I’m lucky to have some of the best readers on the planet, and this week’s giveaway is a prime example of that. The Opus Koloro Fountain Pen is one of the best bang-for-your-buck fountain pens on the market, and this Blue Aqua model with a Medium nib was donated - DONATED! - by a reader who wanted to get it into another Pen Addict’s hand. How cool is that?
Read the rules below, and enter away. And give a big thanks to my awesome friend for sending me this pen!
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
The Opus 88 Koloro has been around for several years, but I think it's still worth consideration today if you're looking for a great pen with a gigantic ink supply. This eye-dropper filled pen features a pleasantly shaped body with a combination of translucent acrylic and contrasting ebonite. The different materials add a lot of visual interest to the pen, and also makes it feel a bit more unique compared to other pens with similar shapes.
The Koloro isn't a small pen by any means, but it manages to feel smaller in my hand that it looks. It's really comfortable when writing, and I've been very happy with how it feels over longer writing sessions. Just remember to unscrew the back knob a few turns to allow the ink to flow freely to the nib!
While it might seem like a nuisance to remember to open and shut the valve (the knob on the back of the pen) every time you want to use it, this is really convenient if you plan on traveling with the pen or if you know it will get tossed around a lot in a bag. The valve ensure that no additional ink makes it to the nib from the reservoir. Sure, there might be some ink splatter from whatever was left in the nib and feed section, but that's a finite supply. While it's not something many of us are considering lately, this makes air travel convenient as well. With a sealed ink reservoir, you're mostly insured against surprise ink burps that go along with the dramatic change in air pressure accompanied with air travel.
The #5 JoWo nib on the Koloro is fantastic. I've been really happy with every JoWo nib I've used so far, and this one is no exception. The medium nib I chose is a great compromise between a thin line and plenty of ink flow. The nib is smooth and worked perfectly out of the box. The medium nib produces a line that's a little thinner than I'd expect from a medium, but not thin enough to think it was a fine nib. That's my preference anyway, but I'm sure I could adjust the tines just a tad to widen the line a small amount. The nib is fantastic and comes in several sizes — broad, medium, and fine. It's unfortunate that you can't choose from the other options that Opus 88 include on other pens, but this is a good assortment for starting out. Plus, the JoWo nibs are fairly easy to swap out assuming you have some spares on hand.
With any eyedropper pen, the nib can get a little dry in between uses. I usually just need to let the pen rest nib down for a couple minutes for it to work flawlessly again, but this is something to consider with any pen that has a shut off valve between the feed and ink reservoir. It's not a negative — just part of the style that you need to be aware of.
The cap and clip are really sturdy. The cap is one of my favorite parts of the pen because of the shape and the tiny Opus 88 branding. The clip is really strong and also lines up perfectly with the rest of the design of the pen body. The teal ebonite complements the darker teal acrylic perfectly. With a little light, this pen really pops off your desk. The semi-translucent acrylic also lets you see a bit of the internals on the pen body, which is also really interesting. Plus, it gives you a full-on view of how much ink is left.
I imagine the Koloro might be the obvious first choice for someone picking up an Opus 88 pen. It wasn't my first stop, but I can heartily recommend the Koloro if you're interested in the Opus 88 brand. It's a solid writer, it's dependable, and it looks fantastic. If Blue Aqua isn't your thing, you can also get these in Beige Teal, Yellow Orange, and Rust Red. At just under $100, it's a great deal for what you get.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)
I do love a pen that holds a LOT of ink, and the [Opus Omar 88] definitely does. I call pens like this "ink tanks" because I can fill 'em up and write for days. It's also the first Opus pen that I've tried, and it won't be the last.
The Opus 88 Omar is an eyedropper-fill pen with a cool internal mechanism that prevents leaking. Similar to a Pilot 823, the endcap of the pen activates an ink stopper. When it's screwed down flush with the pen body, only a limited amount of ink reaches the feed. When it's unscrewed a few turns, it releases all of the ink supply for steady writing. When you're done writing, you seal it down, and it won't leak its small ocean of ink in your bag or pocket.
You probably won't have this pen in a pocket anyway. It's massive. I have small hands and usually stick to small pens, but I was drawn to the large ink capacity and vintage style of this pen. Despite its ginormosity, it's very light and comfortable to hold. I didn't struggle with it nearly as much as I thought I would.
It is constructed of acrylic in a semi-translucent dark grey (so you can see your ink level if you hold it up to the light), with a lovely flecked cap. The end caps are a classic ivory color. The clip and bands are chrome. The clip is very broad and very firm. I have to manually lift it to get it to clip to things, and then it's a bit of work to get it unclipped. The grip section is black acrylic. It tapers nicely and is comfortable to use.
The pen comes with its own dropper, so filling it from bottled ink is fairly easily done, though I did manage to over-squeeze the dropper once and spray a few ink drops on my desk. I don't know what the total capacity is for this pen, but I do know that I have been writing a lot lately, and it's only half empty. Or half full. Both.
The #6 Jowo nib on mine is splendid. I have the 1.5mm stub, and it writes reliably and smoothly. It's one of those pens that makes me want to write for no reason, just to use it. I think it's very well priced at [$123 on JetPens]. Frankly, with the nice materials and unique filling system, they could be asking a lot more. It also comes in stunning purple, green, and amber colors, so good luck deciding.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.
Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!
