on saleOpus 88 Demonstrator Fountain Pen - Sapphire

I had another Opus 88 fountain pen, so I kind of knew what I was getting when I ordered this one. This did not disappoint. It is a very reliable writer and it has my favorite filling system. The only downside, is that it takes 4 rotations to unscrew the cap. Otherwise, it is a nearly perfect pen.

I subscribe the opinion: one of the smoothest nibs I have ever used. Absolutely pleasant. Love it.

I like this color a lot. The clear endcaps set it off for me whenever I see it in my pen cup :). Some irony in this model being the "demonstrator" but this sapphire color not being transparent. Slight criticisms with the cap needing 4 turns to remove and the nib I got (Broad) being a little squeaky on the page. This pen will probably be more of a journaler though, so I don't see myself ever needing to get the cap off quickly. This is also my first broad nib, so the squeak could just be the papers I've used. It's not enough to make me dislike it. I got this pen to try an eye-dropper filling pen that had a stopper like the lovely Namiki Emperor I'll likely never afford. Before discovering Opus 88, the Emperor was the only pen I had ever seen have that had this very useful feature (especially with that much ink capacity).

I'm 75 and began learning to write at home with a fountain pen so pretty much I'm a 7 decade fountain pen devotee and this Opus 88 is a real keeper. As a safety pen the only comparator I've experienced is the Noodlers Boston Safety Pen. Both have steel nibs and resin bodies. The Noodlers pen has ann ebonite feed while the Opus is not. Both have a threaded nib section and a threaded cap that closes the section, which is an eyedropper-type ink fill chamber. Both create a fully closed ink chamber for airline flights or for individuals worried about leaking. In use there are subtle differences over how to create an optimized feed flow during writing. The user must be familiar with how to operate each pen to get proper function. For the Opus you simply open the rear cap 1-2 turns (removing the cap fully requires 4 revolutions), depending on the flow of the ink and the users desired wetness of line. In the hand the two pens are quite different. The Noodlers feels slimmer with a #2 nib, while the Opus has a #5 nib and a longer, larger diameter body. The visual impression of the pens bears out the measured dimensions. The ink capacity is an amazing 6 mL. The only option is bottled ink. Writing with either of these is very pleasant. A smaller hand easily and naturally fits to the Boston Safety Pen while a big hand matches beautifully to the Opus 88. Yet they are not so extreme that a small hand would be overwhelmed by the Opus nor the large hand have difficulty with the Noodlers. Both nibs are excellent: no scratchinsss, excellent feedback and effortlessly putting down a perfect line. My Opus has written with multiple Noodlers Inks (Heart of Darkness, Polar Brown, Cape Cod Cranberry) as well as Diamine Ancient Copper. No issues. I've been a Goulet customer for several decades and the praise they've received for speed, efficiency and just plain excellence of service are spot on. They are an absolute pleasure in a world that is rapidly losing the concept of customer service.

Beautiful material, clever mechanism, one of the smoothest nibs I have ever used.