Feeling Anti-Lamy

[Deirdre]

They may not be the best pens but they're certainly amongst the best in their price ranges.

I'll take a Pilot 78G any day.

 

Believe me, I wanted to like Lamy - I do like the Safari ballpoint I once had. The 2000 seemed okay, but it wasn't "me." I've considered a Studio now and again, just haven't ever really played with one to see if I'd really like it (I like the design).

[gyasko]

l. Are they really that great for newbies?

 

 

In the Safari price range I prefer the Waterman Phileas, hands down. I consider the 2000 to be a step above that. The 2000 has some interesting characteristics, but in that price range you can go vintage and have pick of a really nice assortment of vintage pens. It's not that I dislike Lamy,I just prefer the alternatives.

 

Yes indeed, the Phileas blows the Safari away in writing feel. I hated my Safari. However, i do like the 2000. It's true that you can get a nice vintage pen(s) for what it costs, but a lot of people aren't going to want to bother with hunting for a vintage pen. It's the same with the Esterbrooks vs. the Safari. You can get a decent Esterbrook for the price of a Safari, but a beginner isn't so likely to know where to go to get one. The Safari is easy to find.

[FarmBoy]

Lately I've been feeling anti-Lamy.

Try wearing a Kilt. It will get better.

 

It seems every time someone asks what pen to get when starting out the answer is Lamy Safari or Lamy 2000.

Wrong Forum. The Safari is really an Esterbrook.

 

I do own two Lamys, one Safari and an Al-star but they don't get much use as they seem to write dry.

The flow can be fixed.

 

Are they really that great for newbies?

Only if what you give is a good working pen. But you can't expect a lot for pen that retails for under 30 skins new. If it were me, I'd go the vintage route.

 

The non-mod Todd

[Ogg Vorbis]

How many Lamy-paid guerilla marketers are on this forum? It must be working because at night my wife heard me say, "must.....buy......a......Lamy.....Zzzzzzz.."

 

Is this much Lamy love naturally occurring?

[Silvermink]

How many Lamy-paid guerilla marketers are on this forum? It must be working because at night my wife heard me say, "must.....buy......a......Lamy.....Zzzzzzz.."

 

Is this much Lamy love naturally occurring?

 

Well, no affiliation here. But, then, I would say that, wouldn't I? Hmmm...

Edited March 1, 2010 by Silvermink

[Zaarin]

I have to say I'm (with reservations) in the pro-Lamy camp here. I have several Al-Stars & a 2000. Lamy are the only company of whose pens I own several, and of which none have had sustained ink flow problems - although I have had one very toothy EF nib (whose ink flow is perfect). Admittedly their nib sizes are a bit unpredictable.

 

I do have one Safari, and am not so fond of it as the Al-Star, but that's only because it doesn't suit my (unusual) grip.

 

There are down-sides to the lower-end Lamys - they can't be called very elegant or inspiring pens, for one thing. But they do fulfil an important role in the pen market, and in my experience the QC seems fairly good for the prices.

 

Seeing all this vigorous discussion over Lamy as a company, it occurs to me that somebody maybe ought to sponsor a special space for them, like a side-room at a conference. You know, some place where we could all sit around and talk about whether or not we really like Lamy, the pros and cons of their various models, and swap information and experiences. Some kind of round-table, or discussion group, a sort of Lamy fo-

 

*ominous organ music*

 

Perhaps I'll leave that aside for the moment.

[Silvermink]

Seeing all this vigorous discussion over Lamy as a company, it occurs to me that somebody maybe ought to sponsor a special space for them, like a side-room at a conference. You know, some place where we could all sit around and talk about whether or not we really like Lamy, the pros and cons of their various models, and swap information and experiences. Some kind of round-table, or discussion group, a sort of Lamy fo-

 

Touché, sir.

[Ray-Vigo]

They may not be the best pens but they're certainly amongst the best in their price ranges.

I'll take a Pilot 78G any day.

 

Believe me, I wanted to like Lamy - I do like the Safari ballpoint I once had. The 2000 seemed okay, but it wasn't "me." I've considered a Studio now and again, just haven't ever really played with one to see if I'd really like it (I like the design).

