Pursuit of an almost elusive Omas 360

PRELUDE

The never ending search of NOS Omas-es

My love with Omas began with a dodecagonal (12-faceted) Omas Vision back in 2015. Like a fleeting teenage romance, it turned out to be as ephemeral as it was passionate, as the 90-year old company filed for bankruptcy the very next year, in 2016.

                            For years, I never managed to acquire another Omas ,until late 2024, when I crossed paths with Tom Westerich (penboard.de). This inadvertent meeting led me to acquiring a few more Omas pens: a beautifully fluted 2003 Ogiva from Tom, an Europa later from Regina (martiniauctions) and a 360 dating back from the 1990s to early 2000s, courtesy of Marco (penboard).

Now, I feel my pursuit for Omas pens has reached it’s conclusion though seemingly intelligent people who love ballpoint pens would see it as redundant. Among the pens, the 360 in Venice blue stands out. It came with a titanium emotica nib (semi-flex, by the way which original Omas nib isn’t!). Marco, in a gesture of old-school trust graciously refused payment until I received the pen and tested it, a courtesy likely extended because of my connection with Tom.

        The 360 seems to be a pen of legend, evoking tales of endless delight and occasional heartbreak from its end users. Nonetheless, I am going to exalt the 360 in this review and here is why!

HISTORY

The luxury of yesteryears now withered away

According to the listing, the pen came without a box but did include its original pen sleeve - sporting a matching blue color or rather, what remained of it after 30 years of loyal service. Back then, Omas wouldn’t have left a stone unturned, when it came to presenting their exquisitely crafted pens.

The history of the 360 design is a fascinating tale, well-documented in this FPN comment. Apparently, in the 1990s, Omas was inundated with fountain pens sent in for nib repairs. The culprit? Users who apparently gripped the fountain pens incorrectly! Enter Miss Malaguti (refers to Raffaella Simoni, Armando Simoni’s daughter), who had a lightbulb moment: why not design a pen that forces users to hold it the right way. This stroke of genius led to the triangular 360, but it also created a new engineering challenge: how to cram their standard cylindrical piston mechanism into a triangular barrel. The solution? Stretch the pen’s size, making it significantly larger than Omas’s typical offerings. I discovered this firsthand when I held the 360 - it’s as big as the Scribo Feel, though without the heft.

DESIGN

An Equilateral Triangle

The Omas 360, released in 1996, is often hailed as the brand's last major design innovation, featuring its iconic triangular body and grip. I’ll admit, the idea of a triangular grip never seemed convincing to me - at least not until I actually held the pen in my hands. For this 360, the trims are rhodium-plated, a finish Omas fancifully called "HT" (High Tech).

        Even after three decades, the pen manages to dazzle - though now in the muted hues of Venetian blue. The triangular facets give the pen a unique sense of curvature, something absent from the dodecagonal Paragon designs. At the finials, the gentle curvature is so precise it feels like it was sculpted by a mathematician in love with parabolas. The trims are simple yet elegant: a thin triangular ring followed by a thick center band adorned with the Greek key, meandros. Notably, unlike the more modern Omas pens from the company's later years (pre-2016 closure), this band doesn’t have "OMAS" stamped within the motif. Closed, the final trim cleverly highlights the piston knob - a small but satisfying detail.

The cap is snap-fit and pulls off with ease. However, I do have a minor quibble with the two-stage snapping mechanism. There’s a slight wobble during the second stage of uncapping, though it does seem to minimize the risk of ink spillage - a trade-off, perhaps. In my experience with premium fountain pen snap caps, the spectrum of quality is wide. At the top sits Faber-Castell (GvFC), while Sheaffer Legacy sits firmly at the bottom, scratching entire sections with the kind of determination that makes you wonder if it’s intentional. (Pro tip: If you want scratches to feel like a design feature rather than a bug, go all-in like the Lamy 2000. No offense to L2K lovers - I’m one of you!) Omas 360 comfortably lands in the top 20th percentile of snap-cap designs, at least in my limited experience and collection.

Even without a magnifying glass, the trims bear the subtle marks of 30 years of ageing, lending the pen a certain vintage charm. The friction-fit clip arcs gracefully, with a concave taper that’s as functional as it is beautiful.

