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Lamy Studio Pearl White


QM2

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What mysterious force accounts for our tastes and desires?...

http://queenmargot.com/lamy_studio_pw.jpg

 

REVIEW OF LAMY STUDIO PEARL WHITE, EF NIB

 

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 5/5

 

What mysterious force accounts for our tastes and desires? Truly, I know not. Because I had handled many a Lamy Studio in the past -- the black, the blue, the steel, the palladium -- and have placed them back without the slightest stir of emotions. Yet, when I saw the Lamy Studio Pearl White in a shop in Vienna several weeks ago, my heart swelled with a tender longing, tears came to my eyes, and my fingertips tingled in anticipation.

 

But oh, initially our union was not to be. This is because I first foolishly attempted to save money on the pen by buying it online from the US. Long story short, this did not work out and while I waited for the situation to resolve, every single B&M shop in Vienna (of which there are what, 250 or so?) had sold out of my shimmery beauty with the EF nib. I tried to get a shop to order an EF gold nib from Lamy to exchange. This resulted in such convoluted confusion and German shouting that I will not even begin to describe it here. But finally, armed with the proper German phraseology with the coaching of my trusty secretary, I managed to successfully and correctly have one ordered via Buero Miller on Mariahilfer Strasse. God bless those ladies, because in a mere week, I was lucky enough to make the most outrageously overpriced fountain pen purchased I had ever thought possible! And now -- yes, at last I have my Lamy Studio Pearl White with an EF nib.

 

LOOKS AND DESIGN 5/5

 

To reiterate, I do not like the looks of the other Lamy Studios, only the Pearl White. So this rating is specific to this this LE version. The others I would give maybe a 2.8, but the Pearl White is an undeniable 5. How can that be, you may ask? You look at the photo above and don't see anything too special -- just a white version of the same old, right?

 

Wrong. Oh how wrong. None of the photos that exist of this pen seem to do it justice. It is more than just white. It is a very special color, material and texture, that magically combine into a holistic experience of ecstasy. First of all, the white is not plain white, but is "shimmery", resembling the gloriously animated micro-shimmer of fresh snow in a very northern climate. This does not come across well in photos, but it is a very striking effect when looking at the pen in person.

 

It is also inherently different to the touch than any of the other Studios. The Pearl White is a smooth, creamy, lacquered metal, that makes you want to tap your fingernails on it endlessly. This special white enamel matches remarkably well with the Bauhaus hardware, and all together, the effects is simply more than the sum of its parts. The pen is stunning.

 

The section is metal, but comfortable. I would compare the way it feels to the Visconti Van Gogh section. I have read posts by several people who generally dislike metal sections, but make an exception for the Van Gogh. If you are one of them, then you would be ok with the Pearl White Studio as well. Note that its section is different in texture, from the other color Studios.

 

NIB AND WRITING PERFRMANCE 4/5

 

I have the 14K EF nib. It is two-tone, with an unusual design: most of the nib is platinum-color, with a gold strip in the middle. The nib is extremely smooth and has a soft feel as it glides on the paper. I agree with a previous review that this pen is best on Moleskine paper. On a Rhodia pad, there is slightly more feedback than in the Moleskine notebook, and I prefer the non-feedback version with this particular pen.

 

I tried it inked up with two inks: The Lamy Blue that came in the cartridge was nice and neat, no nib creep, flowed smoothly, but I detest the horrid bright color. Then I filled it with Noodler's SwishMix Tahitian Pearl, which flowed smoothly and wrote beautifully, but produced very bad nib creep. To be fair though, Tahitian Pearl does this with 90% of my pens.

 

The pen passed a 2 hour endurance test with flying colors: The nib showed no signs of fatigue, and the grip remained comfortable.

 

My only problem with the nib is that it is by no means a true EF, which surprised me, because I expected the widths to be the same as on a Safari/ Al Star. Nope, the Studio nib runs considerably broader, I would call it closer to F/M. Given that I usually use XXF nibs, this is, in theory problematic. But for now I am on a high and have found a way to adapt my handwriting to it anyway.

