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caleb

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Hello all,

 

I purchased a Lamy Al-Star ocean blue earlier this week, and received it today. A number of things about the pen and it's box were quite concerning. The photos are available here:http://imgur.com/fpngallery/8MQqM/

 

Anyway, my major concerns are

  • The pen came with blue ink residue in the feed and under the nib
  • The nib appeared to be slightly scratched
  • The box it came in was a small, silver box unlike the normal black with holes
  • The pen came with zero documentation
  • It came with five black cartridges and one blue cartridge — all without the silver Lamy stamp—only an imprint

I was wondering if anyone has had a similar experience?

 

Thanks, Caleb

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When I bought my first Lamy it came in the silver box too. My second came in the black box with holes. I'm not sure what the distinction is. I think silver is direct and black with holes is the fancier retail packaging? Neither had documentation.

 

The black o-ring isn't supposed to be moveable, but it will come off if you pry it, especially if you stick a fingernail and push. Both pens came with a spacer and a new blue cartridge inside.

 

Not sure about the cartridges but all the cartridges I have have an imprint on the cartridge (T10). Both my FPs are safari's but the same cartridge fits the Al-star so don't know :/

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Lamy test writes all the pens with blue ink as part of their quality control. It's normal to have a little blue ink residue in the nib/feed. Goulet pens even mentions this in one of their videos on Lamy pens–the Safari if I'm not mistaken.

 

The only thing odd I see in your pics is that the nib doesn't seem to have any markings. Mine says "F" and "Lamy" on it.

 

One of the signs of a counterfeit is that the breather hole is in the wrong place on the nib. The breather hole should line up with the shoulders of the nib, and it looks like yours does. That seems like a good indication that your pen is genuine.

 

The sticker on the cap is what I would expect. Mine came with the same sticker.

 

Lamy likely packages pens for differently for different markets, hence the silver box. From where did you buy your pen?

Edited by Witsius

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. Hamlet, 1.5.167-168

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I agree with Witsius...nib doesn't look right. Should have nib size and

LAMY imprinted on it, beneath the breather hole.

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Nib seems to have an F and Lamy on it as far as I can see.

  • Blue ink - standard nib-checking ink residue.
  • Grey box - regular shipping box.
  • Zero documentation - apart from the back of a blister packed Lamy, never had any either.
  • Imprint on the cartridge - the most recent Dark Lilac Safari I acquired, which came in a very posh box from an extremely reputable seller, also just had a cartridge with an imprint rather than white/silver stamp. Presumably a recent change on Lamy's part.
  • Five black cartridges - nice bonus from the seller?

Honestly, apart from the scratch on the nib, can't see anything wrong with it. Return it for an unmarked nib, if it bothers you, otherwise I wish you joy in the using of it. :)

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Apart from the scratch I see nothing unusual.

 

Lamy testdrives.

My Copper Orang carts are without print.

Lamy has several boxes going.

Often they send them in small boxes in bulk to the shops. Probably the seller forgot the papers.

 

 

 

D.ick

~

KEEP SAFE, WEAR A MASK, KEEP A DISTANCE.

Freedom exists by virtue of self limitation.

~

 

 

 

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...

I purchased a Lamy Al-Star ocean blue earlier this week, and received it today. A number of things about the pen and it's box were quite concerning. The photos are available here:http://imgur.com/fpngallery/8MQqM/

...wondering if anyone has had a similar experience?

  • Blue ink residue = Tested by Lamy with Lamy Blue ink = a good thing
  • Nib scratched, no marks. Atypical, should be marked Lamy, with EF, F, M, B or 1.1 etc. if that's what you ordered. You may wish to request a correctly marked, unscratched replacement nib.
  • Small silver box no openings. One of several Lamy boxes. Typically seen from overseas vendors saving Me postage. Box numbers should match the AlStar pen sticker numbers.
  • Warranty info sheet comes with pen, under clip on paper divider. If you decide to request a new nib, ask for the paper If it matters to you.
  • Cartridges without the silver Lamy stamp—only an imprint. New Dark Lilac boxed carts have a shiny "Lamy" imprint in dull plastic, (no Germany). Blue Lamy-installed cart has typical white "Lamy Germany".
Edited by pen2paper
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Hi,

 

It looks genuine to me. Lamy checks the pens at the factory, and it is not unusual to find Lamy 2000 pens with blue ink inside. Most cartridge pens like the Al Star, Nexx, and ABC all have blue ink in the nib and feed when you get them. That looks about right. The box is correct too, and it matches the sticker on the pen. Lamy has a selection of different boxes that they like to use, and that is just one of many different kinds the pens can come with. Many Lamy pens can come in a selection of different boxes depending on when and where you purchased the pen. If you volume order Lamy in many cases in parts of the EU, you can actually specify which box you get with your shipment of pens. In my case, my pens came with stickers, and the dealer just reached in and handed me the Lamy boxes separately when I got the pen. The sticker also looks correct. A lot of Lamy pens I have had such as the Nexx and Al-Star didn't come with any papers whatsoever. The nib is also correct for the pen and the date code. I see the F and the Lamy imprint on it. The mark you see on the centreline of the nib is dried ink. Give it a rinse and it should come off. The scratch is there, but nibs are cheap and plentiful if you need then, and a reputable dealer should be able to provide you a new one for free if you are unhappy about the state of it. (I would ask for a new nib if it is scratched like yours). Lamy also has had a number of different imprints they put on the cartridges. I have had ones with no markings at all and some with different Lamy markings. I may have even seen one embossed with Lamy, but don't quote me on that one. I don't have access to my set of empty Lamy cartridges from various points of time at the moment. All the ones I have on me at this moment have the white imprint and they are from mid/late 2015.

 

Dillon

Stolen: Aurora Optima Demonstrator Red ends Medium nib. Serial number 1216 and Aurora 98 Cartridge/Converter Black bark finish (Archivi Storici) with gold cap. Reward if found. Please contact me if you have seen these pens.

Please send vial orders and other messages to fpninkvials funny-round-mark-thing gmail strange-mark-thing com. My shop is open once again if you need help with your pen.

Will someone with the name of "Jay" who emailed me through the email system provide me an email address? There was no email address provided, so I can't write back.

Dillon

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To me, it all looks legit. I can see the nib markings just fine. And none of my 4 Al-Stars had papers with them. And only two had cartridges with any markings on them.

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  • 4 years later...

It’s hard

to tell these days, and although I could be wrong on this, I don’t think many people make fake al-stars. the regular Safari is another story, but as long as everything aligns properly, and writes majestically as it should, don’t worry about it 

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Zombie thread. Buy your pens from reputable dealers, such as the several companies who sponsor FPN, and you will never have doubts about the bona fides. 

I ride a recumbent, I play go, I use Macintosh so of course I use a fountain pen.

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