Lamy Safari W. Germany better than Germany?

[Claes]

I own two Lamy Safaris that were made in "W. Germany", and some that were manufactured in "Germany".

I cannot yet say whether it is imagination or not, but it seems to me that the old W. German ones stay fresh longer,

while their younger brethren dry up faster & refuse to start to write.

 

I have had the same ink in them all, in order to learn if this phenomenon was ink dependent. (It was not.)

One hypothesis could be that old caps were tighter, another one that their ink feeds differ.

 

Do you have any good explanations?

 

Have fun!
Claes in Lund, Sweden

 

 

[Mercian]

The first post in this ↓ old thread...

 

...mentions some of the elements of the design/manufacture of the Safari that were changed between the early 1980s and the later 1990s.

 

I suspect that one of those changes is probably the cause of the more-rapid drying-out that you have observed, although I couldn't say which of them is the main factor.

 

The rest of the thread (it runs to 23 pages) is a great resource for the history of the Safari, especially for the range of colours in which it has been produced.

 

[Claes]

Thanks!

[Azulado]

I have 9 Safaris and one Joy. Among the Safaris, one is a second generation and one is a third generation. The rest are of the fourth and last generation.
I can say that the first generation liner caps (used in part of the second generation production) are of very poor quality. After a few years of use they disintegrated. I have read about it, but I have also verified it: the second generation unit I have had to restore it, when I disassembled the cap, several pieces of the liner cap came out.
As far as I know, sometime in the 80's, the black liner cap that we see in the current models started to be used. There are design differences between the fourth generation and the previous ones because they used to be mounted with a metal screw in the second generation and with a false screw in the third generation, but the differences are minor.
If there are differences in sealing, it is probably due to the fit of each unit. I have not noticed major differences between one and the other, although I only have two older ones and one of them has a modern liner cap. But I have noticed there are variations in the sound and the way each section fits in the cap from one unit to another, regardless of whether they are new or old.

In any case, although in some cases the ink condenses after a few days without use, they have never dried out, they always write the first time. In cases where there is more condensation, the tone stabilizes after 4 or more lines.
The liner caps are not watertight, if you look at the lip of the liner cap, there is a kind of small holes that serve to prevent condensation of trapped air.

Safari caps wear out over time, lose their elasticity, and may eventually lose their effectiveness. But, with luck, you will be able to enjoy your fountain pen for many years before this happens. Besides, owning a single pen is not the same as owning a collection. In the end, it is very difficult to reach the end of its useful life if you have 9 Safari pens and rotate them. In the worst case, you can replace the cap.

[Claes]

> In the end, it is very difficult to reach the end of its useful life if you have 9 Safari pens and rotate them.

 

:-)))))

 

Obrigado!
 

Have fun!
Claes in Lund, Sweden

[jchch1950]

Some sources of pen history mention that some pens, like the Parker 51, were made in certain amounts, usually in the millions. I would like to ask if anybody knows how many Lamy Safaris have been made since the 80s? Another question is whether the materials have been changed in the history of Safari production?

[Azulado]

18 hours ago, Claes said:

In the end, it is very difficult to reach the end of its useful life if you have 9 Safari pens and rotate them.

Well, you have a “W.Germany” that seals very well, so that indicates that the Safari is strong. If you rotate them, just imagine. 😉

7 hours ago, jchch1950 said:

I would like to ask if anybody knows how many Lamy Safaris have been made since the 80s? Another question is whether the materials have been changed in the history of Safari production?

Lamy claims an annual production of 8 million writing instruments. Safari is the brand's flagship model. We can think that for 40 years they have had fluctuations in production and that they do not only make fountain pens. But I don't think it is nonsense to say that several million Lamys Safari have been made.

https://www.lamy.com/brand
Several times, I have done research on the production of pens. It is almost impossible information for an ordinary citizen because there are companies that negotiate with that data. There are reports available, but they are expensive.
Looking closely at Safaris from different periods, I do not see much change in the materials. The liner caps of the early years were made of a different material. There have probably been changes in the nibs, the metal of the unmarked ones looks different, but it is not something I notice significantly in the functional aspect. I think to know if there have been changes in the ABS of the body or the feed you have to have advanced knowledge in materials engineering.

[Black Spot]

Unless we are talking about the first generation of pens with the deteriorating  liner caps, in my experience the difference is marginal. What the weather was like on the day of manufacturing, was the pen made in the summer or winter and witch dies it went threw is as likely to determine how tight the fit is as any thing else.

[jchch1950]

On 4/17/2025 at 8:54 PM, Azulado said:

Well, you have a “W.Germany” that seals very well, so that indicates that the Safari is strong. If you rotate them, just imagine. 😉

Lamy claims an annual production of 8 million writing instruments. Safari is the brand's flagship model. We can think that for 40 years they have had fluctuations in production and that they do not only make fountain pens. But I don't think it is nonsense to say that several million Lamys Safari have been made.

https://www.lamy.com/brand
Several times, I have done research on the production of pens. It is almost impossible information for an ordinary citizen because there are companies that negotiate with that data. There are reports available, but they are expensive.
Looking closely at Safaris from different periods, I do not see much change in the materials. The liner caps of the early years were made of a different material. There have probably been changes in the nibs, the metal of the unmarked ones looks different, but it is not something I notice significantly in the functional aspect. I think to know if there have been changes in the ABS of the body or the feed you have to have advanced knowledge in materials engineering.

Thank you for your answer.