Lamy Safari Or Parker Urban Premium?

[Deiz]

Hi, I'm looking to buy my first pen.. I'm tossing up between these two.

At first I was going to buy the Lamy safari due to the overwhelming positive reviews it received however I've found the Parker Urban Premium for cheap ($26 USD vses the $60 USD I usually see).

I'm looking for a nice and smooth pen, prior to this I have only used gel inks like Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.4mm.

So which pen is better and which has better value for money? I can get a Lamy Safari for $19 USD or a Parker Urban Premium for $26 USD.

 

[Amberjack]

I have both.

Both are great beginner pens.

The Urban is French, the Lamy German.

The Urban is curvaceous and smooth, the Lamy is masculine and spartan.

The Lamy has the ink view window, the Urban doesn't.

The Urban looks professional, the Lamy looks like an inexpensive student pen - because it is. No shame in that.

 

I'd buy the Urban since it's a good deal. The nib is smooth without flex but will serve you well as you learn how to live with and love fountain pens.

 

Let us know what you get!

 

AJ

Edited October 26, 2014 by Amberjack

[lmarine0510]

Safari all the way. The Parker Urban is a piece of junk at best. I had one that did about everything but write correctly. The Lamy on the other hand, is often regarded as a very good and reliable pen that simply does its job correctly.

[carlos.q]

I'll go with the Safari.

It's a very nice and virtually unbreakable pen. Since it's designed for students it has a beveled grip that will help you grasp the pen correctly and help you "unlearn" the ballpoint grip.

Since it's your first pen remember to:

1. Buy a converter

2. Buy fountain pen ink (no India ink)

3. Flush the pen with soapy water before using.

4. Hold the pen at about 45 degrees from the paper (not vertically like a ballpoint)

5. Treat yourself to some nice paper.

... And enjoy!!!!

[freewheelingvagabond]

One more for the Lamy Safari!

[LamyOne]

Hello Deiz,

 

If you can get past the appearance - the Lamy Safari without a doubt. Fabulous pens - engineered for use - not looks.

 

Best regards,

 

Chris

[lisadan]

I don't own a Safari, but I have two Urbans, and they are among my favorite FPs. Good, smooth writers, and in my opinion, look very good. They most certainly look more "professional" than the Safari, if this has any relevance.

[ac12]

One thing about the Urban is the weight. It is significantly heavier than the Safari (metal vs plastic). This may or may not be an issue for you. It is for me. I can write with a heavier pen for a little while, but for extended writing, I need a LIGHT pen.

 

One question, why is the Urban so low in cost; is it used, store clearance, damaged, etc?

The reason for this question is, some people may get rid of a damaged/deffective item without telling the seller the whole story.

 

I have the sibling to the Urban, the IM. It writes nice, with Waterman ink. But in the end, it was too heavy and the barrel was too FAT for my hand.

The Lamy Safari on the other hand is nice and light, like I like my pens. But it looks like a school pen, which does not bother me.

[BT-7274]

The other thing to keep track - the Safari has a triangular grip. The Urban has a round grip. Make sure your grip will work with it, as not everyone's grip conforms to a perfectly oriented triangle. I know mine doesn't, and that's why I have a Parker 75.

[Deiz]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think I will go with the Lamy Safari since I would probably do heavy writing (lighter) plus it's cheaper. I feel a bit sore giving up the Parker since it's a bargain though

[LamyOne]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think I will go with the Lamy Safari since I would probably do heavy writing (lighter) plus it's cheaper. I feel a bit sore giving up the Parker since it's a bargain though

 

Hello Deiz,

 

Naturally, I think you made a wise choice.

 

Also keep in mind, that the Urban, (in this case), is only a bargain if it can match it's competitor nose for nose and I do not believe it can. The Safari can sit for days and start on the first stroke; I've never known them to skip or stammer and they have multiple nib options without having to get another pen. Really, their only flaw is their sophomoric appearance (and for some people, the grip - which I like); if you can get around that, you'd be hard pressed to find a better pen in the sub-$100 range.

