Opus 88 Koloro info

[rbultman]

I ran across this pen on the Pen Chalet web site. There are a few pictures of the capped pen, but none of the nib, section, or other views of the pen. A web search didn't turn up much for this pen.

Does anyone have any additional information on this pen or photos? It looks interesting to me.

Thanks,
Rob

[KrazyIvan]

I thought the same and when it comes to Pen Chalet, I usually find stuff on their Youtube channel but nothing on this pen yet.

[heymatthew]

I have one coming that will be here tomorrow. I’ll post photos of it here for y’all if you want.


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[heymatthew]

Here are some photos of the pen as well as some initial thoughts:

1. It’s presented very well in a nice clamshell box with an “Omas-esque” sleeve and a very nice rubber and glass eye dropper for filling.

2. It’s beautifully finished with limited furniture and nice threads and seams.

3. Instructions are clear. You remove the section, fill the body, replace the section, unscrew the blind cap in the back to allow ink flow (like on a TWSBI VAC) and write.

4. The nib appears to be a Jowo no. 5 nib but is branded Opus 88 and is marked with the width (F in this case). It writes about the same as (or a little finer than) one of my Jowo EF No. 6 nibs but is a little broader than another Jowo EF No. 6 I have. Could be sample variation in the nibs.

5. Writing experience is good so far. Smooth with some feedback. Writes upside down very smoothly.

6. It’s a great size and weight unposted. I found it a bit too long/back heavy when posted for my taste but I prefer shorter pens. It is completely usable posted and I’d likely do this if I were using it outside of a desk situation where a cap might escape.

Overall I’m absolutely impressed. At under $100, this thing is a steal. It’s unique and very pretty in the blue/blue color way.




















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[rbultman]

Thanks for the fast review and photos. Looks like a great pen.

[heymatthew]

Thanks for the fast review and photos. Looks like a great pen.

You’re more than welcome. Hope it was helpful!


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[urushi4u]

I would snap one of these up in an instant if they were available more locally.

[KrazyIvan]

Pen Chalet posted their video. I am impressed.

[jeffraffe]

OPUS 88 is a Taiwanese brand (like TWSBI and Danitrio) that claims to manufacture pens for some well known companies, the names of which (as stated by OPUS officials) cannot be disclosed due to the privacy clause they signed at the time of being contracted. I have no idea which companies contracted them, but if you take a look on their website or facebook page which display past work, you can see some very nice urushi eyedropper pens

They have been gathering a following locally among Taiwanese fountain pen communities in the past few years, and rolled out a couple limited edition eyedroppers (the 2016 "Blueprint" and 2017 "Ear of Rice") which were the predecessors of the Koloro. I first saw the Koloro on PenChalet during fountain pen day, and was delightfully surprised to know that Opus is now exporting their pens overseas. At the time, it was also discounted at ~$75 plus a 15% off for FP day. That was truly a steal! Even now, the price is very reasonable for a modern eyedropper pen with the shut-off valve found commonly in vintage Japanese eyedroppers.

I wasn't a fan of the ebonite+acrylic mix so I had held off on the Koloro. Recently, they will be releasing an all clear demonstrator eyedropper with a number 6 nib. This pen is to be released at a local pen show coming Sunday, and just opened for pre-orders on their FB page. They have promised for the new release to be a continued production model, so I assume it's only a matter of time before they trickle supplies to oversea retailers.

[abuomar]

Can someone post a photo of this pen in the hand unposted? I'd love to hear more feedback regarding this pen. It looks lovely. How easy/difficult is it to clean?

[KrazyIvan]

It's an eyedropper. They are very easy to clean.

[abuomar]

I was thinking maybe with the rod mechanism at the back it might be a bit trickier to clean.

[Kaputnik]

The pressure release valve and plunger are technically interesting. My one dedicated eyedropper, a Stipula Passaporto, has had occasional flow problems, although with a lot of fiddling, and leaving it nib down when I can, it seems to be okay now.

With the Opus 88, I wonder if the piston keeps ink from leaking out the back if you absentmindedly leave the valve open and store the pen nib up. Probably best not to find out the hard way.

I'm not going to rush right out and buy one, as I suspect that the overall writing experience would not be that different from what I get with a number of other pens. But it goes on my list of things that I might consider somewhere down the road.

[abuomar]

Interesting question to ponder upon..and one that I hope someone with the Opus 88 Korolo could answer.

[KrazyIvan]

I was thinking maybe with the rod mechanism at the back it might be a bit trickier to clean.

When you unscrew the barrel, you have full access to the rod mechanism. It is easy to flush under the sink.

[abuomar]

Okay, sounds good. Do you have to unscrew the blind cap at the end of the barrel everytime before starting to write and then screw it back in again once you're finished?

[rpsyed]

Okay, sounds good. Do you have to unscrew the blind cap at the end of the barrel everytime before starting to write and then screw it back in again once you're finished?

I don't have this pen but I have other Japanese eyedroppers. In my experience, you can generally write a decent bit with the the rod unscrewed once the feed has been saturated with ink -- maybe around an A5 sheet, front and back. Though it'll start writing dryer and dryer until you open the rod again. I just open the rod every time I write unless it's really just a quick note I need to write down, like a phone number or an address or something.

