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Does anyone know how I might get my hands on one of the old Lamy squeeze converters (pictured below)? Thanks to haywoody for alerting me to the existence of this converter, which is where I also got the image (https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/90367-lamy-safari/).

Hi, In cleaning my (stock) nib, I tried to wipe it dry with a cloth and it popped right off. All I could find in a Google search are articles emphasizing the difficulty of removing the nib (!), and they all just say to slide the (new) nib on, making sure it's oriented properly. I can slide it on to the feed, but it doesn't seem to slide into the section and it's just loosely sitting on the feed. What am I doing wrong? Is it supposed to go into the section? If so, do I just have to push it really hard? Thanks a lot for your help.

For years, Ive been hoping that Lamy would release a chocolate brown, textured Safari with a black clip. Today, I saw that just such a thing exists for the South Korean market (Line Friends?) So Im looking for a reputable place to buy one. By reputable, I mean a dealer who will sell me a genuine brown Safari made by Lamy and not a fake. If it has to come in a fancy box with cute animals, so be it. But all I really want is the fountain pen. Ive seen them available on eBay but I dont know which sellers deal in genuine Safaris. Can anyone suggest where to buy this pen, please?

Today I was in the next town over, and I went in to its ‘WH Smith’ store. As usual, I went to have a quick look at their pens, and was slightly surprised to see that, in February 2020, their display included the ‘Petrol’ Safari from 2017, and more-surprised to see that they also had the ‘Dark Lilac’ one from 2016. Before anyone gets their hopes up, I must stress that these were only the pens - no cartridges, and certainly not any bottles, of the relevant LE inks. So, is this availability just an anomaly that is attributable to my living out in the sticks, where nothing as recherché as a fountain pen sells-out fast? Or are the rest of you still seeing these pens for sale in stores near you? Cheers, M.

I bought some Lamy blue/black cartridges and I have been using them in a Safari & a Nexx. The issue is that they seem to weep ink where they push-fit onto the 'pip'. I tried wrapping the cartridge with paper, so there's some kind of a seal around the end of the section. The paper was impregnated with blue/black ink when I just looked, but there was nothing in the barrel. I would have tried the cartridges in my Yiren 566 but the damn thing has an EF nib. The cartridges have the 'LAMY' mark and are in a box with a Lamy name. Has anyone else had any issue with the fit of the Lamy cartridges? The poor fit made me think they might be counterfeit. I have some Lamy Blue cartridges, but I have only fitted one you my Yiren 566 demonstrator, not to a genuine Lamy pen. My actual Lamy branded pens are a Safari & a Nexx. The b/b cartridges weeped on both pens. I quite like the Lamy blue/black ink. I don't know whether it is non-gall or not.

Nicely shading, quick drying, lightish green with some dark undertones. Loved the color and sharing, and smoothness. I don't have any inks to compare to.

I own a Lamy Safari F nib (though I think it writes on the broader side of F), its writes very very smooth. A friend of mine bought a Diplomat Magnum F nib recently though. Both of these pens look a bit similar except the nib part. Can anyone tell me how much the writing experience on the Magnum differs from the Safari?

I own mostly Indian pens and I want to breach out into foreign brands. On WilliamPenn.net, the Loom and Safari cost similar, but people abroad prefer the Safari as it costs cheaper. Given that both cost the same, which one is better? And if there are other recommendations in the Rs. 2500 range apart from these two, that would be great too.

Some forecast for 2019 emerged on the net. New Joy, Aion, Safari, Studio, and the very confusing AL-Star and Lx. See here: https://frankunderwater.com/2018/12/30/a-peak-into-lamys-2019-special-editions/

