Lamy Safari Vs. Kaweco Classic Sport As First "real" Pen

[akapulko2020]

I've came back to my love of fountain pens after after quite some years, and right now I have 2 Chinese pens which are ok -a Baoer and a Jinhao 450(?), as well as an old Sheaffer Prelude.
I want to purchase a sturdy but relatively inexpensive pen for daily use, but can't decide between the two mentioned in the title.

+There are postage costs involved as I'll be purchasing it online in one of the European online stores due to scarcity of pen shops that sell pens below ₪389 (₪389 (₪389 (₪389 (100$)))) in my country )

So budget wise I'm talking about ₪82 (₪82 (₪82 (18 euro)))/₪78 (₪78 (₪78 (20 $))) . Features-wise , I think I want to be able to switch to a different nib in the future, but looking for a fine nib now .

Any advice? Any other candidates so as to make this an even tougher decision ?

Edited January 18, 2015 by akapulko2020

[benincanada]

Kaweco

[AnnieB123]

Kaweco. In the interests of full disclosure, I must say I'm not the biggest fan of any post-1960 lamy product though.

[dneal]

Well, they're not really comparable.

 

Lamy:

- Full sized pen

- Easy and inexpensive to change the (wide variety of) nibs

- Converter option for bottled ink

- Cartridge use is limited to Lamy

- Love or hate the triangle section

 

Kaweco:

- Fits in your pocket, but when posted is the same size as an uncapped Safari

- Nibs interchangeable (with gold options) but not as inexpensive as Lamy

- No converter (the Kaweco sac converters are useless)

- Standard international (short) cartridges

- optional clip

Edited January 18, 2015 by dneal

[akapulko2020]

Are there any other options that you'd reccomend that fit my budget above?

 

Thanks a lot

[dneal]

I think either pen is a fine choice. I have both pens, and am a big fan of the Kaweco Sports. It is pretty much indestructible, and always works. Sometimes they (like any pen) can have some issues out of the box, but those are easily corrected. The Lamy is more versatile, for the reasons noted above. Where you would have to intentionally break the Kaweco, the Lamy can break from carelessness (sitting on it in your back pocket, book bag issues, etc...). It's not fragile though.

[a.lachlan]

Kaweco all the way - Lamy can be great, but I've found that their nibs are very inconsistent, for example if you order a fine nib, you could end up with one that's either really scratchy or so broad it might as well be a medium...

Kaweco meanwhile I'd never had problems with, their fine nibs are a lot smoother than any fine Lamy nib I've ever tried, and I've had a few and they've all performed very well, with the same line width and smoothness!

[mike.jane]

[snip]

- No converter (the Lamy sac converters are useless)

[snip]

And -full disclosure- Kaweco does make a coverter for the Sport. It's a squeeze type though, and that's not everyone's cup of tea. Maybe that's what dneal meant.

I also heard that there is mini twist converter that fits (more or less), by Monteverde.

Here's a video (on youtube) about it available converters:

(full disclosure again, I didn't watch it to the end)

Edited January 18, 2015 by mike.jane

[dneal]

And -full disclosure- Kaweco does make a coverter for the Sport. It's a squeeze type though, and that's not everyone's cup of tea. Maybe that's what dneal meant.

I also heard that there is mini twist converter that fits (more or less), by Monteverde.

Here's a video (on youtube) about it available converters:

(full disclosure again, I didn't watch it to the end)

 

 

That's what I meant, and good catch. I corrected my earlier post.

 

I tried both versions of the Kaweco sac converters (the original one with the metal shell and the second which was just the sac). They're so useless that I would say Kaweco doesn't have a converter... If you're lucky, you can get them 1/2 filled (using them as designed). If you really want to use bottled ink in a Kaweco Sport, you're better off using an empty cartridge and a syringe. I wish they would make a modern piston filler other than the $600 LE's.

[cancoi]

I loved my Lamy but then I started using a Kaweco Sport w/EF nib. Now I'm hooked on the Kaweco. Pleased.

[thatotherguy1]

Well, they're not really comparable.

