Lamy Unic - Matte Black- Review

[TemporumRex]

INTRODUCTION

Last weekend I was searching for a Lamy Pico to gift it.

While I was waiting the seller searching a box to prepare my present, my eyes fell over the tray where stay other Lamy pens.

Among these pens one of them catch my attention: a slim pen, dark and rough, with a little red dot in the cap. Typical 80's age like design, similar to CP1 model, but more prestige.

Was the first time that I seen this pen, I'm a lover of Lamy pens so I know almost all models produced but this one was unknown. It wasn't cheap, but I wanted it! So, now, this pen is mine.

At home I done a research and now I can introduce the "Lamy Unic" (black edition).

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unic_01 by Andrea Siviero, on Flickr

 

 

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unic_03 by Andrea Siviero, on Flickr

 

 

First of all: there aren't many information about this pen in internet so I'm not able to tell you any history about it in addition of what it's wrote in the Lamy's web page: his designer is Gerd A. Müller, the same person how created the Lamy 2000, CP1, st.

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2000 unic cp1 st_02 by Andrea Siviero, on Flickr

 

 

Produced by 1984, won the Red dot Design in 1989, the IF Hannower in 1989, The Design Center Stuttgart in 1988. Out of production.

APPEARANCE & DESIGN 8/10

I think exist two kind of consumers for the fountain pens market: the consumer which like the classic design (Waterman, Montblank, Parker, italian pens...) and the consumer which like the most modern design of Lamy.

Lamy offers, in my opinion, the best design how link form to function, simplicity of industrial production, and price. So also this pen, like for the Safari, may appeal as no.

The Lamy Unic is a essential matte black cylinder but, at difference of CP1, the body of Unic go to taper in the end while in the CP1 the size of the section body remain the same in every point.

With this trick the cap can go for some centimeter over the body of pen, indeed in the CP1 this is not possible.

The clip is similar at the clip of CP1 but in this case, the spring is external of cap and, in this particular model, the pivot is colored with a shining red.

The bottom and the cover of pen are closed with two black stoppers texturized with concentric circumferences.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3818/11008531004_c767375d0d_c.jpg

unic cp1 st_02 by Andrea Siviero, on Flickr

 

CONSTRUCTION & QUALITY 8/10

The experience that you feeling when you keep in hand this pen is the same of touch not a body in metal but in stone. Also the sound that the pen emits in opening and closing the cap is completly different with the CP1: sounds like a stone for the first, like metal for the second.

As for the other Lamy pens also in this case the constructive quality is simply perfect.

I think the metal used to build it is not the same of CP1; I looked in internet that other Unic are in titanium: I don't know in my case.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7297/11008580723_88b994382c_c.jpg

unic cp1 st_01 by Andrea Siviero, on Flickr

 

WEIGHT & DIMENSIONS 8/10

Closed the Unic is 2mm longher than CP1, open is 2mm shorter than CP1. The weight is little bigger than CP1 but, in difference with these, with the cap posed back gives a feedback of more balance.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7437/11008534764_f4f89f7bfe_c.jpg

unic cp1 _01 by Andrea Siviero, on Flickr

 

NIB & PERFORMANCE 9/10

The nib that use this pen is the same of all popular Lamy's pens with interchangeable nib. My model have the nib completely back without writes.

I tried it with the ink Aurora Black -that, of course, is the best ink in the world ;-) - and the nib run smooth without scratching: perfectly.

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2000 unic cp1 st_03 by Andrea Siviero, on Flickr

 

FILLING SYSTEM & MAINTENANCE 7/10

The pen has been sold me with the converter Z26 inside. Nothing of exciting.

If you want you can also use the Lamy cartridge.

If you dip the pen in the ink bottle and after you dry up the excess ink with a tissue, the body doesn't absorb the ink and remain perfect clean: this mean that the finiture don't keeps the ink.

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unic_04 by Andrea Siviero, on Flickr

 

COST & VALUE 7/10

Could be that I paid it too much, but this pen isn't economic, I found it new -never used- for 70€ and also I think are money well spent because this pen is out of production by some years, and I repeat: this in particular was new.

Nonetheless, for me 70€ remain a lot of money for an object that makes the same work of a Safari for 18€. For who pays 400€ for a pen of course this pen is cheap. But all we understand that the passion have a price, proportioned to our pocket, often a high price..!

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unic allstar_03 by Andrea Siviero, on Flickr

 

CONCLUSION 47/60 or 8/10

The particular design of this pen, his balance in your hand, the feel transmitted, the matte black color with a charming red dot, his rarity and the fact that is out of production, make this pen an interesting object to use and above all to collect.

If are lucky to find it, in my opinion, buy it.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3665/11008457386_03f49ef682_c.jpg

unic allstar_02 by Andrea Siviero, on Flickr

 

 

 

[85AKbN]

Great review, thanks.

[MCN]

I have two of these (black with steel nib and stainless with white gold nib) and they are among my favorite pens. Congrats on your find!

[mazinger55]

I love this black lamy, to complete your collection you only need a lamy logo black.

[Steven]

Very simple and good looking pen. Nice review also. Thanks!

[Lince]

Nice pen, have to look it up.

I have a CP1 next to me and it is such a simple pen (nice).

The all black one too, but the Unic is excellent.

[c4bb0ose]

If only lamy was not so (bleep) well overpriced here, all the skinny pens would be in my collection asap but I shudder to think how much I would end up paying for them :<