Jump to content

OMAS and the Greek Key Motif


stardustny

Recommended Posts

What is the historical connection between OMAS and the Greek key motif found on (most of) its pens? Aurora features the motif on some of its pens like the Optima, but the motif is the rule rather than the exception for OMAS? (I like the design, it looks like a little frieze built into every pen).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 20
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • stardustny

    7

  • gyasko

    5

  • fabri00

    4

  • Calabria

    2

For Omas the Greek Key pattern in the cap ring is almost the rule, but I do not know any particular historical connection with it.

I think it was a simply decision of Omas to use this motif in the majority of the pens they produced.

But also the 3 slim rings are used in the regular Omas production, since the beginning.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder if the idea was to make the pen look like a column. If that was the idea, they succeeded. 
 

I can’t be the only person who misses OMAS.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I miss Omas too, it was my favourite pen and i stayed in Bologna for the years of university, where Omas was really sinonymous of pen. Therefore I grew up with Omas.

I cannot find the same elegance and stile of the faceted Omas in any other pen actually produced.

There is something in the market but to my opinion not so elegant and proportioned like Omas was.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That’s why I went and bought wooden and metal OMAS pens. I bet they’ll still be operational a century from now and not deteriorate like celluloid.

 

Writing with an OMAS is like driving an original Packard Twin Six or Alfa of that era. Montblancs feel cheap by comparison. 
 

Now, Luca Baglione at SCRIBO is onto something. His nibs are just like OMAS nibs. He is rhe opposite of Dante del Vecchio. But SCRIBO needs to take the writing off the nib, put the Greek Key back on the cap, and maybe offer the pen in something other than resin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, stardustny said:

Writing with an OMAS is like driving an original Packard Twin Six or Alfa of that era. Montblancs feel cheap by comparison. 

 

The telescoping piston MBs feel cheap to you?  They certainly weren’t cheap, which is why they were discontinued.  

 

And if you’re speaking about more recent MB & OMAS pens, i’d argue that MB retained a little more of what made them great than OMAS did.  By the end OMAS were more about flashy looks than writing — kind of like MB LEs, but with generic nibs. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, gyasko said:

 

The telescoping piston MBs feel cheap to you?  They certainly weren’t cheap, which is why they were discontinued.  

 

And if you’re speaking about more recent MB & OMAS pens, i’d argue that MB retained a little more of what made them great than OMAS did.  By the end OMAS were more about flashy looks than writing — kind of like MB LEs, but with generic nibs. 

Yes, the MBs feel cheap *by comparison.* The last run of OMAS pens were not as good but the pre-2000 OMAS pens are hard to beat. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, stardustny said:

Yes, the MBs feel cheap *by comparison.* The last run of OMAS pens were not as good but the pre-2000 OMAS pens are hard to beat. 

 

What is it about the pre-2000, modern OMAS pens that makes MBs feel “cheap”?  The corroding celluloid?  The crumbling nib collars?  The crappy plating?

 

Have you tried a pre-1960 MB Meisterstück?  They weren’t cheap in price, production  cost or feel. 

 

In reality OMAS & MB had similar responses to the ballpoint pen and the computer: cost cutting and then a play for the luxury market.    

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/4/2021 at 1:28 PM, gyasko said:

 

What is it about the pre-2000, modern OMAS pens that makes MBs feel “cheap”?  The corroding celluloid?  The crumbling nib collars?  The crappy plating?

 

Have you tried a pre-1960 MB Meisterstück?  They weren’t cheap in price, production  cost or feel. 

 

In reality OMAS & MB had similar responses to the ballpoint pen and the computer: cost cutting and then a play for the luxury market.    

If you read my post above, I pointed out that I did not purchase the celluloid pens. I won't buy celluloid pens of any brand and I try to avoid resin where I can.

 

The metal and wood OMAS pens are made out of materials that feel much more substantial than comparable Mont Blancs. I own a number of Mont Blanc fountain pens, my favorite being the old ebonite pens. I don't like the glass filled resin they use. It feels pretty cheap to me. Their solitaire line is a lot better, however. Of all the pen brands I've owned, only Mont Blancs have given me leaking problems.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, stardustny said:

If you read my post above, I pointed out that I did not purchase the celluloid pens. I won't buy celluloid pens of any brand and I try to avoid resin where I can.

