The Ultimate Lamy Safari Fountain Pen Review

The Lamy Safari is one of the most popular fountain pens on the market and this is one of the main reasons that led me to write this Lamy Safari Fountain Pen review. According to Lamy official website, the Safari is the best-selling fountain pen in its segment.

This is one of the pens that I usually highly recommended to beginners and collectors alike. 

In my own Lamy Safari fountain pen review, I try to give you a detailed insight into the pros, the cons of this popular pen. My goal is to be unbiased and to help you decide on your own if this is the right fountain pen for you or not.

I’ve been using fountain pens for over 20 years, but only started collecting them 5 years ago. When I started collecting, I instantly met the Lamy Safari. By then, the Lamy Safari was already widely popular and recommended by most bloggers and YouTubers. 

I confess I wasn’t that interested in it at the beginning. The design itself was not really my type and I couldn’t understand how a plastic pen with a different but not that special design could be that great. 

A couple of years later I decided to buy some Lamy Safaris to find out exactly why they were so popular.

While Safari tends to be the first fountain pen for many people, I only tried one later, when I already had other fountain pens in my collection. I believe this fact gives me a little more objectivity since the first fountain pen tends to be always a special pen for most of us.

Introducing The Lamy Safari Fountain Pen

If you’ve been checking fountain pen blogs, social media influencers or shops, you’re probably familiar with the Safari iconic design. While some people love it, others hate it. But I have to say that the design is different and original. 

For those who start collecting fountain pens with Chinese pens, you might know this design from other pens. However,  the Lamy Safari was the original one. The Jinhao 599, the 599A, the Yiren 566, and the Wing Sung 6359, to name just a few, are all Lamy Safari clones. 

The Safari is made from a resistant ABS plastic and it’s available in multiple original colors. The colors and special editions are probably one of the reasons why the Lamy is so popular and collectible. 

The Lamy Safari was designed by Wolfgang Fabian and launched back in 1980.

This is a durable fountain pen that will hold up well as a pocket carry or daily use pen. The durability and original lines justify how the Safari earned a reputation as a good daily user for decades.

The Safari has 14cm in length (closed) and is instantly recognizable for the sturdy lid clip. This oversized clip might not be consensual in terms of design, but it is useful.

Besides the clip, another design element of the pen that divides opinions is the grip. The grip practically forces you to hold the pen at very specific angles. Depending on how you hold your pen, you may find it to be extremely comfortable (like I do) or you might find it a little weird. The pen comes with a triangular grip section, which is either loved or hated by the end users. While I personally believe most people see the Safari as a comfortable pen, it’s important that you know that the design and the grip are not appreciated by some. 

One of the practical design aspects of the Safari is the ink window, that allows you to instantly know your cartridge or converter ink level. There’s also an embossed Lamy logo in the barrel.

The Lamy Safari fountain pens ships with a steel nib.  More about the nib later, but overall, Lamy nibs are pretty good and are available in many different sizes.

This is a plastic fountain pen, so it’s a lightweight pen that allows you to write comfortably for long periods of time. Despite being a plastic pen, it’s one of the most durable plastic pens I personally know. After years of use, none of my Lamy Safari has any scratch or crack. It’s a lightweight ABS plastic that is surprisingly durable and resistant. 

Lamy Safari Fountain Pen Cartridges and Converters

One aspect that is truly important to include in this Lamy Safari Fountain Pen Review is related to cartridges and converters. The Lamy Safari is a simple and practical pen, so it’s not surprising that you need to use a cartridge or a converter to fill this pen.

Lamy cartridges and converters are proprietary which means you can’t use a cartridge or converter from another brand in this fountain pen. 

Unfortunately, the Lamy Safari doesn’t ship with a converter. So, if you want to use bottled ink, you need to spend a couple of extra bucks to get a Lamy converter. If you don’t want to spend any extra money on a converter, you can easily refill your cartridges with an ink syringe. 

The proprietary Lamy cartridges are amazing. They do take much more ink than most international sized cartridges, and they’re easy to refill. Due to the larger connecting hole and the sturdiness of the plastic used on the genuine Lamy cartridges, these cartridges can be refilled many times before being disposed of. I’ve been filling Lamy cartridges for my pens for years and never had a single crack in any of them.

By comparing these cartridges with other international sized cartridges I use in other pens, these last ones can be refilled 5 to 6 times on average before they get some kind of crack and need to be replaced. 

No matter if you prefer to refill your Lamy cartridges or to buy a converter, you can easily use any bottled ink with your Safari.

Finally, the Lamy Safari is a cartridge/converter pen. It comes with a single cartridge of Lamy blue ink, but a converter must be purchased separately for a few extra dollars. 

