – 32 g Summary I don’t want to give back this pen. It’s stunning. The nib is perfect. Metal section sits well in the hand and is very comfortable. Burkina celuloid looks amazing. Now I wish I had a chance to try one of Omas 360 when they were still produced and easily (but expensively) available. Sure – the pen can still be bought but the price range (500 – 1000 $) is crazy high. While this pen is marvelous it’s definitely not worth this amount of money. For this price you’ll easily get few very good pens. I know this, I’ve analyzed everything. Sadly it changes nothing. I already know that I’ll keep on looking for good deals on this one. That’s how infatuation works. You just can’t help it.
  14. ralfstc

    Why 327?

    Hi folks, Sorry if this question has been raised before-- I can't find the answer. Why did Omas make their Alba limited editions in runs of 327? My guess-- they were founded in March 1927??? Thanks! Ralf
  15. Hello everyone, just recently I somehow discovered the fact that I own a few nice pens. I am not an expert of any kind when it comes to pens, but I have a general love of handwriting and of beautifully crafted things, amongst those also fountain pens, especially piston fillers. In the age of computers not much work is left to accomplish by handwriting. Some cards, some signatures... Nevertheless I rediscovered some of my old pens and gave them a good simple cleaning (no disassembling). The little black OMAS belongs to the ones I used to write with a lot, simply because writing with this pen is a really pleasant experience, as it is soft and rich in writing and moreover a real lightweight. (A nice counterpart to the much heavier Waterman MAN 100 Opera with broad nib that I mainly use for signatures, cards or short letters ) The OMAS. I think I bought it new sometime in the 80s or early 90s. The way I remember it I was told that it is made of celluloid. But now I think I might be mistaken there. Or maybe not. I think I just gather what can be said about the pen, maybe this will ring a bell with somebody: - I think it is clear that the pen belongs to the "Arte Italiana" series. - It is a piston filler of black colour with gold trimming and 12 facetted barrel and cap. - It has only one Greek decor band, the cap band, no second one on the barrel like the "Paragon". - "OMAS Extra" is engraved on the barrel. - The length is 120 mm capped, 110 mm uncapped. - The nib is made of 18 Kt. gold, without twotone inlay. It displays the arrow design. One tine has engraved the letter "M" for the nib grade, the other tine bears an oval stamp. Inside the oval stamp is something that looks like a fir tree (or maybe arrows) accompanied by two letters. Left of the "tree" is a "T" engraved (or sth. looking similar). The right side of the "tree" has engraved "F". Does someone recognize the pen by the totality of this description? I very much hope so! I have done quite some search on OMAS, but it seems difficult. I do not even know if Milford e.g. is the name for a model or for a size... It seems it is never mentioned as anyone knows it anyway... Looking at the catalogues posted here (great, thanks!) I can add the following to the above description: The pen does look very similar to the "Gentlemen" pen in the 80s catalogue (see here) - only one Greek decor band, no twotone nib. But on the other hand mine has engraved "OMAS Extra" instead of "Gentlemen". And moreover the "Gentlemen" pen does not appear to be smaller than the "Paragon", while mine is certainly not a big pen. Second possibility: The pen looks also exactly like the 8201 - 556/F (medium) and the 8211 - 555/F (small) pens in the 1991 catalogue (if you care to open the pdf-file in this thread). But as far as I can see, nothing is said about the actual sizes. So I would guess mine might be the medium pen or even more probably the small one? (If my understanding is correct, the old pre 1950 "OMAS Extra" also came in three sizes, the smallest one being "Dama". Has there been a change of models and/or sizes between the two catalogues of the 80es and of 1991? Apart from identifiying the model I wish I knew what the engraving "OMAS Extra" does signify. Is it a separate model or does it stand for something else? Maybe someone knows? I would also be happy to find out if the pen is made from "resin" or celluloid. Right now I have no photographs of the pen, but believe me, it is looking exactly like the mentioned models in the catalogues. I still might add photos later, although the pen is not looking as impressive as many of the coloured resin and celluloid varieties. Nonetheless it is an elegant non-spectacular beauty with impressive writing characteristics. Thank you for your help! Amelie
  16. Barracuda

    Hello From Chicago!

