Omas Fountain Pen - Which One Is It?

September 4, 2014

This doesn't seem to be the case with this Paragon, which I think is an early resin pen and has nothing engraved on the barrel. I think it is early since the cap shrank a little (with loose cap-band) and the nib/feed is friction fit. Another oddity is that the 14k nib carries no k-stamp or grade-stamp.

The 585 is the grade stamp......

D.ick

September 4, 2014

From when is Number 7, the grey marbled round one? Very beautiful, too.

1950s onward. N.7 is the later variant of the 555/S, it longer, more slender, with less radical tapering compared to the earlier variant n. 6.

Also note the position of the cap bands. On the later gray, it sits just above the edge of cap. On the earlier, n. 6, it's higher up and the lip is curved -- much like you see on the facetted pens. The earlier 55x/S pens have caps with the curved thin lips, which are extremely delicate; it's very common to find then with cracked, just from the force of posting the pens. Letizia Jacopini told me the lower of the capband and elimination of the curved lip on the later variant was done to prevent that.

Edited September 4, 2014 by eric47

September 4, 2014

OMAS has an incredibly confusing line up. I have found that the pens changed sizes over the years too. The late 40s early 50s pens were larger than the late 50s pens. A 557 from the early 50s (in the late 40s I don't think they didn't have the numbers yet) was over 14cm but by the late 50s it was more like 13.8cm which would have been the length of the senior 556 size in the early 50s.

Size changes over the years, sort of comes with the territory. Market tastes changes and what not. Omas isn't alone. Even the fabled Montblanc 146 (and probably the 149 too) have undergone size changes; my celluloid 1950s 146 are shorter than the modern/current resin variants.

With Omas I basically consider the 555, 556, and 557 as relative sizes for the given production period. That said, as you do have to have a fairly good idea of the absolute measures along with production period to know exactly what pen you're looking at or considering buying or bidding on. I once bid on a 1950s celluloid pen that was borderline 556/F and 557/F, I asked the seller who should have know whether it was closer to a Milord or Paragon/Gentleman. I was told Gentleman, but what I got was a 556/F; but it was not a big deal since the price was still good for what for a 556/F.

The modern resin variants (pre-LVMH restyling) are shorter but also more "pregnant" compared to the celluloid versions of the 1950s and 1960s.

Here you go, here are some medium and senior size pens from the 1940s (thereabouts) onward; they're not in chronological order.

At the time, I was taking them for a friend to show that the Galileo (n. 6, my modified user) is shorter than the celluloid Paragons (n. 7). The Galileo is actually closer in size to the 1950s-1960s 557/F like the Gentlemen (n. 5) capped. Although the barrel length of the Galileo is closer to a vintage Milord (n. 3), although wider.

n. 4 is a modern Milord, while n. 3 is vintage Milord -- not as clear that the modern Milord is shorter and more pregnant than the vintage. (Sorry no spot for a modern resin 557/F, Paragon, and Gentleman. )

n. 8 and n. 9 are the modern LE Extra Lucens and Lucens, which are significantly shorter than the celluloid Paragon (n. 7); they also don't have a step in the barrel. But they are size-wise much closer to the pens on which they're based: the vintage senior-size Extra Lucens and Lucens (n. 10 and 11). N. 1 is a standard/medium size Extra Lucens.

N. 12 is a massive senior size early post-war piston filler; before the switch to cigar shaped Ogivas. N. 2 is a standard/medium size from that period.

September 4, 2014

This doesn't seem to be the case with this Paragon, which I think is an early resin pen and has nothing engraved on the barrel. I think it is early since the cap shrank a little (with loose cap-band) and the nib/feed is friction fit. Another oddity is that the 14k nib carries no k-stamp or grade-stamp.

So your pen isn't an early Arte Italiana, which had serial numbers and names engraved on them. I think they only did it for a couple of years. the switch to 18K across the series I believe happens in the late 1980s - early 1990s. Certainly the celluloid 1991 onward pens had 18K nibs. So there's clearly a window where resin pens: (1) don't have common names on the barrels, and (2) 14K nibs were used. That said, I haven't seen many barrels with no markings, but with Omas anything is possible.

Omas vegetal resin I hate to say ain't that stable. It shrinks, although early pens tend to show it worse than later ones.

Your nib has 585 on it, that's the grade-stamp as others have indicated. There may be "14K" on it, it might be "in" the section.

With or without a nib/feed collar, you can friction fit the nib and feed. Really need a direct head on shot of the nib/feed to see section.

September 4, 2014

Your nib has 585 on it, that's the grade-stamp as others have indicated. There may be "14K" on it, it might be "in" the section.

With or without a nib/feed collar, you can friction fit the nib and feed. Really need a direct head on shot of the nib/feed to see section.

Thanks for the information! Here is a shot of the feed, nib and section. (With grade I mean an indication of the nib size.)

September 6, 2014

Fcarbon, yeah that looks like an early 80s section. I have one pen like that and the nib I had to fit quite deep otherwise there wasn't enough friction to hold the nib and get proper flow. A pity actually since the 14K nibs are flexy.

Indeed early 80s 14K nibs have no size indication engraved on them. On those old pens there was typically a small sticker indicating the size. Vintage Omas nibs also have no size engravings.

September 6, 2014

Fcarbon, yeah that looks like an early 80s section. I have one pen like that and the nib I had to fit quite deep otherwise there wasn't enough friction to hold the nib and get proper flow. A pity actually since the 14K nibs are flexy.