 

Lamy:

- Full sized pen

- Easy and inexpensive to change the (wide variety of) nibs

- Converter option for bottled ink

- Cartridge use is limited to Lamy

- Love or hate the triangle section

 

Kaweco:

- Fits in your pocket, but when posted is the same size as an uncapped Safari

- Nibs interchangeable (with gold options) but not as inexpensive as Lamy

- No converter (the Kaweco sac converters are useless)

- Standard international (short) cartridges

- optional clip

This is what I'd say too. If you want a student type, full size pen and you have the "normal" triangle grip orientation, I'd say get the Safari in a color of your choice and the Lamy (Z21?) converter. I've used mine daily for over a year now and it works admirably. The grip section is indeed nice if your fingers fall where the design requires them to- I have not yet gotten inky fingers from slippage or significant hand fatigue, even during lengthy writing marathons.

If, on the other hand, you want a good, short stints of use, slip in your pocket and forget about it pen, the Sport is a great option. I refill cartridges for mine. It writes well and quite wet with a free flowing ink, but everything on it is small. The section is tiny, so if you have larger fingers (I have size medium hands) you'll feel the threads, which bothers some people (I don't mind it). The section is close to the paper due to the small nib, which may not fit your preferences. That said, it's a comfortable pen for daily use, jotting stuff down and throwing it in your pocket. I do love mine.

Both are excellent pens, and I would say to plan on eventually buying both. That said, you're comparing apples to oranges. They're nice and worth the money, but very different and have very different roles.

[MajesticPens]

My first choice was actually the Sport, but the store was out, so I bought the Lamy.

[akapulko2020]

Wow, had no idea these two are so...different :-) Thanks!

 

Would you suggest other options that might be a good fit?

[deepak23]

Other options? I assume you are looking for pens in the same price range ($30-40). Here are my suggestions in increasing cost...

- pilot metropolitan

- ASA Athlete

- Parker sonnet

- Sheaffer Imperial NOS

- Parker 45 (used restored)

 

As they sung in Alladin "Its a whole new world...". Hope to have helped

[Lamyrada]

I have 3 Lamys and I am so pleased with them.First I was changing the nibs when I wanted a different effect and found myself buing to additional ones with different nibs on them and now I carry them on a 3 pen case and have my pick depending on what I want to do. Nevertheless, Medium and Fine seem almost the same, so I would say one needs only two Lamys. If you have a good eye you can detect the difference. Also, the cartridges are longer (*) , so I suppose they will hold more ink than a Kawecos.

 

*I am not sure right now this is true, but i am like 90% sure. The broad lays out such a nice wet line and you can write beautifully with it. Do you want a tittle to stand out? use the BROAD nib LAMY.

[Ste_S]

I'd go Lamy. The replacement nibs are cheaper than Kaweco, and you can use a full size converter if you want to use bottled ink. Also consider the NEXX and NEXX M as well as the Safari, as they're around the same price if the Safari aesthetics don't work for you.

 

If you're ordering from Europe, I'd consider http://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/index.php. They do bundles with the converter, and let you spec any of the Lamy nibs on your pen (including the italics)

Edited January 18, 2015 by Ste_S

[Arkanabar]

I will have to look up the NEXX. As for the Safari (and its twins, the Vista, Al-Star, and Joy), it has a surprisingly narrow section, and the grip facets make it narrower and are meant to ensure that you hold your pen the One True Way. I recently spent around a minute writing with an Al-Star that my local brick and mortar shop had on display to try out, and was reminded why I really don't ever want one again.

[akapulko2020]

And then I went all illogical and bought them both .Just ordered the Coral Lamy Safari and one of the greens in Kaweco Sport :-) from Fontoplumo

 

+ converters.

Thanks to everyone who answered, I've learned a lot!

 

Now, I wait ....

[PDW]

And then I went all illogical and bought them both

 

No, you went sensible

 

The choice also depends on how you carry a pen when just walking around. If you want to clip it to almost anything, go with the Safari - I often clip it to the collar of my T-shirt; if you want to drop it in your pocket the Kaweco is a better choice.

[Amberjack]

I own both. Well to be clear, I have the AL-Star - the aluminum version of the Safari.

For durability it's tops but for a handy pen that posts like a full size with a very, very nice steel nib - Kaweco, no question.

 

If I lost them both, I'd buy the Kaweco again immediately. I would not replace the Lamy. It's not a bad pen, it's just not my cup of tea.

 

Jack