Thursday, January 22, 2015

Review: OMAS Arte Italiana Milord Fountain Pen - Broad @PenChalet @OMASsrl @OMASPensUK

Time to review this hypnotic beauty! I may have fallen madly in love with OMAS fountain pens... this is very dangerous.
Review: OMAS Arte Italiana Milord Fountain Pen - Broad @PenChalet @OMASsrl @OMASPensUK
ABOUT
Review: OMAS Arte Italiana Milord Fountain Pen - Broad @PenChalet @OMASsrl @OMASPensUK
Body Material: Celluloid
Trim: Gold
Length (capped): 146.35 mm/5.76"
Length (uncapped nib-end): 130.61 mm/5.14"
Length (posted): 177.5 mm/6.99"
Barrel Diameter: 10.8 - 14.4 mm/0.48" - 0.56"
Section Diameter: 10.72 - 12.29 mm/0.42" - 0.48"
Nib material: 18KT Gold
Weight (all): 30 g
Weight (cap): 10 g
Weight (body): 20 g
Fill type: Piston-filler
Price: $805.50USD
Where to buy: Pen Chalet

PACKAGING
Review: OMAS Arte Italiana Milord Fountain Pen - Broad @PenChalet @OMASsrl @OMASPensUK
I was eagerly waiting for this pen to arrive and I probably scared the parcel delivery gentleman when I tore the door open and yelped. Like the Ogiva Alba fountain pen, the Milord also has attractive packaging. The shimmery slate grey sleeve has the OMAS logo. Inside is a solid box with a removable lid. It has a light grey felt nest and a grey pen sleeve. The Milord was in plastic packaging inside the sleve, also complete with QC check.
Review: OMAS Arte Italiana Milord Fountain Pen - Broad @PenChalet @OMASsrl @OMASPensUK
The felt inside the box says:
ItalianCreativity,History,Craftsmanship,The Pleasure ofWriting
The packaging is beautiful and classy.

APPEARANCE

After recently reviewing the OMAS Ogiva Alba (with the 14KT rhodium-plated EF, extra flessible nib) and loving it, I was really looking forward to this pen. There's no doubt this pen is stunning. It's a large pen, widest at the center, tapering gradually towards the ends. The cap and barrel is 12-faceted, which really shows off the material. The end is slightly rounded into a point.
Review: OMAS Arte Italiana Milord Fountain Pen - Broad @PenChalet @OMASsrl @OMASPensUK
The finial is also slightly rounded off, also in celluloid, with a yellow gold ring set in it.
Review: OMAS Arte Italiana Milord Fountain Pen - Broad @PenChalet @OMASsrl @OMASPensUK
The yellow gold clip is internally attached, filling the width of the facet it sits on, arching away from the cap before touching down again. The end has the OMAS rolling ball. The center band is marked with OMAS and the Greek key design. The remaining trim is a gold ring at the piston-turning knob and a ring at the end of the section before the nib. The yellow gold trim is a beautiful, warm complement to the material - highlighting the rich warmth of the material. The section is straight, tapering slightly towards the nib. The threads are in the center of the section.
Review: OMAS Arte Italiana Milord Fountain Pen - Broad @PenChalet @OMASsrl @OMASPensUK
Now... the material! How to describe this stunning celluloid? Parts of the body are striated in a warm, rich brown. In between, there are shimmering, pearlescent, elongated rings of copper, bronze, gold, and what could only be burnt sienna (because describing it as brown would be too simple). It's so beautiful. This celluloid is breathtaking, and mesmerizing. Combined with the size and shape of the pen, and with the yellow gold trim, it's a winner.
Review: OMAS Arte Italiana Milord Fountain Pen - Broad @PenChalet @OMASsrl @OMASPensUK
NIB & PERFORMANCE

The nib is an 18KT yellow gold broad nib. The feed is ebonite and looked very well set prior to use. Like the rest of the body, the yellow gold nib complements the rich celluloid very well. The size of the nib matches the pen well. It has a single slit and breather hole and is marked with OMAS, the gold content, nib size, and there are some striations on it. It's an elegant, attractive nib. The broad tip is wonderful - it has a somewhat stubby shape that shows while writing.
Review: OMAS Arte Italiana Milord Fountain Pen - Broad @PenChalet @OMASsrl @OMASPensUK
I inked with Diamine Burnt Sienna and the pen wrote very well right away. The nib is soft, yielding slightly while writing. With pressure, some line variation is possible, but the feed will dry out. As such, that softness is ideally reserved for the pleasure of normal, soft writing.
Review: OMAS Arte Italiana Milord Fountain Pen - Broad @PenChalet @OMASsrl @OMASPensUK
The nib is smooth and well-polished, and not overpolished. It's a wet and juicy writer, appropriate for a generously-flowing broad nib. It brings out shading and sheens in inks very well. The nib and feed, overall, are excellent. I thoroughly enjoy the writing experience with this pen.

