Pen Pit Stop : Lamy CP1

[namrehsnoom]

Pen Pit Stop : Lamy CP1

 

Welcome to the Pen Pit Stop. Here you will find reviews of pens that already have some mileage on them. More specifically, these reviews are of pens that are in my personal collection, and that have been in use for at least a year. I thought it would be fun to do it this way – no new & shiny pens here, but battered vehicles that have been put to work for at least a year. Let’s find out how they have withstood the ravages of time.

 

The fountain pen that arrives at the pit stop today is the “Lamy CP1”. The design of this pen dates back to 1974, and was done by Gerd A. Müller. Yes, that’s the same designer that created the iconic Lamy 2000. And this shows… the same minimalistic looks, the same brushed steel on black design. In my book, this is another timeless classic within the Lamy brand.

The pen seems to be made of brass with a black lacquer applied (there’s some contradictory info on this online, but the metal threads inside the barrel do look like brass). The black coating has a matte finish, which looks really good on the pen. A very minimalist writer, without any ornamentation – pure industrial Bauhaus design. I purchased this pen back in June 2015, and use it on a regular basis.

 

This CP1 is a very slim pen: about the same diameter as a pencil. As such, this pen will not be for everyone. If you have larger hands, long writing sessions with this pen might not be optimal. I have small hands, so for me that’s not an issue. 

 

Branding on the pen is almost absent. Only a small engraved “LAMY” on the side of the clip gives away the name of the company. The section is made from black plastic, with a series of ringed grooves to provide grip, and feels very comfortable. This CP1 fountain pen uses the standard Lamy Z50 nibs, which can easily be changed, which is a big plus in my book. When I carry the pen to the work place  I typically use an EF or F nib, while I enjoy the 1.1 italic nib when I use the pen for personal journaling. All thanks to these easily changeable Z50 nibs.

 

The cap can be posted, but in that case you get a really long pen (too long for my taste). When posted, the cap sits perfectly flush with the body. It snaps on with a soft click. Examining the end of the body, you can see the smartly designed cap-grabbing mechanism, with a slightly raised ridge that grabs the cap.

 

Right under the clip, you can see a small breather hole drilled into the cap. Looking at the inside of the cap, this hole sits a bit above the inner cap that provides the air-tight sealing of the nib (that avoids drying out of the nib when the pen is not in use). The purpose of this hole is to regulate air-pressure when capping/uncapping the pen (it’s a click-on cap). There was a really interesting discussion on this tiny pin-(bleep) hole on FPN back in 2021 - definitely worth reading (yes, we fountain pen enthousiasts can get worked up about such details, which gets you some funny looks from anyone who’s not into the hobby ;-).

 

Pen Look & Feel
The design of this pen is top-notch! The matte black finish with the brushed metal clip still looks good after 8 years of use. The small diameter section gives the pen a bit of a retro feel that I really appreciate. The CP1 is a cartridge convertor pen that takes Lamy cartridges (non-standard, but you can find them anywhere). The replaceable Z50 nibs are basic, but look good on the pen’s body. And it’s really nice that you can easily get them in a variety of sizes.

 

The pen has a push-cap mechanism, and can be posted – but it becomes really long and unwieldy in that case. The pictures below illustrate the size of the Lamy CP1 in comparison with a standard Safari. The CP1 is a bit smaller length-wise, and absolutely diminutive when looking at it’s diameter. So maybe not a pen for those of you with bigger hands. This can be easily tested: the CP1’s diameter is the same as that of a pencil, so if writing with a pencil feels comfortable, writing with the CP1 will definitely be OK.

 

 

 

Pen Characteristics

• Build Quality :  build quality is superb, with almost invisible seams where parts of the pen blend together. I use the pen on a regular basis, and it still seems good as new. The pen really doesn’t show its age.
• Weight & Dimensions : although it’s a small pen, it still has some heft to it, due to the metal used in its construction. It’s definitely heavier than a Safari.  The pen is large enough that it fits most hands unposted (and if not, you can post it). The diameter is pencil-thin though, and that might not work for everyone. 
• Filling System : this is a cartridge convertor, that uses Lamy’s proprietary cartridges. This shouldn’t be a problem, you can find these cartridges everywhere. If you like to use bottled inks, simply syringe-fill empty cartridges.
• Nib & Performance : exactly the same nib & feed as the one in the Lamy Safari, using standard Z50 nibs (with come in steel, but you can also buy gold ones). A big plus is that you can easily swab nibs to try out a multitude of sizes. 
• Price : I bought this one as part of a pen+pencil combo, and have no clue what I paid at the time. Today the fountain pen costs about 43 EUR (taxes included). For such a good-looking minimalist pen that’s certainly good value for money. 

