I am really reconsidering the Lamy Safari

[Glenn-SC]

2 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

Yet people STILL complain about the quality of the materials.

Maybe some people still have cracking issues with their pens.   😳?

[inkstainedruth]

Maybe.  But I have one of the newer ones, after TWSBI changed the barrel material -- and if dropping the pen on the sidewalk didn't cause it to crack or break....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Glenn-SC]

13 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

Maybe.  But I have one of the newer ones, after TWSBI changed the barrel material -- and if dropping the pen on the sidewalk didn't cause it to crack or break....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

That proves that you got a good TWSBI pen!!!!  Great!

That does not prove all TWSBI pens are good. 
 

One case does not set the Norm.  
if people “still reporting cracking” had posted their experiences before you posted you positive experience by that logic would that mean that all TWSBIs still crack?

 

I assume the no one is lying.

That would tell me that your pen has performed perfectly and some other examples have cracked. 

[inkstainedruth]

If I had not read that TWSBI had changed the material due to the high number of complaints, I might agree with the complaints.  Given that mine is a newer material one, I'm actually surprised that people are still complaining about even the newer pens -- and merely provided a counter-example.  

I know that mine is newer because they changed the material before the Pink 580-AL came out.  But would I buy another one?  Dunno.  They are the limit of what is comfortable for me to write with, weight wise (especially when posted).  And I still think that the piston not extending all the way to the end of the feed is a design flaw (and I've heard that even the smaller pens -- the Eco and Eco T -- have the same type of issue).  

All I was saying is that mine (being a newer pen using the newer barrel material) did NOT break.  And I'm somewhat bemused by the fact that people are still whining about this happening when they don't seem to be doing that for the MB "precious resin" pens (for ten times the price of an 580-AL) NEARLY as much -- because early on in my sojourn here, "precious resin" seemed to be a euphemism for "will shatter if the pen falls on the floor"....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[david-p]

In another thread here, I discovered that the mango safari has a clip that is the same colour as the pen, and this makes its great size less of an aesthetic problem for me: indeed, I would say that it brings the aesthetics in balance with the functionality of this great design.

 

David

[david-p]

And another reason why I like the safari: it is the only pen that I can pick up and write with in the dark! (Yes, there are times when I need to do that...)

 

David

 

[A Smug Dill]

16 minutes ago, david-p said:

And another reason why I like the safari: it is the only pen that I can pick up and write with in the dark! (Yes, there are times when I need to do that...)

 

How do you do it❓ 

 

Personally I cannot write in the dark if I cannot see the ink marks as they get put on the page. Relying on muscle memory to produce particular pen strokes is not enough for me to know they're positioned correctly in relation to each other to form letters and words. If the ink itself glows in the dark, then I don't need to see the pen as long as my hand tells me where it is and that it is in contact with the page where the visible ink track ‘ends’. But I even have trouble writing with iron-gall ink that does not have a dark enough dye component; Platinum Classic Ink Citrus Black makes it difficult because the ink tracks do not become sufficiently legible until half a second later when the tip of the nib has already moved well beyond the visible end-point.

[arcfide]

6 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

Relying on muscle memory to produce particular pen strokes is not enough for me to know they're positioned correctly in relation to each other

 

Depending on your style of writing, and various other factors, a lot of people are able to do a surprisingly good job of writing legibly with a pen with their eyes closed. I tried it myself and got impressive results by my own reference. 

[Inkysloth]

On 9/19/2021 at 11:38 PM, inkstainedruth said:

Maybe.  But I have one of the newer ones, after TWSBI changed the barrel material -- and if dropping the pen on the sidewalk didn't cause it to crack or break....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

I don't know about their newer barrel material, but my Turquiose Eco from 2017 developed cracks in the cap recently, running from where the clip enters the cap.

Out of three TWSBIs I've now had two develop cracks (one Diamond Mini that developed multiple cracks, including in the replacement barrel I was sent!), but out of more Lamy Safaris than I want to admit, three 2000s, four Studios, a Nexx and two ABCs (No I don't have a problem why do you ask?!) I've had none split / crack / warp / leak.

It's all anecdata, obviously, but I'm not inclined to trust my TWSBIs enough to carry them in a pen case, so they now live in a pen pot on my desk, where if they leak, it's not going to cause a problem. 
 

[Astronymus]

13 hours ago, arcfide said:

 

Depending on your style of writing, and various other factors, a lot of people are able to do a surprisingly good job of writing legibly with a pen with their eyes closed. I tried it myself and got impressive results by my own reference. 

I just tried too. Writing looks like always. I even hit the right line spacing. Must be muscle memory indeed.

[david-p]

On 1/26/2022 at 11:53 PM, A Smug Dill said:

 

How do you do it❓ 

 

I have no idea. But I find it no more difficult than playing the piano in the dark.

