This is the current Charcoal Safari. It might be a boring color for a Safari, but it’s one of my favorites to actually use.
Unlike the other regular-line Safaris, the Charcoal Safari has a matte, textured plastic body. That makes it much more scratch and wear-resistant. It’s also nice to grip.
I wish Lamy used this matte plastic more often. It isn’t new to the Safari: it was used in the early Savannah Green and Terracotta models. It’s tougher and it’s more discreet, which is nice at times.
And, as long as I’m writing a wish list, why not reissue the Savanna Green and Terracotta Safari for a while? It would be a fitting tribute to the history of the pen to see those colors in the hands of users once again.
Fountain Pen Follies 
This color is probably a big reason for my initial dislike of Safaris. Combined with the angular, blunt-cut aesthetic of their design, it looks a bit too brutalist whereas with the bright, shiny colors, the severity gets softened to make a design that looks more balanced to my eyes, more fun and playful. But the first safari I saw was like that and I would think of this first for the longest time!
But I can see how it’s great if you already love the design but are looking for a way to carry on using it in situations that call for something more subtle 🙂
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Out of all of the Safaris, I would buy the black matte one as my first preference. I like the matte version and think it would make it easier to write with.
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