Why Is Lamy Cp1 So Underrated?

[Erggg]

I recently received my Lamy CP1. I even put a black nib on it to complete that stealth look. The reason I bought this pen is because I wanted to try a thin pen and I wanted something understated. As soon as I used this pen, I fell in love with it. This is perhaps the smoothest nib I have written with. I currently have it inked up with Platinum Pigmented Blue and it has become an amazing combination. I'm most likely going to use this as my work pen to sign documents and take notes.

 

When I was going around looking for reviews, I found there was only a few reviews of this pen. Of those reviews, I was met with mixed reviews about the pen. People seem not to like the thin pen or how shallow it posts or a whole slew of quality-control-type issues. So why is this pen gets such mixed reviews. Is the quality control so bad? Or is it because people don't like the design?

[Calabria]

I think that people miss the girth of fatter pens.

 

I'm on a Lamy binge after getting the Aion in

December, then the Black Amber on closeout, the Edition 2000 at the LA pen show, and finally the cp1 at the SF store. I picked a good nib in store for the cp1 which has the same tip design as the Pelikan M600 or M800 14k/18k ... which is to say that it writes amazingly well. It's like having a fancy nib on a pencil.

 

I've become a real fan of the pen, in spite of myself. The length and weight are very comfortable, and the current production is incredibly detailed - tight clip, cap, fit and finish (I had a mid-90s version where this was not the case).

 

I especially like that writing with it is different than other pens - you hold it almost like a quill. The length (posted) allows the pen to rest securely in the hand, and you can hold it lightly rather than having to grip it.

 

I'm not a fan of recent Lamy designs. This is a simple, timeless pen, a great addition to the 2K line up. Let's start a fan club!

Edited May 16, 2018 by Calabria

[Erggg]

The reviews didn't mention how heavy the pen was. While it is a light pen it still has some heft to it. I was surprised how sturdy it felt. I write a lot too. I feel like this will be a great workhorse pen.

 

I especially like that writing with it is different than other pens - you hold it almost like a quill. The length (posted) allows the pen to rest securely in the hand, and you can hold it lightly rather than having to grip it.

 

I did notice that I hold this pen differently then other pens. I tend to use a 4-finger grip on most pens. However, for some reason I do a weird 3-finger grip where I don't rest the pen on my ring finger. But it's still not a the normal 3-finger grip. I don't hate how I grip it, I just noticed I naturally did it differently.

Edited May 16, 2018 by PanDeBer

[Arstook]

I think it's due to the combination of factors. It uses the same nib as the Safari and the Al-Star, but has a very understated look compared to their bright colors. People looking to upgrade are maybe more drawn to the shiny accents of the Studio.

 

I also think that due to how Lamy strategizes its global distribution, the CP1 is not as readily available in the US as it is in other parts of the world.

 

The CP1 has a twin mechanical pencil and ballpoint pen in its series that I would love to get, but sadly, only seems available through overseas online vendors.

Edited May 17, 2018 by Arstook

[Arstook]

Going even farther back, I think the CP1, from its very birth in the early 70s, was treated by Lamy as a little bit of a sideshow product to its flagship pen, the 2000. I can't verify a 100%, but according to what the company literature I've found, indicates, the CP1 was designed as a lady's pen, or at least initially found its niche with women. (The 2000 in contrast was advertised as a big beefy man's pen).

 

Of course, as the decades went on, Lamy adopted gender neutral marketing for both the 2000 and CP1.

 

The stuff I've mentioned has been discussed in this thread: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/335689-vintage-lamy-2000-ads-from-1969/

Edited May 17, 2018 by Arstook

[Erggg]

Interesting, I was also deciding between the CP1 or the Logo. I sided with the CP1, obviously. I don't regret the CP1 though I am curious if I would enjoy the logo more. I found it odd that both pens exist when they're so similar.

 

I could see the CP1 being advertised towards women due to the sleek design. Personally I'm enjoying mine. I have medium-sized hands so it's a glod pairing.

[Arstook]

Interesting, I was also deciding between the CP1 or the Logo. I sided with the CP1, obviously. I don't regret the CP1 though I am curious if I would enjoy the logo more. I found it odd that both pens exist when they're so similar.

 

I could see the CP1 being advertised towards women due to the sleek design. Personally I'm enjoying mine. I have medium-sized hands so it's a glod pairing.

