Pen Review: Opus 88 Picnic and Fantasia Fountain Pens

Last month, I had the pleasure of spending the 2018 D.C. Pen Show working behind the Vanness Pens table. One of the surprising things that I learned from helping people try (and buy!) pens is the appeal of Taiwanese brand Opus 88 - I think we sold more Opus 88 pens than any other brand during the show, and the Picnic and Fantasia models were probably the two most popular. 

The current Opus 88 model lineup, from left: Transparent Demonstrator, Koloro, Picnic, and Fantasia. 

I've previously reviewed the Opus 88 Koloro and larger transparent demonstrator. While those are excellent pens, some people are turned off by the half-ebonite/half-acrylic body on the Koloro, and the larger demonstrator is, well, friggin' huge. The Picnic offers a more traditional cigar shape and is made entirely of acrylic, while the Fantasia sticks to the acrylic and ebonite combination but presents a smaller package. In terms of "technical specs," the Picnic and Fantasia are more or less identical to the rest of the Opus 88 lineup. Both pens feature stainless steel JoWo nibs paired with Opus 88's excellent Japanese-style eyedropper system, which I discussed at length in my prior review. The short version is that you fill the pen as you would a regular eyedropper, but the Japanese-style system incorporates a stopper that closes off the ink reservoir from the nib and feed, which prevents ink "burping" and excessive flow due to temperature and air pressure fluctuations. To open the stopper to write, you turn the blind cap as you would with a piston filler, allowing the ink to flow and saturate the feed. You can then either close it up again - I can get 2 pages or so of writing with a fine nib with the stopper closed - or leave it open for longer writing sessions. 

The Fantasia features a different clip than the Picnic and Koloro. I like it - it definitely matches the pen better and seems a bit more refined. 

Some additional thoughts and observations on the Opus 88 Picnic: 

• The pen comes in bright colors, including green, turquoise, and purple, in addition to the more staid brown. The acrylic is thick and high-quality, and I've been pleased with the durability and scratch-resistance. 

• The Picnic is a good size, and the cigar-shaped body is comfortable in the hand either posted or unposted. While I'd prefer to see a No. 6 nib on a pen of this size, the No. 5 JoWo steel nib writes very well. 

• Colorverse manufactures a line of ink in partnership with Opus 88, with the ink colors tailored to match various pens in the Opus 88 lineup. For example, Colorverse Supernatural matches the green Picnic, and Colorverse Horizon matches the blue Picnic.  

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Some people prefer the engraved "Opus 88" logo on the Koloro (right) to the applied logo on the Picnic (left). 

Thoughts and Observations on the Opus 88 Fantasia: 

• Some have described the Fantasia as a pocket pen, but I consider it a bit too large for that designation. While it's shorter than the other Opus 88 models, once you post the cap the Fantasia becomes a full-size pen, and even unposted the barrel has enough girth to be comfortable for short periods of time. 

• The ebonite blind cap on the Fantasia has a lower profile, and the pen is designed so that you can use the cap to turn it to open and close the eyedropper valve. (It's difficult to explain, see the photos below.) I've never used this trick, and have found that it's easy enough to screw/unscrew the blind cap with my fingers. 

• The cap and blind cap on the Fantasia are both ebonite, and the body is acrylic. I founded the multicolor banded cap design to be much more understated in person than it can appear in photos online. 

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The blind cap has a Phillips-head pattern carved into the bottom, and you can use the raised metal ridge in the top of the cap to turn it, if you can't make it comfortably work with your fingers. I've not found it necessary. 

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

Opus 88 pens offer a great combination of unique design, value, and overall quality that has started to differentiate the company from its competitors in the $90-$125 price bracket. While eyedropper fountain pens certainly aren't for everyone, Opus 88's twin o-ring system and included glass eyedropper makes the filling process as clean and easy as it can be. 

