Review - Lamy Aion

[DrDebG]

A couple of days ago I traveled through the Frankfurt, Germany airport and noticed a store selling Lamy pens. Naturally, I had to go in and see what they had. I immediately noticed the new Lamy Aion in black satin finish and knew I had to have one.

 

This is Lamy's new everyday carry pen. And I must say, after using it constantly since I bought it, I really like the pen. It is clear that Lamy really thought this one through. There are very few things I can say that need improvement.

 

 

 

APPEARANCE: 10/10

 

• Minimalist look, but very professional looking
• Sleek, but not too slender
• Satin finished black aluminum with shiny black ring at the end of the cap which accentuates the satin finish
• Shiny silver clip

CONSTRUCTION: 10/10

• Solid aluminum construction
• Balanced feel even when posted
• Substantial, yet not too weighty
• Comes with a reasonably sized proprietary converter, or can be used with a cartridge.

CAP: 9/10

• "Click" on style - firm hold but easy to pop off
• Cap has a wider radius than the body of the pen with a raised lip when capped (this might get hung up in a tight shirt pocket or pen sleeve)

CLIP: 10/10

• Minimalist design
• Bright shiny silver with Lamy logo on the side
• Slips easily inside of pocket or pen sleeve

GRIP SECTION: 10/10

• Satin finished metal
• Non-slick feel; there is no slippage when gripping this pen
• Wider; does not cause cramping during writing sessions

NIB and FEED: 10/10

• Excellent nib: smooth with just a tiny bit of feedback; slight spring to the nib (I generally do not care for fine steel nibs, but this is excellent)
• Feed delivers the right amount of ink for a slightly wet writing experience.

PRICE: 10/10

• Excellent value compared to other pens in the $70-90 range.
• Pen retails in U.S. for $89.00 (www.gouletpens.com)
• I purchased my Aion in the Frankfurt airport for 59 Euros.

OVERALL: 9/10

• For the price point, this pen is an excellent, every day carry type of pen.
• This is a great, professional looking, but substantial enough for a hard-working student.
• In my humble opinion, I believe Lamy has a winner here.

COMPARISON WITH OTHER LAMY PENS:

• The Aion is a completely different pen than the Safari/Al-Star/LX and the Studio. The nib and feed are different as is the size and weight. The Aion weighs slightly more than the LX, Al-Star, Studio or Lamy 2000. It is wider than the Studio and Lamy 2000, but comparable to the Safari/Al-Star/LX.

 

(Top: Aion; Bottom: Al-Star)

 

The nibs are similar but definitely not the same. Even the wings where the nib slides onto the feed are different as shown above. While they may seem interchangeable, the feeds are different as well which may affect the delivery of ink to the nib.

 

(Top: Aion; Middle: Al-Star; Bottom: Studio)

 

The Al-Star and Studio nibs are more slender than the Aion nib.

 

(Top: Aion; Middle: Al-Star; Bottom: Studio)

 

The feeds are different as well.

 

 

(Top: Aion; 2nd from top: Al-Star; 3rd from top: Studio; Bottom: 2000)

 

As stated above, the Aion weighs more than the others, yet not substantially more. It is very comfortable in the hand even for long writing sessions. Posted it is the same length and width as the Al-Star, but without the flat spots, triangular feed and ink window.

 

(Top: Aion; 2nd from top: Al-Star; 3rd from top: Studio; Bottom: 2000)

 

The length of Aion when posted is between the Studio and the Al-Star, but has better balance than the Al-Star when posted.

 

Overall, the Lamy Aion is a great pen. I highly recommend it.

Edited October 26, 2017 by DrPenfection

[prashant.tikekar]

Thanks for a detailed review. I am sure this will help the ones who want to decide to buy or not. But it would be appropriate to post / move in fountain pen reviews section so that more fpn users will be able to read it.

[DrDebG]

Thanks for a detailed review. I am sure this will help the ones who want to decide to buy or not. But it would be appropriate to post / move in fountain pen reviews section so that more fpn users will be able to read it.

 

Thank you for your kind comment. I will contact the moderator and request that it be moved accordingly.

