Returning to this thread 3 years on: I just purchased a Lamy Aion in the new Dark Green special edition color - F nib. They seem to have fixed the rattling cap issue, or at least the cap on my pen doesn't seem to rattle. I'm really enjoying it - it's a great writer. Thanks so much for your reviews, David!
I wanted to love the Aion, but when I finally handled a few I couldn't bring myself to buy one. You are dead on about that cap--how is that fitment ok on a $70 pen?! I handled four of them (three fountain pens and a rollerball), and each cap had a different feel when secured; all were loose enough to rattle, and one clicked twice before it was attached. What happened to precision?
Pretty sure the cap was designed that way when posted so it does not ruin the finish of the pen. The cap is centered on the barrel so it does not touch it.
Thank you, David. I am still not convinced. I love my 2000, Logo, Vista. But I cannot get too excited by the Aion. Somehow I think it would appeal to me more in white.
Glad to see your review of the Aion. I have had the olivesilver version for several months (got it from Europe as didn't want to wait for it to get to US). Seeing your mention of the cap rattling, I checked mine. It is on quite solidly, no rattle at all. I have read on other reviews, but have not tried, that even though the nib is slightly different from other Lamy pens, it can be switched for the nib on the Safari, Studio, etc.
Good review. Did anyone else notice the sound was out of sync with the video in some sections? I used the Aion & loved the nib & how the pen felt in the hand. Yes, the cap does turn. I consider it a great improvement over the standard nib. How soon will it show up on other pens?
Daid, I'm glad you mention the cap fit when closed. Mine doews rattle but spins somewhat freely. Drives me nuts. A cap should be secure and not spin. It's a harsh trade off for a Lamy that doesn't slip out of my hand.
bruin80 Are you sure? i’m going to buy a lamy aion but i won’t with this problem of the cap that rattles on a just normally closed pen, wich is really unaccettable. I already know that would drive me crazy...
Awesome video! And I'm really looking forward to your review of the Sailor Procolor, I've had the same pen in my cart for about a month now, and I'm not sure if it is worth it when I could get a TWSBI or some other pen for a comparable price. Happy New Year!
Not noticed a rattle on mine, even with comments by others on forums, however when I try shaking ti like you did it's there. I do believe that it's down to the design as the cap secure/seal mechanism is far up in the cap, allowing the clipping ridge to be at the end, acting also as a slight stop before the nib. I'm not sure how they could tighten the cap so the rattle may be an unfortunate feature of the pen, however it does seal well. I don't use mine that often, though it's carried to work, however I've noticed no real evaporation of the ink, so the locking mechanism may result in the rattle but it also seals.
I have 2 Aion's - an Olive Silver, & the new Dark Green. Neither cap rattles, nor easily rotates, I love them, and my 2 studio's. [+ approx. 10 Al-star/Safari models]. May be you should return yours and check the new ones
I bought an Aion a few months ago on a whim. (They cost about €50 in Austria.) I couldn't get it to mate with my Z26 converter, so I ended up shaving the nubs off of a Z24, which works perfectly. I found the shape and weight odd at first, but have grown used to it. The fine nib it came with was so-so, but I replaced that with my smoothest Lamy Z50 nib in black and now love the way the thing writes. So, what started as something of a disappointment is now one of my favorites.
I'm very interested in the Lamy Aion, but I don't like to be a first adopter. Watching videos like yours helps a lot. I'll wait a bit longer and see if Lamy works out the bugs like what you describe. And I couldn't help but think that the black one would look really cool with a black nib.
Thanks David, well done! I think your review is spot on. I like my olive silver version with a medium nib. Your point about the jiggling cap is precisely why I cannot recommend the pen. I mean can you imagine all the meetings with Jasper Morrison and the Lamy engineering and design team-- would they be saying to one another--Hey, let's make certain that the cap is not secure on the pen. They should have done far better. I mean a preppy cap stays on much better! Thanks for the great work you do David; the preparation is evident and the quality is superb! Frank from Boulder, Colorado
Hello David! At first, congrats for your videos ! Like them so much! Foremost, you yourself brought me to buy this wonderful Aion-pen for a price, that could be easily higher, keeping reasonable. But let me clear one point: If the cape rattles by shaking the pen, you don't have closed it in the right manner. Just believe me, that's all: I've tested, checked and proven it several times. Greetings from a "Lamyaner" (Lamy-Fan) since 1991 from Germany!!!
