Lamy Scala Review

[Pencilcaseblog]

-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

 

[LamyOne]

Hello Dries,

 

Sharp looking pen; reminds me of my favorite - the Studio; only with straight lines instead of the torpedo shape of the Studio, (which I prefer).

 

Still a very nice looking pen, (not available here in the States yet, that I am aware of); I'm just concerned about the price. At $125, you're only a few bucks away from a Lamy with a solid gold nib, so I don't know how popular these would be here. I do not know how Lamy's are priced in Germany, but $159 will buy you a 2000 or a Studio Palladium Series with Lamy's silky smooth gold nib.

 

Thank you for this review; this is a new model to me and I'm glad to have heard about it.

 

Best regards,

 

Chris

 

PS: The images are a little on the dark side, so I cannot be sure if there is a slight taper to the barrel or not; however, the cap may not scratch the barrel on this pen. The bottom finial looks similiar to the one on the Studio and the Studio has a click-fit posting system to prevent the barrel from being scratched. You may want to gingerly test this and see if this pen also has that feature.

Edited October 18, 2014 by LamyOne

[PAKMAN]

I like the look! Does it come in other colors? I don't care too much for metal sections but the gentle slope of this one may make it lest slippery.

 

Thanks for the review!

[Pencilcaseblog]

Hello Dries,

 

Sharp looking pen; reminds me of my favorite - the Studio; only with straight lines instead of the torpedo shape of the Studio, (which I prefer).

 

Still a very nice looking pen, (not available here in the States yet, that I am aware of); I'm just concerned about the price. At $125, you're only a few bucks away from a Lamy with a solid gold nib, so I don't know how popular these would be here. I do not know how Lamy's are priced in Germany, but $159 will buy you a 2000 or a Studio Palladium Series with Lamy's silky smooth gold nib.

 

Thank you for this review; this is a new model to me and I'm glad to have heard about it.

 

Best regards,

 

Chris

 

PS: The images are a little on the dark side, so I cannot be sure if there is a slight taper to the barrel or not; however, the cap may not scratch the barrel on this pen. The bottom finial looks similiar to the one on the Studio and the Studio has a click-fit posting system to prevent the barrel from being scratched. You may want to gingerly test this and see if this pen also has that feature.

Hey Chris,

 

The price is indeed a bit on the high side compared to other models. However here in Europe, e.g. the 2000 costs 200EUR (over 250 USD), which -kind of- justifies the price point of the scala. Thanks for mentioning it's not available in the US, I never really noticed!

 

The body is indeed slightly tapered towards the end, however the taper is almost not noticeable. If I remember correctly, the cap does post, but I don't think it has that click-fit system!

 

Dries

[Pencilcaseblog]

I like the look! Does it come in other colors? I don't care too much for metal sections but the gentle slope of this one may make it lest slippery.

 

Thanks for the review!

 

Yes! There's a Titanium version, and a more expensive (gold-nibbed) piano black version!

[freewheelingvagabond]

That's one great nib. Thanks for the review! Does Lamy offer these 1.1 mm and 1.5 mm nibs on the 2000?

[Pencilcaseblog]

That's one great nib. Thanks for the review! Does Lamy offer these 1.1 mm and 1.5 mm nibs on the 2000?

It's awesome! Especially considering the price! And I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think they are available on the 2000.

[LamyOne]

Hello Dries,

 

Wow! I didn't know Lamy's were that expensive over there - I never would have thought that I could buy a Lamy for so much less here compared to their native land. Based on this, I can see how the Scala is good deal for you.

 

Best regards,

 

Chris