Hahaha Hahaha! I love the Dr. Stephen Brown impression! I think that everyone in the community has all done an impression of him! Glad to see you posting videos!
Ok. A. The AL Star is NOT prone to dents or scratches. I have it for 2 years and traveled with it. It looks as new. B. The clip has two positions, it is not wobbly.
I've only had my Lamy Al-star for a few months, so I can't speak personally to its longevity. I was relying on information from other fountain pen reviewers. But in general, metal pens like this often wear more visibility than plastic ones.
I liked how you broke down the differences in the pens, I found it most informative. I myself only have the Lamy Vista with a M nib, and I bought an extra 1.5 nib just to try it out, the fountain pen store actually gave me the wrong nib, but I kept it anyway. The other Lamy I have is the Al-Star in the color purple and I agree with you that the AL-Stars are just more luxurious feelings. Thanks for a great video!!
Second video in and I subscribed. I'm a relatively new fountain pen owner (I have a Safari and a HongDian soneone gave me) so i really appreciate the information you provide. And I did indeed find you first. I'd never heard of the gent you were doing the imitation of, but I'll check him out too
Excellent in-depth review! 👏👏 I have several of both models and, for me, the writing experience is the same, despite the small differences in weight and girth. I do have a soft spot for the Safari, though, because of the boldness of its design (the Safari came out in 1980 , the AL-Star 17 years later, I believe). The SBREBrown impression gave me a chuckle -- Stephen *is* an icon!
One thing I don't think you mentioned: along the flat side of the barrel, the Safari slopes up beyond the ink window, so that the barrel is circular when it meets the grip section/cap; the AL* stays flat. Although I enjoy both, I always feel the Safari gets extra points for that one tiny detail!
I´m team Al-Star. The safaris are great but just love the aluminum colors and feeling.Cant help myself bying the new color every year nowadays.Because they look so good together.
I know how you feel. So many of the Lamy special editions are so tempting. That's actually why I pulled the trigger on the AL-Star. I had the Safari in Petrol edition, and it's become pretty much my favorite color ever, so when they came out with a Petrol AL-Star, it was a no brainer for me.
Great impression and review. I have two Safaris. They are great EDC pens. One came with a fine black nib, which didn’t seem to write quite as smoothly as the steel nib without the black coating. I’ve heard some other people comment about the different feel of the black nib. I switched the black nib out for a medium normal steel nib, which is an exceptional writer. I love how simple it is to swap out nibs on the Safari. I know what you mean about the capping on the Safari. Neither of mine ever had a satisfying click. I have been carrying them around clipped to my shirt pocket or sling bag for over three years, and never had them open. I haven’t tried my pant pocket, but won’t try after your experience. I love your channel. Thanks for all of the excellent information on this hobby.
Thanks for watching! Yeah, I've heard that people sometimes have trouble with Lamy's black nibs. Years ago I tried two black extra fine nibs, and both were awful. But I have two black fine nibs and one medium in my collection now, and they're all great.
One thing to try - I've started buying books secondhand on eBay. It reduces cost to me, often benefits a charity or small business, and I love knowing that my next read once was from a library, or someone else's collection. Less guilt. (As for selection method, all my current reading is research for a project, so no help there)
I wanted to try a Lamy, there was a website that had the SE Aquatic and Fiery Al-Stars for $14 each, but their customer service was awful. I ended up finding three Pilot Preras for a little over $10 each, and bought three of those. They came with converters too. Your voice is SO pleasing to listen to, BTW.
The AL star petrol was my 2nd fountain pen, after a twsbi diamond. I put a 1.1 stub nib in it. It's not a fancy pen like my twsbi or my leonardo furore, but I still love using it and do so almost every day at work. I'm considering upgrading it with a gold nib.
@DowntheBreatherHole it's a great one to start with, very forgiving if you rotate your pen a little. The downside is that the line variation isn't as strong as a jowo stub nib.
Would it be possible to tinker together a Lamy Stormtrooper from different Safaris? Which ones would you use? By the way, you used the wrong "Stephen intro". It should have been,: "Time for another fountain pen sssshootout!"
haha Yeah, I guess I did use the wrong one. But I used the more recognizable one, which is what I was going for. I wanted it to be unmistakably SBREBrown.