    I am so happy to find this amazing resource and learning how many are admirers of fountain pens. I still have the first Sheaffer my dad gave me a long time ago. I recently got re-addicted to FPs and went on a shopping spree Good to meet you all and I look forward to good conversations, knowledge transfer and camaraderie. Cheers! ~Cuda
  17. Jadie

    Omas Broken Pen Clip

    So recently the round circular clip holder of my OMAS pen clip fell off. I'm not confident enough in my own skills to repair it at home, but I hesitate at sending it all the way back to Italy for repairs (I don't know Italian, and I've heard the repair times can be long.) Would this be a good candidate for a local US pen repair company to fix? To clarify, I'm never planning to resell this pen (I love the lucens model), so I'm not too concerned with resale value/manufacturer warranty issues if I seek outside help. I just want my pen to be fixed again, since I'm concerned the metal of the current clip might scratch the surface of the pen. Included is a picture of the clip holder that fell off, which is a fraction of the size of my (already small) fingernail. Apologies for mis-naming terms, it's been a while since I've dipped into FPs. Thanks in advance!
  18. Hello everyone! I have been on the fence about this for a bit now and wanted some thoughts and opinions. I have an OMAS Milord Black HT 18K nib piston filler that writes reasonably well. I've had it for a while and I don't feel too excited about it. I bought it for a good price and like the faceted design and the nib, ebonite feed. But it isn't doing a whole lot for me since I already have a few black CT/GT pens. So I've been thinking about sending it off to a home where it would be loved more and get myself a Visconti (leaning towards the Homo Sapiens model). Part of me thinks, now that OMAS is no more and it is going to be more and more difficult to acquire their pens, I should hold on to the Milord and find other ways to fund the Visconti. This might take longer. OR, I could get rid of the Milord and use the funds to get a Visconti. The price of a sparingly used Milord in excellent condition with all original packaging material should be able to fetch a decent amount to almost cover the price of a used Homo Sapiens. Should I or should I not let the OMAS go to get the Visconti? Thanks in advance for your inputs!
  19. DanceOfLight

    Omas - Which Would You Send Back ?

    A bunch of Omas that were offered at significantly (IMHO of course) reduced prices, have landed on my desk. I can afford to keep 3, so the rest would need to go back. The wish, of course is to keep all of them, but my banker vehemently disagrees. Do note that all of them were offered around the same price around 375 Euro equivalent, except for the c/c filler which is reduced further. All of them new/un-used/un-inked The question is : Which of these would you send back and why #1 Paragon - Art Deco Limited Edition - Piston fill - Gold Trim - Stub #2 Paragon - Art Deco Limited Edition - Piston fill -Gold Trim -Broad #3 Paragon - Art Deco Limited Edition - Piston fill -Gold Trim -Medium #4 Milord Dark Ebony Wood - Arte Italiana - Piston fill -Silver Trim - Stub #5 Paragon - Arte Italiana - Piston fill - HT trim - EF #6 Milord - Arte Italiana"mother of pearl maroon"/Bordeaux - C/C fill - Ruthenium Trim - Broad I've got a week to decide and I love ALL of em
  20. DanielParra

    Omas Ef Extra Flessibile

    Hello, I've been looking to buy any Omas pen with a 14k extra fine extra flessible nib to practice my spencerian and copperplate with. I would prefer an ogiva pen, but at this point I dont really mind what model it is. Would anyone be willing to sell or direct me to one? Thanks in advance.
  21. Decided to enter an online "photo challenge" with the theme being writing implements. Having too much time on my hand as I'm on vacation, I decided to do my own version of the "Pen Rain" photograph from the Andrea Lambrou book (Pen Bible), titled "Fountain Pens of the World". Wishing all the best to my pen Brothers and Sisters!
  22. airline0

