Schwarz - Lamy

[visvamitra]

Lamy doesn't need introduction on this board. However as I enjoy writing introductions, here we go. Lamy was created by Josef Lamy who was a German export and branch manager for Parker until 1930, when Parker left the German market due to unsuccessful sales of its Duofold.

http://imageshack.com/a/img538/9376/WLiktK.jpg

www.lamy.com

http://imageshack.com/a/img538/9505/e0y9bn.jpg

www.lamy.com

Lamy started his own company by acquiring the pen manufacturer Orthos Füllfederhalter-Fabrik producing celluloid pens. For quite few years they were selling conservative looking pens stylised after Pelinan and Montblanc pens.

However in 1966 they invited industrial designer Gerd A. Müller to create their new flagship product - Lamy 2000, a classic Bauhaus-inspired design that has remained in production ever since 1966 with no significant change. This pen set the tone for all Lamys to come: forward-looking, innovative design, excellent quality and writing performance. Lamy 2000 is one of my all - time favourite pens. With time I even came to like Lamy Al-Star that looked like an ugly duckling for me when I first saw it.

Basically I love their pens. However I wasn't so fond of their inks. They're not bad, they're sold in practical and functional bottle yet the colors really aren't mesmerizing. ANyway the inks are sold in bottle that provides a roll of blotter tape used to clean the pen after filling, or to blot writing. It is specially shaped with a wide neck and a basin to collect ink to aid filling when close to empty.

http://imageshack.com/a/img901/2272/o3GrpD.jpg

http://miestilografi...t=lamy-tinteros

They can also be purchased in cartridges.

It seems that lately Lamy came to conclusion they can make money on special edition inks that are introduced together with limited edition Al-Stars and Safaris. That's good, especially that new colors (Copper Orange and Neon Lime) stand out from their rather conservative and - let's face it - boring ink line-up.

1. Black
   
2. Blue Washable
   
3. Blue / Black
   
4. Copper Orange
   
5. Green
   
6. Neon Coral
   
7. Neon Lime
   
8. Purple
   
9. Red
   
10. Turquoise
    

Black is black. I dislike blacks in general and this one has really little to offer. It's not even black - more of dirty dark grey. Meh.

Ink Splash

http://imageshack.com/a/img909/1015/L9Z52Y.jpg

Drops of ink on kitchen towel

http://imageshack.com/a/img538/6183/owYrRb.jpg

Oxford recycled, Lamy Al-Star, F and B nibs

http://imageshack.com/a/img661/1684/IRqNWG.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img538/29/wViepF.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img908/4962/aSDEHp.jpg

Calendar, Lamy Al-Star, B

http://imageshack.com/a/img538/1412/8whlDp.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img540/2848/cA2LR2.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img911/5769/LKgdQQ.jpg

Edited May 28, 2015 by visvamitra

[J85909266]

Thanks for taking the time to confirm that this is my least favorite type of black.

[MBFan]

It reminds me of Noodlers Black (at least as it is in my fine nib Vista).

 

I enjoyed your brief history/ introduction to Lamy as a company. The connection between Artus and Lamy came through the acquisition of the Artus company (by Orthos) for their injection moulding machines. Added that for the curious.

[Morbus Curiositas]

I like Lamy but only the Safaris. Practically as I love changing inks every few days so a pen collection is helpful. I have about 20 now but cannot afford to let them all be expensive.

 

Safaris are nice and write well for the price.... The Copper Orange is nice..... All the oher pens I find ugly and to modern tomy taste....

 

Thanks for these inks reviews I guess I will buy more safaris when a nice model comes.... But skip the inks.....

 

Like you said nothing special

 

Thanks Vis

[Morbus Curiositas]

BTW not a Blackfan either....

 

Only have DA document black mostly for mixing and Kaweco which is quite black actually......

 

That is more than enough haha

[visvamitra]

Agree, although I must admit I kind of "like" two blacks - iroshizuku's take-sumi and sailor's Kingdom Note Peregrin Falcon.

[Frank C]

I use black ink more than any other. The Lamy ink works well, but it is just black ink, after all.

[Abner C. Kemp]

I kind of like it as a dark grey. I certainly wouldn't call it a black.

[delano]

I'm not sure I like this color -- a bit too ashen for me. On a scale of one to ten, it's a "meh."

[shea2812]

This my black alternate to Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black. More of my pens are armed with black because I find blues usually behave less well than blacks. To me the Lamy Black is good enough to be daily ink, one that gets used everyday. Lamy Black is also the one that I buy for friends that are new to FP because I know for a newbie that first bottle is going to get used for quite a while before they start itching for something better. Around here Lamy is quite common along with Parker Quink, Sheaffer Skrip and Pelikan. There are not that many choices of colors either.

[Tas]

I lovve my blacks . . . not his one though. Something really characterless about it.

[Nibson]

Nice review. I seem to have recruited myself as the Devil's Advocate on this one. I'm trying to decide right now between Lamy Black and J Herbin Perle Noire as my regular everyday black. In many respects, they are closer together than some ink aficionados have acknowledged. They are similar in depth of color, and are also closely tied on smoothness and flow, but with the Lamy perhaps having a slight edge on dry times. The Perle Noire somehow does have a less synthetic feel to it (sorry about the imprecision of my language, but that really is the best I can describe it as - it is highly subjective I know).

 

The thing is, with the J Herbin these characteristics seem to be translated into attributes when describing the ink - it has subtlety, whilst with the Lamy it gets berated - it's weak and grayish. In truth, put Lamy Black into a 51 with a medium nib, and you will struggle to find a darker more solid black.

 

As for everyday writing, sure, Lamy Black isn't an exciting ink. But that is why some people like it - it's easy on the eye and behaves well - the same reason I like Serenity Blue.

 

It would be a dull World if we all agreed on everything.

[dapprman]

I seem to be using a different ink. I'm a fan of Lamy black and find it to be, well, black, not grey. I also find I get a slgiht sheen out of it on certain paper. I've samples of darker blacks (Aurora is pitch black), but it does me well and is certainly better behaved than the Parker ink I grew up with. It might be a case that it needs to be in a wetter pen, as I mainly use it in Lamy pens.

Edited December 6, 2017 by dapprman