I cannot claim to be a fountain pen expert in any way whatsoever, however the perspective through which I see things is one of fairness (I hope!). I've had this LAMY Safari (Charcoal colour, fine/extra fine nib - I'll explain shortly) for about 6 months now and use it daily at school. It's inked up with Diamine Onyx Black: the only bottle of ink I currently own. This review should, hopefully, provide my personal opinion about the pen as well as an 'umbrella' overview of it. Let's dive in... First Impressions When I opened the grey box in which it arrived to me, I was, to be perfectly honest with you, a tad underwhelmed. The pen's body didn't seem dark enough against what I was hoping for. However, over time I've got used to it and now I love it - especially the non-glossy finish which I shall talk more about later. Aside from that, I was generally happy with the purchase at this point. The pen came with a small cardboard ring around the thread and a default LAMY Blue cartridge inside - the ring stops the cartridge from puncturing. I decided not to ruin what seems like a fairly well-manufactured cartridge, so I've kept it all this time unused. Aesthetics I really like the look of the pen. It's made of rugged ABS plastic which has survived a few drops and bangs in my day-to-day battering of it and the matte black, or 'charcoal', finish makes it highly elegant and safe against sweaty fingerprints. The clip I do not use, for I keep this pen with all my other pens, but it is super sturdy and springy enough that it will leave a small dent in your paper if for whatever reason you decide to use it as a paperclip. Despite many people disliking it, I find that it gives the pen its unique character and it's not oversized at all in my opinion. A minor problem I've noticed is that small particles can gather where the end of the clip curves into the pen's cap. Now, the barrel of the pen contains an ink window and an engraving of 'LAMY' on it. Out of my own compulsion, I always have the side of the barrel with the engraving pointing upwards when writing, but that's just me. The ink window I must say could be a useful feature, but the ink I use takes 30 seconds for it to completely clear off the side of the converter inside so I really don't use it all that much since it appears black 98% of the time. Weight + Dimentions I'm not really interested in what the pen weighs; the information is widely available. However, what I think is important is how it feels to me personally, since I'm the one using it. Regarding this, the pen is a 'good' weight: it isn't too light that I have no control over it and it isn't too heavy that my hand becomes fatigued after using it. I prefer to write with the pen posted on the top. Some people seem to say that the pen is rather top heavy, but I must disagree since I find that the pen is perfectly balanced when posted and a tad too light for me unposted. As for the size of the pen, it's fairly large but not too wide as to make it feel like writing with a wax crayon. Writing experience The grip section features 2 nice indents to it which are designed to correctly position your hand when writing in a 'tripod' grip fashion. When I first purchased the pen, I'd been used to a different grip which caused some hand cramps after long periods of writing - even with any pen. It was a bad habit. After having trained myself to write properly with my brilliant LAMY, I can now proclaim my handwriting position is correct and cramp-free. Although my handwriting's style has changed, I have the freedom of using both grips now for different pens. The nib which came with the pen was a fine. It wrote fairly well, though the line produced was rather thick. The ink flowed well and there were rarely any problems in terms of skips or (extremely) hard starts. On the other hand, I noticed a tiny bit scratchiness on the paper I used at school, but that didn't bother me too much. Having said that, I acquired an extra fine nib a few weeks ago and expected it to be even scratchier, but to my complete surprise, it was smoother as well as thinner. This is now my daily used nib and for some reason it seems to want to write a tad wetter sometimes. As with LAMY nibs, they are made of steel and offer no flexibility. I don't have any intention of trying to flex a nib like this in fear of splitting it and I don't advise anyone else to either. I love the black-coloured nibs on the Safaris - they make the pen consistent in colour and with black ink it's almost silly to make an intimation of using any other colour! On the picture, there are a few spots of ink here and there: I can't be sure if this is from my wreckless usage of the pen or not, but I can say that it doesn't get much worse than a few blobs around the tines with daily use. Refilling The Safari can be used with proprietary LAMY cartridges which upon first look seem like they hold lots of ink or with a LAMY converter. I use the converter with a bottle of Diamine Onyx Black which provides a cool combination. When using a converter, there are multiple ways of filling it: either by submerging the nib in ink and sucking it up; by removing the converter and putting it into the ink; or by removing the converter and syringe filling it. 2 of the methods require you to twist the top of the converter, which is a little stiff but not impossible. I use a pipette to refill the converter directly. With a crude piece of engineering, I came up with this small contraption to get the end of the pipete to fit into the converter's opening. It comprises of a hollow pin used in a football pump hot glued onto the pipette. It works really well and I don't experience any mess when refilling at all - I just need to wash out the pipette and wipe the top of the converter a little. In terms of ink capacity, my converter lasts me 2 to 3 days, so I refill 3 times a week every 2 days on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. After 2 days usage, I usually have a quarter to 1 sixth of the ink remaining which isn't sufficient for another day. Note that this is with a (extra) fine nib, so broader nibs may use twice as much ink. Cost I got hold of my Safari for about £17 (slightly more in US dollars) and a converter separately for £4.50. At first I thought the converter was a little overpriced, but considering that it a tremendous part of the pen, its being a quarter of the pen's price isn't so much to lose sleep over especially since it'll last forever (so will the pen!). As a novice in fountain pens, this is great value for a starter pen that's suitable for beginners like me and experts alike. So, you could pick one up to try it out, decide you don't like it and pass it on to an aficionado and please them with a wonderful gift. Conclusion To conclude, I shall quickly summarise each section of this review. So, with a solid, ergonomic body, this pen is a great pleasure to write with, performing well on lower quality paper (obviously ink-dependent). It's so easy to refill in bunch of different ways and all of this comes at an excellent price point. I certainly recommend it to anyone who doesn't own one yet - regardless of whether you have a collection already or are just getting starting. Cheers for reading, feedback appreciated also as well as any questions

