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I'll cite GoldenBear from penechange.de. There are rumors for two new releases. Plus neon ink? Could be fake though.

In the past few years I have had a Safari die on me. Despite repeated attempts to wash/ flush it through having not caught the cartridge running out in time I could not get it writing. Now the Al-star that replaced the Safari last year is playing up despite regular cleaning and flushing with clean water. I also wonder if it is the Lamy ink especially the black that has been on the shelf a while that is drying up in the cartridge and in the workings of the pen. Am I better off A) storing vertically B ) using converter and Quink black ink or other ink or C) both of the above I am rapidly going off Lamy ink, especially there cartridges as they do not seem to last all that long before I am putting a new one in either of my Lamy pens

Hey guys! I bought a Lamy Al-Star from the official Lamy India site in April along with a Z50 black nib The pen writes really inconsistently, lots of hard starts, suddenly the ink stops flowing through the pen and it is generally very much annoying. The nib is the z50 Lamy black nib, which the pen came with. I had an extra nib(same one) which I have tried with this pen, but the same issue persists. I had washed it with water and a teeny tiny bit of dishwashing soap before inking it up(with Waterman Serenity Blue), considering that Lamy tests the product before shipping them to sellers. I am now at a complete loss as to what to do and thus I am now approaching you guys for help! I have used a Lamy Safari before this, and it has not given me a single issue out of the box.

Hello all, I purchased a Lamy Al-Star ocean blue earlier this week, and received it today. A number of things about the pen and it's box were quite concerning. The photos are available here:http://imgur.com/fpngallery/8MQqM/ Anyway, my major concerns are The pen came with blue ink residue in the feed and under the nibThe nib appeared to be slightly scratchedThe box it came in was a small, silver box unlike the normal black with holesThe pen came with zero documentation It came with five black cartridges and one blue cartridge — all without the silver Lamy stamp—only an imprintI was wondering if anyone has had a similar experience? Thanks, Caleb

I bought a black Lamy Al-Star from amazon earlier this week. It was only $16, so I have been concerned that it might be fake. It looks good to me. What do others think? Thanks, Alister

This one just popped up in my mailbox from La Couronne du Comte: Available from February. Definitely more tempting to me than the pastel safaris 🙂 What do you think?

Lamy Al-Star Graphite I have been using this pen almost everyday for the last 6 months. This is an impartial review aiming at determining this pen's strenghts and weaknesses within its price range [sub €50 (euros)]. Packaging was a standard blister pack including a Lamy blue ink cartridge. Certainly not one of the strong points of this product, especially when compared to the Pilot Metropolitan metal casing. If this was an evaluation attribute, I would have rated it 5/10. 1) Appearance & Design – Graphite finish suits this model quite well by complementing the original ‘industrial’ look. All aluminum apart from the grip section, cap top and barrel top, which are made of good quality plastic. LAMY is engraved near the top of the barrel. The ink window looks nice and complements the overall design of the pen. I am not a big fan of the clip aesthetically speaking. The grip section will divide opinions. As a ‘forefinger up’ user, I can live with the grip, but it is not a favorite of mine. Overall, I prefer a classical fountain pen look. 8/10 2) Construction & Quality– Very sturdy. It has only minor scratching which is rather imperceptible in this finish. Body is quite slick though. 9/10 3) Weight & Dimensions – Medium sized, reasonable balance uncapped. Balance is improved quite a bit when posted, IMHO. Light to moderate weight (12g unposted, 22g posted). 9/10 4) Nib & Performance – M nib is quite reasonable. Dry writer but consistent flow. I do need to apply a small amount of pressure in order to write, which prevents me from writing in a lighter manner. F nib presents basically the same line thickness but is much worse when it comes to other parametres. It is scratchy and the sweet spot, besides being smaller, requires a different writing angle than the M nib. I believe this nib to be flawed. I had a lot of issues with ink flow when the pen was in new condition, even after flushing twice. Writing with it has seem to have solved the issue over time. The pen may still rarely run somewhat dry depending on the ink used though. 7/10 (M nib). 5) Filling System & Maintenance – Standard proprietary C/C system. I use the Z28 converter. It holds a good amount of ink (up to 0,8ml). I did not enjoy the included Lamy cartridge. The converter is hard to disassemble for cleaning behind the piston. 5/10 6) Cost & Value– I paid €28 at a technology store. I think that there are stronger competitors on the market for the price (some above, some below). 6/10 7) Conclusion – 7/10 It might look like that I am being quite harsh on the Lamy Al-Star. The pen certainly has its merits: an interesting design, solid construction quality, nice weight and balance. However, I believe Lamy’s nib QC is substandard or simply just insufficient. In addition, the packaging and the converter could be further refined. Rivals include the Pilot Metropolitan (which I prefer overall), the Faber-Castell Loom, the Pilot Kakuno, the Platinum Preppy and Plaisir, the Pelikan Stola and even the Lamy Safari itself, the latter competing internally at a lower price point. I do like my Al-Star and do not regret purchasing it but, if I had to replace my deceased Pilot Metropolitan today, I would have made a difference choice. I hope you enjoyed this review and hope that we can have a civilized and interesting interchange of ideas concerning this pen. Pictures follow (I would update these with better quality, but I do not know how to aside from attaching them to the post. Any input on this is greatly appreciated). Cheers P. S.: This was my first review so do not be shy and provide input so I may improve future reviews!

