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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Osmia}}[[Image:Logo-Osmia.svg|center|350px|Osmia Logo]]

[[Osmia]] was founded in 1919 by Hermann Böhler and has been for long one of the leading German fountain pens manufacturers, and it was for a short period a [[Parker]] subsidiary for european production.  Since 1935 the [[Osmia]] essentially became a division of [[Faber-Castell]],  who started an acquisiton, completed in 1951.

But because the prestige of the brand, acquired by [[Osmia]] thanks to the absolute quality of his pens, the trademark was maintained for a long time after the complete acquisition by [[Faber-Castell]]. It disappeared only in the early '60s, when the crisis derived from the success of the ballpoint pen pushed [[Faber-Castell]] to produce cheaper models.{{BrandData|Founder=Hermann Böhler|Place=Dossenheim|Date=1919|Country=DE|Fullname=Böhler und Cie}}{{Infobox_Brand|Osmia}}
==History==

[[Osmia]] was founded in [[1919]] by ''Hermann Böhler'' under the name of ''Böhler und Cie'', in Dossenheim, near Heidelberg. Böhler, as many others of his colleagues who made a similar choice, left [[Kaweco]] to create a new company with his brother Georg, leveraging the expertise gained in this field inside [[Kaweco]], during the years in which that company acquired [[A. Morton & Co.]] to realize a production of gold nibs.

The initial [[Osmia]] production consisted primarily of mechanical pencils and hard rubber [[safety]] pens. The [[Osmia]] logo was a diamond placed inside a circle. The first version of the logo consisted in a convex Greek cross, but has been reported<ref>In a [http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?s=c45f3e9adbdca24ea62226e4eabdbc10&showtopic=15065 FPN post] with an interview to Gregor Miltner, an [[Osmia]] from its birth, also become chairman in its later years.</ref> that given the similarity with its own logo [[Osmia]] was brought to court by [[Montblanc]], that required a very high compensation and the complete destruction of the entire production. That would have destroyed the company, but the case was resolved with an agreement and Böhler had to change the symbol transforming the cross in a diamond.

[[Image:Osmia-Instruction2.jpg|thumb|left| [[Osmia|Osmia Faber-Castell]] instruction sheet]]

The company name, [[Osmia]], derived from a special metal alloy, called ''Osmiumalloy'' for which the Böhler brothers obtained the use thanks to a patent of the Heraeus company in Hanau,<ref>[http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?s=c45f3e9adbdca24ea62226e4eabdbc10&showtopic=20363 A FPN message] with more details about the topic of [[Osmia]] nibs.</ref> The ''Osmiumalloy'' was used widely for the tips of the [[Osmia]] nibs, and the alloy, though much more expensive, had a much higher quality respect to natural iridium then available in Germany (which contained many impurities that it favoured wear), and allowed the company to provide a lifetime warranty on their pens.

[[Osmia]] had a great initial success, becoming in a short time the second largest producer of pens in the country, so that a plant was specially created to produce pens. In the late '20s however sales had slowed and margins were weak, so the company went into financial troubles. In this period [[Parker]], who was trying to expand its business into Europe, began to take an interest in [[Osmia]] which was acquired (or with whom took an interest, sources are unclear) in [[1928]]. In this period the company produced the [[Duofold]] for the European market, characterized by the imprint ''"Parker - Osmia A. G. Heidelberg"''.

During the same period the company continued to produce under the [[Osmia]] brand, with [[mottled]] hard rubber [[safety]] pens, [[lever filler]] pens and mechanical pencils, which retained the original logo on the cap. Around [[1930]], [[Parker]] withdrew because the [[Duofold]] sales did not have a great success because of a price too high for the German market, and a too rigid nib. The company went into liquidation and in 1932 the trademark and ownership structure was taken over by the ''"Osmia Füllhalter-Fabrik G. m. b. H."'',<ref>as can be seen in [[:File:1932-Papierhandler-Osmia-Liquidation.jpg|this news]].</ref>., again under the direction of the Böhler brothers. It was launched a new line, the [[Osmia Supra]], similar to the [[Duofold]], with an improved [[button filler]], and a brass enameled logo on top of the cap.

In [[1932]], facing financial difficulties for the return of investment to the [[Parker]], the nib factory was sold to [[Degussa]]. In [[1933]] the pen style was amended to follow the [[streamlined]] trend also used by [[Duofold]] of the same time. Were also launched other models: the [[Luxus]] line, a torpedo-shaped [[piston filler]], and the the [[Osmia Progress]], with a filling system similar to the [[Vacumatic]] one. Despite the financial troubles due to end of the cooperation with [[Parker]], [[Osmia]] got a good selling success.

