These Lamy pens are great pens: they're affordable, they write well, are easy to use and easy to clean. Regarding durability: I had a Lamy Vista while in school as my everyday pen. Due to extremely high utilization and less than ideal storage methods, it eventually ended up with a badly cracked cap and barrel. Same for my second Vista. I got an Al-Star to replace my second Vista and it survived the same conditions with only minor scratches - no dents or cracks. Considering the Safari is basically an opaque Vista, I'd recommend the Al-Star over it for durability as a daily-use pen. They all still work fine, but posting and capping the Vistas several thousands of times eventually took its toll on the plastic.. - No such problems with the Al-Star.
I just received my Lamy Safari pen today along with the Noodler's Bad Black Moccasin ink and the cartridge converters, and wanted to say THANK YOU for your lightning-fast shipping and careful packaging!!! For some odd reason I got three converters in my package even though I ordered only two (or so I thought)- reckon I should purchase a couple more Lamy's from you folks to make use of them. Never had a decent-quality fountain pen until now... what a difference! Thanks again!!!
+NipkowDisk Thanks for the support! What color Safari did you go with? I have the charcoal. Lucky surprise on the converters. We do have the special edition Dark Lilac Lamy Safari coming on Monday if you're looking... - Colin
Interesting, I bought this year's special edition AL-Star, to go with my special edition Safari from last year, and I've actually found them quite different to write with. The AL-Star is heavier, but also a lot rounder (both in thickness and in shape) than the Safari. The weight distribution is different between the two, in the Safari the middle of the weight is at the front of the ink window, while in the AL-Start it's at the back of the ink window, for a pen of this weight, that is actually quite noticeable. I've found that I don't reach for the AL-Star nearly as much as my Safari pens because of those differences, which is a shame as they're amazing pens, all of them.
The Charcoal is great in that respect, for sure. The Vista and Safari's can get fine scratches as they're carried over time, because they're a shiny and somewhat soft plastic. The thing about most plastics is that in order to give them scratch-resistance, the material usually has to be more brittle. So there's a fine balance between durability (not cracking when dropped, etc) and showing scratches. Me personally, I'll take scratches over cracking any day!
While it is not quite scratching, I used to pocket carry a Lamy Vista, Lamy Safari Apple Green, and a Lamy Safari Charcoal without a case. The Vista and Apple Green, having shiny surfaces, picked up matte rub marks from each other or the Charcoal. The matte Charcoal never got any rub marks.
Very informative and well-produced video ... thanks! I bought my first Lamy, a Safari, three weeks ago, and really disliked the comparative roughness of the plastic as well as the light weight, so I returned it and ordered an Al Star. Much better suited for my needs! In fact, I love the look and feel of the Al-Star so much that I ordered a second as a back-up.
I love my LE 2013 Neon Yellow Safari. If anything happened to that, I would cry for days! Best writer for the money! Great color too! Thanks for the video! Helped many people out.
Very nicely done, clear and informative. Thank you. Just one question, what camera you using, this by far the sharpest video footage i have seen on youtube
We do have a Quick Look video on the Lamy LX (ruclips.net/video/LWS2cDq2lxI/видео.html) that gets into the differences between it and the Al-Star/Safari. Basically, the nib is slightly different, different body material, and the packaging is different. - Colin
what nib would you recommend? i've heard the safari fine writes like a medium. it would be my first fountain. right now i use the pilot g2 0.7mm and like the size of it. i would like it to write smoothly.
You can grab all these Lamys, and just rotate by feel to have right hold. Without looking. Almost every other pen you have to look the pen, and correct position. When in work setting, this is great. This pen is made by Germans, after all...
I will ONLY use Lamy Al Star among ANY fountain pen. I DON'T like the plastic feel of the Safari. However, I DO use the Vista (Safari model) - although it IS plastic, it has edges for a better grip and writes beautifully (for a Safari model lol)
The Lamy Saphari came along in my teens when I was in high school. Everyone until then either had Pelikan, Geha or Kreuzer fountain pens. The last two no longer exist and the Pelikan is no longer in a sleek beautiful design. So if you had an old one from the 1970-1990 you are in luck. Now they only have the cheap plasticy looking one with the weird twist look. Not as the nice looking at all. Even if he Junior one is much more beautiful looking than the teen version. So if you were able to get a Lamy pen back in the day you were considered rich, but the cartridges were not that widely available yet.
