The "standard" Lamy nib is the Z50 which comes in steel or blackened steel. The one you removed is the Z52 which clocks in at around 2x the cost of the standard nib. The Z52 has a PVD coating and some laser etched details which allow the steel to shine through the coating. From the writing and physical construction the Z50 and Z52 are identical - it's just the optics that are different.
One of the issues you point out is the main reason I haven't found the LAMY appealing, that when its cap is posted, its length is so long. I can see why this pen has a huge following: its body is metal, its design simplistic, its large clip unique, and its nib smooth. However, I've grown accustomed to posting my caps, and I need a capped pen of reasonable weight to come in at anywhere between 5.4 to 5.9 inches while capped for the pen to feel comfortable in my grip as well as look pleasing to my eyes. I also like pens that have a "feminine" look to them, and I don't find this with the LAMY. To warrant its purchase, I chose to buy the rollerball version in rose gold which "softens" it up. I will also be using it unposted which I'm hoping won't disturb me too much. Many say, "What's the big deal? Just use it unposted." To those I reply... (1) I don't want to lose/misplace the cap which is easily done, (2) In many cases, the cap balances the pen, (3) More likely than not, the cap and its clip gives the pen its character, its unique look, and darn it, I want to see the pen in all its splendor, and (4) If I'm going to pay a significant amount on a writing instrument, I want to be able to use it whole and not just in parts. Thanks for the video!
In 40+ years of fountain pen use I have never lost or misplaced a single cap (and I do never post - except for the Kaweco Sport, where you HAVE to do it) - so I'd argue that losing or misplacing the cap is "easily done".
I see these Lamy Editions as collectibles. Coming from Germany, I like the simplicity and functional design. You might be correct that the price is not justified, but as a collectors item it is a nice addition to the Lamy family. I like them a lot, including the nibs. Lamy quality control is outstanding as far as I perceive it. But all of the above is of course just my opinion.
And if one is going to have a collection of different pens, shouldn't at least one of them be a LAMY, in whichever version one likes most? I would find a collection incomplete if a LAMY isn't among one of them. But hey, it's just my opinion.
As honest as this review is, it feels like you’re already biased against the pen going into the review. I have used all tiers of LAMY, and each line of pen is good for something.
Sal... as expected. A good review entails usage and experience. I understand that. But the overall tone of this review was “I’ve used it. Now I’m going to review it. And I’m going to tell you why it’s not worth your money” vs “I’ve used it, and this is way My experience using the pen. Address both pros and cons... and leave it to the consumer to make that choice”... like I said, I have this pen as all other LAMY. I like to use them all for certain types of writing. But this was the only video that has made Me feel bad for purchasing this pen. It’s not perfect... for you. And obviously, you took the effort to make this video, and I can appreciate that. This video was more “why you should not buy this pen vs I can review this pen under neutral perspective.”
As has been said it’s nice that he took the time to make the review, which is more than I have done. But the writing sample at the end felt pretty unfair given that it wasn’t done with the nib that the pen came with.. even if it was still a similar Lamy nib.
I really admire your honesty with this review so thank you. I know some have said it is a bit biased but I see why you've said what you have. You don't need to use a pen for a month to do this review because you know the base model well already. Most of the changes are aesthetic and for you the price isn't justified because of that.
Hard to tell but I think this colour is called palladium, not platinum. I like the fact that the grip forces "good behaviour" as you call it. I was writing from a very young age so I learned to grip pencils the wrong way. If someone doesn't like the transparent smoky grip I believe you can put the opaque, say black grip from a Safari on this.
I haven't been in the fountain pen game for that long but I feel like Lamys are one of those things that loose value as they get higher in price, the safari is quite frankly a perfect pen for what it is and the Al Star gives it that extra durability for a couple extra bucks, once you get into the LX and higher territory though, you are really better off just looking at Parker or Pilot, they are just better offers in that price range.
Thanks for this. I must say I have always been confused by the lack of actual differentiation between Lamy Safari designs. So the LX is basically no difference... instead of a converter they give you a basically useless metal case. I agree with you- just get a Safari and save the money.
shadowmihaiu it’s pretty dumb. Safari is the base plastic model; Al-Star is an aluminum Safari; and the LX is an Al-Star with a gift box, different colorways, and a clip and metal finial that both match the body.
I have a Lamy Safari, Parker Jotter fountain and the Pilot Metropolitan. So far the Lamy is my favorite to write with but the look is a bit industrial in my opinion very German. I have a Jinhou X450 on the way it looks awesome hope it performs well too.
Er - considering that Faber Castel, Montblanc, Kaweco and Pelikan are also German brands ... and since none of those brands looks anything like a Lamy ... how is the Lamy very German? Lamy is following the Bauhaus tradition with their pens and as such a Lamy is typical of being a Lamy but not typically German.
