The Best Starter Fountain Pen (Lamy Safari)

Before we dive into my initial impressions and review of the Lamy Safari I want to provide a little background on myself, Lamy, and the Safari.

To elaborate on my experience with writing instruments, I have always been an enthusiast. However, I do not possess the same depth & breadth of knowledge as my counterpart JC. With that being said I thought it would be wise to give my initial opinions on arguably the most well-regarded starter fountain pen, the Lamy Safari. My other fountain pen collection consists of mostly Montblanc pieces. But I have a Platinum #3776 as well as a Namiki Yukari Nightline Moonlight Raden. So this is my first experience with Lamy and the Safari.

For most familiar with fountain pens, Lamy doesn’t need an introduction. However, for any beginners out there, Lamy is a legendary fountain pen manufacturer out of Germany. Before Lamy was founded, the namesake founder C. Josef Lamy had begun building pens in 1930. Then in 1952 the first Lamy branded pen was produced, the Lamy 27 which helped advance pen technology in the era. By 1966 Lamy had launched the Lamy 2000, reviewed here. It  became an icon in the world of fountain pens, cementing the brand as a leader in the industry.

Lastly, the Safari is probably the go-to starter fountain pen for numerous reasons. For the price of $20-$30 there really isn’t many options in the fountain pen market that can compete with the brand’s cachet as well as outright quality.

Design

This is what initially attracted me to the Safari. It is unlike any other pen out there, with a very minimalist modern design, yet stands out from the crowd with its clip & cap design. I have only had the pen for one afternoon and three coworkers, as well as a client commented on how cool this pen looks. I usually don’t bring my nicer pens to work, as people often will “borrow” pens to never return them. I never want to be in a position where one of my collector’s pieces were lost or stolen. 

Which brings up another point. The design of this pen stands out in the crowd, but the materials that it is made out of feel very sturdy and the fitment is tight. It really is a pen designed to be used day in day out for whatever you need it to do. 

“[The Safari] not only looks beautiful, but feels excellent in your hand.”

Hand Feel

Not only does this pen look great and have an outstanding presence in the office, but it also feels marvelous to hold. The materials used to build the pen are high quality. While it is made almost exclusively with plastics, it has a decent weight when posted.

A unique aspect of the Safari is that it has a special grip that has a specific spot for you to put your index finger and thumb. What this means is for beginners it forces you to hold the fountain pen correctly. But even for someone who uses them frequently, I didn’t find it bothersome. Though it did take a few minutes for me to get used to it.

All in all, this pen not only looks beautiful, but feels excellent to hold in your hand. This combined with the weight and special grip make it an excellent well rounded first fountain pen.

Writing Feel

 I meant to order the fine nib, but ended up ordering the medium nib by mistake. However, this may be the best oversight I have made. The medium nib is incredibly smooth and doesn’t feel overly scratchy. For being a steel nib, it actually feels really nice to write with. The customers who commented on it actually used it and said it was one of the nicest writing instruments they have used. 

This is what is amazing about this particular pen, it really can be enjoyed by the entire spectrum of pen users, from completely inexperienced to people who have been using fountain pens for years. It has this way of being effortless to use. The pen writes relatively dry, maybe a 4 on a scale of 1-10, which makes it great for a variety of papers and writing applications. You don’t have to wait more than a second for the ink to dry. The dry speed is essential if you’re looking for a pen that can be used for every application at work. 

Ease of Use

The Safari is an extremely easy to use pen for a number of reasons. First, it takes ink cartridges which are easy to swap for beginners. But it is not limited to cartridges, you can upgrade to a Lamy Z28 converter if you prefer a piston style converter. Not only can you change that but there are tons of customization options for the Safari since it has remained relatively the same since its 1980 debut. You can even exchange nibs for different sizes easily, or even upgrade to gold nibs if the steel nib just doesn’t cut it for you anymore. All you have to do is pull the metal nib off the tip of the pen with a little force.

Another immensely convenient feature is the ink window, which allows you to check how much ink you have left. I don’t know about you, but one of the most frustrating things is running out of ink mid day and either having to switch back to using a normal ball point or hoping you have another cartridge or ink bottle nearby.

Truthful, this pen is excellent right out of the box. It isn’t just excellent for its price, but an excellent pen irregardless of pricing. It can be enjoyed by anyone, enthusiast to someone just starting out, and that is what makes it so special.

Overall First Impression

Well, you might be able to tell what think if after one afternoon with the Safari, I decided to order a second one in white. I haven’t been able to use my fountain pens while at work due to the risk of theft or loss because I frequently see clients and move around doing presentations. Having tried the Lamy Safari, I now know the solution to that problem: buying a few simple black & white Lamy Safaris to use daily so I can continue to enjoy the finer aspects of hand writing without the risk of loss/theft or damage to any high value pens.

I wish I had tried a Lamy Safari years ago. Being able to use a fountain pen every day at work already is getting me excited. There is nothing like being able to enjoy every time you have to write while working. It gives you something to look forward to every time you take notes or work out a deal. Please click the link above to get current pricing from Amazon, this is the same one that I purchased.