    Omas 2015 Arte Italiana Vision

    Before getting ready for the weekend (TGIF ) I wanted to share with everyone some new Omas writing instruments that just came in. One of them is a beautiful 2015 Arte Italiana Vision Fountain Pen in a semi-translucent green. It has black ruthenium plated accents and an 18k gold nib, Medium in size. Also available in blue with rhodium-plated accents and a Fine nib. Feel free to contact us by phone or email (toll free #855-565-1818 / orders@airlineintl.com) Or visit our eBay for more information and images
  23. http://s32.postimg.org/cpjbqsuo5/IMG_1532.jpg
  24. Hi, I've got a Vodka Yellow version of this pen and had it filled with PR Shoreline Gold, which has left an orange ring near the piston. Flushing repeatedly has got rid of most of it, but would J. Herbin's pen flush be safe to use to get rid of the last traces? Yes, I could live with it, but it would be nicer not to have to
  25. Just as I said in the Milord review, this is the review of The Paragon edition of the Einaudi signature line from this year. I have spent a fair bit of time writing with the pen to make sure that the impressions I give are as good as I can give, especially regarding the ergonomics, which is the main reason I switched models in the first place. As always, I will put a plug in for Einaudi's music, it is calming and wonderful to listen to, and as I've said before, given how much I like his music, this was a must buy for me. Dimensions Length capped - 150mm Length uncapped - 135mm Nib length - 23mm Section length - 26.7mm Section diameter hi - 14mm Section diameter lo - 11mm Box and Contents The box for the Paragon edition of this fountain pen is nigh on identical to that of the Milord edition; medium sized box with a microfibre lining all throughout, the pen contained within a microfibre pen sleeve, and a tray covering the usual propaganda materials just as with the Milord. For photographs of this, please see my Milord review. Although objectively I cannot really fault the packaging, for it came with all the required pieces of information and clearly protects the pen well whilst in transit, thus fulfilling its required specification, I did find it somewhat disappointing that it was identical to its ‘younger sibling’ Milord. Considering the fairly significant price difference between the pens, as well as the name and stigma associated with a flagship pen, this one in particular, I would have been even happier with the overall presentation if the box had been slightly more grandiose and ‘flagship-esque’. Most disappointingly, I found, it did not include a complementary bottle of ink as other editions of the Paragon do. Though this is subjective in the extreme, and I know a lot of readers on here don’t care for packaging at all, given these are luxury items, it would be nice for the manufacturers to make the consumer feel more like this is the case through the inclusion of random items such as a bottle of ink. Regardless, I would say I am content with the packaging and contents, but again, slightly taken aback that it wasn’t a little more reflective of the item that it contains. The word ‘paragon’ does, after all, define something that is the ideal and ultimate example of whatever the subject matter is. Appearance The Paragon is definitely the largest pen that I own, greater in both length and circumference than my 149, which I feel is slightly accentuated by the geometric finish of the pen compared to the organic curves of the 149. Personally, I love the appearance of The Paragon and Milord, finding them to be both functional and attractive, for whilst they will roll, they are not as prone to rolling as a cylindrical alternative. The dark grey cotton resin works brilliantly with the medium grey ruthenium plating of the cap band, clip and section. Its subdued characteristics make this a very good EDC implement, I find, attracting less attention, if you like that kind of thing, and just as I said with the Milord, results in a ‘professional’ appearance that would fit in with any kind of surrounding. I make this point, because a tutor of mine remarked derogatorily on my old Vanishing Point Raden, saying it looked silly that I would carry around a glitter pen; in professional practice, this pen would be more at home than say a Burnt Orange M800 for example. This is again, subject to opinion. The ruthenium highlights are slightly shiny when in bright light, but maintain their colour, unlike silver and gold highlights that mirror their surroundings. The section, where you will find the main difference in appearance between the Milord and The Paragon, is a metal, with the same finish as the cap band and clip, which looks better than the shiny black plastic used in the Milord in my eyes, fitting