William Shakur Triangular Pen vs Omas 360 Magnum: A Refined Take on a Classic Shape

Introduction

Some pens earn a permanent spot in a collection because of a shape, a nib, or a story. This one ticks all three boxes. The William Shakur triangular pen was built as a bespoke commission around a Jowo number 8 nib, a large and increasingly uncommon nib unit that most pens simply cannot accommodate. The resulting pen borrows its silhouette from a modern classic, the Omas 360, but reworks it in ways that make it easier to live with long term.

This article looks at what makes the triangular form factor work, how the Shakur pen compares to the Omas 360 Magnum, and who each pen is really for.

The William Shakur Triangular Pen

The design is based on a triangle with rounded-off corners, much like the Omas 360, with one key refinement: the grip section carries slightly rounded facets that make it exceptionally comfortable. Fingers slip into place naturally, and there is a small rounded area at the bottom for the middle finger to rest on. It fits the way a grip section should.

Because it was built around a Jowo number 8 nib, the pen is large. That scale is why the nib itself looks modest in proportion; the number 8 Jowo nibs are stocky and wide in the shoulders rather than long. The nib used here is an 18k broad, seated deeply in the section. It is worth noting that triangular sections can feel prescriptive in how they force your grip, but the nib can be gently rotated by unscrewing it slightly if the orientation does not suit your hand.

Other practical details add up. The cap is a twist cap rather than a slip cap, the translucent grey material has just the right amount of cloudiness while still showing the nib, and the piston turning knob lines up neatly with the barrel when capped. The engraving and logo are clean and refined. One limitation: the pen does not post, though with a barrel this large, posting is hardly necessary.

The Omas 360 Magnum

The Omas 360 Magnum remains the classic of this shape, and it is a genuinely beautiful pen with fantastic nibs. It is also very comfortable to hold. The concerns lie elsewhere: the pistons are fragile, the pen is not especially easy to disassemble and lubricate, and the slip cap places considerable stress on the corners of the material, with reports of caps cracking over time. The cap material is also not particularly thick.

Filling, Ink Capacity, and the Jowo Number 8 Nib

This is a piston filler, and the large barrel translates into an enormous ink capacity. The piston draws up an almost complete fill, and the translucent grey barrel shows the ink level clearly. Compared with converters, which can run a little dry due to their small capacity and tight nipple, a big ink reservoir sitting directly behind the nib tends to support wetter, more consistent writing.

The pen here runs an ebonite feed, which pairs well with the large number 8 nib. The broad 18k Jowo nib is smooth and pleasant, perhaps not the widest broad available, but with a touch of springiness that adds character. It is not a flex nib, but the slight give is noticeable and enjoyable.

Writing Experience

Ink used for testing was Moonstone from Akkerman, a grey ink that turned out to be a perfect match for the translucent grey body. The combination of the broad nib, ebonite feed, and large capacity produces wet, effortless writing that keeps going and going.

The overall feel is often described as writing with a 360, just without the fragility. The rounded facets in the section are arguably an improvement over the original, the twist cap removes a known stress point, and the thicker material feels more robust. It has not been uninked since arriving, which says a great deal about how much it gets used.

Buying Advice

For collectors who love the triangular shape, the question comes down to fragility versus refinement. The Omas 360 Magnum is the classic and remains beautiful to use, but its delicate piston and slip cap demand careful handling.

The William Shakur triangular pen is a commercially available model from his lineup, typically offered with a titanium number 8 nib from Bock rather than the Jowo number 8 used in this commission. If you want the triangular experience with modern durability, a twist cap, generous ink capacity, and a genuinely superb grip, the Shakur pen is the natural evolution of the form. It can be ordered directly from the maker.

Conclusion

The William Shakur triangular pen takes a beloved design language and addresses its practical weak points: fragile pistons, thin cap material, and a slip cap under constant stress. The result is a large, deeply comfortable piston filler with an enormous ink capacity and a nib that suits it perfectly. For anyone who has always admired the Omas 360 but worried about living with one, this is a compelling alternative that keeps everything that made the original great.