Omas Arte Italiana Vintage

Arco Celluloid Paragon

Fountain Pen

– Handwritten Review –

Review Ink: Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo



Review Paper: Rhodia No. 18 Rhodia No. 18



Specs:



Description: Quite possibly one of the nicest looking fountain pens I have ever seen, the Omas Paragon in Vintage Arco Celluloid is a perfectly balanced, great writing pen.

Quite possibly one of the nicest looking fountain pens I have ever seen, the Omas Paragon in Vintage Arco Celluloid is a perfectly balanced, great writing pen. Nib: 18k gold, Soft-Fine Nib

18k gold, Soft-Fine Nib Material: Arco Celluloid

Arco Celluloid Filling Mechanism: Piston filler

Piston filler Ink Capactiy: ~1ml

~1ml Price: $800

Handwritten Review Scans:

Intro/About:

Wow. That’s the first word that comes to mind when I see this pen. The Omas Arte Italiana Milord in Arco Celluloid is one of the most stunning pens I have ever seen. Huge thanks to my friends over at Kenro Industries (the US distributor of Omas, Aurora, Sheaffer and Montegrappa) for letting me borrow these beautiful pens for review. I hope you enjoy the review as much as I did spending time with these pens! This review is based on the gold finished model with a fine nib. This is also the first review shot with my new Canon 7D, make sure to click the images and supersize them for the full effect!

Appearance & Packaging:

Where to start… This pen is absolutely beautiful. Great vintage styling and an amazing, deep celluloid that looks almost as if it is on fire when in the right lighting. The pen has 12 flat sides that not only give it a great look, but prevent it from rolling off the table or desk. The gold accented model perfectly compliments the colors of the celluloid. Out of the three trims (gold, rose gold, and rhodium) the gold is my favorite. There are 3 thin cap bands that go well with the overall vintage design of the pen. The gold nib has a classic arrow style pattern, reminiscent of the old Parker nibs. It’s a great looking pen that just works on so many levels. Omas did a great job on this one…seriously.

Nib Performance & Filling System:

The nib on the Omas has a great nib. It’s actually more than great, it’s probably one of the best pens I have ever written with. The 18k nib has a bit of cushion with normal writing and it’s capable of some nice line variation if you push it just a little bit. The nib is buttery smooth and always starts up, even if left uncapped on my desk for a few minutes.

This is the first Omas I’ve tried so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. While doing some research I found that most Omas pens do indeed write very wet out of the box. See the handwritten review pictures for an example of the line variation possible when pushing the nib. It’s a top-tier pen that has a price tag to match, but it definitely looks, writes and feels like one.

Feel :

The Omas is not too big and not too small, for me it’s just right. The pen is rather lightweight at 20g, weighing in just under a Lamy 2000. Posting the cap lengthens the pen quite a bit, but it still maintains its excellent balance. I prefer writing with this pen unposted though. There are several steps in the barrel, all of which are very small and transition nicely into each other. There are no sharp edges and the threads are practically unnoticeable – making for a very comfortable writing experience.

The light weight of the pen and the nibs ability to glide across the paper make for an excellent overall writing experience. The Arco celluloid is smooth to the touch and warms up in your hand as you write. The pen is the perfect size and weight for me and it practically disappears into my hand. Longer writing sessions are a breeze.

Pros:

Celluloid is so nice to look at

Soft 18k gold nib writes great

Perfect weight and balance

Nib is a wet writer straight out of the box

Cons:

Piston mechanism knob is celluloid on celluloid, and can be a little hard to turn

Conclusion:

The Omas Special Edition Arte Italiana Arco Celluloid Paragon is quite expensive, but I can totally understand why. It is a piece of functional art that shows off the history of the brand. It also doesn’t hurt that the nib is amazing, and it is one of the best pens I have ever written with. The Arco celluloid practically glows in your hand as the light catches it. It’s a beautiful looking pen that is not overdone in any way. Huge thanks to my friends at Kenro Industries for loaning me these pens to review, I’m going to have a hard time giving this one back!

Gallery:



Disclaimer: This pen was provided to me as a loaner for review purposes by Kenro Industries. All opinions are my own.