OPUS 88 Flora Fountain Pen
Michael Hsu has been building the OPUS 88 brand for the past two decades by crafting each design to high standards. Since 1988, Michael worked as an OEM/ODM supplier and has developed a reputation for excellence. This reputation is well deserved, and their dedication is clearly evident in the fountain pens OPUS 88 produces. I have previously reviewed the Opus 88 Koloro, Picnic, Fantasia, and OMAR models. I reached out to OPUS 88 and they graciously sent me their new Flora pen for review. Thanks go out to them for sending this beauty to me and you can learn more about their products at the OPUS 88 website.
Packaging: The Flora comes in a white box with a red outer sleeve. The outer box has the company logo, “OPUS 88,” and “Fine Writing Instruments” embossed in gold foil on the center. The white inner box has “OPUS 88 Fine Writing Instruments” embossed in gold foil on the top right corner and “Since 1977” on the bottom left corner. The side of the box has an informational sticker with the model and company name, a picture of the material, and the nib size. The lid has a magnetic front flap and opens to reveal a white foam insert holding the pen, a glass and rubber eyedropper, and a user manual.
First Thoughts: The material is interesting, and the design is like nothing I have seen before in the pen world.
Design: The material used for this pen matches the name Flora perfectly, it resembles newly bloomed flowers in springtime. Overall the pen has a flower vase shape which was surprising compared to the other pen designs OPUS 88 currently has. The cap finial resembles the neck of a vase and has a blue inset disc that looks like water. The neck of the “vase” (cap) tapers down to all the way to the bottom finial which flares out like the foot of a vase. There is no branding anywhere on the pen which is a bold choice in my opinion, but I think any branding would take away from the aesthetic of the design. The bottom finial is also the ink shut off valve just like on the other OPUS 88 models. There is a slight step down from the barrel to the grip section and the cap threads which are barely noticeable. The grip section tapers slightly before flaring out into a finger stop.
Nib Performance: I received a medium nib for this review. The nib is a stainless-steel number 6 Bock nib that is engraved with “OPUS,” “M” for medium, and a four square geometric pattern to make the “88” shape. The nib, just like every OPUS 88 nib I have used, was perfectly tuned and wrote beautifully out of the box.
Filling System: The pens are eyedropper filled and they hold a large amount of ink. I have found that if you open the ink shutoff valve it makes it easier to fill the pen as well. To fill the pen, you unscrew the grip section to open the barrel. Once this is open, you fill the included eyedropper with your ink of choice and fill the barrel until just below the top of the ink shutoff valve rod inside the pen. Then simply screw the grip section back onto the body.
Value: The pen retails for $125 USD.
Overall: If you are looking for a pen that is also an art piece, then look no further. I find myself constantly staring at this pen. Normally, I prefer my pens to have a clip, but I think this is not a concern with this pen. When I first received this pen, it grabbed my attention and it hasn’t let go since.
Specs:
Name: OPUS 88 Flora
Design: Resin eyedropper
Length: 150mm (5.9in)
Posted: N/A
Diameter: 14.5mm (.57in)
Weight: 34g (1.19oz)
Nib: Stainless Steel
Filling System: Eyedropper with a shutoff valve
Pros: Huge ink supply, beautiful material, awesome design
Cons: No clip
In the same price range:
Aurora Ipsilon
Benu Chameleon
Kaweco Liliput Copper
