We’re going to get off to a strong start with the LAMY Safari Fountain Pen. This one being the 2017 Special Edition in Petrol Green. This is going to be my second entrance into the fountain pen market. My first being the Pilot Metropolitan. I ended up not having a great experience with it and sort of swore off fountain pens. But after seeing just how amazing that petrol green Safari looked I knew I had to give it a try.

First Impressions

I have to admit that I didn’t do a lot of research before jumping in. I got a little caught up in the fantastic petrol green color. Mine came in what appears to be the standard safari box and not some of the special edition boxes that I’ve seen.

Out of the box I’m kind of surprised at how plasticy it feels. It definitely doesn’t have the premium feel I got from the Pilot Metropolitan right out of the box. After some research I do see they sell a slightly more premium All-Star version made of aluminum. The plastic design also means this pen is very light. That may be a pro for some but I do find it borders on being too light. But my current EDC pen is titanium so I just might not be used to it.

One small nitpick. I don’t like the sound of the pen barrel moving around in my hand. The barrel has a slight matte finish and I guess when it’s quiet it makes a noise.

After writing with it now for the first time I think I’m really going to like the finger grips. I find it forces my fingers into the right location and isn’t uncomfortable to hold. After testing it out on my Leuchtturm1917 I can confidently say that this pen writes very smooth. I could definitely get used to this. My only real complaint is that it’s the standard blue ink and not the special petrol green ink that I saw in the pictures on the website. It’s totally possible I just misunderstood what ink would be coming with the petrol green Safari but it is disappointing.

Final note from my first impressions. The clip is attached to the cap and I worry about it slipping out of the cap if I carried it around everyday in my pocket. But, it’s still nice for around the office.

First Day

Okay, so I’m liking this pen a lot. Writes very smooth and has held up very well at our weekly team trivia game. Only felt a little awkward about using a fountain pen at the bar. But after the novelty wears off I’m sure it’ll be fine. One thing I will say is that the large clip got a few comments about how weird it looked.

I did let everyone have a go at writing with it. Strangely, despite the helpful grip that helps line up your fingers. Two people tried to use it and ended up trying to write with it the wrong way. It’s entirely possible it was just the heat of the moment trying to quickly scribble down a trivia answer but I thought that was interesting.

Day to Day Usage

It’s been riding around in my pocket for 2 weeks and shows no signs of wear and the cap hasn’t slipped off at all. So, overall I’m very pleased. Although I still feel it could use a little more weight in the pen.

I wasn’t sure at first but I’ve actually come to like that large clip. The pen rests perfectly on it when you’re done writing.

One negative thing I’ve noticed is the standard blue ink doesn’t have a ton of pop or punch and seems a little thin, which might not be the right word. Transparent might be a better word. But on a positive note I still appear to have loads of ink left after 2 solid weeks of use. And Maybe it’s just me really enjoying this pen but I feel like even my handwriting is improved when writing with it. Probably because it requires a certain writing position to get the best ink flow.

While using this pen for the last couple weeks I’ve been mentally comparing it to my Pilot Metropolitan. Which has a pretty nice feel but I always hated using it because it would leak constantly around the grip. Getting ink all over your hands and inevitably the paper or table too. Compared to that I’m extremely happy with this pen. No issues with leaking or stray ink at all. I’ll also say that the more I use the LAMY the more clear it seems that my Metropolitan was a dud. I might have to get another one to test.

So far I would say that overall this is a great pen. I still don’t see any signs of leaking and it has held up well traveling around with me. Although I still don’t trust it enough to just stick it in my pants pocket. Even though I imagine it would be able to handle it.

Long Term Thoughts

This was easily one of my favorite pens. Great for my handwriting, clean, beautiful. But I think the pen, as shipped, has some pretty significant flaws. Mainly revolving around the standard ink. First, I’ve found it to be quite thin. So the writing isn’t very bold or bright and actually ends up being almost see through. Second, I’ve been trying to figure out how some of my pages have gotten smudged and I finally figured it out. It now seems obvious but when my slightly damp hand touches the ink even days later it’ll smudge the ink. I was really displeased once I figured that one out. And unfortunately because of that I’ve actually stopped using it as my everyday pen. So, your mileage will vary based on your choice of ink.

Final Thoughts

I like this pen a lot and had been using it exclusively for a few weeks. I do still at times wish it felt a little more substantial. So, I would consider going with the All-Star version if you’re like me and like that extra weight.

Unfortunately, having said all of that. The issues with the smudging ink makes this a hard one for me to recommend. But, if you go with a different brand of ink you’ll likely have a pen you’ll be very happy with.