The Opus 88 looks really cool! I think the #5 nib version will be too small for me but the demonstrator with the #6 nibs looks awesome.

[rpsyed]

OPUS 88 is a Taiwanese brand (like TWSBI and Danitrio) that claims to manufacture pens for some well known companies, the names of which (as stated by OPUS officials) cannot be disclosed due to the privacy clause they signed at the time of being contracted. I have no idea which companies contracted them, but if you take a look on their website or facebook page which display past work, you can see some very nice urushi eyedropper pens

They have been gathering a following locally among Taiwanese fountain pen communities in the past few years, and rolled out a couple limited edition eyedroppers (the 2016 "Blueprint" and 2017 "Ear of Rice") which were the predecessors of the Koloro. I first saw the Koloro on PenChalet during fountain pen day, and was delightfully surprised to know that Opus is now exporting their pens overseas. At the time, it was also discounted at ~$75 plus a 15% off for FP day. That was truly a steal! Even now, the price is very reasonable for a modern eyedropper pen with the shut-off valve found commonly in vintage Japanese eyedroppers.

I wasn't a fan of the ebonite+acrylic mix so I had held off on the Koloro. Recently, they will be releasing an all clear demonstrator eyedropper with a number 6 nib. This pen is to be released at a local pen show coming Sunday, and just opened for pre-orders on their FB page. They have promised for the new release to be a continued production model, so I assume it's only a matter of time before they trickle supplies to oversea retailers.

Thanks for the info! Opus 88 looks like a brand to keep an eye on. Quick correction about Danitrio, though. Danitrio is actually an American brand -- they're headquartered in California. However, their pens are made in Japan, out of Nikko ebonite, and they get their nibs from Bock in Germany, with the exception of the #50 nib on the Yokozuna, which is made by an apprentice of nibmeister Kubo Kohei.

[abuomar]

Okay, sounds good. Do you have to unscrew the blind cap at the end of the barrel everytime before starting to write and then screw it back in again once you're finished?

I don't have this pen but I have other Japanese eyedroppers. In my experience, you can generally write a decent bit with the the rod unscrewed once the feed has been saturated with ink -- maybe around an A5 sheet, front and back. Though it'll start writing dryer and dryer until you open the rod again. I just open the rod every time I write unless it's really just a quick note I need to write down, like a phone number or an address or something.

The Opus 88 looks really cool! I think the #5 nib version will be too small for me but the demonstrator with the #6 nibs looks awesome.

Ok, thanks for the info. Sounds good. And I didn't the clear demo version has a #6 nib!

Also, any Japanese eyedroppers that you would recommend? My only experience with an eyedropper so far has been with a Noodler's Charlie, it has been less-than-stellar.

[jeffraffe]

...Danitrio is actually an American brand -- they're headquartered in California. However, their pens are made in Japan, out of Nikko ebonite, and they get their nibs from Bock in Germany, with the exception of the #50 nib on the Yokozuna, which is made by an apprentice of nibmeister Kubo Kohei.

You're absolutely right, I just recalled that the founder is a Taiwanese gentleman but the brand is indeed American. Thanks for the additional information on the brand!

...With the Opus 88, I wonder if the piston keeps ink from leaking out the back if you absentmindedly leave the valve open and store the pen nib up. Probably best not to find out the hard way.

I'm not going to rush right out and buy one, as I suspect that the overall writing experience would not be that different from what I get with a number of other pens. But it goes on my list of things that I might consider somewhere down the road.

The ink should not leak from the back, though this is a common problem found in vintage Japanese eyedroppers of the same mechanism. However, they exhibit the problem due to age and disintegration of the sealing cork that is supposed to prevent such a leak. As far as I can tell, the Koloro series seals the tail end with o-rings in place of cork. That should not only prevent leaks, but also last longer than cork seals.

In terms of writing experience, modern pens generally perform alike. But I am a huge fan of these safety piston eyedropper filling systems. I first came across this mechanism with a Japanese eyedropper, and was immediately swooned by the simplicity and increased ink capacity. There is a air of nostalgia to eyedropper pens, and they are as minimalistic as fountain pens can come.

Burping and leakage seem to be the most common concerns regarding eyedroppers. Burping tends to happen when the barrel is warmed from use, creating warm air pressure inside the ink chamber, forcing more ink through than desired. This was common with old eyedroppers because they were often made with ebonite which warmed to the hand relatively quick, coupled with an unregulated ink output. With the safety piston, you can regulate the flow to decrease this risk. And I am hoping that acrylic (a change in material) will also have a positive effect.

Leakage is common in vintage pens, and a replacement of the cork is often required after acquiring a Japanese eyedropper. The problem being, corks are not of a standard sizing and due to the lack of use in modern pens, they are not readily available-- often calling for a custom job. And in the process of replacing these corks, pistons can be snapped and cork chamber threadings damaged due to different threading methods across brands (and a lack of understanding on the repair person's part).

So I am super excited to see this eyedropper system on modern pens, and can't wait to get that clear model in my hands! I just hope these new eyedroppers will be much easier to service, even better if Opus 88 is open to show users how to service it (like how TWSBI includes a wrench so you can grease the piston on your own).