 

The metal and wood OMAS pens are made out of materials that feel much more substantial than comparable Mont Blancs. I own a number of Mont Blanc fountain pens, my favorite being the old ebonite pens. I don't like the glass filled resin they use. It feels pretty cheap to me. Their solitaire line is a lot better, however. Of all the pen brands I've owned, only Mont Blancs have given me leaking problems.

 

You’re not comparing like to like.  
 

Wood and metal have their drawbacks as pen materials,   too, which is why they weren’t mainstream pen materials. Plus, plastic pens have the advantage of being lighter.  Lightness was always a design goal in the Armando Sismoni days.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, gyasko said:

 

You’re not comparing like to like.  
 

Wood and metal have their drawbacks as pen materials,   too, which is why they weren’t mainstream pen materials. Plus, plastic pens have the advantage of being lighter.  Lightness was always a design goal in the Armando Sismoni days.  

 

Like to like. Well, let's see:

OMAS Sterling Silver compared to Montblanc Solitaire LeGrand. Both nice pens, but the OMAS nib writes a lot better (for me). I like the Montblanc LeGrand, but it does feel less substantial and the nib isn't as good. Lightness (in any brand) is not an advantage for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/9/2021 at 3:15 PM, stardustny said:

 

Like to like. Well, let's see:

OMAS Sterling Silver compared to Montblanc Solitaire LeGrand. Both nice pens, but the OMAS nib writes a lot better (for me). I like the Montblanc LeGrand, but it does feel less substantial and the nib isn't as good. Lightness (in any brand) is not an advantage for me.

It seems to me like a subjective thing from what you describe. Different people can have different experiences with pens and different preferences. For example most people rave about how good pelikan nibs are out of the box, but I have had exactly the opposite experience. And with a pen heavier than 40 grams it is difficult to write more than a few pages and not have cramps in your hand, but if you use your pen for mostly signatures and quick notes it is no problem then.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Waltz For Zizi said:

It seems to me like a subjective thing from what you describe. Different people can have different experiences with pens and different preferences. For example most people rave about how good pelikan nibs are out of the box, but I have had exactly the opposite experience. And with a pen heavier than 40 grams it is difficult to write more than a few pages and not have cramps in your hand, but if you use your pen for mostly signatures and quick notes it is no problem then.

 

 

We’re on the same page,  Waltz.  I like OMAS pens precisely for their lightness.  They’re well-suited to longer writing sessions.

 

I have had exactly the same experience with modern Pelikans.  I only use the vintage ones now.  The pre-1965 Pelikans have the added benefit of being lighter in the hand.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/12/2021 at 7:04 AM, Waltz For Zizi said:

It seems to me like a subjective thing from what you describe. Different people can have different experiences with pens and different preferences. For example most people rave about how good pelikan nibs are out of the box, but I have had exactly the opposite experience. And with a pen heavier than 40 grams it is difficult to write more than a few pages and not have cramps in your hand, but if you use your pen for mostly signatures and quick notes it is no problem then.

 

It definitely is subjective. My handwriting benefits from a heavier pen, but I can see how it could wear on people with smaller hands.  That's what makes the collecting hobby so fun. I agree with gyasko about modern PElikans. It's not just the construction but the QC seems to be inconsistent lately. Probably something to do with all the issues at the factory...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think my hands are about as big as they get, but i still don’t like heavy pens.  

 

At any rate, it’s not just weight but how it’s distributed. Sometimes a larger pen with the same weight as a smaller one won’t feel as heavy.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/3/2021 at 9:35 AM, fabri00 said:

I miss Omas too, it was my favourite pen and i stayed in Bologna for the years of university, where Omas was really sinonymous of pen. Therefore I grew up with Omas.

I cannot find the same elegance and stile of the faceted Omas in any other pen actually produced.

There is something in the market but to my opinion not so elegant and proportioned like Omas was.

@fabri00 What OMAS did you use as a student - what were the models that were “synonymous” with a pen?

"If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live."

– Lin Yu-T'ang

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, fabri00 said:

I had an Omas extra 620 Bordeaux.

Thank you! I always wonder which models were popular before they became collectible. When they were writing instruments.

"If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live."

– Lin Yu-T'ang

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, fabri00 said:

I had an Omas extra 620 Bordeaux.

@fabri00 I always wondered if the steel nib on the Omas Extra 620 has any softness, like the school pens of Pelikan. It's a very elegant pen even though it's a more modest version. You were a lucky student!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not that much softness as far as I can remember, but really a workhorse, as I still have that pen 30 years after my graduation ......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...