Opening the cap reveals a delightful cross-sectional symmetry at the section’s end: a thin triangular ring followed by the signature Greek-key band. There’s a minor step as you transition to the section, but it never interferes with writing comfort. The triangular grip is smooth and intuitive, with its three planes acting as natural guardrails to ensure proper nib alignment. The pen does feel larger, albeit lightweight, compared to other Omas pens fitted with #6 nibs.

FILLING & CLEANING SYSTEMS

Piston Filler, Easy to use though difficult to service

The piston filling system features a sturdy, pyramid-like knob at the end, along with two tiny metallic circles. These are the exposed ends of a brass pin that secures the blind cap to the piston mechanism. The knob requires a respectable 4–5 turns to move the piston to its end stop, and the mechanism works smoothly, drawing up an around 1.2 ml of ink from the bottle. The difference in weight prior and post filling the pen was 1.18g.

Now, when it comes to lubricating the piston mechanism, things get a bit...tricky. Unlike the Paragon or Ogiva series, where you can simply unscrew the section and go to town with your silicone grease, the 360 makes you work for it. You’ll either need to carefully pull out the pin at the piston end or remove the heat-set nib from the other end. Both approaches require caution, patience, and possibly a bit of meditation beforehand. Secondly, it takes a long time to clean the pen, some ink just keeps coming out from nowhere.

NIB - ALL THAT MATTERS

Titanium Emotica

My Omas 360 is equipped with a Medium Titanium Emotica-series semi-flex nib, which feels remarkably similar to a well-tuned Conid Ti nib. The size "M" is discreetly marked on the wing of the nib, while the material composition is etched towards its tail. The OMAS branding sits within an oval, adorned with some scrollwork that looks definitely inferior to the gold nibs. Fortunately, the nib arrived perfectly tuned, and I’ve had no complaints so far.

The heat-set black ebonite feed ensures a generous ink buffer and an unapologetically wet ink flow. Ebonite, being hydrophilic, attracts water, unlike its hydrophobic plastic counterparts. This makes ebonite exceptionally efficient at delivering ink to the nib.

There’s also a charming difference between Omas feeds of different eras. The modern feeds (circa 2015) showcase symmetrical fins on their exposed surfaces, giving them a neat, precise look. In contrast, the older feeds (1996–2003) embrace a minimalist aesthetic, with a plain design.

PHYSICS OF IT – RELATIVELY SPEAKING

The Laws of Ms. Malaguti

Although there’s a step down from the barrel to the section, it never interferes with writing comfort. The pen is large, much like the Scribo Feel, and proves to be quite comfortable for extended writing sessions. And to top it off, there’s no room for confusion when holding the nib, thanks to the ingenious design by Miss Malaguti.

Below are the pictures along with a Scribo Feel and a Pelikan M200 for a comparative reference.

Here go the dimensions.

• Uncapped Length ~ 13.5 cm

• Total Length ~ 15 cm
• Exposed Nib Leverage ~ 2.5 cm

The weight of the pen is comforting even without the cap.

• Overall Weight ~ 26 g (inked, without cap ~16g)

WRITING & FINAL COMMENTS

Writes wet and elastically

The writing experience is beautiful - easily rivalling any well-tuned Bock Titanium nibs. Thanks to the natural springiness of titanium, this nib delivers an experience so delightful it’s a joy to ink the pen again.

The nib writes wet and doesn’t suffer from major drying-out issues. I did encounter one hiccup: after leaving the pen untouched for a month, it required to prime the feed. I simply placed it nib-down for 2-3 minutes. This seems to be a recurring quirk with older Omas NOS pens. While writing, there’s a faint feedback reminiscent of graphite on paper, barely noticeable with wetter inks. With moderate pressure, the nib flexes, tines parting well to increase ink flow. The line variation is satisfying without requiring excessive effort, though I approach this titanium nib with the care of someone handling a 14k gold nib’s more temperamental cousin.

On Endless Regalia 80 GSM paper with Scribe Indigo ink, the drying time clocks in at 40 seconds - another proof of wetness. While I’m not a die-hard flex writer, the line variation is pleasing enough to bring a smile to our face.

