A Quick Look At The Lamy Aion

[Synthy Pelikan]

 

Lamy Aion Olivesilver EF

 

After falling out of love with Lamy following experiencing a number of QA issues and finding their recent releases too indulgent and far removed from past-Lamy's Bauhaus-like ethos, I took a gamble and purchased an Aion. I was drawn to its clean design and sensible price, and was in the market for what many term an 'EDC' pen.

 

My gamble paid off, I can happily report.

 

My Aion is a well made and pleasant to use minimalist writing instrument. Jasper Morrison's design is wonderfully classy and understated but not boring. The ergonomics are fantastic, too; weight, balance, dimensions and tactile-ness are superb.

 

Lamy have given a boost to their standards, also. No shoddy nibs, no unfinished seams or burrs, no wrongly attached clips and no faulty parts here. A pleasure to use straight out of the box. The nib - a new take on the Z50 - writes lovely: an EF that isn't scratchy, finicky or rubbishly made. Only one other Lamy EF has been this good for me: my first Safari bought in the very early 2000s (I have owned over 20 Lamys, of all models, 2000s, Studios, Sts, Al-Stars, Safaris, etc).

 

There are two negatives, mind: i) no converter is included! An odd decision, I think - and the reason I am writing this in Lamy Blue and not the fancy new ink I ordered with this pen... - ii) the Olivesilver finish is a little lacking in-person - thinking I shouldn't have been contrarian and just should have ordered the Black...

 

Conclusion: a sensible yet sophisticated release from Lamy; well made and of good design. Recommended. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

 

 

 

Lamy have returned to form with the new Aion

 

 

The Aion is packaged in the standard mid-range Lamy packing materials

 

 

 

 

The Aion compared to a Platinum Preppy

 

 

Stripped into the major components

 

 

The sole piece of branding present on the pen

 

 

The new nib type

 

 

I am excited again to discover what Lamy have planned for the future!

 

Happy to provide answers to any questions you may have.

 

NB: My first ever review, several years overdue!

[jay.is.here]

nice review.

[Caeruleum]

Thank you for the impressions!

Could you comment on how comfortable the grip is? It seems to be textured and i've heard it is, does it become slippery after some time?

[Synthy Pelikan]

Could you comment on how comfortable the grip is? It seems to be textured and i've heard it is, does it become slippery after some time?

 

The grip's dimensions are very similar to - if not indistinguishable from - the Lamy Studio's. However, unlike the Studio (sans one variant) the grip is not polished but blasted - the rest of the pen being brushed. I think the grip would only become slippery if one's hands were literally wet with sweat (or other liquid). If you run your finger along it, the texture feels like the surface of a page from a Penguin Classics paperback or the surface of an untarnished paper £10 note; there is texture there but just enough not to have it actively enter your mind - a step down in intensity when compared to a textured-finish Safari or a 2000.

[hbdk]

Thanks for a nice review and some very nice pictures

 

The Aion is a very good pen indeed - feels very well made and it has a good grip. I have had mine for about a month, and I find myself reaching for the Aion a lot more than for my other pens.

[Schadenfreude]

Finally! Someone reviewed the silver Aion! Thank you!

 

I have purchased the black Aion with F nib yesterday. I think it will be my EDC besides al-star and Safari.

[Tas]

Thanks for spreading the word on what I think is a brilliant pen.

 

(I do wish Lamy made an XXF though )

[Synthy Pelikan]

I fitted a Z27 today and I've a little to add to my review.

 

Firstly, if anyone is interested, the only differences I can find between the newer Z27 and the Z26 is that the former has a matt finish, opposed to the latter's polished finish.

 

Anyway. I feel the converter could fit better. It isn't terribly loose - things all work safely enough - but I would like it to feel more affixed when fitted. You can lift the front end without anything falling, but it will spin a bit, when you get to either stop in the twisting action, for example. I would say I am 75 per cent satisfied with it, while I would give the Z28 or a Platinum converter 100 per cent. With the pen fully assembled there isn't anything to be concerned about, so this is a minor - nit-pick-y - point.

 

Not that it'll ever happen, but if Lamy created an Aion 2 with a screw cap and screw-in converter, made it available in a selection of dark anodised finishes (Coffee Brown for me!) and maintained a high level of QA it'd be pretty much the perfect mid-range metal pen, I reckon.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I had given up on metal pens, but thanks to this review (VERY nice handwriting!), I MIGHT add this to my Wish List.

[DrDebG]

Thank you for the nice review.

 

I purchased the black Aion (and reviewed it here as well). Mine did come with the converter, but I purchased it in the Frankfurt airport in Germany. I purchased the Med. Nib and I like it very much. It is quite wet which was surprising.

 

But I do also like the Silver.

[gryphon1911]

Based on what I've read/seen from the Aion reviews and people disussing them, I ordered up a Silver one today from GouletPens.

 

I have a Studio in silver, and love it. Lamy is one of my favorite fountain pen brands and I do like the Studio, but I was not a fan of the polished grips on all the ones except the silver. I'd love to get one in blue and possibly red...but never pulled the trigger. Now, the Aion has the textured grip section. Yay for me!! I hope they decide on some additional colors in the future.

[jameswatts]

I've been extremely pleased with my Aion

[j.a.j.]

I like mine a lot.

 

If I have one complaint is that my EF nib feels more lika a M nib..

[Honeybadgers]

I don't know why, but the aion does less than nothing for me. I do not like it at all. it's boring as heck looking for what it costs.

 

I like mine a lot.

 

If I have one complaint is that my EF nib feels more lika a M nib..

 

 

And apparently the nib QC on the EF and F is still garbage. I was hoping this new nib might replace the desperately aged z50 with some better qualty control.

[j.a.j.]

Well, it's a bit sterile. And it could be a bit more refined.

 

It's still a nice addition to the relatively non-existing category of "medium sized pens with ok weight distribution and no threads or step in the section."

[Honeybadgers]

I think the 2000 just wipes the floor with this pen in the design and quality department... for not a lot more money (you can routinely find it for around $100)

[j.a.j.]

I agree with that Lamy 2000 is much more consequential in the grander scale of things, but for me the Lamy 2000's narrower section makes it about unusable for me. And the 2000 Steel version is absurdly top heavy.