(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!