Hello, I have stumbled across a vintage Lamy pen I cannot properly identify and date. Any information on production year, collectibility and value of the pen will be greatly appreciated. I am unable to post any photographs as of right now, but if necessary, they will be posted as soon as I am able to. It's a yellow Lamy Safari fountain pen, with a black clip. The nib is painted black, but there is no logo on it. I suppose there was a time when Lamy did not laser etch their nibs? When did they start etching nibs with nib size and logo? This one is completely black. As for the color, it appears a darker shade of yellow than the current yellow Lamy Safari with a chrome clip is, but as I do not have on to compare it to, I am not one hundred percent certain about this. The box it comes in is not the modern carton box with cutouts, it's much simpler, textured black box, with a Lamy logo and an elastic band on it. Thanks.

Dear all, Happy day for me, today. When I went to USA as a high school student in the 90s, I asked my parents to buy me a fountain pen. Well, they bought me a LAMY Safari. I knew nothing about LAMY back then, and remember filling the cartridges with a syringe and needle to save money. Many years later, I bought my first LAMY 27e on eBay, had it restored, and that is how my collection started. A couple of weeks ago, I bought this LAMY Safari, and here are some pictures, if you are interested: More pictures: here Now, please, please help me identify the pen correctly as I believe (after some research done here) that it is the 3rd generation LAMY Safari Alpine White. If I am correct, I am happy, if not, well, I will have to keep searching … P.S. Have you noticed the eBay auction for the LAMY Safari Savannagrun which ended a couple of days ago? The pen went for EURO 500,- … WOW! Regards, Jan (FLICKR)

Hello everyone, I have a weird kind of question. It's not a big deal but I wonder if anyone else experience this too. I'm an unstoppable reverse writer. I often do it without realising. Lately I noticed, whenever I use Lamy Safari, the tips of my thumb and index finger get stained with ink. I realised this happens when I write reverse with this pen, and that I tend to hold the pen closer to nib while writing reverse, probably because of the indentations on the grip section to be used while writing nonreverse. The part I marked with arrow in the picture is wet with ink. I wonder if this is normal or I've broken my pen a bit (sadly I've dropped it on the floor many times). Thanks in advance for any response

