Lamy Safari Fountain Pen Review: Longevity, Design, and Writing Sample
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- Опубликовано: 24 фев 2022
- The Lamy Safari is one of the longest standing best budget fountain pens available. In this review video, I'll show you my two limited edition Lamy Safaris: My Petrol with a fine nib and my Violet with an extra-fine nib. I'll go over the parts and features of this famous entry-level fountain pen, show you a writing sample, and, most importantly, give you an idea of how this pen holds up to wear and tear. It may be one of the best beginner fountain pens, but will it last as you grow in the hobby? Let's find out!
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I bought my first Lamy Safari in 1982 here in Brazil - a white one - fountain pen - medium nib - I use it almost every day since then. Perfect for daily use, especially for us Doctors who write tons of medical prescriptions. Love all models of Lamy, but Safari is my favorite.
I bought my first Safari in 1986. Red, with black nib and clip. Two years ago (2022), it got a crack in the hood. I wrote to Lamy and asked about life span for the Safari. They were so impressed that they sent me a new pen! That's quality and service!! Pen collector wishes Liselotte in Sweden.
Got my first LAMY when i learned writing in the 90ies - it is still good today! 😅 this pen is now over 25 years old, and looks still pretty good! 🎉
That's amazing! I wonder if new Safaris have the same build quality as the old ones. Time will tell!
That's awesome! I've heard really good things about Lamy as a company, in addition to the Safari being a good fountain pen.
@@DowntheBreatherHole...i think they are...😊... my 25 year old, and the one i bought like 1 year ago feel and look exactly the same (except for the color) - now i also bought a couple of AL-Stars which offer a more premium feel... ❤😮
I was given a Lamy Safari, as a gift, a few weeks ago. The click of the snap cap on mine is soft and sounds like that of your older pen (Petrol colour). The nib aligns perfectly with the barrel, ink window and 'LAMY' logo. The 'X' finial plug is out of alignment on mine but I hadn't noticed until I saw this video. Unlike you, I have the glossy ABS plastic and not the matt finish. I cannot see any scratches on the pen or clip. As to longevity, it depends on expectations. Some people buy a Montblanc and expect it to last a lifetime. I think the Safari is made from durable materials and, with care, should last a long time. However, it could be a pen used by students which may mean a harder life. Nevertheless, I think even if the pen were 'beaten up' a bit, it would still write acceptably well. In terms of expectations, the Safari is often bought as a 'starter' fountain pen and is a mere 'stepping stone' to better pens. The great thing that ensures reliability is that the nib, feed and converter can all be replaced quite easily. From a personal point of view I am not a great fan of the overall design. Nor do I like the grip section. That being said, I find mine a good writer with no problems. Every time I uncap the pen it writes first time, no hard starts or skipping. As the writing performance matters more than looks to me I continue to keep it on my desk and use it daily.
I've had one of mine for over two years.
Sure the Lamy Safari lasts. I have one that I purchased in 1993 when I was an undergrad at University. I use it everyday, and it still is as good as new. I dont carry it in my pants pocket like you do,I carried for years in my backpack, now, it stays at home, or travels on a pen case. A friend ruined the nib by dropping it on to a cement floor, but that problem was easily fixed by ordering a replacement nib from Goulet Pens and installing the new nib, which was a 5 min. operation.
Overall, it is a wonderful and a very durable pen. Something that I would like at recommend to all my friends who want a quality , but an affordable pen to start their pen journey.
I never got used to that grip either, but I still love these pens. I mainly use them for sketching with water soluble inks and all the different colored barrels make it easy to match my ink to the pen.
Nice! Yeah, I find doodling with these pens easier than writing because when you draw you're constantly adjusting your grip anyway, as opposed to trying to find one way to hold the pen.
Brian Goulet has a video on how to swap nibs on Lamy pens and is quite easy. Just a little piece of scotch tape is needed.
A beautiful nib pen on that too ef Nib looks very beautiful.
