The ever popular and successful German brand ?

[rochester21]

I have always wondered about Lamy fountain pens, specifically the Safari line. I`ve never heard about the company before joining FPN and i don`t get why the Safari is so popular(yes i had one). According to the Lamy subforum itself Lamy is "ever popular" and "successful". Really? Successful where, exactly? Are they popular in the US and western Europe? I don`t see it. 

 

To begin with, Lamy seems to have two basic FP models, one is the 2000(launched in the 60s) and the other is the Safari, launched in the 80s. Both designs seem to be inspired by other pens. The 2000 is basically a germanised Parker 51 and the Safari borrows the triangular section from the Parker 75, can`t comment on the rest of the pen. All i know it`s uncomfortable because of that section, as if the maker of the fountain pen is going to dictate me how to hold it because my brain doesn`t work and i don`t know how to hold a fountain pen.

 

So, that`s basically it. Two FPs released during the company`s 95 year existence. It`s not as if Lamy didn`t have any competition either, both Pelikan and Reform, among others, made cheap piston filler fountain pens. As for the Safari i don`t even know what the target demographic for it is. It`s too big to be a school pen. It`s too childish to be a grown-up pen. It`s too germanic to be elegant or beautiful. So what`s it for? It`s not really cheap either, the official price is somewhere around the 25 dollar mark? 

 

The Lamy Safari is the Justin Bieber of the fountain pen world- it`s very popular in some circles, but nobody can figure out why.

It seems to be the go-to FP model for people who never had a fountain pen before, the "I never used a FP before getting the Safari and now i have 12 of them, in different colors" crowd. Because yes, apparently the Safari is a collector`s item, they release "limited edition" colors and people go nuts for them. So exactly the same pen, just a different color. Guess i have no choice other than to trade my Waterman Edson for the Safari "Sky Blue" limited edition. It`s blue with a red clip. No, really. It`s really light blue...with a dark red clip. For this you pay 600 bucks(ebay prices).

 

Lamy seems to be known for their injection plastic production methods and its advanced automated nib testing machines, none representative for the final quality of the product, although the Safari does seem to be a very sturdy pen, made out of some thick ABS-type plastic. That`s good. The Lamy 2000 is a still affordable piston filler who carries on the design qeues from the long gone Parker 51(the new version is rubbish, so let`s just ignore it). So, it`s good to have these pens around, it`s good to have options but i don`t get the craze.

 

 

[I-am-not-really-here]

I'd respond but your post reads like a troll.  

 

 

 

[OCArt]

@rochester21seems to be itching for a pointless argument. Let's just say that they make good pens and others also make good pens.

[ErrantSmudge]

Yeah, I'd say that trolling like this is best suited to some other online forum.

[arcfide]

I figured others wouldn't take the bait, because it does read like a troll post. However, I happen to love this sort of thing, and I think it *is* a legitimate question to ask, "Why Lamy?" So, let's get into it, shall we? 🙂 

 

Lamy is a relatively old company, and remains more or less privately held, and was a family company for a long time. That in itself is relatively rare, and puts it among the most successful fountain pen companies of all time. Unlike many traditional brands, it hasn't died out and then been revived by new companies leverage the old brand name. Unlike companies like Sheaffer, Waterman, Cross, and Parker, it hasn't become so financial tenuous that it needed to sell to larger groups with more capital in order to survive or prosper. Indeed, one might even argue that Cross was basically dead or near there. Sheaffer is a shell of its former self, if that. Parker is definitely much reduced, and only recently been very gently puttering along. Waterman has, in the grand scheme of things, succeeded slightly more than the others, but only because the branch that is still alive is the French corporation that thrived while the American side died off. Even then, Waterman is extermely conservative in their models and doesn't do much. It certainly doesn't cater to a wide market, despite its relative ubiquity. 

 

And then there's a company like Montblanc. Montblanc has been very successful, but arguably not as a strictly pen company. They have succeeded primarily because they shifted from a stationery goods company into a very status-conscious, luxury brand. Even then, Montblanc is now part of a larger group. Lamy is still entirely independent, IIRC. 

 

You can argue that you don't like their products, but at least as far as a company goes, Lamy has stood the test of time and has remained not only solvent, by outward appearances at least, but also relevant in its original marketplace. 