 

Conclusion
The Lamy CP1 is another timeless classic adhering to the minimalist Bauhaus design. A well-constructed pen that still looks good as new today, after 8 years of use.  I enjoy its elegant looks with the matte black finish and the brushed metal clip. Totally fits my taste!

 

The big question is: would I buy this pen again? To this, my answer is a resounding: YES. This pen is a beauty – the smaller sibling of the Lamy 2000. Definitely a keeper.

 

[Penguincollector]

Yay! Slim cylindrical pen lovers unite! I have an EF Z56 on mine. It’s so smooth and takes shimmer inks like a champ. 

[Surlyprof]

3 hours ago, Penguincollector said:

Yay! Slim cylindrical pen lovers unite! I have an EF Z56 on mine.

 

I'm with Penguincollector!  I have a Z57 nib on mine and love the stealth, all-black look. I also agree with namrehsnoom about the nice weight and balance of the CP1.  The thin, cylindrical brass body has a nice weight to it.  I ordered mine out of my love of the 2000.  I felt I needed to own this piece of Industrial Design history as well.  I have to admit, I was quite put off by the narrow barrel of this pen when I first received it.  I'm glad I stuck with it.  It resides quite nicely in my sketchbook cover and I've really grown to love the weight, balance and feel of the pen when sketching.  I tend to hold it further back when I'm sketching so the slight backweighting that comes from posting the cap provides a nice balance.  Even holding further up, I like using it posted.  The cap clips on the back so nicely.

 

Thank you namrehsnoom for such a great review of this beautifully understated pen.  I had never even noticed that hole before.  Nice to learn something new about it.

 

John

 

[jchch1950]

Thank you for the review. It is more interesting to read about the experience of a pen after it had been used for a long time than the opinions of a writing instrument that had just been unboxed. I agree with your comment that the Lamy CP1 is certainly a good value for money.

[InesF]

Thank you, @namrehsnoom, for giving one of my long time favourites such a glamorous appearance!  

I have mine in use since the early 1980's, originally equipped with a reliable quite "normal" steel M nib and since about three years now with a gold-black nib in fine. Simply excellent!

[Auntor]

A product that exemplifies the Bauhaus philosophy and design principles. And the fact that the pen still looks as contemporary as it looked almost half a century ago proves

 It's timelessness. 

[subbu68]

On 8/20/2023 at 11:47 PM, Penguincollector said:

Yay! Slim cylindrical pen lovers unite! I have an EF Z56 on mine. It’s so smooth and takes shimmer inks like a champ. 

Plus one --- Lamy ST though. My most used pen

[Surlyprof]

Although I have grown to love the CP1 (particularly with a gold nib), I have noticed one issue.  If I don't use it regularly (every couple of days), I noticed that it hard starts or won't flow at all.  This will happen after about a two week period.  Is that a little quick to be drying out?  I have been using Platinum Carbon Black in it.  My other Lamys don't seem to have that problem (Studios, 2000s, Al-Star, Aion).  I was wondering if others had similar issues with the CP1.  I still love sketching with this pen but I get concerned that it won't start when I need it to and don't have easy access to cleaning supplies (like when urban sketching).  Just wanted to know if anyone else has this issue.  

 

John

[jchch1950]

Maybe is the ink. Do your other Lamy pens use the same ink?

[Azulado]

I really enjoyed your review. I'm quite interested in how fountain pens stand the test of time. For some time I was considering buying a slim model from Lamy. I already had several Safari's, a Nexx and a Joy calligraphy set and wanted a metal model. I was on the verge of ordering the Pur, but finally decided on an Aion - also Bauhaus - because I was attracted by its brushed aluminium surface. The fact that I had quite a few slim Inoxcrom fountain pens also played a role. 

[Surlyprof]

I have been using primarily Platinum Carbon Black in all the Lamys I'm using for sketching.  I have a bottle of DeAtramentis Document Black showing up in the mail today.  I'm hoping that may help although they are both fairly dry, pigmented inks.  I have been using the DeAtramentis in Jowo nibbed pocket pens with less hard starting so... maybe a solution?  I need the waterproofness of the pigmented inks for watercolor painting over drawings.  If worse comes to worse I could also try the bottle of Noodler's Black I have in a drawer to see if that helps.  