I bought a Lamy Safari and I'm not too torn on the fact that it uses proprietary cartridges because I bought the convert along with 5 Lamy t10 blue cartridges
I've watched your reviews on the Pilot Metropolitan, Safari, Vista, and they were excellent. I'm a little confused about nib sizes. Example, I do a lot of writing in ball point with a point 5 tip and feel the pt. 7 tips are too large and leave too much ink. Where would my preference be? How about starting out with a Platinum Prep or Safari? Thanks Brian.
I'm not too familiar with ballpoint sizes, but you can see the nib sizes for each pen with our Nib Nook tool (www.gouletpens.com/nib-comparison-tool). Japenese nibs like Platinum or Pilot will have finer nibs, so something like the Platinum Preppy with EF nib could be a great option (for under $5) if you prefer a finer line when you write. Lamy nibs tend to be a bit broader, so going with EF on that would be the best bet as well. - Colin
Design suggestion: Lamy Safari should have Lamy engraving on both sides of the barrel- that way, whatever be the position when the barrel - section screws engaged, we would see the engraving when writing.
Where I work I come in contact with the general public. I have received a few complements on the lamy safari I keep in my shirt pocket. A lot of people liked the look of that distinctive lamy pocket clip.
Yeah, that would be ideal, but since they use the same mold as the Al-Star/Safari, it's just easier to include the ink window then create a whole new mold. Luckily there's plenty of demonstrator and eyedropper pens out there anyways. - Colin
Plastic is the best material for pens, its cheaper and looks better and feels better, it scratchs less and comes in more colours, only bad thing is whether the plastic is recyclable
besides COLOURS, there’re is another difference in the clips: one you can pull out (a little) at the top of the cap and the other clip is fixed and has a stronger feel to pull.
My converters get "stuck" in my Safaris and my alstar... to the point I need to use my teeth and pull it out... is that normal? my converter already shows the dents of doing that... :/
They are definitely the most secure due to the notches in the converter. Haven't had them get so stuck that a tug wouldn't dislodge it. If you don't line those notches correctly, it'll still fit just fine, and maybe easier for you to remove? - Colin
@@Gouletpens Thanks for the reply! I tried as you said, but still got stuck. A bit less than with the notches align, but stuck never the less. Maybe, since I bought it from ebay (here in portgual all suplies must come from other countries, as we do not have any shop. Mostly we buy from EU countries because of import taxes), it's a defective converter? A bit too big in diametre? For now I'll use cartridges, and try to buy another converter, and see if it gets better results. Thank you very much for the reply! And sorry about my english...
Generally they should write the same, especially width wise. The black nib may be slightly more prone to flow issues because of the coating on the nib. - Colin
I'm not familiar with the Lamy Skeleton, but looking online it seems to be the same thing as the Vista but branded differently internationally. - Colin
Buy from williampenn.net if shipping and custom charges is the issue (Bangalore based company). They have great collection of fountain pens and other accessories. If buying specifically Lamy then you can checkout Lamy India @ lamyshop.online/in_en/
My very first Lamy Safari Matte Charcoal's feed broke when I installed its own nib incorrectly. I know the pen wasn't too pricey, but it was given to me as a gift by my friend. It just so happens that your website doesn't sell nib units (nib and feed) when I browsed your website, which is a bit disappointing. Can you link me to a trusted website which sells Lamy Safari nib units. Sites I've browsed so far didn't seem official.
I bought a Lamy Al-star Charged Green Fine nib. It is useful to writing alphabet(including Korean Alphabet). but not useful to writing Traditional Chinese Characters Haha
5 years later i bought a Lamy. Safari Sir....how do i make this pen heavier...feels like a plastic straw and the nib has almost 0 drag. i can't feel the pen:(
Buy an Al-Star. It's a Safari that's made of aluminum. Though I wouldn't want it heavier. The lightness reduces drag, allowing it to glide much easier than the Pilot Metro and Kaweco Sport.