 

Moreover, Lamy is one of the only major fountain pen companies to have consistently maintained a wide range of successful products across the entire spectrum of fountain pen sub-targets, from budget options to "luxury" models. Their only real weakness in terms of market offerings has been their placement in the very high-end, bespoke art pens, which they rectified a little while ago with their foray into Urushi.

 

We can also look at the enduring legacy of pen models. Most pen companies don't have any pen models still in successful modern production that are essentially unchanged earlier than the 1980s. Those that do usually have, maybe, a single model that has survived. Montblanc, for instance, has the 146 as possibly the longest single model in continuous production, but the 149 has also remained mostly intact, though I believe production was stopped at some point. However, we can think of those both as almost the same model in many ways. The Platinum #3776 was started in the 80's, I believe, but that has gone through a number of revisions, a few of them quite recent. 

 

Lamy is one of the only companies to have 2 very distinct models that are quite old, the 2000 and the CP1, that remain almost unchanged from their original designs. (The CP1 did require a slight tweak in dimensions to fit the new feeds that were designed for all Lamy pens.) Pelikan also has such a pen. This is something that makes the Germans somewhat unique, at least in terms of the big 3.

 

We can also say that Lamy is one of the few brands to have a model of pen that has traditionally been quite publicly associated with the Montblanc 14x series in the same space at the same time, which is the 2000. I'm referencing here older print catalogues discussing various pens. 

 

Not only this, but Lamy has been a relatively big name for a long time. I believe it was one of the most popular of all the pen makes in Germany for quite a while, during a time when fountain pens were still quite popular, competingn with, I believe, Montblanc and Parker. 

 

Furthermore, Lamy is one of the few almost completely integrated companies, in that they have been able to successfully in-house almost all of their production work, including ink production. The fact that Lamy can product practically everything that they sell, in-house, is a big deal in terms of their overall capabilities, as it takes a lot of capital and resources to do this. There aren't a lot of pen companies successful enough over a long enough period of time to be able to do this. Montblanc, for instance, has never had their ink production in house, I think, and only a few companies actually have their nibs in-house. 

 

All of this speaks to "ever popular and successful." 

 

Lamy consistently wins design awards for their products. They have one of the most complete offerings of stationery for "standard products" among all the pen companies for fountain pen enthusiasts, since most companies don't provide any paper products, but Lamy does (and they are high quality offerings, too). 

 

As to there being only a few pen models, that's just whack. Lamy has one of the most diverse line-ups of pens across *any* brand of fountain pen. They are one of the only brands to have a retractable nib pen. They have metal and polymer bodies pens in a variety of materials. They have a variety of finish *techniques* that they use. Many companies specialize in only one basic material and construction, even if they have a lot of varieties on that theme. Take Sailor for instance. They have many different types of their core models, but most of their varieties are just different injections into the same molds. Lamy, on the other hand, has significantly different models that are different shapes, sizes, styles, construction, materials, etc. They have one of the widest ranges of nib sizes and types, including 3 different stub nibs, EF to BB, OB, OBB and so forth. This includes their Eastern Architect/Zoom-ish nib and everything from soft gold nibs to very, very hard nail nibs (Aion). They even have a school nib; I think only Pelikan also makes a school nib.

 

The Lamy Safari itself *is* a school pen. It is priced as such (though it might be considered as a bit nicer than standard Pelikans in that regard), and the triangular grip is absolutely part of what makes it appropriate for school pens, especially keeping in mind that penmanship was taught to a more rigorous standard when the Safari was first introduced in the 80's, especially in Germany. Moreover, it is one of the more successful school pens, since it has been in production for something like 30+ years. 

 

Remember that most of the ultra-affordable fountain pens today are relatively rare and new things. Platinum really did do something of a hat trick producing the level of quality of fountain pen that they have at the pricepoint that they have, and they know it; everyone knows it. But Lamy's Safari is still among only a few pens where the quality of the nib is at least competitive with the standards of any of the best steel nibs out there, and many gold nibs, unlike many other school pens, where the nib is distinctly inferior. Pens like the Platinum Preppy are very new, whereas the Safari has been around much longer.

 

Unlike many other pen makers, who sell mostly acrylic pens in the mid-range categories, Lamy sells many metal and lacquered pens in this category.

 

I also don't think it is any secret that Lamy has ridden the new wave of interest in fountain pens that has driven the markets of late. This includes being one of the early makers to take advantage of the modern trend of "affordable collectibles". They have established themselves in Japan to a wide audience, even among the competition from other German brands and the very competent local groups. 

