LAMY safari umbra - Fountain Pen with ergonomic grip & black steel nib in size M - ideal for any Writing & Calligraphy - including LAMY T 10 blue cartridge - Right-Handed

As someone who loves fountain pens and owns many LAMY pens, the LAMY Safari Violet-Blackberry is an absolute standout in my collection. The deep, rich violet color with black accents looks stunning, and the signature Safari design is as comfortable as ever. The ergonomic grip makes writing effortless, even for long sessions, and the polished steel M nib glides smoothly across the page with just the right amount of ink flow.Like all LAMY Safari pens, it’s built to last, with a lightweight but durable body that feels great in hand. The ink cartridges and converter system make refilling easy, and the snap-on cap keeps it secure without fuss. It’s a perfect balance of style, function, and reliability.Whether jotting down notes or writing for pleasure, this pen makes every word feel special. Another fantastic addition to my LAMY collection!

Quick Review:Positives:+ Smooth nib out of the box+ Easily replaceable nib, as nibs are sold by Lamy.+ Lightweight, so fatigue is unlikely+ Durable, difficult to break with accidental blunt force.+ Is able to maintain ink flow without drying for a long time.Negatives:+ Two indentations on the grip section force you to grip the pen in the "correct" way.+ Some ink stains may be very difficult to remove, ruining the demonstrator.The Lamy Vista is a great pen for a great price. I have found that Lamy pens always write well straight out of the box, especially compared to brands that may use Bock or Jowo nibs. It uses the same nib as the Lamy Safari, AL-star as well as the Lamy Studio, so you can be sure it will be a good writing experience.The pen is made from durable ABS plastic according to Lamy, and I can attest to this. I have dropped my Safaris many times, and I am not too gently with the Vista either, and they still work great, with the worst damage being a few scratches, just make sure to keep the cap on while not in use, to prevent the pen falling on the nib, which will cause functional damage, and possibly result in the pen drying out as wellThere is no real difference between this pen, and the Lamy Safari, other than the body being clear. The Safari also comes with an ink window so the clear body on the Vista is purely for aesthetic purposes.The price is not too different from the Lamy AL-star which is made from aluminium, so if you prefer a slightly heavier pen with a metallic look and feel, that may be the better option for you, however do consider that the AL-star is susceptible to denting.Although you can swap the nib out for different sizes (the Vista uses the Z50 nib), you cannot so easily swap out the feed, so make sure to practice good pen hygiene and clean out the pen if you are not using it.The Lamy Vista usually doesn't come with a converter, both the Z28 and Z27 converters will work. However, I recommend getting the Z27, as it can be used in other pens such as the Lamy Studio as well, but you can still get the Z28 if you like the colour. If you get the Z27, make sure you secure the converter properly, as without the nubs on the Z28, the converter being properly secured isn't as obvious.Overall, I recommend the Lamy Vista if you like the aesthetics, but I highly recommend you take a look at the Safari. The Safari is often cheaper, and comes it many cool colours, including yearly special editions.

Lamy was a brand once known and accepted as being a quality and price competitor to the rather expensive Mont Blanc brand. This is one design that is very affordable and which could be given to someone starting secondary or tertiary education or as an alternative to the disposable ballpoints or gel pens often used as it is often claimed that writing style improves with such pens. The concept of filling a pen with ink from a bottle would be a new experience to many of the younger generations. To help keep pricing low, the body is all plastic and the nib is presumably steel although in an anodised finish to match the black body. The cap is a push fit with a substantial metal pocket clip. The barrel is pierced to provide a window through which it is possible to check ink level.The feel of the pen is lightweight and rather fat in the body which, with its profiled shape and grip, make it very comfortable in the hand and between the fingers but its writing abilities belie its low price. As with any new fountain pen, the nib will need to be primed with a fingertip dampened with a little water or saliva but the ink will soon flow. There are other pens (some almost certainly Oriental in origin) that write less well and are much higher in price. An expensive pen (now £500-plus) given new and when far less expensive than today, despite three factory changes of nib, never did write as well as this.The pen as supplied is set-up for cartridges, and one is supplied although not engaged but will be on removing the cardboard spacer ring and tightening the barrel, but you can add an inexpensive filler adapter to enable use of bottled inks if for no other reason than the wider choice of available colours and the option to choose whichever brands works best for you or with the pen. Lamy's bottled inks (now and historically) tend to be gritty and often clog the pen as may their cartridges, which would require thenib section to be rinsed and dried before re-use. Adding the filler adapter relieves the pressure when trying to find replacement cartridges in emergency situations. Personal practice was to use bottled ink by default, keeping a cartridge or two available as a standby when away from home or the office.In the event that the nib wears, is broken or you wish for a change to a different width or style, unmounted spares are cheaply available and are supposedly simple to remove and replace. So impressed with its performance and price, another was almost immediately ordered in blue so that the ink colour (matching the body colour) used could be easily identified. If you are thinking about adding another in a different colour, they have a shiny finish to all extenal parts.