You can purchase both pens featured here from our sponsor Vanness Pens. The Opus 88 Picnic is priced at $99, while the Fantasia runs slightly higher at $125. As noted above, both pens come packaged with a quality glass eyedropper and instructions. 

Disclaimer: Site sponsor Vanness Pens loaned me these pens for review purposes, free of charge. 

What Makes Up My Everyday Carry: Bellroy Classic Pouch

The Bellroy Classic Pouch is insanely versatile, making it one of the more useful items to come across my desk this year. According to Bellroy, the Classic Pouch is intended to hold "pens, cables, cosmetics, and personal items," which, honestly, sounds a little boring to most people, but, well, those are the things most of us cart around every day, and we pen people and stationery enthusiasts know the true value of a good carry-all. 

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Of course, since this is a Bellroy product, you need some leather trim! The zipper on this pouch is quite sturdy. It should last a long time. 

It's a Bellroy product, so of course it's well made. But what surprised me most about this pouch is the volume of "stuff" that it can hold while still maintaining a relatively compact overall size. The internal layout features one large center compartment, which I use to hold a laptop and iPhone/iPad charger and cables. Note: I have two non day-job laptops, a 15-inch MacBook Pro and a Google Pixelbook. The chargers for both of these computers easily fit inside the Bellroy pouch, but it won't hold larger "brick"-type chargers (like those on the Dell workstations at my office). 

The Classic Pouch can easily hold both a laptop charger, tablet and/or phone charger, along with cables.

The center compartment is lined by pockets on each side.  One side features a single long pocket, which I use to store pens, maybe a pocket flashlight, and some wired headphones. The other side has two separate pockets, which holds my Airpods, SD cards, document flags (fellow lawyers will know what I'm talking about here), and perhaps some smaller Post-its. The pockets themselves are made from a stretchy material (not quite elastic), which has some give and will allow you to cram these fairly full. 

You can fit a lot of gel pens, mechanical pencils, sharpeners, etc. into the side pocket, even longer pens like the Papermate Inkjoy. 

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And the Bellroy owl logo makes an appearance! 

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I've been using the Bellroy Classic Pouch for several months - Bellroy sent it to me for testing along with the Work Folio A5 earlier this year, but requested that I hold off on a review until the product was released. In the meantime, it's become a regular part of my "kit." Though I haven't bought into full-on modular carry "systems" like those from brands such as Peak Design or Tom Bihn, I do switch between different bags a fair bit, so I tend to pack the smaller items I use everyday into a few zippered cases and pouches for easy transfer. I may actually purchase one or more additional Bellroy pouches - they're that handy. 

You can order the Bellroy Classic Pouch directly from Bellroy, in both Leather Nubuck ($79) and Soft-woven Polyester ($49) versions. Many thanks to Bellroy for making this review possible! 

Disclaimer: Bellroy sent me the pouch featured in this review free of charge, for review purposes.

Ink Review: J. Herbin 1798 Cornaline D'Egypte

The 1798 Collection of inks from J. Herbin is built around the theme of gemstones. The last ink to be released was Amethyste de l'Oural, followed by the ink featured here, Cornaline d'Egypte.  (For those of you who don't speak French or know your gemstones, that's Amethyst and Carnelian, respectively.) 

A shot of the silver shimmer coming off the Cornaline d'Egypte. 

Cornaline d'Egypte is a cool reddish-orange with some brown tones to it. I'd characterize it as a "pumpkin" hue. In addition to the silver shimmer, the ink shades fairly well and dries relatively quickly compared to other Herbin shimmer inks that I've used. 

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The Herbin shimmer inks always look amazing in clear pens, but it can also serve as a reminder to clean your pens well before swapping in a new ink, and not to let them sit too long! 

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

With very limited exceptions, shimmer inks aren't something I can use on a regular basis, but they're fun to play around with, especially if you load them into a transparent demonstrator or eyedropper pen where you can watch the different components of the ink swirl around. As with all shimmer inks, be sure to exercise good pen hygiene, since the shimmer particles can clog if you let the pen sit for too long or don't flush the pen properly before changing inks. 