 

Unlike many other makers, Lamy has consistently produced new fountain pen models on a fairly regular cadence. Most importantly, they have been truly "new" models, rather than just different colors of old models. I think among the major brands, only Platinum has produced with a similar level of consistency in new models.

 

Let's also not forget that Lamy was at the forefront of technology innovations that brought fountain pens into the "modern" era. We have a forum member here responsible for the actual testing and designs that lead to Lamy's excellent feed in both the 2000 and their other models, which is among the most reliable, and helped usher in a new era of reliable feeds that flowed as wetly and as well as ebonite feeds could do. 

 

Lamy has been successful not only in making pens, but in winning design awards, marketing, retail, and culture. They are one of the few companies who has been willing/able to invest in full service retail locations dedicated solely to their products. 

 

In other words, Lamy has been a popular, relevant company in the pen world for a long time, and it has had success where most other pen makers have simply given up. Time will tell whether they can continue, but I think it's hard to say that they aren't prolific, popular, and successful. Even though they hide a lot of details, I think it's also likely that they are profitable, too.

 

 

[Jamerelbe]

@arcfidehas probably made the points I'd want to make in reply to this post - but (for the sake of reinforcement) I'll make them again, briefly.

 

First, Lamy *is* a popular brand, and its Safari one of the most commonly recommended starter pens in Germany, in the US, and yes, probably here in Australia too.  It's *designed* to teach schoolkids a classic tripod grip - which won't work for everyone, I get it, but the form follows the (original) function of the pen.  It's obviously popular enough that a plethora of Chinese companies make knock-offs.

 

Second, Lamy has a more diverse range than @rochester21seems to recognise - since I wasn't (initially) a great fan of the brand, I probably had a similarly skewed perspective on this, but over my years of using fountain pens I've discovered (and purchased) five different models - the Safari(x4), the AL Star (which, granted, is almost identical in style to the Safari!), the 2000 (of course), an Aion and, most recently, a Dialog cc.  Maybe it's fair to say they don't have a vast array of current options, given their longevity - but the pens they *do* produce are pretty diverse in style.

 

Third, I find it interesting that @rochester21first questions Lamy's popularity and successfulness, then undercuts that argument by pointing to the insane prices some collectors will pay for limited editions.  Surely the eyewatering price tags on second-hand "Sky Blue" Safaris is a reflection of the brand's currency?

 

It took me a while to warm up to the Lamy brand - and I appreciate not everyone is going to love what they have to offer.  I for my part *still* can't see the appeal of the CP1 or the Logo, and probably won't be buying on of their ABC's anytime soon either. But "I don't get it" isn't the same thing as "It ain't so" - and though you might not "get" the popularity of Lamy's offerings, there's no denying the fact that at least *some* of their pens are in pretty high demand.

[jchch1950]

4 hours ago, arcfide said:

I figured others wouldn't take the bait, because it does read like a troll post. However, I happen to love this sort of thing, and I think it *is* a legitimate question to ask, "Why Lamy?" So, let's get into it, shall we? 🙂 

 

Lamy is a relatively old company, and remains more or less privately held, and was a family company for a long time. That in itself is relatively rare, and puts it among the most successful fountain pen companies of all time. Unlike many traditional brands, it hasn't died out and then been revived by new companies leverage the old brand name. Unlike companies like Sheaffer, Waterman, Cross, and Parker, it hasn't become so financial tenuous that it needed to sell to larger groups with more capital in order to survive or prosper. Indeed, one might even argue that Cross was basically dead or near there. Sheaffer is a shell of its former self, if that. Parker is definitely much reduced, and only recently been very gently puttering along. Waterman has, in the grand scheme of things, succeeded slightly more than the others, but only because the branch that is still alive is the French corporation that thrived while the American side died off. Even then, Waterman is extermely conservative in their models and doesn't do much. It certainly doesn't cater to a wide market, despite its relative ubiquity. 

 

And then there's a company like Montblanc. Montblanc has been very successful, but arguably not as a strictly pen company. They have succeeded primarily because they shifted from a stationery goods company into a very status-conscious, luxury brand. Even then, Montblanc is now part of a larger group. Lamy is still entirely independent, IIRC. 