I recently posted two topics requesting suggestion for a new pen and I finally decided to get a Pilot Justus 95, with a F nib. I promised to do a comparative review after I get my hands on the Justus, and here it is. Here are the links to those two reviews just incase if you want to see all the great suggestions I received: 1. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/345205-seeking-suggestions-for-my-next-pen/?do=findComment&comment=4189695 2. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/345550-which-pen-should-i-get-justus-95-or-custom-743/?do=findComment&comment=4195283 Here are some pictures of my Justus 95 (F), currently inked with Monteverde Jade Nori: First, let me talk about the appearance of this pen. I like the design. The black body and the gold clips/rings of this pen is a perfectly classic design that I enjoy very much. I enjoy classic style and I don't like any thing with a big brand logo on it. When it comes to the nib, I enjoy its clean and sharp design. In short, i t is elegantly understated. As mention in my other topics, a very big reason that I don't want to commit to a Montblanc is because of that white star. Since I am a college student, I will not feel comfortable taking it out to take notes with. Next, let me talk about the writing experience. I was specifically looking for fine nib that can be used as a daily driver and this nib certainly fulfills my recrements. 1. The hardness can be adjusted for a different writing experience. I find the hardness adjusting nob very interesting to use. I agree that you will get approximately the same line variation no matter you set the pen all the way to hard or soft. However, you will also need different amount of pressure to flex the nib - it requires much less pressure to flex when set to soft, and the hard setting is really helpful when you don't want to have too much line variation in the writing. Also, the ink flow is directly proportional to the hardness setting - soft setting gives a much wetter nib and the hard setting restrict the ink flow. Both of the extreme points of the settings gives very pleasant writing experience and it allows me to switch "the feel" after a long writing session so that I can always find it interesting to write with. 2. If you are concerned that this is too soft a nib and it is hard to control therefore not good for daily (fast) notes taking - please don't. It is not meant to be a flex pen. It is really just giving you a very springy writing experience - more springy than a Pilot Custom 823 (M) but definitely much easier to control when compered to a Pilot Falcon (SEF). Yes, if you slow down (Iroshizuku ink makes it much less prone to railroading), then you can get some decent line variation to make things looks fun once in a while. Please remember though, this is NOT a FLEX pen. In my opinion, its is a fantastic BOUNCY academic (science oriented) notes writer/daily driver. 3. Smoothness. It is not as smooth as the Custom 823 (M) but much smoother than the Falcon (SEF). It has a very slight feed back that I enjoy very much. This also makes it not having any hard-starting issue. 4. Thanks to the Con-70 converter, the ink capacity of this pen is great! I always have enough ink in it, and I do not have worry about running out in the middle of my writing session. I had problem with the Falcon, when falcon was my only gold nib pen, I had to carry additional Con-40 (not 50) converter filled with ink(sealed with a little cap I made out of a used Muji roller ball refill). 5. Love the size and weight!! It is a perfect fit in my hand, so is the Custom 823. Now I want to show you my current daily carries with some beautiful pictures of them: 1. Pilot Custom 823 (M) 2. Pilot Falcon (SEF) 3. Lamy Al-Star (EF) 4. Finally, some comparative pictures: 5. Writing samples (sorry that the color of the ink is inaccurate since my scanner is my iPhone) I will include generic writing samples and things I writes a lot. These pictures will explain to you why I enjoy finer nibs. REMARK ON PILOT FALCON: It is a fun pen to use but I will not recommend using it as a daily driver for science oriented writing. It is too flexible that I always get distracted from the things I am trying to learn. I had to put a lot of attention on controlling the nib. You might noticed that I did not talk about the Lamy steel nib. I also go two Pilot Kakuno pens (F & M). They are both great pens but . I find the Kakuno M nib to be as thick as the Lamy EF by much wetter than it. The Lamy is smoother than both Kakuno, though I enjoy the pencil-like feed back of Kakuno very much. I believe they are all great entry level pens. I have to say, though, that I enjoy a 14k gold nib much more than any the steel nibs I have (I also had a lot other steel nib pens throughout my academic career). This is probably because that I started with fountain pen very early (elementary school) but never had my own gold nib pen until college. I am just kinda tired of the steel nibs. This is what holds me back from the Italian pens that are in the same price range as the Japanese pens. Please PROVE to me if you think I am worrying too much. I am also not sure about the how quality of the pens differ between a Japanese pen and an Italian pen in the same price range. I do care about the design (appearance) of the pen. But as I said in the beginning, I actually love the classical understated design! Therefore the design of Italian pens will not be an excuse that can let me ignore how they differ in writing. For me, WRITING EXPERIENCE OVERRIDES EVERYTHING. Now, I am officially looking for suggestions for my future pen. Should I try Sailor? should I go with Custom 742/72 for more varieties in nibs and cheaper in price? or should I go for an Italian pen? Which pen do you think will fulfill my needs the best? Please let me know if you have any question! I would love to answer them. Thank you all!

