2000 IG followers - WIN, WIN, WIN!

Erasmus said the supreme reward for mankind is nothing but a kind of madness; well clearly this applies to at least 2000+ of you Quillophyles now following my Instagram account. Why on earth would you do it?

Well, whatever your reason I want to thank you; and what is the best way for Quillophyles to reward each other? Yes, I'm giving away a fountain pen.

This is a significant mile-stone, so the prize needs to be significant too. I thought about sharing one of my beloved OMAS fountainpens - but I just can't forgo any of them. So I've decided to stick with Italy but move to Florence.

Here it is:

A Visconti Moonlight Voyager in Rose gold Vermeil, with a 14k Medium nib AND complete with a matching Travelling Ink Pot.

I hope you'll agree, this is a great prize.

To enter is easy. Just repost my Instagram Competition IG post (I'll do a few) with the tag #Quillidyllic and tag one friend. The winner will be chosen at random.

Thankyou Quillophyles for following; and don't stop posting!

OMAS -tars! Save OMAS - use one!

Just to help with my heading, that should be pronounced: "Oh-Ma-Stars"!

Arco gathering: Paragon, Ogiva, 360

Yes, this is a blog that is distressing to pen (pun-intended).

Founded by Armando Simoni in Bologna in Italy in 1925, 90 years ago, the OMAS Fountain Pen Company, (Officine Meccaniche Armando Simoni) is under threat and up for sale or closure. 

556/s Brevetto

This sad state of affairs does not relate to the quality of OMAS pens, their design, their appeal or their value; unfortunately the challenge in any global world, lies with the ownership structure and the broader goals and needs of global companies. In this case, 90% shareholder Oluxe, cannot see a role for OMAS in its future. A similar situation occurred in around 2007 when Hennessy, Louis Vuitton sold its 50% share in Omas. On a hopeful note, OMAS survived. 

If you have looked at this blog before, you know my obsession appreciation for the output of this small but wonderful fountain pen Company. With a staff of only 17 in Italy, OMAS produce:

• the most stunning celluloids (Arco, Wild, Lucens, et al);

Lucens 2000

Arco Paragon closeup

• wonderful nibs (one of the few to continue using ebonite feeds for the best ink flow; and the producers of the world-best modern, production flex nibs -"extra flessible"); 

Omas 90th Anniversary Scarlet Paragon

Arlecchino with stub nib (ink is Herbin  1670 Emerald of Chivor)

Black Lucens (my pen, photo by my friend T.J. Garvie)

• fabulous resins (Soleterre, 360 vintages, the Alba and Cocktail Ogiva series);

Turquoise and rose gold, Vintage 360

How did that Pilot VP get in there? The 360 Soleterre is on the right :-)

• Limited editions (too many to mention); and

 

1996 Ercolessi LE

• Creative and Innovative design (the 360 is still my favourite modern pen).

Orange Soleterre (left) and Arco 360

So what does this mean? (apart from the fact that I have too many OMAS pens)

Well, I can't afford to buy out the company (although I have done my best to keep them afloat through my purchases). 

I am now therefore committing to use my OMAS fountain pens, and ONLY my OMAS fountain pens, until such time as the company is saved.

Join me. 

If you have OMAS fountain pens sitting in your drawer, pen case or pocket, pull it/them out, ink them up and use them! 

If you don't own an OMAS pen (and why on earth not!!) buy one, buy more than one! 

OK, if you don't have the cash (and you don't want to use credit), find a vintage OMAS fountain pen and use that (it doesn't support the current company, but it supports the OMAS legacy).

OMAS is a wonderful fountain pen brand, with a rich history; be a part of history and join me in crossing pens and wishing them an even better future.

from left top: Ogiva Alba (x2); Ogiva wild; and Ogiva Autunno. Bottom: Ogiva Arco

Here are just a few gratuitous photos to close with:

Extra 556 in gold

Some of my Paragons (photo taken by my friend TJ Garvie)

Platinum Arco Extra (circa 1937)

90th Anniversary LE Paragon

TWSBI Eco Review - smiling!