 

You can argue that you don't like their products, but at least as far as a company goes, Lamy has stood the test of time and has remained not only solvent, by outward appearances at least, but also relevant in its original marketplace. 

 

Moreover, Lamy is one of the only major fountain pen companies to have consistently maintained a wide range of successful products across the entire spectrum of fountain pen sub-targets, from budget options to "luxury" models. Their only real weakness in terms of market offerings has been their placement in the very high-end, bespoke art pens, which they rectified a little while ago with their foray into Urushi.

 

We can also look at the enduring legacy of pen models. Most pen companies don't have any pen models still in successful modern production that are essentially unchanged earlier than the 1980s. Those that do usually have, maybe, a single model that has survived. Montblanc, for instance, has the 146 as possibly the longest single model in continuous production, but the 149 has also remained mostly intact, though I believe production was stopped at some point. However, we can think of those both as almost the same model in many ways. The Platinum #3776 was started in the 80's, I believe, but that has gone through a number of revisions, a few of them quite recent. 

 

Lamy is one of the only companies to have 2 very distinct models that are quite old, the 2000 and the CP1, that remain almost unchanged from their original designs. (The CP1 did require a slight tweak in dimensions to fit the new feeds that were designed for all Lamy pens.) Pelikan also has such a pen. This is something that makes the Germans somewhat unique, at least in terms of the big 3.

 

We can also say that Lamy is one of the few brands to have a model of pen that has traditionally been quite publicly associated with the Montblanc 14x series in the same space at the same time, which is the 2000. I'm referencing here older print catalogues discussing various pens. 

 

Not only this, but Lamy has been a relatively big name for a long time. I believe it was one of the most popular of all the pen makes in Germany for quite a while, during a time when fountain pens were still quite popular, competingn with, I believe, Montblanc and Parker. 

 

Furthermore, Lamy is one of the few almost completely integrated companies, in that they have been able to successfully in-house almost all of their production work, including ink production. The fact that Lamy can product practically everything that they sell, in-house, is a big deal in terms of their overall capabilities, as it takes a lot of capital and resources to do this. There aren't a lot of pen companies successful enough over a long enough period of time to be able to do this. Montblanc, for instance, has never had their ink production in house, I think, and only a few companies actually have their nibs in-house. 

 

All of this speaks to "ever popular and successful." 

 

Lamy consistently wins design awards for their products. They have one of the most complete offerings of stationery for "standard products" among all the pen companies for fountain pen enthusiasts, since most companies don't provide any paper products, but Lamy does (and they are high quality offerings, too). 

 

As to there being only a few pen models, that's just whack. Lamy has one of the most diverse line-ups of pens across *any* brand of fountain pen. They are one of the only brands to have a retractable nib pen. They have metal and polymer bodies pens in a variety of materials. They have a variety of finish *techniques* that they use. Many companies specialize in only one basic material and construction, even if they have a lot of varieties on that theme. Take Sailor for instance. They have many different types of their core models, but most of their varieties are just different injections into the same molds. Lamy, on the other hand, has significantly different models that are different shapes, sizes, styles, construction, materials, etc. They have one of the widest ranges of nib sizes and types, including 3 different stub nibs, EF to BB, OB, OBB and so forth. This includes their Eastern Architect/Zoom-ish nib and everything from soft gold nibs to very, very hard nail nibs (Aion). They even have a school nib; I think only Pelikan also makes a school nib.

 

The Lamy Safari itself *is* a school pen. It is priced as such (though it might be considered as a bit nicer than standard Pelikans in that regard), and the triangular grip is absolutely part of what makes it appropriate for school pens, especially keeping in mind that penmanship was taught to a more rigorous standard when the Safari was first introduced in the 80's, especially in Germany. Moreover, it is one of the more successful school pens, since it has been in production for something like 30+ years. 

 

Remember that most of the ultra-affordable fountain pens today are relatively rare and new things. Platinum really did do something of a hat trick producing the level of quality of fountain pen that they have at the pricepoint that they have, and they know it; everyone knows it. But Lamy's Safari is still among only a few pens where the quality of the nib is at least competitive with the standards of any of the best steel nibs out there, and many gold nibs, unlike many other school pens, where the nib is distinctly inferior. Pens like the Platinum Preppy are very new, whereas the Safari has been around much longer.

 

Unlike many other pen makers, who sell mostly acrylic pens in the mid-range categories, Lamy sells many metal and lacquered pens in this category.