[Astronymus]

Sorry, "crapping" or "cramping"?

[DrDebG]

Sorry, "crapping" or "cramping"?

Thank you for picking this up! Obviously I meant cramping. But you did give me a great laugh this morning!

[TheRealMikeDr]

Thanks for the review.

 

I've got a Lamy Studio and I'm not sure if there's enough differentiation to merit picking one of these up - but at the price point I may go ahead and get one. Hoping to try one out at the Ohio Pen show next week.

[Jackson]

Thanks for the review.

 

I've got a Lamy Studio and I'm not sure if there's enough differentiation to merit picking one of these up - but at the price point I may go ahead and get one. Hoping to try one out at the Ohio Pen show next week.

Longer, thicker, but no heavier than the Studio...clips very different (Aion's is press to lift, like the 2000)...nibs different in appearance, though not so much in operation—still interchangeable, though. For my big paws, the Aion has the edge.

[PAKMAN]

I got a look at these in Santa Fe, thanks for the review!

[Sagarb]

Very nice review

[Venemo]

I've had an Aion too (black EF) and I've used it for a month now. I think your review is a bit more optimistic than my experience.

 

Appearance:

• I agree with you on this, the black version of the pen is very elegant and good looking. (However the olive-silver one looks very dull in my opinion.)

 

Nib:

It isn't that bad, but I have to add a few important bullet points here.

• There is skipping. Not sure if this is the fault of the nib or feed, but with dry inks I've experienced some annoying skipping with ESSRI and Pelikan Brilliant Black so far.
• Broader than expected. The EF nib is more of a medium-fine than a real extra fine.
• Nib creep. With every kind of ink I've tried so far (ESSRI, Pelikan Brilliant Black, Platinum Carbon Black), the nib exhibits some noticable nib creep.
• Also a good point: the nib can handle Platinum Carbon Black surprisingly well.

 

Cap:

• It has some movement while the pen is capped. It's not a problem for me, but it does annoy some people.

Edited October 27, 2017 by Venemo

[DrDebG]

Thanks for the review.

 

I've got a Lamy Studio and I'm not sure if there's enough differentiation to merit picking one of these up - but at the price point I may go ahead and get one. Hoping to try one out at the Ohio Pen show next week.

 

While the Studio and Aion have some similarities, they have a completely different feel. I love my Studio, but this Aion is really growing on me but in a different way.

[DrDebG]

Longer, thicker, but no heavier than the Studio...clips very different (Aion's is press to lift, like the 2000)...nibs different in appearance, though not so much in operation—still interchangeable, though. For my big paws, the Aion has the edge.

 

I would agree. At this point, I have a slight preference to the Aion nib, however, to the standard Safari/Al-Star nibs.

[DrDebG]

I got a look at these in Santa Fe, thanks for the review!

 

After writing with this for a few more days, I must say that it is becoming one of my favorites. I have used a couple of inks - a dry Lamy ink, and a wet DeAtramentis ink - an both perform very well.

[DrDebG]

Very nice review

Thank you!

[DrDebG]

 

I've had an Aion too (black EF) and I've used it for a month now. I think your review is a bit more optimistic than my experience.

 

Appearance:

• I agree with you on this, the black version of the pen is very elegant and good looking. (However the olive-silver one looks very dull in my opinion.)

 

Nib:

It isn't that bad, but I have to add a few important bullet points here.

• There is skipping. Not sure if this is the fault of the nib or feed, but with dry inks I've experienced some annoying skipping with ESSRI and Pelikan Brilliant Black so far.
• Broader than expected. The EF nib is more of a medium-fine than a real extra fine.
• Nib creep. With every kind of ink I've tried so far (ESSRI, Pelikan Brilliant Black, Platinum Carbon Black), the nib exhibits some noticable nib creep.
• Also a good point: the nib can handle Platinum Carbon Black surprisingly well.

 

Cap:

• It has some movement while the pen is capped. It's not a problem for me, but it does annoy some people.

 

 

 

Thank you for your comments!

 

Regarding the nib, I purchased a fine. I compared the line widths with my Studio fine, and is about the same. It does seem just a bit wider than my Montblanc 144 fine pt, but is about the same as my Pelikan m400 fine pt.

