Lamy Joy Vs Vista/safari

[megaptera]

I've seen some old threads of people asking for opinions of Joy v. Safari. I owned Vista for years, it was a very reliable pen with so-so ok fit to my hand, and never a favorite. I just got a Joy and this feels a different pen now. I compared them with the same EF nib, so that the difference between Joy and Vista is just the barrel portion. I took the EF nib from Vista and put it on Joy for comparison. These feel like different pens because Joy is really perfectly balanced and very comfortable to hold, compared to Vista. Unposted, both Joy and Vista weigh about 11 grams. Posted Vista weighs about 18 grams. (There could be potential errors of 1 gram or so in here because of partially filled ink.) I like unposted Joy better than Vista, posted or unposted, because it feels better balanced in my hand. I'm not carrying pens in my pocket so I can tolerate an inch longer shaft. If you tend to hold Lamy pens a bit higher up in the feed section (closer to the barrel thread) because the nib is short, you'll feel better balance due to longer barrel and slightly higher center of gravity. Some people seem to find Lamy EF to be scratchy but if you don't apply excessive pressure it is totally fine (but that may be because I am used to dip pens). Lamy Joy with an EF nib feels very similar to Gillott 1160 Super Fine nib, only a bit smoother (and of course don't have to dip).

[Nosferatualso]

I absolutely love the joy. If it was easier to have in my shirt pocket, I would use it in work a lot more