Search the Community

I just thought I would pose this question. Have any of you ever trade pens to someone for something non-pen related? If so, what was it? I have been into fountain pens for a couple years now and just made my first trade. I traded a few pens I don't really use to a friend for a couple of gorgeous custom tobacco pipes he was getting rid of. But there was a pen involved. There will also be a Parker Sonnet included with the pipes. I have one already and loved it. This one is a different finish, though.

INTRODUCTION: The Omas Ogiva Vision Turquoise LE is my fifth Omas pen - a collaboration between local retailer Fook Hing Trading Co and Italian manufacturer Omas SRL. This installation of the Ogiva is exceptionally special because the pen is one in a limited edition of no more than 20 pieces. The new Omas Ogiva Vision Turquoise is only available locally and I consider myself fortunate to be able to own one of these beautiful specimens. The Ogiva Vision demonstrator was also available in another limited edition of Blue (with rose gold trims) and Green (with High Tech rhodium trims). The pens were a revival of the Ogiva Vision seen in the 1990s and early 2000s. The pen comes in an understated hard cardboard box lined with velvet. It is wrapped in plastic and placed into a velvety sheath. Below the pen, there is an information and warranty booklet. http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w143/nicholasyzh/Ogiva8Custom.jpg 1. Appearance & Design (10/10) – The Omas Ogiva Vision was born in the year 1927. It was one of the foremost pens designed by OMAS founder Armando Simoni, a prelude to some remarkable achievements which were to follow. The significance of the Ogiva in Omas’ history is clear - although the Ogiva is now discontinued as part of Omas’ regular production, it is still seen on commemorative editions. Like its name suggests, the Omas Ogiva Vision is a translucent demonstrator pen made with turquoise cotton resin. The turquoise coloured barrel is really attractive, with just the right amount of transparency. It is accented by luxurious rose gold trims and black piston parts, and a matching genuine agate cap rolling wheel. The rolling wheel matches the pen perfectly because it is semi-translucent. The appearance of the Ogiva Vision Turquoise is inspired by its creator’s love for Greek culture and architecture. The trademark Greek key etching is found on the central ring, while the pen's overall design is certainly a timeless statement of elegance. The Ogiva Vision Turquoise is more refined than its relative, The Paragon. The barrel is rounded, unlike The Paragon, which is faceted. This makes the pen very comfortable to hold and write with, no matter what your writing angle. Finally, the details of the pen are etched onto the cap in an understated way. If you weren’t looking closely, you may not notice the words "XX/20", which tell of the exclusive collaboration. 2. Construction & Quality (10/10) – The Omas Ogiva Vision Turquoise is a really well made pen. It is constructed from thick translucide “Cotton Resin”. The Ogiva Vision’s clear turquoise design reveals the innards of an Omas pen, and the innards of an Omas demonstrator offers no less than absolute perfection. Looking at the pen under a loupe, I could tell that the greatest efforts were taken to create the pen. It is free from imperfections and the translucent resin shows off the innards and piston mechanism. Apart from that, there were also no remnants from the factory and manufacturing line. Even the Flessible nib was free from any micro scratches and was polished to a perfect shine. The piston mechanism can be seen at work, something really enjoyable to watch. I have seen piston pens from other brands held together by some kind of epoxy, but here I can tell the Ogiva Vision Turquoise is held together by technical ingenuity. On a whole, I could find no flaw with the construction and quality, and I do believe that the pen will last a lifetime if used carefully. 3. Weight & Dimensions (8/10) – The Omas Ogiva Vision Turquoise is made of cotton resin, and therefore the pen is not very heavy. It is not light to the extent it feels cheap, and if it is filled it has considerable weight. The cap is also rather light so posting it is not a problem. The weight and dimensions of the Ogiva Vision Turquoise makes for long, comfortable writing and the almost standard sized body will suit almost any hand. Here are some technical specifications for those who’d like to know: Weight : 28 grams Length with cap closed : 14.7cm Diameter : 1.5 cm 4. Nib & Performance (10/10) – This is where everything gets exciting. The Omas Ogiva Vision Limited Edition Turquoise Demonstrator comes with a 14 karat gold Extra Flessible nib plated in rose gold. The nib can be regarded as semi-flex, and it gives a very nice soft feel to your writing. The 14k Extra Flessible is (in the words of a friend) unquestionably one of the closest things to a vintage flex (excluding the vintage flex itself). I opted for the Extra Fine