Lamy CP1 56

[tonysameh]

Design/Size/Weight (9/10)

It is a little bit too thin, but its weight is heavy enough for a balanced writing.

 

Nib (9/10)

Although it looks the same, its nib is much better than my Safari and my Al-Star. May be because of the PR ink inside it.

 

Filling System (8/10)

C/C or converter. Lamy converters are the best of all converters I used.

 

Cost and Value (7.5/10)

34 (UKPounds). Most of this cost goes to the body of the pen.

 

Appearance (capped 10/10 - uncapped 7/10)

The appearance of this pen is the main reason for me to get it. I wanted a pen that looks like a regular roller ball, or generally does not look like classic fountain pens.

During some occasions, I want to take a break from "Oh, what's this thing in your pocket". And it is good for this purpose.

 

What's very good about this pen, is its weight and texture. It's heavy enough and the matte black is really unique.

I enjoy holding it in my hands and moving my fingers over it.

The negative point is the nib section. Although the nib is very good while writing, the nib together with the section look very cheap.

That made me, while using this pen, try to look at the paper and the line being drawn, not at the nib or the section.

 

Conclusion (8/10)

Wonderful pen when I hold it or put it in my shirt pocket. Wonderful writer. Cheap nib and section

Edited July 18, 2009 by tonysameh

[HenryLouis]

Nice pen! Reminds me of the 2000's younger sibling. They really look nice together.

[rollerboy]

I find the CP1 design interesting, taking minimal to new heights (er, minimums). Yes, it looks like a Uniball until you pay a little more attention and realize the cap fits flush and the thing is a perfect cylinder. Then look at the clip and realize it is a perfectly unadorned rectangle/block. It's two geometric primitives ... and that's it.

[Tsujigiri]

Thank you for reviewing this less heard of pen. The pictures are really helpful, since the only ones I've seen of this pen are the company photos that Lamy posted.

[Pfhorrest]

Love the contrast of a monolithic, blocky clip and a smooth, thin cylinder on the CP1.

 

Nice review!

[tonysameh]

Yes, it looks like a Uniball until you pay a little more attention

 

YES EXACTLY

 

[feimo]

 

You´re right, tonysameh. The CP1 looks very attractive capped. But the grip section looks really cheap and it would be much to thin to me. I guess it isn´t very comfortable to write with it for a longer time, is it?

 

Henry, good cognition, it looks similar to the the Lamy 2000 capped. Maybe it´s due to the clip, that seems to be the same.

[tonysameh]

You´re right, tonysameh. The CP1 looks very attractive capped. But the grip section looks really cheap and it would be much to thin to me. I guess it isn´t very comfortable to write with it for a longer time, is it?

 

Henry, good cognition, it looks similar to the the Lamy 2000 capped. Maybe it´s due to the clip, that seems to be the same.

 

It is not very uncomfortable for me.

And it looks very different from 2000 (I have one), except for the clip.

[paralegalnm]

<!--quoteo(post=1149434:date=Jul 22 2009, 05:57 PM:name=feimo)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (feimo @ Jul 22 2009, 05:57 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1149434"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->You´re right, tonysameh. The CP1 looks very attractive capped. But the grip section looks really cheap and it would be much to thin to me. I guess it isn´t very comfortable to write with it for a longer time, is it?

 

Henry, good cognition, it looks similar to the the Lamy 2000 capped. Maybe it´s due to the clip, that seems to be the same.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

 

It is not very uncomfortable for me.

And it looks very different from 2000 (I have one), except for the clip.

 

The LAMY clip is designed not to be prone to damage other spring clips may suffer. It is very difficult to repair a sprung Parker pocket clip.

Without the clip being secured by a crown cap, there is no way to effect perfect repair.

 

The LAMY clip is monolithic and internally tensioned by mechanism.

 

You are mistaking the minimalism of Bauhaus design with lacking elegance. True, the LAMY nib may not win beauty contests, but the one on my 925 Sterling model is hand-inspected at the end of production, and writes smooth as silk. My LAMY 2000 is going to require some careful reshaping with fine abrasives and an 18x loupe to even come close.

 

There are times when a pen draws too much attention. I do not dress like Michael Jackson, and don't carry a gaudy pen either. The CP-1 is, indeed, a writing instrument first . . . a fancy pen second.

[J English Smith]

I had a CP-1 black rollerball years ago; sadly, it's one of my five or six missing pens over the years. Now, I have a stainless CP-1 fountain pen that I need to get out again. The CP-1 has a nice weight and the balance; also the texture of the brushed stainless or black finish. Like the 2000 but different; a very tactile, warm feel to the body. It also makes just a perfect "click" when you post the cap or cap the pen.

 

The only real drawbacks are yes, sadly, the section plastics are not quite up to the rest of the pen; and they are prone to scratching.

 

If I could change one thing about the design of the L 2000, I would make the cap post with the same security and soft click that the CP-1 has.

[Brian]

Thanks for this review as I have always liked this pen. An interesting note: the earliest model CP1's were slightly thinner! so that the cartridge was a tight fit. It was not unheard of for the early models to get their cartridges stuck in them.

[DavidR2]

I have one, and I love it. But the nib is a Safari nib; I interchange all the time.