After 2–3 months of use, this pen has secured its place in my Omas rotation. One of the standout features for me is the long section, which offers a great level of comfort as you settle into your perfect grip. The Omas 360 might have started as a design experiment, but it’s proven itself as a reliable one.

Thank you for going through the review.
You can find other pen and paraphernalia reviews here.

REFERENCES

• Omas 360 Design

• Omas Bankruptcy

• Omas Ogiva disassembly

• Omas Paragon (non-metal section) maintenance

• ​​​​​​​Omas 360 maintenance

• Omas Art Vision Review (metal section Paragon maintenance)

• Scribo Feel Review

A quick preview of Kyuseido Kakari with double-stack reverse tousen grind

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I finally got my hands on the almost famous Kyuseido Kakari. I chose the double stack nib, because I was enamoured by the idea of regular writing, and partly because I was fascinated by the psychology behind paying a bomb for a metallic brush. Jokes aside, with time & practice, I hope to use the broader side for calligraphy. My 3 year old wanted his airplane to be in the frame, even though it's not even 3 weeks old and you can already see the condition of the Beluga scale model. So here's the picture.

The Kakari is a handsome pen, vaguely reminding me of my Conid Kingsize demonstrator with titanium ends, although it has a completely different nib. The filling system with the hook-like structure, seems more mechanical and less sophisticated than a Conid, but I found its functionality to be quite the opposite. The cleaning process is somehwat superior to that of a Conid - two flushes and it's completely clean. Plus, it eliminates the need of a ink-breaker. Here is the exquisite work of art with the double stack nib. CY is quite an artist.

The reverse side of the nib, which is almost a BB-3B grind is incredibly smooth, with a generous ink flow enhances the experience. I am confident that the ebonite feed is well engineered to keep up with it.

My issue is with the regular writing side. It's a Japanese fine, but way too sharp for my taste. I prefer writing with nibs that offer some control. This one grips the paper fibres and leaves marks on it, even with a light touch. I had a word with Kyuseido team, they are happy to adjust and smoothen the nib. I understand CY is a one-man team handling the nib-work but I do still expect better QC than Visconti.

 

Last but not least, this is a lovely pen with its own pros and cons. In my not so humble opinion, it's quite different to a Conid! Paul's lovely review does more justice to the Kakari.

SOME WRITING

A utilitarian review of a few pen cases

PRELUDE

A search loop for the perfect ONE and then the more perfect OTHER

With great fountain pens comes an even greater responsibility of carrying them around in this mortal world, where inadvertent scratches, dents, and corrosion become inevitable. Thus begins my search for sheaths and containers to protect these fine instruments, which have earned a reputation for being mightier than the sword; at least for the past 175 years. I digress; I wonder why the keyboard was never celebrated in the same way when it emerged around the same time as the original quote.

BACKGROUND AND OPINIONATED TRUTHS

Experiments, measures and opinion 

I like to use a few fountain pens during my travels for note-taking and journaling. While I could use the original boxes for my limited collection, they tend to take up unnecessary space in my cupboard. Some of these cases are beautifully made, while others are more ordinary. That's where a storage pen case comes in handy. One advantage is that you can see multiple pens together to help with selection, or perhaps just to avoid making a choice. For example, I often tell my Opus 88 Jazz to just lie there, which has been my unfortunate treatment of that pen ever since I got it.

                    In my case, the search has usually been for a value-for-money options. It’s rare to find a case that costs as much as a pen, but this highlights the absence of worthy alternatives. Another aspect is that in India, leather goods are available at a fraction of the cost compared to the West, although there is less general understanding of the premium quality of higher-grade leather materials. By a stroke of luck, a couple of us met Michael, a leather importer based in California, who sources leather from India, China, and Thailand. He supplies leather to some well-known premium brands, with the final products ranging from premium car seat covers to women’s bags. He explained what typically gets exported versus what is consumed domestically in these countries. Michael also described the leather qualities and grades he looks for when evaluating a shipment from the tanneries. By the way, you can check out some interesting expositions on leather grades and types here, and here’s a brief write-up on leather quality if you’re short on time or patience:

1. Full Grain: The highest quality. A cut of leather consisting of the outer layer of hide, left unsanded and unbuffed to retain its natural imperfections. It has a strong and durable surface.
2. Top Grain: The top layer is sanded to remove imperfections, which reduces some of the strength and water-repellent qualities of full grain leather. It is commonly used in handbags, wallets, and shoes.
3. Corrected: A broader term often referred to as genuine leather. It can be any layer of hide that has been treated to create a uniform surface. Commonly used in belts, wallets, bags, gloves, and shoes.
4. Split Grain: A layer cut from the lower levels of top grain leather. It is not as dense, tight, or durable as full grain or top grain leather.
5. Reconstituted & Recycled: Leather scraps are bonded together using polyurethane or latex. 