I heard that the Lamy Al Star is very scratch prone but it's actually more durable than the safari, I saw some photos of Al Star pens from the late 90's, the anodization was in rough shape but the pens worked perfectly, the only thing is the cap, I don't think Lamy will ever be able to make a durable cap lol.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with the clip on your All Star. They seem to make it different so it sits more flush when not in use. But it has flexibility to go over thicker items. It’s adjustable if you will.
Good video. I bought my first Lamy yesterday. I went to the art store to purchase a Safari and they had a bunch of them. They also had some Al-Stars. I did a writing sample with the Safari and liked it. But when I picked up the "glowing" silver Al-Star, it said _"I'm the one you want"_ so that's what I brought home. 😀 By the way, the clip on my Al-Star is tight.
Having only recently re-engaged with fountain pens and endeavours to improve my handwriting, I am fascinated by the amount and depth of content available about what is essentially a 'writing tool' (I shall be struck down for that observation). Several years ago I bought some Lamy Safaris, seduced by the colours and co-ordinating inks (I'm a Virgo, we do that). Because of the colours I bought two Al Stars. The thing I like about the Safari is that the grip section is the same colour. I love the shape of the grip on both, it suits me well. I dug out a very old ( 50 years old probably) Parker and got that going again and realised that the smoothness of the grip section didn't work as well for me. I interchange all the nibs on the Lamys, so the writing experience is the same and I don't much notice the difference in the width or weight (1 gram) on either pen. I love your quiet, steady delivery of your videos. I am never going to be a fountain pen fanatic (budget influenced) but I am enjoying watching everyone else's fanaticism! Good for you with the channel, keep it up!
Thanks for your kind comment! I am also heavily influenced by budget. I like collecting pens, but slowly. Very slowly. Most of my expensive pens I won in giveaways.
@@DowntheBreatherHole Thank you for your reply. I have just added to my collection - a Lamy Studio. It is a nice pen and I am getting used to the smooth grip, but as the nib is the same, the writing experience is the same. I was also interested to see your notebook review. Years ago I got carried away with Moleskine and used them a lot. However I began to think that they weren't great to use with fountain pens. Now I am using Rhodia with Clairfontaine paper. I got a nice Rhodia journal and really notice the difference. I am an English person living in France and so accessing a fountain pen is a bit challenging so 'giveaway' opportunities are not on the horizon - lucky and well done you. Looking forward to your next video and hope your collection continues to grow.
I have a couple of old Lamy AL-Stars from the early 2000s and they all have the issue with the clip you describe in the video, which makes me think they were designed that way. I have never particularly warmed up to the AL-Star, mainly because I find silver-gray uninteresting and the early AL-Stars were silver-gray with some having a tint of blue or green. Further, my AL-stars are more beat-up looking than my Safaris that are a decade or two older than the AL-Stars. My favorite Safari is the charcoal, because I like the matte finish and that the clip and nib are also black.
I wish you did more introductions like the one in this video. I really liked how you did it then acted British and laughed it off! It was so refreshing, unique and thoughtful@@DowntheBreatherHole
Ah and another thing I wanted to say is, I have just bought mine some days ago. I had Safaris in my hand, and Allstars. One thing I have noticed though, is that the Safaris were already pretty scratched up, while the Allstar looked pristine. The Allstar is only 28,50 here though, and for that price it performs excellent. I dont have the money to start a proper collection, but I do love the feeling of writing with a pen. Also I feel like some potion-brewing witch when refilling the little converter :) It brings me a lot of joy.
haha that's great. You don't need a big collection. Just a few nice pens. And the wiggly clip of the Al-star used to bother me, but not so much anymore. It's a great pen.
the impression was so funny all so the video is really informative I personally prefer the lx which is basically the Al star over the safari but both of them are great pens
2/24/24 Update! I am giving away a luxurious Rhodia Webnotebook in the near future. For more information, follow me on Instagram here: instagram.com/downthebreatherhole/. I'll be posting details soon!
It doesn't bother me anymore either, though it doesn't stay in a shirt pocket as securely as a Safari. But I don't put my pens in pockets very much, so it's mostly a non-issue.
You need not worry about the durability of the Al-Star bodies. I have had my 2 for over 12 years now, I use them every day, dont baby them, and they have held up very well.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with the clip on your All Star. They seem to make it different so it sits more flush when not in use. But it has flexibility to go over thicker items. It’s adjustable if you will.
