Lamy Logo05 (stainless Steel) Review

[sjchun79]

My first review, it`s a pity that I have not a picture to share. I`ve used this pen for exactly 1 year, almost everyday, refilling it everyday(sometimes twice a day). It proved to be a sturdy workhorse for me, but the overall conclusion is undersatisfactory. Well, here it goes.

 

First Impressions, Appearance and Design 6/10

 

The pen is very slim, about 10mm in diameter. I usually prefer pens with girth, yet I was using a special device for my bad habbit in penmanship. A thin pen was inevitable, and only the Parker Jotter(another undersatisfactory pen, another pen that I do not own currently, and another pen that I plan to review), the Lamy Logo, the Sailor Ace Neo were the only inexpensive pens that would fit into this corrective device.

 

Anyway, the pen is very slim. Not bad, if you prefer a metal body, but this was all to my distaste. The 6 is a subjestive value; if you like thick/fat pens, and dislike metal pens, you will share my opinion, if not, you will probably disagree.

 

The pen has little ergonomic consideration; it is simply a metal rod with a nib on the end. This is the same case with the FaberCastell Ambition (my current workhouse), but the FC is made of wood, a substance I personally favor. A steel rod with a nib on the end may seem like an insult to this pen, which is, otherwise an extremely utilitarian writing device, but that`s how I feel.

 

The pen came in a paper box from lamy. No waste, simple and direct to the point.

 

Weight and Dimensions 9/10

 

This is not a lightweight pen, but on the other hand, not a heavy pen either. The steel body makes it a tad heavy, yet due to its small size, the pen has no problems considering weight.

 

The girth is slim, as said above, and the pen, while in good balance when posted, feels out of balance when unposted. The pen has a black plastic posting area on the back(or tip? Sorry for my poor English), and it seems that the pen was initially designed to be used posted.

 

Nib and Performance 4/10

 

This is where the bashing begins. I must state that I prefer very wet nibs, and smooth nibs with little feedback. So the 4 is a subjective value.

 

Flow and Smoothness, the lamy disappoints me in both catagories. The flow is dry, and will skip after a page or two of writing. I first thought of it has a QC error, and returned it for an exchange. Little improvment after the exchange. It seems that Lamy prefers to make dry pens. This problem was not remedied with Aurura Black ink, or J.Hurbin Perle Noir. The solution was adding a ton of suractant to the ink. After that, the flow became satisfactory. Just a FYI, I added 15 drops of Kodac Photoflo 200 undiluted with Pelikan 4001 Brilliant black for the lamy. This ink was unusable in other pens(Pelikan M200, Pelikano, FC Ambition).

 

The nib, while not scratchy, was not smooth. This was probably due to the fact that the flow was so poor.

 

Overall, the most important part of the pen(the nib, the feed), was very disappointing.

 

 

Filling System 7/10

 

A C/C. Uses lamy cartridges only. It is a pity, since lamy inks are a bit dry, and the logo was also dry. I never used a cartridge after the stock cartridge they offered me.

 

The converter was of decent quality. But since I refilled everyday, the cartridge got terribly scratched, and was aesthetically unappealing after a year of use. But it didn`t break down after about 500 or so refills, not to mention the every two week washing/cleaning process. One sturdy tank.

 

The 7 may seem unfair, but C/C systems just lack the amount of ink I needed. The quality itself is a 10/10

 

Cost and Value 7/10

 

Since the pen was nothing that I expected, I cannot give it a good score on this catagory. The retail price for this pen is 70000 won, approx. $60(USD). Internet retailers offer a much discounted price, and I got the pen at 48000 won. Still, a bit expensive compared to overseas retailers.

 

Conclusion : 33 out of 50

 

That`s it. But again, this is a subjestive statement; if you like thin pens, metal pens, and a dry nib, an do not care about the ink storage amount, you will be satisfied with this pen.

Edited July 6, 2010 by sjchun79