Tag: Lamy Safari

Five Yellow Lamy Safaris

Laura1 Comment

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I have five yellow Safaris? Yes, I have five yellow Safaris. I really had no idea.

The truth is, yellow pens are not exactly necessary in my life, since I never use yellow ink.  Let’s say I own 9,043 bottles of ink.  Admittedly, that’s a rough estimate; the actual number might be higher (cough).  But I do know that, of those roughly 12,000 bottles, exactly zero contain yellow ink.  It’s not exactly legible, at least not to me.

But I still like the yellow Safaris.  And that photo puts a smile on my face.  The cute Line Friends Safari is especially adorable.  Though it lives in a box.  Which I had to search for. Because it was in a storage box.  In the basement.  We’re talking deep storage. I really only use the regular yellow Safari.

The funny thing is, as shocked as I am by the breadth of my yellow Safari ownership, I know that Lamy has made more than five different yellow Safaris.  There’s a lighter yellow with black clip for sure.  And there probably are other special edition Safaris in yellow: I think I’ve seen some with logos.  I just don’t buy the ones with logos.  Or the rare and expensive ones.

Rest assured that I am okay with not having every yellow Safari.  In fact, I’m thrilled.

It might mean a tiny bit of sanity prevails.  But you know me better.  It really means: more room for my blue pens!

Hey.  If I put a few more of these in the storage box in the  basement, wouldn’t that mean … there’s room for that blue Pelikan M205?!

Has Lamy Gone Too Green?

Laura7 Comments

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I am afraid the Complaint Department is going to be open today. I had a dentist appointment just before writing this, so you’ll have to pardon me if I’m in the mood to grouse.

Here’s what is nagging at me: With the recent arrival of the Charged Green Lamy Al-Star, it seems that four out of my fifteen Al-Stars are some shade of green.  Look at that.

There’s one blue.  Three silvers — that lovely lilac in tenth position was called “Ice Blue,” but I consider it a silver.  But even if you classify Ice Blue as a blue, there are only two blues.  There are three in the red family, if like me you consider “Dark Purple” to be a burgundy; otherwise two in the red family. But four greens. And all unusual greens, too.  Not even a British Racing Green.

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Lamy Safari Week – Day Seven: It’s Not Easy Being Green

Laura2 Comments

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This is the only Safari I really dislike. This is the 2015 Neon Lime. While I know it has its fervent fans, I’m sorry to say that I personally am over my limit with both green Safaris and neon Safaris.

I see that I’ve kept the cardboard spacer in place.  No other Safari of mine wears that cardboard collar.  It’s almost a sign of rejection, or silent protest.  I’m saying, It is never going to be inked.  Oh yeah, I bought it, but I won’t use it.  Take that, Lamy person who keeps making everything green.

I think I did mention earlier in the week that the Safari was made for middle schoolers?  That level of maturity may ring a bell here.

But then, I decided to do a Lamy Safari Week.  And, while I was photographing the Safaris, I accidentally realized something. That awful Neon Lime Safari actually looks very nice next to the Pink Safari.  And I love my pink one.  So is it possible that Neon Lime is not that bad after all?

Darn you, Lamy.  There is truly nothing about the Safari I can’t grow to appreciate — not even neon lime.

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Lamy Safari Week – Day Six: One Tough Customer

Laura2 Comments

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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.

Lamy Safari Week – Day Four: Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

Laura2 Comments

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Yellow is (tied for) my favorite color.  Over the years they’ve changed the clip color from black to chrome, and the shade of yellow has changed slightly.  And sometimes a vendor comes up with a special edition yellow Safari.  So over the years, I’ve ended up with three different yellows.

This is the current Yellow Safari, the standard, normal one, and this is the only one I actually write with.  It would be enough on its own.  It always brightens my day.

Lamy Safari Week – Day Three: Trying to Be Reasonable

Laura2 Comments

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This is a nice discontinued Safari in the “Flame” colors — orange pen, red clip.

I found it one year at the Chicago Pen Show for pretty much the regular price, maybe a tiny bit higher.  No biggie.  No one else wanted it; it had been sitting out on the table for two days.  And that is how it should be, I think.

These pens, much as I love them, are plastic pens with steel nibs.  Let’s be honest.  I have written over 1,000 words this week about how much I like Safaris.  I love them.  But one Safari writes the same as the next.  I’ve seen the Flame listed for $200, and it can sell for over $100.  The very old Safaris go for much more.  The word that comes to mind is “tulipmania.”

Look at it up there. It’s nice, right? But is it any nicer than any other Safari? No, it is not. I say this even owning it — even though it’s in my interest to talk it up, so that if I ever have to sell it, I can make eleventy zillion dollars on it. Or even $200.

I’d just like to be honest here. If there’s a limited edition color you missed, and can’t find near the standard price, consider buying a new one in a current color instead.  Or buy a used Safari that isn’t “rare.” They all are fun.  If you like to use orange inks, the yellow would be nice. Or consider an orange pen from another brand. Remember that Lamy might bring out another orange, or light blue or insert-color-here Safari in the future. In fact the Pink Safari went through a few limited editions and then joined the regular line.

If you have $200 to spend on a discontinued pen, you could look instead at a vintage pen with a gold nib.  You’ll still have a great pen and a piece of history, and you’ll have money left over.

Of course, if you are an investor in Safaris, knock yourself out. Or if you are a real collector, that’s your thing, and I wish you only enjoyment. But otherwise, there are lots of fountain pens in the world, and you can find some amazing pens for less than the price of most older Safaris in this current market.

Lamy Safari Week – Day Two: Dr. Seuss Would Approve

LauraLeave a comment

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This is the current Pink Safari. I use it for pink and pinkish inks. So I use it often. I may own fancier pens than Safaris in typical colors: black, blue, red, green and even brown. But I own no pink pens that are not Safaris. And I love pink. This variety of fun colors is one of the best features of the Safari line.

I think of Dr. Seuss’s Red Fish, Blue Fish, Old Fish, New Fish. One character had a pet Yink who liked to drink pink ink. This pen is my Yink.

There have actually been a few variants of the pink issued, with different cap finials. Not to mention the 2014 Limited Edition Neon Coral, which is itself a nice pink. Thank you, Lamy, for the pink Safaris. Now if we can talk about finally getting a purple one?