Lamy - Safari Rollerball Pen - Transparent

I bought this as a journaling/diary pen after I realized from using a Platinum Preppy that I liked fountain pens. This pen feels great in the hand; it's like writing on air, even with my weird non-tripod grip that I've adapted to it. Writing is actually something I enjoy doing now instead of dreading cramps.The pen's colorway pairs perfectly with Diamine Oxblood ink, if you like matching colors like I do. I recommend using un-posted - the cap has a surprising amount of weight.While I'm adding a variety of tools to my new journaling/planning system, this is the pen that I will use every night to consider the days I leave behind.

A Lilac That I'm Not Allergic To.

I am allergic to most flowering trees. At the least, they make me sneeze. At the worst, my head clogs to the point where I cannot close my jaw. Thank you LAMY, for allowing me to enjoy the beauty of flowering trees without the threat of fragrance and pollen. The AL-star is a great workhorse pen, and is a wonderful showcase for this lustrous color. I selected a medium nib so I could enjoy fun ink. It is currently inked with Sailor Yurameku Dategokoro which is darker, but a nice match for the hue. Though the pen is not dark, I rather fancy inking it with LAMY Dark Lilac if they are kind enough to re-issue it.

A good pen for those who like it dry

I usually enjoy wet nibs and inks when I write, but I've found myself impressed by the fine nib on this lamy. It's absolutely a dry nib, no doubt about it, but dry does not equal scratchy! Coupled with the LAMY black cartridges that I have a gross amount of, the pen actually writes really well.On printer paper, there was some bleed through, but no feathering (atleast to my standards), and this is also terrible printer paper. On FP friendly printer paper I'm sure it would fare much betterPerfect performance on Midori MD paper. I expected it to feel poor with the combined slight tooth of the paper, but it was actually pretty smooth.Tomoe River much the same as the Midori.Overall I recommend this pen to those who enjoy drier writing experiences and a finer nib.

A good sharp writer for cheap paper

I'm extremely new to fountain pens, so I don't have a lot of appropriate paper lying around. As a lefty, and one who wrote with roller balls until recently, I have developed a preference for extra fine pens that dry quickly. Thus, I picked up the extra fine version of this pen to focus on good performance on cheap paper and a writing experience similar to what I was used to.The line is clear and reliable for the most part. It has a nice feedback from the paper, though if you're looking to avoid the feel and sound of scratch on paper that might be a minus for you rather than a plus. Initially it felt oddly light, but I got used to the weight quickly. The strawberry color is attractive.My only semi-negative experience is one that's shared with one or two other ... MoreI'm extremely new to fountain pens, so I don't have a lot of appropriate paper lying around. As a lefty, and one who wrote with roller balls until recently, I have developed a preference for extra fine pens that dry quickly. Thus, I picked up the extra fine version of this pen to focus on good performance on cheap paper and a writing experience similar to what I was used to.The line is clear and reliable for the most part. It has a nice feedback from the paper, though if you're looking to avoid the feel and sound of scratch on paper that might be a minus for you rather than a plus. Initially it felt oddly light, but I got used to the weight quickly. The strawberry color is attractive.My only semi-negative experience is one that's shared with one or two other pens, and thus is likely more to do with the lousy paper I'm using for now. Over the course of a long session, the pen will write progressively drier until I have to take a short break to let the feed recover. I think the paper is probably just ******* the feed dry, because only my wettest pens avoid this issue entirely on this paper.

Excellent Color Revival... Now Where's the Ink?

One of my deep fountain pen regrets is not paying attention in 2017 when the LAMY safari Petrol was released. So, I was very excited when the Petrol AL-Star was announced. I ordered it immediately so I would receive the matching pen case. The color more than lived up to expectations and is now my favorite AL-Star color. Since LAMY has yet to reissue the Petrol ink (fingers crossed!) I am using Sailor Yurameku Sukigokoro in in it. The ink is a dead ringer for the pen's color when it first emerges, but then does that color shift magic and no longer matches. Not a perfect ink choice, but certainly a fun one. It's high time for LAMY to reissue the Petrol & Dark Lilac inks!

Lamy, the pens for all ages.

I recently bought both the "Strawberry" and "Cream" Lamy Safari pens from Goulet Pen Company. Both are a welcome addition to the other Lamy pens in my possession. They are of very high quality for the price and will last forever with a little maintenance and TLC. The colors are well-named and the pens write extremely well (maybe more so than some more expensive pens I own). One of the most important design elements of the pens is the ability to easily replace the nibs. In general, the nibs on a pen are the most vulnerable part and are easily damaged. Spare nibs are readily available and easily replaced within a few minutes, if necessary. They also make great gifts for students and professionals alike.Feel free to buy from Goulet Pen Company. I promise that you will ... MoreI recently bought both the "Strawberry" and "Cream" Lamy Safari pens from Goulet Pen Company. Both are a welcome addition to the other Lamy pens in my possession. They are of very high quality for the price and will last forever with a little maintenance and TLC. The colors are well-named and the pens write extremely well (maybe more so than some more expensive pens I own). One of the most important design elements of the pens is the ability to easily replace the nibs. In general, the nibs on a pen are the most vulnerable part and are easily damaged. Spare nibs are readily available and easily replaced within a few minutes, if necessary. They also make great gifts for students and professionals alike.Feel free to buy from Goulet Pen Company. I promise that you will be well treated.

