Lamy Persona Titanium

[MYU]

It's a pen that has a very unique design. You either love it or hate it, as with the Lamy 2000.

 

The nib is superb. It's not "flexible", but there is some spring to it that cushions the writing. Very easy to appreciate. The nib sizes do run a little large, much like the 2000. But I'd say the wetness is maybe a little less.

 

I wonder how heavy the titanium model is compared with the platinum. Mine definitely has some heft to it, but thankfully light enough that it's comfortable to write with.

[Doug C]

I have the rollerball version of this. Does anyone know if the FP section will go straight on the RB? If so, I'll look for a nib/section on the market.

 

I might start using it again.

[Ondina]

Great review of a beautiful pen. It has something, doesn't it? Ah!, industrial designers.....they sure know their trade....Thanks.

[MYU]

I have the rollerball version of this. Does anyone know if the FP section will go straight on the RB? If so, I'll look for a nib/section on the market.

 

I might start using it again.

Hey Doug - I doubt you will find the nib unit available on the market. I've been looking at Persona listings for several years and have never seen one. However, you can buy the nib unit from Lamy USA. The link I provided goes directly to the part. They charge $100 for the nib unit. You could ask Bob Nurin of Lamy USA fountain pen servicing whether the units are interchangeable between the rollerball and fountain pen. Based on the pen design, it would make sense... however, there might be an issue with the cap. The inner cap sleeve could be a different design on the fountain pen version, to accommodate the nib. The one for the rollerball might not work. Who knows--maybe Bob might have an extra cap sleeve available. The full replacement cap is $75... so if you had to buy both, you're looking at $175--more than the going rate for gently used models. If you investigate it, let us know what you turn up. If it works out, it'll add a nice dimension to the ownership of a Persona.

[Doug C]

I have the rollerball version of this. Does anyone know if the FP section will go straight on the RB? If so, I'll look for a nib/section on the market.

 

I might start using it again.

Hey Doug - I doubt you will find the nib unit available on the market. I've been looking at Persona listings for several years and have never seen one. However, you can buy the nib unit from Lamy USA. The link I provided goes directly to the part. They charge $100 for the nib unit. You could ask Bob Nurin of Lamy USA fountain pen servicing whether the units are interchangeable between the rollerball and fountain pen. Based on the pen design, it would make sense... however, there might be an issue with the cap. The inner cap sleeve could be a different design on the fountain pen version, to accommodate the nib. The one for the rollerball might not work. Who knows--maybe Bob might have an extra cap sleeve available. The full replacement cap is $75... so if you had to buy both, you're looking at $175--more than the going rate for gently used models. If you investigate it, let us know what you turn up. If it works out, it'll add a nice dimension to the ownership of a Persona.

 

 

$100 is a little more than I wanted to spend right now since I have so many other irons in the fire (pen-wise), but knowing that there is a contact that might be able to tell me before I spent the money is good to know.

 

I think a real nib on this would turn it into a pen I actually use once in a while.

 

Thanks for the tip.

[Bo Bo Olson]

This last month after swearing up and down, I did not want any more Black German pens...I then bought four more Black German fountain pens. Had I known it was there, I'd not bought them.....(well...I'm weak willed.)

 

Today I saw the Black Titanium one with the 18 K nib, gold clip(didn't look to see if it's rolled or plated. E-100 and I want it.

Want in one hand, EBay in the other....but this is not on EBay, perhaps I'll have luck, and he will still have the pen, when the money tree blooms in the spring.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Today Christmas came early, my wife bought for less than the E-100 quoted to me, the Lamy Persona in black Titanium oxide with a 18 K OB nib. Love the clip too. Butter nib....makes one want to sit down and hand write War and Peace.

[ericthered2004]

Today Christmas came early, my wife bought for less than the E-100 quoted to me, the Lamy Persona in black Titanium oxide with a 18 K OB nib. Love the clip too. Butter nib....makes one want to sit down and hand write War and Peace.

 

 

Congratulations on your new pen. I've been a fan of the Persona for a while now.

 

Regards,

eric

[Bo Bo Olson]

I have 2 1/2 Artus pens...(pre Lamy and a secondary brand of Lamy later)..and no other Lamy until this Persona.

Does any one know how it compares to a Lamy 2000? Nib wise?

 

Like it took a lot of convincing because I had a 1970 Parker silver cross hatched 75 (bought before it got given that fancy French name I can not drive into my brain.) to even think about the P-51, much less finally buy one.

 

Why would I need a 2000 if I have the Persona?

