LAMY Safari Pens
A Better Pen
(6)
A decent set of writing instruments belongs in every man’s daily carry list. Unfortunately, your options are usually boring. They likely range from Grandpa’s Cross set that’s so skinny it slips out of your hand, or, on the stupid expensive end of the spectrum, a diamond encrusted Montblanc. LAMY’s Safari line is a great solution to this problem, offering an excellent product at an excellent price.
Our test left us feeling enthusiastic about this great value in penmanship. Hit the jump to hear why.
Made of sturdy and colorful ABS plastic, the Safari line takes liberal advantage of the color wheel, giving you options from flat black to hot pink, or in our case Gear Patrol orange. Needless to say, this will afford you the opportunity to be as understated or loud as you desire. Colors aren’t your only options either with fountain, ball and rollerball pens available, as well as mechanical pencils in the line.
The fountain pens come in the requisite nib widths to suit a variety of writing preferences. Each Safari has a chrome wire clip to safely retain it in pocket or bag, and a “comfort molded grip section” for a more pleasurable writing experience.
We got our ink stained hands on Safari fountain and ball point pens, in (suprise, suprise) orange, plus a Vista fountain pen (essentially a clear Safari) with orange ink. The fountain pen easily matched the ink delivery of a pen many times its price, with a smooth and forgiving script. The ball point was a ball point, but looked great. The grip section on all three were excellent, allowing for a cramp free marathon session of thank you note writing. For the cost of admission, these are a steal in terms of a high-end writing experience. It’s time to break free of that embarrassing hotel pen collection and start writing like a big boy.
Cost: $22-$30
My what amazing artwork you produce Jon! GP's new illustrator in residence…
I like the Lamy's Limited Editions. I also did a blogpost on them. Maybe I could post the article here? If you are not allowing it please remove the link: http://inkyjournal.blogspot.com/2009/08/review-la...
i have two of the Safari's after another writing instrument post you guys made. i like them but i did leave one sitting unused with the tip down and went to use it again. when i did, it wouldn't write. so i pulled the refillable cartridge out that i had in it and noticed all the ink leaked out and dried inside the pen. not sure how to proceed from there. it also makes me very leery of ever carrying it anywhere.
Alan,
The fountain pens are definitely made to be carried upright in a pocket or bag, and if you're hitting a plane be sure to remove the ink before taking off. I shot an email to LAMY about their recommendations for cleaning it, but running some warm/hot water through it should loosen that ink up and get you back on track. I'll report back when I hear from LAMY.
-Jon
Hell yeah! I'm a big fan of writing instruments and in fact have a Lamy Al-Star (the aluminum version of the Safari) and a Vista. I use the Vista daily with a converter filled with Noodler's El Lawrence ink and fitted with an extra fine nib. There's a significant difference in feel when using a fountain pen over a gel or ball point. It may seem insignificant to some, but for someone who writes a lot, the right choice of pen makes all the difference.
I love LAMY fountains. Unfortunately military paperwork requires black ballpoint. So the LAMY is homebound while my surefire pen gets the larger workload.
I love Lamy too and I use them because I always wanted to be an architect. My fountain pen leaks a bit though… Anyone else had that problem?
RogD,
I've had a couple of fountain pens and all of them tend to have a little leakage from the top of the nib, but nothing substantial. Try to carry it upright or leave it flat on a desk, never upside down. If you're not going to use it for a while take the ink out and run warm water through it to clean it. This will alleviate the issues Alan (above commentor) is now having.
Cheers,
Jon
I've been a LAMY user for over 20 years now. I try different brands, but something always, always brings me back to LAMY.
i've been looking for an affordable fountain pen, and the LAMY looks awesome!
cool! thanks for the response, jon! i almost always leave them flat, matter of fact the other one is flat, but i'm guessing, i accidentally put this one in my 'cup o' pens' and didn't even notice. it's my preferred pen too as the Fine nib suits my style more so than the Medium. i will attempt to clean it out with some warm water when i get home tonight. and bonus tip on taking it on a the plane.
i have a Lamy Safari in silver with turquoise ink (Lamy cartridge) and I'm love with it. not only it is beautiful but it writes incredibly smooth.