Disclaimer: Explicit pen images enclosed.
It may not be fair to be reviewing a discontinued pen from a company that is no longer in business, but I was using the Omas Paragon last week at work and thought I would share the experience with you, as this is a beautiful pen.
Omas was an Italian pen company that closed its doors in February 2016. Following the announcement, fountain pen aficionados scrambled to buy the last Omas fountain pens that were floating around in shops, particularly models in the highly sought after “Arco Celluloid” materials. I sought something less flashy, this Burgundy model which I had been eyeing for a little while.
At the time of purchase, I had hoped to purchase a medium nib with my pen, but had limited nib options due to the closure of the company. So I purchased the extra flessible fine nib instead. I was worried about springing the nib on use, after reading Azizah’s story at Gourmet Pens, but I don’t tend to press hard on my pens, so figured I would probably get away with this nib.
The pen is quite large – it is easily the largest pen I own from a diameter point of view, and it is only one of two pens that I own that is too fat to fit into my Franklin Christoph Penvelope. For longer writing sessions, I find that it can be a bit uncomfortable as I don’t have terribly large hands and it can feel like I am writing with a crayon its so big. However, it is fine and not noticeable in normal writing sessions so its not a huge deal.
The paragon has a piston filling system which is smooth and works well. I have heard that Omas pistons are not as reliable or as durable as Pelikan or Lamy pistons, so that’s something to keep in mind if you are looking to purchase an Omas. The paragon doesn’t have an ink window, so often you don’t know that you are close to running out until its too late. My advice – bring a spare pen with you if you are planning to use this!
Now the nib. There have been a lot of reviews on the Omas Extra flessible nibs – generally all of them have been very positive. I was very concerned that I would spring the nib after the Gourmet Pens story, however, I have used a Pilot Justus set on flexible for normal day to day use without any issues, so I felt I could be trusted to use this pen without issues. I was right – the nib is very soft, but if you write with a light hand, it will just be a very springy, responsive nib for you. I don’t spend a lot of time flexing this (too paranoid!) so its just a nib with a lot of character for me.
The nib is very soft so I need to be very careful when flushing the pen and leaving it to dry. Often after flushing the pen, I need to readjust the nib tines to make sure they are even again.
The fine is not that fine if you are a Japanese fine nib user. Also, given the flexibility of the nib, it often becomes much broader than you expect when in use. However, I really enjoy the width of the nib, so its suits me. Just be warned, that if you are a needle point lover, this equates to more like a Sailor M nib rather than a fine.
I purchased this pen for US$636 as stocks were running out last year, however, you can often find these now for much more on Fountain pen network, or ebay. I’m not in the habit of recommending whether you should or shouldn’t buy a pen at this price point, but this is a wonderful pen with a wonderful nib and I would buy another one at the price point I paid.
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