Is the Lamy Safari STILL good? (Watch before you buy!)

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[Drademdar]

I love the Lamy Safari. I'm a hobby author, and although I prefer to write my drafts by hand, I couldn't before because of carpal tunnel syndrome. But after watching an interview with Neil Gaiman where he talked about using fountain pens when writing his drafts and using different colours each day to see the difference, I decided to try.

Initially, I bought three Lamy Safari since they were only supposed to be tools for my hobby writing, but I soon got more and more of them. Today I have 31 Lamy Safari, from standard versions, country exclusives and special editions. Everyone is in use with different ink. Since fountain pens don't require much pressure on the paper to write, it's perfect if you struggle with ordinary ballpoint pens because of cramps or pain.

I'm still missing some versions of the Lamy Safari, but it's getting rather challenging to find them, and some are relatively expensive, so I've begun looking into the Lamy AL-star now.

[WarrenMillerIII]

My first Lamy Safari pen turned 31 years old this year and it has held up remarkably well. The only noticeable wear is the barrel screws on a little too far now (i.e., the threads are a bit worn) such that the ink window is partially obscured when the barrel is fully tightened.

[johnnyjet.]

I think you should label it as the expensive plastic, my safari ballpoint is over 20 years old

[AndreasPinkert]

This thing gets half of german students through school. It is made from plastic, yes. You have to understand what the thing is built for: In germany, students use fountain pens from 2nd grade in school (age 8) The safari is made for them. It is built to be thrown in your school bag, falling on hard surfaces, getting thrown around the class room. abused in any conceivable way by frustrated students. And not crack under that load. I think the thing is built like a tank. Some parts can even be ordered as spares I believe. Plus it does not hurt your teeth when chewing on it. I know what I am talking about.

[rafaelmagallanesquintanar]

My Lamy Safari umbra is 38 years old. The body and cap is totally polished for the use and the plastic covering the clip is chiped (by the way the clip is made with copper is not steel). The M nib is in perfect working condition as brand new. I totally recomend this model.

[bobcog]

I have been using my lamy safari for the past 5 years. It has been terribly abused and still works as good as now and does not have a single scratch on it. Still using the original medium nib it came with.

[fieb]

I have three lamy safari’s and I love them! It was my first fountain pen and I just love the way it writes!

[sparklefulpaladin]

The LAMY Safari was the pen that I really got into with fountain pens. I got it and a Pilot Metropolitan at around the same time and my Safari has gone through about 30-40 refills while my Metropolitan is on its second (and only because I didn't want black ink). I absolutely adore my Safaris (I have one in EF and one in M), but I know the tripod grip can be really hit or miss for people. My Al-Star (B nib, a gift from a friend that they didn't really like) is my go-to pen for anything I can use fountain pens for. I like the additional weight that the Al-Star has over the Safari, but it isn't heavy enough to be difficult to write with (unlike the Monteverde Ritma). I also appreciate that the Al-Star is metal, but it doesn't feel super metallic. If you like the Safari, I'd definitely recommend trying out an Al-Star! If you don't like the Safari (especially the grip section), the Al-Star might not be a good fit.

[Skygazer]

Great, quick review! I had used fountain pens about 25 years ago, and just drifted away from them. However, I decided to give them another try recently, and my research led me to the Lamy Safari. I'm a teacher, and have been using it full-time the last two weeks. It's just a quality pen at an excellent price point, and I enjoy using it every time, even if it's to write a bathroom pass. While I bought a bunch of black Lamy ink cartridges, I have my eyes set on a specific ink and converter when those run out. Thanks for a great review that confirms my love of this pen!

[channelsixtynine]

The Vista was my first fountain pen after years of exclusively using mechanical pencils. It was a choice I made because it was a cheap, well-made entry into fountain pen use and being left handed, to see if fountain pens were a viable option.
The tripod grip was an important aid forcing me to hold the pen in the correct position.
This pen will always be my favorite, no matter what I purchase in the future.
That indicates the high regard I have for the Vista and I'd recommend it to anyone starting out.

[peterhess]

I got a Safari in the charcoal with a fine nib. While I enjoyed the pen for its simplicity I wasn’t in love with the fine nib. I then got an AL-Star with a medium nib. That one writes more like a broad but I like the wetness of it and the lines it lays down. Back to the fine nib. After living with it for a few weeks I decided to do the brown paper bag thing-scribbling back and forth while rotating it in my hand. The result is much smoother, wetter lines that I’m really pleased with. Simple trick on a simple pen with a very nice result.

[onthejersey]

Used the same Lamy Safari since I got to secondary school (fifth grade in Germany). Still use it today and I gotta say you really get your moneys worth if you are willing to write with it on a regular basis.
Edit: It might not be as great for people with bigger hands. You should definitely try it out because the grip is relatively narrow and some people might not be comfortable with such a narrow grip. The aluminium version is a bit thicker too.

[HJKelley]

I love the grip, for this is how I normally hold my pens.

[theronwolf]

My wife picked one up for me (my only fine point pen) and I really like it. Often fine point pens (fountain or ballpoint) are not as nice in touch, but this one is great.

One (perhaps unusual) thing I like is it does not look expensive. I like the low key look, not looking to attract attention, stuffed in a casual shirt pocket it just looks like a generic roller pen.

There is a video on youtube showing how they are made.

[philipwillingham]

Fun fact, growing up in the 90s, late 1998-99, I went to german elementary school and they made us start using those LAMY pens and they would always bust ink everywhere in my pockets or worse your school bag. I use to have the dark gray and the blue one. I have to get one of these again that will definitely hit the feels again and its amazing this product is still out! Edit: Oh, flashback, german school always made us have pen/pencil cases and the LAMY pens where the culprit of ink everywhere in your pen/pencil bag.

[howardconger]

I had the roller ball version, the plastic lasted about 20 years before parts of it self destructed. But more important when I tried to contact Lamy here in the U.S. and then emailed Germany to see about purchasing a new part which was still in production I got zero response in either case. I accidently contacted Pelikan US in one of the emails and they responded the next day.

[jayguru]

Lamy is a wonderful pen in fountain pen. beautiful writing

[davidls]

Safari was my 1st pen. Back 5yrs ago it was 22 bucks. Inflation strikes. One time or another I got 8 or 9 of them, still have 6. Great colors. Eventually moved up to their 2000 and the really overpriced Pelikans, also from Germany. These are still the best inexpensive I have. I’ve made the mistake several Xs of laying them down, only to find they rapidly developed feet and walked off.

[TheDog]

I bought my first Lamy back in 2017, but unfortunately I lost it. Thinking about buying new one. Thank you for the video

[ToddMontague-vrwy]

I've had one of my (many) Lamy Safaris for over 30 years. The plastic definitely holds up very well.