The Omas Paragon In Titanium Bronze Dlc #64/100

[sub_bluesy]

I just picked up one of these about a week or so ago. Ive been trying to get one for almost 6 months now and out of nowhere, one was available from Bryant at a fair price these days. I jumped on it and pulled the trigger! Ive only started collecting Omas pens about 2 years ago and have had to make up ground quickly.

 

First impression. This pen is extremely elegant with the diamond like carbon purple/bronze color and rose gold trim! Very exquisite! The nib and trim is a pink gold instead of red gold and very fitting for the look of the whole package. When I first saw it, I felt that it was a pen that would fit well in an older pen collectors private vault. I didnt feel like I was a seasoned enough pen collector to have such an exquisite pen. I have a fair amount of Omas pens in my collection, but this pen is on another level. The body and cap are media blasted so you get these amazing satin reflections in the light across the facets but the edges of the facets are laser sharp. Not rounded at all. In low light the pen is a sort of light plumb/purple. Really interesting colors from this pen in different lights. It rarely looks just bronze. Despite the media blasted finish, it does show finger prints easily.

 

The box had an outer cover in a soft touch black with kind of rose gold embossed text. The main box is standard Omas for a Paragon and came with a bottle of Omas black. Omas black is a nice ink but I dont really use it much and find that its mild, and tad light and dry. Its a very safe ink in my opinion and I typically use it to run a fill to completely clean out highly saturated inks out of piston fillers. Its very easy to clean at the end of a refill. The paperwork had the standard QC card along with another soft touch black folded card with rose gold text about the titanium series. Also had the same brief booklet about Omas. The whole presentation was very nicely done.

 

This pen feels like its absolutely bomb proof! It has a nice weight to it and the DLC finish feels very rugged. Im not sure how hard the titanium alloy actually is on this pen but it feels incredibly solid. Its such a beautiful pen but the way its built is beyond just durable. I feel like it would just last forever and be completely unfazed even with daily use over decades. The weight feels different than a brass pen. Its hard to describe but the feel is very unique. When you first pick up the pen, it feels cool to the touch but not cold. Its winter right now here so I imagine its a little cooler than usual. The pen heats up quickly and retains a nice warmth to it for a long time. I usually dont pay attention to these things honestly but it was immediately noticeable with this pen and very pleasant! The section is black resin with the serial number embossed into the material opposite the top of the nib. I have a feeling this pen would make an excellent EDC pen if the situation was a little different. Ive been using it daily at work but Im obsessively careful with the pen due to replacement parts being scarce. I think its really the most impressive overall Omas Ive seen or handled based on aesthetics and build quality. Its writing very well these days too after some work!

 

Writing experience needed some effort to optimize. The nib was rotated on the feed and the tines were misaligned a little. This is pretty standard in my experience with modern Omas pens save for the one pen I received that was tuned at Omas, a Paragon Ludovico Einaudi Signature in broad. That pen is my best writer and has never had a problem. Epic pen! The rest of my Omas collection made past 2004 are pretty much all tuned the same from Omas. Maybe I should say not tuned. Nib slightly rotated on the feed with some unique feedback. I was only able to get a fine nib these days on this pen in 18kt. The nib was rotated on the feed as usual and the tines a little misaligned. The misaligned tines was not usual though. I pulled the nib and feed to re-seat it correctly. I had to heat set it and then align the tines. I ground the nib and polished to a 6k micromesh finish that still maintains the spirit of the original feedback but is tuned correctly for my hand. The pen writes more like a medium now and has a nice wet line. Im very happy with the nib after working it for a good amount of time. I had to heat set it one more time as it broke in also. Might need to heat set it a 3rd time as its on the edge of ink pooling up when writing.

 

Overall, Im very impressed with this pen! The writing experience is nice but there isnt a novelty to it like a stub or italic. Its just a good medium-ish writer now with nice feedback. I find myself staring at the pen kind of a lot. Its not as crazy as a brown arco, but the reflections are really cool over the facets! It must have taken a long time to make this pen. Its the best built Omas Ive seen by far. Its a very striking pen but verges on being understated until you really start looking at the details. From 10 feet away, it just looks like a brownish-bronze pen, but if youre writing with it, its quite spectacular and flashy in a very refined way. I would say its a must have in any Omas collection!

[da vinci]

Nice review, thanks

[sub_bluesy]

  On 12/23/2017 at 12:00 PM, da vinci said:

Nice review, thanks

Thanks! I didn’t see much about this pen, save for a couple reviews, so I thought I would put something out there. It’s a great pen and I’m really happy with it these days

[KaB]

What a beauty: congrats!