Mine has lasted 15 years, no end in sight. John Wick used one to kill 23 people in a bar, after which he wrote 23 letters to the deceased relatives so it also doubles as a lethal weapon, although not with the gold nib.
haha I haven't seen any John Wick movies. Is that seriously a thing?
@@DowntheBreatherHole You really should watch the John Wick movies, a lot of martial artists have praised the fights scenes for the reality.
The finial doesn’t screw in. It’s snapped it. So you can rotate it to whatever orientation you like.
Those rings that seal the cap do eventually wear down but it took mine about 5 years of steady use. I grabbed a pack of cheap knock-offs (Jinhao or Hongdian or something) on Amazon and pulled all the rings to use as replacements for my Safaris and Al-Stars.
Defintely agree about the size of the XF, wish it was thinner, but I guess/heard it's just the style of the Western nibs vs Eastern. Although I have a Goulet XF nib for different pen and it seems thinner than the Lamy so maybe its the manufacturer differences too.
I absolutely appreciate your attention to detail. I'm also the type of person that wants everything to be "perfect", so knowing the shortcomings beforehand is very helpful to ease my mind. I'm new to fountain pens, and I plan on purchasing the Lamy Safari as my first one. Perhaps if I really enjoy it, I'll upgrade at some point to the Lamy 2K.
The Safari is a great first choice! Let me know if you have any questions about nib sizes, etc. Also, I hope to purchase a Lamy 2000 someday. They are amazing pens. Just know that they write very differently from a Safari, so make sure you do some research to make sure you are okay with the sweet spot of the 2000's nib grind.
I was given a new Lamy Safari, as a gift, a few weeks ago. The click of the snap cap on mine is soft and sounds like that of your older pen (Petrol colour). The nib aligns perfectly with the barrel, ink window and 'LAMY' logo. The 'X' finial plug is out of alignment on mine but I hadn't noticed until I saw this video. Unlike you, I have the glossy ABS plastic and not the matt finish. I cannot see any scratches on the pen or clip. As to longevity, it depends on expectations. Some people buy a Montblanc and expect it to last a lifetime. I think the Safari is made from durable materials and, with care, should last a long time. However, it could be a pen used by students which may mean a harder life. Nevertheless, I think even if the pen were 'beaten up' a bit, it would still write acceptably well. In terms of expectations, the Safari is often bought as a 'starter' fountain pen and is a mere 'stepping stone' to better pens. The great thing that ensures reliability is that the nib, feed and converter can all be replaced quite easily. From a personal point of view I am not a great fan of the overall design. Nor do I like the grip section. That being said, I find mine a good writer with no problems. Every time I uncap the pen it writes first time, no hard starts or skipping. As the writing performance matters more than looks to me I continue to keep it on my desk and use it daily.
To make the new converter work properly, you can use some silicone grease to lube it up. It can be disassembled. Just use a rubber band to pull off the metal ring and you can pull out and lube up the disassembled piston.
Thanks! I don't know why I didn't think of that! I'm definitely going to try that!
I’m new to fountain pens but after a few weeks, finally noticed the misalignment between the ink window and the grip, thought I’d jacked up my pen somehow for a while, lol
Haha I can't tell you how many times I have thought I messed up a pen. Haha
I have several Lamy nibs and I find that the black coated nibs tend to be scratchier than the silver colored ones. I have silver colored extra-fine Lamy nibs that are wonderful, but the black extra-fine nibs run drier and scratchier. Maybe the coating prevents ink flow a little. I have the violet Safari too and I think it is my favorite Safari I’ve seen. I like the matte texture, the matching clip and finial and of course that beautiful purple. BTW, letters are on the way!
Looking forward to the letters! You might be right about the black nibs.
My experience has been the opposite, my black coated XF isn't scratchy at all and rather wet.
Their nib has variations, I have sevelal fines that writes differently
@@houghwhite411 I agree. Lamy nibs, even of the same color and designated line width, frequently give different results.