David, any experience with/ thoughts on the Lamy CP1 vs the Aion? I know the CP1 is considerably older -- but still produced steel nib Lamy pen. Smaller, thinner and a bit lower priced (but only a bit) if you stay with the steel nib.
I've just received my first Aion, the same matte black model as yours, and while I knew in advance about the loose-feeling cap, I was a little disappointed to find mine has the same issue. I guess I was hoping this was just a startup issue and something that has since been corrected. I don't hugely mind that the cap is loose but I find myself wondering if this will affect the normally excellent Lamy resistance to nib drying-out. The capping mechanism on all my numerous Safaris, Al-Stars, Vistas and my higher end Lamy Studios & my beloved 2000 keeps the nib from drying out. It will be a shame if the Aion proves to be the exception here, as I'm a major Lamy fanboy ...
I really love my Aion, I like it much more than my Studio but I almost didn't buy it because of this review. I feel this review and others helped kill a really great product. I'm sad that the Aion is discontinued but they will keep pumping out the Studios.
Are they discontinuing it? I thought the design of the original black and silver versions was really boring and uninteresting but when they came in different colors I got curious. Looked at a green one in a local shop but it didn’t feel like a high quality pen. The threads when unscrewing the barrel were really noisy. It just felt cheap so I lost interest. I might have bought it if it was half the price but wouldn’t pay €60 for a pen that felt less well made than the much chevaper Al-Star.
@@callelindstrom4341 I had read in a couple of places that it was being discontinued. And then they came out with the dark green one. So no clue. I still like my Aion pens but I would rather spend a little more money and buy a Scala. My Dark Violet Scala is perfect.
Thanks, David. I have been looking closely at the Aion and pens in a similar price range. Slightly disappointed with the loose cap when posting. Having said that, I don't often post so maybe it's not so important for me. How do you think it compares to the Lamy Studio?
I ordered an Aion olive Silver, Fine nib, a few days ago from Goulet. It should arrive this week. Your review was the first I read/watched that addressed the insecure cap. That has me concerned, both regarding the potential design and the fact that non one else mentioned it in their reviews. I typically carry it in my shirt pocket and do not post it. We shall see....
Figboot, I thought I would follow up it’s you on my comment, above, from last week. My Aion arrived two days ago from Goulet Pens, and I have been using it frequently. I paid particular attention to the cap to see if it made noise when shaken. I am happy that it did not! I did notice, though, that I heard a distinctive, audible rattling if the grip/nib section had started to unscrew slightly and I had the cap on. Tightening the grip section removed the noise. I have tried posting the cap when writing, something I usually don’t do, and found that it did slip off too easily.
i own the aion in black with a broad nib, the nib is very smooth, i then ordered the silver with an extra fine nib and it writes better than my pilot 912 fine nib, both post securely, you just have to give it an extra push, the material is very tough so i'm not being gentle, i give it a good push down.......for such a plain pen i'm really obsessed with it, i hope it becomes like the al star and they offer it in a bunch of different colors
the first aion i bought on ebay for 56 euros and the second one i bought from iguanasell for 45 euros but at that time they were having a 25% discount sale what color would you like to see the aion in? i think an all red aion would be so eye catching
Bieber Ninja Not a bad example. Anyway, I think a blue Aion would appeal to me a little more. But not to overdo that. Look what Lamy does with the Al-Star, producing it in all colour schemes of the world and maybe mix it afterwards, mix it up! Nothing for me, too weird and crazy! Fortunately, we supposely don't have to see the Aion in that danger. And what Lamy has done price-wise with the LX: Help! Now hopefully they go back to the roots.
Sandra L....have you seen the monteverde northern lights? is that something you would buy if lamy made this in an al star? www.fahrneyspens.com/Item--i-251285 how expensive are the LX's in Germany?
Thanks for the review. I have been investing into Lamys of late. And was considering this before the Studio. I noticed you showed a Sailor Procolor 500 in stardust in this review for size comparisons. I also noticed you abvent done a review on that. Can you please tell me how did you find that pen?
