RIP Omas

[writingrav]

According to an article tonight on Peneconomics Omas is laying off their staff and preparing to close down and enter bankruptcy. Sad.

[KBeezie]

And this was on Instagram earlier at Omas Official.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BB-MXwNgtP2/

http://scontent-ord1-1.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/e35/12750252_1507385716235456_1299484614_n.jpg

[migo984]

I read that technically it's a voluntary liquidation, rather than bankruptcy, as according to its published accounts, the company has been covering its debts? Whichever is the case, it's very sad.

[DASEFnib]

I read that technically it's a voluntary liquidation, rather than bankruptcy, as according to its published accounts, the company has been covering its debts? Whichever is the case, it's very sad.

The report I read on FPN states it IS a voluntary liquidation....no debts to speak of....
But it STILL doesn't take the sting out of it!!
People now unemployed....and what appears to be the demise of a hallmark pen company...!!:(
I now find myself pondering a search for what would be (for me) a "one-and-only" Omas...if only for posterity's sake.....

Always try to get the dibs....on fountain pens with EF nibs!!

[fountainpagan]

Such a shame to have let such a brand fall apart like that.

DASEnib, I would advise you to look for a pen that is previous of 1990. :)

[jvlgato]

Very sad.

I just posted in a second thread of the same topic. Would it perhaps be useful for a mod to combine the two?

[Pelikan-Vera]

Very sad here too and to top it they have my 360 that went in for repair.....I guess that I will never see it again.....sigh. Vera

[Miss Fountain Pen]

Very sad here too and to top it they have my 360 that went in for repair.....I guess that I will never see it again.....sigh. Vera

Didn't it say somewhere that they were still honoring warranties for another six months? So they should repair your pen and send it back to you. And even if they weren't honoring warranties anymore, I can't imagine that they'd just keep people's pens. They'd send them back, I'm sure, just unrepaired.

[fountainpenkid]

I am very saddened by this, and I've only owned one OMAS (a Paragon Italia '90). They combined delicate design, writing performance, celluloids and piston filling in a way unlike any other manufacturer. I will now put a modern OMAS at the top of my list (to hell with my 'set college collection' idea!).

[fqgouvea]

I am also sad and annoyed at the news. There was this dream of visiting Bologna and buying one on site...

I guess I need to save up and try to get one while I still can!


Fernando Gouvêa -- fqgouvea@roadrunner.com

[KBeezie]

I am also sad and annoyed at the news. There was this dream of visiting Bologna and buying one on site...

I guess I need to save up and try to get one while I still can!


Fernando Gouvêa -- fqgouvea@roadrunner.com

Did they have something on site in Bologna despite not being Italian since 2000?

[ubremin]

Maybe this could be the start of a new Omas? My speculation is that the chinese owner wanted to sell off Omas Co, but couldn't find a buyer.
Then a voluntary liqiduation is an alternative.
This would create an opprtunity for a group of new owners (maybe including current management) to step in, at a lower price.
I would assume the real value of Omas is its staff and their skills. Maybe some patents and unique materials too.

sad news indeed (owner of 4 Omas pens, one just returned from Bologna after at repair).

[TSherbs]

They have to find a way to sell more pens, or it is likely gone for good.

[migo984]

Maybe this could be the start of a new Omas? My speculation is that the chinese owner wanted to sell off Omas Co, but couldn't find a buyer.
Then a voluntary liqiduation is an alternative.
This would create an opprtunity for a group of new owners (maybe including current management) to step in, at a lower price.
I would assume the real value of Omas is its staff and their skills. Maybe some patents and unique materials too.

sad news indeed (owner of 4 Omas pens, one just returned from Bologna after at repair).

I understand a management buy-out proposal was turned down by the owners.

[KBeezie]

Maybe this could be the start of a new Omas? My speculation is that the chinese owner wanted to sell off Omas Co, but couldn't find a buyer.
Then a voluntary liqiduation is an alternative.
This would create an opprtunity for a group of new owners (maybe including current management) to step in, at a lower price.
I would assume the real value of Omas is its staff and their skills. Maybe some patents and unique materials too.

sad news indeed (owner of 4 Omas pens, one just returned from Bologna after at repair).

I understand a management buy-out proposal was turned down by the owners.

The buy-out price probably wasn't higher than what they could get liquidizing, since it seems like they went this route because corruption crackdown in China has cut into their profits significantly.

[fqgouvea]

I am also sad and annoyed at the news. There was this dream of visiting Bologna and buying one on site...

I guess I need to save up and try to get one while I still can!


Fernando Gouvêa -- fqgouvea@roadrunner.com

Did they have something on site in Bologna despite not being Italian since 2000?

Yes, though the stories told by the Chinese execs suggest they didn't feel very welcome there.


Fernando Gouvêa -- fqgouvea@roadrunner.com

[tandaina]

I am also sad and annoyed at the news. There was this dream of visiting Bologna and buying one on site...

I guess I need to save up and try to get one while I still can!


Fernando Gouvêa -- fqgouvea@roadrunner.com

Did they have something on site in Bologna despite not being Italian since 2000?