$21! I bought mine for $35 last month. Anyway it is a great pen. You should check out some super cheap fountain pens. Such as the Jinhao 992, x750, x450, and wing sung pens. They are chinese but very good!
My understanding re: lamyusa is that they switched US distributors and the old distributor was basically selling off all their remaining stock. Not sure what that means in terms of what's happening to the actual domain name, if lamyusa.com is being passed off to the new distributor at any point or what - I think the actual changeover happened a while ago (6 months or so), so not sure what, if any, plans there are for a dedicated US site in the future. TL;DR Lamy will still be available in the US, just a behind the scenes changeover that meant some people were able to scoop up some good deals.
I like the nib on the Plaisir but the handling is subpar to the Al-Star or Safari in my opinion. I can write for hours with a Safari or any of its direct cousins - after about an hour with the Plaisir I start to cramp due to the featureless grip section and the overall "weightlessness" of it. It's still my to go for rapid note taking as the smoothness, the dryness and its fine line makes it ideal for that - just not for an extended period of time.
I was looking at getting one of these, as a Safari and Al-Star owner, but now I think I’ll give it a miss. I like the feed section, but it’s the same as the Al-Star one, so there’s no point there. It’s good because I’m saving up for a TWSBI VAC700, can’t afford to drop more money on pens RN. My grandad also sent me a bunch of old Parker’s, so I need to use them really. :-P
You might need to clean the pen as they are dip tested in factory. Which might have clogged up the pen. There are video’s on youtube showing how to. Hope it helps
The video is great and I appreciate it. I have never been attracted to Lamy fountain pens. They look cheap, bulky and unsophisticated to me. Just my opinion.
The "standard" Lamy nib is the Z50 which comes in steel or blackened steel. The one you removed is the Z52 which clocks in at around 2x the cost of the standard nib. The Z52 has a PVD coating and some laser etched details which allow the steel to shine through the coating. From the writing and physical construction the Z50 and Z52 are identical - it's just the optics that are different.
In my case the z52 writes so much smoother though with less feedback.
One of the issues you point out is the main reason I haven't found the LAMY appealing, that when its cap is posted, its length is so long. I can see why this pen has a huge following: its body is metal, its design simplistic, its large clip unique, and its nib smooth. However, I've grown accustomed to posting my caps, and I need a capped pen of reasonable weight to come in at anywhere between 5.4 to 5.9 inches while capped for the pen to feel comfortable in my grip as well as look pleasing to my eyes. I also like pens that have a "feminine" look to them, and I don't find this with the LAMY. To warrant its purchase, I chose to buy the rollerball version in rose gold which "softens" it up. I will also be using it unposted which I'm hoping won't disturb me too much. Many say, "What's the big deal? Just use it unposted." To those I reply... (1) I don't want to lose/misplace the cap which is easily done, (2) In many cases, the cap balances the pen, (3) More likely than not, the cap and its clip gives the pen its character, its unique look, and darn it, I want to see the pen in all its splendor, and (4) If I'm going to pay a significant amount on a writing instrument, I want to be able to use it whole and not just in parts. Thanks for the video!
In 40+ years of fountain pen use I have never lost or misplaced a single cap (and I do never post - except for the Kaweco Sport, where you HAVE to do it) - so I'd argue that losing or misplacing the cap is "easily done".
I see these Lamy Editions as collectibles. Coming from Germany, I like the simplicity and functional design.
You might be correct that the price is not justified, but as a collectors item it is a nice addition to the Lamy family.
I like them a lot, including the nibs. Lamy quality control is outstanding as far as I perceive it.
But all of the above is of course just my opinion.
Patrick Mau hi i bims au von deutschland
And if one is going to have a collection of different pens, shouldn't at least one of them be a LAMY, in whichever version one likes most? I would find a collection incomplete if a LAMY isn't among one of them. But hey, it's just my opinion.
It's not a limted edition or anything though. It's still sold, so I don't really see the collectability aspect of it.
Veblen goods. The whole point is that the price is not justified. Being unaffordable to most is the point.
As honest as this review is, it feels like you’re already biased against the pen going into the review. I have used all tiers of LAMY, and each line of pen is good for something.
Sal... as expected. A good review entails usage and experience. I understand that. But the overall tone of this review was “I’ve used it. Now I’m going to review it. And I’m going to tell you why it’s not worth your money” vs “I’ve used it, and this is way My experience using the pen. Address both pros and cons... and leave it to the consumer to make that choice”... like I said, I have this pen as all other LAMY. I like to use them all for certain types of writing. But this was the only video that has made Me feel bad for purchasing this pen. It’s not perfect... for you. And obviously, you took the effort to make this video, and I can appreciate that. This video was more “why you should not buy this pen vs I can review this pen under neutral perspective.”
I agree. I watch a lot of Sal’s videos and this is the only one I’ve felt a bias when watching.