Hi- the new Lamy converter has a removable silver band so it’s easy to clean and get all the ink out. I like them. Learned how to remove the bank from Brian Goulet of Goulet Pens.
Thanks! I actually remember seeing that video years ago. I'll have to try it.
Mine are 16 years old and still in use.
Impressive! They sure are rugged pens.
Aloha, you can turn the finial X to align it with the clip. That finial part can also pop out without breaking.
Thanks!
The violet safari was my first pen! Second was an All Star in teal. As my knowledge has grown and my collection to 25 pens, I find I prefer the Japanese ef nibs as I write small. But the Lamy hold a special place in my heart. I just acquired the black cursive nib.
How's that Lamy cursive nib? It sure looks interesting!
@@DowntheBreatherHole It's OK for printing, but too thick for my teeny cursive writing. So, somewhat disappointed as it looks beautiful. I exclusively us EF, F, or MF nibs...
The Z24 converter with the black metal ring cannot be cleaned and serviced once ink gets behind the piston rubber. You can with the Z28 converter. Just remove the fiction fitted bright metal ring, and you can take the piston unit out, lube it and wash away ink that has seeped into the piston area.
You can turn the finnial. I turn it with my thumbnail and it broke my nails lol
Oh! Good to know. I probably should have tried that before shooting this video.
I am a plumber and always carry a Sharpie-type pen and a writing pen on me. I have struggled with how to carry them and I found a place that works, Our work shirts are Polos and I carry my Sharpie by securing it below the lowest button and the writing pen above the lowest button. The body of the pen is inside the shirt and the clip of the pen is visible outside the shirt. I am in attics, crawl spaces, standing, kneeling, and lying on every side. They are never in the way when they are in my shirt. I would love to find a fountain pen I can carry this way. Do you think these pens are an option or do you think the cap is too prone to coming off? If you don't recommend this pen, is there another pen that you think is a better option? Two things I consider with the pens I carry in my shirt are they are not expensive and they are not big. Thanks for the video.
Have you tried the Diplomat Magnum? It's cheap, light, and fairly small. It has the most versatile clip I have ever used, and I love the nib. It's one of my favorite EDC pens. I think it could be a good option for you.
@@DowntheBreatherHole thanks, I'll check that one out.
I can’t find that blue color anywhere with the safari. Is it discontinued? Thanks!
Neither Safari in this video is really blue. There's the petrol, which is a dark teal, and the violet, which is purple. Color is hard to convey on a screen, especially when everyone's screens are different. These Lamy Safaris are both special editions from a few years back. The petrol especially is hard to find. People sell it on eBay for over $100 because it was such a popular edition. The violet will likely be easier to find, but you might still have to get it secondhand.
When you get a new LAMY pen, and the ink won't flow like expected - give it a) a flush of the nib section and let it dry and b) remove the nib and place it on again - sometimes the friction is too good, and prevents inkflow - one time removal and installing solves that problem... 😅
Thanks for the tip!
how did you remove the ink from your jeans?
Fortunately, fountain pen ink is designed to stick to paper more than anything else, so it actually just washed right out. I use Tide. Maybe that had something to do with it? They should sponsor me. LOL
I have 3 with 14k nibs...lamy 14k nibs are just one of the best
Cool! I'm probably getting a Lamy 2000 soon, so I'm excited to try a Lamy gold nib.
I sent some money to Damian. Thanks for mentioning him. I hope they find a cure for him.
Thank you thank you thank you, Sara!
Paint on the clip chip's off , right ??
I haven't noticed any paint chipping off my Lamy Safari clips, but I have noticed some very small dents and rough spots that have formed over time in the paint.
Said it before, will say again, esp on a review of longevity. Here's what you need to know about the Lamy safari IF you are looking for a heavy use pen. If this is for an actual "work pen" that will see heavy use (am ER doc), the cap will stop functioning after a while. I have 20 of these, in parts. After some period, short enough that I end up with 20 dead ones in 4-5 years, all caps fall off/let go/don't hold on. ALL of them. Lamy's "fix" for this known issue if you contact them, with a picture of a whole basket of dead Safaris: buy a new cap at almost the price of a pen. 1. They were all REAL Lamys. 2. I know how to use fountain pens, have a fair collection that I do not use for work. 3. I recapped appropriately, certainly never once capped at an angle to catch the nib, or capped so hard as to bend the tines of crack a cap.
