Lamy Safari - I Pink I Like You

While I am still undecided about the Neon Yellow, I think Lamy hit it right in the nail by re-releasing the Safari Fountain Pen in pink (Note: The pen in this review is provided by Jetpens). Instead of the round dot (original release in 2009?) and pink with pink cross finial (2011 re-release), this years version has a black textured cross. The body is light, glossy and sturdy and I just really like how happy and bright the color is, without being obnoxious.

The medium steel nib write quite smoothly right from the start and the amount of stiffness/bounce is perfect for my handwriting (the very reasons I love the range so much, then there are all the limited editions gimmicks). The blue ink cartridges that came with it is quite wet (hence produces a very noticeable nib creep) and smooth but I switched to a bright pink ink later.

(Pink is for Pushkin, haha) Anyway, now it's confirmed that Rohrer & Klingner is indeed a dry ink. Using the Safari medium nib just makes the writing experience a little smoother. The ink (a little more dusty rapsberry than a true hot pink) isn't a match for the pen but I guess it would be fun to match outfit, lip or nail color with the pen.

The writing is part of the final scene of Eugene Onegin (You will see parts of the novel here quite often, since I am trying to memorize it bit by bit).

The writing sample starts at 2:45 

Part II of the scene

Lamy Purple Al-Star Fountain Pen & Anfänger Nib

 A few weeks ago, I noticed that the Purple Lamy Al-Star Fountain Pen  was being sold on Amazon for a fairly good price (around 26 bucks, when I also had some Amazon credit card reward). Since I already ordered some replacement nibs off Taobao, I reckon an extra body never hurts (especially it matched one of my favorite inks).

 The Purple Al-Star has a reddish purple that's somewhat dusky. When I first got it, the spray painted body felt a little dry and frosted but it soon smoothed up after a few weeks of use.

 The pen originally comes with a Fine nib (which writes perfectly, just like the other F I had). I soon swapped if for an "mysterious Lamy A nib" I bought from a seemly legitimate Taobao seller (for around 6USD). Thanks to blog like KMPN, I learned that the A (for Anfänger) nib is the one found on Lamy ABC and it means "beginner" in German.

There isn't a specified size for the A nib but the seller labeled it as between M & B (however, mine writes like a Lamy F).  Even though there isn't any feature that sets A nib apart from the rest (at least not any that I can see), it does feel different than other Lamy nibs. 

It seems that the tipping is rounder, glassier (very smooth on the paper, noticeably more so than the already smooth F/M/B-nib) and lays down a line that's more intense. while the other Lamy nibs I have usually spread out the line and make each stroke appear slightly washed-out. In fact, the nib seems so smooth that there is a great deal of skipping (slipping) when I used it on Clairefontaine and Rhodia paper (the uncoated Ecoqua and copy paper are totally fine), which is something I experienced with some very wet Lamy Italic nib and Pilot Custom Heritage 91 (which seems to be misplaced...).

 Writing sample of the A-nib, with J. Herbin Poussiere de Lune. You can see some pretty bad slipping towards the bottom of the page. Anyway, I haven't tried Lamy ABC to know if this is the standard performance of the nib but for the time being, I am really happy about the purchase.

Taobao Pen & Paper Haul

Last weekend, one of my cousins (I have 12 of them) came to US for grad school. He agreed to bring me some junks I buy from Taobao (Like the Chinese version of FleaBay and Amazon, minus the Super Slow Shipping). Luckily, I resisted the urge to hoard all the Penbbs forum ink, as his only bottle of shampoo was confiscated by the airport security.

 

 Sailor Profit Fude de Mannen from iPen. I have the (just) Fude de Mannen and its ridiculous length was getting on my nerve (What are they trying to make? An asparagus?). This one is the exact same thing, just with shorter, dark blue and cigar shaped body. The store charges 93RMB/15USD (shipping included), the same as Japanese Amazon. The seller also included a Sailor converter (!) and a freebie dust bag, the sole purpose of which is to attract dusts... 

