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Lamy Hanzi nibs


Astronymus

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I've read that Lamy has released special Hanzi nibs in Asia. They seem to be on the "architect" side to aid with Chinese or Japanese writing. I can't write Chinese but I'm curious. Anyone used one?

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYc46c2vLFN/

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYfVKvQvUKn/

 

But since when is there a matte red Safari? 🤔

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6 minutes ago, Astronymus said:

I've read that Lamy has released special Hanzi nibs in Asia.

 

In the first half of 2021:

 

Not a steel nib and/or for lower-end models in Lamy's product range, of course.

 

(Yes, I know the Instagram posts you cited are talking about a different thing; but Lamy releasing a hanzi nib is not exactly a new thing. There's one of these shown in one of the Instagram posts you cited, too.)

 

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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  • 2 months later...

The matte red (safari) was a special edition Lamy, exclusively for the HK and CN market. (see https://www.pengallery.com.my/lamy-safari-hanzi-limited-edition-fountain-pen/ for some details of the beautiful packaging it comes with).

 

The nib was developed for Hanzi (Chinese characters), Kanji (Japanese characters), Kana (Japanese syllabary), Heiti, Mingti (both are types of chinese sans serif fonts), Sanskrit (indian script), Hangul (korean characters) and even Arabic scripts.  

 

It's marketed as a Cursive Steel Nib in the US (see Gouletpens.com for an example of nib, no pen).

 

I am amazed that Lamy thought to design a nib for these scripts. I really want to see someone give a sample using it on one of these [Asian,Arabic] scripts, to see it put to its original intended design. I have seen some beautiful examples of chinese script written with a running (literally connected, like cursive) style, but never with a fountain pen nib like this, so I would like to see it in action as it was designed! Please somebody from the Asian market with access to this pen nib: can you give us some examples?

 

 

 

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p.s. OK I did find writing examples....on Lamy's Weibo (apparently makes sense that's where Lamy markets pens to the Chinese market).

https://m.weibo.cn/u/2027033521#&gid=1&pid=1   (look for the Feb 14 2022 post, Feb 15, Feb 19 postings). There were three different styles of chinese characters (wow!!!!! that style posted 21Feb2022 is a seal style script.).

 

And think that it was a German pen nib that made me learn about different kinds of Asian scripts.

 

New plane of aspiration for penmanship: not just have fantastic western language script handwriting, but now onto the eastern hemisphere scripts!!

 

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1 hour ago, statuskuo said:

(see https://www.pengallery.com.my/lamy-safari-hanzi-limited-edition-fountain-pen/ for some details of the beautiful packaging it comes with).

 

Thanks for bringing it to our attention that PenGallery Malaysia carries the product as well, outside of retailers in Hong Kong and China. If I thought this price (https://www.ink-house.com/product_detail/870) I saw earlier was prohibitive, PenGallery has managed to take it up another two notches!

 

1 hour ago, statuskuo said:

New plane of aspiration for penmanship: not just have fantastic western language script handwriting, but now onto the eastern hemisphere scripts!!

 

I'm so glad to hear that. :D

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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Does anybody know how much of a limited edition this Lamy Safari Red China is? 

It it the same as this year limited edition "strawberry" but with black accents?

The box is nice but not that nice, so I am wonder if these are just the first early samples we are seeing and the availability will increase in the next months.

Nevertheless, if this is like the LINE series, I wouldn't expect to get this shipped to the use for less than $50/$60.

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1 hour ago, rodja said:

Does anybody know how much of a limited edition this Lamy Safari Red China is? 

 

I see no indication on Lamy China's website, or Lamy's international website for that matter, that the Safari in China Red is a limited edition. The Dialog3 in China Red, on the other hand, is a limited edition, for which the number of available retail units is fixed.

 

Just to be clear, Lamy did/does not designate the Safari in Terra Red and Savannah Green as limited editions either; they were special editions for 2021, and so there is no preset number to be manufactured and/or made available for retail, but Lamy would/will keep pumping them out to satisfy market demand (and then some) until it decides the colourways have been discontinued.

 

1 hour ago, rodja said:

It it the same as this year limited edition "strawberry" but with black accents?

