Lamy Safari Or Al-star

[iuselamy]

Hi, I currently want to buy a LAMY fountain pen, but I just couldn't decide weather I should go with Safari or the AL-star series, I know that the price are different, but it's not the main concern, I'm just not sure weather ABS plastic is better or the aluminum, does AL-star series easy to get dents if it got hit by something harder? does safari plastic easy to get fractured if I accidentally sit on it with the pen in my back pocket?...something like that, please share your opinions and thoughts, pros and cons, much appreciated.

Edited October 22, 2010 by iuselamy

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I've never actually tried sitting on a pen, but carrying a Lamy Safari/Vista in your front pocket won't do any damage.

[geoduc]

We don't own any Safaris, but my wife has three Al-stars (or is it four?). They are plenty robust. You'll have to work at it if you want to dent one.

 

By the way,

[Yuki Onitsura]

Can't speak for the Al-Star but the ABS plastic they make the Safaris out of is damn near indestructible unless you're really trying to break it.

 

Yuki

[sidheblessed]

I have both a Safari and an Al-Star. I prefer the aluminium of the Al-Star - it's more comfortable for me to write with - plus mine seems to writer smoother than my Safari. Overall, though, they are both reliable writers and very durable so it might be best to find a store where you can try them out and see which one feels better for writing.

 

[cubic archon]

I generally prefer my Safaris - I'm not that fond of the feel of the metal, and more importantly I find that the Al-Star with cap posted feels too end-heavy.

 

Both of them are extremely durable, I wouldn't worry on that score.

Edited October 22, 2010 by cubic archon

[Hermina Haller]

Personally, I'm more a fan of the Al-stars, I love to pick up a pen and feel the coldness of the metal, but that's just me. I once bought an Al-star as a present to a person not as obsessively careful about FPs as I am, and in time it got some dents, but if truth be said, it was treated really bad. I'm not sure that it wouldn't be the same with a safari. In any case, it all comes down to the question of what you like better and how you take care of what you like.

[mstone]

The safari is more durable than the thin aluminum on the al-star. The most durable is probably the charcoal, with the textured surface.

[inksmears]

A plastic Safari rode in my front jeans pocket for several years in college. Scratched up, yes. Never broke. Sometimes, though the barrel would unscrew a bit. I don't see where an Al-Star would be any worse. It all depends on how worn you're willing to accept.

 

Not sure I would go with either in the back pocket.

 

Seconded on the Charcoal version - it hides scratches better.

[Silvermink]

Safari. The AL-star scratches relatively easily. Though it does come in some nice colors - I've got the silverblue and silvergreen.

[SnowLeopard]

I'm guessing it's Safari.... less prone to damage, and less $ by about 10 GW's. They write similarly...nibs can be interchanged ad lib. Actually, my "SafariStar" is the coolest pen. My g-f put a clear section with a black cap ring +a 1.1 nib.... on a white barrel sans gray ring...and topped it off with a black silver clipped cap. All plastic, you can see ink in the smoke section and when it's dry after a flush. Personally, I prefer the warmer feeling of an all plastic pen, as opposed to the metal barrel of the Al-Star. I don't post anything...no matter what co.'s pen I use.....incl. the stainless M90 LE. BTW never carry a pen in a back pants pocket....if u do... make sure the cap is off....for a unique experience...LOL.

Edited October 22, 2010 by SnowLeopard

[AtomicLeo]

Hi, I currently want to buy a LAMY fountain pen, but I just couldn't decide weather I should go with Safari or the AL-star series, I know that the price are different, but it's not the main concern, I'm just not sure weather ABS plastic is better or the aluminum, does AL-star series easy to get dents if it got hit by something harder? does safari plastic easy to get fractured if I accidentally sit on it with the pen in my back pocket?...something like that, please share your opinions and thoughts, pros and cons, much appreciated.

 

The Al-star is lighter and a bit wider, but not much. The finishes will not hold up to abuse. I bought a dark blue and scratched it within a week of use where it never left my desk. If you're planning on packing it around, get a Safari.

[Silvermink]

They write similarly...nibs can be interchanged ad lib.

 

On the average they should write the same, yep, as they use the same Lamy Z50 nib.

[burmeseboyz]

Safari. Same weight and nib, but the safari has more colors.

[jsonewald]

I have several of both. For real durability, I think they are equal. For cosmetic durability, the Al-Stars seem to be a little bit more resistant to scratches, etc. My preference - Safari, mostly because of the bright colors, a little because the plastic body feels better to me.

[bassopotamus]

I have one of each. My al-star is not a particularly good writer, but that is luck of the draw, nothing about the model. I'm indifferent between them body wise, and probably won't buy any more al- stars, just because they are more expensive.

[chrevbel]

The Al-Star will definitely dent. The ones shown here on mine are from a tap against the corner of a concrete bench. Actually, more than a tap, but not quite a whack. Somewhere between a tap and a whack, I'd say. Personally, I don't mind, and I tend to prefer metal pens to plastic. However, the Al-Star does indeed dent, as the aluminum is too thin to resist it completely.

[PTLaw]

My start with fountain pens began with the Sheaffer fountain pens that used to be sold in grocery stores. Those pens used cartridges, were nothing fancy, but were enough to make an indelible impression upon my young mind.

 

My return to fountain pens was through a yellow Lamy Safari. I have owned several Safaris through the years and love them. I didn't try one of the AL-Stars until last year and now I love them too. My AL-Stars don't have any dings, but one does have a scratch on its cap, from where I dropped it on a sidewalk. One of my Safaris accidentally fell on a tile floor because it was not securely snapped in its cap. Among the many bounces, was one on the nib; it still writes like a champ! Luckily, I was sitting down, so it didn't have far to fall.

 

Anyway, I think both pens are study and perfect for everyday use. I chose not to vote in the poll because I consider them the same pen; one is just made in plastic and the other in metal. The Safari probably has a slight advantage over the AL-Star, in my opinion, because I think the plastic is more resistant to scratches. Which one I prefer depends upon my mood for the day. Some days, I'm in plastic-kind of mood; on other days, I prefer the feel of metal.

 

Philippa (@PTLaw)

[ExcaliburZ]

If you are concerned about little scratches and dents avoid the Al-star.

[nicholasyeo]

In fact for my case, the Al-Star has been a far better writer than the Safaris I have owned.

The only thing that ever came close was the Vista. I love that demonstrator. But when it

gets all scratched up, I feel quite irritated. Nevertheless, incredibly designed pens.