 

I also don't think it is any secret that Lamy has ridden the new wave of interest in fountain pens that has driven the markets of late. This includes being one of the early makers to take advantage of the modern trend of "affordable collectibles". They have established themselves in Japan to a wide audience, even among the competition from other German brands and the very competent local groups. 

 

Unlike many other makers, Lamy has consistently produced new fountain pen models on a fairly regular cadence. Most importantly, they have been truly "new" models, rather than just different colors of old models. I think among the major brands, only Platinum has produced with a similar level of consistency in new models.

 

Let's also not forget that Lamy was at the forefront of technology innovations that brought fountain pens into the "modern" era. We have a forum member here responsible for the actual testing and designs that lead to Lamy's excellent feed in both the 2000 and their other models, which is among the most reliable, and helped usher in a new era of reliable feeds that flowed as wetly and as well as ebonite feeds could do. 

 

Lamy has been successful not only in making pens, but in winning design awards, marketing, retail, and culture. They are one of the few companies who has been willing/able to invest in full service retail locations dedicated solely to their products. 

 

In other words, Lamy has been a popular, relevant company in the pen world for a long time, and it has had success where most other pen makers have simply given up. Time will tell whether they can continue, but I think it's hard to say that they aren't prolific, popular, and successful. Even though they hide a lot of details, I think it's also likely that they are profitable, too.

 

 

+1.Thank for your comprehensive post.

[txomsy]

I think the OP is inherently flawed.

 

First, the brand is very popular, and if the brand is popular it must be because many people likes it. No two persons are alike, so whether one sees or not the point is moot. Better to listen to others with an open mind and pay attention.

 

Second a wide offer makes for covering a wider target. Again nothing special. What I am amazed is that "generalist" companies that can produce even wider ranges do not, thus losing potential customers. I have always considered targeting only a single group of users a flawed business decision, but, hey, everyone is free and not two people are alike, so they may have their own reasons which my constrained and limited brain cannot see. Better if I listen before emitting judgements.

 

Third, Lamy (as many others) has kept producing innovative designs adapted to the times. And has kept keeping on producing successful models.

 

That it produces special designs (like the Lamy 2000 in its day) means design-lovers will love them as pieces of art (which they are) and will be willing to pay a premium (like for e.g. a Picasso, Dürer or Michelangelo). I may not like cubism, figurative arts or a pen color combination but maybe I fail to have the correct aesthetic sensibility. I cannot see any reason for criticism either.

 

That it keeps making successful models is what allows people who loves them recommend them to new users. If the Logo, CP.1 or Safari find a niche, people in that niche will recommend them. Again nothing worthy of notice.

 

Fourth, Lamy is well known for its quality (which may have duds, as any other, it is a human-led enterprise after all) and, most important, nib versatility (not only in options, but also in "exchangeability" of nibs between (many) higher and lower models, which means you can write with an entry pen with a premium nib if you so wish). So it is no surprise either that Lamy users prefer to recommend something they know and trust over other things they know or trust less.

 

So, pray, again, I fail to see what it was that there was to fail to see anywhere.

 

Maybe the problem is the op didn't make only questions, but also asserted strong, unfounded assumptions.

 

[joss]

7 hours ago, I-am-not-really-here said:

I'd respond but your post reads like a troll. 

+1 ! 👍

[JulieParadise]

Although the OP's question does come across a bit troll-ish, I'd like to make pen friends from other places aware of the fact that in Germany you can buy Lamy Safari fountain pens pretty much anywhere in department stores, school supply/stationery stores, supermarkets and drugstores. If there is a fountain pen offered in any of these stores, chances are you see a Lamy display with at least Safari and mostly also AL models. Other brands/models in the school supply tier are often Herlitz My Pen and Online pens, sometimes really cheap Idena or Schneider pens.

 

So, even though this may not be known outside of Germany, these purchases of millions of school children and students are probably what is the basis of Lamy's "success". 

[mtcn77]

Lamy is an exercise of German Engineering. In case any one forgot: Germans invented plastics. They are not limited to a single method of pen construction - if you are into German fit and finish, they make excellent steel pens and chrome plated brass pens, also.

At this point, it is ignorant to assume they only make Safaris.

PS: I remembered they explicitly state that not all their pens are for everybody. You just have to find the right grip section for your hand. A kid should start with the safari, or ABC for instance...