Since the store (which is run by a very well-known member from Penbbs.com) also carries some Lamy products. I picked up a 1.5mm Italic nib (the other two widths were out) for 30RMB, which is similar to the nibs retail price in Europe (4 Euros). The seller includes a rubber sheet, which is a God-sent for speedy nib-swapping.

While I was browsing, I noticed another store whose has all the italic sizes as well as the A nib (from Lamy ABC, the width of which is listed as between M and B) for pretty reasonable prices. The A nib was 30 RMB while the italic nibs were (still are) only 18 RMB (3USD!). The rest of the nibs are the same as American retail, with EF being the most expensive.

 
I swapped them on right away and they all write very smoothly and wet. At first I was a little apprehensive about buying from this store (given how many counterfeits products are there in China) but the recent Hero story has told us that, either Chinese are not capable of cloning Safari (and its accessories) or they just don't want to put their whole arse (would it be a little classier if I spell it the British way?)  into doing it.


 Next up, I got an sketch book (with a supposedly very fountain-pen friendly paper called Daolin and a book, both with artwork by illustrator PPsama, whom I have been following on Weibo.  The artwork on the sketch book is about childhood memories and the book is about Solar Term (and the history and customs behind it). 

The illustration are all tinted like old fashioned calender (from the 1920-50s) and she incorporated her 1920s self into the drawings. For some reasons, the book (even though much bigger and has a giant sheet of stickers on the back) is the same price as the sketch book at 25RMB. The sketch book charges 10RMB shipping while the shipping on the book was included.

 Lastly, the black pleather case has a no-name fountain pen (a spare from my mom, just like the bag from the first picture) and an ear pick, which you probably don't want to see = = ...

Lamy Blue Ink Cartridge Review

Most fountain pen lovers should be really familiar with this ink, as it comes with every Lamy Safari/Al-Star/Vista. I never gave it much thoughts initially (mainly because my first Lamy pen had a problematic nibs that too months to break in) but after going through 3 of these, the color actually seems rather easy on the eyes. 

Lamy Blue is a medium-deep (on a broad is much more vibrant and sapphire-like) purple-blue with great flow and very little problem. No bleed through, feathering on most paper and it's rather smooth on the paper for something that flows this well. It withstand some splashes but no soak, faring a little better than J. Herbin in the water-resistance part.

With a fine nib Safari, the shading of Lamy Blue is by no mean remarkable (or noticeable) but every inks shades well with Clairefontaine. Anyway, the color is neutral (as in suitable for everyday use) with a bit of quirk and the unit price is actually pretty good (in bottle form) so I might end up buying a full bottle.

Lamy Turquoise Bottle Ink

 

I have had Lamy Turquoise Bottle Ink since last September and it has always been inked in one of my rotating pens. The ink is pretty much perfect: The color is rich, intense but not too in-your-face. It flows well and look different (and good) with all nib sizes and  it always writes smoothly on paper. Lastly, the unit price is relatively low for such a good-looking and well-behaving ink.

The spinning-top-shaped bottle is and securely plugged in a ring shaped base, which contains a roll of what blotting paper. It's probably not the most space-conscious design but I found it very sturdy, steam-lined (no paper sticker!) and user friendly (it doesn't spill when I try to open it).

Nice texture nib-wiping tissue that I never use (because I syringe-fill my cartridge and converter) - It would be handy if you want to use it for the nib-creep (doesn't happen with this ink) though. 

Lamy Safari Broad with the Lamy Turquoise Ink - The ink shades from sky (on a perfectly cool and sunny day) blue to lighter aqua, so I find it fitting for fall and cooling for summertime. There is a tad bit of water-resistance so it's OK splash but not soak-able.

Not pictured: On a very fine nib like Pilot Extra Fine (on the Penmanship fountain pen), the color is deeper and much more subdued, almost like a royal blue. I will show that later since the pen is currently filled with something else. Overall: Highly recommended (unless you have a lot of other turquoise).