“TWSBI” – I pronounce it “Twiz-bee”, is just a great name don’t you think? Just the sound of its name invokes an immediate smile. And the TWSBI fountain pen company seems determined to keep that smile beaming. I don’t have all their pens. I have the original 530, a blue 540 with a big stub nib, and an orange 580AL that I just love. I even have one of their ink-bottles. So when word of the Eco filtered through the social networks it was inevitable that an Eco would filter down to me.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

TWSBI have always been good with their presentation. This time, a few changes: a red box (my others came in clear plastic covered with a cardboard sleeve), a red plastic wrench for adjusting the piston (my others came with a metal wrench –the red one is way cooler!) silicon grease (no change there); and you already have a nice little package.

I chose the white (I thought the black was a little sombre for me). First impression? Looks like the pictures – that’s a good start. Let’s see how she looks inked…

7/10

APPEARANCE AND DESIGN

The TWSBI Eco is not a looker; but there is something about it’s utilitarian stance that is very appealing.

At an attainable $29 or thereabouts; the Eco is set up as an alternative to the Lamy Safari as an entry level fountain pen of substance (of course there’s the Pilot Metropolitan – that I don’t have but many talk about in positive terms -, the Pilot Kakuno -that I do have and is a wonderful writer-, the Pelikan Twist -cute but not for long writing sessions- and more that are available at around this price range).  The Safari has, however, with it’s colours, nib choices and availability, managed to capture what I call the “penbetweeners”: the ballpoint users who are looking to be different but don’t want to be too different, while also flashing a little colour or style in the process. The Eco gives them a new choice and, in my opinion, a more legitimate fountain pen experience.  The Eco colours are the inks you choose, so your choices are limitless (hooray – I don’t have to wait for a purple Lamy, I just have to fill my TWSBI Eco with purple ink!) The fact that the TWSBI is a piston filler also means more ink than the Lamy, and you can watch it at work – cool. That said, the Eco hasn’t quite got the design flair of the Lamy; it’s a touch clunky looking. The Lamy is a better-looking pen in my opinion; the TWSBI however, is the better writer – which way would you go?

 

My last issue here belongs to those of us who like to post our pens (yes that’s me – yes, I know for some that is a travesty – get over it!). Posted, I think the Eco actually looks better than capped. You can see the full effect of your colour choice in the barrel and section (my choice for my first fill was Iroshizuku Yama Budo, which looks great in the pen); you can see the nib; you can see the piston; and the white cap sets off these colours beautifully (something I think the black would not work with as well unless you were going for a stealth, Emo sort of thing - actually there’s a marketing idea: the Eco Emo!). But my one little qualm is that while the cap seems to post comfortably at first, it pops up annoyingly during writing, and has to be pushed back.

My other little qualm about the cap is the logo on its end. The Twsbi logo is really cool; and on my other TWSBIs the logo sits on the top of the cap slightly raised in a clear material with a silver logo on a red background. This is where the Eco looks, well, eco. On the Eco the logo is a flat piece of cheap looking red plastic with a slightly raised logo also in red. It sounds small and insignificant; but I think it would have looked way cooler with the usual TWSBI treatment, which I assume, couldn’t be done if they wanted to keep the price down.

7.5/10

WEIGHT AND DIMENSIONS

The section diameter ranges from 9 mm to 10 mm. The length of the pen capped is around 139 mm and uncapped, from the tip of the nib it comes in at 130 mm. Posted to measures at 166 mm (until it pops up). This makes it only very marginally shorter than the 530s and 540s

Here is a posted size comparison with a Jinhao (which is the same dimensions as a Lamy Safari) and a Pelikan 101n

If you want precise weight here, sorry, it’s not my obsession (and goodness knows I have enough of them). However I can say the Eco is relatively light and comfortable to hold and write with for long sessions.

