Lamy Umbra Safari 1203886 Fine Nib Fountain Pen - Black

I've kept my eye on this pen for some time and I finally saw it drop in price, so I had to nab it!First off, the Vista and the Safari are the same pen. The only difference is the vista is transparent, safari is a solid color. Pen wise it's the same exact thing.This next part isn't necessarily about the pen itself, but the packaging came in a plastic baggy and no box or official packaging. Honestly, I could care less that it comes in a box. The product itself was in un-used condition and how it writes is what matters in the end.I got the medium nib and comparing it with a few other pens, it's probably a true "Medium" and not like a pilot where it's really a finer tip than advertised.The triangle grip is probably the most "controversial" part of the pen. I'm someone who is in the camp of that I enjoy it. It's a comfortable grip. The metal clip I thought would probably be flimsy is anything but! That thing is rock solid! My pen came with a disposable cartridge installed, but again, I didn't get the official packaging.The ink flow is just astounding. Some pens that I own will sometimes "skip" or "scratch". I have yet to experience that with this pen! I'm not a fancy pen collector, with my most "expensive" pen being $35. This pen though just feels so high quality.One thing I have noticed is that I haven't smudged any of my writing. That's something I typically find myself doing. I don't know if it's because I'm using the disposable ink cartridge vs. my bottled ink (I bought a converter, but I haven't used it yet), but I attribute it to the way I have to hold the pen due to the grip.Overall, if you wish to get into fountain pens or you're already a connoisseur, this is an amazing writing instrument.

The Lamy Safari Fountain Pen is a solid everyday pen. It writes smooth and fast, no skipping or scratching. The fine nib glides effortlessly—great for notes or long writing sessions.The triangular grip helps with proper finger placement, and the pen feels light yet balanced in hand. Ink flows consistently right from the first stroke.It’s also easy to clean and refill (especially if you get the converter). If you want a dependable pen that feels premium without being complicated, this is it.

When you first learn the basics of fountain pen writing, you need a no-nonsense pen that writes reliably, consistently, helps you learn the best way to hold a pen, is sturdy enough to be dropped off the desk more than once, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.The Lamy Safari does all of that.And when you are ready to go to the next level, try different nibs, or try bottled ink instead of cartridges, the Lamy Safari is still there with you. Since it's a cartridge/converter pen, you can choose how you feed it ink. And if you are capable of putting a one inch long piece of Scotch Tape over your nib and pull it straight out, the nib comes right off and can be replaced by any other Lamy nib (except Lamy 2000 nibs), to include the $130 14k gold nib. Lamy even offers stub nibs in different sizes compatible with the Safari.The nibs are usually steel, and relatively stiff, so line variation is minimal at best. If you put too much pressure on it, and ruin the nib, you can get a replacement from online retailers in 4 regular sizes (EF, F, M, B) and three stub widths (1.1mm, 1.5mm, 1.9mm) as well as a "Cursive Nib) that's designed to write East Asian scripts, starting at $16 each. Installing your new nib takes about five seconds, wait for the feed to fill the nib slit with ink (you can help to prime the nib by squeezing a drop of ink from your cartridge/converter), and you're back in business.The pen's grip section is tri-lobed; the round nib sections has three relatively large flat spots on it to help guide your fingers to hold it in a way that gives you maximum control and the least amount of fatigue. If you've used a different grip to hold your pens/pencils, this may present a bit of a learning curve, but if you have no "bad habits" to unlearn, you'll be writing like a pro in no time.If you're coming from the world of Biros (ballpoint, gel rollers, rollerballs), it will take you a couple of writing sessions to teach your hand that you don't have to press down on the pen to get it to write. The stiffness of this pen's nib will be forgiving for too much pressure without damaging it. A properly tuned fountain pen should be capable of leaving a clearly defined solid line by you holding the tail end with two fingers, the nib on the paper, and you pulling the nib on the paper; downward pressure on the nib is not required, unless something is wrong with the nib, or the ink.With the sturdiness of this pen, and very little abuse, this pen can easily last 20 years...that means it can take you from grade school all the way to your ABA exam...or whichever career goal you have in mind.

I purchased the scarlet version of this pen and the color representation onscreen is accurate, but the color is not scarlet, it's more of a burgundy wine in color which is lovely, just not scarlet. I got the EF nib intending to use the pen for line work over watercolor, but the nib is more like a fine nib in my opinion and it's a little more broad than I prefer for that use. For everyday writing though, it's fantastic. The ink flow is smooth and consistent, the nib glides over the paper, and the pen is comfortable in the hand. I wish it came with a converter as I don't prefer to use cartridges. I'll be using up the blue cartridge that came with the pen and then will use an ink syringe to refill the cartridge with my preferred inks.Note: this order shipped from Germany and arrived in less than a week, in fact it arrived a day earlier than expected and before the order I placed that was being shipped from within the US.

There's a reason why the Lamy Safari shows up on so many lists for must-have budget fountain pens. It writes beautifully. I have never had problems starting the ink in this or getting it to write. Even after leaving it for a few days and picking it up again, it writes nicely. It feels good to hold and has indentations in the body that guide your fingers to a tripod grip. The cartridge is easy to set up, but I'd really recommend a converter for anyone who wants to get into fountain pen inks. The pen is a bit thin for my hands, as my hands are kinda big. It's still a nice writing experience anyway.