Tag: Lamy

Comparing Papier Plume Lake Michigan Summer and Kaweco Paradise Blue

Laura7 Comments

Papier Plume Lake Michigan Summer and Kaweco Paradise Blue writing samples comparison

Here is a comparison of Papier Plume Lake Michigan Summer and Kaweco Paradise Blue, both in Lamy Al-Stars with medium nibs.

Lake Michigan Summer is greener, wetter and has more shading. Kaweco Paradise Blue is, as the name would imply, bluer. These lines were written with Lake Michigan Summer first, and Paradise Blue second.

Papier Plume Lake Michigan Summer and Kaweco Paradise Blue writing samples comparison

On cream-colored Tomoe River paper.

Papier Plume Lake Michigan Summer and Kaweco Paradise Blue writing samples comparison

On white Clairefontaine Triomphe paper.

Papier Plume Lake Michigan Summer and Kaweco Paradise Blue writing samples comparison

I love both inks, frankly, and the differences are enough to justify both for myself. (I consider my excessive interest in fountain pen inks to be a little silly, so it’s lovely to be able to use the word “justify” here. Any port in the storm.)

About Lake Michigan Summer, it was one of the two inks made for the recent Chicago Pen Show. But per Instagram, Papier Plume is making another batch of Lake Michigan Summer and Ivy 108, to be released on Thursday, June 15. I have more photos of, and information about, both inks in the posts at those links. For myself, I like them both so much I have kept refilling my own pens since April.

Thanks to blog reader Nicole for the question that prompted me to compare Lake Michigan Summer to Kaweco Paradise Blue. This was also just the excuse I needed to ink up my Pacific Blue Al-Star, Lamy’s 2017 annual Al-Star. The Pacific Blue, in my opinion, may be the absolute best Lamy pen color in recent years — and I mean across the entire Lamy fountain pen line. If you’re on the fence, buy one.

New Ink Day: Lamy Petrol

Laura21 Comments

Lamy Petrol ink writing sample

I pounced on a bottle of Lamy Petrol ink, to make sure we had one for the Chicago Pen Show Ink Testing Station. And I really like it.

I put the ink in the Safari with a fine nib, and you can see the results. It’s a very dark green, with a blue tint. There’s a bit of shading. I’m thinking a Safari with a wider nib would show more shading, and maybe even lighten the color. On the other hand, using a wetter pen would darken it.

I don’t think Petrol is going to be a huge sheener. But the color is excellent, very dark and extremely legible. I don’t think it’s a “muddy” green, to borrow my friend Rick’s phrase. It’s a clear color, just dark. It’s going to be a great ink for work. It’s a “near black” ink.

I was filling pens for the Ink Testing Station, so I grabbed Pelikan Edelstein Aquamarine and Pelikan 4001 Dark Green to compare. (I was in the “P”s.)

Lamy Petrol ink comparisons

Look how much darker Petrol is than Aquamarine or Dark Green there.

The ink Petrol reminded me of is Sailor Four Seasons Miruai.

Lamy Petrol and Sailor Miruai ink swab comparison

I love Miruai. But Lamy Petrol is darker, and it’s bluer, and cheaper, and I have to say that I like Petrol even more. I’m definitely picking up a second bottle.

I’ll have to see how easily Petrol cleans out of a pen, but I sure love how it looks. I know a few other people have gotten it recently, too. What does everyone else think?

Ink Dips: Lamy Black Ink

Laura4 Comments

DSC_1436

Ink Dips is a more casual, laid-back ink evaluation than is normal here at Fountain Pen Follies. Instead of carefully evaluating an ink I’m interested in, the point of Ink Dips is to blindly pick an ink sample from a box of the set-aside  or soporific. Then I fill that sample in one pen and see what I think. It’s an inky experiment that’s a bit dippy.

Lamy Black. This was a surprising black ink, very dark, very lubricated and wet-writing. It’s a boldface black ink. It may be a good choice for those who seek “the blackest black” but also want to use a low-maintenance brand of ink.

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Pen of the Day: Lamy Safari Aquamarine with Robert Oster Bondi Blue

Laura11 Comments

Robert Oster Bondi Blue writing sample

Lamy Safari Aquamarine with medium nib. I am perfectly aware that this colorful and fun plastic fountain pen made for middle schoolers is the pen that fountain pen collectors can’t abide, and can’t resist dissing. Because most of my pen friends are that way. To my face.

But I magnanimously forgive them, because they know not what they do. (Or, I secretly think, “pen snobs.” Guess which.)

Nonetheless the humble Safari is one of my favorite pen designs ever, and I think it’s one of the best pen designs ever. I use my many Safaris (and Al-Stars and Vistas) all the time, and while they aren’t perfect, they are pretty awesome to me.

Now, sadly, the Aquamarine limited edition came out in 2011, and is long sold out. This color has been so popular on the secondary market that it has been counterfeited and sells for crazy prices. So I suggest you not hunt for an Aquamarine. (Except for my Safari Hater friends, whom I urge to drop everything, spend whatever it takes, just get an Aquamarine because it will change your life. You deserve it. Xoxoxo.)

The rest of us should consider this year’s Al-Star in Pacific Blue instead. (It’s bright and attractive and also turquoise.) Or buy a regular Safari in any color. Because I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: paying premium prices for special Safaris makes no sense. Unless they have a ducky on top. Duh.

With the money you save, buy some awesome inks. Here’s one suggestion: Robert Oster Bondi Blue, a sample of which I’m now enjoying thanks to my awesome blog reader and fountain pen pal David.