New to Fountain Pens - Just buy it.

I was super excited to try this since it would be my first actual fountain pen and it did not disappoint. I've been using this consistently at the office and it hasn't let me down. The previous pens that I have been using would always skip and dry out but this one would write so well as soon as it was uncapped. The lines are pretty smooth and a little scratchy. (I prefer the feeling of the extra fine nib.) The ink that came with the pen wrote well on post its and computer paper with minimal to no bleeding/feathering. (I ended up buying two more lamy inks bc of this.) I do have sweaty hands and the ink does transfer and smudge so it's not bulletproof. You can't go wrong with this pen for the price and anything cheaper just isn't worth it for me.

Replacing an icon

So the cat had a freakout and sent my Safari shooting across my home office and landing hard on my porcelain tile floor. At first, I thought it had survived.Two days later, I discovered a crack in the barrel. And I mourned. The Safari, you see, had been my very first fountain pen, going back to the early 2000s. And while I have since collected others, my Safari was still my favorite, with its ultra smooth nib; it makes writing effortless. And sentiment. You always remember your first.But I couldn't replace it with another red Safari. I tried. In my heart, I knew it was the wrong move.Enter the black purple AL-star. It looked right. And now that it's here and in my hand, it feels right. The nib is as wonderful as my original Safari, although I think my original ... MoreSo the cat had a freakout and sent my Safari shooting across my home office and landing hard on my porcelain tile floor. At first, I thought it had survived.Two days later, I discovered a crack in the barrel. And I mourned. The Safari, you see, had been my very first fountain pen, going back to the early 2000s. And while I have since collected others, my Safari was still my favorite, with its ultra smooth nib; it makes writing effortless. And sentiment. You always remember your first.But I couldn't replace it with another red Safari. I tried. In my heart, I knew it was the wrong move.Enter the black purple AL-star. It looked right. And now that it's here and in my hand, it feels right. The nib is as wonderful as my original Safari, although I think my original was a broader tip, perhaps. (The packaging, however, is no longer plastic and yay less plastic but flimsy paper?)I did keep the converter from my Safari, so my AL-star is the best of the old and the new.RIP my Safari. Long live the AL-Star.

Smooth writer, Lamy reliability

I've put off buying a Lamy AL-star pen for quite some time now. After all, they seemed to be fairly similar to the Safaris, a pen I have a love-hate relationship with, despite the fact that they've been my daily driver for almost ten years now. However, after seeing this color and finally purchasing one, I'm very annoyed that I didn't purchase one earlier.With a slight weight to it that's rather comfortable from the metal body, to the way in which I can see the ink easily, and the wonderful color, it's immediately become one of my favorite pens. It doesn't feel quite as bulky in my hand as some of my other pens can, and so it makes it remarkably comfortable, even if the fact that it's slightly heavier than other pens might seem otherwise.Overall, I love this ... MoreI've put off buying a Lamy AL-star pen for quite some time now. After all, they seemed to be fairly similar to the Safaris, a pen I have a love-hate relationship with, despite the fact that they've been my daily driver for almost ten years now. However, after seeing this color and finally purchasing one, I'm very annoyed that I didn't purchase one earlier.With a slight weight to it that's rather comfortable from the metal body, to the way in which I can see the ink easily, and the wonderful color, it's immediately become one of my favorite pens. It doesn't feel quite as bulky in my hand as some of my other pens can, and so it makes it remarkably comfortable, even if the fact that it's slightly heavier than other pens might seem otherwise.Overall, I love this pen, and I'm quite happy with it. If I'm not careful, I'm going to end up with a few more in my collection.

Thank God for Lamy's quick change nibs!

This pen is beautiful, great weight, and length! I got it with the extra fine nib, as it was the only option available when I purchased it. As a recently new person on the fountain pen hobby, I hadn't tried an extra fine. The nib felt very scratchy at first, decided to use the pen with a fine nib instead, and have loved it ever since. As for the extra fin nib, I installed it on a Safari, and flexed it a bit. Not sure if its because of the lighter material or because of my flexing, but the nib doesn't feel scratchy anymore. Thank God for Lamy's interchangeable nibs, and the Goulet Pens Youtube channel!P.S.And if you're not sure what ink goes well with the color of the pen, Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-Ryoku looks great!