Hi all, new guy here. I posted a short intro in the "new guy" thread, and will spare you all by not repeating it here.
I have been reading here a short time, and decided to buy a few "beginner" fountain pens. So far, I have Pilot Metrpolitan, and a Lamy Safari (which just arrived today). I also bought a TWSBI Eco, second hand, from a member here. That pen is currently in transit to me. So, i will soon have my trifecta of beginner pens.
My first impressions:
I absolutely LOVE the Metropolitan. I opted for the medium nib, and it feels perfect. I'm sinistral, and the pen has been a joy to use. Right now I am using a cartridge and really amazed at how nice the pen feels in hand and how smooth it writes. Feels like a fantastic value in a entry-level pen.
Having such a great initial experience with the Metro, I quickly ordered a Safari and a couple of hard-cover notebooks to begin writing in daily, or as the mood struck me. The notebooks and Lamy arrived today, so I loaded a cart into the Safari and let it sit for about a half hour, cap on, nib down in a mug on my desk. The wait was killing me.
Anyway, once I started writing, I immediately noticed that the Lamy, a fine point, was incredibly "scratchy" compared to the Pilot medium tip. Not nearly as pleasant or as easy to write with.
I thought i had read here (or elsewhere) that the a medium nib Asian made pen would write and feel like a fine point on a German made pen. As such, I though that the fine nib I the Lamy would have a similar feel and writing characteristics as the Pilot, but that is definitely not the case. I realize that pens from different manufacturers are going to be different, but I am surprised by how stark the difference actually is between these two pens. The Lamy writes nearly the same as the $3 Zebra fountain pen I've had in my desk drawer for 15 years, that somehow still writes with the original cartridge.
So, my questions:
All things being equal (same paper, using the manufacturer's ink carts) is my assessment of these two accurate and normal, or may something be amiss with the Safari?
The Metropolitan felt and wrote like a dream out of the box. Is it possible that the Safari will improve (smooth out) with use?...is there such a thing as a break-in on a new nib?
Or is this just the nature of the two different pens?
Lastly, might my wrong-handedness contribute to the performance of a pen possibly designed for a right-handed writer?
As it stands now, i get no joy from the Lamy, and have little desire to continue using it, though I am hopeful that there is something I can do to improve the performance. It isn't a huge deal, or investment, more of a disappointment over what is a highly regarded, value pen.
Thanks for reading, and thanks for any suggestions, info, or advice.
Gary
I have been reading here a short time, and decided to buy a few "beginner" fountain pens. So far, I have Pilot Metrpolitan, and a Lamy Safari (which just arrived today). I also bought a TWSBI Eco, second hand, from a member here. That pen is currently in transit to me. So, i will soon have my trifecta of beginner pens.
My first impressions:
I absolutely LOVE the Metropolitan. I opted for the medium nib, and it feels perfect. I'm sinistral, and the pen has been a joy to use. Right now I am using a cartridge and really amazed at how nice the pen feels in hand and how smooth it writes. Feels like a fantastic value in a entry-level pen.
Having such a great initial experience with the Metro, I quickly ordered a Safari and a couple of hard-cover notebooks to begin writing in daily, or as the mood struck me. The notebooks and Lamy arrived today, so I loaded a cart into the Safari and let it sit for about a half hour, cap on, nib down in a mug on my desk. The wait was killing me.
Anyway, once I started writing, I immediately noticed that the Lamy, a fine point, was incredibly "scratchy" compared to the Pilot medium tip. Not nearly as pleasant or as easy to write with.
I thought i had read here (or elsewhere) that the a medium nib Asian made pen would write and feel like a fine point on a German made pen. As such, I though that the fine nib I the Lamy would have a similar feel and writing characteristics as the Pilot, but that is definitely not the case. I realize that pens from different manufacturers are going to be different, but I am surprised by how stark the difference actually is between these two pens. The Lamy writes nearly the same as the $3 Zebra fountain pen I've had in my desk drawer for 15 years, that somehow still writes with the original cartridge.
So, my questions:
All things being equal (same paper, using the manufacturer's ink carts) is my assessment of these two accurate and normal, or may something be amiss with the Safari?
The Metropolitan felt and wrote like a dream out of the box. Is it possible that the Safari will improve (smooth out) with use?...is there such a thing as a break-in on a new nib?
Or is this just the nature of the two different pens?
Lastly, might my wrong-handedness contribute to the performance of a pen possibly designed for a right-handed writer?
As it stands now, i get no joy from the Lamy, and have little desire to continue using it, though I am hopeful that there is something I can do to improve the performance. It isn't a huge deal, or investment, more of a disappointment over what is a highly regarded, value pen.
Thanks for reading, and thanks for any suggestions, info, or advice.
Gary
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