[Astronymus]

OP never learned how to hold a pen the right way. Complains the pen must be hold the right way. How often have we heard that? For people using the right grip the pen is very comfortably and enables one to write for hours.

[txomsy]

i don't think there is a single "right" way, but that is actually the reason for the variety of offers: if someone does not like one shape or color or prefers to do things differently, there is plenty of choice. No reason to complain.

 

My impression is the OP simply didn't know that much and judged by his own experience which turned out to be limited. I can sympathize, having lived most of my life with a relatively limited choice of pens and inks (compared to what is reachable today), but these limitations have made me slip more than once. Specially since using a language other than you native language can make expression difficult to interpret for readers with different cultural backgrounds.

 

i hope all this bashing hasn't led him/her away and s/he will not be afraid of continuing contributing, asking and growing into a helpful community member.

[Penmuncher]

A Lamy Safari was my first choice fountain pen because every review I found for it said it was a cheap, decent, reliable every day pen and I like the look of it. I was then lucky enough to find a left handed purple example on offer online. From the moment I picked it up I liked how it felt in the hand and how it wrote. My experience reflects and confirms its family firm origins and German engineering excellence. That confirms for me that I made a reasonable enough choice for my first fountain pen purchase. I rather fear that other purchases may well follow, but I rather doubt that any will fill me with angst. It's a £12 pen at the end of the day.  🙂. 

 

Thanks to arcfide BTW for the excellent background info provided in his response. 

[Waltz For Zizi]

On 11/22/2022 at 1:58 AM, rochester21 said:

As for the Safari i don`t even know what the target demographic for it is. It`s too big to be a school pen.

I think you have no seen in person how big the school pens are. They are even bigger than the Safari. They are comparable to the Pelikan m800, and Parker Duofold Centennial.

Just look at Herlitz myPen, Schneider Ceod, Schneider Base, etc. Those are some huge pens. I don't know if they make them that big because children tend to drop them more and they make them chunkier, to resist, but they are chunkier than more expensive pens. Maybe in the past was different but now, the so called school pens are big boys.

 

P.S. I actually do use my safari's more than my Edson.

P.P.S. The modern Parker and Waterman brands (in my opinion) are a joke compared to the modern Lamy. Boring and bland lacquered pens. (most of them), though I might be biased here because I don't care for shiny lacquered pens in the slightest. 

[Glenn-SC]

It is good to see all the differing opinions and the respect shown.   I have a number of Lamy pens and like them all. The Safari in particular writes well for its price and is an easy/ low risk choice for the yearly LE/SE colors. 
I so believe that the word choice of the OP indicates a troll.  The fact that they have not returned to their own thread to respond to other opinions supports that observation. 

[Olya]

School pens are always big, probably because kids lack fine motor skills.

 

There are aids, such as pencil grips, to thicken existing pens' grip sections for those, who learn writing, which includes adults who can't write anymore for whatever reason and older people, who have issues.

Thick pens are always recommended to those with issues and who are learning.

 

The Safari was introduced as school pen (to be a comptetitor to Pelikan's Pelikano) and is still in the school supply section and used mostly by.... pupils.

 

Are Pelikans also too Germanic to be elegant or beautiful?

 

Though I can agree that Safaris are pretty fug and Lamy's design isn't to my taste, too much metal, too "industrial", too angular.

[Astronymus]

2 hours ago, Olya said:

Though I can agree that Safaris are pretty fug and Lamy's design isn't to my taste, too much metal, too "industrial", too angular.

Well, it's Bauhaus inspired. It is industrial design. No quotation marks needed. 😉

[Olya]

21 minutes ago, Astronymus said:

Well, it's Bauhaus inspired. It is industrial design. No quotation marks needed. 😉

True 🤣 I am not too versed with Bauhaus and some design styles, so thought I'd play it safe 🥸

[arcfide]

In general, I find Lamy's design perversely appealing, and my family tends to like them a lot (especially the Safaris) along with the Platinum pens. However, IMO, while a lot of people don't like the whole point of the pen, the CP1 is one of my favorites of the Lamy lineup. There, I think the brutal simplicity of Bauhaus actually works to best effect. And there's something oddly ergonomic about the pen. 

 

However, I often feel that their best designs are too practical, and I feel that desire for just a little more air of luxury when I use a Lamy for too long.