Lamy Smile Fountain Pen

[Nhartist40]

I just did a review on my YouTube channel of the rather obscure Lamy Smile Fountain Pen that was made for kids.  It had its debut in 2006 and it has a unique cap that has rings that you can turn. On each ring are emojis.  You line them up in a window in the pen clip and that is supposed to create "secret" messages that you can share with your friends.  I talk about this pen in a new series, that I call "What Were They Thinking?"  The obvious problem with such a pen is that it would drive a teacher crazy having the kids fiddling with the pen and sending messages when they should be paying attention in class.  It did not seem to do very well and has almost vanished from history.  There are very few reviews of it online.  I picked one up for $17.00 on Ebay.  The pen ended up spawning the Nexx line of fountain pens.  Lamy simply got rid of the rings and made some modifications to produce the Nexx, which I guess they wanted to be the next great thing in fountain pens.  They are still selling a version of the pen now with a much simpler cap (there is also a M version of the Nexx that is slightly more expensive and has a metal cap).  They target it for kids who have outgrown their ABC fountain pen, but are not ready for the Safari.  I think the contemporary Nexx is a nice pen, and I really enjoy the Smile too.  All these pens use the standard Lamy nibs that are on the Safari, and they write with the same characteristics.   

 

The Smile pen with its turning emoji cap is an original concept that should have been targeted for grownups who wanted a pen they could play with and would act like worry beads.    You can see the review here 

 

 

 

[jchch1950]

Thank yo for the review of a Lamy Smile. I have never seen this Lamy model before.

[ralfstc]

Oooooh, I remember this one. I was standing in a store in Germany looking at them and paralyzed exactly halfway between "that's cool" and "WT*" . . . .

[Metropolis Collection]

it seems bit expensive with the price of $17 for this pen

[amberleadavis]

That is quite cool.