The Ultimate Lamy Joy Vs Safari Comparison!

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Whether you’re a student or a professional, you must have encountered a fountain pen at one point or another in your life. Fountain pens have long been the most preferred tool for writing, documenting, sketching, and calligraphy. They became slightly unpopular in the early 2000s due to the advent of sharpies and ballpoints. However, they are back in the game, stronger than ever.

Unlike ballpoints or sharpies that are commonly considered to be disposable, fountain pens can last you a lifetime. Fountain pens can be refilled time and again and can be used for as long as you like. Historically, fountain pens are also known to be the successors of the medieval quill. Yes, that feather-pen hybrid that we have all seen in many historical movies and TV shows. 

However, the recent resurgence of the fountain pen has more to do with nostalgia and quality than anything else. With this kind of pen, you are not limited to writing in one particular style. Since the nib can be customized, or in some cases, replaced, you get a wide array of styles to write in. 

This kind of pen is a favorite amongst the top class of writers and artists as they can be creative with it in many different ways. It is now also recommended to art students because of how the ink flows out of its nib. It will not be patchy or dry. Rather it tends to give smoother lines and allows the hand to move about with ample liberty.  

Lamy is a German pen manufacturing company that started its business in the 1930s and has since manufactured some of the world’s most high-quality pens. Among its many collections is the most recent, Lamy Safari and Lamy Joy. This article, thus, is an in depth review of the two varieties. So, keep reading to learn more about these incredible pens.

Lamy Joy Vs Safari Head To Head

Pen
Our Pick
Lamy Safari
Lamy Joy
Image
Lamy Safari Fountain Pen (17F) Umber + 5 Black Ink Cartridges (1203886)
Lamy Joy Calligraphy Pen 1.9MM (L15-19)
Pen Type
Entry Level Fountain Pen
Entry Level Calligraphy Pen
Nib Material
Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel
Nib Widths
Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad
Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad
Nibs Replaceable
Body Material
Sturdy Plastic
High-Quality Plastic
Length (Capped)
139.5 mm
178mm
Length (Posted)
163.9mm
N/A
Pen Weight
27.2g
11g
Our Rating
Lamy Safari Fountain Pen (17F) Umber + 5 Black Ink Cartridges (1203886)
Lamy Joy Calligraphy Pen 1.9MM (L15-19)
Our Pick
Pen
Lamy Safari
Image
Lamy Safari Fountain Pen (17F) Umber + 5 Black Ink Cartridges (1203886)
Pen Type
Entry Level Fountain Pen
Nib Material
Stainless Steel
Nib Widths
Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad
Nibs Replaceable
Body Material
Sturdy Plastic
Length (Capped)
139.5 mm
Length (Posted)
163.9mm
Pen Weight
27.2g
Our Rating
Lamy Safari Fountain Pen (17F) Umber + 5 Black Ink Cartridges (1203886)
Check Current Prices
Pen
Lamy Joy
Image
Lamy Joy Calligraphy Pen 1.9MM (L15-19)
Pen Type
Entry Level Calligraphy Pen
Nib Material
Stainless Steel
Nib Widths
Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad
Nibs Replaceable
Body Material
High-Quality Plastic
Length (Capped)
178mm
Length (Posted)
N/A
Pen Weight
11g
Our Rating
Lamy Joy Calligraphy Pen 1.9MM (L15-19)
Check Current Prices

Lamy Safari Review

The Lamy Safari is one of Lamy’s most popular pens. It comes in various versions like the ballpoint, rollerball, and mechanical pencil, but we will focus on the fountain pen. It is made out of ABS plastic with a metal nib that allows the ink to run as smooth as silk on paper or on canvas. 

This pen also offers multiple options for refilling. You can use a pre-filled ink cartridge if you want to write or sketch in the usual colors, black and blue, or you can be creative and get a refillable cartridge. 

The possibilities with this pen are pretty much endless as you can use it for so many different purposes. For example, should you wish to sketch in red or green, you can always attach a refillable cartridge, get an inkpot with the color of your choice and start working. However you use the pen, you will end up with beautiful strokes of color. 

This pen is also very sustainable, and you won’t have to spend too much money buying a dozen of these because one will do the trick just fine. Its long-lasting ability is one of the reasons for its popularity and its quality. 

The Nib Of The Lamy Safari

The Lamy Safari fountain pen uses a very specific black chromium-plated steel nib that allows the ink to flow through divinely. It is a polished nib and is only available in the medium point size. However, this nib is timeless as it is stainless and can work for months, if not years. It is available in different widths and with a left-hand variant. 

This means anyone who is ambidextrous or prefers to write with the left hand can also access the benefits of this incredible pen without compromising on the quality. Unfortunately, this pen does not give replacements or upgrades for nibs. Nonetheless, it is an extremely smooth write and will give you the most incredible experience documenting anything at all. 

The Lamy Safari Barrel

The barrel of the pen is made out of plastic and includes an ergonomic grip that enables you to write for hours without being too tired. 

While the barrel for this pen is made out of good quality plastic, people often prefer a metal body over a plastic one. Some argue that if you are paying a higher price for a pen, you might as well get a sturdy metal body. 

However, the plastic used for this pen is in no way cheaply produced. It is high quality and heavyweight plastic that is pretty much scratch and crack proof. In fact, since it is made out of plastic, it also comes in a variety of colors like blue, green, pink, red, black, and many more. 