Since [[1935]] the company was gradually acquired by [[Faber-Castell]], even if the final sale of all ownership was made only in [[1951]]. The fountain pens took the inscription ''A. W. Faber-Castell Dossenheim'' but nevertheless the continued to bear the [[Osmia]] brand and logo, which was well known and respected, until the '60s. In [[1938]] Hermann Böhler resigned from [[Osmia]] to found in Dossenheim another company with its name that produced pens and automatic pencils.

Most of the production of [[Faber-Castell]] fountain pens was however done with [[Osmia]] trademark. In [[1935]] were introduced several models with different filling systems. Using the [[piston filler]] were: the [[Osmia Supra Luxus|Supra Luxus]] in chiseled black celluloid, produced in the 42, 44 and 46 measures, the [[Osmia Supra|Supra]] in the black or blue or silver or gold colors, with a black cross-striped transparent section produced in the 72, 74, 76, and 78 measures, the [[Osmia Brilliant|Brilliant]] similar to the [[Osmia Supra|Supra]] but only in black celluloid and in 62, 64, 66 measures, and the [[Osmia Brilliant|Brilliant]], black, in 54, 55 and 56 measures.

[[File:Osmia-Supra-Progress-194-Posted.jpg|thumb|left|A black [[Supra Progress]] 194]]
Using a membrane filling system were the [[Supra Progress]] in plain colors (black, green, red, gray, blue, silver and gold) and 192, 193, 194 and 196 measures, and the [[Osmia Progress]] in the 92, 93, 94 and 96 measures. Finally using the [[button filler]] the [[Osmia Brilliant]] produced in black, gold, red and green and 232, 126, 127 and 128 measures.

In the late '30s, because of World War II, like all other German manufacturers the company suffered major difficulties, but despite the production was reduced for the call to arms of most of the employees, it remained active. After the war, not having the facilities suffered significant damage, production was resumed at full speed from [[1946]], proposing the same models of before, but with only with a [[piston filler]] and with the explicit endorsement (in addition to the [[Osmia]] brand and logo) of ''A. W. Faber-Castell''.

In the '50s [[Osmia]] introduced a series of new models like the [[Osmia Supra|Supra 880]], in three sizes (2, 3 and 4) in black, with a band on the cap and an ink level indicator, the [[Osmia Supra|Supra 666]] in four sizes (1, 2, 3 and 4), in black, gray and pearl and red and pearl colors, with rings ont the cap and gold and steel nibs, the [[Osmia 74D]] in black plastic, designed to make carbon copies, and the [[Osmia 52]] for the student market.

Starting from [[1955]] were introduced two more streamlined models: the most prestigious, which were intended to compete with the [[Montblanc]] [[Montblanc 14x|146]] and [[Montblanc 14x|149]], were  [[Osmia 44x|446]] and [[Osmia 44x|448]], with three ring and the logo engraved on the cap, bicolored gold nib and a straight clip. To these followed the mid-range models [[Osmia 88x|882]], [[Osmia 88x|883]] and [[Osmia 88x|884]], in black or green stripes, a band on the cap and a beak clip.

In the early '60s the [[Osmia]] trademark was no longer used;  a number of hooded nib plastic models were introduced, they were thinner than previous one and marked ''A. W. Faber-Castell'',  with a transparent section for ink level view. The luxury line was called [[Faber-Castell 66|66]], with body in black, red, blue or green plastic, rolled gold cap and gold nib, the mid range models were called [[Faber-Castell Progress]] and produced in three versions: the 77S in plastic with a steel nib, the 55S with silver cap, plastic body and steel nib, the 55G with gold nib. It was also produced a student model called 54VT, because the ''Vest Tank'', with a secondary reservoir usable through a valve.

In the late '60s, as for most of the other fountain pens producers, having also completely erased a prestigious brand that enjoyed a wide popularity, sales had an irreversible decline, holding only partially for the students pens. In [[1975]], during a corporation restructuration, [[Faber-Castell]] completely eliminated the entire field of fountain pens production, resuming today, with the return of interest for this popular writing tool.

In the early '60s [[Faber-Castell]] ceased to use  the Osmia trademark, starting to a production of cheap models for the scholastic market marked only by its brand name, with a drastic reduction in sales, accentuated even more by having removed from the market a prestigious brand.

== External references==
* [http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?s=c45f3e9adbdca24ea62226e4eabdbc10&showtopic=14741]  A FPN article
* [http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/288564-osmia-882-supra-question/] An interesting discussion with some historical information
==Notes==
<references/>

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