Lamy Proprietary Fountain Pen Nibs  

The Lamy Safari uses Lamy’s interchangeable fountain pen nibs. These nibs can be used in other Lamy fountain pens, including the Lamy Studio, the Lamy Al-Star and the Lamy Vista (basically, a clear Safari demonstrator).  

All the Lamy Safaris come with stainless steel nibs, but if you’re looking to use a gold nib on your Safari, there are some gold nibs available on the market. Those are not very popular since they cost 2 to 3 times the price of the pen, but if you really want a gold nib and money is not a problem, you can have it.

I personally stick to the Lamy stainless steel nibs that I got with my pens. I have 3 different Lamy fountain pens with stub nibs, and all of them provide the smoothness and the line variation that I need.

if you’re considering trying out this pen, I suppose that the gold nibs featured on some of the more expensive Studio models would also fit the Safari. 

Most pen shops offer you the option to choose between the Extra-Fine (EF), the Fine (F), the Medium (M) and the Broad (B) Nibs. They also have the calligraphy stub nibs available in 1.1mm, 1.5mm, and 1.9mm. These three are the ones that I have. 

While the EF and F nibs tend to be a bit scratchier, the M nib offers a good balance. However, it can be bland. Finally, the B nib is more interesting for me, and the Stubs are actually my favorites and one of the things that I like most about this pen. Notice that this is my personal preference. The truth is that if you love fine nibs, you’re probably going to hate the 1.9mm Stub. 

The good thing about Lamy nibs is the variety. It‘s possible to get a completely different writing experience out of the same pen with these different nibs. 

I love the smoothness and the ink flow these Lamy nibs provide. However, I really don’t like that Lamy Safari uses a proprietary nib design. This means that it’s not possible to replace the nib with another popular nib type like size #5 or #6 nibs. 

In my opinion, it would be far better if the Lamy Safari used a standard sized nib so that I could easily replace it with a different one from another brand. 

In case you’re not considering changing your nib, this won’t be a problem for you. But for me, personalizing and adjusting a nib or a pen is part of the experience. It’s something I really enjoy doing. So, whenever a brand locks a nib or even a cartridge, they’re limiting my options in the future and I really hate when this happens.

Lamy Safari Fountain Pen Review: The Pros

No matter how amazing a pen is, an unbiased review has to include the pros and cons. These pros and cons might be a little subjective, but they will show you my honest opinion about this pen.

So, what are the main advantages of buying a Lamy Safari Fountain Pen?

#1: The Price

The Lamy Safari is an affordable fountain pen. When you compare its price with some of its clones, you realize that even while the Safari is an affordable pen, you’re paying a lot for the brand itself. But the reality is that at the end of the day, the quality is there. And even if we’re paying for the brand, it’s still an affordable pen. For the years that a Safari lasts and for the writing experience, I have to consider the price as a positive aspect.

#2: The Design And Body Shape

Love it or hate it, the Lamy Safari design is original and unique. When most fountain pens use simple round shapes, the Safari is clearly recognized due to its design.

I wasn’t personally attracted by it when I first saw it. My admiration for the Safaris only came years later when I started using one. But even before I got my Safaris, I always recognized the originality in their design. 

#3: With Nearly 40 Years Old It’s Still A Modern Pen

Launched back in 1980, the Lamy Safari is almost 40 years old. And yet, it remains modern, elegant, and much more revolutionary than most classic fountain pens in the market. 

The Lamy Safari is sexy, modern, and sleek due to its design and colors.

#4: The Grip

As I already mentioned, the grip design won’t be considered a plus for some. But in my opinion, it’s a comfortable grip. The Lamy Safari ergonomically shaped triangular grip enables writing for long periods of time without tiring.

#5: The Ink Window

The traditional ink window doesn’t not only look good as it’s a useful feature. This window shows you how much ink you have on your cartridge or piston converter. No need to unscrew your barrel to check the ink level. Simply look at the ink window and know the ink you have left. 

#6: The Writing Experience

Every single one of my Lamy Safari writes perfectly well. They’re easy to clean and even these calligraphy stub nibs perform exceptionally well. This is the kind of pen that you can keep inked for weeks or months and use it whenever you want.

I’ve never had any problem with ink flow or dry ink on any of my Safaris. For me, the Lamy Safari fountain pen offers the kind of writing experience that you can usually find on much more expensive pens. It was the writing experience and overall quality that convinced me about this one, not the looks. 

#7: The Pen Clip

Some people love it, some people hate it. For me, it’s just a useful clip. I wouldn’t call it beautiful or well designed, but it’s original and does what it is supposed to do. That’s why I’m adding it to the positive aspects of the Lamy Safari.