Love my two vistas, too bad I lost them unlike my three TWSBIs. Guess I put more care into the TWSBIs since they're more expensive and higher in quality vs the vistas which are like $15 and are virtually weightless so I don't notice them as much :/
I bought a Lamy safari recently and was given a choice between aluminum and plastic versions. Aluminum body was $7 more. Is this "Lamy Safari Aluminum" actually just an Al-Star, or is there really another line of aluminum Safaris?
I've recently noticed this too, it seems to be the ones with the same intro to this video (0:42). Maybe the video was muted by youtube because of the song used?
![Megan Thee Stallion - Bigger In Texas [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QxTkZTLWdo4/mqdefault.jpg)
7 years after this video was shot, and it's still great and useful!
Thank you! :)
Homie are you living in the future? This was posted 6 years ago
Foretell I’m just a time traveler ;)
Phhhh i think you mean 8 years
This just what I was looking for. It’s still great and useful! 😃
These Lamy pens are great pens: they're affordable, they write well, are easy to use and easy to clean.
Regarding durability: I had a Lamy Vista while in school as my everyday pen. Due to extremely high utilization and less than ideal storage methods, it eventually ended up with a badly cracked cap and barrel. Same for my second Vista. I got an Al-Star to replace my second Vista and it survived the same conditions with only minor scratches - no dents or cracks.
Considering the Safari is basically an opaque Vista, I'd recommend the Al-Star over it for durability as a daily-use pen.
They all still work fine, but posting and capping the Vistas several thousands of times eventually took its toll on the plastic.. - No such problems with the Al-Star.
Thank you for this! I'm going to go with the Al Star :)
I've had my safari forva week, and I already have wear on the pen body from posting it. I've decided to write with it unposted from now on.
"Street price is usually lower than that".
Spoken like a true dealer... of PENS. Another awesome job, Brian.
I just received my Lamy Safari pen today along with the Noodler's Bad Black Moccasin ink and the cartridge converters, and wanted to say THANK YOU for your lightning-fast shipping and careful packaging!!! For some odd reason I got three converters in my package even though I ordered only two (or so I thought)- reckon I should purchase a couple more Lamy's from you folks to make use of them. Never had a decent-quality fountain pen until now... what a difference!
Thanks again!!!
+NipkowDisk Thanks for the support! What color Safari did you go with? I have the charcoal. Lucky surprise on the converters. We do have the special edition Dark Lilac Lamy Safari coming on Monday if you're looking... - Colin
+The Goulet Pen Company I went with the charcoal as well :) Great pen indeed! I'll think about that dark lilac Lamy Special Edition one...
Interesting, I bought this year's special edition AL-Star, to go with my special edition Safari from last year, and I've actually found them quite different to write with. The AL-Star is heavier, but also a lot rounder (both in thickness and in shape) than the Safari. The weight distribution is different between the two, in the Safari the middle of the weight is at the front of the ink window, while in the AL-Start it's at the back of the ink window, for a pen of this weight, that is actually quite noticeable.
I've found that I don't reach for the AL-Star nearly as much as my Safari pens because of those differences, which is a shame as they're amazing pens, all of them.
Those are definitely some good points. They do feel different given the materials used. - Colin
Also, posting Vista or Safari is much more comfortable. AL-Star's cap rim sticks much more from the barrel.
Just bought a Lamy safari charcoal black from The Goulet Pen Company, loving it.
The Charcoal is great in that respect, for sure. The Vista and Safari's can get fine scratches as they're carried over time, because they're a shiny and somewhat soft plastic. The thing about most plastics is that in order to give them scratch-resistance, the material usually has to be more brittle. So there's a fine balance between durability (not cracking when dropped, etc) and showing scratches. Me personally, I'll take scratches over cracking any day!
I appreciate how thorough and thoughtful you are!👍
While it is not quite scratching, I used to pocket carry a Lamy Vista, Lamy Safari Apple Green, and a Lamy Safari Charcoal without a case. The Vista and Apple Green, having shiny surfaces, picked up matte rub marks from each other or the Charcoal. The matte Charcoal never got any rub marks.