Brother! Thank you for the impression and the kind words!
Thank you, Stephen!
Hahaha Hahaha! I love the Dr. Stephen Brown impression! I think that everyone in the community has all done an impression of him! Glad to see you posting videos!
Thanks! Who else has done a Stephen Brown impression??? I've never seen another one! And now I want too!
The SBREBrown impression was fantastic! I loved it!!! Hahahaha
haha Thanks. You're too kind.
Ok. A. The AL Star is NOT prone to dents or scratches. I have it for 2 years and traveled with it. It looks as new. B. The clip has two positions, it is not wobbly.
I've only had my Lamy Al-star for a few months, so I can't speak personally to its longevity. I was relying on information from other fountain pen reviewers. But in general, metal pens like this often wear more visibility than plastic ones.
It’s definitely prone to dents. Accidentally dropped mine and it has a tiny dent. The Safari is definitely more durable.
I liked how you broke down the differences in the pens, I found it most informative. I myself only have the Lamy Vista with a M nib, and I bought an extra 1.5 nib just to try it out, the fountain pen store actually gave me the wrong nib, but I kept it anyway. The other Lamy I have is the Al-Star in the color purple and I agree with you that the AL-Stars are just more luxurious feelings. Thanks for a great video!!
I almost bought the purple Al-star before the petrol edition came out. It looks like a lovely pen!
Second video in and I subscribed. I'm a relatively new fountain pen owner (I have a Safari and a HongDian soneone gave me) so i really appreciate the information you provide.
And I did indeed find you first. I'd never heard of the gent you were doing the imitation of, but I'll check him out too
I'm flattered! Welcome to the hobby! Thanks for subscribing! Glad to have you along for this wild journey!
Excellent in-depth review! 👏👏 I have several of both models and, for me, the writing experience is the same, despite the small differences in weight and girth. I do have a soft spot for the Safari, though, because of the boldness of its design (the Safari came out in 1980 , the AL-Star 17 years later, I believe). The SBREBrown impression gave me a chuckle -- Stephen *is* an icon!
Good point. The Safari is a very iconic piece of fountain pen history.
@@DowntheBreatherHole 💯 !
One thing I don't think you mentioned: along the flat side of the barrel, the Safari slopes up beyond the ink window, so that the barrel is circular when it meets the grip section/cap; the AL* stays flat. Although I enjoy both, I always feel the Safari gets extra points for that one tiny detail!
Oh wow! I don't have my Al-star on me at the moment, but I think you're right!
@HenryKing-hc2ou - I've had both Lamy models for /years/ and I never noticed that before! 😯 Thanks for pointing that out!
I have a Lamy Vista that has the cap losing its crisp click when I put the cap on. I would love to see how you fix it.
Sounds good! I'll try to get it up within the next few weeks!
@@DowntheBreatherHole 👍👍
The AL-Star will always be my favorite pen because the limited edition in Bronze was my first fountain pen.
Nice! The bronze AL-Star is super pretty!
I´m team Al-Star. The safaris are great but just love the aluminum colors and feeling.Cant help myself bying the new color every year nowadays.Because they look so good together.
I know how you feel. So many of the Lamy special editions are so tempting. That's actually why I pulled the trigger on the AL-Star. I had the Safari in Petrol edition, and it's become pretty much my favorite color ever, so when they came out with a Petrol AL-Star, it was a no brainer for me.
Great impression and review. I have two Safaris. They are great EDC pens. One came with a fine black nib, which didn’t seem to write quite as smoothly as the steel nib without the black coating. I’ve heard some other people comment about the different feel of the black nib. I switched the black nib out for a medium normal steel nib, which is an exceptional writer. I love how simple it is to swap out nibs on the Safari. I know what you mean about the capping on the Safari. Neither of mine ever had a satisfying click. I have been carrying them around clipped to my shirt pocket or sling bag for over three years, and never had them open. I haven’t tried my pant pocket, but won’t try after your experience. I love your channel. Thanks for all of the excellent information on this hobby.
Thanks for watching! Yeah, I've heard that people sometimes have trouble with Lamy's black nibs. Years ago I tried two black extra fine nibs, and both were awful. But I have two black fine nibs and one medium in my collection now, and they're all great.
Yes, please show how you fix the cap click.