Bought one myself. Very well balanced. Doesn’t need posted due to length. My cap does not rattle and whilst it rotates when capped it is not bothersome. I think Lamy may have improved the fit. The fine nib I got with it was grim. Not smooth and ran dry after a few lines even after lots of cleaning and flushing. Very unhappy with that nib. Replaced it with a standard Lamy 1.1mm steel stub. Transformed the pen into a very nice writer.
I really like the new nib design. It would be nice if LAMY made a similar nib for the Safari/Vista/Al-Star line. I would switch. That cap rattle is unacceptable though. For German engineering I’m really surprised.
perhaps the german manufacturers do not intend their pens to be posted... i've experienced a loose cap on a new pelikan m600... and i've read that europeans tend to not post their pens... is this true?... perhaps some german or other european viewers can respond and say whether this is correct...
John Blackburn i'm german and i actualy don't post my pens. But i can only talk for myself i never realy payed attention about others posting their pens or not.
As a german myself, I do post my pens when it feels more balanced . Also, on smaller pens - like my Pelikan M205 or M120n - it feels to have more control. Of course, I post my Kaweco Sport AL - this thing would be awkward to use unposted. Then, many other pens I prefer unposted like an Faber Castell Ambition or Tombow Object.
Orientation of the Lamy logo makes me wonder if it's a left-handed designer. Bummer about the looseness of the cap, otherwise this would have been perfect for my spouse.
maxwells789 My really well-meant tip I give you is: Think about it one more time! In my opinion this Aion is, quality-wise as near on the Lamy 2000 as it's even possible for a fountainpen in this price range or "class". I'ved experienced with it in the shop, where I was totally impressed straight away. After buying it, at home again, think what, my impression is grown even bigger and bigger and bigger. Not that something like this, in this combination of factors, happens very often. More in the opposite way!
yeah i just don’t understand what lamy was going for with this one... it’s nothing new or revolutionary. it seems like they were just adding a new pen to the line for the sake of adding a new pen to the line. same with the nub changes. still a great review david!
Nick Garcia Nothing new in the Lamy line? A solid aluminium pen? Much bigger than his brothers? More weight in consequence? A new shaped nib on it in addition to that? I've always wanted to have such a - yes, huge - fountain pen: but the only one I know was the Pelikan m1000, too expensive for me with a - for me personally - oversized nib I cannot handle.
I would also want to point out the extremely clean design as a feature, rather than calling it boring. I think it looks stylish. Moreover, the finish of is is quite special. The different textures of the section and the barrel is where I think the real innovation and novelty lies in this pen. Like David points out in the review; It is a metal section that is quite smooth, yet not slippery.
Sorry Sandra, I have several Lamy fountain pens, and many other major brands. I assure you, I wish I had the cap on incorrectly. Mine, at least rattles and moves as David illustrates.. it is however, unacceptable! Thanks for considering my thoughts. Frank from Boulder, Colorado
Danielsworlds I'm glad it does not look the way the Loom looks. I personally find it has an ugly formed nib, but is supposed to be a fantastic writer as well. Also the overall form of the Loom doesn't attract me as much.
Returning to this thread 3 years on: I just purchased a Lamy Aion in the new Dark Green special edition color - F nib. They seem to have fixed the rattling cap issue, or at least the cap on my pen doesn't seem to rattle. I'm really enjoying it - it's a great writer. Thanks so much for your reviews, David!
Thanks for watching. Glad to hear you are enjoying your new pen.
I wanted to love the Aion, but when I finally handled a few I couldn't bring myself to buy one. You are dead on about that cap--how is that fitment ok on a $70 pen?! I handled four of them (three fountain pens and a rollerball), and each cap had a different feel when secured; all were loose enough to rattle, and one clicked twice before it was attached. What happened to precision?
Bought a dark green Aion - Cap doesn't rattle & doesn't easily rotated either - I like it
Pretty sure the cap was designed that way when posted so it does not ruin the finish of the pen. The cap is centered on the barrel so it does not touch it.
Thank you, David. I am still not convinced. I love my 2000, Logo, Vista. But I cannot get too excited by the Aion. Somehow I think it would appeal to me more in white.
I think it would look really cool in white. They should fix the weird cap thing and make it in ALL of the colors.
I imagine the Lamy folks will address the cap issues in the next iteration. Thanks, David, & Happy New Year!