After this lesson in frustration, I bought 3 Faber-Castell Hexos. A year of the same heavy use focused on 2 of the 3, so much more frequent than the Safaris, and all three still work with caps that fit and hold. The Lamy safari is a GREAT starter fountain pen. It is NOT a work pen, certainly not if it will be taken out and decapped/recapped 100+ times a day.
Thanks for your input! I'm sorry about your Safaris! Shortly after making this video, I encountered the same problem with one of my caps, but members of a Facebook forum helped me solve it. Someone said you can tighted the finial using a coin as a screwdriver, and it totally worked for me. I wonder if it might work for you as well.
I've seen half a dozen or so Safari snapped in half right behind the grip. This is certainly not common, but it can happen.
I bought mine from amazon. Charcoal body with medium nib. The pen wrote very scratchy and almost 3 shades lighter to my parker. I did not enjoy writing with this pen, not fun at all. I ended up returning it. The pen also does not invoke confidence while writing with it, feels very fragile.
I wonder if you got a counterfeit. For a plastic pen, the Safari is pretty sturdy.
try the medum
I have a couple of medium Lamy nibs now. They're good!
The Mystic of Nature , Mary Oliver is considered to be A SAINT among the LGBTQ...sadly she died at 83yrs from Lymphoma 😢
"You have to be in the World to understand what the 'Spiritual' is about and you have to be 'Spiritual' in order to truly be able to accept what the world is about"
Thanks for that. Yeah, I remember when she passed. Sad day.
There is no pen I hate more, or think looks cheaper and uglier, than the Lamy Safari. Unless it's the Lamy 2000. But I see why people use them, at least as starter pens. I will certainly never own another Lamy, but they are durable, and they do write well. So are many other pens, all of which I think look far better than a Lamy, and write much better than a Lamy.
But I'm usually not a steel nib person. I went crazy out of sheer boredom during the Covid lockdown and started buying pens and inks constantly. I bought twenty-eight TWSBI, four Conklin Duragraph, a second Conklin Mark Twain Crescent Filler, three Opus 88, three Narwhal, a dozen Metropolitans, and probably four or five other pens that don't come to mind right now. So I'm now a person who prefers gold nibs, but who owns as many steel nibs as gold nibs. I also bought something like a hundred and twenty large bottles of ink. That was insane since I already had two hundred bottles.
I did not buy anything from Lamy. Except for some ink. I just really, really, really hate Lamy pens. I think it's great that others love them, and even collect them, they just are not for me.
The Lamy Safari is certainly a polarizing pen. It's not for everyone. I enjoy it for its affordable, durability, and versatility. For me it feels like the Swiss Army knife of fountain pens.
holy shit bro i dont think people who own lamy safaris can afford 10k worth of useless fragile crap that they can’t pronounce
Worst pen ever made--only for idiots who write horizontally (ie with bad penmanship).
We've had this discussion before, and I don't get your complaint about horizontal writers. I don't write that way, yet I use this pen and others you complain about just fine. Since you clearly don't care for the pens I've featured on my channel, what pens would you recommend as an alternative?
@@DowntheBreatherHole I use this pen a lot and found holding the grip higher, I can use the top index finger grip. It's pretty comfortable
@@DowntheBreatherHole Kaigelu 316 or 316A--nothing compares at $20--not even close.
@@josephaziz785 I agree with the Kaigelu. Perhaps name calling not the way to get your point across. Understandably, people like the Safari for it's durability. For my money, Kaigelu is the better choice and writing experience...... Flawless.
For me, a much beloved Lamy, the 2000, is the worst pen ever made, and the Safari comes in second.