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Hi all, I'm curious about where Lamy Scala stands in the grand scheme of Lamy pens in terms of popularity. I know it's not as popular as the 2000 or Safari, but really, how popular or unpopular is it? And what about the one in pianoblack with gold nib? Feel free to express your views.

Here is a brief overview of the pen. There is a link at the end to the full version on my blog. Please note that while the review is on the 50th Anniversary model of the Scala, it also applies to all other models (aside from the nib part for the steel nibbed versions). The Scala is often overlooked. Part of the problem is that Lamy alone have a number of other pens that rival it, all cheaper. This includes the ever popular Studio. Appearance & Design This is a smart looking pen following the Bauhaus design philosophy. It is deceptively simple in appearance, but at the same time rather smart and classical looking. The chromed components work well with the rest of the body, though at the same time they do prove to be fingerprint magnets. The cap snaps on/off with a satisfying click and can be posted, though this moves the balance point too far to the rear for my liking, however the pen is longer than it first appears, so for many this will not be an issue. http://i.imgur.com/QRU33vJ.jpg Construction & Quality The pen is made of steel, with the finial and grip sections being chromed over. My pen has seen a fair bit of abuse over it's time of use and I've not seen any scratches or chips appear. The balance point feels like it is about half way along the barrel, which works very well for me. The one downside for me was the tines of the nib were slightly misaligned. Only noticeable on some strokes in one direction, but still annoying on a pen where the nib is manually tested. http://i.imgur.com/6l9h2ao.jpg Weight & Dimensions Being a steel pen, it is not light, but at the same time I do not consider it to be heavy. With the long, gently nib tapered section, and the point of balance I find I can comfortably use this pen for long periods of time. http://i.imgur.com/bItafqh.jpg Nib & Performance As mentioned above, the tines were very slightly out of alignment. Easy to fix, but annoying. Once sorted then the pen became very pleasant to use. In typical Lamy gold nib fashion the writing experience is slightly springy, buttery soft, and on the wet side. The fine nib produces a line closer to a western steel medium. http://i.imgur.com/qlFKba0.jpg Filling System & Maintenance This is the standard Lamy system. All Scala pens (in the UK at least) come with a converter. This model came with a 50ml bottle of blue ink instead of the ubiquitous cartridge. The Lamy system is reliable, well known, and in the event of a converter failure, cheap. http://i.imgur.com/SNkdLMk.jpg Cost & Value This is where it gets interesting. From what I can tell, Scala sales suffer as the pen is about 30% more than the Studio, which it both rivals and pre-dates it. With the latter being popular, this also affects take up. I actually feel the Scala is the superior pen and while more expensive, the extra cost is worth it. When you get to models with gold nibs, the percentage difference is a lot less and I personally think the look and feel of the pen suit the gold nib more and would actually recommend this pen. As to the Glacier version I reviewed. Like all the other Lamy 50th Anniversary edition pens, there was an additional price hike. Fortunately, unlike on the 2k, most shops seemed to discount it back down to the price of the other gold nibbed special editions. Conclusion This is an often over-looked pen, and from threads else where there is a split in views as to which is the better pen, the Scala or the Studio. I much prefer the former and have considered getting another (probably one of the annual editions), where as I'm not looking to get a second studio despite the appeal of the recent colour choices (a Scala in British Racing Green would appeal me). Certainly this is a pen I'm happy to recommend to others. My full write up can be found at: https://dapprman.wordpress.com/2019/01/04/lamy-scala-glacier-edition/

Happened to be yesterday in Heidelberg and had a close encounter with the LAMY Flagshipstore there. I found another Anniversary Edition that I have not seen mentioned here. It is a Glacier Blue Scala in an Anniversary box with a bottle of ink and converter, 14K nib and Anniversary engraving on the capband. According the lady in the store this one is only available in the Flagship store. They had a Anniversary boxed set of a notebook and BP as well.

The first pen of the Lamy 50th anniversary year I see a picture of is the Lamy Scala. Color is called Glacier and it has a nice touch, 50 engraved on the clip. I think it looks very classy. To be available as fountain pen, roller and ballpoint pen, later in the year, but you can reserve one with me if you like

-This review is an adapted version of the one that can be found on my personal blog (www.pencilcaseblog.com). Visit my blog for more pictures, a copy of the written review and of course many other pen, pencil, paper and ink reviews. Enjoy the review! (Lamy Scala review: http://www.pencilcaseblog.com/2014/08/lamy-scala.html)- The Lamy Scala is the kind of pen that might not immediately grab your attention. It's a very subtle, sleek, minimalist pen, so minimal that it might not seem like much at first, but believe me, this pen has a lot worth going for! It's quite brilliant how Lamy managed to make a pen that's both flashy (think: a LOT of chrome plated parts!) and sleek at the same time. We all know by now that I'm a huge fan of Lamy pens, mostly because of the cold, industrial, Bauhaus designs. And so is the case with this one, the design was kept extremely minimal, with clean, straight lines and almost no visible branding (except for the brand name on the side of the clip). But at the same time, the materials they used (matte black and chrome plated metal) give it a striking, unique appearance! The Scala is quite a big pen, it's a bit longer than an Al-star when capped, and about the same size when uncapped, the Scala is considerably thinner though. The bigger size probably means that most people won't need to post it to be used comfortable. Which is a good thing because I'm guessing the matte finish would scratch quite easily when you'd post it! Even though the grip section is chrome-plated and looks quite slippery, I didn't find it uncomfortable at all. There's a small step from barrel to section, but I hardly noticed it while writing. Like most other Lamy pens, the Scala is a rock-solid pen, with a pleasantly solid weight and feel and an impeccable build quality. The cap is a snap-on type, opening and closing feels very solid and provides a satisfying 'snap'. Okay, the design might not be everybody's cup of tea. I must admit it took me some time to get used to its design. But the longer I owned it, the more it grew on me, to a point where I now think this might be one of the prettiest pens that Lamy currently offers. The business part of the pen -the nib- is a factory 1.1 stub I bought separately, which was probably the best way to spend 5 Euros! It's insanely good! The 1.5 stub I already own isn't nearly as good as this one! The flow is spot on, a bit on the wet side, so it has nice shading and it never skips. It's surprisingly smooth, though with the feedback you'd get from most other Lamy nibs. The line width is ideal for calligraphy, but it also perfectly lends itself for general writing. It gives some personality to your writing, and it's a lot of fun to write with! The price is quite comparable to most other mid-range Lamy pens, at around 80 Euros/ 110-125 Dollars. The Lamy Scala is a very difficult pen to write a review about. I had a really hard time trying to describe what it looks like, or why I like the design so much. I can't think of any negative aspects, especially when it's paired with this specific nib! But even then, trying it out for yourself is still the only way to really find out if this pen is something for you or not! Dries ThePencilCaseBlog http://www.pencilcaseblog.com