Glad to see your review of the Aion. I have had the olivesilver version for several months (got it from Europe as didn't want to wait for it to get to US). Seeing your mention of the cap rattling, I checked mine. It is on quite solidly, no rattle at all. I have read on other reviews, but have not tried, that even though the nib is slightly different from other Lamy pens, it can be switched for the nib on the Safari, Studio, etc.
Good review. Did anyone else notice the sound was out of sync with the video in some sections? I used the Aion & loved the nib & how the pen felt in the hand. Yes, the cap does turn. I consider it a great improvement over the standard nib. How soon will it show up on other pens?
Daid, I'm glad you mention the cap fit when closed. Mine doews rattle but spins somewhat freely. Drives me nuts. A cap should be secure and not spin. It's a harsh trade off for a Lamy that doesn't slip out of my hand.
There are 2 clicks to the cap closure. If you close just one click, the cap rattles. Push closed to the second click and the cap is secure.
bruin80 Are you sure?
i’m going to buy a lamy aion but i won’t with this problem of the cap that rattles on a just normally closed pen, wich is really unaccettable.
I already know that would drive me crazy...
Nooo. If anyone reads this, don't push it any further, there is no second click.
Awesome video! And I'm really looking forward to your review of the Sailor Procolor, I've had the same pen in my cart for about a month now, and I'm not sure if it is worth it when I could get a TWSBI or some other pen for a comparable price.
Happy New Year!
Not noticed a rattle on mine, even with comments by others on forums, however when I try shaking ti like you did it's there. I do believe that it's down to the design as the cap secure/seal mechanism is far up in the cap, allowing the clipping ridge to be at the end, acting also as a slight stop before the nib. I'm not sure how they could tighten the cap so the rattle may be an unfortunate feature of the pen, however it does seal well. I don't use mine that often, though it's carried to work, however I've noticed no real evaporation of the ink, so the locking mechanism may result in the rattle but it also seals.
I have 2 Aion's - an Olive Silver, & the new Dark Green. Neither cap rattles, nor easily rotates, I love them, and my 2 studio's. [+ approx. 10 Al-star/Safari models]. May be you should return yours and check the new ones
I bought an Aion a few months ago on a whim. (They cost about €50 in Austria.) I couldn't get it to mate with my Z26 converter, so I ended up shaving the nubs off of a Z24, which works perfectly. I found the shape and weight odd at first, but have grown used to it. The fine nib it came with was so-so, but I replaced that with my smoothest Lamy Z50 nib in black and now love the way the thing writes. So, what started as something of a disappointment is now one of my favorites.
a Z27 works perfectly
I'm very interested in the Lamy Aion, but I don't like to be a first adopter. Watching videos like yours helps a lot. I'll wait a bit longer and see if Lamy works out the bugs like what you describe.
And I couldn't help but think that the black one would look really cool with a black nib.
Thanks David, well done! I think your review is spot on. I like my olive silver version with a medium nib. Your point about the jiggling cap is precisely why I cannot recommend the pen. I mean can you imagine all the meetings with Jasper Morrison and the Lamy engineering and design team-- would they be saying to one another--Hey, let's make certain that the cap is not secure on the pen. They should have done far better. I mean a preppy cap stays on much better! Thanks for the great work you do David; the preparation is evident and the quality is superb!
Frank from Boulder, Colorado
Hello David!
At first, congrats for your videos ! Like them so much! Foremost, you yourself brought me to buy this wonderful Aion-pen for a price, that could be easily higher, keeping reasonable.
But let me clear one point: If the cape rattles by shaking the pen, you don't have closed it in the right manner. Just believe me, that's all: I've tested, checked and proven it several times.
Greetings from a "Lamyaner" (Lamy-Fan) since 1991 from Germany!!!
I also have the rattling cap problem. I think many people are curious: what is the right way to close this pen? Using force?
Thanks for the Review, Had no idea the cap was a problem
Bee King There are some users who experienced the same thing I did, but others who have had no issues at all.
David, any experience with/ thoughts on the Lamy CP1 vs the Aion? I know the CP1 is considerably older -- but still produced steel nib Lamy pen. Smaller, thinner and a bit lower priced (but only a bit) if you stay with the steel nib.