Indeed early 80s 14K nibs have no size indication engraved on them. On those old pens there was typically a small sticker indicating the size. Vintage Omas nibs also have no size engravings.

Thanks eric47 for the info! I recently experienced the ink flow issue myself. Now that the nib/feed is fit properly the inkflow is quite rich. I think the nib could be a OB or BB or do the Omas B's tend to be very B?

Thx!

Edited September 6, 2014 by fcarbon

September 6, 2014

Size changes over the years, sort of comes with the territory. Market tastes changes and what not. Omas isn't alone. Even the fabled Montblanc 146 (and probably the 149 too) have undergone size changes; my celluloid 1950s 146 are shorter than the modern/current resin variants.

With Omas I basically consider the 555, 556, and 557 as relative sizes for the given production period. That said, as you do have to have a fairly good idea of the absolute measures along with production period to know exactly what pen you're looking at or considering buying or bidding on. I once bid on a 1950s celluloid pen that was borderline 556/F and 557/F, I asked the seller who should have know whether it was closer to a Milord or Paragon/Gentleman. I was told Gentleman, but what I got was a 556/F; but it was not a big deal since the price was still good for what for a 556/F.

The modern resin variants (pre-LVMH restyling) are shorter but also more "pregnant" compared to the celluloid versions of the 1950s and 1960s.

Here you go, here are some medium and senior size pens from the 1940s (thereabouts) onward; they're not in chronological order.

omas_1.jpg

omas-2.jpg

At the time, I was taking them for a friend to show that the Galileo (n. 6, my modified user) is shorter than the celluloid Paragons (n. 7). The Galileo is actually closer in size to the 1950s-1960s 557/F like the Gentlemen (n. 5) capped. Although the barrel length of the Galileo is closer to a vintage Milord (n. 3), although wider.

n. 4 is a modern Milord, while n. 3 is vintage Milord -- not as clear that the modern Milord is shorter and more pregnant than the vintage. (Sorry no spot for a modern resin 557/F, Paragon, and Gentleman. )

n. 8 and n. 9 are the modern LE Extra Lucens and Lucens, which are significantly shorter than the celluloid Paragon (n. 7); they also don't have a step in the barrel. But they are size-wise much closer to the pens on which they're based: the vintage senior-size Extra Lucens and Lucens (n. 10 and 11). N. 1 is a standard/medium size Extra Lucens.

N. 12 is a massive senior size early post-war piston filler; before the switch to cigar shaped Ogivas. N. 2 is a standard/medium size from that period.

Beautiful collection. I have a full size tortoise Extra Lucens like no 10 and I love it...as a side note do you find the bi-color arrow nib on no 1 to be superior to the monotone arrow nib on 10?

I have one of the 50s MB 146s and you are right that they are smaller (and much better proportioned) than the newer ones but it seems odd that OMAS went from big to small to big again (I probably only notice it on OMAS pens because I buy those the most)...Montblanc went big and stayed big.

September 9, 2014

Theoretically the two-toned nib should be superior because they were designed to write on both sides of the nib, much like the hooded 361. It should have rather distinctive curved tines to allow the writing on both sides.

That said the sample in n. 1 when I found it have met with a rather solid object, e.g. the floor. So that pretty much meant when it got straightened for writing it lost the distinctive curved tines. But with the permanio furniture I opted to mount the two-tone nib that was waiting for a pen.

Edited September 9, 2014 by eric47

September 14, 2014

Size changes over the years, sort of comes with the territory. Market tastes changes and what not. Omas isn't alone. Even the fabled Montblanc 146 (and probably the 149 too) have undergone size changes; my celluloid 1950s 146 are shorter than the modern/current resin variants.

With Omas I basically consider the 555, 556, and 557 as relative sizes for the given production period. That said, as you do have to have a fairly good idea of the absolute measures along with production period to know exactly what pen you're looking at or considering buying or bidding on. I once bid on a 1950s celluloid pen that was borderline 556/F and 557/F, I asked the seller who should have know whether it was closer to a Milord or Paragon/Gentleman. I was told Gentleman, but what I got was a 556/F; but it was not a big deal since the price was still good for what for a 556/F.

The modern resin variants (pre-LVMH restyling) are shorter but also more "pregnant" compared to the celluloid versions of the 1950s and 1960s.

Here you go, here are some medium and senior size pens from the 1940s (thereabouts) onward; they're not in chronological order.

omas_1.jpg

omas-2.jpg

At the time, I was taking them for a friend to show that the Galileo (n. 6, my modified user) is shorter than the celluloid Paragons (n. 7). The Galileo is actually closer in size to the 1950s-1960s 557/F like the Gentlemen (n. 5) capped. Although the barrel length of the Galileo is closer to a vintage Milord (n. 3), although wider.

n. 4 is a modern Milord, while n. 3 is vintage Milord -- not as clear that the modern Milord is shorter and more pregnant than the vintage. (Sorry no spot for a modern resin 557/F, Paragon, and Gentleman. )

n. 8 and n. 9 are the modern LE Extra Lucens and Lucens, which are significantly shorter than the celluloid Paragon (n. 7); they also don't have a step in the barrel. But they are size-wise much closer to the pens on which they're based: the vintage senior-size Extra Lucens and Lucens (n. 10 and 11). N. 1 is a standard/medium size Extra Lucens.

N. 12 is a massive senior size early post-war piston filler; before the switch to cigar shaped Ogivas. N. 2 is a standard/medium size from that period.