Lamy cartridge and switching to ink

[ajitk]

Hello,

 

This is my first post to the forum. I am so glad that I found this forum. Very informative.

 

I have used Hero fountain pens when I was in school. But after that, I switched to disposable roller balls. I am getting back to fountain pens and have put in an order for the Lamy Al-star with a medium nib on Swisher Pens. I chose the Lamy because of its all round good reviews. Further, I didn't want something very expensive. I chose the Al-star because some have reported that it writes more smoothly than the Safari. The Waterman Phileas was a close contender but I ended up not choosing it because people mentioned that their medium nib (the only one that seems to be available) writes broad.

 

Since I am so used to disposables, I decided to go for Lamy black cartridges instead of purchasing ink. My questions are:

 

. are there any issues with these cartridges?

 

. are there any issues with switching to ink later? I have purchased a Z24 convertor, so that's not a problem. Will the pen have to weaned away or cleaned or some such before switching to ink? Or is it just a matter of removing the cartridge, popping in the convertor, filling ink, and on my way?

 

Does the Lamy convertor come with instructions on how to fill ink?

 

How many pages worth of writing can I expect from a cartridge? How many from one filling of ink? I guess we can assume a letter sized page and medium density of writing.

 

I purchased a medium nib because my disposable has a 0.7mm medium nib and I find that to be an excellent width. I am hoping that the Lamy medium nib would be of similar width. I was also drawn to a medium nib because people have opined that it writes more smoothly.

 

Thanks.

 

Ajit

 

 

 

[graceaj]

 

A Lamy is a nice choice. However, I believe the Al-Star's only difference from the Safari is that it has a metal body. Either way, you're getting a good pen. As for switching to bottled ink, it could depend on the kind of ink you use. Some inks will form a residue if mixed that can clog your pens, but this usually happens across brands(My mixing some Noodler's with Pelikan Blue-black ended up with a thin layer of 'fuzz'). So unless you use another brand of ink besides Lamy I should think you'll be fine. A Lamy medium would be about a 0.7mm or thereabouts(this is from looking at my own nib). Generally, broader pens do write more smoothly. I'm not too sure about how many pages you can get as I don't really notice, but I'm sure there'll be someone who does.

 

[kiavonne]

Hello,

 

This is my first post to the forum. I am so glad that I found this forum. Very informative.

 

I have used Hero fountain pens when I was in school. But after that, I switched to disposable roller balls. I am getting back to fountain pens and have put in an order for the Lamy Al-star with a medium nib on Swisher Pens. I chose the Lamy because of its all round good reviews. Further, I didn't want something very expensive. I chose the Al-star because some have reported that it writes more smoothly than the Safari. The Waterman Phileas was a close contender but I ended up not choosing it because people mentioned that their medium nib (the only one that seems to be available) writes broad.

 

Since I am so used to disposables, I decided to go for Lamy black cartridges instead of purchasing ink. My questions are:

 

. are there any issues with these cartridges?

 

. are there any issues with switching to ink later? I have purchased a Z24 convertor, so that's not a problem. Will the pen have to weaned away or cleaned or some such before switching to ink? Or is it just a matter of removing the cartridge, popping in the convertor, filling ink, and on my way?

 

Does the Lamy convertor come with instructions on how to fill ink?

 

How many pages worth of writing can I expect from a cartridge? How many from one filling of ink? I guess we can assume a letter sized page and medium density of writing.

 

I purchased a medium nib because my disposable has a 0.7mm medium nib and I find that to be an excellent width. I am hoping that the Lamy medium nib would be of similar width. I was also drawn to a medium nib because people have opined that it writes more smoothly.

 

Thanks.

 

Ajit

 

Hi Ajit! Welcome to FPN!

 

Most manufacturers seem to include converters with their converter/cartridge pens, as well as one cartridge to get you started. At least the ones I've ordered from various reputable dealers have come with a converter. The papers included with your pen will show you how to use their converters.

 

This link was posted a while ago here on FPN to Visconti with animations showing how to fill a pen through the varied methods. I thought it was pretty handy. Clink on the View Animations choice in the menu on the left. Visconti - pen filling animations

 

The medium nib will lay down a good, wet line. Most who have the pen say a Fine or XF is good. Mine is medium, though. The Al-Star can be a little scratchy, at least mine is on more textured papers, but it still writes pretty well. There aren't any problems at all with the cartridges that I am aware of, just make sure it is snuggly fitted. The ink tends to feather a bit on some papers, but it is fine for a cartridge. One cartridge will take you through a good few pages, depending upon your touch, the nib, and how much ink you are putting down. My Al-Star is just now getting low after about 3 weeks, but I usually only use it for a quick note jot or for writing on thermal paper. I carry about 4 to 5 different pens with me at any given time.