[upupup]

I just got myself a Safari this week and this thread had me thinking about the plastic of this modern day Safari and comparing it with the plastic of my decades-old plastic Parker 45.  Which one I wonder is the "cheaper" (less durable?) plastic material? 

 

I'm no plastics expert, of course, but I can testify from experience that the 45 has withstood a lot of abuse as a school pen, besides the hot, humid whether in my corner of the world, and is still thankfully in one piece until now.   I can only hope the Safari will last as long or even longer and be as durable.

[Astronymus]

The Safari is made of ABS if that helps As long as you don't cook it or throw it into the fire it will withstand a lot...

[afishhunter]

I've been thinking of getting a Lamy Safari ... or All Star ... but can't decide which to get.

The "Get Both!" argument isn't really a viable option at this time for me.

 

This thread may help me decide which one to get.

Thanks to all who have posted the good and the bad about these pens.

 

If y'all will excuse me, I have another 5 pages to read.

Edited February 17, 2022 by afishhunter

[afishhunter]

On 8/26/2021 at 6:48 AM, Astronymus said:

Also the quality of Chinese goods is legendary... crappy.

And yet every automobile manufacturer's computer that controls the engine, transmission, and emission controls, among other things, All computer/tablet/ cellphone manufactures/brands use chips and circuit boards made in China, as do all TV and radio brands, I read online (so it [MUST be true 🙄) that something like 60% of prescription and over the counter drugs dispensed around the world are made in China, some of the worlds most expensive yachts from 50 foot to over 150 foot come from Chinese shipyards and factories, Some of the largest commercial ships come from Chinese shipyards ...

 

Yes, some items from China are of low quality. FROST knives, for example. On the flip side of that coin, other knives made in China, for example the Rough Ryder and current production Marbles and Schrade/Imperial/Old Timer/Uncle Henry, and the Buck 37x and 38x knives are high quality. The difference being the quality contracted for.

FROST for whatever reason, contracted low quality. SMKW (owns Rough Ryder and Marbles brands, among others) and BTI (owns the Schrade brands mentioned) and Buck Knives contracted for high quality.

In "modern" one hand opening knives, the Chinese brands REATE and WE are known for high quality and innovative designs. (at several hundred dollars a pop they should be high quality)

Jinhao, among other Chinese brands are known for high quality.

 Not everything from China is to use you word "crappy" quality.

[jchch1950]

2 hours ago, afishhunter said:

I've been thinking of getting a Lamy Safari ... or All Star ... but can't decide which to get.

The "Get Both!" argument isn't really a viable option at this time for me.

 

This thread may help me decide which one to get.

Thanks to all who have posted the good and the bad about these pens.

 

If y'all will excuse me, I have another 5 pages to read.

If I have to choose between Safari and All Star I will buy the Safari. The original Savanna has been with me for almost 40 years without problems or cracks .

[Jamerelbe]

5 hours ago, jchch1950 said:

If I have to choose between Safari and All Star I will buy the Safari. The original Savanna has been with me for almost 40 years without problems or cracks .

 

That would be my gut feel too: I have one Al Star, which I like well enough - but the Safari is both cheaper and more durable. The writing experience is very similar (same shape to the grip section, *exactly* the same nib), although the Al Star is a little more weighted.  By all means buy an Al Star down the track - you may well find you like it better! - but the Safari (for mine) is a better place to start.

[inkstainedruth]

Because of the thread about this year's SE al-Star color, and someone's comparison of it to the ORIGINAL al-Star color (which had a black clip) I got curious and looked at some on eBay.  There was a used one of what I think is the original color, for a pretty decent price (as supposed to the insane prices for a NOS French Blue Safari). But when I looked at the photos, the pen was *really* scratched up (also wasn't sure there was a nib; yeah, nibs aren't all that expensive but it does mean an add to the price).  

Now I have to say in all fairness that nearly all my Safaris (Dark Lilac, Violet, and the used French Blue are matte finish plastics; the only "shiny" one of the four is last years White and Red).

In response to Jamerelbe, I haven't noticed much weight difference between any of the Safaris vs. either the al-Stars or the one LX I own.  And I've got small hands so I have to be a bit careful of how heavy a pen is.  Not saying there isn't a difference between a Safari and an al-Star -- just that it hasn't been enough to affect my writing (and I say that as someone who pretty much posts every pen, with a few annoying exceptions where I can't (due to issues like tapered barrels).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[RobMofSD]

So before any, I would buy (actual bought 2) the Safari that has a donation for cancer research. After that it's a special edition or LX. Hmm. I seem to like these....

[ErrantSmudge]

I definitely agree the plastic Safari is more durable than the Al-Star.  I have several of each and while the Safaris (both shiny and matte) seem completely unaffected by drops, the Al-Stars all have minor nicks, scratches and dings on them.