I recently posted two topics requesting suggestion for a new pen and I finally decided to get a Pilot Justus 95, with a F nib. I promised to do a comparative review after I get my hands on the Justus, and here it is. Here are the links to those two reviews just incase if you want to see all the great suggestions I received: 1. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/345205-seeking-suggestions-for-my-next-pen/?do=findComment&comment=4189695 2. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/345550-which-pen-should-i-get-justus-95-or-custom-743/?do=findComment&comment=4195283 Here are some pictures of my Justus 95: First, let me talk about the appearance of this pen. I like the design. The black body and the gold clips/rings of this pen is a perfectly classic design that I enjoy very much. I enjoy classic style and I don't like any thing with a big brand logo on it. When it comes to the nib, I enjoy its clean and sharp design. In short, it is elegantly understated. As mention in my other topics, a very big reason that I don't want to commit to a Montblanc is because of that white star. Since I am a college student, I will not feel comfortable taking it out to take notes with. Next, let me talk about the writing experience. I was specifically looking for fine nib that can be used as a daily driver and this nib certainly fulfills my recrements. 1. The hardness can be adjusted for a different writing experience. I find the hardness adjusting nob very interesting to use. I agree that you will get approximately the same line variation no matter you set the pen all the way to hard or soft. However, you will also need different amount of pressure to flex the nib - it requires much less pressure to flex when set to soft, and the hard setting is really helpful when you don't want to have too much line variation in the writing. Also, the ink flow is directly proportional to the hardness setting - soft setting gives a much wetter nib and the hard setting restrict the ink flow. Both of the extreme points of the settings gives very pleasant writing experience and it allows me to switch "the feel" after a long writing session so that I can always find it interesting to write with. 2. If you are concerned that this is too soft a nib and it is hard to control therefore not good for daily (fast) notes taking - please don't. It is not meant to be a flex pen. It is really just giving you a very springy writing experience - more springy than a Pilot Custom 823 (M) but definitely much easier to control when compered to a Pilot Falcon (SEF). Yes, if you slow down (Iroshizuku ink makes it much less prone to railroading), then you can get some decent line variation to make things looks fun once in a while. Please remember though, this is NOT a FLEX pen. In my opinion, its is a fantastic BOUNCY academic (science oriented) notes writer/daily driver. 3. Smoothness. It is not as smooth as the Custom 823 (M) but much smoother than the Falcon (SEF). It has a very slight feed back that I enjoy very much. This also makes it not having any hard-starting issue. 4. Thanks to the Con-70 converter, the ink capacity of this pen is great! I always have enough ink in it, and I do not have worry about running out in the middle of my writing session. I had problem with the Falcon, when falcon was my only gold nib pen, I had to carry additional Con-40 (not 50) converter filled with ink(sealed with a little cap I made out of a used Muji roller ball refill). Now I want to show you my current daily carries with some beautiful pictures of them: 1. Pilot Custom 823 (M) 2. Pilot Falcon (SEF) 3. Lamy Al-Star (EF) 4. Finally, some comparative pictures: 5. Writing samples (sorry that the color of the ink is inaccurate since my scanner is my iPhone) I will include generic writing samples and things I writes a lot. These pictures will explain to you why I enjoy finer nibs. REMARK ON PILOT FALCON: It is a fun pen to use but I will not recommend using it as a daily driver for science oriented writing. It is too flexible that I always get distracted from the things I am trying to learn. I had to put a lot of attention on controlling the nib. You might noticed that I did not talk about the Lamy steel nib. I also go two Pilot Kakuno pens (F & M). They are both great pens but . I find the Kakuno M nib to be as thick as the Lamy EF by much wetter than it. The Lamy is smoother than both Kakuno, though I enjoy the pencil-like feed back of Kakuno very much. I believe they are all great entry level pens. I have to say, though, that I enjoy a 14k gold nib much more than any the steel nibs I have (I also had a lot other steel nib pens throughout my academic career). This is probably because that I started with fountain pen very early (elementary school) but never had my own gold nib pen until college. I am just kinda tired of the steel nibs. This is what holds me back from the Italian pens that are in the same price range as the Japanese pens. Please PROVE to me if you think I am worrying too much. I am also not sure about the how quality of the pens differ between a Japanese pen and an Italian pen in the same price range. I do care about the design (appearance) of the pen. But as I said in the beginning, I actually love the classical understated design! Therefore the design of Italian pens will not be an excuse that can let me ignore how they differ in writing. For me, WRITING EXPERIENCE OVERRIDES EVERYTHING. Now, I am officially looking for suggestions for my future pen. Should I try Sailor? or should I go for an Italian pen? Which pen do you think will fulfill my needs the best? Thank you all!

