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OMAS 360 MAGNUM AND TABELLIONIS STILUS: A COMPARISON

Similarities and differences between two very rare Omas models from the 1990s.

Many collectors have asked about the difference between the famous 360 Omas Tabellionis Stilus and the Omas 30 Magnum as the appear to be very similar and, above all they are both so extremely rare that  comparing them next to one another may not  be a very easy task.

A few weeks ago I had the chance to have both fountain pens in my hands at the same time and was able to get a few comparison pictures.

Actually the  aesthetic differences between the two models are really minimal as Omas developed the Tabellionis using the 360 Magnum’s mold.

The two pens are the same size ( lengths 16 cm) and have the same finish with the exception that the Magnum exists both with gold filled and HT finish (very very rare) while the Tabellionis was manufactured only with gold filled finish.

The Tabellionis was developed to be a large-capacity pen reserved to notaries. The name itself makes reference to Latin: the noun Tabellio/Tabellionis in Latin referred to the public officer who signed administrative acts making them become valid. The noun was used in the Middle Ages as well, to indicate notaries. They had the power to use the “signum Tabellionis”, which is the mark they wrote on legal documents to assess their authenticity.

Omas chose to use the noun in its genitive form next to the noun Stilus (the instrument used to write), thus the Tabellionis Stilus is the “writing instrument belonging to Notaries”.

The main difference between the two models are: the color and the nib:

Color

The Magnum is manufactured in deep night blue resin while the Tabellionis is jet black. It may be difficult to distinguish the difference in color from the pictures but it becomes really evident with natural light. If you place the two pens next to one another, you will immediately be able to distinguish the different shade.

Nib

The Magnum has a standard two-tone nib with the outline  of the arrow; it is actually the same nib you would find  on a Paragon.

The Tabellionis has a much more generous single tone 18 ct nib without the outline of the arrow. This nib is very rare and precious.

While the two-tone Paragon nib you find on the Magnum may be in any of the many grades and variations Omas offered on their large models, the nib on the Tabellionis can only be either F or M.

The Tabellionis was manufactured in 1995/1996 only and it is nowadays an extremely rare model. The blue Magnum is rare but the chances of finding one are definitely higher than finding a Tabellonis!