[Azulado]

3 minutes ago, Surlyprof said:

He estado usando principalmente Platinum Carbon Black en todos los Lamys que uso para dibujar. Hoy recibo en el correo una botella de DeAtramentis Document Black. Espero que eso pueda ayudar, aunque ambas son tintas pigmentadas bastante secas. He estado usando DeAtramentis en bolígrafos de bolsillo con punta Jowo con un arranque menos difícil, así que... ¿tal vez una solución? Necesito la impermeabilidad de las tintas pigmentadas para pintar con acuarela sobre dibujos. Si las cosas empeoran, también podría probar la botella de Noodler's Black que tengo en un cajón para ver si eso ayuda.  

You can add Koor-i-nor dokument black to your list of indelible black inks. 

To find out if there is a bad seal, you can put a piece of plastic wrap around the part where the cap and barrel meet and see what happens after 24 hours. 

[Christopher Godfrey]

I hate to burst moonsherman's (I mean namrehsnoom's!) bubble; but I have had three of these nice little pens in my time, the first of which was a sterling silver one (I bet you never knew they had made one of those!) and the same problem occurred with the two last ones I had -- rectified for free by those nice Lamy importers -- to wit: the spring clip inside the cap lost its ability to hold the pen inside when closed.  I also seem to remember that the "blind cap" end knob came loose in one casse, even though I never post my caps.  I think they fixed that for me, too.  I like the design; but this pen is nowadays too small for my comfort. 

 

It's nice to see that some people still use them: they have been around for a long time.  I bought my first around 1982 (and it was stolen -- yes, the silver one). 

[Surlyprof]

On 11/9/2023 at 10:51 AM, Azulado said:

To find out if there is a bad seal, you can put a piece of plastic wrap around the part where the cap and barrel meet and see what happens after 24 hours. 

That's a great suggestion.  I will definitely give it a try.  Thank you.

[Geslina]

I paid $5 for one of these this weekend in a vintage/antique store, along with a Parker 25 from the 1970s.  The Lamy is in great condition, looks like it’s barely been used.  I thought it looked like a Lamy at first glance, kind of a skinny 2000, took me a few seconds to spot “Lamy” on the side of the clip.  I’m wondering if the owner of the shop didn’t see the name, and therefore couldn’t find the pen online, and that is why I got it for such a low price.  Both pens originally belonged to the same person, and since the Parker is 1970s, maybe this is an early CP1 as well? 
 

The only thing different from the photos here is that the nib on mine doesn’t say Lamy or have the size on it.  With the exception of a slight hard start on the first stroke, it writes beautifully, I’m hoping cleaning it will fix that.  Does anyone know if Lamy always stamps their nibs?  If they always have? 

[jchch1950]

3 hours ago, Geslina said:

I paid $5 for one of these this weekend in a vintage/antique store, along with a Parker 25 from the 1970s.  The Lamy is in great condition, looks like it’s barely been used.  I thought it looked like a Lamy at first glance, kind of a skinny 2000, took me a few seconds to spot “Lamy” on the side of the clip.  I’m wondering if the owner of the shop didn’t see the name, and therefore couldn’t find the pen online, and that is why I got it for such a low price.  Both pens originally belonged to the same person, and since the Parker is 1970s, maybe this is an early CP1 as well? 
 

The only thing different from the photos here is that the nib on mine doesn’t say Lamy or have the size on it.  With the exception of a slight hard start on the first stroke, it writes beautifully, I’m hoping cleaning it will fix that.  Does anyone know if Lamy always stamps their nibs?  If they always have? 

Great find.Congratulations.

[AceNinja]

4 hours ago, Geslina said:

the nib on mine doesn’t say Lamy or have the size on it.  With the exception of a slight hard start on the first stroke, it writes beautifully, I’m hoping cleaning it will fix that.  Does anyone know if Lamy always stamps their nibs?  If they always have? 

I do think all LAMY nibs have etched with lamy logo and the nib size, not stamped.  

I think it is also possible the the etched logo can be faded off / polished off.

 

It's a verrryyy good find at that price!

[Lithium466]

Older Lamy nibs didn't always have marking, or sometimes partial (like "585" only for gold nibs). Great find in any case!

[Geslina]

5 hours ago, Lithium466 said:

Older Lamy nibs didn't always have marking, or sometimes partial (like "585" only for gold nibs). Great find in any case!

Other than the nib not being stamped, I thoroughly checked the pen - I think it’s the real deal.  It has the quality feel of my 2000, it has “Germany” stamped on the clip underside, and it has a Z26 converter in it, with Lamy Germany etched on it.  Hoping I can fix the hard start.