Lamy Safari Fountain Pen Review

I think it’s time to go back to the beginning. My first fountain pen was a Charcoal Lamy Safari with an extra-fine nib. And it’s going to take a lot to actually review this pen and not just write it a love letter.

The Safari is Lamy’s beginner fountain pen, made to be affordable and easy to use. And it feels like everything about this pen is geared for that idea. The pen is super lightweight, among the lightest I own, weighing in at 10 grams. And yet, it doesn’t feel that light. Partially because the ink cartridge adds a decent amount of weight, but also because the pen is well-balanced and feels sturdy. While I tend to prefer pens with a bit of heft, I do like the weight of the pen. It feels really nice in the hand.

The pen is made of resin, a key factor in it’s light weight, the body is a cylinder with two flattened sides that stop the pen from rolling off a desk and on one of these sides, the word “Lamy” is engraved in bold letters. There is no difference in the colouring, so it doesn’t really stand out. These sides round out just above the grip and rubber o-ring, creating a smooth transition. Above this, in the mid-section of the pen, are two ink windows which allow users to see when their pen is running low on ink. They sit low, so they don’t give a full insight into how much ink is left, but is enough to warn you when it’s about to run out. This is feature that I really love and I wish more cartridge/converter pens had it. And honestly, I really like the look of this pen. It’s available in several colours, from the charcoal with black nib that I own, to a shiny black with sliver nib, to bright green and pink, and also has annual special editions. But no matter what, this pen looks good. I personally love the matte of the charcoal and wouldn’t trade that for anything, but this is a pen that has options for everyone.

The cap is a snap-cap that holds to the pen very well. I’ve carried the pen clipped to my pockets and have never had it open. It also holds the clip, which is a design unique to Lamy. I kind of like the minimalist aspect, but I hold preference for more traditional clips. The cap is postable and I use it both posted and not. It’s a different experience either way, but I find them both enjoyable. Overall, there isn’t much to say about the cap except that it work well and looks nice on the pen. It’s nothing fancy, suitable.

The grip section matches the colour and material of the rest of the pen and is notable for being Lamy’s moulded grip. I’ve mentioned the debate around this grip in a previous review, but have been on record saying that I like it. It makes the pen easy to pick up and use properly, and I’ve handed this pen to people who have never used one before and they were able to pick it up in seconds. I can see why some don’t like it, I have problems with it on thinner pens like the Lamy Joy, but I have a standard grip, likely trained by this pen, and I find it remarkably comfortable.

As for the writing experience, there’s no surprises here. It’s an extra-fine Lamy steel nib and writes as I expected. the line width is like other Germany nibs I’ve used, as well as the Fine Pilot nibs. It writes smoothly and is generally no-fuss. I had some problems with it during my testing in the Rhodia Webnotebook, but considering it’s past performance, I’m confident in saying that it works better than the testing page shows. One thing that is worth noting is that the dry time on Lamy’s black ink in incredibly long, which is the one thing that I struggle with most on this pen, being a lefty and all.

It is also notable that this is a cartridge filling pen, with the option of using lamy’s Z28 piston converter for bottled ink. It comes with one cartridge of Lamy’s blue-black ink.

Overall, I do really like this pen. It seems like the ideal beginners pen: easy to use and figure out, with a good writing experience to go along with it. It’s brilliant for the price, and this review has left me wanting to get it back into my normal rotation. You can find these pens online for about $30.00, and I’d say it’s well worth it, thought if you’re left-handed, I’d find a faster drying ink.

This pen was purchased at full price with my own funds.