Some forecast for 2019 emerged on the net. New Joy, Aion, Safari, Studio, and the very confusing AL-Star and Lx. See here: https://frankunderwater.com/2018/12/30/a-peak-into-lamys-2019-special-editions/

I have a beautiful -at least to me- Lamy Vista with an awful EF nib. Having experienced more than one mediocre Lamy nibs (lucky me! ) I loose faith in Lamy and refuse to buy yet another scratchy nib. So the pen sits unused in my drawer. And here comes that topic and that post of mine (https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/249626-if-your-friends-all-jumped-off-a-cliff/?p=2746375) to remind me my beautiful Vista and what a pity it is to see it laying unused and how much I would love to just replace it's nib with a smooth Pilot M nib. And then it hits me. Ok, Pilot nibs can't really catch on the Lamy feed, but how about that Preppy I bought a few months ago? After playing a little bit, I figured out that the Platinum nib DOES catch securely on the Lamy feed. The only problem is that the feed is a little large and sticks out from the nib, making the pen a bit funny/weird to look at. Considering that the nib is just soft plastic, I might try to cut it to the right size with a utility knife (perhaps tomorrow. now it's too late, I'm sleepy and I will definately ruin it) But, to be quite frank even with it's peculiar looks, I much prefer my Vista as it is now than as it used to be. At least now I can use it.

I want a waterproof ink in my Lamy Safari and AL-Star. I've been using a Noodler's Bulletproof ink. What other waterproof inks would be good in these pens?