 

I haven't had any skipping at all, nor any nib creep. I have used Lamy Blue (dry ink - the cartridge was included) and DeAtramentis Robert Louis Stevenson (wet ink), and both have performed well, although I prefer the DeAtramentis ink. I am not a big fan of Lamy inks.

 

I will try a couple of other inks to see if I can elicit the issues you discussed.

 

I must say, however, that I have never had good luck with Lamy EF nibs. I have purchased a couple of Al-Stars with EF nibs, and have had less than satisfactory results. I switched them out for F nibs which made all the difference.

[prashant.tikekar]

 

 

Thank you for your comments!

 

Regarding the nib, I purchased a fine. I compared the line widths with my Studio fine, and is about the same. It does seem just a bit wider than my Montblanc 144 fine pt, but is about the same as my Pelikan m400 fine pt.

 

I haven't had any skipping at all, nor any nib creep. I have used Lamy Blue (dry ink - the cartridge was included) and DeAtramentis Robert Louis Stevenson (wet ink), and both have performed well, although I prefer the DeAtramentis ink. I am not a big fan of Lamy inks.

 

I will try a couple of other inks to see if I can elicit the issues you discussed.

 

I must say, however, that I have never had good luck with Lamy EF nibs. I have purchased a couple of Al-Stars with EF nibs, and have had less than satisfactory results. I switched them out for F nibs which made all the difference.

I have heard the same thing about Lamy EF nibs from others too. I have few EF nibs and all write perfectly. Line width comparable to Japanese F which is preferable to me. But while getting EF nibs I had assumed that they may require some tinkering. But to my surprise, it wasn't needed. Maybe I was lucky. Edited October 27, 2017 by prashant.tikekar

[Dewdrop]

Aion versus Studio

[DrDebG]

Aion versus Studio

 

Someone said that they were surprised that Lamy came out with the Aion since it was so much like the Studio. But I have to say that I disagree. The Aion has an entirely different feel to it. It is a satin finish first off and the section is not at all smooth. I love the Studio because of it's unassuming design, but I find the slick section to be a problem at times. Also, the Aion is just a bit wider, which for me makes writing for longer periods of time less tiring. I also love the minimalist design of the pen. It is elegant yet simple. For me, at this time, the only advantage that my Studio has over the Aion is the 14K gold nib (not standard issue on the Studio).

[jarodzz]

If a Lamy pen with a steel Nib cost $80-90, it sounds like something for collectors.

For daily users, they can get a Lamy 2000 for $100-110, (with mass-drop, they sure can), would they really go for this?

[DrDebG]

If a Lamy pen with a steel Nib cost $80-90, it sounds like something for collectors.

For daily users, they can get a Lamy 2000 for $100-110, (with mass-drop, they sure can), would they really go for this?

 

jarodzz, you make a good point. But, the Lamy Aion is a fine pen and a great one for daily carry, which I believe is what Lamy intended.

 

When I first saw the pen discussed here a month or two ago, I thought that the Aion was superfluous given the Studio and the 2000 so close in price and make. But the Aion is substantially different. It has the minimalist simplicity of both the Studio and the 2000 but it is wider which makes writing more comfortable for me especially when I am writing for a long time. In addition, the steel nib is quite responsive with just a bit of spring. It is certainly not a "nail", even for a fine point. It is also constructed out of very durable and possibly rugged materials. I would have no problem putting this in my attache without a pen holder, whereas I would not do that with either my Studio (which is the Wild Rubin special edition) or my 2000. Also, while I love my Studio, I prefer the Aion section to the slick Studio section. My hands don't sweat much, but if there is any moisture on my fingers, the Studio will slip where the Aion section is a satin finish. And the pen looks very professional, much like the 2000.

 

While Massdrop and some others occasionally have the 2000 for a lower price (I bought my 2000 on Massdrop), you have to search and wait for those prices. When I was in Germany, the Lamy dealer also mentioned that Lamy is cutting back on distribution of some of their pens and nibs. Not all places will have them readily available. So, that may cause the prices to rise. If you can find a 2000 for $100, you may want to get it now.