(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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