Pens of Note

OMAS Arte Italiana Collection

 

Arte Italiana Milord

In 2007, with the releasse of the new designs, I acquired the Arte Italiana Milord, Black Resin HT. The Milord measures just over 5 1/2 inches in length, and 6 3/4 inches when the cap is posted on the pen. The body of the pen is about 1/2 inch in width so for my hand, it is a good pen to hold.

Not sure if you have the classic or new line? The new line of OMAS pens have an updated clip as well as the O for OMAS at the end of the cap. A new look added to all their top lines that have been introduced after the 2007 launch of the updated models.

In terms of size, the new Milord is actually almost the same size as the old Paragon, so it is very much a comfortable and good-sized pen to use.

The pen is a piston fill and holds a good supply of ink. The nib is 18 kt gold, rhodium plated. I have a Broad nib and it is very smooth and really delivers a good load of ink to the paper.

OMAS Wild

OMAS issued The Wild in 2008 as part of the updated Art Italiana Collection. I acquired this beautiful pen in Rome when I visited  Novelli Pen on my 2010 visit to Rome. I have bought so many pens at Novelli, I have no hestitations in the quality of the products and their services.

In fact, I have admired the Wild pen for a very long time. It is almost identical to the 1993 OMAS Galileo Galilei Limited Edition. I remember admiring the Gailileo in a pen store window when we were in Lucca, Italy. I have always regretted not getting that particulalr pen. The Gailileo, although of the same celluloid, was in the old Art Italiana style.

 Some seventeen years later I have the Wild, in the Milord size with the stunning celluloid but with the updated look that OMAS initiated a number of years ago when they re-designed their lines: a new clip, the geek band redesigned to incorporate the new OMAS logo and to proudly identify the pen as a creation of ITALY.

 The Arte Italiana Wild was available in the Arte Italiana and 360 body sizes. The celluloid cap, body and nib section are a mix of black and white. Like veins of colour in black marble. The classic twelve-sided pen, designed based on a Doric Column, is very comfortable in the hand. The celluloid material makes this a very light pen to hold and it has good weight. The cap does post to the body, although I find a slight turn is needed to have a secure fit.

There is a plus and minus to the Milford. The nib section is celluloid, where with the Paragon, the nib section is metal, rhodium plated. The metal nib section of the Paragon has been a characteristic that some have not liked about the updated version of the OMAS Paragon and is a point of criticism of the new updated look. While the celluloid nib section is very attractive, and gives a smoother overall look to the style of the pen, it does mean ink staining can occur. The threads to secure the cap has while celluloid, and if ink builds up in the cap, then it transfers to the white celluloid of the nib section.

I have seen this with my pen after only a month of use. My perspective is to accept this as one of the characteristics of the pen. I would not, however, use purple tones of ink that have a higher degree of staining in the pen.

The pen comes with a very smooth 18k gold rhodium plated nib. It has a little flex, so there is some give when writing, but this is clearly not a flex nib. I have the pen fitted with a broad nib (1.20 mm) and the flow of ink is what I would call very wet. It just flows onto the paper and the nib slides alone the writing surface with no resistance.

The specifications for the OMAS Broad nib are made to leave a 1.20 mm line of ink.

The cap band, clip and O logo on the top of cap are plated in platinum. So the who look of the pen is classic:black, white and silver toned trim. OMAS calls this the Hi Tech trim,

Acquiring this pen at the start of a month's vacation in Italy meant it was heavily used. I update by travel journal each day. The pen was a pleasure to use right from day one.

 

Arte Italiana - Black Resin

The Art Italiana Collection was launched by OMAS in 1930 under the direction of Armando Simoni. The design of this iconic pen is meant to resemble the twelve sided Doric column.

I purchased my first Arte Italiana, many years ago from Berlin Pen in New York, a company that is no longer in operation. I purchased one of the older versions of what is called the Paragon. With this model, the clip is flat and does not have the small ball at the end of the clip. That is a feature added to a few years later.

In short, this is a large size pen with an impressive nib. I have a Double Broad on this pen and it delivers a very bold, wide line of ink. The 18 kt gold nib is very smooth. This was my first OMAS pen and to be one of a number that would follow.