Hello All, I just received my Lamy Al-Star Graphite today with medium nib. I like the look, feel, weight, etc... but the nib is quite scratchy when writing. I also have a Safari which was also scratchy "out of the box." I tried the Safari again today after using the Al-Star and it definitely wasn't as scratchy as the new pen. I only have about a half dozen pens, but none have been scratchy except the Lamys. Is this a "trait" of the pen? Does it get better over time, and that's why my slightly older Safari is less noticeably scratchy than my brand new Al-Star? Thanks! edit: the scratchiness is on the upstroke and the right to left stroke

A couple of days ago I traveled through the Frankfurt, Germany airport and noticed a store selling Lamy pens. Naturally, I had to go in and see what they had. I immediately noticed the new Lamy Aion in black satin finish and knew I had to have one. This is Lamy's new everyday carry pen. And I must say, after using it constantly since I bought it, I really like the pen. It is clear that Lamy really thought this one through. There are very few things I can say that need improvement. APPEARANCE: 10/10 Minimalist look, but very professional lookingSleek, but not too slenderSatin finished black aluminum with shiny black ring at the end of the cap which accentuates the satin finishShiny silver clip CONSTRUCTION: 10/10 Solid aluminum constructionBalanced feel even when postedSubstantial, yet not too weightyComes with a reasonably sized proprietary converter, or can be used with a cartridge. CAP: 9/10 "Click" on style - firm hold but easy to pop offCap has a wider radius than the body of the pen with a raised lip when capped (this might get hung up in a tight shirt pocket or pen sleeve) CLIP: 10/10 Minimalist designBright shiny silver with Lamy logo on the side Slips easily inside of pocket or pen sleeve GRIP SECTION: 10/10 Satin finished metalNon-slick feel; there is no slippage when gripping this penWider; does not cause cramping during writing sessionsNIB and FEED: 10/10 Excellent nib: smooth with just a tiny bit of feedback; slight spring to the nib (I generally do not care for fine steel nibs, but this is excellent)Feed delivers the right amount of ink for a slightly wet writing experience. PRICE: 10/10 Excellent value compared to other pens in the $70-90 range. Pen retails in U.S. for $89.00 (www.gouletpens.com)I purchased my Aion in the Frankfurt airport for 59 Euros. OVERALL: 9/10 For the price point, this pen is an excellent, every day carry type of pen. This is a great, professional looking, but substantial enough for a hard-working student. In my humble opinion, I believe Lamy has a winner here. COMPARISON WITH OTHER LAMY PENS: The Aion is a completely different pen than the Safari/Al-Star/LX and the Studio. The nib and feed are different as is the size and weight. The Aion weighs slightly more than the LX, Al-Star, Studio or Lamy 2000. It is wider than the Studio and Lamy 2000, but comparable to the Safari/Al-Star/LX. (Top: Aion; Bottom: Al-Star) The nibs are similar but definitely not the same. Even the wings where the nib slides onto the feed are different as shown above. While they may seem interchangeable, the feeds are different as well which may affect the delivery of ink to the nib. (Top: Aion; Middle: Al-Star; Bottom: Studio) The Al-Star and Studio nibs are more slender than the Aion nib. (Top: Aion; Middle: Al-Star; Bottom: Studio) The feeds are different as well. (Top: Aion; 2nd from top: Al-Star; 3rd from top: Studio; Bottom: 2000) As stated above, the Aion weighs more than the others, yet not substantially more. It is very comfortable in the hand even for long writing sessions. Posted it is the same length and width as the Al-Star, but without the flat spots, triangular feed and ink window. (Top: Aion; 2nd from top: Al-Star; 3rd from top: Studio; Bottom: 2000) The length of Aion when posted is between the Studio and the Al-Star, but has better balance than the Al-Star when posted. Overall, the Lamy Aion is a great pen. I highly recommend it.

