Safari Vs.al-Star Caps

[ecksdog]

I love my Safari but I just wish the cap would snap closed more "positively". Is hasn't accidentally came off but it seems like it could. Could someone tell me if the Al-Star cap snaps on more solidly? I know they are the same except ABS vs. Aluminum construction I just wonder if cap fits better.

thanks

Edited December 29, 2010 by ecksdog

[jakelogan]

It does not snap on more solidly (very very tiny muffled 'click' sound). Easily uncapped just like the safari. However the body has a much more comfortable texture in my opinion. Didn't like the slight roughness of safaris.

[TofuKat]

I've had the opposite experience. My AlStar is a little bit more rough (less polished on the edges) than my Safari and it tends to have a definite click when capping it. Just to be clear though, my Safari is over 10 years old and my AlStar is just a few months old. Probably they're not meant to be different from each other though...

[ru32day]

I have an Al-star and some safaris bought at the same time and they have exactly the same "clickiness". I can remove the cap with the same hand with which I'm holding the pen. It has a quiet "click" sound when re-attached.

 

When shipped, mine came with a cardboard ring inserted between the body and the feed, just where the pens clip together (presumably to extend the body so that they could ship the cartridge inside without it being inserted into the feed). It wasn't for a couple of weeks that I realised this wasn't actually part of the pen and removed it.

[nicholasyeo]

I am starting to get over the Al-Star. Metallic and nice to hold, but more pricey and nothing significant. I hate the fact that the aluminum surface gets scratched easily...

[Edgar Allan Bo]

The "click" sound comes from the soft-plastic-rubber inner cap, which is exactly the same on both pens. This part keeps the cap attached to the pen.

In my opinion the too soft inner cap is the biggest weak point in the otherwise bulletproof Safari-design. If you press too hard when putting the cap on

the pen you can bend that rubber inner cap and the click is less crisp than before, it can even become so loose that the cap won't stay on the pen anymore.

 

Don't press too hard!

Edited December 29, 2010 by Edgar Allan Bo

[ru32day]

I am starting to get over the Al-Star. Metallic and nice to hold, but more pricey and nothing significant. I hate the fact that the aluminum surface gets scratched easily...

 

My favourite Safari/Al-Star to hold is the charcoal (non-shiny) plastic safari. That said, I like the feel of the Al-Star better than the shiny safaris. No logical reason for any of this.