Lamy Al Star Limited And Special Editions

[Whiterose64]

Does anyone have a list of the Lamy Al Star limited and special editions?

 

I have managed to get hold of a Silver Blue Al Star and wondered if it was a standard colour that was discontinued or an LE/SE?

[risingsun]

It was original and discontinued later on. Don't recall what year they phased it out, but I think it was mid to late 2000's.

[Namo]

Precious info here:

http://kmpn.blogspot.ca/2011/03/lamy-al-star-collection.html

[Whiterose64]

Thanks Namo and Risingsun.

 

I've just caught the Lamy bug and I thought I'd start with the SE and LE versions then move onto the standard colours. Being new I wasn't sure that I'd come across all the colours, thanks for the link.

[risingsun]

Good stuff, Namo. Thanks!

[gammada]

Thanks Namo and Risingsun.

I've just caught the Lamy bug and I thought I'd start with the SE and LE versions then move onto the standard colours. Being new I wasn't sure that I'd come across all the colours, thanks for the link.

Got the bug too and also plan to follow the same strategy. So far, I've been quite lucky on my first buying spree, I got 3 Safari LE versions (apple green, neon and coral) and yesterday just checked that the same store carries Al-Star black, pearl and blue green!

 

Also, am planning to buy a Coffee one from a radio host I met a few days ago.

 

Which pens do you have?

[Whiterose64]

Hi gammada,

 

So far I have the Al Star in ruby red, black purple, silver blue, matt black, pearl, blue green, graphite and the Safari in apple green, neon yellow, neon coral, aquamarine and red. The blue green Al Star is the one that started it all. I've got my eye on a silver green one at the moment, I shouldn't even be looking after the spending spree I've just been on.

 

I've been trying to figure out which colours are which years and which are SE or LE but I'm getting confused as I seem to be getting different years for some colours. You'd think Lamy would have a an official list on their site.

[gammada]

Hi gammada,

So far I have the Al Star in ruby red, black purple, silver blue, matt black, pearl, blue green, graphite and the Safari in apple green, neon yellow, neon coral, aquamarine and red. The blue green Al Star is the one that started it all. I've got my eye on a silver green one at the moment, I shouldn't even be looking after the spending spree I've just been on.

I've been trying to figure out which colours are which years and which are SE or LE but I'm getting confused as I seem to be getting different years for some colours. You'd think Lamy would have a an official list on their site.

Hi Whiterose64,

Not an expert on this Lamy frenzy but AFAIK some Safari/ Al-Star colors that first came out as LE's, we're later incorporated into the standard lineup but with some minor differences, case in point the Pink Lamy Safari was launched in 2009 as a limited edition pen, but today is standard issue. The only difference between them is the cap button which is pink with a dot as opposed to the standard black with a cross.

 

Another example of this is the black purple Al-Star, also launched as a limited edition in 2009 and now a standard edition pen.

[Whiterose64]

Hi gammada,

 

I noticed that some SE and LE's had become standard colours. I've seen the Ruby Red quoted as both limited and special edition and 2011 and 2012, so I've no idea which is correct.

 

Anyway I'm just happy I've got the ones I have.

[gammada]

Hi gammada,

I noticed that some SE and LE's had become standard colours. I've seen the Ruby Red quoted as both limited and special edition and 2011 and 2012, so I've no idea which is correct.

Anyway I'm just happy I've got the ones I have.

Its a 2011 model but Lamy sometimes does a second run of limited editions. Still, I don't know if there was a 2012 limited edition at all. Haven't found any.

 

Envious of your great collection! That ruby red looks quite nice.

 

Btw Which nib size do you prefer? Am finding that the M nib is too broad for me, the F much better but still broader than my Parker Vector F pen and the EF, too dry.

[Whiterose64]

Hi gammada,

 

Thanks for the info, I'll put the Ruby Red in my database as 2011, it is a lovely colour, I was really pleased when I found it but I think my favourite colour is the aquamarine.

 

I like the 1.1 italics though I just got a 1.9 which I'm really loving. I have discovered that stub and italic are my preference which is why I started with Al Star and Safari pens. I wasn't a big fan of the looks but had heard so much about the nibs that I thought I'd get one and see if all the hype was true. Bad move I loved the look of them once I got my hands on one, 12 pens later still want more. I tried looking for vintage stub nibs on fleabay but kept getting outbid or unwilling to pay the price. Modern pens with stub or italic nib options are few and far between unless you pay a lot, over £150 or so. That's what's so bad for my addiction Lamy are so reasonably priced, well the current colours but even the older ones aren't too bad.

[gammada]

Hi gammada,

 

Thanks for the info, I'll put the Ruby Red in my database as 2011, it is a lovely colour, I was really pleased when I found it but I think my favourite colour is the aquamarine.

 

I like the 1.1 italics though I just got a 1.9 which I'm really loving. I have discovered that stub and italic are my preference which is why I started with Al Star and Safari pens. I wasn't a big fan of the looks but had heard so much about the nibs that I thought I'd get one and see if all the hype was true. Bad move I loved the look of them once I got my hands on one, 12 pens later still want more. I tried looking for vintage stub nibs on fleabay but kept getting outbid or unwilling to pay the price. Modern pens with stub or italic nib options are few and far between unless you pay a lot, over £150 or so. That's what's so bad for my addiction Lamy are so reasonably priced, well the current colours but even the older ones aren't too bad.

 

Hi Whiterose,

 

Stub nibs, wow!

 

I've never use them but they're in my future "buying frenzy" plans. My local pen shop is selling a Lamy Joy kit with two or three stub nibs for some $80 USD. I've already got the ink to try them on: Caran D'ache Cosmic Black seems to be the perfect fit due to its pronounced shading.

