The problem with finding a decent fountain pen nowadays is the fact that there simply aren’t that many of them about. People aren’t really buying fountain pens in the same way that they did in the past. As a result, most of the options tend to be cheaper ones. Thankfully, there are still some companies producing some brilliant fountain pens, even if they are a little trickier to track down.
The two names that will often crop up in discussions about fountain pens will be the Lamy CP1 and Logo. Just about any fountain pen from Lamy is brilliant, but these two are a whole different class.
The thing is that it isn’t just a case of choosing the CP1 or the Logo. While they are both great fountain pens, each of them brings something a little bit different to the table. For example, there are some that will love the CP1 but do not find that the Logo gels with them all that much. It is all going to come down to how you like to use your fountain pen.
On this page, we want to do a review of both of these pens. We will tell you what each of them brings to the table. Hopefully, by the end of it, you will get a feel for whether you should be spending your cash on the CP1 or the Lamy Logo.
The content of these reviews has been pulled from a variety of different sources. This is to ensure that you get the best possible answer about which one is right for you. After all, if we shared only our opinion rather than the thousands and thousands of people that have enjoyed using these pens, you would find that the reviews tend to swing heavily in one direction because we have our own favorite pen, despite us knowing that both of them are great.
Do note that we are only going to be focusing on the fountain pen version of these pens. Even if they exist in other pen styles, we will only talk about them as fountain pens!
Lamy CP1 Review
Let’s start with the Lamy CP1. This is the more expensive of the two options, although not drastically so. As we said before, while we are only going to be focusing on the fountain pen options here, the Lamy CP1 is available in mechanical pencil, ballpoint pen, and multifunctional pen options.
There are features on the Lamy CP1 that people love, while other people will hate the same features. For example, the Lamy CP1 offers a plastic section. This feels fantastic in your hands, but it does detract from the aesthetics of the pen a little bit.
The Lamy CP1 is also a bit of a smaller pen than the Logo, both in terms of diameter and length. Again, this is something that some people love, while others will tend to favor something that is a little bit thicker when they are holding it. We will cover both of these as we go through the features of the CP1.
The Lamy CP1 Nib
Lamy nibs tend to be made from polished steel, no matter which one you end up with.
The nib that the Lamy CP1 comes equipped with is the F nib. This measures 0.46mm. This is thin, but not the thinnest fountain pen tip that Lamy offers. Luckily, the tips on the CP1 are interchangeable. You can use pretty much any tip in the Lamy range with the CP1. Most people tend to stick to B, M, and EF, though.
Of course, since the CP1 allows you to change the nibs at will, you will always be able to replace a nib whenever it breaks. This means that your fountain pen will last a whole lot longer than you would expect.
The Lamy CP1 is a wet writer. While it is marketed as a smooth writer, a lot of people find that it sits somewhere between scratchy and smooth. This means that the CP1 may be ideal for those that want more of a ‘unique’ feel to their pen. We would say that it is much closer to the smooth side of things, though.
The Barrel Of The Lamy CP1
The bulk of the barrel is made from stainless steel. It is only available in one color; matte black.
There is one difference between the Lamy CP1 and the Logo in terms of the barrel, though. This is the fact that the CP1 isn’t metal all the way down. The grip of the pen is a textured plastic. As we said before, there are some people that love this and find that the pen is a whole lot easier to hold as a result. However, some people believe that it is a bit too aesthetically unpleasing, and they want a full metal fountain pen for the money that they are paying.
In our opinion, the grip is incredibly ergonomic. It feels great to hold the pen. Since the CP1 tends to be quite a fine writer with the base tip, we love the fact that the quality of the grip gives us a lot more control over our hand movements. This results in a far better writing experience.
We are going to go into a bit more depth on this soon. However, right now, we do want to point out that the CP1 ‘as standard’ is built for use with an ink cartridge. However, this is something that can be converted.
The Lamy CP1 Cap
The push and click cap of the Lamy CP1 is also made from brushed steel. A lot of people have claimed that the click that the CP1 produces is one of the most satisfying clicks they have ever heard. We must say, it does clip into place nice and securely. This means that you know it is going to be protecting that nib perfectly. This means that when you are ready to write, you can just pull off the cap, confident that the ink is still there, waiting for you!
There is a clip on the Lamy CP1’s cap. Again, this is going to be made of steel. It is quite a rigid clip.