Another light review, with a few snaps... Preamble (as usual, skip this bit if you don’t like preambles): We have been incredibly fortunate to be able to get our hands on some pretty nice pens over the last few years. The posting of my last review prompted quite a lengthy conversation between “She who must be obeyed” and myself, about the difference between luxury pens, affordable pens and just pens that we have enjoyed. There is such a wide range in the wild, of pens that can be regarded as affordable. However, when a pen costing $2 can indeed be described by some as expensive, and conversely, a $200 pen has been recently described as affordable/reasonably priced. Factor in, the diverse disposable income between different individuals, affordability and value for money can vary widely between from person to person. So, although being fortunate to be able to do a couple of reviews on what are regarded as “high end” pens, I seem to have missed out on having a go at doing a reasonable review on a couple of pens that are family workhorses. In this case, the review here is part of a review of pens “we like”, rather than, “oooh look what we got”. We would like to introduce to you, the Lamy Safari. The Pen Lamy Safari, in charcoal finish, with matching black nib, supplied with cartridge convertor and a free ink cartridge. Purchased online from either eBay or amazon (can’t remember to be honest, but it was one of those two) at the same time as I ordered a pack of A4 writing pads. I think the cost was about £15 at the time, with a matching convertor for another £5. First Impression Arrived in a jiffy bag which contained a small pen sized cardboard box. The box had a small divider in the centre with the convertor on one side. Very business like, no wasting of material in packaging, pen, convertor, box. Done. Box consigned to recycling bin, and now possibly back in the system as brown wrapping paper somewhere. Without a doubt, it felt well made in the hand. It is a light feeling pen, and I believe it is made from similar materials to what lego bricks are made from. Stand on a lego brick with a bare foot, and the brick wins. Every time. The finish is a sort of matt rather than shiny finish and end to end, has no sharp edges or mould flashing. So far so good. More diving into the details. The pen comes with a black finished nib to match, in fine. The cap has a matching clip, in black. More later. Unboxing. Although covered above, if I was new to the pen hobby (takes a huge step back), I would have to say, that it is simple but impressive. Recyclable cardboard packaging, cartridge already in the pen with a cardboard ring to keep it from piercing inside the section, and the convertor by it’s side. Again, if I was new to the hobby, I would have been quite impressed. The pen doesn’t exit from it’s packaging in need of a fanfare, it is too business like. It is obvious straight away that this is intended to be used and used and used. Take the pen out, ink it and get that letter written. Remember, the fancier and bigger the packaging, the more cost is passed to the consumer OR less goes into the pen itself in materials and quality. In this case, I felt that we had at this point, got good value for money. One thing I DID do, is recycle the box and the separator ring, then drop the free cartridge straight into the pen to get it in action. More about that later. Overall Look of the pen. When I was a youngster, many many many years ago, I started my love affair with fountain pens, and have handled some interesting designs (parker 25 as an example). Well, that was (coughs) 40 years ago now. The Lamy looks briefly reminiscent of an old school fountain pen I once came across. Minimalist, functional. However, the Lamy is much more modern looking and for sure looks better made. The aforementioned Parker 25 was a regular fave of mine, futuristic looking and, at the time, a couple of weeks saving with school pocket money was sufficient to snare it. Unfortunately due to youth and the passing of time, it is no longer in my possession. The Lamy seems to have some of the same minimal/modernistic look about it. The nib. This one came in a “fine” and finished in black, to match the pen. The nibs are VERY easily removable, small bit of sticky tape and tug. Brilliant for any tinkerers or cleaning. The size looks in keeping with the overall size and design of the pen, again, functional looking. Had I been that schoolboy once again, this would have been definitely on the list to save up for. Loaded the pen with it’s free Lamy cartridge and tried to write. The best I can now say is that it wrote. It felt dry (definitely NOT scratchy) but wasn’t pleasant. Out with the 30x loupe and there was NOTHING visibly wrong with the nib. Took the nib off completely, again, all good. Then came the lightbulb moment. Lamy cartridge went to the bin, did not stop at go, did not collect £200. Convertor fitted and Waterman serenity blue sucked up. 3, 2, 1, bingo. Instant writing karma. Nice fine line, not scratchy, but not over smooth. Needed using, to smooth it down for sure, but definitely an extra fine to fine line. Nice and wet. The nib is not flexy, but didn’t feel like a hard nail. The nib material is simple pressed steel with some sort of tipping material, which means the nib does have a tiny amount go “give. Again, the nib definitely feels like it is going to deliver years of use. The cap. Functional, furnished with a black shiny clip. It contrasts with the charcoal finish, which is a nice touch. It will post, if you HAVE to, but it doesn’t add anything to the look or usability and looks awful posted. It is a click fit/push fit (slip cap), which is not my favourite method of connecting cap to body, but it is quick and works. Positive with a nice soft click, and I going to say it again, functional. Overall, it works well and should return the owner a good operating life. Filling system. Cartridge convertor. Comes supplied with a free blue Lamy cartridge. I purchased the optional convertor as I do prefer bottled ink. However, I did try the cartridge, and in my honest personal opinion, was just a waste. The ink didn’t play nice at all with the pen so binned it. The convertor is VERY well made, and locates positively, aided by a couple of small locating lugs. Very smooth to fill, doesn’t leak, and reinforces the overall impression of good design and function. The section. Interesting section, it has two shaped facets to promote a “correct” grip. At first, I thought “school pen”, but after a little use, I started to appreciate it. I am not sure if left handers or people with different pen gripping techniques will appreciate it, but, I really liked it. The matt material is not slippy, the end of the section has a nice shaped raised bit to stop fingers going near the nib. Again, good design. Section diameter is a tad on the smaller side for my fat fingers, but for the majority, I am sure will find it reasonable. So what now? It is stuffed into my work bag, in the little area where pens are kept, no case, next to a metal ballpoint. It is loaded with Waterman ink and is in every day use. The nib has indeed polished itself now and writes exactly as it should. I would say the EF nib runs more towards F, but that could be due to the flow properties of the ink, which, the Lamy inks being dry in this pen, MAY now deliver a true EF. However, I won’t go there. Waterman in this pen plays nice. Yes. You read correctly. It is stuffed into my work bag. The pen is robust, and can not only take a good beating, the finish just doesn’t seem to easily pick up scratches, so always looks pretty nice! Keep it in a proper pen pouch and it should stay looking new for a number of years. Cost? £15 for the pen and an extra £5 (approx) for the convertor. Not the cheapest combo on the market, but it is well made for the money (haven’t said value here as it really is subjective). In comparison, a pack of 50 Bic biro’s can be obtained online for approx £10, which, although would last anyone a considerable amount of time, every single bit is disposable and would head direct to landfill. Pics As usual, a few “show and tell” snaps. And Finally The big question. If I was in the market for such a pen, would I buy one? A resounding yes. As either a beginner to the hobby, or for someone who wants a daily beater, yes. If you are saving up to be able to get one of these, again, yes. BUT, if it is going to be your only pen, I would try and save a little longer, and look towards the Lamy Al-Star, which has a range of coloured anodised aluminium bodies/caps and do look a bit higher quality/look/feel. A colleague has had a silver grey al-star for a number of years now, he was gifted as a leaving present from his previous company and it’s his only pen. He loves it. The Al-Star will NOT write any better, it is merely look and feel. But then again, Safari’s come in a huge variety of colours and release different colours from time to time, so plenty of choice. Oh, and DO get the convertor.

