Lamy Safari, Pilot Prera Comparison

[myyrkezaan]

Liked the way this turned out, I think I'll do the same with the 78G BB and the Penmanship EF.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6408265105_9a8a8f44c5_z.jpg

20111126_65-2 by myyrkezaan, on Flickr

 

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6408265159_c9ef5e1fbf_z.jpg

20111126_72-2 by myyrkezaan, on Flickr

[crunchmaster]

What's really bothering me now is that if the Plumix, 78g, and Prera all have the same nibs and feeds, and they all write pretty much the same, then why does the Prera cost 5 times as much? The Prera obviously has a more attractive design and higher build quality. However, I really don't see the nicer plastic really driving the price up $40. I would think a higher price would mostly come from higher quality feeds and nibs. Strange?

I agree. Are we Prera owners just suckers? hahaha But I really like my Prera, and I expect to get my money's worth from it. I also don't have any other pen that caps the way the Prera does: that smooth, subtle resistance followed by the click feels so elegant and classy. I really wonder how it works--maybe air being trapped and compressed in the cap?

[cake2le]

I own and enjoy both a safari and an al-star but I really like the way the writing sample of the prera looks...although if the plumix is really as cheap as implied I might tr and track one own today and try that first...

 

Excellent review, thanks!

 

http://www.jetpens.c...n-Series/ct/856

 

These have extra fine and flat italic nibs. I might get one of each so I can have them in my Prera too. Wish I could just buy those nibs somewhere.

 

 

A little bit cheaper on Amazon.

 

 

I would also look into the 78g. It uses the same nibs and writes as well as the Prera (as far as I can tell) and has a lot of variety on nib sizes. I picked one up on http://isellpens.com/pilot.html for a reasonable price and the customer service was really good too!

 

 

 

 

[myyrkezaan]

I already have the 78G BB and will be doing that soon, still want the Penmanship EF like this:

 

http://www.fountainp..._1#entry2170869

 

EDIT:

 

Interested in what the Plumix F is like too.

Edited November 30, 2011 by myyrkezaan

[myyrkezaan]

Just ran across some threads about converting the Prera's into eyedroppers, going to have to try that too .

[crunchmaster]

The Penmanship EF is a great pen. It's the finest (sizewise) nib I've ever used. Great for cramming lots of notes onto a page or drawing with fine lines. It handles Baystate Blue very well too. My first fill in it was BSB and it never gave me any trouble. I flushed it thoroughly, of course, before changing inks. It did leave a bit of stain on the black plastic, but it's only visible at the right angle and under the right light--kind of like oil on asphalt--and it doesn't bother me at all.

[myyrkezaan]

The Penmanship EF is a great pen. It's the finest (sizewise) nib I've ever used. Great for cramming lots of notes onto a page or drawing with fine lines. It handles Baystate Blue very well too. My first fill in it was BSB and it never gave me any trouble. I flushed it thoroughly, of course, before changing inks. It did leave a bit of stain on the black plastic, but it's only visible at the right angle and under the right light--kind of like oil on asphalt--and it doesn't bother me at all.

 

The only problems I've heard about ink flow is for drier inks and people stating that wetter inks work best for it.

[Anne-Sophie]

Very nice and informative review!

 

It confirms that the Pilot Prera is not for me, Thanks cake2le!

[myyrkezaan]

Very nice and informative review!

 

It confirms that the Pilot Prera is not for me, Thanks cake2le!

 

What was the confirmation?

[jayh]

I just got a Prera yesterday, and all ready have a couple Safaris.

 

A few very early thoughts:

--nib is considerably more firm feeling

--flow from Con-20 is suspect

--Pilot < m > nib is very comparable to Lamy F in line size

--Pilot is scratchier than Safari

 

Scratchy pen that requires excessive pressure to feed properly, no ink window on Converter 20, and a size that compells me to post the cap when writing makes this a pretty disappointing buy. Very good looking pen.

 

Questions:

Do nibs "break-in," will my nib feel less stiff with time?

Will feed improve as more ink has run through it, maybe 2 or 3 converters.

Edited April 22, 2012 by jayh

[Nonsensical]

I just got a Prera yesterday, and all ready have a couple Safaris.

 

A few very early thoughts:

--nib is considerably more firm feeling

--flow from Con-20 is suspect

--Pilot < m > nib is very comparable to Lamy F in line size

--Pilot is scratchier than Safari

 

Scratchy pen that requires excessive pressure to feed properly, no ink window on Converter 20, and a size that compells me to post the cap when writing makes this a pretty disappointing buy. Very good looking pen.

 

Questions:

Do nibs "break-in," will my nib feel less stiff with time?

Will feed improve as more ink has run through it, maybe 2 or 3 converters.

Did you flush out the pen *with a few drops of dish washing liquid* prior to using it? After doing so, make sure you check that the tines are aligned, and that you seat the converter FIRMLY. After doing all of this, if your pen is still writing very dry you can attempt to increase ink flow, I have a post somewhere around here...of how to do it on a Pilot 78G...

