Thank you to Appelboom for sending this ink for review!
ABOUT
Color: Blue
Bottle: 1 oz/30 ml
Price: €9,00 (outside the EU): €7,44
Where to buy: Appelboom
Discount Code for Appelboom: friend
PROS
Well behaved, especially for a permanent ink.
Waterproof.
Fade resistant and resistant to bleach, alcohol, and mild acids.
Packaged in a reusable plastic bottle.
Shows some shading, especially with wider nibs.
CONS
Flush pens thoroughly with use!
A wet brush/cloth can smear the ink.
OVERALL
Not bad. I really, really like that these are packaged in reusable Nalgene bottles. They are less fragile than glass, by far, weigh less, are reusable, and are portable! For a document blue, it's pretty attractive.
I received this item/these items free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion.
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Thank you to Papier & Stift for lending me this beautiful set of Omas pens! I have been longing to review them (or even try them) for quite some time, so I'm so grateful for this chance. This is a bit of a picture heavy post, just so you know.
ABOUT
Contains:
360 + 18 kt Medium - designed in 1996
Ogiva + 14 kt extra-fine extra flessible - designed in 1927
Paragon Vintage + 18 kt triple broad - designed by Sir Simoni in 1931
The Omas Celluloid Icon 90th Anniversary set is presented in a large, solid clamshell box that houses all three pens. The top is padded burgundy velvet with a subtle print: 90th Anniversary, Celluloid Icon Set, and a faceted circle, a rounded triangle, and a circle, indicating the shapes of the pens inside. The padded top is glued to the black box but I noticed the velvet is peeling off on the bottom already. The inside is pretty and quite simple. It is a matching burgundy velvet with three black leather sleeves, and of course, three fountain pens!
There is a Celluloid Icon Set booklet in Italian and in English. This booklet details the history of Omas, and includes information about celluloid material, the 90th Anniversary Icon Set, a tech sheet, and an international warranty certificate - but I'm not sure how this would still apply as the company is not currently active.
APPEARANCE
All three pens share the same Pearl Grey celluloid with light and dark flecks of grey. It shimmers and glows, and the rhodium trim is the perfect complement. There is also a gold version but I prefer the rhodium trim as it matches the grey celluloid. It's a beautiful material, and is less flashy than the arco celluloid (although, to be honest, I would have scooped this set up right away if it was made in arco celluloid).
360
The 360 has a slightly rounded triangular shape from end to end. The finial is unmarked - it is just a rounded point of the triangular body. The clip is attached through a snug opening in the cap. The arched clip is intended to have a minimalist design, so it is quite simple. The section on the 360 shares the shape of the pen but it is slightly more narrow. The piston turning knob is marked by a rhodium plated ring, which matches the rest of the rhodium trim on the pen.
Ogiva
The Ogiva is a slightly slender, round, cigar-shaped pen. The finial is rounded off but there are no markings on it. The clip is attached through a snug cut out in the cap. It has a roulette clip with a rolling ball on the end. The section is round and is quite small and it ends in a sharp ridge before the nib. The cap threads are halfway through the section, with the anniversary band right behind it. The piston turning knob is marked by a rhodium plated ring.
Paragon
The Paragon Vintage has a rounded dodecagonal shape with glittering facets. The finial comes to a point but is unmarked. The clip is attached through a snug cut out in the cap. The clip has a tie silhouette, which was intended to dress up the design of the Paragon. The section is small, round, and tapers towards the nib before flaring out to a lip. The threads are located at the back, followed by the anniversary band. Like the Ogiva and the 360, the Paragon's piston turning knob is marked by a rhodium band.
All three pens share an Omas Greek Key on the center bands. All three also have a smaller ring on the sections which are engraved with the Omas logo and 90th Anniversary. All three caps are subtle engraved with 9Omas and 57/90 (in this case). Of the three pens, my favorite design is the Paragon. It is not as large or as heavy as the modern Paragons. The faceted shape makes the celluloid glitter and it doesn't roll. In addition, unlike the modern Paragon, the section is celluloid.
NIB & PERFORMANCE
Left to right: Fine extra-flessible, medium, triple broad.
360
The 360 has a two tone 18kt gold nib with rhodium-plating in the design. The 360 comes with a medium nib. It has a single slit, a round breather hole, and is engraved with the 90th Anniversary logo.
It's a gorgeous nib, and at first I was thinking, "oh just a medium" until I actually used it. The nib was super smooth, wet, did not skip or hard start, offered a little bit of line variation with its yielding feel, and could be used as a reverse writer. All in all, this is the kind of nib that could make me love any pen. It was a delight to write with - wet, smooth, the perfect nib for daily use.
Ogiva
The Ogiva has a 14kt extra-flessible nib in fine. It has a single slit, a round breather hole, and is a single-tone gold nib with rhodium plating. It is engraved with the 90th Anniversary logo as well. This nib was the most finicky of the trio, and although I enjoyed its writing performance, this is not a nib for everyone.
Sorry, that should say Ogiva, not 360.