I love everything about my matte Safari except the grip. It is too narrow and I dislike the cutouts. I was hoping it would grow on me, but it's been almost a year and it's still uncomfortable. Any recommendations for something similar without the narrow triangle grip? Specifically: Durability/knockabout pen (a must).Not slipperyPostable17g (0.6oz) weight, posted (similar range preferred). Metros are too heavy for my taste at 26g (0.9oz).Easy to cleanUSD$30 or less including converter if CC Thanks!

I assume that this question has been raised in the past, but did not have much luck in searching the forum. I have two very early Safari's where the blind cap has become brittle and comes out peacemeal. I understand that this is a common problem with the very early versions. Can these blind caps be replaced with newer ones? ...or has the design been changed?

I want a waterproof ink in my Lamy Safari and AL-Star. I've been using a Noodler's Bulletproof ink. What other waterproof inks would be good in these pens?

Hello everyone: Im a fountain pen newbie who arrived late to the Lamy Safari party; I only discovered them a couple of years ago. Ive really been lusting after the beautiful aquamarine 2011 special edition which sold out way before I had even heard of Lamy. I have seen a few of the aquamarine Safaris advertised on eBay, but Ive also been reading about all the fakes that are on the market. As a brand new buyer of Safaris, I dont want to get duped right out of the gate. Ive watched videos on how to spot a fake, but I dont know any way Id be able to spot fakes on an online auction site since the seller could obviously find and post pics of authentic pens, even if he/she only had counterfeits in their possession. And Ive heard that positive reviews can be faked as well. So do any of you experienced members have any advice to help me find one of those authentic hot, hot aquamarine Safari fountain pens? Here is an example of what Ive seen advertised on eBay: https://www.ebay.com/p/Lamy-Safari-Fountain-Pen-2011-Edition-Aquamarine-Genuine/592486844 Thanks! PS - Apologies if there is already a thread on here about avoiding counterfeit pens. This is my first post on the network and I did search for an existing thread first, but didnt see one.

Hello everyone, I've recently bought the LAMY Safari fountain pen (fine nib) with the LAMY Z24 converter. I really enjoy and like the pen, however, I've noticed a problem. When my converter is full of ink, everything seems to be working fine (the ink flow is perfect), however, when it's not full the piston stops the ink flow because of the pressure. In other words, unless I slightly push the piston down, the ink won't flow. Am I supposed to push the piston everytime or is it not properly working?

Hello All, I just received my Lamy Al-Star Graphite today with medium nib. I like the look, feel, weight, etc... but the nib is quite scratchy when writing. I also have a Safari which was also scratchy "out of the box." I tried the Safari again today after using the Al-Star and it definitely wasn't as scratchy as the new pen. I only have about a half dozen pens, but none have been scratchy except the Lamys. Is this a "trait" of the pen? Does it get better over time, and that's why my slightly older Safari is less noticeably scratchy than my brand new Al-Star? Thanks! edit: the scratchiness is on the upstroke and the right to left stroke

Hi guys, I have a fairly new Safari with fine nib and Noodler's Hear of Darkness ink that keeps drying out or clogging up and skipping. Not sure if the fault is in the pen, ink or combination of two. Any advise would be appreciated. p.s. I have other various other pens filled with noodlers ink and they seem fine.