 

What ink or inks do you use with your stubs?

 

BTW I went today to buy my LE's Al-Stars and came away very frustrated! Turns out the place that was selling them run out of Pearl and Silvergreen Al-Stars the minute I came inside!

 

I could only get hold of the Black and the Bluegreen LE pens. And to make matters worst, I totally trashed the black nib on my black pen!! It wasn't flowing at all, so I decided to spread the tines a bit but end-up messing with the alignment (which I later fixed) but now it feels kind of weird to me, like fragile. Guess I will have to get me another nib.

[Misfit]

I got the Al-Star in Coffee from amazon.co.uk (in 2012) because I couldn't find it on US sites. Love it! I haven't tried a 1.9mm nib yet, but I want to. I like the 1.5 better than the 1.1. I'm almost decided on getting the neon yellow Safari before they disappear. Didn't think I'd like it, but saw a photo and well, here we are. (I've given up on finding early Safari pens, even though I really like the color of the early orange and green.)

 

Plus, with the newest Field Notes colors, It would be fun to match a Safari or Al-Star to the notebook.

Edited September 20, 2014 by Misfit

[Whiterose64]

Hi gammada

 

Shame you missed out on the LE's, hopefully they'll come up again. I'm keeping an eye out for a silver green and a coffee Al Star.

 

I love the way stub and italic nibs make my writing look better without me doing anything, and when I try calligraphy it looks even better. I only have 2 stubs, a steel 1.1 Edison Collier and a steel 1.1 Monteverde nib I've put in an acrylic Noodler's Konrad and my Lamy's are all italics of varying size.

 

I've only used Diamine inks so far and love them. Diamine Ancient Copper was fantastic on my persimmon Edison Collier 1.1 stub. I'm currently using Eau de Nil in an Al Star with a 1.9i nib - lovely, though it does use a lot of ink. I have sent off for a couple of samples of Iroshizuku ink (Ku-jaku and Tsuki-yo) so I'm looking forward to see if there's a difference to Diamine.

 

Hi Misfit,

 

I like all the Lamy italic nibs and can't decide on a favourite. I wasn't sure about the Neon Yellow but I saw it in a shop and realised it wasn't as blindingly flourescent as some pictures show it and I quite liked it and want to get the standard yellow now.

 

I've given up on the orange and jungle green ones, I'll be lucky if I get coffee, raspberry or silver green.

 

Bureau direct here in the UK was matching pens and notebooks to make up team colours for the football World Cup and Lamy pens were in a lot of the combinations. I was tempted as they looked quite cool but the football link put me off.

[gammada]

I got the Al-Star in Coffee from amazon.co.uk (in 2012) because I couldn't find it on US sites. Love it! I haven't tried a 1.9mm nib yet, but I want to. I like the 1.5 better than the 1.1. I'm almost decided on getting the neon yellow Safari before they disappear. Didn't think I'd like it, but saw a photo and well, here we are. (I've given up on finding early Safari pens, even though I really like the color of the early orange and green.)

 

Plus, with the newest Field Notes colors, It would be fun to match a Safari or Al-Star to the notebook.

That's funny, just this weekend I got the news that a friend of mine is importing Leuchtturm 1917 notebooks to this country and after looking at the catalog, I thought about matching the cover color with some of my pens too!

 

BTW doing a search on the web about the quality of said notebooks, I found out about Field Notes notebooks, how good are they?

What features do they have? So far, I've been using Moleskine but bleed is quite an issue on them.

[Misfit]

Hmm, well, Field Notes are 3 1/2" by 5 1/2". Paper can vary. They have used graph, dot, lined, blank and reticle paper. My fountain pens show through in the standard Kraft cover graph paper, but work very well with Field Notes with lined paper (Kraft and America the Beautiful are the lined ones I've tried).

 

I did have good luck with graph paper and a Visconti Homo Sapiens with stub nib using J Herbin Poussiere de Lune ink.

 

Field Notes have a place on the inside front cover to put your information. Inside the back cover is a list of Practical Applications for the notebook that are mostly for fun. They give you the technical information about the materials (cover, paper, ink, printing press)).

 

48 pages (or 24 pages using both sides to equal 48).

 

Like Moleskine, I don't think Field Notes makes their notebooks with fountain pens in mind. I do think they are aware fountain pen users are interested in their notebooks.

 

Sorry for the delay in answering your questions.

[wastelanded]

I still can't understand why they discontinued the silver blue AL Star. Such a great colour, either blue, silver or lilac depending on the light.

 

It was my first Lamy three years ago, paid £14 for it. I used it every day, but it's an inside pen now as I couldn't afford to replace it!

[Sofi]

Hi everyone! New-ish FP user here!

 

I just started to use the Lamy pens after buying three of the blue-green gift sets for my cousins and this year's neon coral for myself...and I actually found a ruby Al-Star yesterday in one of the cute little art shops in town! Of course I couldn't NOT buy it....the colour is delicious....

 

I'm now hunting for another blue-green for myself...I see some on Amazon and Paradise Pen.com...do any of you here have experience dealing with buying pens from sellers on Amazon and/or Paradise Pen?

Thanks!

[Wheatflower]

I'm now hunting for another blue-green for myself...I see some on Amazon and Paradise Pen.com...do any of you here have experience dealing with buying pens from sellers on Amazon and/or Paradise Pen?

Thanks!

I have purchased pens from Goulet Pen and Jet Pens with no trouble. I always go to Goulet first, great service and product packaging. isell pens.com is also good, but iirc they no longer sell Lamy pens, so they can't help your blue-green hunt.