It was a fine, wet writer on the smoother side with a touch of feedback. For the most part, it behaved well and performed without issue. There were occasional skips and hard starts but nothing to the point of driving me insane. For a nib that I would use for handwriting practice and for fun, it was fine. I have used several of the Omas extra-flessible nibs and there have been varying degrees of performance. This one performs very well compared to the others - it's not so soft that you can spring it with mild pressure, and it feels like it's well tuned. With the extra-flessible nibs, applying pressure must be done with attention and care until you become comfortable with and get to know that particular nib. This one was on the firmer side and it snapped back quickly and firmly. Ink flow was constant and the feed kept up well with some flexing. Without pressure, the nib was a pleasant, wet writer. It's a great nib if you want something that has a little line variation and not "standard" performance (i.e. compared to a daily writer with a firm nib). It's probably not for everyone, but it's a fun nib. Some may prefer a firmer nib, or one that would be less likely to skip or railroad with pressure. It's lovely for calligraphy practice and adding some beauty and flair to your writing.
Paragon
I saved the best for last! This is one of those nibs that makes me weak at the knees. It also makes me crazy because the BBB is only available on the 180 Paragons in these Icons Sets (90 sets in rhodium trim, 90 sets in gold trim). This is a two-tone triple broad nib in 18kt gold with rhodium plating in its design. Yep, BBB. I'll just let that sink in for awhile. BBB. Especially in a time where specialty nibs are not often produced, this BBB captured my heart. I love huge, wide, juicy nibs. The BBB has a single slit, a round breather hole, and it's also engraved with the Omas 90th Anniversary logo. It's a gorgeous nib and the massive stub at the end is delicious. It looks a touch misaligned in the picture, but it feels fine on the page.
This is a super smooth, slightly soft, extra juicy, delectable writer. Surprisingly, drying times were pretty fast for normal writing. This nib offered a bit of line variation with pressure but its shape offers the most variation - the stub nib produces wide downstrokes and medium cross strokes. It has some bounce to it that makes ink look gorgeous with the shading and sheen. I love it. it's a great signature nib, and is great for writing cards, inky letters, and for adding some major pizzazz to your writing.
All three are lovely nibs, and although the BBB is my favorite, all three are very enjoyable to use.
IN HAND
360
The triangular shape of the section on the 360 is surprisingly comfortable, although it feels a little too thick for my grip. The ridge at the end is a little sharp, and there is a step up to the barrel but it is far out of my grip. The section does not feel slippery, so it stays in place in hand well. If you're picky about grip sections, the 360 may not be for you, but it's more comfortable than I expected it to be.
My issue with the section is ink can get caught between the band and the material. There is a small gap in there and if you aren't paying attention when you ink the pen (by dipping the section too far into your ink), then ink will get caught in there and seep out as you write. Bummer, but something you can avoid by inking carefully.
Unposted, the pen is well balanced and is a comfortable length. The triangular shape feels a little strange to me, so I do prefer round pen bodies. Maybe this is just too large for me. The cap can be posted snugly by friction. It posts well, but is too long for me to use comfortable and the cap on the triangular barrel makes me a bit nervous. The clip on the 360 works well - it's snug but springy enough to use one handed. The shape at the end makes it really easy to slide on and off pockets, pouches, and papers. Very practical and attractive clip design.
Ogiva
The rolling ball clip is very tight, so it's best (and easiest) to use it by sliding the ball on and off pages, pockets, and pouches. It holds the pen securely in place as it is so snug.
The section is pretty comfortable. The ridge at the front is sharp but is only an issue if you grip low. The section is not slippery and the step up to the barrel is not sharp. It's a comfy section overall. Unposted, the pen is well balanced, an ideal length for me, and feels great. The cap can be posted by friction. It doesn't sit very deep on the barrel but it is secure. I could not use it posted - it was too long and unbalanced in hand.
Paragon
The Paragon clip is quite tight so it's easier to use by sliding it on/offer pockets, pouches, and papers, although this takes a bit of effort.
The section is comfortable - no sharp ridges and it did not feel slippery during use. The grip area itself is a little small but unless you have large hands, you probably won't mind it. Unposted, the pen is most comfortable for short and long writing sessions. It's not too long and it feels well balanced. The cap can be posted but it does not sit deeply, though it is secure.
All three arrived with squeaky, slightly rough pistons. The piston mechanisms worked, but I was a little nervous at first in turning them.
PROS & CONS
360
Ogiva
Paragon
OVERALL
This is a very interesting and very special set - ideal for Omas collectors, especially as the company has closed (at the time of writing this review, anyway). The pens are beautiful with pleasant nibs, and the BBB nib is particularly special. The set is very expensive and perhaps overly so - at least for me - but for true collectors and lovers of the brand, I can see the value. Too bad they weren't sold separately! Whether it's worth it or not is up to you, but they are very pretty pens with delectable nibs. Can't argue with that. Maybe you could buy the set with two other friends and split it up? Or share...
Either way, this is a unique, special set. There aren't many, and it was well done. To be honest, I'm really only into the BBB nib, because the other nibs were available on other Omas pens, and I'm not a collector. I just like big nibs. I received this item on loan for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion, and although I really, really wanted to review this, I have done my best to be objective.
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