I have been shopping online for a Dark Lilac safari. There are several ebay sellers who are located in Hong Kong or china who have them listed for around $21-$22 with free shipping. I'm just wondering whether anyone knows if these are legitimate? It seems like a pretty low price for a limited edition pen that is no longer available. Don't get me wrong, I would love to get one at that price, but I don't want to spend even that much for a fake. Thanks for any information you might have.

The Lamy Safari is 17 grams and 37 years of design excellence that’s been the beginner’s fountain pen of choice for almost all those years. Its design is one of the most strikingly simple yet modern in the pen world, yet it has proven to be as timeless as any of the classics. The Al-Star is its big brother. Made from aluminum instead of ABS plastic, the Al-Star weighs more and feels more solid in the hand, but is nearly identical to the Safari in every other way. They share the same nib, design, and internal functions. The Al-Star is a way to own the classic yet modern design in a sturdier and slightly heavier body, and it appeals to people who like the feeling of metal in their hand while writing. Each year, a unique color is released as a limited edition for both the Safari and the Al-Star. This year, the Al-Star came in Pacific Blue. The Pacific Blue Al-Star Along with a Regular Blue Safari and a Dark Lilac Safari Appearance and Design The Pacific Blue color of this year’s Al-Star is striking and vibrant, yet light enough to not be overly flashy. The silver coloring of the nib and clip match well with the blue, creating a look of warm ocean waters. One factor of the design to be aware of, if you don’t already know, is that both Lamy Safaris and Al-Stars have a triangle grip, so they can be uncomfortable for some people to hold. For most, though, the grip is perfectly comfortable. As someone who enjoys having slightly unique pens, this limited edition is a truly gorgeous one, and in my opinion Lamy really nailed it with their color choice this year. The Al-Star Alone Construction and Quality This is a solid pen. In preparation for writing this review I used this pen daily for a little over a month, and in the course of use I dropped it countless times on varying surfaces, none of them particularly soft. The pen has yet to get a scratch. (These were all with the cap on however; you may fare far worse if the pen is dropped nib first.) Safaris have a bit of a reputation for being indestructible, and the Al-Star is a Safari but stronger. If you get this pen, you won’t have to worry about breaking it. Additionally, the overall quality of the finish is excellent. Lamy’s quality control is famously excellent (every pen is tested with a bit of blue ink before being shipped) and their care is on display in their pens. The Al-Star Deconstructed Weight and Dimensions If you’ve ever seen a Safari, it’s that but slightly heavier. As someone with large hands, it fits nicely posted in my hand while writing. I asked a friend with much smaller hands to test the pen as well, and she had no issues, although she did prefer the pen unposted. The pen posts easily, and I haven’t had any issues with scratching on the back of the pen from the cap, as I occasionally do on other pens. Nib and Performance So here’s the thing. It’s a steel nail. A very boring steel nail. But is boring so bad? The nib comes smooth straight from the box, and is incredibly reliable and consistent. In short, there’s nothing exciting going on but it’s a real work horse, and it’ll be smooth and ready to go from the get go. The nib sizes on these pens do tend to run broad, so if you aren’t used to Lamy nib sizes (or German sizes in general), I’d get one size smaller than you would usually buy. A Writing Sample with the Al-Star Filling System and Maintenance The Al-Star is a Cartridge/Convertor pen. It fits proprietary Lamy cartridges or a Lamy convertor, which can be purchased for give or take five dollars from wherever you buy the pen. The accompanying ink for this Limited Edition, Lamy Pacific Blue, can be purchased in either cartridge or bottle form, and matches the color of the body of the pen nicely. Cost and Value An Al-Star will set you back just under $40. Is it worth it? That’s up to you. For the same cost, you could have a gold-nibbed Platinum PTL-5000a or most of a TWSBI Diamond 580, both definitively better, or at least more interesting, pens to write with. The Al-Stars price forces it to compete with pens outside the Safaris league when it’s essentially a Safari with fancy skin. For me, the pen was worth it for the color. As a big fan of limited edition Lamy’s, I loved the Pacific Blue. But if you aren’t that into the color, there are other, better options for the price.

Hey whats up guys, this is my first post. I just wanted to ask a stupid question about the Lamy Safari petrol colour, Is it matte or glossy? I'm about to buy my first fountain pen and I was going to buy either the matte charcoal or limited edition petrol colour and I usually prefer matte coloured things. Also let me know which colour you guys prefer as I am quite indecisive of what colour to choose. Thanks guys.