Lamy Safari Fountain Pen - Medium Nib - Charcoal Black Body & Black Clip

You can't beat a Lamy fountain pen. It has the most comfortable grip for calligraphy and every day writing. If you use the converter, you never run out of ink, but don't worry. Using the cartridges is no problem because the ink in them is every bit as black as your best fountain pen ink. I was writing a check out at a shop and the clerk noticed the pen. He's a self professed pen-aholic and couldn't take his eyes of it. When I let him give it a spin, he immediately asked for your web site. In addition to the comfortable grip, multitude of colors, you can buy one inexpensively or upgrade a little and they're still reasonable. And I've had them for years and never has one leaked or spit on me. One of the best pens on the market for my money and my handwritng.
Neena for Baltimore

I ordered the Safari after using a Pilot Varsity for a few weeks and really liking it. According to all the reviews and information I found, it seemed like the Safari was THE go-to fountain pen. I agree with that assessment and I love the pen so far. However, I'm no expert on fountain pens so I won't even try to detail the technical aspects of this pen.

What I do think I can add though, is some perspective on the nib size as compared to the Pilot Varsity. I looked around for a comparison before I ordered and couldn't find one.

I was unhappy with the medium nib - it pours ink onto the paper. I've recently been working on improving my penmanship and the ink flow was far to fast/thick for me (likely because I'm writing slow and carefully). The medium nib produces a much wetter and somewhat wider line than the Varsity.

I was disappointed when I got the pen but I knew it was just a matter of replacing the medium nib with a finer one. But, how much finer? Having two options and not wanting to gamble again, I just ordered both the "Fine" and "Extra Fine" Lamy replacement nibs.

I tried the extra fine nib first. It definitely solved the problem of my letters bleeding together but it produced a much more narrow line than I wanted. I noticed it being a very little bit scratchy, but still easy and comfortable to write with; not quite what I was looking for though.

Next, of course, I tried the "Fine" nib. If you're familiar with the Pilot Varsity and like the line size, flow, etc. than this is the one you want. It's a little bit dryer than the Varsity but still a nice, smooth, dark line.

I bought this off a friend in the office who is a pen enthusiast like myself. I had a handful of Preppy's, and a Pilot extra-fine fountain pen. I had read about the Safari's on this site and was hoping to get an extra fine when they came back in stock. I traded him a Pilot G2 with a Mont Blanc refill and some cash for this pen, and I have to say this pen is by far my favourite of my collection. I've been using it for school notes lately and the medium nib makes it so smooth to write with, and doesn't bleed at all. I used up the cartridge and loaded in the converter with J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir. and it's a machine. No problems with it at all. Worth every penny in my opinion.

it took me a week or so to warm up to it but i now can say i really like my Safari! I wasn't sure at first but once i got used to it and then got a converter full of ink into it i was happy. :)

jeff stiefer

I want to start by saying that this is my ever fountain pen. I bought it because I'm a college student and I wanted something a bit more substantial to take notes with. This pen is everything they say and more! It is a great weight, but made of incredibly durable plastic so I don't have to worry about it when I throw it in my bag. The medium nib is not too thick. But it's definitely thicker than the pilot gel pens if anyone is wondering. It's the perfect size for my type of handwriting, although I noticed that my sister might benefit from a finer point. I recently found out that you can use any type of Lamy nib, so I'll probably buy a few more just to experiment. Its very smooth on paper, and especially perfect for use on a moleskine notebook.

The ink cartridge was kinda crappy, the color dried very unevenly and was just an unappealing color, but I bought the four dollar converter and diamine ink and was much more pleased. I highly recomend purchasing the coverter, its simple to use and more price friendly in the long run.