My guess is that the Logo and the CP1 were designed at different periods and just managed to stay in the line up. Lamy seems to market a different line up of its products to different world regions, so maybe the Logo is more heavily plugged in some parts of the world and the CP1 in others. I remember someone from the Philippines on this forum mentioning that the CP1 was readily available in his country but not other models like the Scala.

 

I have smallish hands myself. I think I might join this fan club of yours when I get my hands on the CP1 multi-pen!

[Calabria]

I think this discussion about hand size = pen size has been debunked elsewhere. Some guys like big cars and some like small cars, it has nothing to do with body size.

 

Also, Arstook, wasn't it determined that the "marketing to ladies" was not really the case? I've looked up some other threads about slim pens, most notably the Aurora Hastil, and it seems just to have been a high tech trend at the time (maybe related to the moon landing 1969?) - Montblanc, Dupont, OMAS all had slim models. Also, I remember that "normal" pens were pretty slim in the 70s as well - my Parker Falcon was.

 

I think we're just coming off the "big cigar" wave that started in the 80s

[Arstook]

I think this discussion about hand size = pen size has been debunked elsewhere. Some guys like big cars and some like small cars, it has nothing to do with body size.

 

Also, Arstook, wasn't it determined that the "marketing to ladies" was not really the case? I've looked up some other threads about slim pens, most notably the Aurora Hastil, and it seems just to have been a high tech trend at the time (maybe related to the moon landing 1969?) - Montblanc, Dupont, OMAS all had slim models. Also, I remember that "normal" pens were pretty slim in the 70s as well - my Parker Falcon was.

 

I think we're just coming off the "big cigar" wave that started in the 80s

I definitely don't buy into the gender stereotypes about hand size and comfort. I'm just going off of what the Lamy company literature and advertising was saying in the 60s and 70s.

 

While I'm not sure the CP1 was explicitly designed for women, I believe that Lamy believed that it had an "in" with women consumers based on that product. In the company history web page, Lamy said about the CP1: "The extremely slim, cylindrical all-metal writing instruments not only make more and more national and international design award committees aware of Lamy. Significantly, they are also seen more and more frequently in the hands of design-conscious women."

 

In contrast, based on the late 60s ads that I found with internet research, Lamy explicitly marketed the 2000 to males and the assumptions it had about the male hand and tastes, which again, I believe is nonsense.

This is the link to the ads:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/335689-vintage-lamy-2000-ads-from-1969/

 

I totally agree with you that the general design aesthetic trended towards slim and cylindrical in the 70s, like the Hastil. I think a fair number of longstanding mechanical pencil models, like the Pentel Sharp, date from that decade. Maybe their success set the standard for mech pencil design.

[Erggg]

I have smallish hands myself. I think I might join this fan club of yours when I get my hands on the CP1 multi-pen!

I hope you do, we need to spread the word of this amazing pen to the world.

[alexwi]

I have a CP1 (never knew that that was its name). I like it much better than the 2000.

 

I don't know much about how heavily invested Lamy is in one or the other, as their best known pens seem to be the Safari and All Star lines.

 

If anything, the CP1 is an elegant, more "business" version of the Safari, as they use the same nibs, but I don't think that there is such a thing as a masculine or feminine pen (except maybe the Parker Pucci, which looks like something only Nellie Oleson would use).

 

Even though I don't like the 2000, its design (except for the nib) is just beautiful and I tried to like it years ago, when I owned a stationery store and was able to get any Lamy I wanted at 50% off retail, but alas, it never panned out.

 

If you like the minimalist style the CP1's definitely at the top (and so is the 2000, I must say).

[chravagni]

I don't regret the CP1 though I am curious if I would enjoy the logo more. I found it odd that both pens exist when they're so similar.

 

They are similar in length, but not in thickness. The section of the Logo is thicker and has a giant ring pattern. The writing experience is quite different because of that. I own both: I like the elegance of the cp1, but I use the Logo much more.

Chiara

[Calabria]

I totally agree with you that the general design aesthetic trended towards slim and cylindrical in the 70s, like the Hastil. I think a fair number of longstanding mechanical pencil models, like the Pentel Sharp, date from that decade. Maybe their success set the standard for mech pencil design.

Yes I agree - all kinds of slim models survive.

 

Btw, when I bought mine at SF Lamy store, they were sold out, so I got one of the testers (basically new). It then turned out that the store manager had two cp1s himself, and that he particularly likes the model (nope, he had no 2Ks in his personal pen case).