Stay tuned! I'll try to get it up within the next few weeks!
@charlesbrough6185 - yeah, I'd love to see this, too!
One thing to try - I've started buying books secondhand on eBay. It reduces cost to me, often benefits a charity or small business, and I love knowing that my next read once was from a library, or someone else's collection. Less guilt. (As for selection method, all my current reading is research for a project, so no help there)
I wanted to try a Lamy, there was a website that had the SE Aquatic and Fiery Al-Stars for $14 each, but their customer service was awful. I ended up finding three Pilot Preras for a little over $10 each, and bought three of those. They came with converters too.
Your voice is SO pleasing to listen to, BTW.
Yeah, I would be wary of a site selling Lamy's that cheap. I've heard great things about Pilot Preras.
The AL star petrol was my 2nd fountain pen, after a twsbi diamond. I put a 1.1 stub nib in it. It's not a fancy pen like my twsbi or my leonardo furore, but I still love using it and do so almost every day at work. I'm considering upgrading it with a gold nib.
I haven't tried Lamy's stub nib. How is it?
@DowntheBreatherHole it's a great one to start with, very forgiving if you rotate your pen a little. The downside is that the line variation isn't as strong as a jowo stub nib.
Greatly edited and very professional! You deserve more praise
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Would it be possible to tinker together a Lamy Stormtrooper from different Safaris? Which ones would you use?
By the way, you used the wrong "Stephen intro". It should have been,:
"Time for another fountain pen sssshootout!"
haha Yeah, I guess I did use the wrong one. But I used the more recognizable one, which is what I was going for. I wanted it to be unmistakably SBREBrown.
I heard that the Lamy Al Star is very scratch prone but it's actually more durable than the safari, I saw some photos of Al Star pens from the late 90's, the anodization was in rough shape but the pens worked perfectly, the only thing is the cap, I don't think Lamy will ever be able to make a durable cap lol.
I found your channel before Steven Brown's channel. Just wanted to tell ya that I came back. You're great too! :)
Why thanks!
I don’t think there is anything wrong with the clip on your All Star. They seem to make it different so it sits more flush when not in use. But it has flexibility to go over thicker items. It’s adjustable if you will.
Good impression. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for watching!
Good video. I bought my first Lamy yesterday. I went to the art store to purchase a Safari and they had a bunch of them. They also had some Al-Stars. I did a writing sample with the Safari and liked it. But when I picked up the "glowing" silver Al-Star, it said _"I'm the one you want"_ so that's what I brought home. 😀
By the way, the clip on my Al-Star is tight.
Yes, the Al-star is a super pretty pen. It's interesting to hear that your clip is tight!
That was hysterical. Keep it up.
hahaha thank you so much!
Having only recently re-engaged with fountain pens and endeavours to improve my handwriting, I am fascinated by the amount and depth of content available about what is essentially a 'writing tool' (I shall be struck down for that observation). Several years ago I bought some Lamy Safaris, seduced by the colours and co-ordinating inks (I'm a Virgo, we do that). Because of the colours I bought two Al Stars. The thing I like about the Safari is that the grip section is the same colour. I love the shape of the grip on both, it suits me well. I dug out a very old ( 50 years old probably) Parker and got that going again and realised that the smoothness of the grip section didn't work as well for me. I interchange all the nibs on the Lamys, so the writing experience is the same and I don't much notice the difference in the width or weight (1 gram) on either pen. I love your quiet, steady delivery of your videos. I am never going to be a fountain pen fanatic (budget influenced) but I am enjoying watching everyone else's fanaticism! Good for you with the channel, keep it up!
Thanks for your kind comment! I am also heavily influenced by budget. I like collecting pens, but slowly. Very slowly. Most of my expensive pens I won in giveaways.
@@DowntheBreatherHole Thank you for your reply. I have just added to my collection - a Lamy Studio. It is a nice pen and I am getting used to the smooth grip, but as the nib is the same, the writing experience is the same. I was also interested to see your notebook review. Years ago I got carried away with Moleskine and used them a lot. However I began to think that they weren't great to use with fountain pens. Now I am using Rhodia with Clairfontaine paper. I got a nice Rhodia journal and really notice the difference. I am an English person living in France and so accessing a fountain pen is a bit challenging so 'giveaway' opportunities are not on the horizon - lucky and well done you. Looking forward to your next video and hope your collection continues to grow.