Matching Object: For the Worshipers by Noh Sang-Kyoon (Taken at Houston Museum of Fine Arts)

Lamy Raspberry Al-Star with J. Herbin Rouge Opera

Lamy Raspberry Al-Star is the special edition for 2009 and it's no longer available in US (some Asian sources said it was made permanent). I was lucky enough to discover one from an England-based eBay seller, who charged...A little less than 30 dollars (international shipping included!) for a brand new one in package (that's cheaper than a special edition Safari!) and since it's the European version, it also came with a silver colored plastic pouch (that I ended up needing).

The Lamy Al-Star is around the same length as a Safari with a slightly chubbier build, the over-all design of the two are the same except Al-Star are smoother (as in, less angular on the edges) and feels more solid on the hand. It's a light weight one for a metal-body pen (it weights less than the resin-body, shorter Sailor Sapporo) but I like how it balances and the brushed-metal, cool-to-the-touch body. 

Like Safari, the Al-Star also has a cap that's denser (with a noticeably bigger weight per unit length) than the body, it not only feels a bit off-balance when posted (I try not to do it since it makes a chalkboard-scratching screech), it's also harder to balance...But I managed! (Maybe I love them because they/the flat bases are the perfect models for my outdoor glamour shots).

The transparent charcoal body show all the capillary and maybe's it's because the ink are evenly distributed (and the top is darkened so I don't see a huge glop of ink accumulated), I am actually not bothered by it. The Lamy M nib is smooth and stiff. Even it's doesn't glide on the paper like a skater, the specific break down of stiff-springiness is very compatible with my handwriting so I keep going back to it. 

Of course, I hate the trigonal grip with a passion (if it's not creating new bumps on my hand, it just cuts skin on my existing one. It's like a daily regional exfoliation on my middle finger). Anyway, I just learned to suck it up since it's part of the attractive design.

I haven't heard many people coveting the Raspberry color, but I find it really unique and magical: It's a pinkish red (well, raspberry pink) but there is also a hint of warm gold tone in the paint, which makes it look like ruby grapefruit under certain lighting. Even though I try to care for the pen like a baby, small scratches and dents still appear on the cap...

The closest match to the pen (in my small collection) would be J. Herbin Rouge Opera: A demurely dusty raspberry pink with medium intensity, decent (there are silkier inks out there) flow and no water-resistance. The writing sample is Olga's Aria from Eugene Onegin, as today is Tchaikovsky's 173th birthday!

The ink writes smoothly and the shading is pretty noticeable with the Clairefontaine paper (but pretty much every ink is, as long as it's not too intense) but I feel that it's a little dry on the normal cheaper paper I use.

Overall: Love them both.

Lamy Safari & Al-Star Nib Size Comparison

 
What do you do on a perfectly clear and breezy day? For me, I take backyard glamour shots (of different junks I own). This time, I managed to snap some close-up of some Lamy steel nibs on Safari and Al-Star. I guess now I really need the new special edition shade Safari, just to complete the Primary Colors (of light and pigments) theme.

The extra fine nib was very problematic at first (it was scratchy, laying down lines that are thin, faint and uneven) but after 8 months of breaking-in (didn't even work despite it gave me another bump on my middle finger), tine flossing (worked a bit but I suspect it's just because I switched ink), nib-swapping (I yanked it out too hard so the tine misaligned further and turned extra scratchy) and messing around with tweezers, it finally became usable!

 

Al-Star Medium (you can see the pink precipitate and yellow sheen from Diamine cerise)the nib is the same but it's difficult to hold all three Safari together with this in a straight line. Starting from fine, all the nib have been smooth, consistent and reliable for daily writing. My writing looks the neatest with the EF but I usually go with fine/medium (they don't look all that different) because ink flow better on the two. The broad is nice and wet and a perfect replacement for marker pen (when I draw/doodle) but it sometime slips on the page.

Writing sample of the different nib sizes: Extra Fine - Diamine Meadow (another killer shader),  Fine - Noodler's Bulletproof Black, Medium - Diamine Cerise, Broad - Lamy Turquoise.

