For anyone looking to venture into the world of fountain pens, a LAMY Safari or Al-Star would be a safe bet.
I have several Safari fountain pens. This is my first Al-Star.
The Al-Star is basically the same as the Safari except the body is made of aluminum whereas the Safari body is durable plastic. The Al-Stars also have a translucent base whereas the Safari fountain pens have a base that is the same color as the body.
This purple LAMY Al-Star is the newest color available. It sports a fine nib, which is my favorite nib size. I have a medium nib, and I find that it just pours out too much ink for me.
I wish you could see the barrel in person. It’s beautiful. The color is rich and changes slightly in different light. It’s a color that I think could easily be unisex. I have a thing for confident men sporting manly purples. ;)
The Al-Star is a great pen. If you’re looking for more weight, go for the Al-Star. I’d say the Safari and the Al-Star are equally as durable and are affordable in the $30-$40 range.
This Al-Star was purchased from Appointments in downtown Cincinnati.
Hello! My name is Cole. Simplicity Embellished is my special place. I talk a lot about writing letters, etegami, gardening and yoga. Please sign up for Sunday Tea (comes to you via email), subscribe using your feed reader of choice and don't hesitate to say hello on Twitter or Facebook either.
I agree – these are great pens for newbies to fountain pens. I tend to recommend the Safari first because it’s less expensive, for those that are unsure.
So true. A very good way to distinguish between which one should get first and which one you should get second. ;)
Unless, of course, you need a particular color. I certainly have been guilty of that before!
I’ve recently started writing letters again after 15 years, and was looking at this very pen today and wondering if someone had done a review on it! I came here to look through your old blog posts and found this – now I have, I fully intend to invest in one. Thanks for this :o)
Awesome! I am so glad you found this review useful.
Many, many thanks for the comment!
-Cole