in more neatly with the overall appearance of the pen. Again, I find the highlighting of Einaudi’s signature on the front of the cap band to be extremely well done. The nib is the same shiny ruthenium used in the Milord, and for details on this, I ask you again to look at my Milord review, so I don’t pollute this review with ‘old news’. There is a small difference in size between the Milord and Paragon nibs, but nowhere near as much as that which can be found between the 146 and 149 I would say. Fit and Finish The overall quality of construction on The Paragon edition is fantastic. Regarding the infamous facet alignment, I would say that the facets of the barrel and the cap align correctly, if you are not tightening the cap as far as it will go. I find that the cap will be a half turn off in my model if you use triple the force to tighten the cap all the way, but given the threads are fairly tight any way, I have no fears of the cap becoming undone at even halfway secured onto the barrel, if that makes sense. This is where a minor gripe I have comes up. When securing the cap to the barrel, the threads have a tendency to squeak unless I slightly pinch the cap. This is a risk that is always incurred when rubbing two materials of differing densities against each other, and I think its a shame that OMAS didn’t put a metal mate thread in the cap as some other companies have in the past. Other than the sound that sometimes occurs, the threads a exceptionally smooth, with very little in the way of slack, less than the 149’s and comparable to that found in Japanese pens. The cotton resin, as I said in the Milord review, is a very pleasant material, and is more tactile than the resin used in the 149, whilst also being less tacky than the celluloid like materials used on the Opera Elements and Pelikan Mxxx series. It is my favourite material next to the lava blende of the Homo Sapiens to hold in the hand, and wish that more companies used it. The tolerances and fit of components across the rest of the pen are great; seams are crisp and clean without any voids, logo settings are perfect, nib alignment to the facets is dead on. Generally, everything is as it should be; they are even where they need to be even. Filling System My main issue with the Milord was the filling system; the cartridge converter system made the pen feel less solid in my opinion, and introduced a number of issues like threads grinding against each and rattling. The piston of The Paragon is large in capacity, however, the performance of the piston mechanism doesn’t seem to be as good as it could be. Whilst The Paragon’s piston is certainly not bad, it is slightly ‘grindy’ in places during the filling process, put this up against the perfectly smooth, consistent and even mechanism on the German pistons, there is no comparison. This is not an especially large problem, but it is the main downside to the general experience of using the pen in my eyes, though whether my view has been tainted by using what are generally regarded as the finest pistons on the market I do not know, and whether someone else may think differently is something I cannot answer. Like everything written here, this is a subjective area that cannot really be quantified. The only real issue I have with the piston is the lack of a method of checking the remaining capacity. Even though the ‘translucent’ barrel of the M800 I have barely lives up to the name without a very bright light source, it still allows me to check the remaining capacity. It could be argued that an ink window would ruin the aesthetic of the pen, and personally, it is not a deal breaking point for me, but I certainly think that an ink window would have worked in between the metal section and the beginning of the barrel facets, especially if darkened like on the 149. Regardless, to some people this is going to be more of an issue to others, and for me, it is more a non-issue than it isn’t, I can live with it, but it is certainly a downside to the pen whichever way you look at it. Ergonomics I will just say it here. For me, this is THE perfect pen ergonomically. Weight, size, balance and feel, all of these are captured perfectly for me in this writing instrument. The section of the Milord was the primary reason for me not feeling comfortable using the pen, for someone with a quadropod grip as I have, I like larger sections, however, for me the 149 section is not a perfect fit due to no taper and sheer size, and I haven’t had the opportunity to try out an M1000 properly so cannot form an opinion. The taper on The Paragon allows me to hold it comfortably at any angle; in bed or at a desk, and the faceted flange at the front prevents me from losing my grip at any point. If you find Sailor, Pilot or other