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Safari - Underwhelmed.


Drubbing

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I have several Safaris, most with EF nibs, but I have spare other sizes to use as desired. I have had no issues with any. The pens and the Lamy inks do seem dry. Perfect for a left hander.

 

The Lamy 2000 does have a sweet spot, but in EF, I just roll it until it is there. I have to do this with a great many pens. For all the whiners, get over it. This is life with fountain pens. Fortuna fortes.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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The F nib in my Lamy 2000 never seemed like it had a sweet spot issue. I would have to roll the pen to the side to get it to not write. I am ordering one now with a B nib. Maybe that will be different.

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I haven’t used a lot of Lamy Blue. I hate the color. Haaaaaaate. But Lamy inks are often recommended as “dry” inks, and Lamy pens are often recommended as wet pens. So the ink might be the culprit.

 

Lamy nibs can have a lot of manufacturing variation. I’ve got an XF that writes like a Japanese XF. Most Lamy nibs will not do that. One of my mediums wrote out of the box as a itty bitty italic or stub. Again, most Lamy nibs won’t do that. But a manufacturing defect that thrills me to pieces would upset a lot of people. Bock seems to have a similar level of variation judging from reviews. Jowo maybe a bit less, but Jowo doesn’t really make a proper italic. All the Japanese nib makers seem to have less variation. Not none, all manufactured products have some.

 

I definitely recommend talking to your dealer about a nib swap or purchase. I’d personally go for the 1.1mm over a B if you want to go bigger. If you want to stick with an M, keep in mind that I have exactly 0 true Ms, despite owning several. One writes as an F the other is my tiny stub.

 

Due to the variation offered, I’d strongly suggest if you have the option, only buy a Lamy from a shop where you can try before you buy. Otherwise it’s likely to wind up depressing.

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Thanks for all the collective wisdom, some useful tips here for the future.

 

I probably should have waited a bit longer to get the Safari going. After a day in the office it's working just fine. Expecting it to do so right out of the box was probably too much. I guess I've been spoiled by my vintage pens. I've only just started using them again, and just give them a rinse out and leave to dry, ink up, and away they go.

 

I have ordered a Safari F nib and converter though, as not keen on the Lamy blue. I'll wait a while to consider where I go next. I do want a couple of work pens, to have different inks options, so a TWSBI might be a better buy. After reading around and watching reviews, The Studio seems to be a Safari in nicer clothing, given it's the same nib, and the L2K is a big jump in cost.

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Some further random thoughts...

 

the F nib arrived and after a day with it, not liking it as much as the M. The F 'feels' harder and not as smooth. It's also a little inconsistent in writing, some lines wetter than others, even though there's no fades or skipping. It really isn't that much finer - not with the way I write. When I alter position, it does seem to make a noticeable difference, but the hard feel is always there.

 

Overall, though the Lamy is a decent pen for the price, even if we can't get anything like the prices of US and Eur. We basically pay double for most everything...

 

It's easy to clean out and the vista is good for seeing that happen. Certainly not something I can do with my vintage pens. Not a hobby I want either.

 

So - ordered a TWSBI Eco with a M nib. See how we go with this. I'm basically looking for a good quality pen for not too much, that is smooth and comfortable. My Parker 51 is the 'hard, but smooth and easy nib' benchmark. But prefer not to leave it at work.

 

Don't know about the difference between Lamy and TWSBI nib sizes, some random reading suggests Asian nibs are already a bit smaller, so din't want to go F - but we'll see how it goes.

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After reading this thread I was a little apprehensive since I had a new Safari on the way.

 

Received it in the mail yesterday. Got it with the F nib. I had a converter already cleaned and ready to go. Filled it with Legal Lapis, wrote a few lines to test it and then off to class. Took class notes with no problem.

 

This morning I removed the F and installed a 1.1. Writes great. A little dry, but I expected that.

 

There are a few Safaris in the family and all have started up with no problem. We have never had an experience like Drubbing's.

 

Mike

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TWSBI uses JoWo nibs, so they’re German made. I haven’t personally tried all the sizes the way I have with Lamy, but the xf are definitely a German xf and my two show more variation in line from the ink vs the pen. Same ink, I can’t tell my pens apart without notes.

 

Mine have a pleasant level of line variation. Not flexy but not dead.

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Just had a Eco arrive with M nib. Very impressive, even given the Aus prices reduce the value on these. I paid $50 AUD ($40 US).

 

Super smooth nib and a soft feel, more so than the Lamy. Does write wetter though, and quite fat for me, so could easily have got an F.

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