Vintage Italian Pen series

[dneal]

I have a twin to that little brown Omas. What's interesting for that period is the way the piston filler mounts to the barrel - and your photo shows the two pieces well.

Nice pen.

[markiv]

That's a fantastic pair from most prominent Italian brands. That Novum is quite uncommon

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[FredRydr]

That's a fantastic pair from most prominent Italian brands. That Novum is quite uncommon

But more common than Optimas from the same era in my experience. I've had twice as many pre-war Novums pass through my hands than pre-war Optimas.

[fountainpenkid]

That's a fantastic pair from most prominent Italian brands. That Novum is quite uncommon

But more common than Optimas from the same era in my experience. I've had twice as many pre-war Novums pass through my hands than pre-war Optimas.

Yeah I have found it harder to find optimas….I wonder if they were produced in smaller numbers, are less likely to have survived over the years, or are more coveted and hung on to…

[FredRydr]

That's a fantastic pair from most prominent Italian brands. That Novum is quite uncommon

But more common than Optimas from the same era in my experience. I've had twice as many pre-war Novums pass through my hands than pre-war Optimas.

Yeah I have found it harder to find optimas….I wonder if they were produced in smaller numbers, are less likely to have survived over the years, or are more coveted and hung on to…

The Optima, a plunger-filler, was their flagship pen and probably cost enough more to limit sales in comparison to the lever & sac Novum.

[fountainpenkid]

That's a fantastic pair from most prominent Italian brands. That Novum is quite uncommon

But more common than Optimas from the same era in my experience. I've had twice as many pre-war Novums pass through my hands than pre-war Optimas.

Yeah I have found it harder to find optimas….I wonder if they were produced in smaller numbers, are less likely to have survived over the years, or are more coveted and hung on to…

The Optima, a plunger-filler, was their flagship pen and probably cost enough more to limit sales in comparison to the lever & sac Novum.

Although having toyed with the novum's cam-operated lever while it was being restored, it is a pretty sophisticated little part, as is the choice to line the barrel with aluminum. According to the one bit of advertising I've translated, the aluminum was a durability selling point. (Which seems funny and maybe misguided, considering how durable properly-made celluloid is!)

[markiv]

I was referring to the celluloid when I wrote "that Novum..."

Agreed about Optima >> Novum on scarcity scale.

[BoBo Olson]

What gorgeous pens. For some of them I'd had to learn to speak enough Italian to buy pens.
I only have one Italian pen (One of my first 20 pens) a piston Columbus from @ 1948-52. It has always been one of my most beautiful pens. The nib is not original but it is semi-flex.