[pitonyak]

In the USA, the average is 5' 9" for a male and 5' 4" for a female. I expect, that on average women's hands are smaller, and if you look at women's gloves, you will see that they are usually smaller sizes than for men. I have no idea how this translates into pen preference. I have not seen the advertising so I cannot comment on it, but, I often make guesses about the expected demographics of TV shows based on the commercials.

 

I am taller than average, but, I grew up using Papermate slim line pens..... So, I bought a CP1 on ebay to try a thinner pen. Just received it, I have not yet inked it. Looking forward to it, but, I have a bunch of pens inked already, need to take a few out of rotation first.

[Calabria]

In the USA, the average is 5' 9" for a male and 5' 4" for a female. I expect, that on average women's hands are smaller, and if you look at women's gloves, you will see that they are usually smaller sizes than for men. I have no idea how this translates into pen preference. I have not seen the advertising so I cannot comment on it, but, I often make guesses about the expected demographics of TV shows based on the commercials.

 

I am taller than average, but, I grew up using Papermate slim line pens..... So, I bought a CP1 on ebay to try a thinner pen. Just received it, I have not yet inked it. Looking forward to it, but, I have a bunch of pens inked already, need to take a few out of rotation first.

Interested to hear what you think. The cp1 is longer than most pens (posted), and you can hold it in many different ways. It's actually great for sketching

[pitonyak]

Interested to hear what you think. The cp1 is longer than most pens (posted), and you can hold it in many different ways. It's actually great for sketching

 

I have the nib section soaking now, although I did forget to bring either a converter or a cartridge with me (grumble), so, I cannot use it until tonight. Will provide my thoughts after I ink it up.

[pitonyak]

OK, so I inked up my CP1, which has an EF nib.

 

As expected, it writes narrower than the EF nib in my Studio and my 2000, rougher / scratchier as well. I don't love it, I don't hate it. I think I need to check back in after I have used it for a week or so.

[pgcauk]

The oldest pen that I have that I purchased new is a Waterman Supermaster from the 1980s - purchased from Tuckets in Exmouth,  one of those great little small town stores that sold pens, lighters and toy cars! Straight lines and thin as a pencil! I wrote with it for years, but then dropped it nib down in a UK phone box. When I got fed up with the quality of fountain pens I could buy locally in the US and went to Goulet Pens to buy myself something that would actually work, I was drawn to the CP1 as it has that same minimal aesthetic. For me a pen is a tool, not a status symbol. My initial purchase is looking a bit scuffed and worn now, but has been constantly inked (with R&K Scabiosa!) and carried daily since 2016. I have a second, which I call "CP2", in which I have green ink (Diamine Classic for the past year or so). I have a box with all the nib sizes in steel, including italics, as I love the easy interchangeability, but have pretty much settled on broad nibs in gold, which cost more than the pen but write like a dream.

These are my workhorse pens. I have quite a collection of pens and nibs now, with some fancy options such as fude and zoom nibs, but my two Lamy CP1s (alongside my original Waterman, nib now restored by "Mike it Write"!) are with me every day.

[Calabria]

@pgcaukcp 2 … cute

[hari317]

On 5/17/2018 at 3:53 AM, Erggg said:

I recently received my Lamy CP1. I even put a black nib on it to complete that stealth look. The reason I bought this pen is because I wanted to try a thin pen and I wanted something understated. As soon as I used this pen, I fell in love with it. This is perhaps the smoothest nib I have written with. I currently have it inked up with Platinum Pigmented Blue and it has become an amazing combination. I'm most likely going to use this as my work pen to sign documents and take notes.

 

When I was going around looking for reviews, I found there was only a few reviews of this pen. Of those reviews, I was met with mixed reviews about the pen. People seem not to like the thin pen or how shallow it posts or a whole slew of quality-control-type issues. So why is this pen gets such mixed reviews. Is the quality control so bad? Or is it because people don't like the design?

I don’t know about others but it was the pen I zeroed in on in 2004 after getting my first Lamy a safari as a gift. At that time I had no reviews to consult. Just the Lamy printed catalog to pore on. I was attracted by the solid metal clip and the lines of the pen. It used to come in a nice metal tin box. I even upgraded it with a gold nib. It had some issues. The cap would wobble slightly when posted and the stock steel nib needed some work. I upgraded to a Lamy 2000 that same year and what a lovely piece I got. I still have the cp1. I can post some pics if you want to see how it looks after all these years.