 

FILLING SYSTEM 5/5

 

C/C, nothing else to say really. This works for me, as it allows me to see ink levels in the converter and also makes it possible to use cartridge if necessary when traveling.

 

 

VALUE 1/5

 

I bought this pen overpriced, which I have never, ever done before. The Euro is up, the dollar is down, I am in Europe and had to have it immediately, so what can one do. Best to forget about overpaying and just enjoy the pen!

 

 

OVERALL IMPRESSION 5/5

 

Shimmery...

White...

Bliss!...

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Wrong. Oh how wrong. None of the photos that exist of this pen seem to do it justice. It is more than just white. It is a very special color, material and texture, that magically combine into a holistic experience of ecstasy. First of all, the white is not plain white, but is "shimmery", resembling the gloriously animated micro-shimmer of fresh snow in a very northern climate. This does not come across well in photos, but it is a very striking effect when looking at the pen in person.

 

Hmm. Maybe I'll give it another chance - if I can still find one. I saw one back in Dec/Jan and the shimmery/sparkly nature of the finish seemed a little Siegfried and Roy to me. I can certainly understand people liking it, but when I think Lamy I think understated. I was expecting/hoping for a minimalistic kitchen appliance enamel white.

 

The pen passed a 2 hour endurance test with flying colors: The nib showed no signs of fatigue, and the grip remained comfortable.

 

That's the second time in two days I've read about nibs getting fatigued or tired. What is nib fatigue?

 

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A beautiful pen, indeed! I'm plotting to buy a Palladium one day. B) I've tried this gold nib before and it feels delightfully smooth, even with fairly ordinary ink and paper combinations. Has that been your experience?

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I agree with you that the Studio is a nice pen. A couple of minor issues with the one I just picked up but I like it.

 

The EF nib is definitely more F/M than EF. I've been spoiled by the Hero pens with their wonderful fine lines.

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That's the second time in two days I've read about nibs getting fatigued or tired. What is nib fatigue?

 

Was the other time you saw it mentioned also by me? Because I'm not sure if it is a real/recognised term, or just something I've made up. Here is what I mean by it:

 

I write by hand a lot, and very-very fast. I have found that when I write for, say, 2-3 hours non-stop and at top speed with the same pen, many if not most nibs begin to sort of "protest" a little. Now, I do not mean 2-3 hours of accounting, or crossword puzzles, or writing in a way where you think/listen and then occasionally write down a paragraph. I mean seriously, not taking the pen off the paper for a very long time while writing very, very fast. When I do this, many if not most of my pens begin to act as if I am abusing them, and so when I write this much and this fast, I usually switch pens every hour or two.

 

What exactly the nib does to demonstrate "fatigue" is hard to describe. But it acts less cooperative, loses some of the properties it usually has, becomes somehow more difficult to control, and negatively effects handwriting. I get the distinct feel that I am overusing it and should give it a rest. So that is what I mean by the term.

 

As I wrote on a different post, discussing cheap vs expensive pens, some of my pens exhibit this tendency to get overworked more than others. Usually, but not always, expensive pens with gold nibs fatigue less, in my experience. For example, I cannot write for 3 hours straight with any of my Safaris or Al-Stars; at some point it begins to feel uncomfortable. But with the Pearl White Studio, I did not get a sense of fatigue from the nib at all, even after using it in such a 2-hr top-speed marathon as I described.

 

 

 

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Congratulations on your new pen!

 

My only problem with the nib is that it is by no means a true EF, which surprised me, because I expected the widths to be the same as on a Safari/ Al Star. Nope, the Studio nib runs considerably broader, I would call it closer to F/M.

 

I have read somewhere on this forum that the gold nibs tend to run wider than the steel nibs.

 

Best regards

Hans-Peter

 

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Congratulations! I have the steel version. Most of the pens I have inked now are Lamys (Safari, Studio, 2000). The only exception is a Parker 51.

 

As for Lamy nibs, I love them, but besides leaning on the broad side, they're inconsistent in their widths. I have a EF steel nib which is like a needlepoint, and then a F which is like a EF. I have two 2000 (ye, I like them that much). One is F the other EF, and they both write the same! True wet and fine F.