I've just received my first Aion, the same matte black model as yours, and while I knew in advance about the loose-feeling cap, I was a little disappointed to find mine has the same issue. I guess I was hoping this was just a startup issue and something that has since been corrected. I don't hugely mind that the cap is loose but I find myself wondering if this will affect the normally excellent Lamy resistance to nib drying-out. The capping mechanism on all my numerous Safaris, Al-Stars, Vistas and my higher end Lamy Studios & my beloved 2000 keeps the nib from drying out. It will be a shame if the Aion proves to be the exception here, as I'm a major Lamy fanboy ...
Do you have any experience with Graf Von Faber-Castell? This is the top of the range of Faber-Castell?
I like that Sailor Procolor! Do you by any chance know the size of the section. I've been looking for a good pen with a larger section. Thanks!
I really love my Aion, I like it much more than my Studio but I almost didn't buy it because of this review. I feel this review and others helped kill a really great product. I'm sad that the Aion is discontinued but they will keep pumping out the Studios.
Are they discontinuing it? I thought the design of the original black and silver versions was really boring and uninteresting but when they came in different colors I got curious. Looked at a green one in a local shop but it didn’t feel like a high quality pen. The threads when unscrewing the barrel were really noisy. It just felt cheap so I lost interest. I might have bought it if it was half the price but wouldn’t pay €60 for a pen that felt less well made than the much chevaper Al-Star.
@@callelindstrom4341 I had read in a couple of places that it was being discontinued. And then they came out with the dark green one. So no clue. I still like my Aion pens but I would rather spend a little more money and buy a Scala. My Dark Violet Scala is perfect.
Thanks, David. I have been looking closely at the Aion and pens in a similar price range. Slightly disappointed with the loose cap when posting. Having said that, I don't often post so maybe it's not so important for me. How do you think it compares to the Lamy Studio?
Thanks for the review. My cap doesn’t rattle.
I have both a silver and black one and neither rattles at all. I’ve had mine for about a month so maybe they “fixed” that issue.
I am thinking the Studio was re-designed ( made slimmer). I hope they still review the barrel size. Still my best Lamy fountain pen is CP1
I ordered an Aion olive Silver, Fine nib, a few days ago from Goulet. It should arrive this week. Your review was the first I read/watched that addressed the insecure cap. That has me concerned, both regarding the potential design and the fact that non one else mentioned it in their reviews. I typically carry it in my shirt pocket and do not post it. We shall see....
Figboot, I thought I would follow up it’s you on my comment, above, from last week. My Aion arrived two days ago from Goulet Pens, and I have been using it frequently. I paid particular attention to the cap to see if it made noise when shaken. I am happy that it did not! I did notice, though, that I heard a distinctive, audible rattling if the grip/nib section had started to unscrew slightly and I had the cap on. Tightening the grip section removed the noise. I have tried posting the cap when writing, something I usually don’t do, and found that it did slip off too easily.
i own the aion in black with a broad nib, the nib is very smooth, i then ordered the silver with an extra fine nib and it writes better than my pilot 912 fine nib, both post securely, you just have to give it an extra push, the material is very tough so i'm not being gentle, i give it a good push down.......for such a plain pen i'm really obsessed with it, i hope it becomes like the al star and they offer it in a bunch of different colors
Bieber Ninja
I have to second each and every word you said here, Bieber Ninja!
thank you, what color and nib do you have for your aion?
the first aion i bought on ebay for 56 euros and the second one i bought from iguanasell for 45 euros but at that time they were having a 25% discount sale
what color would you like to see the aion in? i think an all red aion would be so eye catching
Bieber Ninja
Not a bad example. Anyway, I think a blue Aion would appeal to me a little more.
But not to overdo that. Look what Lamy does with the Al-Star, producing it in all colour schemes of the world and maybe mix it afterwards, mix it up! Nothing for me, too weird and crazy!
Fortunately, we supposely don't have to see the Aion in that danger.
And what Lamy has done price-wise with the LX: Help!
Now hopefully they go back to the roots.
Sandra L....have you seen the monteverde northern lights? is that something you would buy if lamy made this in an al star?
www.fahrneyspens.com/Item--i-251285
how expensive are the LX's in Germany?
Thanks for the review. I have been investing into Lamys of late. And was considering this before the Studio. I noticed you showed a Sailor Procolor 500 in stardust in this review for size comparisons. I also noticed you abvent done a review on that. Can you please tell me how did you find that pen?
