The only reason either of them is considered introductory is the price. They are both sophisticated writers. And at their prices it isn’t difficult to have both of them.
@@HeadsUpTV There's a heck of a lot bigger difference between the two here than ten dollars. Or there was. Lamy has dropped the price on the Safari and the AL-Star, but many of them are still twenty to thirty dollars more than a Pilot. But Pilot intentionally sells the Metropolitan at or near what it costs to make them. Often below what it costs to make. They want people to climb the Pilot ladder all the way up to their Namiki Maki-e and Chinkin pens that can cost as much as $15,000. The Metropolitan isn't meant to generate a profit, it's meant to get users hooked on Pilot pens. In business, it's called a "loss leader". You sell one product at a loss in order to lead them to bigger, better, more expensive products.
@@HeadsUpTV Really so. I purchased a Lamy to try out entry level fountain pens from the western pen manufacturers. I was surprised that for more money you actually get less with Lamy. Like my Pilot more.
I have both and personally prefer the Lamy. The Metropolitan was my first ever fountain pen, but once I got the Lamy my Metro didn't feel as easy to write with. I also agree with Adrienne, for a beginner the Lamy having the ability to change nibs so easily is a great feature.
I don't think that the process of changing nibs is so much hard and a process of so long time of Pilot Metropolitan... (as a metro user) as we write with fountain pen in leisure and in a mood of relaxation.... 😅 However I do respect of your views 🙏🏼
The thing with Lamy is that it seems people either love them or hate them. I’m like you, I love Lamy. I have met very few people that don’t like Pilot though. Lamy is a bit more daring in their design philosophy I would say, Pilot is much more traditional.
I was debating on which one to get, but the price and the converter of the Metropolitan made me get it. It's such a fun pen to use, and I noticed that my handwriting while not pretty, looked neater when using a fountain pen. So glad I got one.
Glad I don’t have to choose, as I love both pens! They’re great writers, affordable, very durable, and feel very good in the hand. If I was limited to just one brand, I’d go with Lamy Safari - they’ve served me well for over 20 years. Lamy looks funky, is very comfortable to hold, and has broader nib options, to show off ink. I love the Metro’s colours, but it’s section is a bit too narrow to write with for longer periods. However, they’re both great buys, and perfect to start off with.
I have many problems with the Safari, price being one of them. Lamy uses one of the cheapest plastics out there, and I've lost count of how many people have sent me a Safari that broke at the section. I don't think the grip is comfortable, but that's purely personal. The nibs drive me crazy. Out of nine pens ,I've owned, only one had a smooth nib. Every one of the others needed work before they were usable. And the nib wings are very weak. Get just a little heavy handed, and they will bend over time. But mostly it goes back to price. In sixty years of using fountain pens, the Safari is by far the most overpriced pen I've ever seen. I've had two manufacturers tell me they could make the same pen, sell it at Walmart for ten bucks, and make a very good profit. I know enough about manufacturing from my marketing experience to believe them. I think the Safari just came along at the perfect time when it had zero competition, so Lamy could set the price much higher than it should have been. Then came the Metro and Jinhao. Fine. But then came Wingsung, and now comes Moonman, and Pilot has added other pens at or below the price of a Safari. Die hard, long term Lamy loved will love Lamy pens forever, but fewer and fewer and fewer new users are jumping onto that bandwagon now, and Lamy has to lower prices if the want to compete.
Good to see you still think of us "budget minded" pen lovers out here! We may dream of and save for the L2k or that Edison... but our pocket book keeps us using our Safaris and Metropolitans... as well as our Noodlers inks. Keep them in stock and do videos like this now and again!
Although my first serious fountain pen purchase was a Metropolitan, I have to say I love everything about the Lamy Safari: the faceted grip, the ink window, its continued, consistent performance, etc.
I own both pens, have similar opinions regarding both pens.. I don’t have a clear leader between them, so I switch back and forth from one day to the next. I will say, for nitpicking sake, I prefer the superfine nib of the Pilot and that it doesn’t need to be refilled as often as the Lamy-but neither issue is disruptive or deters in any way the pleasure I derive from writing or the utility of either option. **note: these are the only fountain pens I own at the moment and was pleasantly surprised and amused to see my own observations so concisely highlighted**
I've never once had a problem with not being able to see the ink inside, or it running out of ink on me. You can tell it's running low, long before it runs out. Also, I know how long a fill tends to last me, and can just fill it a day before it should run out. I think it running out is something that would only ever happen once at most, when you first get a pen.