 

I can't see any mention of the Safari in Strawberry on Lamy's websites except Lamy's Canadian online shop, from which you can apparently pre-order the special edition. In any case, they can't possibly be “the same”, because the China Red version only comes with Hanzi EF nibs, and the Strawberry version cannot be ordered with a Hanzi nib.

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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Sorry for misusing "limited edition". This is a special edition at best for china. So I assume availability will not be an issue.

Is the color of the pen body the same as the strawberry? (I know the clip, trim, and nib are different) 

 

PS: looking at Lamy's china website, it clear that they are doing a lot of cool packaging and gift boxes for that market.

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Maybe the packaging is a tactic to gain a market in China while competing with the not-authentic versions.

 

I think it's all pretty cool, especially the nib, so I ordered one to use for drawing. (Maybe I paid too much getting it from PenGallery, but I already have an account there and the page is in English - intangibles worth a few notches.) I was dithering over the new Strawberry and Cream pair - getting this instead.

Will work for pens... :unsure:

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1 hour ago, AmandaW said:

I think it's all pretty cool, especially the nib, so I ordered one to use for drawing. (Maybe I paid too much getting it from PenGallery,

 

Wow. I hope you at least got enough of an order together to get free international shipping!

 

Please let us know how the nib performs, when you have received it and get around to using it.

 

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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2 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

Wow. I hope you at least got enough of an order together to get free international shipping!

No. Not that astute. Paid full price for shipping and a PayPal tax as well. But, I don't have a life at the moment - the shops here are still de-nuded - and stuck at home cos virus. Spending all my discretionary funds on pens and inks.

Will work for pens... :unsure:

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On 3/31/2022 at 6:10 AM, statuskuo said:

p.s. OK I did find writing examples....on Lamy's Weibo (apparently makes sense that's where Lamy markets pens to the Chinese market).

https://m.weibo.cn/u/2027033521#&gid=1&pid=1   (look for the Feb 14 2022 post, Feb 15, Feb 19 postings). There were three different styles of chinese characters (wow!!!!! that style posted 21Feb2022 is a seal style script.).

 

And think that it was a German pen nib that made me learn about different kinds of Asian scripts.

 

New plane of aspiration for penmanship: not just have fantastic western language script handwriting, but now onto the eastern hemisphere scripts!!

 


Just for clarity, the lettering in "Happy Valentines Day" on the Feb 14th post can't have been produced by a Lamy, it's written using a type of ink that's almost entirely pigment (coloured mica powder) mixed with a little binding agent, and the swells and hairlines of the script requires a flexible nib with a very fine point. 

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The examples I was referencing featuring the Lamy Hanzi nib and special edition pen:

https://m.weibo.cn/u/2027033521#&gid=1&pid=1  

 

Feb 13 2022 post: semi-cursive chinese (hanzi) example.  (The happy valentines post I think is not for selling the Hanzi nib, I agree)

Feb 14 2022 post, cursive chinese example on the fan

Feb 15 2022 post:  non-cursive chinese (looks like how I expect teachers write, formal and tidy)

Feb 21 post: seal script (curvy, non-square edges, used for Chinese seal-stamps.)

Feb 23 post: photos of a woman dressed in a hanfu (Han dynasty garment) holding the pen. I've never seen Lamy Germany advertise with people dressed in costume for their other markets, so I have to presume this is a market-specific approach.

 

@FPN pals: are there other nibs like this out there, designed for this type of writing?

Or: do other users of architect nibs (I am not familiar with them) find it works for these scripts?

 

While I'm not getting the nib, my enthusiasm for this is because it has opened my eyes that it's not just roman alphabet languages that benefit from different fountain pen nibs and calligraphy styles out there.  For people like me who worked at penmanship in languages that use romanized alphabets/ cyrillic because we like the tools,  I never thought about tailoring the tools for languages-that-don't-use-those-alphabets to work on that penmanship too. Making this nib is a kind of inclusivity or cultural awareness that I have to applaud Lamy for. (Or it's a shrewd market-grab, but I wasn't sure if the supply and demand for this nib is that big.) 

