Omas Paragon Grand Arco Celuloid

[visvamitra]

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. Three 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 italian 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 Paragon Grand in brown Arco celuloid would be one of them I was impatient to try it.

Arco celuloid looks stunnig.

Brown, orange, gold, red tones are all present. In person and on a sunny day the effect is AMAZING. The pen has twelve facets, which are slightly rounded. It’s widest at the top of the cap, and tapers a little towards the end of the barrel.

The clip feauturing a rolling “wheel” arches slightly from the cap. The center band is located near the end of the cap. It is engraved with OMAS The Paragon Italy, and a Greek Key design. As it’s made of silver, with time it develops patina that I like a lot.

Construction

Omas Paragon Grand is a solid, well made and huge pen. It’s also quite heavy. It’s greater in both length and diameter than MB 149. The material looks stunning, especially in a daylight.

OMAS pens are turned from a single block of celluloid and just about everything on this pen is done by hand. Even the nib was made in-house and it pays – it’s simply beautiful.

The hallmarked section is silver. It is rounded and smooth. It tapers towards the nib and finishes in a faceted band that matches the shape of the body. I do realise that metal sections aren’t for everybody but personally I like them most.

Nib

Writing sample (L’Artisan Pastellier Inti on cheap no-name notebook)

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 that 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. There’s no ink window in this pen. A pity. Piston works smoothly. During the time with the pen (almost three months) I had no issues with it.

Dimensions

Capped – 150 mm

Weight – 48 g

Summary

This pen is simply stunning. The nib is perfect. Metal section sits well in the hand and is very comfortable. Arco celuloid looks amazing. On the other hand while this pen is marvelous it’s price is very high – reaching 1000 – 1500 $. For this price you’ll easily get few very good pens. I know this, I’ve analyzed everything. Still I feel tempted.

[Albert26]

I own an old style Paragon, from the 90s, in grey and black, and I absolutely share your enthusiasm for these pens.

 

The new Paragons, however, I find disappointing.

 

The new clip design is very nice, but why on Earth have they put this metal section??? In my opinion it completely ruins the image of the pen. It's just not Omas style.

 

I also don't like this tendence to make huge oversized pens. 130-140 mm is the ideal size for a pen, depending on whether you post it or not. 150 mm I find it way too large. As much as I love Pelikan, I would not buy an m1000. I find it downright unaesthetic, with that unnecessarily big nib.

Edited April 15, 2017 by Albert26

[FrozenLand]

Mhmm thank you for the great pictures, I started to miss it.

Yes, it's a great writer, and one of my flagships, too. I love the patine, when I saw that one beautifully aged at Carmen Riviera's store, I didn't hesitate for long

[Chrissy]

The Arco celluloid is beautiful but I prefer my Omas pens to not have metal sections.

[fabri00]

Great pen, but the series in celluloid of the 90's with 0mas nib is even better.

[Uncial]

The Arco celluloid is easily the most beautiful material ever used for a pen.

I own five Omas pens (sadly only one Arco) and each one has a stunning nib and they always give immense pleasure when writing. I know many criticised the cotton resin or whatever the heck they called it, in the pens towards their end, but I actually quite liked it. Yes, they do feel very cheap and a tad flimsy around the piston nob, but the colours were pretty and it does have an unusual and nice feel. It is such a shame they are gone. I lament the fact that these beautiful pens will be seen no more and of course the pricing has gone through the roof into the realm of silliness which means only a limited few with great personal means will ever enjoy them. Sad really.

[FriendAmos]

I have an Arco but sold it after a few months. Beautiful pen and fantastic writer. But after a few months of use, the patterns between the cap and body and between the piston know and the body will not line up. Small thing, but it drove me crazy to look at. I should have hang onto it and sold it at the current silly prices. (The OMAS pens I now have are all sterling silver.)

[zaddick]

Thanks for the review.

 

Is it noted as the "grand arco" paragon somewhere in the documents? I have only seen it referred to as the Paragon and sometimes folks will add on that it is the new style. Juse curious if that is some official designation I have not heard about.

 

Lovely big pen. I too am a sucker for the material. However, it is somewhat disappointing on 2 of thr 4 general sides as you only see the stacks of material (like tree rings). People seldom photograph that so for people thinking of making a big purchase, be sure to take it into consideration. AND as noted by FriendAmos, the facets often stop lining up properly and it can be annoying with such a shimmery surface.

 

Still, I would not mind having the right one to use in my pen lineup.

