Safari VS Pelikano

[menick]

Hi,

 

I have a Safari and like it. I'd like to get another pen, but from another company to see the difference, and expand my horizons

 

I just saw that Pelikan has a "starter" pen, the pelikano.

 

What I'm wondering is if it is in the same quality range as the safari.

 

For example, I know that the safari has the same nib as the studio, a more pricy option. The pelikano does not have the same nib as anything (if I'm not mistaken). Therefore, does it stand to the challenge? or should I wait go straight to the 200?

 

Thanks,

 

nick

[savarez]

Hi,

 

I have a Safari and like it. I'd like to get another pen, but from another company to see the difference, and expand my horizons

 

I just saw that Pelikan has a "starter" pen, the pelikano.

 

What I'm wondering is if it is in the same quality range as the safari.

 

For example, I know that the safari has the same nib as the studio, a more pricy option. The pelikano does not have the same nib as anything (if I'm not mistaken). Therefore, does it stand to the challenge? or should I wait go straight to the 200?

 

Thanks,

 

nick

 

 

The Pelikano is a nice enough pen for what it is, but the Safari is definitely a step up IMO. If you want a Pelikan, however, I suggest you bite the bullet and jump straight to the 20x. You can get a basic starter 200 series with a steel nib for well under $100, and the interchangeable nib design and the wide availability of specialty nibs from amazing folks like Richard Binder opens up a world of possibilities.

 

 

[churl]

As far as quality goes, I'd say the Safari is better, but not a lot better. Although the nib on the Pelikano is cheap, I've found it to be pretty reliable. However, it's still a school pen. If you're really looking for the Pelikan experience, I'd go with a 200 or 215. While the Pelikano is a fun, cheap pen, it's not very distinguishing.

[JuddRogers]

Pelikan also makes the Future, which is a step up from the Pelikano (at least in styling).

Waterman sells the Kulture in Europe as a student pen. In the US, they sell it as the Phileas.

 

You might also take a look at Rotring Initial. Generally less than a Pelikan 200 and has a very nice nib.

[Kimo]

Pelikanos are school pens, but they are a step up from Pelikano Juniors. Pelikanos are nice pens for the price, and better than many other more expensive brand 'entry leve'l pens. My suggestion is to just buy one and put it into your pen rotation. How can you go wrong for less than $20?

[James P]

Allow me to be the lone dissenter here. I sell a lot of both brands of pen, and I sell a virtual boat load of Safaris. In my experience, I have found the Pelikano to be a consistently better writer than the Safari. This is not to say that the Lamy does not have its benefits or even its advantages over the Pelikano. But in the end, when I consider all factors, the Pelikano comes out on top. Here's why I think so:

 

1. Writing Performance: In this category, I think the winner is the Pelikano. Every Pelikano with which I've written is very smooth and the ink flows consistently without any hiccoughs. It's typically neither too dry nor too wet. In contrast, Lamy Safaris tend to be dry writers and, truth be told, not very smooth in my experience - at least with the fine and extra-fine nibs I prefer. Sure, they can be adjusted, but I'm talking out of the box performance here. One really nice thing about the Safari is the ability of its collector to hold ink and keep the feed wet. I have left my Safari unused for considerable stretches of time - weeks and months even, but they are always ready to write the minute I pick them up. I have no experience like this to report with the Pelikano. Also, the Lamy is nearly indestructible - I have even stabbed myself (accidentally, of course!) with a Safari nib, only to find it immediately ready to write without missing a beat.

 

2. Versatility: This is a very close call, with the overall edge probably going to the Lamy. The Lamy has the advantage of having a wider array of nib choices (down to XF) and easily-switched nibs. The Pelikano's nib choices are more limited and the nibs, while they can be changed, are not readily available and require a little more attention than do the Lamys.

 

2A. Filling System Versatility: This goes to the Pelikan by a hair. The Lamy requires the use of either proprietary cartridges or a proprietary converter. The Lamy Z24 converter has that little tab that ensures a perfect fit every time, which is a definite plus. On the other hand, the Pelikano takes easy-to-obtain standard international cartridges (long or short) or a standard international converter. If you're a cartridge user, the nod goes to the Pelikano, not only for it's easier-to-find cartridges, but for the broader array of ink brands and colors available in that mode. If you prefer converters, it's probably a draw, with perhaps a slight edge going to the Lamy for its better converter system.

 

3. Writing Comfort: This is purely subjective, and I recognize it as such. However, in my book, The Pelikano wins this one by a long shot. I much prefer the rounded section to Lamy's attempt at an ergonomic grip on the Safari. The little "bulls-eye" on the section of the Pelikano also aids in proper alignment of nib to paper, which is perfect for students and new FP users - the Pelikano's target audience. Also, I find the length of the Lamy to be uncomfortable, particularly when posted, while the Pelikano is darn near perfect. Again, this is really a matter of personal preference, and I am sure that there are many who prefer the Lamy for comfort, so you may not want to weigh this too heavily in your own calculations - just consider what pens you find more comfortable and why.

 

4. Appearance: This too is a subjective element, so YMMV. Personally, I prefer the look of the Pelikano. I like the metal cap and the translucent body to the solid colors of the Safari. I also prefer the Pelikano's solid clip to the wire clip of the Lamy. Having said that, I do really like the Al-Star in Ocean Blue (gorgeous!!) and the black and white Safaris are pretty darn neat, too! My favorite, though is the Vista, but that's because I'm a demonstrator nut!