Here are a list of leather finishes:

1. Aniline: Dyes allow natural surface of leather to show through. 
2. Semi-Aniline: Similar to aniline but with added pigments.
3. Faux: Also known as PU, Vegan or Vinyl leather. Is made of polyurethane and made to mimic real leather.
4. There are many more types (12+), but they may not be relevant to our search for pen cases and sleeves.

Leather tanning is the process of treating hides to clean them of dirt, blood, and hair. This process alters the protein structure of the hide to make the leather durable and less susceptible to decomposition. 

1. Vegetable tanning: This method uses natural materials or tannins derived from plants and bark, which are astringents. It’s an ancient, environmentally friendly process.
2. Chromium tanning: Chromium sulfate is used for a faster and cheaper tanning process, offering more color options than vegetable tanning. The hair and flesh are removed before the tanning process.

Leather hides are graded as 1, 2, 3, or non-tannable, depending on the imperfections in the hide. The top-of-the-line branded pen cases are made from full grain cowhide leather with an aniline or semi-aniline finish.

The case proliferation in my situation is rather proportional to the larger pen dimensions rather than the number of pens in my relatively limited collection. I found it increasingly inconvenient to carry flagship pens like the Wahl-Eversharp Decoband, Pilot Custom Urushi in the Pelikan TG32 three-pen case. While the Decoband fits inside Visconti Dreamtouch comfortably, the Custom Urushi does not. These pens could be a part of an everyday carry unlike a Namiki Emperor, unless you of course dare to carry it. In this situation, the Cross Leather Pen Box came to my rescue, but its dimensions pose a problem for my laptop bag if I want to carry two or three more standard pens.

        Given the rapid progress in design, manufacturing and evolving human desires, here are my standard set of guidelines, refined over the years, while looking for pen cases (YMMV):

OBSERVATIONS & EXPERIENCE

In Context

Here are the pen cases I have acquired over the years:

Single pen cases

1. The Black Canvas Pen Capsule: Soft case. I got the English Violet variant which is made of top-grain chrome-tanned leather. The inside of the pouch is soft and velvety.
2. Endless Companion Pen Pouch: Hard case. The company uses the term genuine leather which may indicate corrected leather. However, it seems well-made for standard pen sizes (such as a Lamy 2000, and it can stretch to fit a regular Montblanc 146) and has a matte buffed finish. The pen itself rests in a felt-like soft compartment, and the case is fastened by two buttons. They ensured that there is a felt-flap covering the exposed parts of a pen where it's buttoned.
3. Cross Men's Leather Single Pen Box-Black: Hard case. Again corrected leather, but with ample space inside to house a Custom Urushi or WE Decoband. The flap is fastened with a magnetic closure, which is a nice touch. I have noticed some leather coming out off the edge of the flap from the newer of the two boxes, but this is what it is.
4. Custom pen case for Namiki Emperor sized pen: Soft case. This was custom-made by fellow fountain pen collector Dr. Ashish Wakhlu for my Namiki Emperor pen. It’s good enough to protect the pen from minor scratches. From the texture, it seems like top grain or full grain leather with an aniline finish. It has some protection at the back.