You can purchase Cornaline d'Egypte, along with the other J. Herbin inks, from site sponsor Vanness Pens. Since these inks are Herbin's speciality line, they're a bit pricier than the standard bottle, at $26 for 50ml. Many thanks to Exaclair, Herbin's U.S. Distributor, for providing this bottle for review! 

Further Reading  

If the J. Herbin shimmer inks appeal to you, check out the 1670 series as well. I've previously reviewed several colors in that range, including Emerald of Chivor and Caroube de Chypre.  

Disclaimer: J. Herbin's U.S. Distributor, Exaclair, provided me with this bottle of ink for review purposes, free of charge. 

Pen Review: Montblanc Le Petit Prince Classique Rollerball

I previously reviewed the fountain pen version of the Montblanc Meisterstuck “Classique”, and I still consider this model one of the more overlooked gems of the pen world. Sure, the storied 146 and 149 models get most of the attention, but both are simply too big for many people to use comfortably, and you have to pay quite a premium, especially for the special and limited edition models. The Classique is Montblanc's "mid-priced" model that is still large enough for most people to use comfortably, and offers the same Montblanc writing experience as its larger siblings.

I’ve owned a Classique ballpoint for 15+ years (graduation present), so with the addition of this rollerball to my collection I now have a full ballpoint + rollerball + fountain pen set in this size. In terms of the writing experience, there’s not too much to say here that hasn’t already been said. Montblanc makes a great rollerball refill, which their pens are designed to showcase. The Classique rollerball is a relatively slim pen - slightly slimmer than both the ballpoint and the fountain pen - but it still has some weight to it, due in part to the metal end cap. As a result, the pen has a very nice balance for writing, especially when posted. The friction-fit cap opens and closes with no rattle whatsoever, and the cap posts securely.

Comparison shot: Ballpoint, Fountain Pen (in the metal "Doue" model), and Rollerball. The fountain pen has a slightly larger diameter than the other two. 

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The pen shown here is the Le Petit Prince Classique PT 163 Rollerball (if we want to be technical about model numbers). It features three key design elements from Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s story: the fox engraved in the resin on the cap, the star on the clip (which is the feature that sold me on a pen from this series), and a quote: “Créer des liens? ... Tu seras pour moi unique au monde” which translates to “To establish ties? ... To me, you will be unique in all the world.” If you’ve read the book, you’ll understand the significance, but if you haven’t, well, you need to read the book.   

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The quote from the story is engraved around the top of the cap, just below Montblanc's signature "snowcap" logo. The Platinum trim complements the navy blue resin nicely. 

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I love this pen. Sure, most of it is the design, and the tie-in with one of my favorite stories from childhood (and adulthood, and, well, ever) but whatever your feelings about the brand, they make a mean pen. The form factor of the Meisterstuck Classique makes it a great everyday writer for both long-form handwriting and quick notes.

Appelboom carries a wide range of Montblanc pens, including the Classique models, in both the standard and special edition versions like the Le Petit Prince pen shown here. Also, check out my previous review of Montblanc rollerball and fineliner refills, which I consider to be some of the best.  

I've had this pen loaded with Montblanc's excellent fineliner refill, and haven't use much else, though the rollerball refills are also superb (if not the most wallet-friendly). 

A Few General Thoughts on Montblanc as a Brand

The company takes a lot of flack for the price point of their pens, which in my opinion is unwarranted. The past few Montblanc pens I’ve purchased have had zero quality control issues, with excellent out-of-the-box nibs on the fountain pens. They also have a pretty liberal nib-exchange program and will stand behind their products as long as you purchase from an authorized retailer. Yes, at the end of the day, you are paying in part for the branding and design, not the pure functionality of the pen. The majority of Montblanc pens, however, are priced similarly to Aurora, Montegrappa, or Pelikan, especially once you get into special and limited editions, so I don’t see much of a reason to favor one of these brands over another based on how they are pricing things. If you like the pen, and can comfortably afford it, then buy it and enjoy it. If you’re looking for something else - like a no-frills workhorse or simply something at a lower price point - there are plenty of other excellent options out there to meet your needs, and I try to cover a range of options on the blog.  