It is definitely a unique clip. That's cool that you carry it around, and that you get compliments on it!
Just got a vista, converter and ink. So excited!
+Brian Denis Hawkes Nice! enjoy :) -Margaret
Very informative and well-produced video ... thanks! I bought my first Lamy, a Safari, three weeks ago, and really disliked the comparative roughness of the plastic as well as the light weight, so I returned it and ordered an Al Star. Much better suited for my needs! In fact, I love the look and feel of the Al-Star so much that I ordered a second as a back-up.
I love my LE 2013 Neon Yellow Safari. If anything happened to that, I would cry for days! Best writer for the money! Great color too! Thanks for the video! Helped many people out.
Literally just ordered the bluegreen Lamy al-star!!!! So excited for it!
I saw this after 9 years...
But you nailed it ✅❤️
this video is old, but i found it super helpful still in 2021! thank you :)
thank you, just getting started with fountain pens and was recommend lamy but there is so much to chose from! ended up getting the al-star
+whatsername131313 Both are great starter pens, so you couldn't go wrong. How are you liking the Al-Star? - Colin
It's understandably something that a lot of people ask about. There can't be too much good info out there!
Me he comprado la Lamy Safari, escribe genial. Gracias por tus videos👍
Wow very helpful, just what I needed. Thanks Brian for taking the time to help us newbies out. Hope you had a wonderful Easter.
Great summary! ‘Short, sweet, and to the point’ as they say.
Very nicely done, clear and informative. Thank you. Just one question, what camera you using, this by far the sharpest video footage i have seen on youtube
The Al star is engravable :)
One of my favorite fountain pen. Ink is beautiful too and vivid
My very first Lamy was stolen a couple days ago... Very disappointing.
That's the worst thing about these pens, they put up no resistance against thieves
Lar Whelan Why is that? May it be that they have no safety mechanisims, such a shame that pens don't include them.
I hear they have no allegiance either, and will write for their captors without hesitation
My brother was just telling me about a pen he saw that will shock you if you open it the wrong way... not sure what its called though
+IulovemeI it's a pen not a wand lol
CAN YOU PLS MAKE AN UPDATED VIDEO OF THIS BUT WITH THE LAMY LX!!!
We do have a Quick Look video on the Lamy LX (ruclips.net/video/LWS2cDq2lxI/видео.html) that gets into the differences between it and the Al-Star/Safari. Basically, the nib is slightly different, different body material, and the packaging is different. - Colin
The Goulet Pen Company ok,thank you very much
Bought the turmaline al star and I have the yellow safari and both are great writers!
what nib would you recommend? i've heard the safari fine writes like a medium. it would be my first fountain. right now i use the pilot g2 0.7mm and like the size of it. i would like it to write smoothly.
thank you !very clear and informative...
I miss just a mention of ALL pens that Lamy makes. I am assuming they are just a few more than those three. Thank you for the review.
You can grab all these Lamys, and just rotate by feel to have right hold. Without looking. Almost every other pen you have to look the pen, and correct position. When in work setting, this is great. This pen is made by Germans, after all...
Really helpful! Thank you!
I have the Safari because people mention it more in the community.
We have the same color of Safari!
I will ONLY use Lamy Al Star among ANY fountain pen. I DON'T like the plastic feel of the Safari. However, I DO use the Vista (Safari model) - although it IS plastic, it has edges for a better grip and writes beautifully (for a Safari model lol)
The Lamy Saphari came along in my teens when I was in high school. Everyone until then either had Pelikan, Geha or Kreuzer fountain pens. The last two no longer exist and the Pelikan is no longer in a sleek beautiful design. So if you had an old one from the 1970-1990 you are in luck. Now they only have the cheap plasticy looking one with the weird twist look. Not as the nice looking at all. Even if he Junior one is much more beautiful looking than the teen version.
So if you were able to get a Lamy pen back in the day you were considered rich, but the cartridges were not that widely available yet.
