Violet - Lamy - Cartridges Only

[visvamitra]

Lamy doesn't need introduction on this board. However as I enjoy writing introductions, here we go. Lamy was created by Josef Lamy who was a German export and branch manager for Parker until 1930, when Parker left the German market due to unsuccessful sales of its Duofold.

http://imageshack.com/a/img538/9376/WLiktK.jpg

www.lamy.com

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www.lamy.com

Lamy started his own company by acquiring the pen manufacturer Orthos Füllfederhalter-Fabrik producing celluloid pens. For quite few years they were selling conservative looking pens stylised after Pelinan and Montblanc pens.

However in 1966 they invited industrial designer Gerd A. Müller to create their new flagship product - Lamy 2000, a classic Bauhaus-inspired design that has remained in production ever since 1966 with no significant change. This pen set the tone for all Lamys to come: forward-looking, innovative design, excellent quality and writing performance. Lamy 2000 is one of my all - time favourite pens. With time I even came to like Lamy Al-Star that looked like an ugly duckling for me when I first saw it.

Basically I love their pens. However I wasn't so fond of their inks. They're not bad, they're sold in practical and functional bottle yet the colors really aren't mesmerizing. ANyway the inks are sold in bottle that provides a roll of blotter tape used to clean the pen after filling, or to blot writing. It is specially shaped with a wide neck and a basin to collect ink to aid filling when close to empty.

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http://miestilografi...t=lamy-tinteros

They can also be purchased in cartridges.

It seems that lately Lamy came to conclusion they can make money on special edition inks that are introduced together with limited edition Al-Stars and Safaris. That's good, especially that new colors (Copper Orange and Neon Lime) stand out from their rather conservative and - let's face it - boring ink line-up.

1. Black
   
2. Blue Washable
   
3. Blue / Black
   
4. Copper Orange
   
5. Green
   
6. Neon Coral
   
7. Neon Lime
   
8. Red
   
9. Turquoise
   
10. Violet
    

VIolet is well - behaved and juicy ink with more saturation than other Lamy inks I've tried. I wouldn't use it on daily basis but I don't mind having few cartridges in case I need some stronger violet.

Ink Splash

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Drops of ink on kitchen towel

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Waterproofness

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Semikolon, Lamy Al-Star, B

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http://imageshack.com/a/img633/1828/wA8jzq.jpg

CIAK, Lamy Al-Star, B

http://imageshack.com/a/img538/2795/HyDsS5.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img538/5286/vLf0nh.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img538/4457/wqagLM.jpg

Whitelines, Lamy Al-Star, B

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Edited June 24, 2015 by visvamitra

[fireant]

Another gorgeous review! I think this ink is really pretty.

[Algester]

sadly there's no bottle version of it... now... people still ask where is that purple al-star LOL if assuming it will look like the same as TWSBI where is that lilac al-star

[mudman]

Great color, even better review. Thanks for taking the time.

 

I will have to pick up some ink just for the bottle alone- I really like the design.

[bureaudirect]

Great stuff!

Let me know if you need any other Lamy colours, I will gladly send you some

 

Mishka

[eelldan]

Excellent review! This ink looks great I may have to get some cartridges for my wife to try.

[mehandiratta]

I find Sulekha Crystal Violet as a better value...

But anyhow amazing review as usual...

[inkstainedruth]

Thanks for the review. It would interesting to see this one up against Pelikan Violet (which is relatively inexpensive) and MB Lavender Purple (which isn't). I like both of those inks and the color of the Lamy Violetseems to be in the same range.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[visvamitra]

@mehandiratta - it's probable, but how to get it away from India?

[delano]

Not my color, but great review

[mehandiratta]

@mehandiratta - it's probable, but how to get it away from India?

i can send you the sample....

[cimmerian]

Tsc. I can't find Lamy Violet anywhere in Brazil. All retailers sell here is blue washable, blue/black, black and red; turquoise only in cartridges. If I want a "fancy" color like this one, I'll have to import. That sucks.

[titrisol]

It isn't bad, however it is too pink and light for me.

I prefer darker shades such as the Pelikan 4001 Violet or even Waterman Tender Purple

[taimdala]

I love this violet ink. I have it loaded in an extra fine nib Lamy I bought on eBay from Hong Kong. I suspect the EF nib is more like the Asian EF nibs than the Western: it's finer than an EF I bought from an authorized US vendor.