The Lamy Safari is 17 grams and 37 years of design excellence that’s been the beginner’s fountain pen of choice for almost all those years. Its design is one of the most strikingly simple yet modern in the pen world, yet it has proven to be as timeless as any of the classics. The Al-Star is its big brother. Made from aluminum instead of ABS plastic, the Al-Star weighs more and feels more solid in the hand, but is nearly identical to the Safari in every other way. They share the same nib, design, and internal functions. The Al-Star is a way to own the classic yet modern design in a sturdier and slightly heavier body, and it appeals to people who like the feeling of metal in their hand while writing. Each year, a unique color is released as a limited edition for both the Safari and the Al-Star. This year, the Al-Star came in Pacific Blue. The Pacific Blue Al-Star Along with a Regular Blue Safari and a Dark Lilac Safari Appearance and Design The Pacific Blue color of this year’s Al-Star is striking and vibrant, yet light enough to not be overly flashy. The silver coloring of the nib and clip match well with the blue, creating a look of warm ocean waters. One factor of the design to be aware of, if you don’t already know, is that both Lamy Safaris and Al-Stars have a triangle grip, so they can be uncomfortable for some people to hold. For most, though, the grip is perfectly comfortable. As someone who enjoys having slightly unique pens, this limited edition is a truly gorgeous one, and in my opinion Lamy really nailed it with their color choice this year. The Al-Star Alone Construction and Quality This is a solid pen. In preparation for writing this review I used this pen daily for a little over a month, and in the course of use I dropped it countless times on varying surfaces, none of them particularly soft. The pen has yet to get a scratch. (These were all with the cap on however; you may fare far worse if the pen is dropped nib first.) Safaris have a bit of a reputation for being indestructible, and the Al-Star is a Safari but stronger. If you get this pen, you won’t have to worry about breaking it. Additionally, the overall quality of the finish is excellent. Lamy’s quality control is famously excellent (every pen is tested with a bit of blue ink before being shipped) and their care is on display in their pens. The Al-Star Deconstructed Weight and Dimensions If you’ve ever seen a Safari, it’s that but slightly heavier. As someone with large hands, it fits nicely posted in my hand while writing. I asked a friend with much smaller hands to test the pen as well, and she had no issues, although she did prefer the pen unposted. The pen posts easily, and I haven’t had any issues with scratching on the back of the pen from the cap, as I occasionally do on other pens. Nib and Performance So here’s the thing. It’s a steel nail. A very boring steel nail. But is boring so bad? The nib comes smooth straight from the box, and is incredibly reliable and consistent. In short, there’s nothing exciting going on but it’s a real work horse, and it’ll be smooth and ready to go from the get go. The nib sizes on these pens do tend to run broad, so if you aren’t used to Lamy nib sizes (or German sizes in general), I’d get one size smaller than you would usually buy. A Writing Sample with the Al-Star Filling System and Maintenance The Al-Star is a Cartridge/Convertor pen. It fits proprietary Lamy cartridges or a Lamy convertor, which can be purchased for give or take five dollars from wherever you buy the pen. The accompanying ink for this Limited Edition, Lamy Pacific Blue, can be purchased in either cartridge or bottle form, and matches the color of the body of the pen nicely. Cost and Value An Al-Star will set you back just under $40. Is it worth it? That’s up to you. For the same cost, you could have a gold-nibbed Platinum PTL-5000a or most of a TWSBI Diamond 580, both definitively better, or at least more interesting, pens to write with. The Al-Stars price forces it to compete with pens outside the Safaris league when it’s essentially a Safari with fancy skin. For me, the pen was worth it for the color. As a big fan of limited edition Lamy’s, I loved the Pacific Blue. But if you aren’t that into the color, there are other, better options for the price.

