Lamy Safari Charcoal Question

[magan]

i want to buy a lamy safari charcoal fp soon but found this link: http://arkanabar.tripod.com/pens.html

 

on the "appearance and finish" section, it says, "The Lamy Safari is a nice pen made of ABS. It's nearly indestructable, but the charcoal-colored one has a rhino-hide finish reminiscent of your monitor, which becomes unpleasant in very short order."

 

i'd like to know what becomes unpleasant with a charcoal finish. your thoughts and, specially, experience on this is greatly appreciated. thanks!

[twdpens]

"Rhino hide" is quite a strong description! The finish has a fine grain texture, similar to that found on many other plastic moulded items. It is not rough, and can help with the grip of the pen. It also hides a lot of scratches and marks from everyday use.

 

HTH,

 

Martin

[Sleepy]

Yes, it's slightly textured, which I prefer to the other smooth safaris. I'm not sure about it becoming unpleasant in short order, mine is the same as when I bought it and perfectly pleasant to write with.

[JMX]

It's pretty much like the difference between a polished and a brushed piece of cutlery. Maybe even less so.

[Sleepy]

As an additional, I've just read a good deal of the site you refer to and you should take the author's advice with a sizeable pinch of salt.

[beak]

Yup, I've got two Safaris sitting in front of me both charcoal colour, one with the texture and one without (smooth).

 

Blindfold, you can just tell the difference in feel; one is a tad smoother than the other, but that's it. Visually, the textured one seems just perceptibly / tiny amount / just see it, marginally lighter: that's the finish, not the base colour, I think.

 

Had them about the same length of time, and yes the textured one looks cleaner - no scratches unless you get really close, and though you can see scratches more on the smooth, they're not that noticeable anyway.

 

Hope this helps.

 

PS

Actually I don't know for sure that this colour here is officially called charcoal - it's a warm and very dark grey anyway.

Edited February 16, 2011 by beak

[entity999]

I too have a charcoal safari and a standard balck one. I'd agree with the above that it's like a very fine textured finish and nothing like rhino hide - this strikes me as pure hyperbole! Of the two finishesd I much prefer the charcoal as I find it easier to grip for long periods and I think it looks a bit less "blingy" than the standard finish.

[FLJeepGuy]

I would call the finish on the charcoal pen a matte finish as opposed to the polished finish on the other Safaris. I have many other pens with more texture, ribbing, etc. on them and none are uncomfortable to use. I personally prefer a slight texture as it makes the pen less slippery.

[grayfoxgirl]

I just bought a Lamy Safari in charcoal and have been using it for a couple of days now and it feels fine. You do have to get used to the texture. It's like breaking in a new pair of shoes. You'll notice it at first, but after awhile, you'll forget about it. I would definitely buy it again.

[Fuddlestack]

Rhino hide indeed. It's more like the finely-textured surface of a good digital camera. I have the charcoal Salami and am well contented with it. And in any case, what is this individual doing, talking about your monitor? Has he, she or it been peeking over your shoulder without a warrant?

[Wyre]

The finish on the charcoal is actually much nicer than that of the smooth lamy... At least in my opinion.

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_MfFnQ4NrOIs/TT6wtF6dXkI/AAAAAAAAAHU/kgm9KiD4FAk/s1600/lamytip.JPG

 

That has a nice large picture that shows the finish perfectly

[Sailor Kenshin]

i want to buy a lamy safari charcoal fp soon but found this link: http://arkanabar.tripod.com/pens.html

 

on the "appearance and finish" section, it says, "The Lamy Safari is a nice pen made of ABS. It's nearly indestructable, but the charcoal-colored one has a rhino-hide finish reminiscent of your monitor, which becomes unpleasant in very short order."

 

i'd like to know what becomes unpleasant with a charcoal finish. your thoughts and, specially, experience on this is greatly appreciated. thanks!

 

Not a thing as far as I'm concerned. It's a matte black, very understated and appealing to me.

[Reid]

I agree with the others ... I have a charcoal safari and love it. I like the 'stealth' look. I've had it a couple of years and use it a lot and it still looks new. Great colour/finish.

[Halden]

I would not say Rhino Hide. My Matte Charcoal is by far my favourite of my 2 Safaris.

[Juan in Andalucia]

I have some black charcoal and recently got some Grey (grisso ??) safaris which have the same texture. I like it, and they're more scratchproof

 

Juan

[jonesy]

To echo many of the others, the Charcoal finish is my favorite and I wish that all my safari's had this finish! It wears much better, doesn't show scratches nearly as much, and it generally nicer IMO. I would buy an olive drab one in matte in a heartbeat!

[countrydirt]

My Charcoal Safari is now almost smooth after 3 years of daily use.

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

As others have said, nothing rhino-hidey about the charcoal safari. It's got a very slight texture which hasn't become unpleasant after 2 or 3 years or so