 

I forgot about the 78g and the Prera (in addition to the Phileas)-- both of which are generally well-made, quality pens. I prefer either to the Safari as well. The Safari isn't a bad pen, it's just that I think there are some better alternatives in that range.

[Silvermink]

I forgot about the 78g and the Prera (in addition to the Phileas)-- both of which are generally well-made, quality pens. I prefer either to the Safari as well. The Safari isn't a bad pen, it's just that I think there are some better alternatives in that range.

 

My main issue with the Safari and AL-star has nothing to do with quality - it's the weird grip that forces your hand into a particular writing position. It's fine for me, but has definitely been a stumbling block for some.

[Pfhorrest]

Of course the Safari or the 2000 aren't going to come even close to other pens by Pelikan, Sailor, Pilot, MB etc. But when people suggest these pens to so-called newbies, it's because the quality of these pens are usually quite consistent and very durable and won't require much tuning, repair, or maintenance even after a few years, unlike the other brands (nothing against them, though!).

 

About the ink - the general consensus is that we hate the ink as well (their Turquoise is quite decent, however)...

[ediamond]

I love Lamy. It was the first real fountain pen I ever had and it will probably be my last. I love the fact that the designs don't change very much. I love that their idea of a limited edition is to find an actual designer and let them reinterpret the idea of what a pen is. This is in stark contrast to Montblanc or Delta or Omas whose idea of an LE is "How ostentatious and heavy CAN we make it?" (I realize this is an overgeneralization). I like the fact that parts are readily available, and the pens themselves for the most part perform very well. I love the design of the 2000 series and that it hasn't changed much since 1966. I love that they make an excellent school pen with a great nib for beginners (If you want a fantastic writing experience, buy a Safari and an ABC and swap the nibs. The ABC "A" nib is as close to perfection as it gets in a steel nib. I wish they'd bring back the unic. and the original Safari colors.

 

The pens themselves are rugged and understated. After spending lots of time collecting, I am really enjoying the writing experience that my Lamys provide without calling too much attention to themselves. I wish more pen companies took design inspiration from the Bauhaus. It's true that quality control can be a little spotty now and then, and their extra fine nibs could be more consistent and smoother, but all in all I think it is an excellent pen for those who love to write more than fussing with precious resin or screw-posting caps. I also think their rollerball refill could use a huge overhaul (Hey Manfred, I have one word for ya: GEL). But even with those flaws, to me, Lamy is about as good as it gets in a modern office setting.

 

I love my Montblancs, my Pelikans my Pilots and my Nakayas but my Lamys are my go-to pens. Long live Lamy!

[MJSchuelke]

I find the grip of the Safari really annoying

My main issue with the Safari and AL-star [is] the weird grip that forces your hand into a particular writing position.

 

What can I say -- I just love the grip. It's just right for me. With round sections, especially with fat pens/sections (think Rotring Skynn for an extreme example) I sometimes find myself accidentally rotating the pen out of the sweet spot while I write. No such problems with a Safari / Al-Star / nexx (or Pelikan go!, for that matter).

 

I do own two Lamys, one Safari and an Al-star but they don't get much use as they seem to write dry.

I've had Lamys for 12 years now, and most of them have been really wet writers. I've had a two or three dry-writing ones (out of, oh, way too many), but that was solved by taking it back to the shop and swapping the nib.

[2Hearts]

I love my pink Safari, it's a smooth as can be and it's a nice modern looking pen that I can take out with me. But I just look at a pen, and know if I like how it looks, and tbh, it's looks that get me first. I have been very lucky and all, 10 or so, of my pens are great.

[Namo]

How many Lamy-paid guerilla marketers are on this forum? It must be working because at night my wife heard me say, "must.....buy......a......Lamy.....Zzzzzzz.."

 

Is this much Lamy love naturally occurring?

 

Well, one can, all by himself, come to like and understand the design, the innovative will and actions, the real beauty of these pens. Saying this is not saying anything againt, say, Pelikan. I am not with or against Lamy, I just realize that out of the foiur I own, l three are excellent writers, and one is a fabulous pen. I love Pelikans too, own some of them, they are just in a nother design philosophy.