Finally Getting around to reviewing my Al-Star. I got after Brian Goulet announced on his weekly Q&A that he got a few in from Lamy, and was selling them at a deep discount. Got mine for $28.20, less than a Safari. As of this writing, he still has a few in F and EF available here along with the "colors" gift set that includes a bunch of ink cartridges and a converter, for less than the cost of a normal Al-Star. I don't like the 1-10 rating system, since what I like about a pen you may hate, so read the entire review if you are legitimately interested in buying the Al-Star. My first Lamy was the Safari Petrol in F, and I was less than enthused. I didn't love the F nib. It wrote fine, but I found it to be a little too smooth for what I like in an F (I like smooth nibs for anything M or bigger, but for EF and F, I like a nib to give me the sensation of the texture of the paper I'm writing on, I found the Lamy F steel nib to feel a little more like a #2 HB pencil) and I was really unimpressed by the plastic. It may be much better, but it felt like a dreaded jinhao 599's ABS. The Al-Star alleviated every single complaint I had. The nib is perfect. I feel the texture of the paper, but it doesn't drag or catch. It's not too wet, not too dry, showing shading (though usually no sheen) of every ink. It behaves perfectly on cheap paper. Truly the jack of all trades nib. If you were disappointed in your steel lamy nib, I highly suggest grabbing an EF and putting it on (though god only knows why the Lizard people that run Lamy have decided to stop selling whole pens with EF nibs to America in order to focus on abroad, I am glad they do sell all their nibs separately. Now I want a black 1.1 stub.) a TINY bit of flex, F-M when pressed down on, but mostly it just writes wetter. Wetness is a perfect medium and it does not appear to be picky regarding inks, The grip section is transparent and smoked, which is fun, letting you see the ink flood the feed as you twist the converter (I have a Z24, unsure about the new Z28) which is a nice effect to tone down the rather bright anodizing. Speaking of the color, I love this pen's color. It's bright, but not obnoxious. Just enough yellow drab to not be garish. It has the typical plastic finneal, and the fit and finish are superb. There are a few small differences between the Safari and Al-Star. The barrel on the Al-Star is about 1mm thicker when measured at the flats. That means the Safari cap will not post or cap the Al-star, but the Al-Star cap will cap the safari but not post on it. The safari posts slightly deeper, but the Safari/Al Star are both usable unposted for anyone with even the largest hands. The anodizing on the Al-Star is perfect, and the cap does post securely, but I find it backweights the pen a bit more than I like. The pen's overall heft is perfect. I think the Safari is a bit too light, but the Al-Star has just that little bit more heft to make it feel solid, but not heavy. The grip sections are identical. The Al-Star's "ring" is solidly secured to the barrel, but the grip section has the component that lets the Safari's grip-mounted ring snap right on, making them interchangeable. The clip is perfect. On the Al-Star, the top of the clip actually slides into the cap, making it sit more flush with the barrel, and in the Safari, the clip juts out more. You can make the Al-Star clip stick out that far at the top, it is a pseudo-sprung clip, whereas the Safari's is fixed. If you are like me (a medic) and wear a uniform shirt with a breast pocket for your pen, you may not like the safari/Al-Star. It does not have a tapered barrel, and I find that I require pens with a tapered barrel and small, rounded bottom to slide easily in and out of a breast pocket. In that case, I prefer the Jinhao X750, Jinhao 992, Platinum preppy, Pilot metro, Pilot penmanship, Pilot C.H. 74, Noodlers Ahab/Konrad/Charlie, Lamy 2K, platinum 3776, or platinum balance as examples of pens that slip easily inside a breast pocket. The thing that really cemented this as one of my favorite pens was when I found one of those few grail fountain pen moments - the perfect ink pairing. It will now, and forever more, have Rohrer and Klinger Alt-Goldgrun in it. The color and pen pair perfectly. I have had it inked for weeks now that I discovered it, and no matter the pen, my Schaeffer Statesman, Visconti HS, even the Lamy 2k (which I bought because of this Al-Star making me realize that I did, in fact, like Lamy) I keep coming back to this Al-Star, particularly for use on cheap paper, where the ink shades without feathering or bleed, and just clicks with this pen in so many intangible ways. If you have a Charged Green Al-Star, and don't have a bottle of Alt-Goldgrun, GET A BOTTLE OF GOLDGRUN. You will not regret it. Overall, I think the Al-Star is the true "beginner's Lamy" pen. I will keep my Safari petrol because I like the color, but it will be my only one. The EF nib made me actually realize that I could like Lamy pens, and I recently just ordered a CP-1 EF so I could keep the Al-Star left alone while I use the CP-1 with EF, F, M, B, and 1.1 to review inks. If you have about $30, go clear Goulet of their stock of Charged Green Al-Stars. Right now, for $28.20, it's currently the best fountain pen deal on earth. And if you don't have a Lamy and want to get your first one, spend the extra $5 and get an Al-star over the safari. You'll be glad you did. Pictures are on Rhodia No. 16 dot pad, the final picture is on the literal worst paper you would ever possibly see in your entire life (not kidding. Feathering on this paper happens even with noodlers X feather in the driest nib I own. This ink/pen behaves insanely well.) (I'll remove the references to the price and source of the charged green Al-Star when goulet sells out)

