Posts filed under Opus

Opus 88 Mini Pocket Stripes Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

No matter how many fountain pens I accumulate, I'll have a soft spot for pocket fountain pens. They're under-represented in the grand scheme, and they're just so cute and utilitarian by nature. Normally, a pocket pen means you also have a smaller ink capacity, but that's not the case at all with the Opus 88 Mini.

The colorway I have is called Stripes, and I love the mixture of blues, greens, purples, and pinks that they incorporate into the materials. The pen is just 4.5 inches (11.8 cm) long when closed, and just 0.6 inches (15.4 mm) in diameter. Despite being so short, the diameter is actually a bit larger compared to other pocket pens I've used in the past. It's the same diameter and shape as a standard-size pen, which means it's really comfortable to hold.

Opus 88 Mini Pocket Stripes Fountain Pen

Uncapped, the pen is 4.25 inches (10.8 cm) long, and 5.5 inches (14 cm) when the cap is posted. The posted length is pretty much the same as a closed standard-size pen.

The best part about these dimensions (particularly the diameter) is how they translate to ink capacity. Like other Opus 88 pens, this one is also an eyedropper design, meaning it holds an astonishing amount of ink for its size. Holding between 2-3 ml of ink, this puts cartridge-converters to shame. Filling and cleaning is a simple task, and you also get the added security of the ink reservoir being shut off from the feed when the pen is closed.

Opus 88 Mini Pocket Stripes Fountain Pen Nib

The Mini uses a #5 Jowo steel nib, which fits the small nature of the pen quite well. Plus, the small nib allows the cap to be just a bit smaller as well. The fine nib in my unit works perfectly out of the box, and I've been really happen with how it writes. The nib is stiff and produces crisp line edges while still feeling smooth and consistent while writing. The feed does a great job of supplying the ink to the end of the nib. There's not much flex to this nib, but you can tease out a little line variation if you practice putting pressure on the nib while making downstroke marks.

Opus 88 Mini Pocket Stripes Fountain Pen Barrel

Going back to the materials and colors of the pen body and cap, I'm still so happy with my choice of the Stripes colorway. The body of the pen is fair simple — the blind cap and grip section are both polished black acrylic, but the body is made of a translucent blue/turquoise acrylic material that allows you to see the ink and inner workings of the pen along with the threads for the blind cap fitting. I love translucent colored materials, and this one is no exception. It's pure joy seeing ink slosh around in the body.

The cap also has a polished black finial, but the rest of the cap is made up of stripes of colors that go around the diameter of the pen. The sections aren't all the same size, which adds some visual interest and diversity. All of the colors they used in the cap are complimentary to the lovely aqua color of the body material.

To top off all the acrylic colors, the pen features silver trim that brings everything together. The clip is easy to use, but still stiff and strong enough to keep it secured to anything that fits in the opening.

Opus 88 Mini Pocket Stripes Fountain Pen Comparison

I've really enjoyed writing with this pen and carrying it around with me. It's not the smallest pocket pen, but it's still really cute and fun to handle. The grip section is a little on the small side for my fingers, but I get used to the size quickly once I write a couple of words. Overall, this pen is just another fantastic example of Opus 88 craftsmanship and aesthetics.

The Opus 88 Mini Stripes Pocket fountain pen is $79 and comes with your choice of EF, F, M, B, or 1.4mm italic steel nib. If the colors of the Stripes model aren't your jam, there are plenty of other options as well.

If you love the size of the Kaweco Sport but want a larger ink capacity, I think the Opus 88 Mini is a great option to think about. The pen is a solid performer with a massive ink reservoir, and the color options are super fun.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Opus 88 Mini Pocket Stripes Fountain Pen Writing

Posted on March 19, 2025 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Opus, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Opus 88 Demo 2024 Edition Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Just a few months ago, I reviewed the 2022 special edition of the Opus 88 Demo, which was a wonderful mix of purple and maroon that I really enjoyed. Before then, I wasn't aware that Opus 88 did annual color editions, so I was curious about whether a 2024 edition was announced yet. Not only was it announced already in January, but it was also available for sale. I immediately bought one after see it on the computer screen because the greens and blues spoke to me so strongly.

Fast forward a few days when I got the pen in hand, and I couldn't be any happier with the purchase. In person, the greens and blues are more vibrant and you can see more of the semi-translucent qualities of the acrylic material. It's not often for me that I know that I'll love something like this before I've even received it, but for some reason I just knew that the colors would be spectacular in person. I'm glad I was right.

The Opus 88 Demo model has been around for years, and it's one of my personal favorites. I like the uniform barrel shape and mix of colors that I would think might clash but somehow work together. The grip section fits my hand well, and the pen diameter is really comfortable for how I write and hold the pen. On top of all that, the ink capacity is stellar. I don't normally fill these pens up all the way with ink because I normally want to change out the ink before I use it all. But, just having the option of loading this pen up with ink and not having to refill for quite a while is definitely comforting.

