My experience with Lamy Safari Pens

My first fountain pen was an inexpensive Lamy safari Pens which I received when I was in the third grade.

In the years since, I've owned several fountain pens - some family heirlooms, others more modern incarnations of classic pens. Though I don't use a fountain pen daily, I keep two Levenger Tru-Writers (one with a fine nib, one broad) and a Cross with a medium nib nearby. All use converters so I can write with a variety of inks (the real fun of writing with a fountain pen!)
I highly recommend the Lamy Safari to anyone who wish to take the plunge into fountain pen writing. In fact, I would recommend this pen to anyone who likes fountain pens.

It may not be a Mercedes, but it can be a dependable Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic - not fancy, but it certainly gets the job done. I plan on buying a few more of these pens.

Are Lamy Safari Pens expensive

Are the Lamy Safari Pens expensive?

I know you can find disposable fountain pens like the Pilot Varsity, for about $3.

A great refillable starter pen is the Lamy Safari, which costs around $25. (I have 6 of them)

Some mid range pens can run from $60-$100, like my favorite Pelikan M200, ($60) or my ultra-smooth Sailor Sapporo. ($105)

Then of course there are pens that are more expensive - considered to be status symbols, like the brands Montblanc and Omas pens, ($200-$400) and also the limited edition collector's type pens that can run $1000-$5000 and up.

Lamy Safari Pens are my favourite

And why is the Lamy Safari Pens still one of my favorites?
Heres why....


Cheap
About $30 with a converter -
very cheap for such a well made pen
Very durable ABS plastic
See through ink window - lets you know when ink is running low
Grip - better handwriting when the pen can be held securely
Replaceable nibs - $11 and very simple to replace
Easy to flush & refill with a different color ink
Very firm nib - no flex - great for Drawing.
Custom nib grinding $15 from Pendemonium

Even though it's quite wonderful and a great first pen, there are a few things that some people don't like about the Safari.
I don't really have any problems, though I did have a hard time with Diamine Imperial Purple staining my yellow Safari. luckily, I was able to get it fully clean again.

Reviews about Lamy Safari Pens

I came across these reviews when I was searching for more info on the Lamy safari pens

I’m on the hunt for pens that have the flat end tips, similar to the nibs you see for calligraphy only much thinner.
When I was on vacation, some time back near Germany, I saw a gentleman using what looked like a flat tip pen in a journal. The pen looked something like that of the Lamy, but thus far I’ve been unable to find a reference to that type of nib from the company.

Sounds like an oblique nib you’re looking for – tipped to produce a thicker stroke up and down, and a thinner stroke side to side – depending which way you hold the pen.

In the UK, The Writing Desk have the Lamy Safari (and others) with oblique nibs – they’re the ones in the size list beginning with an ‘O’. Should be available anywhere that stocks a good range of Lamy, though, and other pens have oblique options too.

The result is usually a bit more character to your writing, but at the expense of a little more care – the nib needs to be kept a bit more level than a more rounded tip.

For easy experimenting, there’s also the italic version of the Fountain Pentel that we sell at Cult Pens – it’s cheap and disposable, but at 0.8mm, probably a little thicker than an oblique medium nib. Surprisingly fun to write with, though.

You will love Lamy Safari Pens

I love the Lamy Safari Pens.

It’s the first fountain pen I’ve used that really performs how I expect a good fountain pen to perform.

Before this, almost every one I’ve tried has been disappointing. After this, others have a lot to live up to.
Certainly if you’re looking for a good fountain pen to use, this is about the best you’ll find for the money. Alternatives? You could look at some of the Parker pens. Their really cheap fountain pens really aren’t too bad, and a bit more money can get you some nice ones. If you’re willing to spend a bit more, Pelikan make some of the best pens around, and Lamy make some great pens further upmarket too.

For the money, though, the Safari really does perform.

Lamy Safari Pens are not so heavy

If you like a fairly heavy pen, this isn’t it.

The Lamy safari pens are very light, with very little resistance to moving it quickly.

For some reason, though, it doesn’t seem to be prone to the sort of shaky lines

I sometimes end up with when using very light pens.
The balance point is almost exactly in the centre. Pop the cap on the top for writing or drawing, though, and this pen becomes a bit heavier, and very top-heavy. I find it quite uncomfortable to use this way, so I never post the cap.

Oh, and that all-important question for many of you – any good on Moleskine paper? Well, that will depend on the ink, but the Lamy black ink that comes in their cartridges works really quite well. It’s a bit slow drying, so I tend to smudge it quite badly, but doesn’t feather too much, and doesn’t show through to the next page much at all.

Lamy safari Pens writes so smoothly

When I use my Lamy safari pens, it is such a pleasure to work with it. It is so smooth

This is where this pen shines. The ink flow starts instantly, and doesn’t require any pressure on the paper to keep going.

It can keep up even with scribbling and sketching, and although the nib is fairly firm, you can still get a bit of variation to the line width.

Push down firmly, and the nib will give you a thicker line. Turn it upside down for another trick – the top edge of the nib will still write, and writes with a narrower line. The shape of the pen makes it uncomfortable to use that way for long, but if you need a few quick thin lines, it can be a handy trick.
Compared with some other pens the Safari is slightly scratchy in feel, but it’s not at all unpleasant, and the flow is still perfectly smooth.