I mean these pens are for people new to fountain pens and they might not be able to tell that its running out. Also inking to us is a very normal thing but someone new to it might expect the ink to last longer than it does.
While I love BOTH pens, I really fell back in love with writing when I got my first LAMY pen. I absolutely adore the grip and how light weight it is which in my opinion helps me to write just a little longer as my hand doesn't get tired as fast (if that makes sense). I use my LAMY on a daily basis whether it is for a list or to write a letter or even to doodle to take my mind off of something that might be bothering me and it really helps me to just relax and take time to get a handle on whatever is going on. So for this battle I'm totally siding with LAMY!
As an introductory fountain pen, especially for a young student who is learning to write, I recommend the Lamy Safari. If you can find a matching .07 mm mechanical pencil with HB or B lead, you have the perfect pairing for a learner. (The pencil also comes in 0.5 mm). The two make a great birthday, 1st day of school, etc. present. I wish Goulet Pens would sell them as a gift set!
I love my lamys. I don't have a metro but I do have two kakuno pens. And they are a little bit scratchy on not so smooth paper, while on the same paper lamy does just perfect.
I have both but my Metropolitan is my everyday workhorse. I just love the narrower nib and the ink flow. I always have feathering with the lamy even with the F on Rhodia paper. I now use the Lamy as my secondary for highlighting with other colours etc
Don't have a safari but I love my metro! The aesthetic is way better than the Safari, especially since with fountain pens you want it too look as fancy as you feel while using them. Its also super easy to take apart from cleaning, so it's good with all kinds of inks, even glitter and sheen. It also writes really well, I've never had a problem because of the pen.
Definitely worth it to have both :) but the metropolitan is definitely the safer choice to go for for first time users. Especially if you think your grip isn't a good match for the Lamy grip.
I just got the metropolitan for Christmas as my first pen and I love it! I do also see a lot of artists using the safari in sketchbooks too which I’m also interested to try out. But Pilot makes a great pen!
My Metropolitans (2) sometimes have small leaks and sometimes hard starts. My Lamy writes perfect everytime and never leaks. Metropolitans write a little smoother than the Lamy. Anyone else have this experience?
Yes. Pilot Metropolitan nibs can be scratchy on some papers. The sacs within the Metropolitans I have to replace soon after purchase. Like yours, my LAMY writes perfectly, not only on superior papers like Tomoe River and Clairefontaine but standard paper as well.
Ohh I hate the scratchiness of my Lamy! I've actually not had the problem with my metropolitan leaking, and I definitely prefer the smoothness of my metropolitan. I really only carry the Safari when I'm out and about because it is a pen that if I bust up by accident, at least it's not either of the metropolitans. I would say the only thing that the Safari does have over the metropolitan is the converter. But even still, I'd rather ink up my metropolitan more often then write with the Safari. But all in all, I still want to make a note that the Safari is not a bad pen, it's just I prefer the metropolitan much more.
I have had a tiny leak with my Metropolitan, but it’s never given me hard starts. I actually get that with my Lamy sometimes. 🤔 I still love both those pens though! It would be hard for me to choose one over the other.
Craig Hawkins I have 4 safaris right now, my oldest being nearly 9 years old. Three of them write perfectly smooth, no. 4 and my Lamy Studio can be preeeety scratchy by times. But they are still reliable, definitely more then that leaking ans splotchy thing that is my metropolitan.
One important aspect about broader german nibs and cheap paper is the ubiquity of fountain pens in Germany. The typical affordable paper aimed at students is fountain pen friendly. In my school, we even uyed recycled paper which was coated to prevent feathering. And this translates to the workplace. The cheap notepads I get at work can handle most of my pens except for the wettest and broadest.
wait, I thought "shading" was a good thing in our FP world? Ahem. I like things about both pens but just really can't come to grips with the Lamy section....(sorry. :) )err, I mean that while I like how ell the LAMY writes and I think the nibs a very good, the triangular grip just doesn't work. For me. With the Pilot, I quite like the size and classic shape. I do also find the nib a good writing experience. My choice ends up as the Metropolitan only because of the gripd on the Lamy. I can not fault either pen, both are well made and, I think, a great deal for the price. I wonder if some epoxy filler could be used to alter the section of the Lamy so it is round...and still have the cap fit correctly... Thank you, Brian, Adrienne, and Colin for this amicable debate!