I can't tell yet if the finer nib is responsible for the shading and the SHEEN from the ink, but regardless, I love how this ink looks in the fine weight of the line. On good paper, it even sheens a little, despite the fineness of the nib. I thought you had to lay down a lot or use a very wet nib in order to get sheen to show up in an ink that's not marketed or designed to be a monster sheener (llike Organic Studio's Walden).

I *want* to buy this in the T-52 bottle instead of hoarding my T-10 cartridges.

Argh! Why can't Lamy consistently offer both options in all the colors they make? I would buy both in a heartbeat. They'd get more money out of me that way. Surely a business would want that, right?

[taimdala]

As a matter of record, I also have a bottle of Dark Lilac, along with cartridges of it. It's GORGEOUS--deeply purple without being black, is the perfect balance between red- and blue-violets, has a kick-ass gold sheen .... But despite having it inked up in my Dark Lilac Safari, I still reach for my Black Purple with the violet, instead.

I suspect it's becauses the nib on my Safar is broader than my AL-Star. I adore a very fine line. Maybe I should look into getting the Dark Lilac Safari in an EF from an Asian eBay vendor before it becomes impossible to get one. Once acquired, I can do a side-by-side comparison.

[Bo Bo Olson]

On 6/26/2015 at 12:48 AM, inkstainedruth said:

Thanks for the review. It would interesting to see this one up against Pelikan Violet (which is relatively inexpensive) and MB Lavender Purple (which isn't)

While looking for  other cartridge inks, I stumbled on a very old Lamy Violet pack with two cartridges left in it. So old it was half evaporated. I had a whim, decided to go violet for a while, and thought burgundy would do, and one or two others including my 4001 Violet.....but completely forgot I do have MB's Lavender Purple that I've only used once.

 

Considering it's been @ 8 years from Ruth's post mentioning $$$$....it was then E-15 a bottle (up 2 E from when the new 60ml shoe bottles came in)....now way over my limit; at a rip off price  E-23.....which is way over inflation....in they went to E-23 a couple years before inflation....had to keep up with the Jones.....Japanese, GvFC, and Cd'A inks.

 

And Edelstein just went over my limit....sigh, but that was from inflation.....E-20.50 or so. Less if one buys online.

 

[Mercian]

3 hours ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

While looking for  other cartridge inks, I stumbled on a very old Lamy Violet pack with two cartridges left in it. So old it was half evaporated. I had a whim, decided to go violet for a while, and thought burgundy would do, and one or two others including my 4001 Violet.....but completely forgot I do have MB's Lavender Purple that I've only used once.

If you still have the Montblanc Lavender Purple, and the Lamy Violet, and the Pelikan 4001 Violett, would you mind posting a comparison?

Could you perhaps dip a Lamy c/c pen in to the Mb & Pelikan inks, and then write out something such as

 

Lamy Safari, M nib, Montblanc Lavender Purple

Lamy Safari, M nib, Pelikan 4001 Violett

Lamy Safari, M nib, Lamy Violet

 

I don’t personally have Lamy Violet. I’ve got a couple of cartridges of ‘Dark Lilac’ left but (iirc) ‘Violet’ is a shade that is rather lighter/less dark than that ink (my only experience of Lamy Violet was that I once saw one signature that was made with it, so my memory may be wrong).
I do have the 4001 Violett - is the Lamy Violet a similar colour to it?

[Bo Bo Olson]

8 hours ago, Mercian said:

I do have the 4001 Violett - is the Lamy Violet a similar colour to it?

 In my mind, it is.

I just put the cartridge in my Lamy 1990 Persona, ...... your idea of dipping the same width nib in those two bottles has merit.

I'd have to dig out the two bottles....not the biggest problem in the world.

 

Someone will have to clue me in, if Burgundy and Bordeaux count towards violet or not. I have a couple of them, that I've not used in over a decade. I stayed away from them, thinking they are towards red, which is bad for my piston pens with windows. I have CC pens now.

 

MB Pinocchio...was more reddish that I'd expected. Had thought it brownish when bought. I'd not thought of violet and it, until now....but don't want to open up the bottle again, if it ain't in the neighborhood.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I unfortunately only have Edelsteine Amethyst, only in cartridges. So I'll ink a pen, a Pelikan 381 in OB, (the Celebry was in F). It don't take a real long time, 8 years for a cartridge ot evaporate half a load away. So I wlll needle fill it with water. 

