Omas Milord Arte Italiana ART Fountain Pen Review

My fountain pen education thus far has primarily focused around pens from two countries of origin: Germany and Japan. That seems like a narrow focus, but considering the production history and love of writing those two countries have, focusing on one brand from one country could give you more than enough choice to last you a lifetime.

As I learn more about this wonderful industry and hobby I am realizing that a third country belongs in the conversation: Italy. I own two Italian pens, and brands like Omas, Visconti, Aurora, Delta, and Montegrappa - to name a few - are well known and respected by fountain pen lovers young and old. But it's only been recently that I have had more than a superficial interest in Italian pens, and I am quickly learning what I have been missing out on all these years.

The opportunity to use the Omas Milord Arte Italiana ART recently has opened my eyes to the wonderful work being done by Italian manufacturers. I own a Visconti, and even own an Omas, but until using this Arte Italiana ART I didn't "get it". Well, needless to say, I get it now.

Let me be clear about something right upfront with the ART: this is a high end luxury pen, and a limited run of 311 units in this color. Street price runs around $680, which makes it the second most expensive pen I have reviewed (my Nakaya Portable being the first). I get asked all the time about expensive pens and their relative worth compared to more reasonably priced options. The majority of the time, you can get a comparable writing experience with a lower priced option, and the price difference lies in unique design or rare materials used to make the pen. Other times, the overall experience is so exceptional that the price is justified comparatively. This is one of those times.

In talking about this particular Omas I'm going to make a bold statement up front because I feel this strongly about it: This is the best gold nib I have ever used. It's truly fascinating. The fine 18k nib is unbelievably smooth and hits a sweet spot right between firm and springy. For a non-squared off nib (like a stub or italic), the edges of the lines on the page are surprisingly crisp and sharp. I get nibs modified often because I like that clean look and this one I wouldn't consider touching.

Speaking of flawless, this barrel is something else. The guilloche pattern in the Teal Green cotton resin barrel is subtle, but as a whole unit it draws your eyes in and won't let them go. It feels wonderful too, with just the slightest tactile touch to let you know it's there. Writing balance is impeccable, and the overall feel when doing its job is spot on.

Part of that balance is due to the Rhodium plated grip section. The weight of the metal offsets the lightness of the cotton resin barrel. It is comfortable to hold and not slippery at all. It also continues the guilloche pattern seen on the barrel. Rhodium plays a design role throughout the ART, bringing together the nib, section, clip, cap band, finial, and piston ring.

The piston filling system itself twists fluidly from the end of the pen and fills up the barrel with ease. I didn't measure the ink drawn in but it reports to have a 1.2 ml capacity. Judging by the ink in the bottle of Omas Turquoise and my lengthy writing time, I have no reason to doubt that.

I received this pen on loan from Kenro Industries for review and I'm going to have a tough time sending it back. I've been using it constantly for the past couple of months, and just yesterday was the first time it sat on my desk uninked. The 2016 fountain pen show season kicks off soon though, and a cotton resin barrel Omas will be at, or near, the top of my shopping list.

TWSBI Diamond 580AL Blue Fountain Pen Review

My Top 5 Pens list is long overdue for an update, but if you are familiar with the list you know the praise I have heaped on the TWSBI Diamond 580. That is going to change in this next update, as the TWSBI Diamond 580AL has taken over.

The standard 580 has been a staple of mine for years, but when plastic parts are replaced with aluminum (and in some cases colored aluminum!) and the price goes up only slightly, it's a no-brainer to replace one with the other.

The most recent release of the 580AL features blue aluminum highlights in the form of the grip section and piston mechanism. Orange and Purple came before Blue, and in the case of Orange they are essentially gone, and Purple is heading that way. So this is your PSA. If you want the Blue TWSBI Diamond 580AL now is the time to buy.