8/10

NIB AND PERFORMANCE

I chose the 1.1 stub nib following the fantastic stub on my 540. I haven’t been disappointed. While the nib is not as large as my 540 nib; and I notice that the shape of the nib is not as tapered as my other TWSBIs (hopefully you will see what I mean in the photo of my TWSBI family below) it is nevertheless a lovely pen to write with and has been so from the second it came out of the box. I have always liked the TWSBI nibs more than the Lamy Safaris and the Eco has not changed that.

8/10

FILLING SYSTEM

Piston fillers are always my preference, and with the Eco, TWSBI is offering one of the cheapest piston fillers out there. I’m not sure what the full ink capacity is, but it’s good. This piston is smooth to use (no sticking) and draws well – if not to totally full on the first drawer.

8.5/10

COST AND VALUE

It’s called the “Eco”; is it? Yes. Just a few tiny bits (the logo, the popping cap), that suggest its price; but great value and a better fountain pen than many more expensive alternatives.

10/10

 

CONCLUSION

I feel the Eco is going to be one of my staple, go-to-in-a-hurry pens. It’s affordable, engaging, shows off my inks and writes beautifully. Well done TWSBI; keep innovating!

82/100

0-50 = to be avoided at all costs

51-60        = if it’s cheap and you don’t really care….

61-70        = a nice pen with the makings of something better (just don’t spend too much)

71-80        = A better than average pen with just a few flaws that stop it from being really good

81-90        = A good pen, a keeper only a few minor places off being great

91-95        = Now THIS is a pen! If you can get it: keep it, love it, cherish it, and keep it away from the dog

96-100       = Grail

OMAS 90th Anniversary Cavalier Armando Simoni Limited Edition Scarlet Red Celluloid

The 90th Anniversary Cavalier Armando Simoni Limited Edition Scarlet Red Celluloid fountain pen (that’s a lot to say, so let’s just call it the 90^th Anniversary from now on), is a beautiful quillidyllic offering for seasoned quillophiles like myself.

Named after the Omas founder, Armando Simoni, and released to coincide with the June 15, 1925 founding of the Officina Meccanica Armando Simoni (O.M.A.S.), this limited edition pen (mine is number 52 of 90) comes as part of a set of three pens. The other two are a Saft Green celluloid with a 18k gold nib in Extra Fine, and a Radica celluloid (that looks a little like wood) with a Medium “Extra Flessible” nib.  Mine was supposed to come with a Broad nib, but I opted for the Extra Fine.

The three fountain pens together, of course, are not an inexpensive offering, so I opted for just the one; and a piece of Omas history made its way to me from Rome (thankyou Marco at Novelli’s) while, simultaneously   boosting the Italian economy and reducing Australian GDP!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

If you are new to this blog, what I am about to write about my first impression will be informative. If you have been here before, sorry, you may have heard this once or twice before: I LOVE OMAS!!! 

One pen in a special addition of only 90, this fountain pen is a joy to behold!

9/10

APPEARANCE AND DESIGN

With another fountain pen manufacturer recently releasing their own 90^th anniversary editions, there was always a challenge that Omas might under or over-do their offering, or suffer by comparison. What was I thinking? The good people at Omas have design, quality and aesthetics well-and-truly sorted; and comparison? Bring it on!

I already have an Omas Paragon in this glorious Scarlet Red celloloid, so I know in advance the opulence, depth and variety on offer. No disappointment here.

The design of the 90th Anniversary stays true to the Omas Paragon legacy. Essentially, the 90th Anniversary pen is not dissimilar to my Scarlet Paragon. Size, weight, clip (the famous roller wheel), are all fundamentally the same.

The difference lies in the nine gold bands on the cap and barrel, one for each decade in Omas's history, and the limited engraved 90th anniversary logo on the nib (more on that shortly). I should add, that the Limited edition sets have been offered with either gold or rhodium trim. I chose gold (and I'm very happy with my choice!)