 

Best regards,

 

Chris

[Runnin_Ute]

Personally I would get either the Safari or it's aluminum twin the Al Star (I have a Al Star). Mine can do days or more without being used and start first time, every time no issues. If the Urban uses the same nib unit as the IM (I have an IM, but not an Urban) it will cause frustration. It did for me and I had had other pens for years. It took me some time (months) to finally figure out an ink that would work with it so it wasn't a hard starter. Even Parker cartridges only helped sporadically. I finally found an ink that is wet enough that it pretty well starts right up now. (said ink is currently unobtanium - but that should change soon)

 

The Lamy has that "industrial" design, and is just different enough I have no issues using in a professional setting.

[Ecriveur]

Safari.

 

But if you just don't like the look of the Safari, and want a more traditional look, take a look at the Faber Castell Loom or its sleeker sibling, the Faber Castell Basic.

[B_Type13X2]

Parker Urban premium was my first fp and I have nothing but good things to say for it's smoothness. My Issue with the Urban was and still is it's shape and size combination if it was bigger it would fit better in my hand but its not. The Lamy is a pen that should be everyones first pen because you can't go wrong with it.

[gwyneddd]

Personally I would get either the Safari or it's aluminum twin the Al Star (I have a Al Star). Mine can do days or more without being used and start first time, every time no issues. If the Urban uses the same nib unit as the IM (I have an IM, but not an Urban) it will cause frustration. It did for me and I had had other pens for years. It took me some time (months) to finally figure out an ink that would work with it so it wasn't a hard starter. Even Parker cartridges only helped sporadically. I finally found an ink that is wet enough that it pretty well starts right up now. (said ink is currently unobtanium - but that should change soon)

 

The Lamy has that "industrial" design, and is just different enough I have no issues using in a professional setting.

 

I was going to say "Al-Star" but don't you hate it when people say "A or B" and someone chimes in "C!" I just got one yesterday and it's the smoothest of writers and the metal is nice looking. It writes like butter. I really love it.

[Runnin_Ute]

 

I was going to say "Al-Star" but don't you hate it when people say "A or B" and someone chimes in "C!" I just got one yesterday and it's the smoothest of writers and the metal is nice looking. It writes like butter. I really love it.

Glad you like it. Mine was my first fountain pen back in the late 1990's. I'm not sure, but I believe it had an M nib. A number of years later I went to use it one day and the threads on the section had broken inside the barrel. I went to the Lamy website, bought a new section with fine nib. Also a wonderful writer. It now has a 1.1 mm nib installed. I no longer have the original nib as when I replaced that section I tossed the whole thing. (I didn't know any better at the time or I would have at least kept the nib)

[inotrym]

Bear in mind the nib sizes.

 

If you 're used to the thin crisp lines of a 0.4mm Pilot, both the Safari and the Urban will seem pretty fat to you.

[Flounder]

I have a Safari (well, the Vista but it's the same thing) and have never tried an Urban. I would not buy a Safari as a first fountain pen. The grip will be an unknown quanitity to you, whereas the Urban's conventional grip will be familiar. The Safari's grip is very much love or hate.

[GregWrites]

The Lamy Safari (matte black) in a wonderful introductory pen.

 

The biggest reason is that it just works all the time, and my Fine nib is very smooth. That's not trivial for a newcommer, and its not common ... many pens are fussy from the minute you unbox it.

 

Go with the Safari. Reliability is far more important at the outset than anything the Parker can give you.

[cambookpro]

I own both - personally, I'd go with the Urban.

 

The Safari is a great pen, but I found the nib needed tweaking from out of the box to make it not skip. It also has a more utilitarian design, which while not being unpleasant, looks quite cheap next to the Urban.

 

The Urban is the most reliable pen I own - it starts laying down ink from the first millimetre every time. The Safari can sometimes take a while before it gets going, but I have to say that the nibs tend to be good once they're working properly.

 

The only gripes I have about the Urban is that the section scratches very easily and the ridge between section and body of the pen can be slightly uncomfortable.

 

Of course, remember these are both mass produced pens; I could buy one of each today and potentially they could each exhibit totally different behaviours and problems. Lamy and Parker nibs tend to be the best you can get at this price range, so it probably comes down to personal preference. I use my Safari with a 1.1mm stub now, which makes it a lot more useful to me - the ability to swap nibs at will is an advantage I hitherto haven't mentioned of the Lamy. However, if I had to choose one as a basic everyday pen, I'd personally choose the Parker every time.