Hello everyone, So I have tried inking my Lamy Al-Star (EF) with Noodler's Bad Blue Heron ink, and I have been running into what I can only describe as some flow problems. What I am experiencing is ink drying or perhaps congealing at the tip of the nib, and it makes it so that the pen needs to be stroked a few times before the ink starts to flow again. And even after I start writing the ink seems hard to get out and flowing easily. I am new to fountain pens and I would like some advice on whether or not I need to get a larger nib or do something about the ink to remedy this issue. Thanks a lot, MPenn P.S. And if anyone has had experience with how Bad Blue Heron flows and works in a Pilot Metropolitan (F) I would love to hear about it as well!

The 2017 Colors have just been leaked on Amazon.co.jp and fontoplumo. The Safari is a dark teal with black accents (name translates to petrol), and the Al-Star is a light blue named "Pacifica". (images below) (links here: https://fontoplumo.nl/2016/12/12/lam-al-star-pacific-is-the-2017-special-color/, https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B01N1GQOFW)

Hi folks, Lamy Al-Star Pacific has arrived! Oh and do they look stunning! It is gorgeous bright and vibrant turquoise. Fountain pens come with Fine or Medium nib (feel free to swap any Z50 of course). There are Roller-balls and Ball-point pens too. Ink comes in T10 cartridges and T52 bottles. It is the very first special edition available in bottles for us. Pacific ink is available in special edition packaging, but the ink itself is exactly the same as regular Lamy Turquouise. https://www.bureaudirect.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=pacific Enjoy! Mishka

Lamy Al-Star – the well dressed up version of the Lamy Safari The Lamy Al-Star is my first pen in my pen collection. I have had other fountain pens before but not something so good to start a collection with. I saw it at WHSmith in a mall here in Abu Dhabi and my dad bought it as a birthday gift for me (I am now fourteen. It was my thirteenth birthday gift). Now enough talk, on to the review……… Design, build and quality- 9/10 The design is modern which is super classy according to me. Mine is the Ocean Blue color. I also so the Lamy Safari and wasn’t quite interested in the plastic finish (the Dark Lilac version wasn’t released then, which is a superb finish). I also saw the Vista which I didn’t like at all as I hated demonstrators then. Now I love them. The build is also great, there are no flaws. The quality is where I have reduced some marks. The finish can come off if you are not careful. I f I had to do it again, I would get the graphite version or the purple one. http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb457/Adit1026/IMG_9061_zpsxprzozlt.jpg http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb457/Adit1026/IMG_9062_zpsyrmqf6ni.jpg http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb457/Adit1026/IMG_9058_zpsxuplicts.jpg http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb457/Adit1026/IMG_9057_zpsyj77kzik.jpg only branding on the pen http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb457/Adit1026/IMG_9056_zpsgj9jehsp.jpg Comfort-9.5/10 The triangular section was a bit uncomfortable to hold and posting does change the balance. I have got accustomed to it but it might be problematic for others. http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb457/Adit1026/IMG_9051_zps5deoxcx5.jpg Filling system- 9.5/10 The filling system is a c/c type filling system. My Al-Star came with neither cartridge nor converter so I had to buy it as well. The converter works fine. http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb457/Adit1026/IMG_9063_zpsc7gcbala.jpg Nib-9.5/10 The stainless-steel medium is a superb nib. Originally it was dry and had feedback. I increased the ink flow and smoothened the nib a bit. And now it is a stellar performer. Originally, I didn’t like the nib a lot but now I love it. I love the little feedback it gives. http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb457/Adit1026/IMG_9060_zpslw0dzho5.jpg ​ http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb457/Adit1026/4921f1bd-0e44-48e0-9308-56eb0959269c_zpsrqnfkpwz.jpg Price-8/10 I bought my Al-Star for roughly around 45 dollars plus a 5 more for the converter. The packaging for this price isn’t great. It is just a cardboard box which is quite thin. I discarded it when there was a tear in it so no photos. Final score 91/100 (out of hundred only for this one) I enjoy this pen a lot. There are some flaws but nothing is perfect.