Just like with the Ogiva Alba, I caution you to apply pressure to this nib carefully. It's soft and responsive.

IN HAND

The clip ball is most useful - the clip is firm but the rolling ball allows the pen to easily slide on to papers (or shirts). It also slides off without snagging. It's very practical.
Review: OMAS Arte Italiana Milord Fountain Pen - Broad @PenChalet @OMASsrl @OMASPensUK
The section is comfortable, although not my preferred shape. I like the kind of section shape that indents for fingers and flares before nibs, somewhat of an hourglass shape). The threads in the middle of the section are smooth but if you do grip right there, you'll feel it. They are threads. I don't find them bothersome though. The ridge from the section to barrel is sharp, but it's so far back it shouldn't be an issue. Despite it not being my favorite section shape, I still find it very comfortable to use.
Review: OMAS Arte Italiana Milord Fountain Pen - Broad @PenChalet @OMASsrl @OMASPensUK
Review: OMAS Arte Italiana Milord Fountain Pen - Broad @PenChalet @OMASsrl @OMASPensUK
Unposted, the pen is a comfortable length, weight, and size. It is well-balanced for both large and small hands. The cap posts securely, although not deeply, however it makes the pen very long and unwieldy for me.
Review: OMAS Arte Italiana Milord Fountain Pen - Broad @PenChalet @OMASsrl @OMASPensUK
Review: OMAS Arte Italiana Milord Fountain Pen - Broad @PenChalet @OMASsrl @OMASPensUK
Review: OMAS Arte Italiana Milord Fountain Pen - Broad @PenChalet @OMASsrl @OMASPensUK
The celluloid is warm and comfortable in hand. It's a pleasant experience and it's one of the things that makes fountain pens so enjoyable! The piston operated smoothly (unlike my very first OMAS experience), so I was happy about that!

PROS & CONS
Review: OMAS Arte Italiana Milord Fountain Pen - Broad @PenChalet @OMASsrl @OMASPensUK
I spent awhile getting to know this pen well. What I did discover is it was very, very difficult to remove the nib and feed from the section. That also means it's very difficult to put it back in! Fortunately, the piston operates well, but I like being able to maintain my own pens.


OVERALL

This is an absolutely stunning pen and checks almost every box for me. It's not only beautiful, it writes very well - smooth, juicy, and soft. Delicious. It's certainly not inexpensive though. Ouch.


13 comments:

Azizah Asgarali said...

Thanks Peter! Indeed, it's captivating. The nib is very broad - it does widen a little (super wet writer). There's ink between the tines too, so it probably looks wider than it is. That's actually something I noticed when it arrived - how wide the tip was, even for a broad.

Anna said...

Not being able to easily remove the nib and feed is one of my complaints about my Ogiva Alba as well! I've kind of resigned myself to not doing it, but I'm glad to know it's at least possible. But that is pretty much my only complaint. Omas pens are fantastic, and I love how much artistry and craftsmanship goes into them! If they weren't so expensive, I would probably own more, but (at least for now - never say "never"!) the Ogiva Alba is it for me. I can still drool over this one though, right?! :)

Steve L. said...

"MilFord"--it's comforting to know I'm not the only one who makes little mistakes.

Azizah Asgarali said...

Oh yeah hahahaha I was supposed to add a note about that. I was too lazy to do another writing sample like that... I hate the drying times part. Sooooorrry!

Matt Armstrong said...

This pen just kills me. KILLS ME. I must needs acquire one to be brown arco friends with my Ogiva Celluloid. (Also, I need to try one of their 18k non-flessibile nibs.)

Ecclectit bits said...

Fab review of a Fab pen by a Fab person! Good things really do come in 3s!

Jay Pulli said...

I own this pen too, just a regular ol' Medium nib. It is beautiful and writes wonderfully. The gold band at the base of the cap has become a little loose for some reason, and the lines on the piston cap no longer line up with those on the barrel. Odd.

klalaf said...

As always great review and the finish is really special and well done but i am not a big fan of brown so not a pen for me. The burnt sienna ink also great match for this pen :).

nickdanny said...

superb..v nice.
Mont
blanc pens

http://www.williampenn.net/brand/montblanc

Azizah Asgarali said...

Ah.. that's a mix of Sailor Jentle Apricot and P.W Akkerman Hofkwartier Groen - not something easy to replicate!

Chris Fink said...

hi what is the orangey brown ink in the gourmet pens title photo?

Chris Fink said...

Haha ok, thanks for letting me know

nickdanny said...

good pen, i have one and this is really v nice.
Gift
collection for men

http://www.williampenn.net/mens-gifts

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