Comments on: A closer look at the Lamy Safari

By: Kevin

Kevin — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 08:20:36 +0000

Am I the only one who has safaris where the ink window doesn’t line up with the section – 4 out of my 11 safaris have this problem. Yes I am tightening to normal tolerances so thats not the problem – the problem is called “quality control”. Having said that I love my safaris.

By: Lon

Lon — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:35:04 +0000

Cleaning out old ink is a snap…Paula ….Re: Nov. 17th post…Just mix one tablespoon of clear household ammonia with 1 to 1- 1/2 cups of water ( room temp), then stand the pen’s nib… pointed down in it for a bunch of time, check it so see if the old ink running out…..all the pens for that matter , just the whole nib…not the plastic parts… in the liquid…that will probably clear out the old clogs…repeat if necessary..> and then run.. or…suck up the mix into the pen…& flush the ammonia mix thru a LAMY converter IN the pen(s)… ( buy one if u don’t have it …about $5.00)…. back and forth in the pen.. until there is no more ink in the feed and nib section…followed by a complete flush with clear water of ALL system’s parts for about 1/2 hr….under the tap.. make sure there’s no more ink color in the flushed liquid too…..in the converter… nib section… ALL PARTS inside and out.. That’s the ticket. The let dry over night. THEN after all this >test the pen in water only!!… to see the flow…If all is well… let the parts dry out and buy some fresh ink..not the old junk in your desk…G-d only knows how long it’s been in there… lol. Stay with a blue to start..no staining and will meet your needs…maybe a Noodler’s Ink …say…hum…”Ottoman Azure”, or Private Reserve’s ” Midnight Blues”…or WATERMAN’S “FLORIDA BLUE”…my go to blue..& has been in just about every pen I’ve ever owned at one time or another. FYI..I have every color of every Safari..and Al-Star that Co. has ever produced incl. the mystical Demonstrator…not the VISTA….a pen never sent to USA…..they are fab… and there isn’t a FP in the world that compares at $110 and under …really! Get a silver 1.1 nib for a LAMY, you’ll really like what it does for your writing ( about &12.00)… online. This is my friends formula for recovering messed up pens..Personally… I always flush them out before they are left to fight off intruders on/in my desk….lol. Have fun…that’s what FP’s are all about.

By: Brad

Brad — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:20:35 +0000

I hope you see this Matthew. Thanks for the comment.

I prefer Medium simply because, as I get older, I like to have something that puts down a substantial amount of ink. Obviously this is a personal preference but I used to like Fine nibs but that evolved over time.

One thing to remember, the Safari does seem to run a bit wide on the nib size and thus a medium might not be quite as medium as you think.

Hope that helps!

By: Matthew

Matthew — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 02:57:23 +0000

I had a Lamy Safari for quite some time, but I kept clipped to the front pocket of my jeans (pen inside, clip outside) and, sadly, while riding my bicycle one day, the top worked its way off the pen and not only did I lose it, but I ruined a perfectly good pair of pants in the process. LAMY INK DOES NOT WASH OUT EASILY. I’ve been trying to replace it and can’t remember if I had the fine or medium nib and have nowhere to try them out here locally as the shop that used to carried them no longer does so, thus my reluctance to get a new one.

That being said, do you prefer the medium or fine nib in your pens and why?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Matthew

By: Kim

Kim — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:19:50 +0000

I own SEVERAL. Love this pen.

By: Paula Corey

Paula Corey — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:42:31 +0000

I have three Safari fountain pens. Unfortunately, I left all three in a drawer with ink in them for nearly a year. I cleaned them and they worked fine for five minutes. Now they don’t work at all. I’m sad. I joined the Pen Addict contest for a new Safari and I hope I am chosen for my 67th birthday this week.

By: Steve Crane

Steve Crane — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:09:01 +0000

Great review, very different from the usual ones out there. I have one Safari but have been thinking of getting a second to have a wider nib with different ink colour to hand.

BTW Kyoho16, the longer, tapered pen you describe has the same section as the Safari but is actually called the Joy Calligraphy fountain pen.

By: Carol Wister

Carol Wister — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:30:39 +0000

Thank you for a wonderful review. I have been collecting fountain pens and am missing a Lamy Safari because I always wondered what the fuss about a plastic pen was. Now I’ll try one and find out for sure–but can I love it more than my Sensa or my Visconti? We’ll just have to find out . . .

By: Erin Carmack

Erin Carmack — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:41:08 +0000

Wow, that is an awesome review of Safari’s. I learned things I didn’t even know about my own pen! Thanks.

By: Kyoho16

Kyoho16 — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:19:11 +0000

I have two. One for regular writing and another for italic. I know I can just change the nib on the regular one, but the one I got with the italic nib is longer, like an elegant cigarette holder, so it makes calligraphy a lot more pleasant. Plus it’s red and black!

I’m left handed, so I really appreciate the smoothness of the nib.

In short, I love my pens and totally agree with everything you’ve said.