The color scheme for the 2024 special edition is a dark turquoise body paired with green-yellow accents on the cap and grip, and a lighter blue blind piece that you use to open and close the ink reservoir. The colors go so well together, and I love the visual interest that the semi-transparent material adds to the already eye-catching colors. The nib and clip are both a dark off-black color, which go great with the dark hues of the pen body. I think bright metal would distract the eye from the acrylic materials, so I like the dark metal choice.

For this model of the Demo, I opted for a Medium nib. This is a favorite size for me when doing general writing or long-form writing, so the Demo is a perfect workhorse choice for that nib duty. The nib is glassy smooth out of the box, and the flow is perfect. I paired the pen with Road Trip from Standard Bindery, which is a fun ink on its own merit, but it pairs beautifully with this pen.

It's refreshing to see pen companies release fun and new colors for their existing products. Lots of companies do it, but Opus 88 does an exceptional job. Their pens are great quality, affordable for what they offer, and work well. Since I know the pen model is a great baseline, it's easy to make a quick decision on a colorful and attractive model without having used the actual pen before.

If this 2024 Edition of the Opus 88 Demo speaks to you like it did me, you'd better hurry and snag one ($140 as of this review). These are limited stock, and when they're gone, they're gone. If the greens and blues aren't for you, then there's always next year or even the solid selection of standard colorways as well. The Demo is one of my favorite pen models, and this color combination just makes me happy.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Posted on April 3, 2024 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Opus, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Opus 88 Jazz Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

I've been on quite a kick with Opus 88 pens recently. I really enjoy using the Demo and Fantasia models, but I've also picked up several Koloro and Minty models since they have unique designs. As if I needed yet another Opus 88 model to try out, I now find myself with a blue Jazz pen on my desk vying for attention.

The Jazz from Opus 88 is a more traditional style fountain pen that still features some interesting materials and Opus 88's default eyedropper filling mechanism. Like other Opus 88 pens, you get a lot of bang for your buck, lots of ink capacity, and plenty of fun colors to choose from.

I've come to love Opus 88 for their unique pen shapes and different (but attractive) color schemes, but the Jazz fits a more traditional spot compared with their other models. The Jazz is still a full-size pen — pretty much the same length and diameter as the Demo or Koloro. It features a cigar shape with a tapered body and large cap that suits the #6 nib well. The blue colorway I have has two acrylic materials that complement each other and present a more sleek and professional look.

The grip section, cap, and butt of the pen are all an opaque, polished black acrylic, and the body is a semi-translucent aqua green material that has some streaks of darker blue material floating around. It's a beautiful material that looks understated in most situations, but once you put more light around or behind the pen, the semi-translucent barrel shows off its variations wonderfully. To set off the dark black and blue/green acrylic, the silver metal accents add plenty of contrast.

If it's an Opus 88 pen, then it features a humongous ink reservoir that uses an eyedropper to fill. The Jazz can fit close to 2ml of ink in the reservoir, which gives you lots and lots of writing time. When you're not writing, the butt of the pen screws down to seal the ink reservoir from the nib feed, ensuring the ink stays fresh in between writing sessions (and also making it unaffected by atmospheric pressure changes). Opening the ink reservoir enough to write is just a matter of unscrewing the butt of the pen a couple turns to allow the ink to flow to the feed. And, when it's time to clean out the pen, it's easy to flush with water since the reservoir opening is so large.

When it comes down to writing with the pen, it's a really comfortable experience for my hand and grip. The grip section is a nice size and has plenty of surface area to hold onto. Even though it's a smooth surface, the polished acrylic has plenty of grip to easily control the pen. Given the large size, I think this will work well with a large variety of different grips and hand sizes. The cap posts on the back of pen securely, but I find this to add too much weight to the top. The pen is a perfectly balanced weight when the cap isn't posted.

The #6 JoWo nib is fairly plain in terms of decoration, but it performs beautifully. The fine nib on this unit is smooth and precise, and the ink feeds perfectly. It's a steel nib with a fairly small tip, so the writing line is crisp and thin, but there's just enough spring in the nib to make it really comfortable to use — it doesn't feel like writing with a rigid nail at all. It's a great middle-ground of a cushioned feel along with crisp, controlled lines.

The blue colorway I have here is on option, but there are several other versions (both solid and semi-translucent) of the Jazz if blue isn't your thing. In terms of nibs, you have a wide selection from the typical EF to B as well as a couple small flex nibs or a 1.5mm italic. All of the nib options are steel, but you can easily swap these nibs out for something else pretty easily.

As of this writing, the Jazz pens are on sale for $100 at Vanness. Even at the normal price of $125, these pens are an excellent value. And, if the cigar-like shape of the Jazz isn't your favorite, there are so many other options from Opus 88 that will deliver the same excellent writing experience and massive ink capacity for a similar price.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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