As I pondered the concept of so many bands, I wondered (firstly, whether I didn't have anything more important to ponder; but secondly:) if all those gold bands might look too much... Not at all! The gold bands, five on the cap and four on the barrel, beautifully contrast with the Scarlet celluloid and the single gold band on the tail of the barrel / top of the piston.

As the pen also has the usual Paragon 12 facets, the gold in the bands catches the light at different angles as you write; almost winking at you as if to say '...hai fatto una buona scelta! which I hope translates to "you made a good choice"!)

As the cap is wider than the barrel, the first five gold bands are wider than the four on the body. For those in search of symmetry, this may be annoying; but beauty to me lies in difference. Perfect symmetry is bland; the 90th Anniversary is not.

9/10

 WEIGHT AND DIMENSIONS

The 90^th Anniversary is, as I mentioned above, a standard, Omas Paragon size. On my measurements therefore, that means it’s around 14cm capped (5.6 inches), and, measuring from the nib tip to the base, it is 12.7cm (5 inches) uncapped and about 17.7cm (6.7 inches) posted. 

The pen is a good weight and indiscernible from the Paragon. What does that mean? It’s comfortable to hold, not too heavy for long sessions and not too light to make it feel insubstantial.

10/10

NIB AND PERFORMANCE

Omas are the nib masters. With this limited edition pen, nib choices were limilted. I am not necessarily an extra fine nib sort of guy (just not that subtle I guess). But following my recent positive experience with the Extra fine nib on my Orange Omas Ogiva Alba, I was looking forward to both seeing this nib, and taking it for a drive.

Firstly, I love the fact that the nib is two-tone (gold/silver). The gold blends in well again with the gold accessories, and two tone nibs just seem to say “quality” and “care” to me.

I love the simple 90^th Anniversary logo. 

Straight out of the box, the ebonite feed provides a smooth and uninterrupted writing experience. In the end, the nib is a trifle fine for my liking; but that is a preference not a quality issue. A medium might have helped to broaden those lines a little; but this pen remains of nirvanic proportions.

9/10

FILLING SYSTEM

Piston fillers are always my preference, and Omas does not disappoint. With a capacity of 1.7ml, there is plenty of ink (and with the fine nib, plenty of writing time). This piston is smooth to use (no sticking) and draws flawlessly.

10/10

COST AND VALUE

Limited editions are not inexpensive. The 90^th Anniversary is no exception. But the quality of the offering: the nib, the celluloid, the design; as well as its limited availability, means you get every bit of what you paid for.

9/10

CONCLUSION

The 90th Anniversary Cavalier Armando Simoni Limited Edition Scarlet Red Celluloid fountain pen, is a wonderful pen. Omas, I will be saving my pennies for the next 10 years to see just what you can do for your 100^th Anniversary!!

93/100

0-50          = to be avoided at all costs

51-60        = if it’s cheap and you don’t really care….

61-70        = a nice pen with the makings of something better (just don’t spend too much)

71-80        = A better than average pen with just a few flaws that stop it from being really good

81-90        = A good pen, a keeper only a few minor places off being great

91-95        = Now THIS is a pen! If you can get it: keep it, love it, cherish it, and keep  it away from the dog

96-100      = Grail

Bungubox Sailor Canneberge Review

Instagram is an instrument of Satan! Bungubox (or Bung-box, both seem to apply at different stages) is a speciality shop in Japan selling fountain pens and inks including unique pens like this Canneberge. Bungbox has an Instagram page. I saw this pen there. A direct message followed (quickly responded to by them) and… here we are.  

As for the name “Bungbox” – not sure it translates all that well! 

The (not so Bung) box my pen arrived in.

Where I come from, “Bung” means broken.  But I like the irony here; as the only thing this pen may break is your frown into a smile. :-)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Love it! Little specks of glitter scattered like stars deep amongst an almost jelly-like deep maroon acrylic; the rose gold accents of the setting sun – this is not my usual type of pen, but … :)

8/10

Its so hard to get the colour right in my iPhone pics!