[Barkingpig]

Thank you for a review of one of the most interesting celluloids ever used for a pen. I would have liked to own one but chose another for my first "full price, new" order & sadly it turned out to be one of the LAST releases from Omas. I chose a factory stub nib because had three older Omas pens with medium nibs, one an Extra from 1992 in Saft Green, whose nib is exactly as you describe. They are a thing of beauty.

 

A friend of mine who has collected far longer than I, who loves Pelikans & Mont Blancs, laughs about the Omas lovers he has known. He says many will say they are "just using their Omas & couldn't want ANY other writer because ONCE you have used an Omas, no other pen compares."

 

I am happy you have the use of this pen & hope you can find one to make your own. I only take Kaweco Sports outside my house so I don't worry about safety of my pens. If I had an Arco I am sure I would safeguard it's care.

[FrozenLand]

Is it noted as the "grand arco" paragon somewhere in the documents? I have only seen it referred to as the Paragon and sometimes folks will add on that it is the new style. Juse curious if that is some official designation I have not heard about.

Well, nothing in the documents I have. The most popular designation I meet on regular basis is simply the 'new Paragon' and according to my best knowledge, the official name is just Paragon. And to discriminate it from the classic models, different adjectives concerning its size are randomly

added sometimes.

 

However, it is somewhat disappointing on 2 of thr 4 general sides as you only see the stacks of material (like tree rings). People seldom photograph that so for people thinking of making a big purchase, be sure to take it into consideration.

Well, this is how the celluloid is grown, isn't it? For me, these two accents are enough for me, if all sides were so shiny, it would become some kind of a clown.

 

 

AND as noted by FriendAmos, the facets often stop lining up properly and it can be annoying with such a shimmery surface.

Yep, a known problem. I hope that here, where one of the threads is sterling silver, the match of the surfaces will last longer.

I don't find the Omas pens particularly well made, I'm almost always annoyed by the "cheap" feeling on the performance of the piston mechanism (they seem quite durable, though) and in this particular model, the silver cap band is already quite loose. But it's the look and the nib what makes the job

[Aditkamath26]

I was planning on getting this pen when I am older like maybe 25 or something. Now it hurts me that OMAS is no more. Great review. It looks amazing.

[jmccarty3]

I bought one of these from Sarj last year, and my impression is the same as yours: the Arco celluloid is stunning, and the nib is amazing.

[mulrich]

I bought one of these from Sarj last year, and my impression is the same as yours: the Arco celluloid is stunning, and the nib is amazing.

 

 

No opinions or impressions needed – the arco celluloid being stunning is an objective fact.

[Henricum_Tropen]

Good review.

 

I own a 1995 Omas Extra in Arco Brown (with OBB nib). I also own several other Omas pens. My latest acquisition (received two weeks ago; is a (new old stock - ca 1993) "Bibliotheque Nationale"), in Milord size. However, THE most amazing Omas in my collection is my 'special find' - an Omas A. C. Vecchietti (80th anniversary; I have no 45/80), in saffron blue - amazingly smooth nib; light as a feather, brilliant feedback on any paper. Just a gorgeous thing to look at! What a great pity Omas does not exist anymore. It's a great loss for the fountain pen community worldwide.

[FrozenLand]

The old-style blue saffron is the next on my list of pens to acquire

[Albert26]

Good review.

 

I own a 1995 Omas Extra in Arco Brown (with OBB nib). I also own several other Omas pens. My latest acquisition (received two weeks ago; is a (new old stock - ca 1993) "Bibliotheque Nationale"), in Milord size. However, THE most amazing Omas in my collection is my 'special find' - an Omas A. C. Vecchietti (80th anniversary; I have no 45/80), in saffron blue - amazingly smooth nib; light as a feather, brilliant feedback on any paper. Just a gorgeous thing to look at! What a great pity Omas does not exist anymore. It's a great loss for the fountain pen community worldwide.

Omg, I have been longing for the saffron model for years! This one and the Arco verde are my most desired pens probably right now.

Edited April 19, 2017 by Albert26

[ck360]

I never really liked the new style Arco paragon in photos and I had a lot of friends buy milord as it felt like the best size - -and no metal section. Having now seen the paragon in person I like it more but really can't figure out the cap band.

[Guy Bagnall]

Does anyone know when the Gran Paragon was introduced? I saw a reference to 'early 2000s', but does anyone have a date? I have an old-style Paragon of 2002, perhaps the last year of the old-style, with different markings to the earlier issue from 1991 - it doesn't have 'extra' on the barrel, and I was wondering whether that was because of the plans for the bigger version meant they decided to drop 'extra' from the barrel?