 

5. Price: The clear winner is the Pelikano. And, considering that on Feb. 1, the price of the Safari is going up - again - the price component favors the Pelikano by a wider margin.

 

To sum up - I think the Pelikano is not only a better-performing pen, I find it more comfortable and more attractive. Factor in that it's less expensive than the Lamy and I don't think it's hard to see why I consider it a better all-around choice than the Lamy Safari.

 

I just hope my Lamy rep doesn't read this!

 

 

James

Edited January 16, 2008 by James P

[Jimmy James]

Price increase on Lamy, huh? Perhaps it's finally time to go for a Safari, which would be ironic because my intent was to get a second Pelikano due to my high level of satisfaction with the first one I bought.

 

I find the Pelikano to be an excellent writer that bests a lot of my more expensive pens (which I think probably includes all of my Parker 21/51s). I found the bullseye to be a bit of a problem at first because it's not comfortable for me to grip the pen there, but I realized pretty quickly that if I ignored the bullseye, the pen was very comfortable to hold higher up. I have said that my Phileas is my best writer, but I used both it and my Pelikano today. The Pelikano seemed to be working better for whatever reason. It's a good pen that looks surprisingly credible in its special black edition. I'm really eying an orange model for my next one, though.

 

I don't know...perhaps I'll have to stick with the Pelikano and ignore Lamy even despite the threat of higher prices for that brand.

[Goodwhiskers]

I've had all four point sizes of Lamy Safari and a medium Pelikan Pelikano. I liked them all except the Safari Extra-Fine. I still have the three Safaris with converters, and the Pelikano went to a kid who is just learning to write in cursive. The Pelikano didn't start right away for me if it had been sitting capped and upright for more than 36 hours. However, if it had been sitting sideways, it started right away. I agree with most of what James P observed. I like drier-writing pens because my job is "behind the bad-paper curtain," but the Pelikano is also dry enough for me. The ergonomics of both pen designs feel equally good to me.

 

For ink in international cartridges for bad paper, I'd recommend Pelikan over Waterman.

[hari317]

The pelikano does not have the same nib as anything (if I'm not mistaken).

 

AFAIK, the new (plastic clip) Pelikano, Future and the Level L65 share the same nib. I have an older style steel clip Pelikano (M) and a Lamy Safari (M). Between these two, I prefer the Pelikano since it is wetter and smoother.

 

Best,

Hari

 

 

 

Edited to fix grammar

Edited January 16, 2008 by hari317

[irfan]

Allow me to be the lone dissenter here. I sell a lot of both brands of pen, and I sell a virtual boat load of Safaris. In my experience, I have found the Pelikano to be a consistently better writer than the Safari. This is not to say that the Lamy does not have its benefits or even its advantages over the Pelikano. But in the end, when I consider all factors, the Pelikano comes out on top.

 

Thanks for your comments, very interesting. I have to say, that was my impression, too, even though I was prejudiced in favour of the Safari just because it cost me three times as much as the Pelikano, so I wanted it to be better. But I found the whole writing experience with it so unpleasant that I gave it away to a friend. It felt like I had to apply pressure to make it write. It didn't feel like a fountain pen to me. My wife, on the other hand, says hers is her favourite pen, so it only goes to show. I don't really 'love' Pelikanos, either, but they are good back up pens, or pens you could go camping with, stuff like that.

 

I picked up a Parker 51 on eBay for $27.50, which just arrived yesterday - it has the jewel on the cap missing, but otherwise is great. Considering the price is so close to the Safari, I certainly know which one I'm happier with!

[artaddict]

irfan, I am not a fan of either pen. I sold my Safaris & tried a Pelikano and it felt like a toy.

[Chris C]

I have seen the Safari but I have owned a Pelikano for a while and it is a pretty nice pen for the money. It is ideal with Waterman long cartridges, which I recommend over Pelikan long carts, because it has less of a tendency to dry out after a period of disuse and the color is stronger. The Pelikano is also quite ergonomic and has a smooth nib although ink flow is not generous. For me it is the ideal gift for a third-grader learning to write cursive.

 

Chris

 

[Hans-Peter Ording]

I also think that the Safari writes too dry. I owned several of them, but I sold a few and I don't use them anymore because I found pens that I like much better.

 

Regards

Hans-Peter

[Grog]

I much prefer my Pelikano, and will find myself writing with it at least a bit every day, whereas the Safari feels too big for me, and I don't like the nib that much. Both are very stiff, but for some reason the Pelikano feels much more fluid to me.

 

I wish I had a Pelikano with a fine nib. I like my Futures but sometimes they feel slippery. The grip on the Pelikano works better for me.

 

(Of course it looks like a toy, it's a school pen for elementary school kids.)

Edited January 16, 2008 by Grog

[limesally]

I wish I had a Pelikano with a fine nib. I like my Futures but sometimes they feel slippery. The grip on the Pelikano works better for me.

 

I ordered my Pelikano with a fine nib from a store in Edmonton - www.stylusfinepens.com. I really like the Pelikanos. My DH has an AL-star (the upgraded Safari) but it just feels too long and I don't really like the grip.