i do not have anything to say about pens; i have deducted that it is because i am fundamentally evil and soulless and cannot distinguish. as such i will try to keep these short
i bought the lamy safari at a stationery shop in strasbourg. maybe i should talk about it sometime.. good trip! they had multiple nib models, so i tried them out. i ended up going with the fine because i like thin lines. why is "left handed" a nib option, and why is it only the mid size? i didn't dare to ask the cashier, and i assume i will never get to know. it was like 25 bucks? there was a bunch of special harry potter edition safaris for 35 bucks that were sitting completely untouched in their own little box; dust collecting; separated from the other lamys, just ignored. definitely for the better. i went with the clear model because that's the only one they had, although i think i still would've chosen it if they had other options. it looks so stunning. i think if you make your shit plastic it should at least look cool.
..i dont know how to feel about this pen. this isn't my first fountain pen, as i used to own a maped reload way back when. it's definitely higher quality! while the writing does feel decently smooth, i'm not convinced overall. since this is my first "proper" fountain pen and not some cheapo garbage, i want to give it the best shot it can have. also i feel sentimental towards it since it represents my trips. pens always have good stories. i dont like the plastic thumb holding things, they dig into my thumbs slightly. it's not the worst but i think a completely cylindrical shape would be more comfortable. the snapping on and off feels very weird. there's not much noise and when you click it, and tons of friction when you pull the cap out. this is probably the intended design? but i don't like it.. why can't it click! i generally do not like big chunky pens, although out of all the chunky ones ive had, this one is definitely one of my favorites. the pen is extremely sturdy, that's a big plus. the maped reload was literally shattered and falling appart because i lost it god knows where. the nib skips *a lot*, i feel like i have to apply tons of pressure at all times or it will just stop working. i don't like the strain this puts on my wrist.
the ink feels cheap? it changes from a light blue to a dark blue every so often. i haven't refilled it yet so it's possible i just got a bad cartridge. i will have to buy a converter and try out new inks... eventually. my final note is that this pen feels extremely scratchy, but i've been told i need to get higher quality softer paper for fountain pens. might be time to get rhodia paper?