Pen Review: Caran d'Ache 849 Ballpoint, and Fountain Pen

While I've long enjoyed Caran d'Ache pencils and have dabbled in their inks, I've never explored their pen offerings, probably because I suspected that I would find the design of their pens too narrow for my taste and comfort. That said, given the overall quality of Caran d'Ache products, I didn't want to pass up the chance to review both the fountain pen and ballpoint versions of the Caran d'Ache 849, a budget-friendly option from a brand not typically known for pursuing the entry-level market. 

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I like the hexagonal barrel on the 849, but for reasons unknown Caran d'Ache has placed the logo underneath the clip. It's quite nice looking, so no need to hide it!

The Caran d'Ache 849 ballpoint has been around for a long time, so much that it's become something of an iconic writing instrument. The 849 features a hexagonal barrel, clip, and smooth knock, and comes loaded with the Caran d'Ache Giant "Goliath" cartridge, which according to the company "delivers up to 600 pages of A4 writing." Overall, it's an excellent ballpoint pen with a large-capacity refill that writes a solid line. The faceted shape of the 849 ballpoint mimics that of a sharpened woodcase pencil, and while I initially thought that the 849 would be too narrow for my taste, it’s grown on me to the point where it’s now my primary writing tool when I reach for a standard ballpoint. The version pictured here is the limited edition "Nespresso" edition, made out of aluminum sourced from recycled Nespresso capsules. [2020 Update: In the years since this review has been published, Caran d’Ache has continued to release Limited Edition “Nespresso” collaborations, an olive green, which I missed, and a purple version, which I stock in the Curated Shop. The Nespresso collaborations are slightly more expensive than other limited and special edition Caran d’Ache pens.]

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Caran d'Ache recently introduced a fountain pen version of the 849 at the $50-60 price point, offering another option for a segment of the fountain pen market that too often goes overlooked. Featuring a hexagonal metal barrel, "snap cap", and stainless steel nib, the 849 fountain pen is a nice writer that retains the aesthetic of the ballpoint in a slightly larger package. The stainless steel medium nib writes a wet line and is pleasantly springy. The 849 fountain pen makes a wonderful edition to the lineup of fountain pens available at this price, especially for those who prefer a slender format.

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The shape of the nib on the Caran d'Ache 849 is almost Lamy-esque. While the nib is NOT flexible, it does have some slight bounce to it.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

[2021 UPDATE] While I initially worried that both of these pens would be too narrow for me to use comfortably, the 849 ballpoint has grown on me to the point where I now have a sizable personal collection of these workhorses and use this model on a daily basis. At last count I own at least five 849s (the blue Nespresso, a Paul Smith collaboration, two standards in white and yellow, and a turquoise Metal X). I enjoy it so much that I’ve chosen the 849 as one of the first models to stock in my own small retail shop. The ballpoint mimics the tactile feel of a woodcase pencil, and as far as refills go, the Goliath is both legible and long-lasting.

Unfortunately, the blue "Nespresso" ballpoint pictured in this review was a limited edition that is no longer available, though Caran d’Ache has continued to release new versions of the “Nespresso” pen every year. The current version is the bright purple model made from the “Arpeggio” capsule, which I have available for purchase in the T.G.S. Curated Shop along with a selection of other Caran d’Ache limited and special editions. Caran d’Ache special and limited edition 849 ballpoints are typically priced between $40-50 (with the Nespresso on the higher end of this scale), which is comparable to similar editions from brands such as Retro 51.

As of August 2020, The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of Caran d’Ache.