I knew the grip was a deal breaker for some! That's why I like the CP1 from LAMY because it does away with the triangular grip. Thanks for watching. :) - Colin
I started with a CP1 at first because I liked the design more than a Safari, but I bought an All Black Special Edition and once I started using it for long writing sessions (I'm at a University) I fell in love with the grip. I only ocasionally use the CP1 for writing titles or highlighting haha, it has another ink than the Safari :)
I have two Metropolitans, and I'd like them a lot more if their grips had larger diameters. Write now (?) my favorites are actually the Pilot Petit1s; I like them even better than my Noodler's Ahabs. Their fine points are "just right", their nibs glide right over Rhodia paper, and their grips are a good thickness. In addition they're just long enough posted, and capped they fit almost anywhere.
Lamy Safari all the way! I've owned a Metropolitan in the past and what bothered me the most was the grip. As someone with bigger hands and finds a longer reach more comfortable, I'll always recommend the Safari.
I have one of each, and I use them for different roles. The Lamy I keep on my pocket when travelling light, the Metro I keep in my bag when I can afford to bring it with me to a place.
I'm not new to fountain pens, but been using them for almost 40 years. However, the Lamy Safari is still one of my favourite pens, even though it's probably the least expensive pen I own. It just performs great and is comfortable to write with.
I own both. Best starter pen? The Metropolitan. Two reasons. One, you can often find it for practically half the cost of the LAMY Safari. That's rather significant for someone just getting into fountain pens and isn't still quite sure if it's for them. Also, as a gift, you can give one to a young person. And, include a nice bottle of ink to go with it. Depending on the bottle, you're spending as much as you would on the Safari by itself. 2nd reason is more significant. As much as I like my three LAMY Safari pens, let's be honest.... They're going to look horribly out of place in a Board meeting or Conference meeting at most business centers. Especially if the pen is going to be used by a young executive or an older executive's assistant. The Metropolitan will fit in. It's a more traditional looking fountain pen design. Especially if you go with the basic black version with a shiny black barrel-band. Both pens come with 3rd rate converters. I'm sorry, but they do. Based on experience, I'd say that the Safari's is easier to keep clean. The Metropolitan's is easier to use.
My first two pens (well, since the 1970's when I used Parker). The Pilot Metropolitan Retro Orange was great for the first two months, but is now hard starting and skips a lot, but maybe I need to learn more about pen maintenance. The Lamy Safari All-Black works great so far, but I forgot to order a converter with it.
But it's not usually considered a beginner pen as it has a more unconventional design and it's slightly more expensive. But I agree, the Eco is the far superior pen.
I've never had a problem with my Pilot Metropolitans with leaking or with starting or skipping. I get the medium nibs and they work well for me for a more traditional and "serious" pen (but the color combinations can be a lot of fun, too). The pen feels solid and balanced in my hand, whereas the Lamy did not feel very good in my hand, and I didn't like the shape and feel of the material. I haven't had any issues with the Metropolitan caps, whereas with the Lamy Safari, I found the caps would constantly work their way off the pen barrels just with regular body movement throughout the day. Yuck, to ink stains or lost pen barrels. As for ink capacity, I refill Pilot cartridges, and the cartridges hold a pretty decent amount of ink - much more than converters. I penabled more than one person with the Metropolitan.
I'm so glad I got the Lamy Safari. It's very comfortable to hold and smooth to write with. The medium nib is actually finer than I expected, but still thick enough to show the character of the inks I've been buying.
I have both, I prefer the Lamy Safari for extended periods of writing, the Metropolitan for the looks in meetings, both ironically, muy smootest writer is the Pilot Kakuno with blue IC-100 cartridges, I love writing with that.