What do you get for your $60? One of the best fountain pen values on the market. The steel nibs on the 580 are firm, fine, and smooth. I generally go for the EF nib, which is what you see in the writing samples here. In the non-Japanese category, these are some of my favorite nibs. I don't recall ever having an issue with any of my many TWSBI's when writing.

The biggest selling point is the piston filling mechanism. No cartridges allowed here. If this is your first fountain pen, you want to be sure to purchase a bottle of ink as well. Unscrew the piston, dip the nib into the ink bottle up to the section, screw the piston back in to suck up the ink, and start writing. It's really simple, and works well in the 580.

From a feel perspective, the 580 is a large pen, but not overly so unless you want to post the cap. This pen is really not designed for posting. It can happen, but it throws off the balance. Unposted, the 580 is right on the money and you can write comfortably for extended periods without issue.

There is no question that I am a TWSBI fan and get a huge amount of enjoyment from their pens. Especially the 580AL.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

Cross Townsend Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

When I was in high school, I carried a Cross Classic Century for a while, which met an untimely end when it was run over by a truck in the school parking lot. Nevertheless, I enjoyed using the pen, despite the mediocre refill. It added a touch of class to my notes and essays. The one thing I always held against it when writing, however, was how thin and slippery the grip was.

After developing a taste for finer pens, Cross completely fell off my radar. The pens they sold in the big-box stores never appealed to me, and I had a bad taste in my mouth from the ballpoint refills they used. But, that changed when I got the Cross Townsend fountain pen. To be honest, I was not impressed upon opening the box — so much shiny! Cross is known for their chrome, but it was surprising still.

But, after writing with it, I immediately fell in love with how it writes.

Look and feel

First off, if you're not a lover of chrome, this pen probably isn't for you. To be fair, there are other finishes available from Goulet if you aren't into Chrome. Due to the chrome finish and shape of the pen, it has the look of an executive pen. And, turns out, it's sometimes used by U.S. Presidents to sign bills, so that executive look and feel isn't just for show.

When I first looked at this pen, it triggered an association with the Hughes H-1 Racer — it wasn't made of chrome, but stainless steel is close enough.

The pen feels perfectly weighted in my hand as long as it's not posted. The cap of the pen weighs almost as much as the pen, coming in at 18g compared to the 21g of the body. If you like to post, it does an exceptional job by clicking into place on the back of the pen. It doesn't rattle, wobble, or shake.

The grip section is made of plastic, but it feels nice. Honestly, I don't think I'd like a chrome grip section, and the black plastic helps break up all of the shiny chrome.

The clip is sturdy, but not too stiff. There's "CROSS" branding present on the nib, the clip, and the top ring of the cap. It's not obtrusive, though, and I even had to look carefully to find them all.

The nib is a tad small compared to the rest of the pen, but not in an awkward way.

Overall, it's a really sharp pen to look at.

Writing performance

If it's good enough to sign a bill, it must write pretty well, right? Oh yes. For my tastes, it writes like a dream — exactly how I would expect an executive pen to write. The ink flows freely, the nib is extremely smooth, and there's no feed issues with starting or skipping. Even better, this pen has never had any issues with starting after being stored for over a week with the nib pointing up in a Dudek Cube.

The nib didn't require any adjustment at all, which is something I didn't expect. I had the impression that Cross dealt in such large scale that the nibs wouldn't be perfect out of the box. Maybe I got a perfect fluke, but if all of the Cross nibs come in this condition, that's an extremely good thing for the brand and their fountain pens.

As far as ink goes, this pen takes proprietary Cross cartridges. It comes with 2 black cartridges, but I'd highly recommend picking up a Cross cartridge-converter if you snag this pen.

Worth it

Overall, I really love this pen. At first sight, I didn't think we'd get along at all. I'm glad it proved me wrong.

Goulet Pens sells several models of the Cross Townsend, as well as the converter to go along with them. The model I have here goes for $145, but the price can go up to $450 depending on the body and nib materials.

(Goulet Pens provided this pen at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)