Lamy – Page 7 – Fountain Pen Follies

Finding Inks for Lamy’s Charged Green Al-Star

February 27, 2016May 16, 2016 Laura2 Comments

Being an unreconstructed fan of the Broadway musical — aka a total nerd — I really wanted to title this, “How do you solve a problem like the Lamy Charged Green Al-Star?” But, yeah, few will know what I’m talking about. And those who do will shake their heads.

So, here’s the issue. As our commentator Elizabeth noted, Lamy’s Charged Green ink isn’t perhaps the greatest match for the new Charged Green Al-Star. It’s a little light in color and it’s a little too green. Though as an ink I like it, personally. I’m totally into light green ink. I grabbed a few for this post.

(click Page 2 below to continue)

Pages: 1 2

Pen of the Day: Lamy Safari French Blue

February 26, 2016May 16, 2016 LauraLeave a comment

Lamy Safari French Blue with fine point. This is one of my favorite Safari color combinations. It’s a lovely blue color, with a lovely red clip and a red button in the top of the cap.

It’s inked with KWZ Iron Gall Turquoise, which I really like.

Pen of the Day: Lamy Al-Star Aluminum

February 16, 2016May 16, 2016 Laura1 Comment

Lamy Al-Star Aluminum with broad nib. Normally I like an extra-fine nib, but sometimes a broad nib really works with a particular ink. And I love how this ink, KWZ Iron Gall Green #1, looks with this wider nib.

The Aluminum Al-Star has always been one of my favorites. It’s almost elegant. That aluminum really makes the black clip, trim and nib pop.

Has Lamy Gone Too Green?

February 10, 2016May 15, 2016 Laura7 Comments

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.

(click Page 2 below to continue)

Pages: 1 2

Lamy Al-Star Charged Green and Lamy Charged Green Ink

February 5, 2016May 16, 2016 Laura15 Comments

My new Lamy Al-Star in Charged Green arrived in the mail this morning, along with a box of the ink cartridges. The pen is nice enough, and I really like the ink, but getting it all to work was strangely like an Icelandic saga, albeit nobody froze to death.

(click Page 2 below to continue)

Pages: 1 2

Fountain Pen Throwdown: Lamy 2000 Fine Verus Lamy 2000 Extra-Fine

February 4, 2016March 11, 2016 Laura11 Comments

Well, I did a bad thing, but my friend Plume has me covered, because now all my lapses are “for the blog.” A few weeks ago, I saw a great price on a new Lamy 2000 extra-fine. Reader, I leapt at it. So I am a Lamy 2000 extra-fine owner now. Which lets me compare the extra-fine to the Lamy 2000 with fine nib that I’ve been using for years.

(click Page 2 below to continue)

Pages: 1 2

Pen of the Day: Lamy Al-Star Dark Purple

January 22, 2016May 16, 2016 Laura1 Comment

Lamy Al-Star Dark Purple with medium nib. Ah, the power of a name. I have always slightly disapproved of this pen because Lamy called it “purple,” and it’s just not my idea of purple. But I like it as a maroon or burgundy pen.

Anyway I’m using it to test KWZ Maroon, a very nice ink.

I’ve never really like the Al-Star as much as the Safari. But it’s starting to grow on me. Aluminum is neat.

Pen of the Day: Lamy 2000

January 15, 2016January 14, 2016 Laura4 Comments

Lamy 2000 with fine nib. This pen is the definition of understated excellence for me. I love everything about it, from its design to its writing performance, but I admit that it’s more of a workhorse than a show horse. I know a lot of people think it looks dull. And some don’t find it comfortable. But if I could only have ten pens, this would be one of them.

I really want to try one with an extra-fine nib, though. Someday. Maybe.

This is filled with a new-to-me ink from KWZ called Dark Brown. But Dark Brown looks black, doesn’t it? And I surely love an ink that has something unexpected like that. So I’m going to put a few quick thoughts about KWZ Dark Brown in a separate post.

What I Bought in 2015: Pens

December 29, 2015May 18, 2016 Laura5 Comments

I like to do an end-of-the-year “accounting” of the pens I bought, not to create the illusion that there’s any business-like veneer over my acquisitiveness, but more like an assessment, to see if I can learn anything.

This year was just fantastic. I got great pens this year. I did totally blow the budget in the last week. But I’m still thrilled.

(click Page 2 below to continue)

Pages: 1 2

Pen of the Day: Lamy 2000

October 20, 2015February 12, 2016 LauraLeave a comment

Lamy 2000 with fine nib. You know how sometimes you have a pen that just fits you perfectly? You might overlook it for flashier pens, but whenever you use it, you think, I could have this as my only pen. The Lamy 2000 with fine nib is that pen for me, combining gorgeous modern style with a nib I love to use.

And I don’t know if this ever happens to anyone else, but I found such a perfect-for-me ink match that more than half the time I use this pen with one particular ink — J. Herbin Vert Empire.

Vert Empire is my favorite green ink, and since I just got a new bottle yesterday, I pulled out the Lamy 2000. Vert Empire shades beautifully. The gray-green color is soft and sophisticated, but still easy to read. It is a special ink. I am so happy to have it back, and back in this pen.