I bought a Lamy Safari and I'm not too torn on the fact that it uses proprietary cartridges because I bought the convert along with 5 Lamy t10 blue cartridges
Thanks you. Great video. I am just bought a Safari from you to get me started in the hobby or fountain pen lifestyle.
Great choice! Love the Safari, and you can swap nibs instead of buying a new pen if you want a different writing experience. - Colin
That was my thinking, like changing watch bands on a watch. BTW, k.d.p. ross sent me the link to your channel.
I've watched your reviews on the Pilot Metropolitan, Safari, Vista, and they were excellent. I'm a little confused about nib sizes. Example, I do a lot of writing in ball point with a point 5 tip and feel the pt. 7 tips are too large and leave too much ink. Where would my preference be? How about starting out with a Platinum Prep or Safari? Thanks Brian.
I'm not too familiar with ballpoint sizes, but you can see the nib sizes for each pen with our Nib Nook tool (www.gouletpens.com/nib-comparison-tool). Japenese nibs like Platinum or Pilot will have finer nibs, so something like the Platinum Preppy with EF nib could be a great option (for under $5) if you prefer a finer line when you write. Lamy nibs tend to be a bit broader, so going with EF on that would be the best bet as well. - Colin
Excellent presentation. Very informative. Thank you.
***** You're welcome! Glad you liked it! -Margaret
Potencial buyer question: Did you notice any SCRATCHYNESS in the nib of the Safari? Thanks in advance!
Great pens great for the environment last you a lifetime. Plus great video
Design suggestion: Lamy Safari should have Lamy engraving on both sides of the barrel- that way, whatever be the position when the barrel - section screws engaged, we would see the engraving when writing.
You write from your left hand? Because when attempted.. the logo is not visible to the left hand writers.. Great suggestion anyways.. 👍
great video brian. have the exact same comparison on my channel, although not this hi-def ;)
really enjoyed it. (fondling my lamys whilst watching)
Where I work I come in contact with the general public. I have received a few complements on the lamy safari I keep in my shirt pocket. A lot of people liked the look of that distinctive lamy pocket clip.
I really wish they would make the Vista without the ink windows (since they aren't necessary), so that it would be convertible to an eyedropper.
Yeah, that would be ideal, but since they use the same mold as the Al-Star/Safari, it's just easier to include the ink window then create a whole new mold. Luckily there's plenty of demonstrator and eyedropper pens out there anyways. - Colin
How would these work for a lefty?
Plastic is the best material for pens, its cheaper and looks better and feels better, it scratchs less and comes in more colours, only bad thing is whether the plastic is recyclable
I'm thinking of getting a safari, and i was wondering which converter has more ink capacity. The z24 or the z26?
You can only use the Z24 for the Safari.
Ok, thanks
Excellent Video !! Congrats !
Pilot metro or Lamy safari/vista/Al-star?
I have the same Pilot G-2 .7 mm as well. I like medium nibs. It seems the same thickness... at least to me.
besides COLOURS, there’re is another difference in the clips: one you can pull out (a little) at the top of the cap and the other clip is fixed and has a stronger feel to pull.
will a lamy z28 converter work alright for the al-star?
Yes, the z28 is designed to fit the AL-Star! - Colin
I have both pens and I think they are great. Now I have to improve my writing. 🤔
My converters get "stuck" in my Safaris and my alstar... to the point I need to use my teeth and pull it out... is that normal? my converter already shows the dents of doing that... :/
They are definitely the most secure due to the notches in the converter. Haven't had them get so stuck that a tug wouldn't dislodge it. If you don't line those notches correctly, it'll still fit just fine, and maybe easier for you to remove? - Colin
@@Gouletpens Thanks for the reply! I tried as you said, but still got stuck. A bit less than with the notches align, but stuck never the less.
Maybe, since I bought it from ebay (here in portgual all suplies must come from other countries, as we do not have any shop. Mostly we buy from EU countries because of import taxes), it's a defective converter? A bit too big in diametre?
For now I'll use cartridges, and try to buy another converter, and see if it gets better results.
Thank you very much for the reply! And sorry about my english...
great
Are any of these pens iridium tipped?
