I like pens, have always appreciated a good pen and have always carried one with me. I usually have a Zebra, and recently picked up a 701 and installed a space pen refill. I did get curious about fountain pens though and picked up a Lamy Safari medium. I like it, except for a few quirks. It sometimes skips and/or will not start writing right away especially on down strokes. For example: if I finish one line or sentence and pick the pen up for half a second it will not write the next down stroke. Does this sound normal? Did I get a faulty pen? I am just using the stock ink cartridge.
Help a noob: Lamy Safari
- Thread starter soloz2
- Start date
Did you flush the pen before you used it the first time? There could be residue or manufacturing gunk on the nib or in the feed making the pen skip. If you didn't, go ahead and flush it. If you did, or after flushing it still does the same thing, squeeze the cartridge (lightly!) while its loaded in the pen, this will force ink down into feed and hopefully stop the skipping!
If the above suggestion doesn't work, it may be that the bottom of the nib is pressed against the top of the feed too closely. This restricts ink flow to the nib. With many pens, you can heat the nib and feed in warm water, then bend the feed down and away from the nib. For most pens, you should be able to slide a sheet of 90g paper between the bottom of the nib and top of the feed. Wait until someone with more Lamy experience comments before you do anything, though. I've not modded a Lamy.
-Andy
-Andy
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When you flush the pen, flush it with lukewarm water that has a drop or 2 or dish soap in it. Then, flush it with soap-free water.
-Andy
-Andy
Lamys are notorious for needing a good wash when new! I always recommend a scrubbing the feed and nib with a toothbrush and some luke warm soapy water. Pull the nib out if you want, it comes off easily with a piece of tape stuck to the top, then pull forward, or use your thumbnail and forefinger. Then run some water through it to rinse. Use Ed's trick -- squeeze the cartridge, but be careful!
Also the standard ink in the cartridges isn't as good as the bottled Lamy ink. Do try other inks, too.
Also the standard ink in the cartridges isn't as good as the bottled Lamy ink. Do try other inks, too.
I can attest that that works like a charm. I took the italic off of my Al-Star to replace the medium on my Studio.
Ditto to cleaning it up. I had similar issues with mine. I finally did several flushes with a very dilute dishwater solution, and it works good now.
Also, do you put the cap back on when you're not writing so it doesn't start to dry out?
Also, do you put the cap back on when you're not writing so it doesn't start to dry out?
- Thread starter
- #9
Wow thanks for all the suggestions.
I did not flush the pen when I got it, just installed the cartridge and started writing. Can I just unscrew and take out the cartridge or will that make a mess?
How do I flush the pen?
I do put the cap on for uses, however I often have to make frequent checks or marks for work so it'll be a second or two in between marks.
I did not flush the pen when I got it, just installed the cartridge and started writing. Can I just unscrew and take out the cartridge or will that make a mess?
How do I flush the pen?
I do put the cap on for uses, however I often have to make frequent checks or marks for work so it'll be a second or two in between marks.
- Thread starter
- #10
I just searched YouTube and found a video on cleaning new pens and from reading about flushing the other day it seems to be the same process. However, the video showed removing the Lamy cartridge and installing a converter to draw warm water up into and out of the pen. Do I need to buy a converter to flush the pen?
You could use a bulb syringe
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You don't have to. I don't know what its called but some people use the thingy you put over babies noses to suck mucus out when they have a cold. Lets call it the booger sucker, it almost looks like a mini turkey baster and you could but them from any drug store. Just ask for the booger sucker 
, you then suck up some warm water, remove the ink cartridge and put the booger sucker over the nib, draw the water through the nib and in and out of the booger sucker!
Lamy test all pens before packaging some more so than others but I have had one safari turn my water a really lite blue and then others have had so much ink I would have thought they test wrote a book!
EDIT: Oh come on I spend all this time coming up with booger sucker and in the time it takes for me to type this you just link in a video with fancy names like bulb syringe...ohhh la de da!
, you then suck up some warm water, remove the ink cartridge and put the booger sucker over the nib, draw the water through the nib and in and out of the booger sucker! Lamy test all pens before packaging some more so than others but I have had one safari turn my water a really lite blue and then others have had so much ink I would have thought they test wrote a book!
EDIT: Oh come on I spend all this time coming up with booger sucker and in the time it takes for me to type this you just link in a video with fancy names like bulb syringe...ohhh la de da!
- Thread starter
- #13
Thanks for all the help guys. I picked up a bulb syringe yesterday and flushed my pen with warm/hot water. I also pulled the nib off to make sure the underneath was clean. Right after cleaning the flow was much better and the pen was not scratchy nor did it skip. However, a few hours later it was scratchy again (not like it was) and still skipped a bit. For example, I started writing out a Christmas list for what I want to buy people and only the very bottom of the C showed up for Christmas.
I did go to an art store yesterday that had some fountain pens hoping to get a converter and some ink, but they were sold out. I bought the pen on Amazon, but they don't sell the converter (it is available but not Prime eligible) so I think I might be better off purchasing from an online pen retailer. What kind of ink should I look at?
Will a different ink flow better or does it seem like there might be something wrong with my pen?
I did go to an art store yesterday that had some fountain pens hoping to get a converter and some ink, but they were sold out. I bought the pen on Amazon, but they don't sell the converter (it is available but not Prime eligible) so I think I might be better off purchasing from an online pen retailer. What kind of ink should I look at?
Will a different ink flow better or does it seem like there might be something wrong with my pen?
I have no experience with Lamy pens/cartridges, but in general I have found bottled ink to flow better than cartridge ink from the same company, whether it was Shaeffer, Parker, Waterman, Sailor, etc.
- Thread starter
- #15
- Thread starter
- #16
I know I already posted earlier today but... I was writing with the pen today and it was still skipping and scratchy so I took an emery board to the nib and did a few figure 8's. This helped the scratchiness considerably, but the pen still skips a bit. Then I grabbed my flashlight out of my pocket and took a closer look at the feed/nib. It looks like the feed is not dead center, it leans to the right (when looking at the pen with the feed up) Could this cause the skipping? I'm wondering if I got a bad pen and should return it.
I would leave the emery paper to the experts, but if you do need to do something, stick with a brown paper bag for your scribbles. It is about "10,000 grit" and will smooth out the scratchiness nicely without doing any damage.
Yes, if it restricts the flow of ink. Since you can replace the nibs on Lamy's, you could probably tweak the nib and feed yourself.
Yes, if it restricts the flow of ink. Since you can replace the nibs on Lamy's, you could probably tweak the nib and feed yourself.
<< CRINGE >>
Since the nib is locked into the grooves molded into the feed I'm not sure how that could be. Make sure it's fully seated and it should be straight. You should be able to slip paper in between the nib and feed for a few millimeters before it gets tight. No more emery boards please!
- Thread starter
- #19
Well the emery board helped the pen write more smoothly. Looking at the pen it appears that the feed is crooked. Yes, the nib does fit right on the feed, but they still do not align perfectly. I stopped at Staples today and picked up a pack of Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pens and they write more smoothly than my Lamy so I think there is something wrong with the one I received. 
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- #20
I wanted to post back that I returned the original Safari as I previously indicated. I also placed an order last week with Goulet Pens for a new Lamy Safari w/ a 1.1 italic nib, converter and some sample inks. My order arrived Friday and this pen writes like a dream! I loaded the converter with Noodlers Hunter Green... green pen and green ink. Love it!