No	Cases	Type	Weight(g)	L X W (cm)	# of Pens	Available Width/Pen(cm)	Used Since	Purchased From	Made by	Buy Price (2024 US$)
1	TBC Leather Pen Capsule	Open	15	16.5x3.8	1	3	2023	theblackcanvas.in	The Black Canvas	$6
2	Endless Companion Pen Pouch	Button,Double Flap	45	16x4.9	1	3	2024	in.madebyendless.com	Endless India	$13
3	Cross Leather Single Pen Box	Magnetic Closure	46	15.8x4	1	3.3	2019	Amazon	Cross/Torero	$7
4	Custom Namiki Emperor Case	Flap with loop	20	16.5x3.6	1	3.3	2019	ashish.wakhlu@gmail.com	Dr. Ashish Wakhlu	$8

Multi pen cases

1. Arista Leatherette Case for 6 pens: Hard case. I have two of Arista pen cases that I got from Amazon, primarily for storage. They’re lined with felt and have a partial over-layer to protect the finials from brushing against the zipper. It’s somewhat partial towards the pens in the first and last slots. Made of polyurethane, it closely mimics Saffiano leather and has a nice touch with bumpers at the base.
   
   
   
2. The Black Canvas Jotbox: Soft case. A nice box for keeping pencils, parallels, and rulers reminiscent of the good old school days. It’s made of top-grain leather, and is pretty well made.
3. Aegean Leather Case for Namiki Emperor/Pilot Custom Urushi: Hard case with pen tray. This is the most expensive case I own and it’s excellently made from Italian buttero leather. Full-grain, vegetable-tanned, aniline finish - this case checks all the boxes. I bought it to carry the Custom Urushi in my bag, may be sometimes the Emperor too.
4. Pelikan Leather 3 Pen Case: Hard case with soft flap. Top notch full-grain, vegetable-tanned leather with aniline finish, but for medium sized pens. It’s good enough for a Pelikan M800/1000 or a MB 149. 
5. Visconti Dreamtouch Case for 3/6 Pens: Hard case with zippered flap. Felt inner lining. This is my favorite case and checking all boxes for full-grain, vegetable-tanned, aniline finish leather. The one with 6 pens hasn’t seen much motion, but it’s absolutely defies ageing, even after 10 years. I occasionally use a standard neutral shoe cream to polish them.
6. Brown Bear Classic Pen Case for 2 Pens: Hard case with magnetic closure. By the looks of it, the case seems to be full-grain with an aniline finish. Its pretty sturdy and well made, with a single soft divider. The dimensions are good enough to hold a Pelikan M8XX sized pen. Their men’s wallets made of nappa leather hold well too.
7. Essart Pen Case for 10 Pens: Hard Case with magnetic button for the flap. The lid  has a transparent portion to get a quick account of pens inside. The frame is wooden and sturdy, with each pen slot lined with felt. It’s pretty & perfect for storage. 

No	Cases	Type	Weight(g)	L X W (cm)	# of Pens	Available Width/Pen(cm)	Used Since	Purchased From	Made by	Buy Price (2024 US$)
1	Arista Leatherette	Zipper,Single Flap	200+	15.5x14.2	6	2.2	2023	Amazon	Arista	$18
2	The Black Canvas Jotbox	Zipper	54	18.5x5.5	6-8	N/a	2024	theblackcanvas.in	The Black Canvas	$12
3	Aegean Leather for Namiki Emperor	Pen Tray, Single Flap	113	16x5	2	2.4	2024	Etsy	Aegean Leather Co (Turkey)	$200
4	Pelikan Leather 3 Pen Case (TG32)	Single Flap, Adjustable Dividers	36	10.5x5.1	3	1.6	2014	Martiniauctions	Pelikan	$47
5a	Visconti Dreamtouch (6)	Zipper,Single Flap	123	15x14	6	2	2015	Martiniauctions	Visconti	$100
5b	Visconti Dreamtouch (3)	Zipper,Single Flap	68	15x7.5	3	2.4	2019	Fontoplumo	Visconti	$72
6	Brown Bear Classic (2)	Single Flap, Adjustable Dividers	49	13x3.7	2	1.8	2024	Amazon	Brown Bear	$18
7	Essart Pen Case (Wood/PU)	Lid, Magnetic Buttons	400	24.5x19	10	2	2021	Amazon	Essart	$12

Methodology

The pictures below depict the way in which I have measured the inner length and available versus total width of these pen cases. 

MY TOP PICKS

If I had to pick one

It would be the Visconti Dreamtouch Pen case.

Thank you for going through the review. 

You can find other pen and paraphernalia reviews here. 