They're tipped with a hard alloy that may or may not contain iridium. We don't have that information. - Drew
Should a legit al star safari fountain pen have a o ring between the upper two sections???
Like the big plastic black o-ring? That's standard, beyond that I'm not familiar with other o-rings on the Safari. - Colin
Yes, so should it or not?
It should, thats standard with the Safari design. You can see it on the product pages: www.gouletpens.com/lamy-safari/c/159 - Colin
Which is better, Lamy Safari or Sheaffer Agio?
i would choose sheaffer agio
Lamy safari is better
How do you know which ones which?
Safari is resin/plastic. AL-Star is aluminum, and the Vista is clear resin! - Colin
Is there no difference in the black nib and silver? I imagine they write differently...hum...
Generally they should write the same, especially width wise. The black nib may be slightly more prone to flow issues because of the coating on the nib. - Colin
Hi, What is the differences between Skeleton and Vista models? Thanks!
I'm not familiar with the Lamy Skeleton, but looking online it seems to be the same thing as the Vista but branded differently internationally. - Colin
Thank you very much for the prompt reply.
When want to buy pens from goulet, postage charges to India, more than products cost. 😥
Buy from williampenn.net if shipping and custom charges is the issue (Bangalore based company). They have great collection of fountain pens and other accessories.
If buying specifically Lamy then you can checkout Lamy India @ lamyshop.online/in_en/
My very first Lamy Safari Matte Charcoal's feed broke when I installed its own nib incorrectly. I know the pen wasn't too pricey, but it was given to me as a gift by my friend. It just so happens that your website doesn't sell nib units (nib and feed) when I browsed your website, which is a bit disappointing. Can you link me to a trusted website which sells Lamy Safari nib units. Sites I've browsed so far didn't seem official.
The Goulet Pen Company Thanks!
I've only one question: Why does the Vista have the ink window cutouts? It's clear! It's unnecessary!
Well, it used to be called the Lamy Safari Vista (still is in some places), so it was just a clear Safari, same mold, so same ink window. - Colin
I bought a Lamy Al-star Charged Green Fine nib. It is useful to writing alphabet(including Korean Alphabet). but not useful to writing Traditional Chinese Characters Haha
+오민규 no doubt! -Brian
5 years later i bought a Lamy. Safari Sir....how do i make this pen heavier...feels like a plastic straw and the nib has almost 0 drag. i can't feel the pen:(
Buy an Al-Star. It's a Safari that's made of aluminum.
Though I wouldn't want it heavier. The lightness reduces drag, allowing it to glide much easier than the Pilot Metro and Kaweco Sport.
im the only person in the world who doesnt like the al star. i have vista and safaris but i just dont dig the al star dunno why.
Now I get it, it's a nerd joke. Al
yep :)
Love my two vistas, too bad I lost them unlike my three TWSBIs. Guess I put more care into the TWSBIs since they're more expensive and higher in quality vs the vistas which are like $15 and are virtually weightless so I don't notice them as much :/
But I’ve read TWBI is more prone to cracking though
Weight doesn't mean quality
I've always thought those are all Lamy Safaris; Aluminium, clear plastic and plastic Safari. Haha. LIttle did I know.
I think the Vista used to be called the Lamy Safari Vista, so you're not completely off base! - Colin
I bought a Lamy safari recently and was given a choice between aluminum and plastic versions. Aluminum body was $7 more. Is this "Lamy Safari Aluminum" actually just an Al-Star, or is there really another line of aluminum Safaris?
PartiZAn18
that is evil level trolling
what
i dont know why but some of your videos' sounds don't work on my pc
That's quite strange. Just some of the videos? - Colin
I've recently noticed this too, it seems to be the ones with the same intro to this video (0:42). Maybe the video was muted by youtube because of the song used?
Hi! I want to ask if there is a fountain pen that is $5 and below and has a converter? Whahaha! Is that to cheap😂😂
+Anabelle Malto try to find a Hero fountain pen
Go get a jinhao x450. Great pens and all up about 3 bucks. With a converter. And there metal as well.
why so much hair in his fingers??
thank you !very clear and informative...