Lamy AL-star vs Lamy Safari

The graphite is not as dark as a gun metal color, more of a light gray. The pen is simple, but it is also visually appealing, reliable, and fun to write with. It is not the perfect fit in the hand, but it is not uncomfortable. I probably would not use this pen to write a 10 page letter, but it has served the purpose of jotting notes, editing, and general correspondence admirably

It uses a cartridge converter filler system, but I thought we just go over the pen. We'll take a little closer look at it I'll talk about some of the ...

We're looking here at a surprisingly cheap ($27 in November 2017) Lamy Al-Star. This is a good price for an Al-Star, which usually start around $32. I suspect the cheaper price is due to the rather unremarkable color.

Personally this bothers me at 40 bucks a pop plus inks and cartridges which will not stay lubricated forever thank goodness they are only a buck for the cartridges. The inks can be quite expensive. Last a long time but expensive to build a color library if inks for calligraphy. With the way they need ink as often as they do, they are a pain in the rear if you write or draw with them

The Lamy Al- Star and Safari have a triangular grip, and for those who do not wish their pen to tell them how to grip it, might be a problem, especially left handed people. Also , the Aluminum body is more prone to dents and scratches than the matte finished plastic ones, even though the price and construction materials might suggest otherwise.

Probably not unpopular but the triangle grip section on the lamy safari utterly ruins the pen.

I tried out the one in the store and immediately fell in love with how that medium nib Al-Star model behave when I pressed down on the trial paper pad. I bought that one in gold color for $47 in store plus sales tax. After expensed a box of the cartridge ink in a few days and piles of ink filled paper I practiced on, I found that the design with the two flat holding areas really let me write without causing discomfort in my hand and on my finger tips. I wanted to try one with fine nib, and at the cost of $27 for this purchase I was sold

For a big pen, these things hold surprisingly little ink when used with a standard converter. I far prefer using a syringe to refill Lamy cartridges. I suspect refilled cartridges hold 2/3 more ink than converters. 2) Lamy clips bag out over time

While it definitely feels good and i love the pen i do wish it was a bit heftier. It just feels too light it my hands it’s kinda odd. For my next pen i really want a clear one but i don’t want it to be super light plastic. i love the clear twsbi but i’m not sure which is the heaviest

While this is obvious to me, only someone paying close attention would notice. 5) Bulky. Not something you would think of when shopping for your fountain pen, but this Lamy does not fit into the compartmentalized pen holders in all of my briefcases. Due to the large body and squared off ends (as opposed to the traditional "torpedo" shape), it can be akward getting this pen into the compartments when I am in a rush

Likewise, the aluminum casing gives it a modern finish and leaves it feeling light in the hand. Likewise, the inside of the pen is well made and feels solid. Some people might not like the angled grip but I happen to like the fact that it directs your fingers exactly where to go. It's also so easy to fill/re-fill that anyone can learn how in a few minutes

Anyway, let's look at the design of this pen, how it's put together. We'll do a writing sample, and then we'll talk about the longevity sort of stuff....