Lamy Pens - Safari vs Al-Star brands

Recently rediscovered enjoyment in writing with a fountain pen.

Stumbled across Lamy brand of pens, which includes fountain pens, ball point pens and rollerball pens.

Sub-brands incl some of the most favourite Lamy writing products.

I have a blue Lamy Safari fountain pen and a yellow Lamy Safari rollerball pen.
Both are light in the hand, but very smooth on the paper and not just that designed primarily for fountain pens.

Noticed another brand "Al-Star"
Seemed no difference other than increased price vs Safari brand
What seems to be distinguishing factor is make-up of the barrel

• Lamy Safari = plastic 
• Lamy Al-Star = aluminium (a bit heavier, but perhaps a little more sophisticated

The branding seems to differ a little too

• Safari brand seems in large part targeted at young kids, who are fairly new to writing and have never encountered a fountain pen, but the pens have been around for number of decades and should suit all types!
• Al-Star brand perhaps => cool sophisticates ... 

The main difference in appearance is Safari pens have a consistent colour over the barrel etc

The lower 1/3 of the Al-Star pens is black

Lamy Safari v sturdy and dependable in terms of structure and function

Would expect the same for Al-Star


For all things pen, always helpful @http://www.fieldnotesblog.com.au/2012/03/ballpoint-vs-rollerball-pens.html

Ballpoint Pen vs Rollerball Pen

Essentially

- mechanically, they are the same,  with each using a ball point mechanism


- but
-- rollerball uses a thin/watery ink - smooth; fountain pen-like on paper; vivid > ballpoint; more likely to smudge

-- ballpoint uses a more viscous/oil-based/gel-type ink - thicker lines; smudging < rollerball (dries more quickly)
---- may require more effort/pressure-on-paper from writer



For all things pen, always helpful @http://www.fieldnotesblog.com.au/2012/03/ballpoint-vs-rollerball-pens.html

Fountain Pen --> steel vs gold nib?!

So
You made the decision to buy an up-market fountain pen to extract enjoyment from writing and to inject a little hard & soft flare into your day ...

Now, you're hit with one of history's age-old dilemmas ... steel or gold nib?!

Essentially

- for modern writing styles => stainless steel [SS} nib (good quality steel nibs ... German)
- gold nib
-- more expensive
-- but it is flexible vs SS and this gives it certain properties that could be beneficial

--- "flex" (added downward pressure on nib --> variation in thickness of lines through variable separation of the nib's tines)

--- malleability----> may adjust to your writing style -> even smoother application of ink on paper

(but ?don't share gold nib fountain pen as this benefit could be lost)

Interesting article @Edison Pen Co.
http://edisonpen.com/page.cfm/In-Praise-of-Steel-Nibs




NB:
Most solid gold pen nibs are @14K



Look out:
Gold plating is not the same of solid gold
You only get the gold nib benefits with solid gold
But gold plating can add some visual flare to the pen



After a few hours of desktop research
I decided to buy a fountain pen made by German company Diplomat: the so-called Diplomat Excellence A

The Excellence A comes in a variety of colour and metal options, including the classics Black and Silver or Black and Gold (these represent the entry-level models in the A range)

Different color and texture combinations -> higher prices

Specifically, I have ordered the 
"Diplomat Excellence A Marakesh - Gloss Brown with Chrome Trim - medium SS nib"

Once I have become used to the SS nib, I'll be able to judge whether a gold nib could be better, in which case I should be able to buy a separate gold nib 'unit', designed by Diplomat to be screwed in as part of the end of the pen --> avoid the potentially messy and frustrating process of replacing just the nib itself ...

NB: Excellence B range of fountain pens - just a little shorter/smaller overall compared to the As


For all things pen, always helpful @http://www.fieldnotesblog.com.au/2012/03/ballpoint-vs-rollerball-pens.html