Yes, though the stories told by the Chinese execs suggest they didn't feel very welcome there.


Fernando Gouvêa -- fqgouvea@roadrunner.com

So were they manufacturing in China?? I assumed due to the prices that they were making the pens in Italy!

[fqgouvea]

They were still manufacturing in Italy, but run by the Chinese.


Fernando Gouvêa -- fqgouvea@roadrunner.com

[bluesea]

They were still manufacturing in Italy, but run by the Chinese.


Fernando Gouvêa -- fqgouvea@roadrunner.com



Run by the Chinese, or owned by the Chinese?

[KBeezie]

They were still manufacturing in Italy, but run by the Chinese.


Fernando Gouvêa -- fqgouvea@roadrunner.com



Run by the Chinese, or owned by the Chinese?

Owned (90%) by Xinyu Hengdeli Group (Hong Kong) and 10% by LVMH (France) (since late 2007, it was 100% by LVMH from 2000 to 2007).

[Chazz]

So were they manufacturing in China?? I assumed due to the prices that they were making the pens in Italy!

Don't take much of what you read here seriously; it appears to be a pit of ignorance. FYI, OMAS was sold to the Chinese, but all its design, manufacturing, etc. have always been in Italy.

[Bisquitlips]

This is hard to take. There are way too few quality pen companies that create works of art by hand anymore.

I own several Omas writing instruments. They have all just become more precious to me.

RIP Omas! We will still enjoy your efforts for generations to come!

[picautomaton]

I guess it was inevitable trying to survive in an industry such as pen making. I seem to have noticed that the Omas pens being produced were getting more and more expensive. As for people like me living in a country with depreciating currency and limited disposable cash the celluloid pens were out of my reach.

I only have one Omas in my hoard and that is the Emotica, a solidly built pen with a fantastic nib and ebonite feed.
Sad to see them go :(

[KBeezie]

I guess it was inevitable trying to survive in an industry such as pen making. I seem to have noticed that the Omas pens being produced were getting more and more expensive. As for people like me living in a country with depreciating currency and limited disposable cash the celluloid pens were out of my reach.

I only have one Omas in my hoard and that is the Emotica, a solidly built pen with a fantastic nib and ebonite feed.
Sad to see them go :(

One thing to remember is that most of their profits was apparently out of China, and they lost it after a corruption crackdown, (so either putting all their eggs into one basket, or they weren't doing that well globally for a while, that was their major profit), which course lead to the voluntary liquidation, since I'm guessing sales from other areas were not as strong as what they were getting from China.

So I wouldn't equate that struggle with every other pen maker.

It probably hits hardest to the Omas employees that's been with the company since before the ownership changes.

[carlos.q]

I'm sorry to say I do not have a single Omas pen. But reading this thread has made me click my way over to Goulet's to buy a couple of Omas inks. I believe that in a few months these inks will become hard to find. Those bottles look really cool!

[Waski_the_Squirrel]

I own an Omas ink bottle. (Nice bottle, meh ink.) I've wanted to try an Omas Ogiva. When I heard the news, I got very close to buying one, but then I remembered that "wanted to try" is not the same as "would really like to own."

So maybe I'm part of why Omas is in its current condition. But, they need to do something to convince me to buy one of their pens.

[lowks]

I guess it was inevitable trying to survive in an industry such as pen making. I seem to have noticed that the Omas pens being produced were getting more and more expensive. As for people like me living in a country with depreciating currency and limited disposable cash the celluloid pens were out of my reach.

I only have one Omas in my hoard and that is the Emotica, a solidly built pen with a fantastic nib and ebonite feed.
Sad to see them go :(

My sentiments exactly. My heart wanted to help them but my pockets disagreed.

[jar]

Very nice pens and ones I have loved over the decades.

[john]

The Chinese never can run an old brand fountain pen company. They buy Omas because of wanna turn the corruption legalized.

[TSherbs]

I own an Omas ink bottle. (Nice bottle, meh ink.) I've wanted to try an Omas Ogiva. When I heard the news, I got very close to buying one, but then I remembered that "wanted to try" is not the same as "would really like to own."

So maybe I'm part of why Omas is in its current condition. But, they need to do something to convince me to buy one of their pens.

well-put

I share the sentiments.

[john]

I own an Omas ink bottle. (Nice bottle, meh ink.) I've wanted to try an Omas Ogiva. When I heard the news, I got very close to buying one, but then I remembered that "wanted to try" is not the same as "would really like to own."

So maybe I'm part of why Omas is in its current condition. But, they need to do something to convince me to buy one of their pens.

You should try the Omas which produed before 2000 or the vintage Omas . They are worthy to own.

[alc3261]

I am also sad and annoyed at the news. There was this dream of visiting Bologna and buying one on site...

I guess I need to save up and try to get one while I still can!


Fernando Gouvêa -- fqgouvea@roadrunner.com

Did they have something on site in Bologna despite not being Italian since 2000?

Chinese owned, all manufacturing was still in Italy.