  

REFERENCES

1. Leather grade and types

Review of the SCRIBO Feel Melograno : My search for an Omas-worthy nib

PRELUDE

Compensating for missing out on an Omas Extra Flessible nib

I managed to snag an Omas Arte Italiana Vision fountain pen back in 2015 when Omas was still around. The Art Vision in green/emerald with a medium nib is absolutely adorable and perfectly showcases the design flair Omas was known for. Just take a look at the ruthenium-plated ‘O’ on the finial! However, the extra-flessible has nib always intrigued me, especially when Omas launched the Ogiva Alba & Cocktail series with that option. But my courage couldn’t match my budget or rather the lack of it. So in mid-2020, I went for a Scribo with a Feel the Flex nib to address this emotional gap. A chat with ever-gracious Frank from Fontoplumo assured me that Scribo indeed had the Omas equipment as the other reviews suggested, so the nibs would be similar, if not identical. Somehow, the newly resurrected Omas pens don't quite capture the finesse that the classic Omas pens had in abundance.

PRESENTATION (3/6)

A cardboard box and a canvas wrap

The packaging is pretty basic and seems to be a combination of eco-friendliness and cost-friendliness. The cardboard box didn’t survive my move, it looked like it lost a fight crumpled under a paper weight. So, no photos or fond memories of the box. I mean, if you're charging over $500, wouldn't it make sense to spend 1/20th of that on a box that doesn't self-destruct? Anyway, rant over, I did manage to keep the off-grey canvas wrap, so at least there's that!

As you can see, the wrap can carry two pens and a polishing cloth. Alas! they forgot to include the polishing cloth.

DESIGN (4/6)

Somewhat Greek-y Functionalism sans a Greek-key

I had the chance to chat with Luca from Scribo, who I later found out is the founder of the company. This conversation happened because the metal parts of my pen decided to oxidise themselves within a month. Rust spots popped up all over the cap band and parts of the clip, like the pen had gone on a deep-sea dive. I was shocked to see such quality issues with the plating so soon. Even my Platinum #3776 took a good 3-4 years to show off how thin its gold plating was, but for the price and the gold nib, I could live with it. 

 A penalty of -2 for all the trouble, but the excellent customer service from Luca within COVID-19 restrictions adds +1. Luca and his team handled all the issues with incoming customs when the product was mistakenly declared as merchandise by the postal department here. He was gracious enough to send a free sample bottle of Rosso Melograno ink along with the pen. I love the colour more than Rosso Chianti which would be the one to go with the pen.

Melograno in Italian translates to pomegranate tree. One of the reasons I chose this variant is that I did not have any fountain pens in those hues, unless you consider a Platinum 3776 in burgundy to be one. Especially with the subtle play of maroon, pink, and white streaks in a cracked ice pattern, the pen becomes quite attractive. The pen feels substantial in the hand, thanks to its hourglass design and gentle tapering at the finial ends. It is slightly larger compared to an Omas Vision/Paragon, which initially felt a bit odd. 

      The legendary dodecagonal structure is aesthetically pleasing and prevents the pen from rolling off surfaces. Compared to Omas, I feel the Scribo Feel leans more towards functionalism rather than aesthetics. Unlike the Omas, there is no Greek-key design on the cap band, and I feel the design has been somewhat rushed for the sake of modernism, with quick parallel lines.

The uncapping is quick and takes about 1.25 turns for the cap to come off - perfect for those impatient moments. A nice touch is the continuation of the dodecagonal structure into the section. 

The section itself is long and comfortable to hold, ending with a rhodium-plated ring for that extra bit of bling. More on that later. Somehow, I probably expected a classic Omas-like Greek key design here too, but I guess they decided to leave ancient history in the past.

Now, coming back to the cap, it feels substantial with its spring-loaded convex clip that curves into a concave arc towards the end. The clip is one of the best functional parts I've used, much like the GvFC clips. The cap band is adorned with parallel lines and proudly displays SCRIBO, which stands for Scrittura Bolognese or "Bolognese writing," alongside their slogan, "Feel the Writing”. And yes, it does feel very comfortable while writing, like a handshake from an old friend.

        The finial, or cap medallion, is inscribed with a feather quill and features some parallel lines running along it. The cap gently tapers towards this end. Nothing too remarkable here.

FILLING & CLEANING SYSTEMS (6/6)

A convenient piston filler

The piston mechanism is very well made and seems functionally superior to the Omas Vision I have, in terms of suction and smoothness of operation. However, Pelikans are probably the best of the lot.

