Opus 88 Koloro

[WLSpec]

Thinking of purchasing one of these. Will probably go for the larger demonstrator as opposed to the smaller model, as it seems wetter and holds more ink. I have been on a sort of eyedropper kick lately, and this is one of the new and interesting ones. Does anyone have one of these? What do you think of it? I want to make sure that it is a quality pen before purchasing, I've watched some online reviews but want some thoughts from regular pen enthusiasts.

 

Thanks for any opinions!

Edited April 8, 2019 by WLSpec

[Karmachanic]

First for clarity. Opus 88 Koloro and Opius 88 Demonstrator are different pens.

I have a Koloro and I'm happy that I do. M800 sized, comfortable to use, sturdy, and reliable. Sports an FPNibs 14k semi-flex nib.

[Uncial]

Really good pen let down by a very boring nib. It's brilliantly made of very good quality materials. Nicely finished and very comfortable. The nib feels a touch small for the pen (I have the Koloro model), it's very, very firm and just feels very average. There's nothing essentially wrong with the nib and the pen is pretty reasonably priced for what it is.

[Karmachanic]

Supplied nib is a standard Jowo.

[ISW_Kaputnik]

I have a Koloro, which I got at a "special" price when they were first coming out. The eyedropper design with the valve to let in air to aid ink flow interested me.

 

Solidly made, and not unattractive; I have it in the brown and blue combination. The German fine nib surprised me by being actually what I'd consider fine; I might have been happier with the medium. Writes well enough, nothing special. A bit larger than I like, but then, I had the information before I bought it, so I should have anticipated that.

 

The cap has a lot of threads, so it takes longer to uncap than you might be used to. Between that, loosening the valve if you're going to be doing a lot of writing, and tightening it again when putting the pen away, maybe not the best pen for quick jottings.

[dapprman]

First for clarity. Opus 88 Koloro and Opius 88 Demonstrator are different pens.

I have a Koloro and I'm happy that I do. M800 sized, comfortable to use, sturdy, and reliable. Sports an FPNibs 14k semi-flex nib.

Originally the Demonstrator was also sold as a Koloro (for a good 6+ months), which is why the OP may have posted the way he did.

[Karmachanic]

 

 

. Between that, loosening the valve if you're going to be doing a lot of writing, and tightening it again when putting the pen away, maybe not the best pen for quick jottings.

 

From my experience there is no need to close the valve when not in use. No harm comes from leaving it open. Flying excepted. If one chooses to do so there's enough ink in front of the valve and in the feed to write four or five pages.

 

Same with my Conid and PenBBS 355.

Edited April 8, 2019 by Karmachanic

[WLSpec]

First for clarity. Opus 88 Koloro and Opius 88 Demonstrator are different pens.

Yes. Forgot to clarify that in my post.

[displacermoose]

I have the brown and blue Koloro. I agree with everyone else. It is a well made pen and pleasant to use, but the nib is a bog standard JOWO. I don't find that a problem at the price point since I can regrind it without fear of irreparable damage should I feel the need. I am happy to have a pen that looks and feels great that I can haul around without fear since the most delicate part is easily replaced.

[tonybelding]

As it happens, I just placed my order for a Koloro, the brown and teal-blue version. Personally, I think it's better looking and a better size than the Demonstrator. It's worth noting that the Koloro has a #5 size nib, and the Demonstrator has a #6. They are Jowo steel nibs which (in my experience with TWSBI and Goulet, for example) are among the best everyday workhorse nibs. Sometimes they need a little adjustment, but it's easy to do.

[displacermoose]

As it happens, I just placed my order for a Koloro, the brown and teal-blue version. Personally, I think it's better looking and a better size than the Demonstrator. It's worth noting that the Koloro has a #5 size nib, and the Demonstrator has a #6. They are Jowo steel nibs which (in my experience with TWSBI and Goulet, for example) are among the best everyday workhorse nibs. Sometimes they need a little adjustment, but it's easy to do.

Exactly! I hope you like yours. Yesterday my son asked me which pen I would take on a camping vacation and the Koloro was the choice. I have fancier pens, which I dearly love, but this one is really nice without me needing to worry about it. And the filling system is just cool.

[Karmachanic]

Get one of these and you can fill it whilst on your 'round the world trip!

[Houston]

Opus 88 Koloro "Picnic" demonstrator is on closeout at Goulet, and even cheaper by 20% at Pen Chalet. No affiliation; was just shopping for myself.

[tonybelding]

Received the Koloro from Goulet this morning, $93 plus shipping. It looks good, feels good, seems well designed. Personally, I wish the section was also made of ebonite; it would look and feel better. The clip seems very functional, not necessarily the most elegant. The F nib that I got is definitely fine, well adjusted, about average smoothness, I guess. I like the O-ring seal, and I added a tiny amount of TWSBI oil to it, and to the shutoff valve as well.

 

When filling the pen from a graduated syringe (also got from Goulet!), I found the reservoir holds right about 2 ml. If you're buying an eyedropper pen because you think it'll hold "tons of ink" and write for days, guess again. That's just about double the contents of a Sheaffer Skrip cartridge, and it's similar to a TWSBI Vac 700 if you get it filled completely. It's a healthy, generous amount of ink, but not a supertanker.

[Uncial]

There's a really tiny rubber ring inside the shut off valve. When you clean the pen be very careful you don't flush it down the sink.

[WLSpec]

Opus 88 Koloro "Picnic" demonstrator is on closeout at Goulet, and even cheaper by 20% at Pen Chalet. No affiliation; was just shopping for myself.

Thanks! Ill check it out.

[tonybelding]

Couple of observations. . . The acrylic portions of mine are darker and more neutral gray than I had expected from the photographs online. I wouldn't call it teal. It reminds me more of Mont Blanc Midnight Blue. It's not quite as attractive or as transparent as the photos had led me to expect, but it's pretty good anyhow. I can't complain.

 

The nib on mine is moderately dry, which I think is not unusual for German-made steel nibs. It was too dry to work well with my new favorite blue ink, Organics Studio Accident, but it's a perfect match for my old favorite blue ink, Noodler's Texas Blue Bonnet. Of course it wouldn't be hard to adjust and make wetter, if one were so inclined.