Dry-writing Lamy Safari

[mikej165]

Both fine nib Safari pens I have used were dry writers until I filled them with Private Reserve Tanzanite.

On your recommendation, today I picked up some Private Reserve Tanzanite from Art Brown. It's everything you said it would be: a free-flowing, beautiful color, somewhere in-between blue and purple. My Safari is going to start getting some more use now. Thanks for the tip.

[Doug Add]

You are welcome, and glad you are pleased with it. I find it to be the perfect complement to my fine nib charcoal Safari.

[mikej165]

You are welcome, and glad you are pleased with it. I find it to be the perfect complement to my fine nib charcoal Safari.

Perhaps not surprisingly, it bleeds a bit in my Moleskine brand moleskine. However, in my Piccadilly moleskine there's no bleed. Another point in Piccadilly's favor!

[colapen]

Sorry to bring up this old thread...but my new lamy safari F also writes very dry. It feels worse than my pilot varsity. I have to press hard like a ball point and it will then be less gray and more black (bulletproof black from noodler's)...my pilow 78g writes darker and just as thick (F)....\

 

What can I do?

[freewheelingvagabond]

Lamy Safaris tend to be dry writers, so it's not something people liking wet lines being drawn out from their favourite pens should look for. Of course things depend on the ink, and without having tried Sailor inks and PR Tanzanite, I have to say Aurora inks work the best in terms of flow and lubrication, better than PR Naples blue. @mikej165: Try and get hold of a Pelikan M200 which would be a wet writer any day, or even a Sheaffer Prelude is on the wetter side compared to the Safari.

[rookieboyliu]

Try polar black by Noodler's.

[lovemy51]

Both fine nib Safari pens I have used were dry writers until I filled them with Private Reserve Tanzanite.

I will be visiting Art Brown's this week. Perhaps I'll pick up some Private Reserve ink. Thanks for the tip.

using PR Tanzanite is like giving your pen exlax... that's not necessarily bad!

[beluga]

Try polar black by Noodler's.

 

 

Polar Black and Moleskine (which Mike appears to use) don't go too well together IMO - too much bleeding and the Polar Black started to show some greyish hues when I tried this combination.

 

 

 

 

B.

[inkobsessed]

From Lamy I have the Accent, (MK), Joy, (1.1 mm) and the Lamy Safari Vista, (M). The Accent is a nice wet writer; the Joy very very dry and the Safari Visa is just dry. After trying several inks, the Safari Vista writes best with Parker Washable Blue and also with Waterman Black.

 

Succes: Joop

[Brerarnold]

I have several Safaris and Al-Stars. I find that the bright stainless steel nibs tend to write drier than the black nibs. This is hardly based on extensive experience, but has been 100% with my sample. BiffyBean's suggestions have been a big help in this regard. Ink seems to make the most difference; some definitely lubricate better than others. I have experimented with inks until I found one that wrote well in a given pen and then just stick with it.

[ExcaliburZ]

I wish I read this earlier. I had an EF Vista and bought a F nib, which is working great. I will try flushing it once my current cartridge runs out.

[pen2paper]

Ditto on everything BiffyBeans said..

My new/1st Lamy sat around for a Long time, because I prefer wet writers..

Then I grabbed it for work, because It had a cartridge.. after using it for several days.. it Improved.

Changed to lamy blue ink, good.. Became my favorite everyday writer..

Changed to Pelikan Black and wait a minute.. this feels dry like when it was new

changed back to Lamy ink, and it was fine again.. Now I'm using Waterman black, which in the Safari is So Wet that it Looks So saturated black/black that it looks Just like Aurora Black.

 

As to manufacturer break-in instructions..that would be nice.. but then those issues are why folks usally find FPN, and All here readily share Pen-Specific best practices..

Lamy Safari seems to prefer/require a simple cool water flush when new.

An ink, which is normal to wet, in flow.

And a short break-in period to achieve it's personal best..

 

But isn't that true of most pens.. some ink flowing through the feed for a short time, to establish its fluid best?

[Jules]

Skrip black works decently in my Lamy Safari, but Skrip blue makes it write really dry. Noodler's black doesn't work as well as Skrip black for me. =/ I think I might try Waterman black next.

[colapen]

After 3 pages, my safari is writin darker...maybe it does need breakig in, unless it's because I got used to pressing harder

[mikej165]

After a few months with my Safari I must say this pen has grown on me. It is still not my go-to pen; I'm far too fond of my growing P51 stable to say that. But in a few respects I believe the Safari shines:

 

Cost: Cheap enough that I don't worry about losing it.

Flexible: Nib swaps are simple. I own F, M and B nibs for this pen, which means it can be whatever I want it to be.

Ink level: Holds a fair amount of ink and the window really lets you know where you stand.

 

I'm not a big fan of the cap and I think the clip is horrendous. That said, I'm sticking with this pen for the long haul. Yes, out of the box it tends to be a dry writer. For those who find it to be excessively so, spreading the tines ever so slightly with a piece of shim stock will make it write wetter and probably clear up the complaints that most seem to have with it.. I also smoothed the F nib using Richard Binder's nib smoothing kit and it is neck and neck for smoothness with a Parker 51 Special, which I also smoothed using his kit. (These two pens are by far my smoothest writing pens. They're just glorious to use) Having a cheap pen with cheap replacement nibs made for a good learning experience.

[bobheck]

I apologize in advance if I am breaking protocol by posting in such an old thread, but this one fits my problem precisely.

 

I just purchased a Lamy Safari (Fine) and it is writing excessively dry. I have washed it, flushed it, and used a brass shim (once). I am using Iroshizuku Shin-Kai which is normally a good flowing ink in other pens and a good quality ink. But still I get hard starts, and the pen tracks (I think that is the correct term -- makes two lines) with very little pressure. It is also somewhat rough on the upward strokes but I am betting that is associated with the flow problem.

 

Now I know this pen is not that expensive. But, it is not just a couple of dollars either. And, it costs enough to where it should perform well.

 

I don't know what else to do. I used the shim only one time, maybe not enough? Do I just return it?

 

 

Any help is appreciated.

Edited April 26, 2017 by bobheck

[Astronymus]

Those fine nibs sometimes need some realigning of the tines when they are writing to dry. Works for me.

[bobheck]

Those fine nibs sometimes need some realigning of the tines when they are writing to dry. Works for me.

Thank you, I have inspected the tines with a loupe and to my limited knowledge they do not appear to be out of line.

[bobheck]

Those fine nibs sometimes need some realigning of the tines when they are writing to dry. Works for me.

Ok, after reading through this entire thread again -- I took ANOTHER look with another loupe at the tines, they actually were off a bit. Re-flushed the pen using mild warm soapy water and the converter. Used a brass shim to clear the channel (whatever that is called). And I switched ink to Private Reserve American Blue. Don't know if just one fixed it or a combination, but now it writes absolutely fantastic. Nice, smooth, wet. Love it! Thanks everybody.

[Astronymus]

Glad we could help.