Moreover, the barrel of the pen contains a piston filler system that I will expand upon in the coming sections. However, you should know that the features of this pen are incredible, and when holding it, one can feel the quality. So, it is definitely worth the price. 

The Cap Of The Lamy Safari

The cap of this pen, just like the body and the barrel, is made out of ABS plastic and is very sturdy. It comes with one unique feature that many overlook. The cap has a metal clip attached to it, which contained a spring action feature. This means you can clip the pen to a paper or even your shirt’s front pocket, and it will not move. 

Additionally, the cap is a twist-off with an incredible grip. It is in no way loose because it can hold the pen when attached to the bottom of the top and will prevent any kind of spillage from happening. 

The Lamy Safari Ink Reservoir

The Lamy Safari fountain pen does not use an ink reservoir like a ballpoint or a rollerball pen would. Rather, it uses an ink cartridge that fills up ink in the pen’s reservoir. 

This is why the pen is a long-lasting one and not disposable. For this pen, you have multiple options. You can use ink cartridges from Lamy for standard colors, or you can use any kind of bottled ink. 

Among some of the best inks is Noodler’s Ink because it is one of the most low-cost inks out there with very high quality and a wide range of colors. The kind of cartridge this pen uses is a piston filler, which means you can basically suck ink out of a bottle into the pen’s cartridge. 

One unique thing about this pen is that it has a window that allows you to look at the ink levels. So, the next time you are about to run out of ink, you can immediately refill it without worrying about anything. 

Lamy Joy Review

The Lamy Joy is one of the most famous fountain pens by Lamy out there. It does not usually come in different variants like the Lamy Safari, but it is very popular for its calligraphy feature. This pen is revered in the calligraphy community because of the way its nibs are designed. With various sizes of nibs and a sleek design, you can pretty much do anything with this pen. 

This pen boasts many different features, like a sleek design with a pointed end and a three-point grip towards the nib. These elements help the writer stay focused and write consistently for however long they want. In fact, the Lamy Joy is also great at sketching and making shapes because of the different styles of nibs. You can also use multiple colors through its refillable cartridge. 

The Lamy Joy Nib

The Lamy Joy uses a black tip chromium-plated steel nib that allows for the ink to flow very smoothly and consistently. So, you will not encounter any patchy ink blots on your paper. 

The nibs for this pen are available in three different sizes. They go from 1.1 mm to 1.3 mm in width, and this helps in the different forms and sizes of calligraphic writing that you want to do. 

Usually, the nibs don’t get replaced from the body, but you can get separate pens with different kinds of nibs attached to the body. Nib upgrades are available to the extent that the upgraded nibs will come attached to a different barrel that you can then attach the body and cartridge to. Nonetheless, this nib gives you some of the smoothest writing, and calligraphy becomes especially easy. 

The Barrel of The Lamy Joy

Similar to the Lamy Safari, the Lamy Joy is also made up of ABS plastic. This kind of plastic is a thick compound that makes the body scratch proof and crack proof. This means you can drop the pen however many times, and it will most likely not break. This is part of the reason why it is so sustainable because it can be reused time and again. 

The barrel of this pen usually only comes in two shades of black, and the grip attached is very ergonomic. It will not strain your fingers or tire your hand because it is built for writers who want to spend quality time with their craft. Moreover, it contains a piston filler system, which can also detach, and you can replace it with a cartridge. 

The Lamy Joy Cap

The unique thing about the Lamy Joy is that the cap is very carefully manufactured. The material of the cap is entirely metal, but the clip is plastic. Now, this does not mean that the clip is flimsy or will break off. 

Rather it means that the clip is more flexible with the spring action technology intact in the body. So, you can clip the cap on to anything and go about your day without worrying too much about spillage. 

The cap for this pen is a push and click, which means you can just put the cap on the pen and press it to seal the nib off from the rest of the world. 

They can also be attached to the bottom of the pen and can sturdily stick to it for long durations of time. The cap of a pen is one of its most important elements, and Lamy has most definitely done justice to it. 

Another thing to add is that the cap makes sure that the nib doesn’t go dry. This means that when you take off the cap after a day or two and use the pen, it will flow in the same consistency as when you may have first dipped the nib in ink. 

The Ink Reservoir of The Lamy Joy

Another great thing about the Lamy Joy calligraphy pen is that it gives you a lot of flexibility when it comes to the ink reservoir. Not only does it have a window to keep track of the ink levels in the cartridge, but it also comes with a piston filler system through which you can basically suck any kind of ink out of a bottle to use in a pen. 

One of the best inks out there for use is by Noodler. These inks are incredibly cheap and come in a variety of colors to choose from. 

So, if you are thinking of writing calligraphy in fun colors and moving out of the traditional black, you should definitely go for Noodler’s as your prime option. The pen can also hold a high amount of ink, so you won’t be running out anytime soon.   

Conclusion

As we have clearly seen, Lamy is one of the finest fountain pen manufacturers in the world. Having manufactured two of the most incredibly functioning pens, Lamy has proven time and again that writing with fountain pens is worth your time, and it can also be fun. They have made sure to add a touch of color and to give people options to customize their pens. 

However, as we conclude, it is also worth mentioning that the Lamy Safari may have won the competition between the two pens as it is cheaper than the Lamy Joy, and it comes with greater benefits. 

In fact, with a simple upgrade to the z52 nib, the Lamy Safari can become extremely high functioning and can give incredible results on paper. So, what are you waiting for? Go get your Lamy fountain pen today!