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Detail
To fountain pen geeks, the words "Made in Taiwan" are coming to mean "Expect something special and unusual". And fountain pen geeks like unusual. Opus 88 have been manufacturing on behalf of other companies since 1988, but now they're designing and making their own pens, aiming them quite firmly at those of us who love fountain pens, and want something a bit different.
Even by the weird and wonderful standards of Opus 88, though, the Fantasia stands out. It's made to be a pocket pen, but still full width. Those with reasonably small to medium-sized hands may well be perfectly comfortable writing with it unposted, but the cap and barrel have screw threads so it posts securely for extra length and weight.
To save some more length, the blind cap that operates the shut-off valve is short - it's easy enough to operate by hand, but it could be a problem if it got closed down a bit too tightly - so Opus 88 found a solution. The end has crossed grooves cut into it, and the end of the cap has a matching bar, so they act like a screw and screwdriver. You won't usually need it, but it's good to know it's there.
To contrast with the translucent resin barrel, the cap and blind cap are ebonite with a slightly mottled pattern. To add even more flair, the cap features a whimsical series of coloured rings.
While the filling system used by these pens is not something new - far from it - it's rare in modern pens. They may look at first as if they're piston fillers, or perhaps vacuum fillers, but these are actually eyedropper pens. More specifically, they're of a type often known as 'Japanese Eyedroppers' (though these aren't Japanese). They don't draw ink up into the barrel themselves, you need to use an eyedropper (or syringe if you prefer) to get ink from the bottle to the pen barrel.
So why the piston-like mechanism? It's a valve, to seal off the ink supply just above the nib. Why? Well, for one thing, it makes the pens safer to carry, as only the ink that's already in the feed can leak into the cap if it gets shaken about. It can also be used to work around a common problem with eyedropper pens. With a lot of ink and air held directly in the barrel, as the heat from your hand warms up an eyedropper pen, they can push a bit of ink out through the feed, onto the page. It's not usually a problem when the pen is full, only when there's air in the barrel, but if it happens to be a problem for you, you can just keep the valve closed, only opening it to allow more ink to the feed as needed.
In use, you just need to unscrew the valve a little before you start a longer writing session, and tighten it back up for safety when you're done. And if you just need to make a quick note, the ink that's already in the feed should be plenty, so it doesn't slow you down.
Supplied in a gift box, with a glass eyedropper.
117mm long capped, 103mm uncapped, 145mm posted. 14mm wide, 10.5mm at grip. Weighs 22g. Cap takes around 2.5 turns to remove/tighten.
Additional information
Product Code:
Item Colour:
Tip Material:
Tip Type:
Delivery
Orders placed before 3pm Monday to Friday will normally be sent out the same day.
UK Orders
FREE Royal Mail Tracked 48 delivery for orders over £30, and just £3 for smaller orders. Tracked 24 is available as an option, for £2.50 on orders over £30, £5.50 on smaller orders. Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed Next Day* available for £7.50, or FREE with any order over £400. No delivery surcharges for Northern Ireland, Highlands & Islands or anywhere else!
International
International deliveries vary in cost, so you'll need to add the items you want to your basket, and enter the checkout to see the options for delivery. Prices and payment methods will reflect your country, and many countries have all taxes and duties included to make things easier and more predictable.
Orders over 2kg
For all orders outside the UK, heavy orders may cost more to send, but the shipping cost will be displayed in the checkout before you commit.
More Information
For more, see our Delivery Information page.
- Detail
- Delivery
To fountain pen geeks, the words "Made in Taiwan" are coming to mean "Expect something special and unusual". And fountain pen geeks like unusual. Opus 88 have been manufacturing on behalf of other companies since 1988, but now they're designing and making their own pens, aiming them quite firmly at those of us who love fountain pens, and want something a bit different.
Even by the weird and wonderful standards of Opus 88, though, the Fantasia stands out. It's made to be a pocket pen, but still full width. Those with reasonably small to medium-sized hands may well be perfectly comfortable writing with it unposted, but the cap and barrel have screw threads so it posts securely for extra length and weight.
To save some more length, the blind cap that operates the shut-off valve is short - it's easy enough to operate by hand, but it could be a problem if it got closed down a bit too tightly - so Opus 88 found a solution. The end has crossed grooves cut into it, and the end of the cap has a matching bar, so they act like a screw and screwdriver. You won't usually need it, but it's good to know it's there.
To contrast with the translucent resin barrel, the cap and blind cap are ebonite with a slightly mottled pattern. To add even more flair, the cap features a whimsical series of coloured rings.
While the filling system used by these pens is not something new - far from it - it's rare in modern pens. They may look at first as if they're piston fillers, or perhaps vacuum fillers, but these are actually eyedropper pens. More specifically, they're of a type often known as 'Japanese Eyedroppers' (though these aren't Japanese). They don't draw ink up into the barrel themselves, you need to use an eyedropper (or syringe if you prefer) to get ink from the bottle to the pen barrel.
So why the piston-like mechanism? It's a valve, to seal off the ink supply just above the nib. Why? Well, for one thing, it makes the pens safer to carry, as only the ink that's already in the feed can leak into the cap if it gets shaken about. It can also be used to work around a common problem with eyedropper pens. With a lot of ink and air held directly in the barrel, as the heat from your hand warms up an eyedropper pen, they can push a bit of ink out through the feed, onto the page. It's not usually a problem when the pen is full, only when there's air in the barrel, but if it happens to be a problem for you, you can just keep the valve closed, only opening it to allow more ink to the feed as needed.
In use, you just need to unscrew the valve a little before you start a longer writing session, and tighten it back up for safety when you're done. And if you just need to make a quick note, the ink that's already in the feed should be plenty, so it doesn't slow you down.
Supplied in a gift box, with a glass eyedropper.
117mm long capped, 103mm uncapped, 145mm posted. 14mm wide, 10.5mm at grip. Weighs 22g. Cap takes around 2.5 turns to remove/tighten.
Additional information
Product Code:
Item Colour:
Tip Material:
Tip Type:
Orders placed before 3pm Monday to Friday will normally be sent out the same day.
UK Orders
FREE Royal Mail Tracked 48 delivery for orders over £30, and just £3 for smaller orders. Tracked 24 is available as an option, for £2.50 on orders over £30, £5.50 on smaller orders. Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed Next Day* available for £7.50, or FREE with any order over £400. No delivery surcharges for Northern Ireland, Highlands & Islands or anywhere else!
International
International deliveries vary in cost, so you'll need to add the items you want to your basket, and enter the checkout to see the options for delivery. Prices and payment methods will reflect your country, and many countries have all taxes and duties included to make things easier and more predictable.
Orders over 2kg
For all orders outside the UK, heavy orders may cost more to send, but the shipping cost will be displayed in the checkout before you commit.
More Information
For more, see our Delivery Information page.
