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Lamy Safari


KingJoe

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Was keeping track of that auction, and wondering how the price shot up so quickly too. The bid history looks odd at first glance, but maybe the winner originally entered a very high maximum bid amount, so when other bidders tried to bid higher, eBay automatically upped her bid.

 

$59.99 is an odd number. But hey, if someone's willing to pay US$60+ for a Safari who am I to comment?

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I know these are asked about to death, but I figured one more review can't hurt.

 

 

1. First Impressions - 4/5

 

My trip to the pen shop to buy my very first "real" FP had been with the intention of buying a bottle of P.R. Blue Suede and a Lamy Safari. On the way to the register, I was drawn to the sale case where I picked out a Libelle Vortex instead (review coming soon under separate cover). I was at work carrying my pen from my office to that of a coworker nearby when I dropped the Libelle. Thankfully, it was not damaged, but I decided to go back and get a "knock-around" pen for the office. Here's where the Lamy comes in. It's light, unobtrusive, doesn't draw undue attention to itself, and by most accounts is a great pen. I planned to get either a Vista or yellow Safari, but those were only in-stock in Medium nibs, and I had my heart set on a fine nib, so I ended up with a Charcoal Safari. The pen came in a simple cardboard box with a small slip of paper giving the company's contact info, and a Lamy blue cartridge. I also the converter (not included with the pen, about $5) to go with it and a bottle of WM Havana.

 

 

2. Appearance & Finish - 5/5

 

I'll give the pen a 5/5 here. It does not look like a high-class lacquered metal pen, but it's not supposed to. Everything lines up evenly and the plastic exterior seems tough enough to handle most anything I would throw at it (intentionally or not). The pen is fairly slim all the way, so it handles my normal mode of carry (clipped to my 3-button golf/polo shirts, horizontal, just below the last button, pen barrel inside the shirt, clip outside). The double-pronged clip looks a bit "big" compared the the slim pen, but functionally I'm glad it's built the way it is (more on that below). It was well-finished, no obvious defects at first glance or after several weeks of playing with it.

 

 

3. Design/ Size/Weight- 4/5

 

The design of the pen is "different." I won't go into great detail as 98% of you are probably familiar with it's design from pictures, if nothing else. The pen is very light with the converter fully loaded. The clip is strong and heavy (-weight and -duty). On weekends, I normally clip my EDC pen to a cargo pocket on cargo shorts or to my jeans pocket. The clip handles all types of fabric well, and seems no worse for the wear after several weeks of removing/replacing the pen 10-25 times a day. The pen has a click-cap. I would have preferred a "twistie," but I have yet to have the pen fall from the clip inside my shirt leaving a large spot of Havana or anything. The cap clicks lightly and easily, but it is a crisp, responsive click. You know the cap is fully seated.

 

The nib-section has two flat-spots on the grip. Probably good for beginners/students, but my fingers are a bit large to fit comfortably on this section. If a round option were available, I would have gladly taken that in a heartbeat. I'm used to pens with larger diameters, and that combined with the shape of the grip left me with a crampy hand after one journal page (5x8") for the first few days. That seems to be subsiding, now, though it does creep back now and again. That's why I give the pen a 4/5 here.

 

 

4. Nib Design & Performance- 5/5

 

The charcoal Safari comes with a black steel nib. I chose the fine-nib version for my needs. I use a wide range of paper quality througout the day (high quality journal paper, cheap recycled note pads, post-its, medium quality legal pad, and copy paper of all grades). I used WM Havana for several days before trying PR Avacado, WM Florida Blue, and Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black. The nib is somewhat scratchy with Havana and Avacado, writes like a dream (quite literally) on Florida Blue, though that is no surprise, and somewhere between scratchy and dreamy with Pelikan Black (closer to dreamy than scratchy). Nib creep is present with all inks tried, though it seems worst with Florida Blue, less so with the others. In no case is it a problem.

 

Depending on the ink and paper combination, I get anything from about a .5mm line to about a .9mm line. With Avacado I seem to get widely varying widths depending on paper, and it seems to go wider than the others. Florida Blue and Pelikan Black seem more consistent (on the wider side, but not bad-.7-.8mm). I only used one converter full of Pelikan Black (because it was less saturated than I cared for, nothing to do with performance). The pen is always ready to write if it has been capped, regardless of orientation (nib-up, down, or sideways doesn't seem to matter, the feed seems to hold ink at the ready very well). If I set the pen down posted (or otherwise uncapped) for more than 2-3 minutes, it needs a bit of a line to get flow started with (in order of severity, worst to best) Avacado, Pelikan Black, Florida Blue, and Havana. The Havana seems to have this problem much less often than the others, and seems ready to write even after 5-10 minutes uncapped. The nib has started to smooth out nicely now, and the "scratchiness" seen out of the box with many of the inks is 85% gone now.

