Dark Lilac - Lamy

[visvamitra]

Lamy doesn't need introduction on this board. However as I enjoy writing introductions, here we go. Lamy was created by Josef Lamy who was a German export and branch manager for Parker until 1930, when Parker left the German market due to unsuccessful sales of its Duofold.

http://imageshack.com/a/img538/9376/WLiktK.jpg

www.lamy.com

http://imageshack.com/a/img538/9505/e0y9bn.jpg

www.lamy.com

Lamy started his own company by acquiring the pen manufacturer Orthos Füllfederhalter-Fabrik producing celluloid pens. For quite few years they were selling conservative looking pens stylised after Pelinan and Montblanc pens.

However in 1966 they invited industrial designer Gerd A. Müller to create their new flagship product - Lamy 2000, a classic Bauhaus-inspired design that has remained in production ever since 1966 with no significant change. This pen set the tone for all Lamys to come: forward-looking, innovative design, excellent quality and writing performance. Lamy 2000 is one of my all - time favourite pens. With time I even came to like Lamy Al-Star that looked like an ugly duckling for me when I first saw it.

Basically I love their pens. However I wasn't so fond of their inks. They're not bad, they're sold in practical and functional bottle yet the colors really aren't mesmerizing. ANyway the inks are sold in bottle that provides a roll of blotter tape used to clean the pen after filling, or to blot writing. It is specially shaped with a wide neck and a basin to collect ink to aid filling when close to empty.

http://imageshack.com/a/img901/2272/o3GrpD.jpg

http://miestilografi...t=lamy-tinteros

They can also be purchased in cartridges.

It seems that lately Lamy came to conclusion they can make money on special edition inks that are introduced together with limited edition Al-Stars and Safaris. That's good, especially that new colors (Copper Orange and Neon Lime) stand out from their rather conservative and - let's face it - boring ink line-up.

1. Black
   
2. Blue Washable
   
3. Blue / Black
   
4. Copper Orange
   
5. Green
   
6. Neon Coral
   
7. Neon Lime
   
8. Purple
   
9. Red
   
10. Turquoise
    

Dark Lilac is new addition to Lamy inks line. As it's LE ink you need to decide fast whether you like it or not because once it's gone, it's gone. It's as simple as that. I've managed to get a bottle of this ink in Poland and I'm happy it was possible. Dark Lilac is simply stunning. For me it's the best ink premiere this year (so far) and best ink Lamy's ever created. The color is saturated and deep, the ink flows great in all pens. Some people may have issue with lack of water resistance but for me water resistance isn't most important thing when it comes to choosing inks. Whether it fades or not, I'll know in half a year. For instance I can only say that three of my five EDC pens are filled with this ink.

Lamy should think more about their customers in Europe and allow them to get bottles at least from few online retailers.

PS: I really would love to see LE Al-Star / Safari pen + ink in following colors: khaki, navy blue, annatto, green tea, marsala (yes, it's passe now, but who cares?), lentil sprout, ina-ho alike. So if any of you guys have influential friends in Lamy, or better is a child or wife/husband/lover of Lamy management please influence them

Drops of ink on kitchen towel

Software ID

Tomoe River, Kaweco Classic Sport, B

Leuchtturm 1917, Kaweco Classic Sport, B

Moleskine, Lamy Al-Star, M + stub 1,5

Oxford, Lamy Al-Star, M + stub 1,5

Water Resistance

Comparison

Edited May 8, 2016 by visvamitra

[ct315]

thanks for the review! its a pretty color! im not familiar with lamy inks and didnt know they come with blotter paper, very interesting.

[fountainpenlady]

Wonderful review.

Have you tried Diamine Imperial Purple? There is also Iroshizuku Yama-Budo and Murasaki-shikibu.

Received my limited edition Lamy dark lilac fountain pen recently and also a sample of this ink. I have since gotten on a waiting list for the cartridge version. Thanks again.

[visvamitra]

Yes, I've tried Diamine Imperial Purple - it's rather good but Dark Lilac looks much better to me

[lapis]

Thanks for the review and I'm completely with you on their stubborn attitude to let us -- at least here in Germany -- go without such ink in bottles. Can I try and order it anywhere in Poland or will I have to get it from Sweden?