The piston fills up smoothly with 1.3-1.4ml of ink. The mechanism includes a brass/metal sleeve, adding some extra heft to the Feel. No complaints here—it works like a charm. My only gripe, shared by a few others, is the lack of an ink window. With the flexible nib and wet ebonite feed, this pen runs out of ink faster than others with similar ink capacity.

NIB - ALL THAT MATTERS (5/6)

The Extra-Flessiblity 

The Scribo Feel series boasts an array of around 10-12 different nib variations, now including both 18k stock and 14k flexible nibs. While I haven’t had the pleasure of using an 18k nib yet, I imagine it’s as soft and luxurious as an Omas. The 14k ones are meant to cater to our extra-flessible desires.

      Love it! Except for the inscription. The 14k feel the FLEX, Fine nib. It’s  simultaneously one of the most beautiful nib in terms of writing and unappealing in terms of design. While it may have the writing charm of Omas nibs of yore, the embossing of slogan, company and gold content of the nib residing within an elongated hexagon doesn’t market the nib well. But I do not think the Omas extra-flessible nibs had much to offer either.

Speaking of shape, the nib bears a striking resemblance to the Omas Art Vision.

Once you turn the nib, the first thing you'll notice is the feed, and then the tip. The tip appears to have a sort of an elongated bulb. The feed has the exact same structure as an Omas. It’s a heat set black ebonite feed and supports the wet ink flow very well. In theory, ebonite attracts water as it is hydrophilic as opposed to hydrophobic plastics which repel water, thereby wetting more efficiently under the nib. 

PHYSICS OF IT (6/6) – RELATIVELY SPEAKING

The Newtonian Laws

The overall capped length measures approximately 15 cm. The section offers one of the most comfortable grips in my collection, with a diameter ranging from approximately 1.1 to 1.2 cm.

Below are pictures along with a Sailor Pro Gear Fujiyama Realo for a comparative reference. It was in rotation and sitting pretty, so I thought of taking a few pictures with that. Normally, I would post a standard Sailor Pro Gear, while writing. 

Here go the dimensions.

• Uncapped Length ~ 13.5 cm
• Total Length ~ 15 cm

• Exposed Nib Leverage ~ 2.5 cm

The weight of the pen is comforting even without the cap.

• Overall Weight ~ 37.6 g (inked, without cap ~20.5g)

ECONOMIC VALUE (4/6)

Functionality vs Price

I paid the full MRP for this pen. While it's finely engineered, I find it lacking in overall aesthetics compared to the venerable Omas pens of yore. Given the premium price, I would expect a more pleasing design on the cap band, thicker plating to prevent oxidation within 2-3 years, a more attractive cap medallion, and some attention to the inscription on the nib. Additionally, there are some micro spots of oxidation appearing on the trims, which are visible in the photos.

WRITING & FINAL COMMENTS (4.7/6)

Pleasure to write with, aesthetics need to scale up

The writing experience with this nib is among the softest I've encountered, responsive to pressure and writing style. Even without intentionally flexing the nib, its natural tendency to vary strokes is impressive.

   This nib writes wet without any issues of drying out or railroading. The slight feedback it provides is more about control than a flaw. With moderate pressure, the nib flexes, opening its tines and increasing ink flow. I handle it with care.

On Endless Regalia 80 GSM paper, using Iroshizuku Yama Budo ink, lines take approximately 45-55 seconds to dry. While I'm not particularly inclined towards flex writing, the nib does offer pleasing line variation.

I've been using this pen on and off since 2020, and it has become an essential part of my rotation. One crucial aspect is the approximately 3cm long, polygonally contoured section, which provides an incredibly comfortable writing experience. I find the section threads non-intrusive while writing. I appreciate Scribo's differentiation from Omas, as highlighted in Dries' excellent review. However, I can't help but feel that the aesthetics have declined from Omas' standards. I would prefer the pen to have metal sections that are better finished and don't oxidize every couple of years. Now, over to Luca and team to make those improvements.

Thank you for going through the review. 

You can find other pen and paraphernalia reviews here. 

  

REFERENCES

The Pencilcase Blog

Scribo - About Us