 

 

5. The Filling System- 5/5

 

This pen is a C/C. The cartridges are proprietary, so don't excpect to use your WM, Private Reserve, or other cartridges in this pen. I have strictly used the converter, so I can't testify about the cartridges. I can tell you the cartridges hold quite a lot of ink, and the converter holds about half as much. The converter still lasts me 2-5 days, on average. And I tend to fill at about 1/3 full, sometimes sooner. The converter is wonderful, easy to operate, smooth, problem free. There are two "notches" that snap into the pen ensuring positive, leak-free contact. Very thoughtful! It is a shame the converter doesn't come with the pen, especially when the cartridges are proprietary...though from Lamy's prospective that is probably exactly why they do that. If you don't want to buy their cartridges, you have to pay!

 

 

6. Cost/Value- 5/5

 

I paid full MSRP at the only local Lamy dealer ($27.50), but the clerk who knew my from my previous purchase did include the converter at no charge. That brought their price about in-line with purchasing from a cheaper, online retailer and paying for the converter. When you add in shipping, I actually may have came out a dollar or two ahead by buying locally! For <$30 out-the-door, it's a bargain. Even if I had been forced to pay for the converter, I would have felt I got my money's worth. A box of some of today's nicer disposable gel-pens can easily run you $27.50, and this Safari will surely outlive a dozen gel-pens!

 

 

7. Overall Opinion/Conclusion- 4.5/5

 

If a round-grip were available, this pen would easily be a 5/5. As it is, I STILL plan to buy another Safari and a Vista, if that tells you anything. The pen was purchased as a knock-around for work, out and about, etc, leaving the "good" pens for journalling and writing letters. Instead, it had taken over as my favorite pen. In fact, I'll be getting others so I won't have to flush and fill so often. And perhaps a nice Medium or Broad to load with Polar Blue and use as a signature pen! This pen is a workhorse. If you walk in and compare fit/finish to new high-end Pelikan you're going to rate the Safari lower, of course. But in all that this pen does, it does it exceedingly well for what it is. Now if only they would make a round grip for the darn thing....

 

(Pictures left out for now...you all know what these look like. I may try to get a writing sample up if I can, though.)

 

 

I've only been into FP's for two months, I got a Vista Demonstrator in fine as my first pen, following all the great reviews for a starter pen, and it proved to as good as people say it is. I do get a nib creep with both noodlers fox red and luxury blue, but I can live with that. A Pelikan 205 demo, is on it's way which will give me some more experience. And finally I eye-balling the new Krone Clarity, which is also a demo. By the way does any one have personal experience with Krone's, and how would they compare with a Lamy fine nib?

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I've only been into FP's for two months, I got a Vista Demonstrator in fine as my first pen, following all the great reviews for a starter pen, and it proved to as good as people say it is. I do get a nib creep with both noodlers fox red and luxury blue, but I can live with that. A Pelikan 205 demo, is on it's way which will give me some more experience. And finally I eye-balling the new Krone Clarity, which is also a demo. By the way does any one have personal experience with Krone's, and how would they compare with a Lamy fine nib?

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I do get a nib creep with both noodlers fox red and luxury blue, but I can live with that.

 

Ah, Noodler's bulletproof inks tend to creep no matter which pen they're in. No fault of the Vista.

Enjoy your Lamy Vista. I love mine. :)

~ Manisha

 

"A traveller am I and a navigator, and everyday I discover a new region of my soul." ~ Kahlil Gibran

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Was keeping track of that auction, and wondering how the price shot up so quickly too. The bid history looks odd at first glance, but maybe the winner originally entered a very high maximum bid amount, so when other bidders tried to bid higher, eBay automatically upped her bid.

 

$59.99 is an odd number. But hey, if someone's willing to pay US$60+ for a Safari who am I to comment?

 

 

That is astounding. I just picked one up at the local department store for 15 Euro. I suppose there is a bit of import price in there but that seems a tad much.

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If Lamy made these pens a bit fatter all around, they'd be some of my top choices for value-pens. Still, I can't part with the five or so I have. :D I just like wider pens for most things, but Safaris are, in my experience, consistently well made, high quality for what they are, sturdy, have nice nibs and are all around take anywhere workhorses. I keep a matte black one with a 1.1 mm stub nib and Noodler's Bulletproof black in it in my jacket even if I think I'm not going to be writing anything when I'm out. Ya never know... ;)

 

R.ticle One

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If Lamy made these pens a bit fatter all around, they'd be some of my top choices for value-pens. Still, I can't part with the five or so I have. :D I just like wider pens for most things, but Safaris are, in my experience, consistently well made, high quality for what they are, sturdy, have nice nibs and are all around take anywhere workhorses. I keep a matte black one with a 1.1 mm stub nib and Noodler's Bulletproof black in it in my jacket even if I think I'm not going to be writing anything when I'm out. Ya never know... ;)

 

R.ticle One

 