 

Thanks again,

Mike

[Bill P]

Thank-you for the review it looks like a great ink...from what I can see it is also out of stock at many retailers..

[Cyber6]

 

PS: I really would love to see LE Al-Star / Safari pen + ink in following colors: khaki, navy blue, annatto, green tea, marsala (yes, it's passe now, but who cares?), lentil sprout, ina-ho alike. So if any of you guys have influential friends in Lamy, or better is a child or wife/husband/lover of Lamy management please influence them

 

 

HA!!.. I've been trying hard Vis... ;) ... :lol:

 

 

Love the sheen on this ink.. :wub:

 

 

C.

[Dickkooty2]

This will be old news to the readers, but ... speaking of Bauhaus:

 

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj157/dick168/Screen%20Shot%202016-05-08%20at%209.15.51%20PM_zpsiqeyhp7i.png

 

The Fagus Shoe Factory

 

The Fagus Factory (German: Fagus Fabrik or Fagus Werk), a shoe last factory in Alfeld on the Leine, Lower Saxony, Germany, is an important example of earlymodern architecture. Commissioned by owner Carl Benscheidt who wanted a radical structure to express the company's break from the past, the factory was designed by Walter Gropius and Adolf Meyer. It was constructed between 1911 and 1913, with additions and interiors completed in 1925.

 

The Bauhaus, Dessau

 

Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus in 1919 and its director until 1928, designed the building on behalf of the city of Dessau and in cooperation with Carl Fieger, Ernst Neufert and others in his private architectural practice – the Bauhaus did not have its own department of architecture until 1927. Built 1925-1926

[lgsoltek]

Now I see clearly that I need this ink.

 

(and maybe a lover from Lamy management too. )

[Newjelan]

Great review of a wonderful ink. I agree with you that this is Lamy's best ink and the best new release this year. It's up there with my favourite all time inks and may be no. 1.

[bobje]

Visvamitra, I love the integrity in your reviews. When you like something, you say why, and same thing when you don't. Thank you for the great work you're doing.

[chingdamosaic]

You make me want to get this ink.... And I don't even remotely like purple! What kind of sorcery is this? Lol

[inkstainedruth]

So. What you're saying is that the second it gets back in stock in the stores of ANY of the usual suspects, I need to buy several bottles. My husband will NOT be pleased....

And I haven't even tried the sample I got when I bought the pen yet... (still working through the cart of Lamy Blue that came with the pen, just to get it out of the way.

Thanks for the review. And not....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[visvamitra]

@bobjpage - thank you for kind words

 

@inkstainedruth - I may be wrong but I believe he's got used to it

[pen2paper]

Really well-presented review, thanks!

 

Like that you included the bottle. It's not art glass, but functional design to the last drop, plus the freebie blotters!

 

Also after seeing the review's lighter re-creations, it was concluded with a very exacting (typical) saturated dignified dusky dark purple writing example that could nearly pass for a standard business color.

 

Every time I test drive this ink I'm impressed with its behavior. This needs to be a Lamy standard ink, with others tweaked to this formula. (imho).

Not a fan of purple. Except this one.

[chromantic]

What an absolutely stunning color! And I'd just said to myself the other day that I had enough purple inks.

[ak2k5]

have couple of purple inks with me.but this seems a very good ink to add to my collection.hopefully it will be available in india soon

[thudthwacker]

I wasn't really in the market for a straight purple ink, but the various reviews here swayed me. Alas, by that time, the bottles were long gone, and I was only able to get a sample from the fine folks at Goulet Pens. And, wow, it's a really wonderful ink. Great color and shading, beautiful sheen, exemplary behavior and smoothness. Really quite amazing. I agree that it would be fantastic if Lamy considered bringing this ink into their standard lineup. (And Copper Orange, while they're at it, if it's not too much trouble.)

Edited May 10, 2016 by thudthwacker

[fireant]

I saw a picture of this (I think on Reddit) that showed the gorgeous sheen this ink has too. Prepare to be happy.

[swanjun]

Pretty pretty!