Arco And Silver

[fpupulin]

I have no idea why Omas' designers decided to make a version of the “Grand” Paragon in Arco celluloid with the trims in silver, instead of the typical rhodium plated trims they used on the vintage reissues of the classic Paragon.

I always find that the color of the rhodiated metal is a bit cold when put aside the warm golden brown of the Arco celluloid, so in my case it was a welcomed idea using a metal – silver – that has a warmer tone to it than rhodium. It is possible that the combination did not match the tastes of most pennophiles, as Omas discontinued the silver-trimmed Gran Paragon a few years before its collapse, while they continued producing the gold-trimmed one until the end. For this reason, silver trimmed Grand Paragons are rarer than those finished in gold.

Now, one of the reasons of the no-love for the silver trim was perhaps the fact that silver tarnishes. On my side, this is one of the facets of silver that I like the most. My Grand Paragon Arco in silver trims is two-pens-in-one. If I do not clean the silver, it takes a darker and warmer, reddish tone, which seemingly blends into the warm brown of the celluloid. When I want a bit more of contrast between the metal and the celluloid, with a few seconds of cleaning with a silvers polishing cloth it comes back to its full and light brightness, greatly increasing the “presence” of the metal.

The orchid flowers - strongly and sweetly scented – are those of Rhynchostylis gigantea, a large and showy species broadly distributed into the forests of Southeast Asia, from eastern India throughout the peninsular Malaysia, Indochina, Borneo, and the Phillippines. I had a beautiful specimen at home to prepare a botanical plate, and as the flowers were beginning to fade, I cut them to be re-used for my hobbies o pens and photography.