PenWorld article: Omas in Bologna
At right, tour guides Luca Baglione and Elena Battazzoni
On this visit to the factory in Bologna, I met many of the skilled artisans who give each Omas pen its distinctive appearance, and saw the unique combination of modern machinery and traditional methods used to manufacture these writing instruments. Even to someone with long familiarity with this brand, the care and creativity I saw demonstrated here was a revelation.
At left, Omas sign near a corner of the Bologna factory.
Along with Luca, my guide for this tour was Elena Battazzoni, an energetic Bolognaise who speaks excellent English, polished by a year of study at UCLA. She suggested we start at the beginning of the manufacturing process: the raw materials.
Elena took me into a cool, climate-controlled room where rods of celluloid and resin are stored. The telltale camphor smell of celluloid, an aroma readily identifiable to any Omas aficionado, was immediately apparent. This is the same material so widely used by Parker, Sheaffer, and Waterman during the golden age of fountain pens.
At right, Elena showing off the curing oven.
The Greek Key design on the band or rings is one of the hallmarks of the Omas brand. For decades, the machine seen below has been used to engrave this design onto the bands of Omas pens.
Bands can also be engraved using the digital engraver. Omas uses both 20th and 21st century technologies in the creation of its writing instruments.
The decades-old machine used to engrave the Greek key design.
Pen users who favor the appearance of two-tone nibs may not be aware of the painstaking hand processes that goes into their creation. I saw this process on 18 karat gold nibs that had been specially engraved for a limited edition.
First, red lacquer is hand-applied to the nibs over the gold that will not be plated with the contrasting metal. The technician uses a microscope and a sable brush for the painstaking work. Anything not coated in red will be rhodium plated. Once the red lacquer is removed, the original yellow gold underneath will be revealed.
The caps and barrels of each pen are hand-polished on a large soft wheel to bring up the luster that only celluloid can achieve.
Giovanna La Porta takes on the hand-intensive process of polishing
At left, the facets of an Arte Italiana pen being lined up for polishing .
Final inspection of each nib takes place using a graphic magnifier and a light box.
At right, the final inspection.
Omas has always been known for the beauty and style of its writing instruments. Under the new leadership now in place in Bologna, an emphasis on writing excellence and quality control is taking equal priority. Touring the factory gave me a new appreciation for the care, pride, and craft that goes into each Omas pen produced.
Originally published in PenWorld Magazine, Vol 28, No.6.