(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
No matter how many fountain pens I accumulate, I'll have a soft spot for pocket fountain pens. They're under-represented in the grand scheme, and they're just so cute and utilitarian by nature. Normally, a pocket pen means you also have a smaller ink capacity, but that's not the case at all with the Opus 88 Mini.
The colorway I have is called Stripes, and I love the mixture of blues, greens, purples, and pinks that they incorporate into the materials. The pen is just 4.5 inches (11.8 cm) long when closed, and just 0.6 inches (15.4 mm) in diameter. Despite being so short, the diameter is actually a bit larger compared to other pocket pens I've used in the past. It's the same diameter and shape as a standard-size pen, which means it's really comfortable to hold.
Uncapped, the pen is 4.25 inches (10.8 cm) long, and 5.5 inches (14 cm) when the cap is posted. The posted length is pretty much the same as a closed standard-size pen.
The best part about these dimensions (particularly the diameter) is how they translate to ink capacity. Like other Opus 88 pens, this one is also an eyedropper design, meaning it holds an astonishing amount of ink for its size. Holding between 2-3 ml of ink, this puts cartridge-converters to shame. Filling and cleaning is a simple task, and you also get the added security of the ink reservoir being shut off from the feed when the pen is closed.
The Mini uses a #5 Jowo steel nib, which fits the small nature of the pen quite well. Plus, the small nib allows the cap to be just a bit smaller as well. The fine nib in my unit works perfectly out of the box, and I've been really happen with how it writes. The nib is stiff and produces crisp line edges while still feeling smooth and consistent while writing. The feed does a great job of supplying the ink to the end of the nib. There's not much flex to this nib, but you can tease out a little line variation if you practice putting pressure on the nib while making downstroke marks.
Going back to the materials and colors of the pen body and cap, I'm still so happy with my choice of the Stripes colorway. The body of the pen is fair simple — the blind cap and grip section are both polished black acrylic, but the body is made of a translucent blue/turquoise acrylic material that allows you to see the ink and inner workings of the pen along with the threads for the blind cap fitting. I love translucent colored materials, and this one is no exception. It's pure joy seeing ink slosh around in the body.
The cap also has a polished black finial, but the rest of the cap is made up of stripes of colors that go around the diameter of the pen. The sections aren't all the same size, which adds some visual interest and diversity. All of the colors they used in the cap are complimentary to the lovely aqua color of the body material.
To top off all the acrylic colors, the pen features silver trim that brings everything together. The clip is easy to use, but still stiff and strong enough to keep it secured to anything that fits in the opening.
I've really enjoyed writing with this pen and carrying it around with me. It's not the smallest pocket pen, but it's still really cute and fun to handle. The grip section is a little on the small side for my fingers, but I get used to the size quickly once I write a couple of words. Overall, this pen is just another fantastic example of Opus 88 craftsmanship and aesthetics.
The Opus 88 Mini Stripes Pocket fountain pen is $79 and comes with your choice of EF, F, M, B, or 1.4mm italic steel nib. If the colors of the Stripes model aren't your jam, there are plenty of other options as well.
If you love the size of the Kaweco Sport but want a larger ink capacity, I think the Opus 88 Mini is a great option to think about. The pen is a solid performer with a massive ink reservoir, and the color options are super fun.
(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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