Can you tell me how difference in cosmetics can hugely impart your experience in writing?
As has been said it’s nice that he took the time to make the review, which is more than I have done. But the writing sample at the end felt pretty unfair given that it wasn’t done with the nib that the pen came with.. even if it was still a similar Lamy nib.
I really admire your honesty with this review so thank you. I know some have said it is a bit biased but I see why you've said what you have. You don't need to use a pen for a month to do this review because you know the base model well already. Most of the changes are aesthetic and for you the price isn't justified because of that.
Thanks for the kind words!
Hard to tell but I think this colour is called palladium, not platinum. I like the fact that the grip forces "good behaviour" as you call it. I was writing from a very young age so I learned to grip pencils the wrong way. If someone doesn't like the transparent smoky grip I believe you can put the opaque, say black grip from a Safari on this.
If you buy the Lamy Aion converter is included. But not the carrying case.
I haven't been in the fountain pen game for that long but I feel like Lamys are one of those things that loose value as they get higher in price, the safari is quite frankly a perfect pen for what it is and the Al Star gives it that extra durability for a couple extra bucks, once you get into the LX and higher territory though, you are really better off just looking at Parker or Pilot, they are just better offers in that price range.
Thanks for this. I must say I have always been confused by the lack of actual differentiation between Lamy Safari designs. So the LX is basically no difference... instead of a converter they give you a basically useless metal case. I agree with you- just get a Safari and save the money.
shadowmihaiu it’s pretty dumb. Safari is the base plastic model; Al-Star is an aluminum Safari; and the LX is an Al-Star with a gift box, different colorways, and a clip and metal finial that both match the body.
And if you want a LX, buy the gold one. That way you can brag to mere mortals with Safari on their hands.
I have a Lamy Safari, Parker Jotter fountain and the Pilot Metropolitan. So far the Lamy is my favorite to write with but the look is a bit industrial in my opinion very German. I have a Jinhou X450 on the way it looks awesome hope it performs well too.
Er - considering that Faber Castel, Montblanc, Kaweco and Pelikan are also German brands ... and since none of those brands looks anything like a Lamy ... how is the Lamy very German? Lamy is following the Bauhaus tradition with their pens and as such a Lamy is typical of being a Lamy but not typically German.
@@haraldschuster3067 I came up to your comment and just wanted to ask, what is typically German you would say?
@@humanfirst11 - Endless trails of paper before anything gets done, I'd say ;)
@@haraldschuster3067 You can say that again! Haha! Still, German build quality and engineering is unmatched.
nice video ,but i'm intresting about your cutting mat.Could you tell me where can buy it？
Action... any.. hobby store
$21! I bought mine for $35 last month. Anyway it is a great pen. You should check out some super cheap fountain pens. Such as the Jinhao 992, x750, x450, and wing sung pens. They are chinese but very good!
Sal they are going out of business?!
My understanding re: lamyusa is that they switched US distributors and the old distributor was basically selling off all their remaining stock. Not sure what that means in terms of what's happening to the actual domain name, if lamyusa.com is being passed off to the new distributor at any point or what - I think the actual changeover happened a while ago (6 months or so), so not sure what, if any, plans there are for a dedicated US site in the future. TL;DR Lamy will still be available in the US, just a behind the scenes changeover that meant some people were able to scoop up some good deals.
I would recommend Pilot Kakuno and Metropolitan; Platinum Preppy and Plaisir over LAMY Safari and Al-Star. Unless you like the nib system on LAMY.
I like the nib on the Plaisir but the handling is subpar to the Al-Star or Safari in my opinion. I can write for hours with a Safari or any of its direct cousins - after about an hour with the Plaisir I start to cramp due to the featureless grip section and the overall "weightlessness" of it. It's still my to go for rapid note taking as the smoothness, the dryness and its fine line makes it ideal for that - just not for an extended period of time.
I was looking at getting one of these, as a Safari and Al-Star owner, but now I think I’ll give it a miss.
I like the feed section, but it’s the same as the Al-Star one, so there’s no point there.
It’s good because I’m saving up for a TWSBI VAC700, can’t afford to drop more money on pens RN.
My grandad also sent me a bunch of old Parker’s, so I need to use them really. :-P
My Lx is too hard to write, the ink stops too often
You might need to clean the pen as they are dip tested in factory. Which might have clogged up the pen. There are video’s on youtube showing how to. Hope it helps
General Kenobi... You are a bold one.
I live how direct your title is, and you justified it well in your video.
Are these limited, or do they stay in production? Thanks!
Sal cool. I found this year’s Marron (not sure if that’s limited) at a steal, so I might jump on it
The video is great and I appreciate it. I have never been attracted to Lamy fountain pens. They look cheap, bulky and unsophisticated to me. Just my opinion.