(this pen might replace the arco brown as my 'keep on dreaming' grail pen)

[sub_bluesy]

  On 12/24/2017 at 8:31 AM, KaB said:

What a beauty: congrats!

(this pen might replace the arco brown as my 'keep on dreaming' grail pen)

I’ll try to post a pic of the brown arco Paragon side by side with the Ti Paragon today. Both are excellent pens but the titanium Paragon is built to a much higher standard. Maybe not so much “standard” but the Ti Pen takes advantage of the materials a little more. I’m apprehensive of using the brown arco due to the celluloid out in the field. If It‘s dropped, there’s no return. The titanium pen is probably the best built pen I have. It’s really an incredible piece! Not very heavy but extremely wear resistant. I’m still apprehensive about using that pen in the field as well but it might just be my imagination. It’s a rock solid pen! If you come across a chance to get either, they’re worth every penny!

[sub_bluesy]

  On 12/24/2017 at 8:31 AM, KaB said:

What a beauty: congrats!

(this pen might replace the arco brown as my 'keep on dreaming' grail pen)

Took a couple snaps side by side. Its a tough call! Both pens are special with the titanium pen flying a little under the radar and the arco with yellow gold trim being very exciting. Both are grail pens for me.

[KaB]

thx for the pics!

[sub_bluesy]

  On 12/27/2017 at 7:23 AM, KaB said:

thx for the pics!

 

Pay no attention to the ink pooling on the sides of the titanium Paragon nib! I think its time to heat set the nib again. Finicky Italians!

[rudyhou]

Omas. congrats on your new pen. it looks real nice.

[darazs]

Very nice pen and excellent review - thanks!

[allen_paris]

I have got two very similar pens : a titanium T2 and an arco. Let them go but missed them. I have a 360 DLC and is my favorite one. I like the feeling of the titanium with the DLC on it.

 

Good choice and understand you when you say "a grail". nice review, I had great pleasure to read it

[Theroc]

  On 12/27/2017 at 6:42 AM, sub_bluesy said:

Took a couple snaps side by side. Its a tough call! Both pens are special with the titanium pen flying a little under the radar and the arco with yellow gold trim being very exciting. Both are grail pens for me.

 

Booth are marvelous pens. Owning booth is the only way to go, I mean I wouldn't be able to choose one between the two.

They are as iconic as they come. Congrats.

[biancitwo]

  On 12/24/2017 at 8:03 AM, sub_bluesy said:

Thanks! I didn’t see much about this pen, save for a couple reviews, so I thought I would put something out there. It’s a great pen and I’m really happy with it these days

Does it have a titanium nib? If so, how do you like the feel of it? Mine was very soft, but without spring. The tines spread with little pressure. That's why Mottishaw is switching it out for an 18k gold nib.

[biancitwo]

  On 1/26/2018 at 6:56 PM, biancitwo said:

Does it have a titanium nib? If so, how do you like the feel of it? Mine was very soft, but without spring. The tines spread with little pressure. That's why Mottishaw is switching it out for an 18k gold nib.

Mottishaw will be shipping mine, with a new Omas gold italic nib, in the next couple of days. The titanium was nearly as mushy as a brush. I cannot wait to feel the new gold nib.

[sub_bluesy]

  On 1/26/2018 at 6:56 PM, biancitwo said:

Does it have a titanium nib? If so, how do you like the feel of it? Mine was very soft, but without spring. The tines spread with little pressure. That's why Mottishaw is switching it out for an 18k gold nib.

This one has an 18kt gold nib in fine. I believe the original T2 had a Titanium nib but the bronze DLC Titanium has a gold nib. I had to do some work to it but Im extremely happy with it these days! Its just about perfect for me but I did work it for a good amount of time to get there. The only Titanium nibs Ive used are Bocks and I really like them. The broad #6 was way too much but Ive ground mine to an italic. That makes it more reasonable. Its basically a fire hose in broad. I loved the medium #6! That was a great nib for me. I have a fine #6 coming in along with a medium #5 from Goulet probably Saturday. Both of those nibs are going to find theyre way on a pen ASAP. I tried to put the Bock #6 and feed on the Omas but it was too tight. I abandoned the project once I realized the peril I was close to with Omas being no more and parts impossible to find.

Edited February 1, 2018 by sub_bluesy

[farazqamar]

beautiful pen. so sad that omas is no more. i have a few of their pens and love them.

[sub_bluesy]

  On 2/11/2018 at 8:05 PM, farazqamar said:

beautiful pen. so sad that omas is no more. i have a few of their pens and love them.

The whole thing is really unfortunate. I hope whoever bought their equipment will at least make an effort to produce new pens with the same level of design. On a whole, Omas made awesome pens!