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/196636-scratchy/page__p__1992561__fromsearch__1#entry1992561

Scroll down a bit, and you'll see some images.

Edited April 22, 2012 by Nonsensical

[jayh]

I have apprehensions about flushing the pen using the con 20 metal squeeze converter. I don't see how it would dry completely.

[Nonsensical]

I have apprehensions about flushing the pen using the con 20 metal squeeze converter. I don't see how it would dry completely.

Um..Only the outside of the converter is metal...the inside is rubber, so even if it's not completely dry, there are no problems. If you follow the link in my post above, you can also disassemble the Prera in the exact same way. That way, you can dry each and every part, if you wish to do so. I just wipe it down and give it a nice little shake most of the time, and that's sufficient...

[jayh]

Thank you, Nonsensical,

 

I'll give it a shot. I thought the only rubber parts were the seals at the bottom and the squeeze button. I was worried about that from the beginning when I saw it, I ordered online and it said "converter included" and I immediately imagined a piston style filler like the con 50.

 

What about the nib feel? Will that change in time?

[rdh]

It is not necessary to dry the pen out after flushing, but you can. Generally, just cover the nib with a paper towel, hold the pen firmly, swing your arm and snap your wrist. Do this a few times and then let the pen sit out with the cap off overnight to completely dry. You can also leave a paper towel around the nib to wick out any remaining moisture overnight.

 

You also should just use safe inks like Quink and Waterman. Highly saturated inks can have nice intense colors, but require a lot of regular maintenance of your pen. Otherwise, they can cause the behavior you are seeing by coming out of solution and clogging the very fine ink channels. To prevent this, you need to be careful about how long you leave the pen uncapped when using it and need to clean and flush your pen at the first indication of problems. That is why they are referred to as high maintenance inks.

 

As far as the scratchiness goes, my Prera with a fine nib provides a much narrower line than my Lamy extra fine. You should not need any pressure to get it to write. Grab the back of the pen and drag it across a paper without any pressure. This pen and nib are really made for small handwriting. Because it is very fine, the point is much sharper. If you compare it to the Lamy, it should be very obvious. Because it is so fine, it could be scratchy on some fibrous papers. A good, inexpensive paper that a lot on the board like, is the eco-friendly, sugarcane-based paper sold by Staples.

 

I would suggest changing inks and papers first. Generally, Pilots have very few problems when they come from the factory.

 

Dave

[nickapos]

 

The section is a bit weaker on the Safari. I wouldn't carry my pens in my side pocket if I could help it, but a lot of times I really don't have anywhere else. I guess I was just disappointed since the Safari is often plugged as a rugged, throw around pen.

 

I've never had trouble with Prera writing dry. However, with the M nib sometimes the first stroke skips. After that through it writes like a charm. I recently bought a 78g with an F nib and put it on my Prera. Now I have no skipping issues ever. Strangely enough the M nib which is now on the 78g behaves better than it did on the Prera. I guess it's a win-win.

 

What's really bothering me now is that if the Plumix, 78g, and Prera all have the same nibs and feeds, and they all write pretty much the same, then why does the Prera cost 5 times as much? The Prera obviously has a more attractive design and higher build quality. However, I really don't see the nicer plastic really driving the price up $40. I would think a higher price would mostly come from higher quality feeds and nibs. Strange?

 

Why don't you try a full metal pen? That one should be difficult to crack.

I wouldn't trust any plastic pen under a lot of stress.

Edited April 22, 2012 by nickapos

[AtomicLeo]

I just got a Prera yesterday, and all ready have a couple Safaris.

 

A few very early thoughts:

--nib is considerably more firm feeling

--flow from Con-20 is suspect

--Pilot < m > nib is very comparable to Lamy F in line size

--Pilot is scratchier than Safari

 

Scratchy pen that requires excessive pressure to feed properly, no ink window on Converter 20, and a size that compells me to post the cap when writing makes this a pretty disappointing buy. Very good looking pen.

 

Questions:

Do nibs "break-in," will my nib feel less stiff with time?

Will feed improve as more ink has run through it, maybe 2 or 3 converters.

 

I own both and have used both at work. I've found the CON-20 doesn't set as well as the Safari converter. Had I few accidents in my backpack where the converter came loose and spilled ink. As the original reviewer suggested, filling a Pilot cartridge is the best way to use this pen.

[Wave Rider]

I bought a Prera fine and it's very toothy, like writing with a needle. I didn't rinse it with soap, but doubt that can make a substantial change. Prera is a nice built little pen though.

[wastelanded]

Great review, thanks. And because of the lovely photos, thanks for giving me a hankering for a white Safari! One with an OM nib is winging its way to me.

[JPZ]

Thanks for this! Lovely photos.

 

How easy do you think it'll be for the white Prera to pick up muck, and would it come off? I don't want to get one only to see it becoming dull and greyed quickly. Bearing in my I generally carry pens in my pocket.