[Robert Alan]

 

The persona is a cartridge/converter filler, and uses Lamy's Z25 piston converter (which was included with the pen, as was a box of standard Lamy blue cartridges). The converter works well, and I can get it completely full with only a couple of cycles of the piston.

 

 

Thank you for the nice review.

 

The converter works well because it is threaded, and it is very secure on the feed's nipple. I was glad that Lamy chose this design because many push-on converters have a huge problem with unwanted air leaking in at the nipple. One should be able to rock the converter back and forth and one, large air bubble should move up and down, or back and forth, like the air bubble in a carpenter's level. I am on a mission regarding converters. They are not alike, and many problems with flow, skipping, false starts, etc., could be eliminated simply by controling the converter variable.

 

Some push on converters provide good seals at the nipple, like the Pilot CON-70. If the ink in a converter stays stuck at the converter end opposite the feed nipple, and gravity will not bring the ink into the correct position for writing, too much air has leaked in (is shaking necessary?). If a converter has been working properly and, one day, the ink no longer moves like fluid in a sealed carpenter's level, it's time to buy a new converter.

 

I salute Lamy, Visconti, too, for designing their cartridge/converter pens with threaded converters. However, that system could, almost, never replace a sealed, dedicated piston-filled pen. That CON-70 is extremely good!

 

Cheers, Robert Alan

[oberon]

The more I look at and think about this pen the more it interests me.

Oberon

[Bo Bo Olson]

Well, I found out I did not like the nail OB, and did not use it. There was no line variation. I was more into line variation with obliques; in I have some semi-flex and maxi-semi-flex/'flexi' ones.

 

I got the nib made Cursive Italic by Pendleton Brown and now it's in rotation all the time.

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm300/BoBoOlson/IMG_3985.jpg

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm300/BoBoOlson/IMG_3993.jpg

 

Mine is one of the first ones, the ones with out the little anti roll bump on the clip.

[Inked]

I came across this interesting treatment of a Persona; I think it is well done and well suited to the pen......

 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/203717583118998254/

 

Enjoy,

 

Inked

[Cyber6]

I came across this interesting treatment of a Persona; I think it is well done and well suited to the pen......

 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/203717583118998254/

 

Enjoy,

 

Inked

 

Interesting... but not to my liking. I adore my Black Titanium, has the smoothest nib I ever encountered on a Lamy.

 

 

 

C.

[Doug C]

I have the titanium version as well, and really like it (it was originally a RB but I found a nib and section for it).

 

The new Imporium is basically the same pen with a simpler clip.

[Algester]

the imporium is not certainly the very same pen yo... the nib is different so is the feed and converter

[Ron Z]

Do be careful with the black titanium oxide Persona. It is a gorgeous pen, and the black a seductive deep matte finish. I had one, and used to call it the Lamy Parana.

 

The titanium oxide is a very fine abrasive. If carried in your pocket in contact with another pen it will abrade the surface of the other pen. It can at the very lease produce a dull mark, and take off plating. If the pen is a lacque finish, it can take the finish right off, down to the brass. Been there....

[Namo]

Yeah, the coating of the titanium one is abrasive as well. I bought and then sold the pen several years ago, and regreted it a lot. I was lucky to find the titanium for sale at a decent price two weeks ago, and I have it in my hand right now. Beautiful pen, amazing design. I am not sure I would buy the new Imporium, and certainly couldn't afford it at that price. But the design seems sucessful as well. The retracting clip was a nice feature but it causes more problems that it sloves any: the pen can easily drop from a desk... and the adjunction of the little ball in later models does not help much. But it ads to the sleekness of the pen and to the Art nouveau general design.

The nib of the Persona is amazing and Lamy certainly did something in designing it. But the regular Lamy gold nib is one of the most underated nib on the market IMHO, and if it lackes the precision of the line that Lamy's nibs had in the past (try a 27 or a 99 with a F or EF nib or an old 18k gold nib from an early 2K), including the Persona's nib, it very smooth and soft.

My only doubt is regarding the converter: the Persona's converter has a thread that helps a lot with bubbles and flow, I doubt the Imporium has the same feature (converter z25 is no more in production I think, and certainly not the first version of it which had metal threads instead of plastic threads).

I certainly hope someone will make a review of the Imporium, and caompare it to the Persona.

Edited October 7, 2015 by Namo

[Owner of a Lonely Heart]

I may not be able to compare it to the Persona but I have a black and gold Imporium coming to me next week and I will be doing a review right away

[Namo]

Looking forward to it!