 

Switching to inks later isn't a problem, you just fit the converter instead of a cartridge and fill from the bottle. It might take a minute or two the first time, but it really isn't much of a hassle. You will want to clean/flush out the pen and converter every couple of fills, just to keep things running hassle free. You'll also want to clean them if you are switching inks. I had 10 pens inked and on my table yesterday to test some new papers and various inks and pens, and today most of them are cleaned and out of circulation again. It doesn't really take too long, and it's worth it to keep my pens in good shape. Cleaning is easy, just remove the converter from the nib section and run cool (not hot) water through the nib section until clear. You can also use a smidge of liquid dish soad in a cup of water and use the converter to flush and draw the soapy water until it runs clear, then rinse and dry. Clean the converter too, just keeep drawing and flushing water until it is cleaned, then let it dry.

 

I like inks for the variety of color and performances I can get from my pens. Besides, playing and writing with all the different inks is such fun!

 

I hope you'll enjoy your new Al-Star!

Edited January 28, 2008 by kiavonne

[ajitk]

Hi Ajit! Welcome to FPN!

 

Thank you!

 

Most manufacturers seem to include converters with their converter/cartridge pens, as well as one cartridge to get you started.

 

The Lamy Al-star does not come with a convertor. So, I purchased a Lamy convertor separately. It costs $5 U.S.

 

This link was posted a while ago here on FPN to Visconti with animations showing how to fill a pen through the varied methods. I thought it was pretty handy. Clink on the View Animations choice in the menu on the left. Visconti - pen filling animations

 

Cool! I got the general idea of how to fill a convertor.

 

 

The medium nib will lay down a good, wet line. Most who have the pen say a Fine or XF is good. Mine is medium, though. The Al-Star can be a little scratchy, at least mine is on more textured papers, but it still writes pretty well.

 

Oh oh! I was really banking on it being smooth. If I recall my school days, I seem to have felt that my Hero pen wasn't the smoothest. Let's hope that I am satisfied with the Lamy.

 

My Al-Star is just now getting low after about 3 weeks, but I usually only use it for a quick note jot or for writing on thermal paper. I carry about 4 to 5 different pens with me at any given time.

 

I guess I'll keep my disposables as backup .

 

Switching to inks later isn't a problem, you just fit the converter instead of a cartridge and fill from the bottle. It might take a minute or two the first time, but it really isn't much of a hassle. You will want to clean/flush out the pen and converter every couple of fills, just to keep things running hassle free. You'll also want to clean them if you are switching inks.

 

I may consider using Noodler's black later on. Good to know that there is no issue with switching. The previous poster mentioned that there may be some residue when switching brands. I hope that switching from Lamy cartridges to Noodler's ink and back while flushing in between won't cause any problems.

 

Cleaning is easy, just remove the converter from the nib section and run cool (not hot) water through the nib section until clear. You can also use a smidge of liquid dish soad in a cup of water and use the converter to flush and draw the soapy water until it runs clear, then rinse and dry. Clean the converter too, just keeep drawing and flushing water until it is cleaned, then let it dry.

 

Good tips. Thanks for the notes.

 

Ajit

 

[wvbeetlebug]

You will really enjoy using your Lamy. I have a Vista and it is a real work horse. I bought a converter for it but lately I've been using a syringe to refill the old cartridges from a bottle. It's a lot neater and you don't have to worry about dipping the pen into a bottle of ink and getting the section inky. I'm kinda anal like that.

[Goodwhiskers]

Ajit, I think you'll find the Lamy smoother than the Hero pens you used to use.

 

One way to thoroughly flush a cartridge/converter pen like the Lamy Safari and its sibling models is to use the squeeze bulb from one of those kits for removing ear wax (the most commonly sold one in the USA has a blue bulb).

 

I flush my Lamy Safari and Al-Star pens in both directions; the "downstream" direction is obvious, and the "upstream" direction starts in the rectangular breathing hole under the nib's support assembly (the hole in the nibs on these models is not a breathing hole).

 

To dry the insides of the pens (a good idea unless you know you want to dilute the ink you'll use next), I squeeze air into each end while holding the other end in tissue paper or paper toweling (you can use cloth rags if you don't want to use a disposable wood product), and then I set the pens point-downward in a fresh wad of absorbent material for a few hours.

 

Have fun!

[ajitk]

Folks,

 

Thank you for all the tips, tricks, and feedback! I can't wait to get my hands on my Lamy. I'll post my impressions once I get it and use it for a few days.

 

Ajit

 

[manolo]

I have a Lamy Accent and I have found that it is not compatible with standard cartridges (Inoxcrom in my case). So if you buy a bunch of Lamy cartridges remember to keep them to refill later (I didn't).