APPEARANCE AND DESIGN

First comes the packaging. No one can criticise the Japanese for their packaging. They know how to make the customer feel special.

From the box, ribbons and paper to the lovely message and little oragami addition on the note, Bungubox presents well. (the message is in a photograph at the end of this blog).

The Canneberge is based on the Sailor full size 1911 series; so its foundations are already positive. Add to its excellent embryonic state, the colour (which is clearly the differentiator here) and you are presented with a wonderful example of limited edition playfulness.

I am a sucker for fountain pens that are made with materials and colours that have a certain depth and je ne sais crois !  It is what I think leads me to the Omas Celluloids. In the Canneberge, (French for Cranberry) that look is there in spades!

The danger with materials like this can be that they can be a little gauche, over-the-top, gaudy, too much (was that too much?). Surprisingly this pen is not. The rose gold accessories nicely understate (where I think that yellow gold would have drowned the pen).

The Standard Sailor clip is subtle, sophisticated and simple. Sailor nibs are always attractive in my view, and the rose gold here again, is a lovely match to the Canneberge body. Similarly, the gentle touch of the single gold ring above the threads contrasts beautifully with its surroundings.

The Canneberge is a limited edition. Limited, I think, to 38 pens; although I have scanned my pen and can’t see a number.

Posted or unposted (a choice I am always happy to have, and this pen is happy to oblige) the Canneberge is an attractive fountain pen that sets itself apart as a little different without being so unique that you couldn’t take it to the office unless you wanted to make a point. 

8.5/10

WEIGHT AND DIMENSIONS

For comparison the Canneberge is on the right, a Pelikan Streseman 805 in the centre and a Conklin Wordguage on the Left.

The Canneberge is a standard, full-size Sailor 1911.That means it’s 14cm capped (5 ½ inch), 12cm uncapped and about 15 ½ cm posted. The body tapers from 1cm wide at the top and base, to just under 1 ½ cm in the centre.

For me, I prefer the length posted as I hold my pens reasonably far up the section. Without the cap, I find the length a little short for my preference.

The pen is a good weight. What does that mean? Well it’s comfortable to hold, not too heavy for long sessions and not too light to make it feel insubstantial.

8/10

NIB AND PERFORMANCE

Sailor make brilliant, and consistently high quality nibs. This one is a Medium Stub (marked “M S” on the side of the nib) which lays down a great broadish line but with nice variation too.  The pen wrote perfectly out of the box, has been filled thrice (once with Herbin Violette Pensee, once with Herbin Ocean blue and once - current - with Pelikan Edelstein Amethyst) and no hard-starts, no problems. 

I think that for me, the stub is broader than my preference; but that’s a “me” issue, not the pen.

8/10

FILLING SYSTEM

Cartridge Converter. I prefer piston. With the width of the MS nib especially. The wide nib means that this pen churns through ink like a V12 burns through petrol: 2 miles to the gallon if I’m lucky! The converter works well enough; but you have to keep re-filling pretty frequently if you keep a broader nib like I have.

7/10

COST AND VALUE

The Bungubox Canneberge is a limited edition pen with a small run so you would expect it to be up there for cost! The Sailor full size 1911s that forms its base are great quality pens and not cheap in themselves (around US$240 on Nibs.com). The premium over the base price was therefore actually not too bad at all.  Value for money? Yes, I think so.

8/10

CONCLUSION

The Canneberge is a playful but serious fountain pen that is different enough to set it apart, but practical enough to keep it in rotation. The colour is clearly it’s strength  - if you’re colour-blind, don’t bother!

79/100

A nice message that came with the package

0-50          = to be avoided at all costs

51-60        = if it’s cheap and you don’t really care….

61-70        = a nice pen with the makings of something better (just don’t spend too much)

71-80        = A better than average pen with just a few flaws that stop it from being really good

81-90        = A good pen, a keeper only a few minor places off being great

91-95        = Now THIS is a pen! If you can get it: keep it, love it, cherish it, and keep it away from the dog

96-100       = Grail