 

When those of you get your new nib or pen, please post pictures, comparisons to other cursive nibs, and thoughts. 

 

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20 minutes ago, statuskuo said:

Feb 23 post: photos of a woman dressed in a hanfu (Han dynasty garment) holding the pen. I've never seen Lamy Germany advertise with people dressed in costume for their other markets, so I have to presume this is a market-specific approach.

 

I was just commenting to my wife on the weekend (the photos from) that Lamy marketing campaign are among the tackiest I've ever seen.

 

21 minutes ago, statuskuo said:

@FPN pals: are there other nibs like this out there, designed for this type of writing?

 

I can't tell you which nibs work best for each individual script (between seal script, clerical script, regular script, semi-cursive script, and cursive script). But you can certainly get (Chinese, or at least Asian script, oriented) ‘calligraphy’ nibs from HongDian, Kaigelu, and PenBBS that are ground that way at the factory; and there appears to be a booming industry in China for customising or regrinding nibs for such after the pens have left the manufacturer's premises, judging by item listings I see on Taobao.

 

Italians also make such nibs aimed at Asian language writers: Aurora has its Goccia nibs, and Santini Italia its ‘Chinese calligraphy’ nibs.

 

Then, of course, there is the original Sailor Naginata Togi.

 

I don't think they're especially suitable or advantageous for writing in seal script (which probably calls for more of a round-tipped nib that is quite broad) or clerical script (which probably does better with a Pilot Falcon SM or SB nib).

 

If you want to write in 痩金書 variant of kaishu, you don't really need a special nib type for it. Most gold nibs (and some steel nibs too) already have enough softness to produce the line variation befitting the script.

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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On 3/31/2022 at 4:09 PM, statuskuo said:

The matte red (safari) was a special edition Lamy, exclusively for the HK and CN market. (see https://www.pengallery.com.my/lamy-safari-hanzi-limited-edition-fountain-pen/ for some details of the beautiful packaging it comes with).

 

I see PenGallery has already sold out of its stock of the model, in spite of the high asking price. Or perhaps @AmandaW snapped up the only one the shop had! ;)

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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It wasn't a high priced pen - only high for a Lamy Safari - and it is a Special Edition with a nib not available on any other Safari. I wouldn't have paid that for a Safari in a limited colour, but the unusual nib, possibly a good drawing nib, prompted me to act quickly.

 

I looked a day or two after my purchase and there was then still one or more in stock.

 

Will work for pens... :unsure:

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22 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

snapped up the only one the shop had

 

If you want to review it I will send it over.

Will work for pens... :unsure:

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45 minutes ago, AmandaW said:

If you want to review it I will send it over.

 

Thank you very much, but no. :) I'll check, however, to see whether La Couronne du Comte is getting any of the sets. I see Fontoplumo has listed the Safari set, but is out of stock at the moment; but, being a special edition and not a limited (by number) edition, I'm confident that it will actually restock as stated. The free shipping threshold does not appear to be applied correctly with pre-ordering form Fontoplumo, though.

 

Oh, and according to the product listing on Fontoplumo,
 

Quote

 

The nib is very special, because of its shape it is more flexible than a regular Lamy nib and is sharpened in such a way that it can also give a wider line horizontally.

 

 

Do you find the nib more flexible?

 

 

1 hour ago, AmandaW said:

I wouldn't have paid that for a Safari in a limited colour, but the unusual nib, possibly a good drawing nib, prompted me to act quickly.

 

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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  • 2 months later...

I am late to the party (obviously)

Just for fun-zy.

 

I do think the hanzi nib make each strokes a bit easier without putting in much effort if you are used to write hanzi.

The regular medium nibs have more rounded strokes and definitely need work to make your writing "calligraphy" like. 

 

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4 hours ago, Chi said:

I do think the hanzi nib make each strokes a bit easier without putting in much effort if you are used to write hanzi.

 

Thanks for sharing your writing samples! It doesn't look to me that the Lamy hanzi nib does much for producing the sharp hooks and pointy tails at the end of kaishu pen strokes, and not something that facilitate the 出鋒 aspect of Chinese writing (cf. harai and hane in Japanese writing).

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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