[tonybelding]

Whenever I see a Safari recommended to beginners, I generally can't resist chiming in with an alarm. . . I think they're OK if you get a good one, but the QC seems erratic. The converters in particular seem to have problems. (Both of my Safaris worked A-OK with cartridges, but I don't like cartridges.) I've seen too many reports of beginners who happened to get a bad Safari and then wondered if all fountain pens are like that.

 

The other thing is that, even if you get a good one, the Safari is a compromise pen. There's a wide range of pens available for not-much-more that are fully featured and don't look or feel like they were designed to hit a price point. I mean. . . . . . Waterman Phileas. Pilot Knight. Levenger Tru-Writer. Lamy Studio. Pelikan M200. Esterbrooks, even.

 

How about a Pilot Prera? I haven't tried one myself, but they seem better looking than a Safari, and I'd happily take a chance on Pilot's QC.

[drej16]

I don't own any Lamy's, but I have tried many of them out. I have always walked out of the store with something else or with nothing at all. They are not comfortable in my hand and the worst part for me was the weight of the pen, or more like the lack of weight. Not that an Estie has a lot of weight but it at least felt comfortable in my hand. I find that when the pen is too light I tend to push harder to feel the pen which can mess up the nib, not much of a loss for a Lamy, but it was concerning when I noticed what I was doing, the greater pressure also affected the amount of ink that went to the paper which made it look like a puddle instead of words. But that was my experience with them.

 

For recommendations, I tell them to go to a pen store and find a good salesperson that will actually work with them to find an inexpensive pen and nib combination to go with that works for them, also let the salesperson know what what they are willing to spend and go from there. If the salesperson doesn't want to work with them once they find out their budget, then go find one that will. Also I would never want to restrict my idea of good to just one pen, especially with so many out there that really are good, just not necessarily for everyone or the way that they write.

[Crim]

The pen's alright, but I've had some problems with the nibs.

 

The B nib has a definite (annoying) sweet spot. I need to get another B nib.

The 1.1mm is fine, no problems so far.

The 1.9mm was fine at first, but now it's super scratchy. Not sure if I wanna get a new one.

 

Personally I like the pens ergonomics. If you don't like those kinds of pens in general I'd say away from a Safari, but I can write a while with my Safari (unposted)

 

On a side note I think the Parker V88 is pretty good. I can buy them here for about 10-15$ and the nib is probably still one of my better nibs. my only complaint is how thin it is, but then again for a new user that wouldn't be too bad. A tiny bit thicker than a bic but not as bulky as a normal FP.

[pmsalty]

I have one Lamy a yellow Safari. I find it scratchy. I would recommend a Pilot Varsity to someone to try to see if they would like to write with a Fountain pen. I would recommend a Waterman Phileas over a Lamy. Much nicer writing experience. Do not like the Safari triangular section.

PMS

[ke4pcx]

I started off using a Hero 160 gold nib really liked that pen but after dropping it one too many times it broke beyond repair.

I then picked up an Easterbrook with a gregg steel nib. wrights great however it stays at home because I don't want to drop it and have it meet the same fate as the Hero.

 

So in comes the Lamy... Safari Red with black clip. It was relatively inexpensive and has solid simple construction for these reasons it has taken on the role of my EDC (Every Day Carry) pen.

 

Does it do the best job? NO.

Is it the best looking? No.

Do i have to worry about dropping it? No.

Have I lost something particularly valuable if I lose it? No.

If i have to replace it because it was used in a harsh environment. No big deal, compared to pens that are either much more expensive or are no longer in production.

Can i do better in the same price range with current production pens? possibly.

 

I like it and will re-evaluate the options if/when this lamy needs to be replaced.

[Juan in Andalucia]

I have 9 pens inked; 6 of them are Lamys (2 Safaris, 2 AlStar, a Studio and a 2000). I have several of them, including multiples of the same model ( I got 3 multiples today ). My other inked pens are a Pilot Capless and a MB 146 and 149.

 

Each pen has its share of use, but my Lamys are the common suspects in my notebook; I love its functionality, minimalism and bauhaus kindacrap. I just want a pen that works, and works great, and which I can use without worrying about a scratch or a dent.

 

Lamy rules, and I think if we could know which pens suck more ink per year, Lamy's mileage would be hard to beat.

 

Oh, and I also got 3 Lamy Notos today!!! Yes, ballpens... go figure!!!

 

Juan