The 12-sided body is very comfortable in the hand. I like the stability in that the pen will never roll off the desk. There is a classic Greek key band at the bottom of the body, just above the nib. This design was also found on the 1929 Walh-Eversharp pen. The Paragon, was often referred to as the "signature" pen of OMAS, it had been in production since the 1930's. The new Paragon which I describe below. It is now a much larger pen. More on that pen follows.

Arte Italiana - Celluloid Arco Green

The Green Arco, originally called Arctic Green, is a very attractive pen with tones of green and grey. The celluloid catches the light to bring out the depth that celluloid if famous for. I acquired this pen in 2002 when in Barcelona and visiting the pen store, Central de l'Estilografica (See Great Pen Stores). Davida was excellent in helping me purchase this pen.

Being one of the "older" Arte Italiana, the pen has the classic clip, a stylish single band of gold, with a small ball that facilitates clipping the pen into a shift pocket.

The pen is finished with the expected high level of workman ship of an OMAS pen. The geek gold band at the base of the clip, and a single gold-plated ring at the base of the body and the twist mechanism for the piston-feed ink mechanism.

It is a good size pen, being 5 1/2" in length closed, and almost 7 inches when capped. The 12-sides are very smooth so there are no edges to worry about in holding the pen. The sides give the pen good stability. Put it on your desk and there will be no fears of it rolling off onto the floor.

The nib, a legendary smooth OMAS 18 kt two tone gold nib. This is one of the few pens that I purchase with a medium nib, but it is wide enough so it works for me. Now, if I have a form with narrow lines to fill out, I quickly call this pen to the task.

Arte Italiana Saffron Blue

Another trip to Rome, and another pen! I was purchased the pen at Novelli. At one point, Marco said, I have something interesting, and he went to his famous back room, coming out with a couple of trays of the particular pen. He mentioned he basically bought up what OMAS had left in the particular celluloid. The Saffron Blue Arte Italiana Paragon immediately became my selection.

The Saffron Blue had limited use by OMAS. It was available in trim of gold and silver. The pen, released in 2011 celebrated the 80th anniversry of the Art Italiana line (not the company). You have one of the originals if it is engraved on the side: 80th Arte Italiana Anniversary. My pen, being part of a collection OMAS created for Marco at Novelli Pen in Rome, does not have the engraving. But it is the style, the material and the nib that is all OMAS.

The clip is the classic OMAS clip, a plain band of gold with a small ball at the end that rolls to facilitate clipping the pen into a shirt pocket or a pen holder. The body is made of celluloid and has rich swirls of gold/brown and blue. The pen uses an ebonite feed and a piston fill method. My pen is fitted with the legendary OMAS 18 kt, two tone gold nib in a Broad width.

There was a second release of the pen around 2014 and while it has the same celluloid, the clip has a simplier design, without the small ball on the end of the clip. There is also three rings at the end of the cap rather than the original geek design solid band.

Arco Bronze, Paragon

In the fall of 2007 I had the pleasure of visiting the OMAS headquarters and have a tour of their factory. Earlier in the year OMAS had introduced the new Arco Bronze Paragon and I was looking forward to hearing about the motivation for the significant change in style from the "Old Paragon" to the new model.

So when I visited with Marco Parascenzo at Novelli Pen & Pipe in Rome I selected this pen as pen for the year. (Well that is the goal, one pen a year!) I have written about the visit with OMAS in the Companies Section of the this site.

There has been much written about the new Paragon. Many felt the departure from the previous style was a mistake. OMAS explained to me during our visit that change was needed to keep the line current.

The new pen is bigger, has a bolder, styli zed clip, and a metal nib section. Not to minimize those changes, but it is still an incredible OMAS pen that is well made and provides a very cherished ownership and writing experience.

The clip is much larger than the previous pens. The larger pen itself needs a larger clip. The small round ball has been replaced with a small wheel that serves the same function as making the clipping of the pen into a shirt pocket or a pen case more secure.

The pen uses a piston filling system and holds a good amount of ink. The nib is 18kt told and with this pen I selected a Medium nib rather than the Broad. The nib is quite large, and the Medium nib lays a good line of ink on the page.

The new Paragon is a very large pen but it sits in the hand very comfortably. The weight is all down near the nib section so you never get the feel that the pen if off balance or would flip while in your hand.

 

OMAS Arte Italiana Arco Green

OMAS Arte Italiana Milord Blue Saffron