I prefer the Safari because my one Al-star doesn't post well. Safaris post much more securely.
The Safari definitely has an edge when it comes to posting. I don't mind posting my Al-star, but the Safari does it better.
I have a couple of old Lamy AL-Stars from the early 2000s and they all have the issue with the clip you describe in the video, which makes me think they were designed that way.
I have never particularly warmed up to the AL-Star, mainly because I find silver-gray uninteresting and the early AL-Stars were silver-gray with some having a tint of blue or green. Further, my AL-stars are more beat-up looking than my Safaris that are a decade or two older than the AL-Stars.
My favorite Safari is the charcoal, because I like the matte finish and that the clip and nib are also black.
Yeah, I'm with you on that. My petrol Al-star is gorgeous, but I don't use it as much as my Safaris. They are still my go-to.
What is the takeaway? It is just the AL version of the Safari
I guess the takeaway is that calling the Lamy Al-star a metal Safari overlooks a lot of ways in which these pens are very different.
I am team Al-Star, but prefer the Lamy Lxe over both.
Oooh yes, the Lamy LX looks awesome, and I've heard good things. I especially like the marron edition.
I am also team Lx. The metal finials really complete the look.
My al star has some scratches on the back from daily use but it is still in great shape.
How did you fix it? 12:21?
th-cam.com/video/owGWHEYXM8g/w-d-xo.htmlsi=S4NaTiX35mZktY4c
Nice! Thanks@@DowntheBreatherHole ❤️❤️👍❤️❤️
I wish you did more introductions like the one in this video. I really liked how you did it then acted British and laughed it off! It was so refreshing, unique and thoughtful@@DowntheBreatherHole
@@TrueReal-de6ee I'm planning more! Stay tuned!
Not me holding my allstar and also discovering the wiggly clip lol. Now there is no stop to the fidgeting.
Ah and another thing I wanted to say is,
I have just bought mine some days ago.
I had Safaris in my hand, and Allstars. One thing I have noticed though, is that the Safaris were already pretty scratched up, while the Allstar looked pristine.
The Allstar is only 28,50 here though, and for that price it performs excellent.
I dont have the money to start a proper collection, but I do love the feeling of writing with a pen.
Also I feel like some potion-brewing witch when refilling the little converter :)
It brings me a lot of joy.
haha that's great. You don't need a big collection. Just a few nice pens. And the wiggly clip of the Al-star used to bother me, but not so much anymore. It's a great pen.
Great review of very similar pens.
Thanks!
I've never noticed the clip issue with th Al-Star. I just tested mine, and it does the same thing.
Oh man, I hope it won't drive you crazy now!
Lmao I love that intro I remember first hearing it back in 2012
haha Yeah, it was 2015 for me.
I agree, Stephen Brown is the man!
the impression was so funny all so the video is really informative I personally prefer the lx which is basically the Al star over the safari but both of them are great pens
The Lamy LX is super pretty. I especially like the marron edition.
That accent was impressive!
Thanks! I've watched A LOT of SBREBrown videos. haha
Yeah man! I really thought that was how he was from birth! Definitely didn't feel like a forced or fake British accent(what do I know though).😊
2/24/24 Update! I am giving away a luxurious Rhodia Webnotebook in the near future. For more information, follow me on Instagram here: instagram.com/downthebreatherhole/. I'll be posting details soon!
My pocket clip does exactly the same as yours, and to be honest with you, it doesn’t bother me
It doesn't bother me anymore either, though it doesn't stay in a shirt pocket as securely as a Safari. But I don't put my pens in pockets very much, so it's mostly a non-issue.
You need not worry about the durability of the Al-Star bodies. I have had my 2 for over 12 years now, I use them every day, dont baby them, and they have held up very well.
Good to know!
such a long useless video...
Hi! If you would like to offer constructive feedback, I'm all ears.
With such a nice, soothing voice!
i was thinking more of @PracticalEngineeringChannel for the likeness comparison 😅
haha I could see that. I have more hair though. LOL
I don’t think there is anything wrong with the clip on your All Star. They seem to make it different so it sits more flush when not in use. But it has flexibility to go over thicker items. It’s adjustable if you will.
That makes sense. I wish the Lamy Al-star clip was a little tighter, but the adjustable nature of it is nice.