companies with smaller sections to be comfortable in your hand, I would not imagine that The Paragon’s section would be comfortable for you, unless you adjust your grip, but to those who enjoy larger pens, this is the best sized section I have found so far. Much as people like to complain that metal sections are too slippery and cause people to lose grip on their pens, I find that The Paragon’s section is not a victim of this as much as others due to the flange at the bottom. Without this, it might be more of an issue, but as it is, it is far less slippy than something like a Lamy Studio or Opera Elements. Weight wise, the pen is definitely on the upper end, mainly due to the internals rather than the materials. The piston does change the weight distribution and balance of the pen compared to the Milord, but in a highly positive way. The balance is almost perfectly central, indeed, hold the pen at either end and you would be challenged to distinguish between which is the heavier of the two, courtesy of the metal section offsetting the piston mechanism’s weight. Posting the pen massively shifts the balance, and I wouldn’t recommend it, seen as a lot of effort has obviously gone into making the pen as well evenly balanced as possible. Due to the clip being much larger than the Milord, it is a lot easier to lever it up, however, it is still on the stiff side, meaning that sliding it in and out of pockets, whilst secure, is still a little difficult to do with ease. It doesn’t travel all that far from the cap surface, and is stiffer than the flat clips of Montblanc and Pelikan by a fair margin, at least on those that I can compare it to. Nib Performance The nib of The Paragon is absolutely brilliant in my case. Perfectly tuned flow wise, and has a wonderfully smooth tip with just the right amount of feedback. It has started up every single time I have put it to paper, and puts down a very even line that is just on the wet side, but keeps colours true without saturating them beyond recognition. The version I have is a medium, but it seems to be a ‘finer’ medium than that which I am used to dealing with from Pelikan, Montblanc and Visconti, who’s pens either write on the wet side or have a different definition of what a medium nib’s line weight should be. Either way, I find it ideal for any kind of writing, and due to the slight bounce in the nib when applying pressure, accentuates any line variation you force into the script. On the subject of nib ‘firmness’, just as with the Milord as I discussed a month ago, the nib is definitely not a nail like that of Waterman or Parker pens, but cannot be compared to that of an M1000 or Visconti palladium nib, both of which had a lot more give when writing. As I usually never attempt to put expressiveness into my writing except when completing headers or demonstrating fonts to people, this is not a concern for me, but for those who prefer softer nibs, I would advise you to look elsewhere, for you will be far better off. Closing Thoughts and Conclusion Although aspects of this review may seem critical, I felt that if I spent the whole time lauding over just how much I love this pen, it would seem a little biased, and the points that I have criticised, for the most part, are minor and don’t influence the function of the pen 90% of the time. I could not be happier; it ticks all the boxes and was worth the long wait I had to endure to get my hands on one…I have a bad feeling that this is only the first of many Paragons I will find myself buying… As I said in the ergonomics section, this is pretty much my ultimate pen in hand, and I absolutely adore it. I have zero regrets about returning the Milord for this model, and imagine that this is going to be a pen that I will carry with me wherever I go. This makes the pen worth every penny for me, but to some, especially those who may not foresee themselves using this as a primary writer, the price tag may be a little steep. At the discounted price of ~£400 from La Couronne du Comte, this pen stands fractionally more expensive than the M1000, and in my opinion is a good buy. At full retail price of £500 however, I don’t know whether or not I would still feel so comfortable recommending it, for whilst it is a Special Edition, you have a smaller nib (have to hold the pen closer to the paper, which some people dislike), no ink window, and a nib without springiness. To some people these might be deal breakers, to others not so much of an issue. I think, therefore, I will conclude by saying that I would recommend this pen without hesitation, if you like larger pens, this is absolutely worth a look at. -edit- Pictures are not uploading now, but tomorrow I will put them up in here





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