(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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