Robert Oster Bondi Blue writing sample

I really like Bondi Blue. It’s a bright, fun color, with gorgeous shading, and obvious sheen potential. And best of all, for me, it totally rocks in a Safari. I’ve got Bondi Blue in two pens, because I’m going to review it, and it seems like a great Safari ink. It flows well in the Safari, which is not the case for every ink, and it looks its best in a Safari, also not the case for every ink.

Love my Safaris, love my Bondi Blue.

Robert Oster Bondi Blue writing sample

 

Seventies Flashback: An Accidental Lamy Safari Tribute to Howard Johnson’s

Laura9 Comments

Howard Johnson's Tribute Lamy Safaris and Al-Star

If you lived in America in the 1970s, and your family took road trips, you’ll see it, too. HoJo. The ubiquitous roadside motor lodge and restaurant chain, with the appalling but memorable color scheme of orange and aqua.

It was an innocent mistake. Like the start of a horror movie, when a bunch of teens are lost and tired, and the cranky one says, “Oh, let’s just stay in this abandoned house — who’s going to care?”

Uh huh. Exactly what happened here. I had three new inks to try, so I grabbed two Lamy Safaris and an Al-Star. They are favorites and good ink testing pens. And you can color-coordinate pen and ink.

I didn’t think twice. I filled KWZ Grapefruit in an Orange Safari, Robert Oster Bondi Blue in an Aquamarine Safari and KWZ Honey in a Pearl Al-Star. Three excellent inks!

Until I looked at the pens, standing there upright. “It’s coming from inside the house….”

Fountain Pen Favorites for January 2017

Laura16 Comments

calendar image

January is over? How did that happen? Well, swiftly, I guess. In terms of pens and inks, January wasn’t particularly notable for me. But if I dredge, I can dig up some highlights.

1. Ink Dips. I liked the first two, Sailor Something Something and Pelikan Edelstein Onyx. Oh, yes, Sailor Oku-Yama. Details … poof. The mind is the first thing to go. Or maybe vision. Possibly hearing. What was I saying?

2. Yellow Journalism. I wrote in my new journal pretty consistently. Not every day, but almost. So it’s becoming a habit, which is nice. Unfortunately, I have written 96 pages since Christmas, which is going to be financially ruinous; these things are costly. I’m going back to a Rhodia Webnotebook when I fill my Nanami Writer, to see if the type of journal makes a difference or not.

3.  Hmm, a Rant. Yeah, um, well, hard to think of a third highlight, to be honest. I liked the inks I used this month. Pens were pretty calm for me — there is not much happening here in pens. Actually, I dislike something. I am not in favor of the newly announced 2017 Lamy Safari color, which is “Petrol,” which is the German word for “Teal.” I can’t even pretend to care about this Safari. Especially when the 2017 Al-Star is already an aquamarine called Pacific.

It seems I’ve gone off Lamy. After so many years of the neons and the greens and the greenish yellows, now in 2107 we’re getting not one, but two, blue greens. That’s not what I’d call progress.

I’ve lost faith in Lamy, or interest, or both. I don’t know if the string of similar colors is due to lack of imagination, cost-consciousness or trying to profit off an influx of newbie buyers with no apparent discernment (given the prices they’ll pay for counterfeits). But whatever the cause, I don’t care. I’m bored with the result. It seems cheap and cynical, and worst of all dull, by Lamy.

Yes, I am now completely unexcited about Lamy Safaris. And I used to be their biggest fan.

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Photo by Dafne Cholet, Flickr, used under Creative Commons license.

Inks Chris Bought in 2016

Chrissy4 Comments

Ink Bottles

I asked my friend Chris to tell us what inks she bought in 2016. I love her lists, because they always contain such interesting things. On the one hand, we both love Caran d’Ache and Montblanc inks. So, we’re practically twins. But Chris has much broader ink interests than I do. Occasionally I will insert an Editor’s Note in her text, because silence is not my forte. But here’s Chris.)

I think I’ve bought a similar number of bottles to last year, but I’m not counting any inks that I received for free. Like last year, I bought some more inks that I intend to sell, so I haven’t included those either.

I still haven’t kept very good records of inks I have bought, but I’ve gone back through PayPal and credit card purchases to compile a list for the purposes of this post. I buy inks from quite a few sources so my new years resolution for 2017 will be to keep an accurate record. (Editor’s Note: Good idea. I think my resolution will be to “forget” half my 2017 purchases.)

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What I Bought in 2016: Fountain Pens

Laura13 Comments

2016 pen purchases

I like to do a year-end accounting of what I bought, to keep myself honest, and to try to learn a little. Here’s what I’ve learned looking back at my 2016 fountain pen purchases: ouch.

I bought 19 pens this year. They are all very nice pens. But I find the total number surprising, and excessive. Also, two of them are purple. Which is just messed up.

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New 2017 Lamy Al-Star Pacific

Laura12 Comments

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Thanks to Fontoplumo, we know the upcoming 2017 Lamy Al-Star will be this blue shade, called Pacific.

At first glimpse, I really like the color. It’s almost an Al-Star version of the no-longer-available Lamy Safari Aquamarine. Which is excellent.

I found this photo on Fontoplumo’s Twitter, which gives me the chance to say that Fontoplumo is another very nice store, from the Netherlands, from whom I’ve purchased before and will again. I’ve actually bought some of my Al-Stars and Safaris from Fontoplumo, because they have excellent prices and the European stores usually get the annual Safaris and Al-Stars first.

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Photo from Fontoplumo Twitter, here