I'm with Adrianne. Although my first was a Cosmo, once I realized I liked writing with a fountain pen I picked up two Lamy Safari's in that lovely Charcoal color, plus I love the addition of the Black Clip. I actually just pulled the trigger on a Lamy Safari Roller Ball, in that killer Screaming Lime Green, and I was amazed just how smooth that one rolls across the page. I don't know what other pens I might foresee as future purchases, but I'm solidly pleased with Lamy and they will probably be getting repeat business from me. I've actually started mixing my own inks and was able to create a really nice crimson with killer black accent on the downstroke. Something to look into for those that really never considered it, not to mention that you can sometimes find deals online like I did with the Red Lamy Ink where I got (2) 50ml Bottles with the blotter roll bases, plus a Z27 & Z28 converter for under $10 bucks. I could have easily spent that on just the two converters alone so I'm very happy the way that went. All the best guys and look forward to checking out more of your videos.
You should have added the Platinum Preppy. Their fine nibs, wins hands down over the Lamy extra fine and Pilot Metropolitan fine. If I had to rate the 3 pens, the Preppy would be 1st place, Lamy would come in close behind, and the Metropolitan would be in last place.
Preppy is definitely a good budget option. Not sure you can get a finer line for cheaper than the EF Preppy. Platinum in general really rocks the EF nibs! - Colin
While I do not have the Lamy Safari, I do have the Lamy Studio, which I understand uses the same nib as the Safari. I also own the Metropolitan. I do a lot of note taking in my job, thus I use inexpensive paper (Prism by Tops). The Lamy always starts great, and always very smooth. I use the stub nib, and also the medium - love it. Effortless. On the Metro, I have been very disappointed. Maybe that is because I had chosen the nib - italic cursive/stub nib for the Metro (ordered 2). It is very dry (I have tried different inks), sometimes hard to start, and on my paper, just feels very scratchy across the paper. Not my go to, so for me the Lamy wins hands down. Maybe I would have more luck with a different Metro nib? I like the stubs to give the writing a bit more flair.
The correct answer is to own *both* If you don’t like the plastic.....err “resin” construction of the Safari, Lamy also makes the AL-Star, same pen, same section/feed/nib, uses the same converter, but the body and cap are made from Aluminum
I've owned many of the starter pens (Eco/Kaweco Sport/Pilot Metro/Safari) and the Safari is definitely my favourite of them all- out of the box, all the nibs work perfectly, decent ink capacity, and no complaints from my giftees. I've sadly never owned a starter Pilot with a good nib. The lower end Pilot gold nibs however are amazing.
I have a few pilots including a Maki-e Crane and Turtle and I love them; however, I would certainly be interested in buying A LAMY since I don't own one.
I'm totally, totally a Lamy girl, THOUGH I must admit I also like my TWSBI Eco and my Jinhao 159. I have used many types of fountain pens, and in the end I have found that Lamy is the one that does it for me. I'm a letter-writer and a student, so oftentimes I can be found writing over four to six hours non-stop. In these cases, Lamy has proven to be a much more comfortable pen than others, regarding how long the ink lasts (in cartridge or converter), its lightweight, comfortable size and the comfortable grip too. Now, if I may ask, could be have a TWSBI vs some other demonstrator, piston filler pen (like the Wings 698)?
I've owned & used both pens. They both write well, but I prefer the Safari. The grip section doesn't interfere with my writing and I have all the extra nibs except for XF. I don't care for the barrel designs on the Metropolitan. I have a number of Safaris, but my favored ones are the petrol and the red AL Safaris. I gave the Metropolitan to a new user.
Absolutely hilarious! Love the idea guys. I'd like to throw in the TSWBI Go in the mix, but if I had to choose it'd be the Lamy Safari for me. I like the feel of it in my hand better than the slippery metropolitan.
I would love to see a battle between the Lamie and the pilot explorer. That is a pen that was definitely made to compete with Lammy and definitely seems like it would be worth having.
Lamy being lightweight and really wet is a very good sketcher... Pilot Metropolitan being heavier produces a good momentum and grip for writing. Both are great but Lamy is much more comfortable when used for drawings and sketching.
Have both and love both however, I do all my sketching with Lamy Safari and Lamy Joy which is my favorite. Lamy colors of Safari are awesome too and I like the fact that there are no leaking issues.
