Pens of Note

OMAS Paragon Arco, Brown

 

The Paragon has a long history with OMAS. The model was created in the 1930s with a 12-fascetted body and cap design. The pen had a clip with a small roller ball. This at the time was something new changing from a flat clip. In the 1980s, OMAS moved away from celluloid, and the Paragon was made using a black vegetable resin and was meant to be the flagship model for the company.

Flash forward to the 2000s, Christophe Artaux became President of OMAS and he launched a redesign of OMAS's models. I visited with OMAS in 2007 and recall Artaux explaining how the change was necessary to give the lines a bold modern look. I also remember talking about how some did not embrace change, for example, the move to a metal nib section for the pen body. I got the feeling they were aware of the resistance but felt the changes were important for the company to move forward.

I acquired my OMAS Paragon at  Novelli Pen in Rome - of course. I tried numerous pens but since Karen and I had visited the OMAS factory in Bologna earlier in the month, I wanted an OMAS pen. The Paragon, being the top of the line, seemed the best top to conclude this trip to Italy!

The pen is large. It was a goal of the redesign, to make a more current larger pen. I believe also to have a direct competition with the Montblanc 149. The pen has a length of 148 mm, the body itself is 133 mm and the body diameter a healthy 19 mm. The nib section glides down to a very comfortable 10 to 11 mm. The brown celluloid is beautiful. This is an older version and the "arco" look is not as pronounced as later models. I like the conservative yet bold sides where the pattern grabs light and shines.

My pen is fitted with an 18 kt gold nib in a medium width. At first, I thought the medium width would be to narrow for my writing, but this is a very wet nib that creates a broad stroke. These are among the first of the gold nibs OMAS contracted with the German nib maker, Bock, to produce. Bock has a dedicated machine to produce the OMAS nibs. Read about SCRIBO and their acquisition of that machine on the information I provide on SCRIBO.

The traditional Greek Key Band has been replaced with a single metal band, showing the OMAS name logo, an updated geometric series of rectangles and the words: The Paragon Italy. Nothing else has to be said.