Brand New Lamy Safari Giving Me Trouble...help A Noob

[jjam86]

Greetings all I am a total newbie at fountain pens, so please excuse my ignorance I recently purchased my first FP...a Lamy Safari (neon coral edition) with a medium nib. I didn't know any better and opened the box and took out the blue cartridge and inserted a new neon coral ink cartridge. I then began using the pen and had trouble with getting ink to flow right from the start. After about 7 pages in my journal the ink began to flow better, but was very inconsistent. Sometimes too much ink, sometimes not enough. I thought maybe the pen needed more time, and more time did fix my starting issues, but the flow is still terrible. I've gone through two cartridges already and still having trouble.

 

I did some research (thank you for all the posts in here by the way) and I removed the nib, cleaned it with just warm water, and flushed the pen with warm water using an ear bulb/syringe. Unfortunately it still didn't fix the issue. I'm going to explain as best I can exactly what the pen is doing:

 

If I make a downward stroke (just a straight, vertical line) with the pen, as soon as I stop and remove the pen from the paper, ink flows out and up the line, making the last portion of the line much darker and giving it a "second layer" of ink. When I write a page in my journal, the colors of the ink varies on the words because some strokes are darker than others where the ink is being layed down overtop of an existing stroke from when I pick the pen up.

 

If my description isn't working, I can try and take a photo of my writing when I get home. What I really need is a video, as when you draw a vertical line, you can literally watch the ink travel up the line when i remove the pen from the paper.

 

I checked that the nib is seated in the center and it looks like it is.

 

Maybe I am crazy and this is normal, if so, I apologize. I am totally new to this world

I know that the cartridge ink from Lamy is not the best of quality, and I haven't ordered a converter or better ink yet, but I am assuming that this is not an ink issue.

 

Any help anyone can give me is surely appreciated. I was so excited about this pen but so far, I've been really disappointed in it.

[tinysnail]

The ink is pretty unsaturated, so what you're seeing is a really neat kind of shading, or at least that's my interpretation!

 

http://i57.tinypic.com/sd04ko.jpg

 

You should not have the same thing happen with the blue ink cartridge.

[jjam86]

Thank you, tinysnail! Yes, that is exactly what my writing looks like. The color is very faint and I was very worried because the photo's I have seen online of this ink make it appear much darker and more consistent in color (very little shading). Thanks so much for the tip about the blue cartridge. I am close to empty on the coral cartridge I have in now and when it's gone, I might insert the blue one to see how it performs. Thanks again!

[tinysnail]

I figured that's all that was happening! For reference, I do write with a broad nib when using the coral ink. I find it helps a lot for readability. I have had a hard time finding many pictures online of this ink but they DID all sound more like what you're describing. I actually just ordered some pinky coral ink samples this morning so soon I'll be able to do a coral ink comparison

 

And no problem at all! I do think you should get a converter soon, also. They're the best for having a LOT of fun with colours! I find Lamy inks a little undersaturated for my liking.

[tinysnail]

Sorry for the double post, but here is what the ink from the Lamy blue cartridge turned out looking for me:

 

http://i60.tinypic.com/2zjal46.jpg

 

You do still get a bit of the same effect, though it's not a tenth as dramatic as it was in the Coral ink. Again, it's just because Lamy inks are on the less saturated side of things.

[jjam86]

Thank you, thank you! I am right now filling up my shopping cart with a converter and trying to decide on a new ink color...oh the choices! I'm leaning toward Diamine Soft Mint. I know nothing at all about converter or how on earth to fill it with the ink when I get it. Off to youtube I go! LOL

 

This is also probably a dumb question as well, but If I had two converters filled with different inks, could I easily switch between the two? or would it not be worth it and just have one? How does that work?

[nait]

Hi,

If you have two converters filled with ink, you would need to find a way to seal them. It's also more trouble than it's worth, in my opinion, because you would also need to flush the previous ink from your pen's feed. Unless you enjoy the look of muddled colors.

[Blue_Moon]

Better to have two pens with different color ink in each.

[tinysnail]

Echoing what the two posters before me, said better to have two pens with different ink if you really need to switch between them often. Try a Pilot Metropolitan as your second, maybe! It was my second pen after a Safari

 

I would also highly highly suggest getting ink samples if you can (gouletpens does them, not sure where else) since you can then have a lot of fun with different inks before committing to full bottles. A sample can be good for multiple fills of a pen, too, depending on converter capacity, which rules!

[GTOZack]

since you write math equations and formulas. I suggest aurora black

 

its is deep dark black

next dark black on budget would be a pelikan brilliant black 4001.

 

then next a noodlers black of some sort they have so many lol check their color chart and choose whichever

[jjam86]

Ahhh thanks all for the suggestions. I have read quite a lot about Noodler's black. I don't care for light blacks, I prefer a dark, rich black and have read that Noodler's had some of the best. I will be ordering my converter tonight or tomorrow. Thanks again everyone!

[Talon1138]

Anderson pens also offers ink samples.

[Ecriveur]

Keep in mind that the Lamy Safari has a swappable nib. So you can get an extra-fine, fine or broad nib and swap it into your pen in place of its current medium nib. It's something to keep in mind if you ever get tired of the medium nib. The Safari is quite a versatile pen and deserves its popularity.

[jjam86]

Oh thanks, Ecriveur! I would really like to have a broad nib as I like a nice thick line so that's great to know that I don't have to buy a whole pen just to have that nib.