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 90th 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 90th 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
The 90th 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 90th 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 90th 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 100th
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
