All pen stories seem to start with “So, there was a sale.” And I dive head first in to the jaws of consumerism at the end of November each year. It is my deepest and darkest fault.

Setting self-loathing to the side, let’s talk about another great acquisition that I got in 2021: the Opus 88 Fantasia.

I’d not had an Opus 88 pen before, but I like gimmicks and this one has a fun little trick up its sleeve in the department of air-tightness. This pen is an eyedropper fill, believe it or not, the plunger that lifts isn’t a plunger at all, it’s a little vent which allows airflow. That means that when it is closed, the body of the pen is airtight. You can ink this baby up, close it, set it aside for a few months, and when you get back to it and allow airflow back inside, the ink should be as fine as it would be had you left it in the bottle. It’ll flow like a dream. So far, that has been incredibly true.

This is also a feature that is helpful when travelling on airplanes (or across a country with varying altitudes–say a roadtrip from California to Colorado for example), but I haven’t tested that yet. It should keep it from the dreaded ink explosion.

I was also thrilled by this pen because you can change the nib units very easily and that makes one pen capable of having many nib sizes. Since it’s so easy to clean the inside, that’s a very fun feature. Even better than the Lamy idea where you can change the nibs easily, but changing an ink colour is a complete mess (why aren’t Lamy Safari feeds removable?).

I chose the Fantasia (it was at least two hours of debate between the Fantasia and the Omar) for two reasons: 1. because it came in a brick red sort of colour, which is one of my very favourites; and 2. because it is a compact-size pen and I decided I rather like those after using the Herbin Rollerball. Though this one is thicker than the Herbin, it is the same length.

What’s very cool, though, is that the cap screws on to the back and therefore posting is not only secure, but it makes the pen a perfectly acceptable length. I’m pretty much in love with that feature as I always post my pens and when the caps are at risk of flying off, I end up very annoyed (looking at you, Conklin and Moonman).

I have never had a hard starting problem with this pen, and that is likely due to the air flow feature and it is just delightful. I currently have it inked with Diamine Red Robin, but, I feel like I should put in some Blue Nose Bear or Sailor Studio inks to prove this airtightness since those seem to change after being in a pen for too long.

In sum, I am sold on the brand Opus 88 and will definitely try more in the future should the price be attractive enough for me.