#8: High Ink Capacity

The Lamy cartridges ink capacity is larger than the one you find in small standard international cartridges. Even if you’re using the Lamy piston converter, the ink capacity remains pretty satisfactory. 

I personally stick to the cartridges that I refill with a syringe. This way, I have the large cartridge ink capacity and can still use any bottled ink that I want. And with its generous cartridge size, I don’t need to refill it nearly as often as I do with many other pens.

#9: Many Color Choices

Options are always a positive thing, and when you buy a Lamy Safari you have many different colors to choose from. From classic to modern colors, you can even opt for the Lamy Safari fountain pen special editions with unique colors.

#10: Simplicity

The Lamy Safari fountain pen is easy to get apart, clean and refill. This simplicity is a major plus for beginners and those who like to keep their pens in tip-top condition. 

Lamy Safari Fountain Pen Review: The Cons

Just like the pros, the cons can be subjective. In my opinion, these are the less positive aspects of the Lamy Safari.

#1: ABS Plastic Barrel

The Lamy Safari barrel is smooth and durable. But at this price point, a plastic barrel is a negative point. In terms of quality, there is nothing wrong with a plastic barrel fountain pen, especially when we are talking about a good quality and reliable plastic. Some cheap plastic pens suffer from cracks, but not the Safaris.

Yet, when you spend as much as $30 (a Safari usually costs anywhere between $20 – $30, and don’t forget the shipping cost from most retailers) in a fountain pen, you probably want something special. While this is still considered an entry price point in fountain pens, the truth is you can get fancier metal fountain pens especially from China (think Jinhao 159, or 450) or Japan (think Platinum Plaisir), for a fraction of the Lamy Safari price.

There’s a metal version of the Lamy Safari, and its called the Lamy Al-Star. But the Al-Star is even more expensive and competes with other popular brands like Twsbi fountain pens. 

All in all, the barrel is good but for the price, I consider it a negative aspect.

#2: Gift Box

I might be nitpicking a little bit with this one, but the Lamy Safari box is too simple and bland for this price point. I got a simple cardboard box that I didn’t even keep. Some people don’t care that much for the pen box, but if you’re giving this pen as a gift, the box gives the impression that this is a cheaper pen than it actually is.

#3: No Lamy Flex Nibs

Lamy does a terrific job with the variety of nibs they offer in the Safari. That’s why it’s a little sad that there’s no Flex nib available for it. Again, this is something minor especially because flex nibs are a specialty nib. But with so many nib choices, having a flex or semi-flex would make perfect sense as it would make this pen even funnier to use.

Lamy Safari Vs. The Clones

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”

So, when you see so many imitations and copies of the popular Lamy Safari fountain pen, you realize this is a special pen. 

Just to name a few, you have the Jinhao 599, the Yiren 566, and the Wing Sung 6359, that are all clearly inspired by the Lamy Safari. The Lamy is the real thing and was the one that created this segment. Chinese pens offer an unbelievable bang for the buck, and that’s why they’re also popular and they have a place in the market.

Is any of these clones as good as the Lamy Safari?

Not really, but it couldn’t be, could it? A Safari costs 10 to 15 times more than any of these Chinese pens, it would be surprising if it wasn’t better than all of them. But in the end, only you can decide if the price difference is justified by the Lamy quality or not.

Is The Lamy Safari a Good Buy?

No Lamy Safari fountain pen review can be complete without determining of the pen is a good buy. The truth is that choosing the right fountain pen to start this hobby or the perfect fountain pen to add to your collection can be a little tough. Any pen will have its own advantages and disadvantages, and the Lamy Safari is no exception.

Would I buy this pen again?

I would. Knowing what I know today, I would definitely buy my Lamy Safari pens. If you decide to purchase a Lamy Safari for your collection or as your first fountain pen, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. 

The looks are exactly how you see in the pictures, and you can love it or not. If you love it, the only risk factor is the grip. Considering all the details mentioned, the pros and cons, I find the Lamy Safari a solid pen.

This fountain pen is lightweight, well balanced and comfortable. The nib glides across the paper and provides a reliable ink flow. 

In my opinion, The Lamy Safari fountain pen is a great entry level fountain pen for those looking to try fountain pens. I can’t say it would be the best choice or my first choice for the price, but there is something really special about this pen.

I tend to keep one of them in my rotation. Most of the times it’s the well balanced 1.5mm stub. 

I truly hope you find my Lamy Safari fountain pen review helpful. Only you can decide if this is the right pen for you. But I hope that by reading my review you get an educated opinion about what you can really expect from this pen.

Fountain Pen Ink Used in this Review 

The ink that I used in this Lamy Safari review was the InexPens Chestnut.

It’s a well-behaved ink even on copy paper and looks great on my 1.1 stub Lamy.