 

I agree with Lamy being great with moleskines. In fact -strange, I know-, Lamys make my handwriting nicer!. I suppose it has to do with ergonomics or somehing.

 

I think we need a Lamy group in FPN. Seriously

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As for Lamy nibs, I love them, but besides leaning on the broad side, they're inconsistent in their widths. I have a EF steel nib which is like a needlepoint, and then a F which is like a EF. I have two 2000 (ye, I like them that much). One is F the other EF, and they both write the same! True wet and fine F.

 

 

I have 6 Lamy Safaris /Al Stars with EF nibs, and they are all more or less the same. Not a Japanese EF, but tolerable and finer than Pelikan or Aurora. I had read on several threads in the past year that the Studio has the same width-standards as the Safari/Al-Star, which is why I was surprised to find that this was definitely not the case! The nib is in fact really way too broad for me, and I am sure that when my excitement wears off I will need to think of a plan of action. Maybe Richard Binder at the Boston Pen Show in April...

 

 

QM2

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... my heart swelled with a tender longing, tears came to my eyes, and my fingertips tingled in anticipation.

 

But oh, initially our union was not to be. ...

 

:crybaby: :crybaby:

 

They should make a motion picture from that story. I guess it would be the next "Titanic" or "Gone with the wind".

 

Excellent stuff :thumbup:

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That's the second time in two days I've read about nibs getting fatigued or tired. What is nib fatigue?

 

Was the other time you saw it mentioned also by me? Because I'm not sure if it is a real/recognised term, or just something I've made up.

 

Could have been you the first time too. I read your explanation. I gotta think it's you getting tired and sloppy in keeping the sweetspot, and that the pen change is enough of a change in grip to be a break for your hand and refresh your concentration (you know ... like how the sound of tires on the gravel shoulder alerts you to the fact you're too sleepy to be driving). I'd welcome a pen physics explanation but it seems unlikely. I'd be very impressed if it turned out you wrote so fast, the nib can't dissipate the heat from the friction!

Edited by rollerboy
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That's the second time in two days I've read about nibs getting fatigued or tired. What is nib fatigue?

 

Was the other time you saw it mentioned also by me? Because I'm not sure if it is a real/recognised term, or just something I've made up.

 

Could have been you the first time too. I read your explanation. I gotta think it's you getting tired and sloppy in keeping the sweetspot, and that the pen change is enough of a change in grip to be a break for your hand and refresh your concentration (you know ... like how the sound of tires on the gravel shoulder alerts you to the fact you're too sleepy to be driving). I'd welcome a pen physics explanation but it seems unlikely. I'd be very impressed if it turned out you wrote so fast, the nib can't dissipate the heat from the friction!

 

Hahaha I'd be impressed too : )

 

I agree with you, that logic suggests for this to be a subjective effect of perception and not the nib itself actually changing for the worse during the writing process. But if that is the case, than I am still trying to figure out why this happens with some pens more than others, and with a small subset of pens not at all. What is so special about the (Binderised) MB Meisterstuck Chopin, compared to my other pens, for instance, that I feel no difference in the nib after 3 hours of writing?.. The Sailor Sapporo (but not the 1911) and the Danitrio Takumi Raw Ebonite are also pretty stable. But these are all very different pens -- both nib-wise and body-wise, so I see no connexion.

 

I will start a separate thread with this topic, to see what the FPN folk think.

 

QM2

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  • 2 years later...

 

They should make a motion picture from that story. I guess it would be the next "Titanic" or "Gone with the wind".

 

 

 

Wouldn't that be "Gone Was The Pen"?

I'm hung like Einstein and smart as a horse!

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  • 1 month later...

OVERALL IMPRESSION 5/5

 

Shimmery...

White...

Bliss!...

 

 

I need to stop coming here.

 

You people with your poetic pen reviews and pretty pictures are killing me !!!!

 

Now I need to get one of these pens.

 

(Potty Mouth).

 

I wonder if Palace Art & Supply is open at 7:15 am on Saturdays?

 

 

Thanks for stinking awesome pen review.

 

 

Love,

 

Joe

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