I found my 4001 Violet and MB Lavender Purple......now to pick two B nibs. My Amethyst 200 in B and my '94 Hunter Toledo in B. Those two I can load with half a twist.

 

The once OB, now B, Lamy Persona is in a IC. Pendelton Brown turned my absolutely no line variation 18 K OB nail into a nice CI.....his writing...You will get to see my Roster Scratch soon enough.

.....................

DA PurPurviolet is a mix of blue purple and reddish violet....or a dark violet. The more I look at the smear...I think I'll do that too. A quarter turn, or a dip and go.

[Bo Bo Olson]

violet....I will take my Crayon box of 65 years ago, over what ever Wiki says. Purple is blueish, violet is reddish.

I have a 2.8cm/1.5" thick magnifying glass I use to chase down woolly lines.

Paper: Clairefontaine Triomphe 90g, a nice slick paper.

..........................

MB Lavender Purple is more purple than lavender. Has a slight woolly line.Small shading.

 

DA Purpurviolet is a nice bright violet. On the edge of a woolly line...need the big magnifying glass to see that. Bare eye ok; even when held close to the eye. . Good Shading.

 

Edlstein Amethyst is a bit redder violet than Pelikan 4001 violet. On the edge of magnifying glass woolly line. Ok bare eye, even when held close to the eye. Good Shading.

 

Pelikan 4001 Violet. Good clean line , even under a honking big magnifying glass. Good Shading.

 

 

CORRECTION.........It seems there was still a bit of old ink in the nib of the Persona. On another sheet of paper it suddenly changed color, becoming redder, and more vibrant than 4001. I could suddenly see why Lamy Violet was well liked.

Lamy Violet is actually a vibrant violet closer to the DA ink., none of the blueish I had from a dirty pen, with reddish winning. Good clean line. Still Small Shading.

 

The way I see it, Pelikan 4001 is a bit more violet than the bluer Lamy Violet.

Paper: Clairefontaine Triomphe 90g

The inks..............Lamy Violet comes only in cartridges, and it had been so long since I used it, I needed to needle top off, both the Lamy and the Amethyst.

 

I only have two Lamy's to use the Lamy Cartridge in, a 1.5 Safari Joy and my once OB 1990 Persona, now a CI...B....lacks the little dot on the clip to stop it from rolling off the desk that came in in 1991. The Persona beat the Imporium out to be made; back then....in both were from the same time by the same designer. (The new Imporium has a great 2 x nearly semi-flex nib. It would have to go to 3 X to be semi-flex in my books....and then I'd gotten it somehow. But at that price, I'll make do with my CI.)

 

4 of the nibs are B's, and one is OB's but in my hurry I grabbed the wrong black and gold Pelikan a 140 semi-flex F !!! The DA ink.

Pens used.

Pelikan Amethyst 200, steel regular flex B.

XXX460 OBXXXX picked the wrong pen out of the box..... it was a black 140 14 K  Pelikan F. 

A cartridge pen, Pelikan 381 14 K OB.

'94 Pelikan 915 sterling silver overlay Hunter Toledo, regular flex B.

1990 Lamy Persona 18 K nail CI...B. Nib changed from boring do nothing OB to an interesting CI by Pendelton Brown.

 

We have an optometrist in our dorf....small village that also sells antiques on consignment. And I dropped in by back when I was 'noobie'  and E-100 was way, way over my new max of E-50. I went home, looked it up on the net. I made a mistake and showed it to my wife.

Behind my back, mind you; she snuck down and bought it for me; ...ah, women. They see window shopping, and I don't.

 

The MB Lavender Purple is a purple.

DA PurPurviolet is a bright reddish violet.

Pelikan Amethyst.....was an LE; so no longer available, and a tad redder than  4001. Luckily I still have 1 1/2 tin packs of it.

Pelikan 4001 is a solid balanced color violet.....the most violet of the five.

Lamy's violet is bright reddish violet.

 

IMO, 4001 with being most violet, and the DA ink ties Lamy, with 4001 being truest to my crayon box.

 

Sorry about screwing up with that Lamy cartridge....I had remembered it being more violet but when one don't use an ink in a decade, one forgets it was as 'good' as Pelikan.