So the last post I saw about Lamy Safari's was...colorful, to say the least. I promise this won't be as controversial!

I just got a Safari, and I am not wild about the stiffness of the nib. It also feels a little scratchy to me (or toothy...or is it "road noise"? I'm still very new to the terminology!) Anyway, I think it's a cool pen, but not necessarily my favorite writer.

My question is: should this discourage me from getting a 2000? I have heard such great things about the 2000 being a smooth writer. Now, again, maybe this is a problem with my understanding of the word "smooth." I don't know if someone would use my Safari and say that it's "stiff, but smooth." If this is the case, I probably wouldn't like a "smooth" 2000.

To be clearer about what I like: I enjoy the "writing on air" feeling. Not much roughness at all.

If anyone can understand my question, kindly toss me some ideas!

Personally, I really like the Pelikano. I know I'll probably get flayed alive for saying this (especially by my Lamy rep) but I much prefer it to the Safari and Al-Star. I think the nib is consistently buttery smooth and it takes standard international cartridges, rather than the proprietary cartridge/converter of the Lamy. Plus, it's a couple of dollars less expensive. The Pelikano may very well be my favorite "starter" pen.

James P.

Hi James,
Does that mean an international converter will fit the Pelikano?

I wouldn't worry about it. The Lamy 2000 is a completely different pen, with a soft smooth nib. Writing on air wouldn't be too far from the truth for the 2000.

Plus the nib isn't stiff as a nail. Not flexy but less stiff than say waterman nibs.
I've never tried a safari so I can't say which is better. But I do agree that the Pelikano is a great starter pen.



My name is not James but I know at least part of the aswer to your question.
Pelikan makes an international converter that fits the Pelikano like a charm. Don't know which other brands might fit too.

If you have a loupe or magnifying glass, take your Safari and look at the nib straight-on (from the front) under magnification and make sure the tines are aligned. You should see what looks like a round metal ball with a slit cut right through the middle. The scratchiness you are feeling is most likely caused by the sharp inner edge of one of the tines digging into the paper. (This was the problem with my Lamy Al Star, basically the same pen as the Safari but with an aluminum body rather than plastic. A bit of minor adjustment to the tipping and it was much smoother, with very even flow.)

If the tipping is aligned and it's still scratchy, you may have a burr in the slit that's catching on the paper (this would be more likely the case if it feels scratchy or toothy in every direction, including up and down as well as side to side). You can address that by "flossing" the slit with a very thin piece of brass. I bought mine from Richard Binder's website, www.richardspens.com. This makes a big difference in nearly any pen.

The nibs on the Safari/Al-Star/Vista and the Lamy 2000 are completely different. In my view, you can draw no conclusions about the 2000 from writing with a Safari. The 2000 is made of platinum plated gold, is wide and slightly soft (or springy), and the feed has tremendous flow, which is one of the main contributors to perceived "smoothness" -- under light pressure, the nib can hydroplane on a smooth layer of ink. Aurora Blue and Black inks are known to be particularly smooth writing inks.

Much as I like the Safari, it seems there must be some quality control problems at Lamy with them. I've been lucky' I've never had trouble with the 4 I own, but I do know people who have. It writes just fine, but scratches a bit. The nib advice is helpful.

James, I have to agree and disagree... I think Pelikanos, as wellas some other lower-end Pelikans beat lamys hands down when it comes to ultra-smoothness, but I still really like the way Safaris write; to me, they're entirely different pens. The Safari has a beefier feel to it....

Hi Lisa,
Thanks for your answer.
BTW, how does the Pelikan compare with the Phileas?

First, what nib do you have on the Safari? If it is an EF, it is more likely to feel a little toothy. Follow Mike S's suggestions and see if it is out of alignment. Otherwise, the nib should be smooth. The stiffness is a fact of life with the pen. I have 6 of them inked, and like them for the stiff nib. In the other hand, I like my Sonnets for their springy nibs.

FWIW, I have a Studio Palladium, which has the same style nib as the Safari, but made of gold. It is definitely springy, and has a completely different feel than the steel nibs.

The Phileas is uglier (unless you like that design, guess it's just taste) and heavier because it has a brass insert in the barrel.
The grip of the Pelikano is ergonomical for left or right handed writing. Truth is I like the grip of the Phlieas just as much if not better.
I have a medium nib Pelikano which is very smooth and not too stiff. My Phileas has a fine nib that is smooth too but a bit less so, possibly because it's a fine nib. And the Phileas nib is stiffer.
The Pelikano has a simple translucent plastic design with stainless steel cap but I find the buildquality to be a bit better. For instance the cap fits better. A bit hard to explain because the Phileas cap fits too of course but it's just an overall feel I get, the Pelikano buildquality seems better to me.
I like the look of the Pelikano a lot, especially with the converter in the barrel, making it a colored demonstrator. It looks better in person than in pictures to me.

Hope this is helpful.

Ok... feeling better about the 2000. I plan to try it out at a brick and mortar store if I can, as well.

IMHO, the 2000 is a different class of pen. It's a very good writer. The main issue for you will be the ears that hold the cap on. For some, these ears are a deal killer. I think these people are in the distinct minority, however.

I guess when you're used to touching a super smooth nib section all the time, the 'ears' (though subtle) are distracting to some folks. At first I didn't think I'd get on with the pen due to them. But it didn't take me long to warm up to them, especially considering how minimalist the pen is. The ears help with nib orientation, much like the triangular section on the Parker 75. You begin to use them subconsciously, helping to get your grip alignment right.

Yes, the Safari and 2000 are two different classes of pens. The safari nibs are stiff, dry, require some break-in time and don't feel like they are riding on a cushion of ink at all. I have two Al-stars, both EF, but I am thoroughly pleased with them - maybe it's the "industrial" qualities that keep me happy. The same nibs are used on more expensive pens like the studio (not palladium).

The 2000 is in a completely different class. The nib is gold and has some flex. With a few sheets of paper under the page I'm writing on, my EF nib is mind-numbingly smooth, if not a little on the dry side (however, the flow has never stopped and pen has never skipped). If you want the ultimate in smoothness, get a BB 2000, but otherwise, my EF is, contrary to what might be expected, truly EF! I would say it is even a little thinner than my safari EF.

However, do be sure to budget about $15 and a few extra weeks in the likely case that your 2000 arrives defective. It seems that Lamy, like Pelikan, has QC issues. I received two defective 2000's before finally biting the bullet and sending one to Lamy for repair. Needless to say, after having received the personal attention of Lamy's nibmeister, the nib is now superb!

I'd agree with all of this, as I would with James and Lisa. The Pelikano/Go/Level nib is excellent. I'd go further and say it's one of the best nibs at any price - smooth, not too soft or hard, with nice feedback. And I think there are QC problems at Lamy, because my Safari fell apart. And yes, the Safari probably feels "beefier" - it's just plain bigger.