I agree, and I also wish they would be fatter around the grip. I like my Safari's, but I l find them a bit fatiguing on longer writings because of the small grip and seemingly tall nib. Perhaps we should start a petition for a Safari "Senior" with a larger grip? :o

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Do any of you know about the gold nib that comes on the Pearl White version of the Studio? Can I expect a different feel to the typical safari/al-star/studio nibs? (And is it true that the steel studio nibs are the same as the safari nibs?) I'm torn between pulling the trigger on the stainless steel version (to get that rubber grip and the sweet price of $50 at Peartree) and the possibly nicer nib and another pen for my "White Pen" collection. I'd feel better about spending the extra cash if I though the nib experience might be better/different, even though I definitely love the nib on my safari.

 

That reminds me of another question. I have a safari with a fine nib, and to me it is not too wide for a fine. It actually makes me want to try my next Lamy in a medium. On the other hand, I've heard that some people find the Lamys to usually run wider than might be expected. Do any of you have any feedback on the general qualities of Lamy nibs as to how fine/wide they run?

 

Thanks, and quit trying to get me to spend more moolah. :D

 

CMaxx

 

 

I am currently in posession of some cartridge refilling kits (aka syringes). Why refill cartridges?

1) save money by not buying more cartridges

2) save money by not buying converters

3) cartridges hold more ink! (than converters)

4) use whichever inks you like

If any of you are interested in the wonderful world of refilling your own cartridges (and mixing inks the easy way), check out my post in the marketplace (search for cmaxx).

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Do any of you know about the gold nib that comes on the Pearl White version of the Studio? Can I expect a different feel to the typical safari/al-star/studio nibs? (And is it true that the steel studio nibs are the same as the safari nibs?) I'm torn between pulling the trigger on the stainless steel version (to get that rubber grip and the sweet price of $50 at Peartree) and the possibly nicer nib and another pen for my "White Pen" collection. I'd feel better about spending the extra cash if I though the nib experience might be better/different, even though I definitely love the nib on my safari.

 

That reminds me of another question. I have a safari with a fine nib, and to me it is not too wide for a fine. It actually makes me want to try my next Lamy in a medium. On the other hand, I've heard that some people find the Lamys to usually run wider than might be expected. Do any of you have any feedback on the general qualities of Lamy nibs as to how fine/wide they run?

 

Thanks, and quit trying to get me to spend more moolah. :D

 

CMaxx

Gold nib on the Pearl White version - are you refering to the Studio Palladium (or is there a recent model in white)? I have a couple of Safaris - F and EF, plus a Studio Palladium F.

 

First thing to say is that the Studio Palladium is an elegant and substantial pen compared to the Safari. In fact, the extra weight does make it a little tiring to use for any long period - not a problem with the Safari. I handled a 2000 in a shop and found it cheap and lightweight by comparision. As far as the nibs are concerned, I prefer the EF on the Safari strangely enough - it is not ultra smooth but has some 'italic' character to it which I like. The Palladium nib is good, smoother probably than the two Safaris I have, but the difference between the pens is more down to the different grips, weight and balance than the nib itself IMO. The do run broader than many - but I've always found that Parker are even broader. I would say if you prefer nibs on the F side to order an EF.

 

Considering the Palladium is twice the price (in the UK at least) of the steel version Studios, I would guess that there is not much difference in writing between them, given they use the same nib as the Safari. I think it would just come down to preference over the look more than anything. I've taken another look at them just now and think the blue version is quite tempting...

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Garyc,

 

Yes, there is a new Pearl White version of the Studio (you can see it at Pear Tree Pens). According to that site, it comes with a 14k gold nib. That's what I'm wondering about. I don't want to pay double for the same nib (even if it's in a cooler body), but I might pay that price if I thought the nib experience would be different.

 

I like my fine safari, and I don't actually think I would want to go any finer. I'll probably try out a medium next. I guess I need another safari or an al-star to check that out. Oh, and I'd like to try one of their italic nibs too.

 

CMaxx

I am currently in posession of some cartridge refilling kits (aka syringes). Why refill cartridges?

1) save money by not buying more cartridges

2) save money by not buying converters

3) cartridges hold more ink! (than converters)

4) use whichever inks you like

If any of you are interested in the wonderful world of refilling your own cartridges (and mixing inks the easy way), check out my post in the marketplace (search for cmaxx).

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I find the grip a little awkward; not uncomfortable, just that it makes me hold the pen in such a way that it skips. So now I put my index finger on the top between the sides and its a-okay. :thumbup: Mine came in a plastic Lamy sleeve and included the converter as well as one cartridge, but all those here seem to include the converter.

Looking to exchange ink samples! Available: Noodler's Bulletproof Black, Noodler's 54th Massachusetts, Noodler's Black Swan in English Roses, Noodler's Bad Belted Kingfisher, Noodler's Operation Overlord Orange

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