Lamy 2016 Safari (pen of the year) Dark Lilac

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Blackhorse

Blackhorse

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I won't go into any detail about the Lamy Safari. If you're here and reading this you likely are familiar with the pen & probably even have one or more laying around.

Good German design. You love them or you don't due to the triangular grip section. Rugged. Not a finely crafted instrument, but a tough and fun tool. Nibs of every conceivable type that are easy to switch. Every color under the rainbow.

The 2016 Special Edition is PURPLE (Dark Lilac) All the furniture, or whatever, is black. Cool combo.

The Dark Lilac was received with rousing cheers from the pen geeks worldwide. An instant hit. But even more so was the accompanying ink...yes its called Dark Lilac. EVERYONE out there loves it. It shades. It has a gold sheen. It's THE perfect purple color apparently. Except it's gone now. Made for just 2016. Tragedy! Weeping. Wailing, Gnashing of teeth.

Except I found a couple of places in the U.K. that still have it in cartridges! And except for the postage it's cheap.

So I popped for a pen from Vanness in Little Rock ($30) and have a raft of cartridges on the way. I got my semi-adult daughter a cool Japanese Journal thing for Valentine's Day and this is the PERFECT pen to go with it. Nice.


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I don't have the lilac but I do have black with an EF nib and converter, damned fine pen.
 
I like 'em. I have one of the aluminum ones...the AL Star model. Everyone wants to call it the "all star" not being science geeks and understanding that the AL is for "aluminum " and not "all". Whatever.

My prior dog, Gracie, a golden retriever/black lab/Rottweiler mix got my other one...a clear demonstrator...and chewed the crap out of it. Sad. Sure would like to have that dog back.
 
Something to keep in the back of one's mind. Never ever get a Lamy Safari near Noodler's Baystate inks. Possibly a couple others. Lamy may have solved that problem. But just in case it's an older one, best to be forewarned.
 
I think the Safari is the ugliest pen on the planet, along with the rest of the Bauhaus crap, but I love mine. It always works, it's easy to start after lying around for days, and I generally beat hell out of it and have for years. The Chinese have a knock-off of these, but why bother? I go all out and use black Quink in mine since forever.
 
Yeah. I wouldn't use Baystate in ANY pen. A lot more brands than Lamy have had issues with it, I think. Right? Anyway...I like Ackerman Shocking Blue, the Robert Oster Fire and Ice stuff and Diamine's Imperial Blue well enough.

But generally I'm much more a fan of other brands (like Pilot & Platinum) but descend into the Lamy depths on occasion...like the purple thing. And I think that's more a function of the Dark Lilac ink being so universally loved by everyone I think of as a good judge of such things. (Likely the only really cool ink Lamy ever had, IMHO.) And have you seen the 2017 Special Ed color...petrol? A darkish teal, with matching ink? Now that one is going to be popular too I'm thinking. I've got a bunch of teal inks just waiting for it. LOVE teal inks!

But there IS the Lamy 2000. Bauhaus though it be (a design school I rather appreciate coming from an architectural and fine/applied arts background) I believe the 2000 to be one of the best fountain pens out there. And like a lot of things it's a matter of personal preference.

WAY too much fun.
 
Crap!

Sorry I missed that ink.

Any idea when the 2017 will come out and what ink will accompany it?
 
Re the 2017 Petrol (Dark Teal) ink. I think I read it was due in April. If you go over to Goulet's website you can find the ink (listed as OOS) and plug in your email addy and they will buzz you when it arrives. Slick. They also have a color photo of the pen in the Lamy Safari section. Jet Pens will likely have it for the same price but will ship free as it's over $25.

PS: I found the 2016 Dark Lilac ink available in a shop in Canada and in Cardiff, UK for good prices. The shipping is nuts though. I picked up 4 boxes each from two places. Should do me for the duration. The total for the 20 cartridges from the U.K. Was £16.66. So $20.80...just over $5 per box of 5 or a buck each. I don't think that's bad for unobtanium. The name of the vendor is the Pen and Paper. My first order from them. The vendor in Canada is stylo.ca.

There ya go.

PPS: PD, your lovely photo is of the AL Star Special Ed in Pacific...different than the 2017 Safari Special Ed in Petrol (Dark Teal). See below for the Petrol (Dark Teal)...




Lamy-Safari-Petrol-Pen-Collection.jpg" style="width: 600px;height: 600px
 
I hadn't seen the Safari yet, just the Al Star. I like the look of the ink color with the 2017 Al Star, more than I like the look of the color of the pen.
 
I picked up a white Safari at the Chicago Show last year. Won't win prizes for beauty, but it writes very well and is comfortable. Especially for the price.
 
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