Lamy Joy

[isitisisitis]

Hey there,

 

I really like the look of the Lamy joy and have had a really good experience with Lamy nibs so far. I was wondering, would be suitable for everyday note taking (with the 1.1 nib)?

 

I have never used a calligraphy nib before; do they take any adapting too?

 

Thanks

[Nosferatualso]

I love my Lamy joy with a 1.1 calligraphy nib. I didn't find that it took any adapting in terms of writing, but it can be difficult to fit in your pocket. All the same, I use mine in a community health setting and love it

[pen2paper]

The convenience is in quick change between the three nib sections. (Unless the body style better fits your purposes).

But the Joy really isn't easily portable. It's cost is about that of two Safari's.

 

You can buy the italic nibs and easily install in Safari/Al-Star. This also allows for multiple colors at once.

And, some Lamy dealers, for example, The Writing Desk in UK, offer the italics pre-installed as a purchase choice.

Edited May 14, 2016 by pen2paper

[RMN]

The Lamy Joy can be ordered as a single pen, where is is just another version of the Safari/Vista/AlStar design.

 

It is basically just a Safari with a tail-fin. And you can get all the Lamy nibs for them.

 

And then there is the Calligraphy set with 1 Joy and 2 extra spare sections offering all 3 italic nibs that Lamy offers.

 

 

If you already own a Safari (or any other modern Lamy apart from the 200, you can also buy a spare calligraphy nib for 5 Euro, or the equivalent in GBP/USD and exchange the nib yourself. That is an easy process., just slide it off, using a piece of sellotape for grips, or a piece of rubber tubing.

 

 

D.ick.

[Dewdrop]

Of the three italic nibs, the 1.1 is the only one you would call an everyday writer; the 1.5 might just work for people with very large handwriting but is too broad for the majority. Italics have a bit of a sweet spot, but provided you avoid rotating the pen as you write and you keep it at a more or less steady angle (30-45 degrees) to the writing line, they are just as usable as any other nib.

But as others have said, all Lamy pens, except the 2000, take the same swappable nibs and can easily be fitted with a 1.1 italic. As a starter pen, I'd go for a Safari, Al-Star or Nexx (my personal favourite); or for something better, an Accent or Studio.

The Joy can be bought as an individual pen with just one nib, or as the calligraphy set with all three nibs as quick-to-change screw-on units, but unless you want all three nibs, just get the Joy with a 1.1 italic.

[Torrilin]

An edged nib can be a little tricky to use, and depending on how the Joy fits in your hand, it may get extra tricky. At least some Lamy 1.1mm nibs are on the rounder end of things, others are more squared up, and that can make a difference too. You probably won't be able to see the difference without the help of a magnifying glass, but you might feel it in writing.

 

I'm a lefty, and the grips you're "supposed" to use with a Safari or Joy or Al-star section all wind up putting the nib at a usable but weird angle. But well, I've been writing using pens with grips they weren't designed for my whole life, and I have a comfy setup for my 1.1mm nib that lets me get a correct angle for italic script. And italic script is my old buddy. We've been through a lot together.

 

If your natural handwriting has verticals tilt towards the left side of the paper, most edged nibs might be unhappy. If you've got mobility issues, joint issues, are a lefty or are anything else that makes you fussy about what you write with, definitely try a Joy/Safari/Al-star before you buy. They're a very take it or leave it sort of pen, and for some folks a Joy is great but they hate the other two, or they love the Safari only etc. And in person, it's totally doable to get the pen body you like fitted with the nib you like. The regular Lamy nibs are very easy to swap.

[pen2paper]

Thanks RMN, and Dewdrop for clarifying that Joy can be purchased by single unit. My set was from early on, and I thought it was only available in sets.

[bureaudirect]

1.1 is perfectly fine for everyday writing

 

Mishka

[isitisisitis]

An edged nib can be a little tricky to use, and depending on how the Joy fits in your hand, it may get extra tricky. At least some Lamy 1.1mm nibs are on the rounder end of things, others are more squared up, and that can make a difference too. You probably won't be able to see the difference without the help of a magnifying glass, but you might feel it in writing.

 

I'm a lefty, and the grips you're "supposed" to use with a Safari or Joy or Al-star section all wind up putting the nib at a usable but weird angle. But well, I've been writing using pens with grips they weren't designed for my whole life, and I have a comfy setup for my 1.1mm nib that lets me get a correct angle for italic script. And italic script is my old buddy. We've been through a lot together.

 

If your natural handwriting has verticals tilt towards the left side of the paper, most edged nibs might be unhappy. If you've got mobility issues, joint issues, are a lefty or are anything else that makes you fussy about what you write with, definitely try a Joy/Safari/Al-star before you buy. They're a very take it or leave it sort of pen, and for some folks a Joy is great but they hate the other two, or they love the Safari only etc. And in person, it's totally doable to get the pen body you like fitted with the nib you like. The regular Lamy nibs are very easy to swap.

That's all really interesting. I'm a lefty too so, given the grip section, I realise now that the joy may not work for me (I do have a left-slanting handwriting - not keen on the slant and with some effort can maintain a vertical line). Thanks for your really useful comms. I love my Lamy nexx so I think I will take up the suggestion to get a 1.1 nib to swap into to it. I think the character a calligraphy nib bring is really nice.

[Torrilin]

Glad it helped! I can't endorse trying in person enough, it's how I ended up with a Safari in the first place. Went into the shop sure a Pelikan school pen with an italic nib would be the right thing, wound up trying everything that fit my budget, and the Safari was what I liked best. So that's what I bought.

 

And well, when I was first learning calligraphy, I ran into a horrible lot of people who swore lefties can't do calligraphy. Funny, I do it just fine . And an edged nib isn't super hard to learn. Pointed pen takes more practice, but plenty of lefties do it.

 

And yeah, if you love your Nexx, just get it a spare nib or two. I have literally every width you can get for my little Safari collection, including several duplicates. The only one I'd say is a dud is the B, and that's because I'm a lot biased towards edged pens. The B doesn't get enough line width variation for my taste, and the line it lays down is about as fat as my 1.1mm thicks. But there are people who have it and like it or even love it. Tastes vary.