version because I know that it gives the greatest line variation, and I really enjoy writing with this nib. If you do push it ever so slightly, you will see that the nib responds to your writing pressure. It is not as soft as a Pilot FA nib but not as hard as a Pilot Falcon either. Such a nib gives great shading when inked with the right inks. (Refer to attached writing scan.) If you write normally, you will get really comfortable writing with little effort, and the wonderful ebonite feed certainly keeps up with the nib in terms of flow. Some specialty nibs are also fitted on pens with a rather small ink capacity, which is a letdown - thankfully, that is not the case here. The generous piston system on the Ogiva Vision will provide hours and more of great writing. I continue to be impressed by the great nibs that Omas pens are fitted with. Omas nibs certainly hold up to the smoothness of Japanese nibs, yet they aren't as stiff. It seems their quality control systems are also very strict because I have yet to find any serious issues or misaligned tines out of the box. Overall, I would highly recommend Omas pens for their nibs. The nib is somewhat semi-flex but I do think it'd make a great daily writer especially in Extra Fine! 5. Filling System & Maintenance (8/10) - Specialty nibs consume a lot of ink just as a performance car consumes fuel. Fortunately, as I briefly mentioned above, the Ogiva Vision has a capacious filling system that will provide hours of continuous writing. The Omas piston system is not as easy to dismantle, and I'm unlikely to want to attempt that myself. However, I do trust that it will operate smoothly for years to come. The double-lipped plunger is unlikely to leak and will not need grease for a long time because it operates very smoothly. 6. Cost & Value (9/10) – Although the Omas Ogiva Vision Turquoise is a limited edition pen, retail price is indeed priced competitively in comparison to similar models. The fact that all models are equipped with an Extra Flessible nib is a big plus. The value of the pen is therefore tremendous, whether for use or for collection. The Extra Flessible nib will provide years of writing pleasure while the exclusivity and rareness of the pen means that you probably will never see a turquoise coloured, rose gold accented Ogiva Vision in the near future. 7.Conclusion (Final score, 9.16666666667/10) - I eagerly anticipated the arrival of the Ogiva Turquoise, and once it arrived my expectations were exceeded. Three things really made this a special pen for me - a. Turquoise demo b. Flexible nib c. 20-piece Limited Edition It is on this positive note that I end my review. I must say Omas truly deserves its listing by Foundazione Altagamma as one of the premium brands encapsulating the principles of Italian design and craftsmanship. I must also commend the good folks at Fook Hing Trading Co for their impeccable taste in creating this stunning demonstrator pen which balances luxury with writing performance. I can only wish them the best in their future collaborations. Background Information: You may be interested in the kinds of pens I like - I've long been an advocate of Japanese pens. I started out with my first pen, a Lamy Vista, many years ago. Eventually I progressed to the Lamy 2000 and a Sailor Professional Gear which I still write with daily today. I like wooden pens and demonstrator pens, and recently I started to appreciate Omas pens for their great nibs and construction quality. I acquired the Arte Italiana Art Deco and 360 in Vintage Turquoise, both of which are wonderful pens I am glad to have in my collection. This is my ninth review on FPN. You may have read my reviews of the Sailor Professional Gear here, Pilot Custom Heritage 92 here, Namiki Origami Crane here, Sailor Chizusugi Cedar Wood Sapporo here, Omas 360 Vintage Turquoise LE here, Pelikan Souveran M800 Tortoiseshell Brown here, Sailor 1911 Profit Hakone Yosegi-Zaiku here, Sailor Precious Wood of the World Sapporo pens here, Stipula Etruria Rainbow Yellow LE here. If you'd like to know more about my pens and collection you can find out more about me here at my profile. This review contains high-resolution photographs which you can view below the post. Till my next review, here are some photographs of this exceptional pen for your viewing pleasure! I’ve also included links to my previous reviews in the above paragraph for your convenience. http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w143/nicholasyzh/Ogiva1Custom.jpg http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w143/nicholasyzh/Ogiva2Custom.jpg http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w143/nicholasyzh/Ogiva3Custom.jpg http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w143/nicholasyzh/Ogiva4Custom.jpg http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w143/nicholasyzh/Ogiva5Custom.jpg http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w143/nicholasyzh/Ogiva6Custom.jpg http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w143/nicholasyzh/Ogiva7Custom.jpg