OPUS 88 Bela
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 they produce. I have previously reviewed the Opus 88 Koloro, Picnic, Fantasia, OMAR, Demo, and Flora models. I reached out to OPUS 88 and they graciously sent me a few of their Bela pens in red, blue, and green for review. Stay tuned as I will be doing a huge giveaway with several OPUS 88 pens after my next review which is of the Jazz! Thanks go out to them for sending these beauties to me and you can learn more about their products at the OPUS 88 website.
Packaging: The Bela comes in the normal OPUS 88 box which has an outer box with the company logo, “OPUS 88,” and “Fine Writing Instruments” embossed in foil on the center. The inner box has “OPUS 88 Fine Writing Instruments” embossed in 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 foam insert holding the pen, a glass and rubber eyedropper, and a user manual.
First Thoughts: The materials are beautiful and complex, and each pen is unique since the swirled marble acrylic varies in production.
Design: The Bela has an interesting shape and design. Both the cap and barrel have a slightly bulbous shape which is a break from the other OPUS 88 designs. The three colors, red, blue, and green, are the base colors with swirls of other colors mixed in. The blue has a black cap and bottom finial, a blue ink window and the body and cap are blue/green/and yellowish white swirls. The red pen has deep reddish-brown finials, a deep red ink window, and the body and cap are red/orange/black/white swirls. The green pen has dark olive-colored finials, and the cap and body are green/yellow/and amber swirls. The cap finial is a domed shape and sit on a white cap ring. The ring sits on top of a glossy black clip ring and clip. The clip is squared at the top and tapers to a rounded end with the center slightly raised. “OPUS 88” is printed at the top of the clip in a yellow orange font. The cap widens from the clip ring to the middle then tapers back down to the end of the cap, giving it the bulbous shape. The bottom finial is also the eyedropper shut-off valve, and it sits atop a white band just like the cap. The barrel shape matches the cap’s shape gradually widening until reaching the middle and tapers back towards the ink window. There is a slight step down from the ink window to the cap threads. In front of the cap the threads is the grip section which tapers before reaching a flared finger stop.
Nib Performance: I received broad, and two 2.3mm nibs for this review and one to give away! The nibs are stainless-steel number 6 Bock nib engraved with “OPUS,” “B” for broad and/or “2.3” as well as a four-square geometric pattern to make the “88” shape. The nibs, just like every OPUS 88 nib I have used, were perfectly tuned, and wrote beautifully out of the box. The 2.3mm did require me to open the valve and write slowly as it puts out a lot of ink and I needed to slow down a bit to prevent railroading. I haven't used a nib that ever made a broad look like a fine in comparison, but look at the difference in the writing sample below! It is a beefy nib that gives insane variations, and is so much fun to write with.
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 $123 USD.
Overall: I have always been a fan of OPUS 88 pens since I first tried them a few years ago. The Bela does not disappoint! The shape fits my hand perfectly, they are well balanced, with a huge ink supply. I love the filling system and the shut-off valve. The material for these pens is wonderful, the ink window is a perfect addition to their lines and clearly displays the ink level. OPUS 88 has done a wonderful job of solidifying their place in the pen industry and I look forward to the next pen they create.
Specs:
Name: OPUS 88 Bela
Design: Resin eyedropper
Length: 149.5mm (5.89in)
Posted: 174mm (6.85in)
Diameter: 16mm (0.63in)
Weight: 34g (1.19oz)
Nib: Stainless Steel
Filling System: Eyedropper with a shutoff valve
Pros: Huge ink supply, beautiful material, interesting design, 2.3mm nib!
Cons: Slightly long posted
In the same price range:
Aurora Ipsilon
Benu Chameleon
Kaweco Liliput Copper
