Safari vs. Al-Star

[PFP_Dad]

I've been pondering a Lamy for a while and with the current sales decided now is the time. The question is, do I want an Al-Star or a Safari? I'm looking at the green Safari vs. the Ocean Blue Al-Star. I wrote with a Safari at a meet up and liked the way it fit my hand quite a bit.

As far as plastic vs. metal I'm not too concerned as long as it is well made; nearly all my vintage pens are plastic.

I'm curious to hear which you prefer and why. I will be purchasing a fine nib and will be doing quite a bit of writing when I return to school in January.

 

[cb91710]

Both have an identical feel in the hand.
The Al-Star is just a smidge larger in diameter, but I don't think that translates into the grip area. It's a bit more stable, a bit heavier but not much.

The anodized finish is really classy, makes it look less "student level" than the Safari.
The nibs and feed are identical and the nibs on all Lamy pens are compatible.

I carry an Al-Star in my jacket pocket, and I have three Safaris on my desk, red, green, and blue.
I would recommend going with the EF nib. Mine are "F" and deliver a line comparable to a "M" rollerball.

 

[nemo]

I think it is the same pen but with a thin aluminum sheet over the plastic -- hence the slight diameter increase. I will say that the Al-star will dent like a Coors can if you are not careful, don't ask how I know this.

 

[PFP_Dad]

I will say that the Al-star will dent like a Coors can if you are not careful, don't ask how I know this.

That's no good, dings in pens make me crazy. I have a cap I have to send in to be fixed because I can't stand to use the pen with it all dented up.

 

[celestino]

i have never tried the Al-Star, but the Safaris are fantastically built for the money and they are very good writers, in my opinion. Good luck.

 

[Lexbomb]

Safaris are very very strong. They are made of the same plastic as Lego and any parents here would know Lego is some strong stuff. They are amazingly tough!

 

[drocu]

I have both a safari and al-star and would say go with the safari. It's cheaper, slightly smaller in diameter, and won't ding like the al-star.

 

[PFP_Dad]

Alright, so somehow I ended up with a TWSBI 540 EF in smoke. I'm decided to get the safari but pushed the purchase off until later as the deals were better on the TWSBI that I've also been eyeing for a while. (Amazon $39.99 free shipping).

Thanks for the help, I now know I definitely want the safari when I make my next purchase.

 

[STLMike]

That is a great deal on the TWSBI! I hope you enjoy it! My money is on the Safari over the Al-Star. Better value in my opinion and you don't have to worry about dents. I've got one in white and it hides any scratchs with ease, never had a problem with staining either.

 

[Andy]

I have both a safari and al-star and would say go with the safari. It's cheaper, slightly smaller in diameter, and won't ding like the al-star.

+1, I also have the safari and al-star, al-star gets very little use.