The clip is tough, but that can be a downside if you are looking into this pen. The problem is that the tip looks good, but it can scratch things rather easily. Most people won’t put the CP1 in their pocket as a result. Well, at least not without clipping it to themselves. We wouldn’t be surprised if most people never even used the clip, to be honest.
The Ink Reservoir Of The Lamy CP1
As standard, the Lamy CP1 will use ink cartridges. However, we know that some people are not fans of the ink cartridge system. Luckily for you, the system is completely upgradeable.
As you may well know, Lamy offers a range of converters that will convert their systems into ink reservoir systems. For the Lamy CP1, you will need to purchase the Z27 converter.
The Z27 converter can hold up to 0.8ml of ink, which is a fantastic amount for a converter.
While Lamy will be more than happy to sell you the ink that you need to refill your CP1, we recommend that you opt for Noodlers Ink. It is cheaper, just as high in terms of quality, and is available in a lot more colors. This means that you can get a whole lot more out of your fountain pen. Sadly, there is no ink viewing window on the CP1. Although, to be honest with you, it shouldn’t be too difficult to track how much ink you have left. It isn’t a particularly hard pen to dismantle if you really want to dive into it anyway.
Lamy Logo Review
In many ways, the Lamy Logo is much the same as the CP1. It does come from the same manufacturer, after all. This manufacturer is well-known for producing some high-quality pens.
Once again, the Lamy Logo is a pen available in a variety of different formats. This means a ballpoint pen, mechanical pencil, etc. We are only going to be focusing on the fountain pen option. However, the design is surprisingly similar no matter which route you go down.
The Lamy Logo may be more ideal for those that want that full steel feel to it. The feel of the Lamy Logo is completely different from that of the CP1 when you are writing with it.
The Lamy Logo may also be ideal for those people that want a ‘chunkier’ pen to hold in their hands. A lot of people do find that the CP1 can feel a little bit too thin to hold when they are used to writing with other fountain pens.
The Lamy Logo Nib
As with the CP1, the nib of the Lamy Logo is made from steel. In fact, the Lamy Logo accepts much the same nibs that the CP1 does.
As with the CP1, you can switch out the nibs for various different thicknesses. However, the Logo tends to write better when you have loaded it up with one of the thinner nibs. As you can probably guess, the fact that you can swap out the nibs means that you can replace them whenever you want too.
This is a wet writer. It tends to be a smoother writer than the CP1, although not drastically so.
The Barrel Of The Lamy Logo
The barrel is made from steel.
Sadly, while the various products in the Logo range can come in a variety of different barrel colors, the Lamy Logo is only available in brushed steel. This is a shame because the colors do look fantastic and really contribute to the aesthetics of the pen.
The grip is ergonomic. Since the Logo is a thicker pen than the CP1, it does feel better to hold in your hand. Although, the actual grip part isn’t as textured. This is where the main difference between the Logo and the CP1 is. If you want a thicker pen, then the Logo is for you. If you want a better grip that stops the pen sliding about in your hand quite so much, then the CP1 is for you.
The Lamy Logo Cap
The Lamy Logo utilizes a steel cap. It is a push and click cap. However, some people claim that it isn’t as brilliant as the CP1’s cap. It is more prone to coming loose.
Interestingly, the Lamy Logo offers either a spring-loaded or plastic clip. You make your choice when buying the pen. This means that the clip is a little bit more flexible than the CP1. It certainly is going to be less prone to scratching whatever else is in your pocket.
The Ink Reservoir Of The Lamy Logo
The ‘base’ Lamy Logo will accept ink cartridges. However, just like the CP1, you can install a converter that will allow you to use your own ink if you wish. Once again, we recommend that you go down the route of Noodlers ink due to the low price, high quality, and range of colors that are on offer. This ink offers a brilliant writing experience.
This pen is capable of holding up to 0.8ml of ink too. Once again, there is not going to be an ink viewing window. However, we find that most people won’t have that many issues trying to keep tabs on the amount of ink that they have been using.
Conclusion
As you can see, each of these fountain pens does offer something a little bit different. Both of them are brilliant, but one may be better for you than the other. It all depends on what you are looking to get from your pen.
We suggest that you go through everything that we talked about here to discover whether the Lamy Logo or Lamy CP1 is right for you. Don’t just think about price, though. Lamy fountain pens are pens that you are going to be using for years and years to come. Focus purely on the features and we are positive that you will end up with a pen that you can truly enjoy using.