As you can see, the Lamy EF is the only nib size that's suitable for daily Chinese writing (on standard notebook ruling). The horizontal strokes start to merge when using the fine nib and I am not even writing traditional characters (which are more complex in form and favored when it comes to calligraphy). The three horizontal strokes becomes a big glob when I use the broad. 

Overall: Lamy Safari and Al-star are pretty good writers even though they are not as good (in terms of performance per unit price) as those more affordable Japanese pens. I bought them for the limited edition factor and design so I guess they are worth it...sort of.

Lamy Safari Fountain Pen - Fine Nib Red Body

When I bought my first Lamy Safari, I accidentally added two converters to my cart so in order to not put the 4.5-dollar into waste, I decided to spend an additional 22 dollars to buy another Safari even though I didn't like the first one. Moral of the story -Who needs economic stimulating package when there is woman logic?

 Since I already wrote a novel about the first one, I won't be yapping again for what's essentially the same pen. The color red is glossier, prettier and consequently shows scratches much better. Well, you get some and you lose some. After several weeks of use, I notice that small internal crazes started to appear on the side of the grip as well as the on both sides the barrel (extending from the ink window down the the LAMY logo).  I suppose they are suppose to be budget pen but I can't say that I wasn't a little irked...

This time, I opt for the fine nib which unlike the extra fine, is quite smooth and started to write as soon as it's inked. As with most European fine, this is quite thick for the Asian standard that it's already non-usable for normal Chinese writing. When you use it on normal college ruled paper (or Chinese composition paper that's grid-like), you can barely write words more detailed strokes with it. Even for English use, I find it a little too thick for wordier homework or condensed note-taking but I suppose that's just a personal preference.

Lamy Safari Fountain Pen Extra Fine Nib Apple Green

After a decade-long hiatus from the world of fountain pens (it was rather hard to find in North America, especially for a kid without car or credit card), I was ready to embrace it once again...But where to start?

The Apple Green Lamy Safari seems like a good choice, as it's green, limited edition (I am a sucker for this kind of gimmick) and rather affordable...Wait, you call a 29-dollar (a converter costs an additional 4.5 bucks) beginner fountain pen with plastic barrel "affordable" (When you can get at least 20 Hero pens in China)?  Am I in the wrong planet?  Anyway, I quickly got over the price issue as I realize that pretty pen don't come with pretty price-tag.

Apple Green is the special edition color for the year of 2012 (it should still be around til the May 2013 at the very least) - It's bright (borderline-neon), happy and quite easy to find inside a messy backpack. In fact, the color is the main thing that keeps me from hating this pen...Let's head to the lengthy review.

The Body of Lamy Safari is made of two, three if you count the cap, pieces of ABS plastic: It's light-weight (not so much that it becomes flimsy), solid, appears to be (Reads: It's not really) seamless and generally well-constructed, even though it does unscrew/and loosen up by itself occasionally. 

The barrel of the pen, which is cylindrical overall but shaved flat at front at back, comes with two windows for you to monitor ink level. It's a very helpful design (unless you are using a viscous ink that adhere to the inner surface of converter/cartridge) but I usually screw it off to check anyway, just because I am OCD.

The cap comes with a jumbo paper clip styled...clip that's curved outward a little. It's moderately springy and very handy as can can slide it on my tote or pocket in a jiffy. The down side is that the suction created by the cap is on the weak side, so the lid slide out easily. 

Another thing about the lid is that, compared to the rest of the pen, it has a noticeably larger weight per unit length so it will throw the pen off-balance when you 1. use it capped (it's long enough to be used along so it's not really an issue).  2. are trying to do a outdoor glamor shot with its lid on (doesn't apply to most people).

One of the major aspects of the Lamy Safari design is the trigonal grip (curved at base, shaved-off at both side), beside the artistic/hip look, it's supposed to let your thumb and index finger fall naturally and comfortably into the "right" places...