My fountain pen clip moves left and right. They are the same for you
Bought one myself. Very well balanced. Doesn’t need posted due to length. My cap does not rattle and whilst it rotates when capped it is not bothersome. I think Lamy may have improved the fit. The fine nib I got with it was grim. Not smooth and ran dry after a few lines even after lots of cleaning and flushing. Very unhappy with that nib. Replaced it with a standard Lamy 1.1mm steel stub. Transformed the pen into a very nice writer.
I really like the new nib design. It would be nice if LAMY made a similar nib for the Safari/Vista/Al-Star line. I would switch. That cap rattle is unacceptable though. For German engineering I’m really surprised.
Engineering is irrelevant.
Manufacturing is your intended direction.
You never reviewed the Sailor ProColor Stardust :/
Oh man, I am glad I did not order one. That rattle would drive me bonkers. Great review!
Loving the new nib design
I have a Lamy Aion, and I don’t have the slightest loose cap problem. Must be luck of the draw. It also stays in place when posted
perhaps the german manufacturers do not intend their pens to be posted... i've experienced a loose cap on a new pelikan m600... and i've read that europeans tend to not post their pens... is this true?... perhaps some german or other european viewers can respond and say whether this is correct...
John Blackburn i'm german and i actualy don't post my pens. But i can only talk for myself i never realy payed attention about others posting their pens or not.
danke schoen!
As a german myself, I do post my pens when it feels more balanced . Also, on smaller pens - like my Pelikan M205 or M120n - it feels to have more control. Of course, I post my Kaweco Sport AL - this thing would be awkward to use unposted.
Then, many other pens I prefer unposted like an Faber Castell Ambition or Tombow Object.
Ugh, that cap. I had some expectations on this model, but they vanished as soon as I heard that rattling cap
Cap issue is a big problem.
Orientation of the Lamy logo makes me wonder if it's a left-handed designer. Bummer about the looseness of the cap, otherwise this would have been perfect for my spouse.
thanks for the review
Nice looking pen, but I really love my 2000 so probably will pass. Thanks for the honest review!
maxwells789
My really well-meant tip I give you is: Think about it one more time!
In my opinion this Aion is, quality-wise as near on the Lamy 2000 as it's even possible for a fountainpen in this price range or "class".
I'ved experienced with it in the shop, where I was totally impressed straight away. After buying it, at home again, think what, my impression is grown even bigger and bigger and bigger. Not that something like this, in this combination of factors, happens very often. More in the opposite way!
Sandra L I do like sturdy pens so I appreciate your comment. Thanks!
yeah i just don’t understand what lamy was going for with this one... it’s nothing new or revolutionary. it seems like they were just adding a new pen to the line for the sake of adding a new pen to the line. same with the nub changes. still a great review david!
Nick Garcia
Nothing new in the Lamy line? A solid aluminium pen? Much bigger than his brothers? More weight in consequence? A new shaped nib on it in addition to that? I've always wanted to have such a - yes, huge - fountain pen: but the only one I know was the Pelikan m1000, too expensive for me with a - for me personally - oversized nib I cannot handle.
I would also want to point out the extremely clean design as a feature, rather than calling it boring. I think it looks stylish. Moreover, the finish of is is quite special. The different textures of the section and the barrel is where I think the real innovation and novelty lies in this pen. Like David points out in the review; It is a metal section that is quite smooth, yet not slippery.
Sorry Sandra, I have several Lamy fountain pens, and many other major brands. I assure you, I wish I had the cap on incorrectly. Mine, at least rattles and moves as David illustrates.. it is however, unacceptable! Thanks for considering my thoughts.
Frank from Boulder, Colorado
cant use this posted. im disappointed. could be a great pen, but i like to write with my pens posted
Looks super similar to the faber castell loom. And at almost twice the price and I feel you get less pen here than with the loom.
Danielsworlds
I'm glad it does not look the way the Loom looks. I personally find it has an ugly formed nib, but is supposed to be a fantastic writer as well. Also the overall form of the Loom doesn't attract me as much.
Loose posted caps suck. :-(
Lamy aion is too big for me.
Too expensive 💰💲😢
Should you fix your chicken crawl handwriting ?!