I have both, but if I had to choose just one to own, I'd go with the Safari because I find it more comfortable to write with. The jutting out ridge on the Pilot Metro, where the section meets the barrel, becomes painful when I write a lot, with my particular grip.
I'm obsessed with one Indian pen called ASA Nauka from ASA Pens. Simple design yet appealing. Bought with jowo nib option. This has become my everyday companion.
Well, a European here 🙋🏻♀️ and team Lamy from when I was 13. Lamys cost the same as metros here but are a whole lot easier to find. On Safaris you never see scratches. Plus, metros don’t come with a converter here. Sooo no point in getting a metro really. In fact, I don’t even own one, I just went from Lamy Safari to TWSBI GO, then tried the GO, and also have several pens from less known Italian brands. Still nothing like a Safari though.
Have them both, like them both for different reasons. I think I prefer the Safari for long writing sessions, like writing stories or journaling. I have en extra fine nib on it so it's good on less expensive paper (which is advantageous for creative writing). The Metropolitan is a great pocket pen for quickly carrying around with me and writing down notes and making lists. The medium nib on it is good for a wide range of paper quality so it's very versatile. Plus, it's a pen that I don't stress about letting someone else use. Writing lots of essays in long hand? Go with the Safari. Taking lots of notes that you intend to type up later? Go with the Metro.
I just bought a Metropolitan before Christmas with the 1.0 mm stub, and it is fantastic. I absolutely love it, and would highly recommend any new fountain pen writer to start with a Metropolitan 1.0 mm stub. The experience is game-changing. I do not know if Lamy offers a narrow stub, but 1.1 is different than 1.0, believe it or not.
I am advocate of “both, and” as an option. I think you learn a lot about writing with a fountain pen with either option; however, I have a very traditional 3-finger grip and love the Lamy grip. Interestingly, I am a big fan of the Platinum Plasir too. Some of the new colors are really cool.
My personal experience... The difference in design/engineering philosophy between German (or European) Vs Japanese is that Germans is based on how the customers 'should' use the product. Japanese is based on how the customer 'would' use the product. This applies to cars, pens and many more.
If you would have asked me when I first started writing with fountain pens, I would have said the Metropolitan hands down. It's smooth and has a nice feel. But after dropping two Metropolitans and not being able to replace just the nib, I lean toward the Safari now. I still have a Metropolitan that I use in my personal journal, but for carrying around, everyday writing I use my Lamy Safari.
I personally choose the Metropolitan, they’re both great pens but I do prefer the classic look of the metropolitan over the more stylized look of the safari and the squeeze converter is easy to use and works well, albeit with some leaks here and there. I also love the way the nib glides on the paper, and the weight as well, I do prefer lightweight pens for long note taking sessions but I find that a ballpoint pen would simply be better at school notes since it’s practically impossible to not smear ink. Because my country let us use fountain pens early on, I’ve grown quite fond of the simple and classy look of more typical fountain pens, like on the Metropolitan and the nib is also more familiar to me as well so you could say I’m a little opinionated.
The squeeze mechanism is very prone to failure. The plastic tends to break after a while. Lamy converter is the best out of all of my pens. Sits very securely and I never had a problem with leakage. I have pens that are over $100 but the loose converter made me put them aside and basically never use them.
Love the Kakuno and would side with that one as well. These 2 are just by far the more popular option and get pitted against each other all the time. - Colin
I find both pens to write pretty well on cheap paper. I find myself in camp Lamy due to easy nib swaps and a nicer converter. Both great though. Thanks Goulet for using my review my review as a talking point. Love your channel and site. Write on.
I need a decent workhorse for work, big standard black ink for writing medical notes/documents. I’ve had a metro for a couple of years and I CAN NOT get it to stop leaking. I love the weight of it, but it has messed me around far too much. I’ve just grabbed a Lamy that I saw in the airport, I’ve got high expectations. I hope it’s decent. It feels well built and utilitarian, which isn’t usually something I worry about with my pens, but for work I need something that works every time and doesn’t give me any hassle.
I have a Lamy safari, that I have been using for a little over a year now and it has been such a great work horse, I use it daily, it's just crazy robust and dependable
I have both; my Pilot Metropolitan was one of my first pens; I purchased a LAMY All-Star from the Goulet Pen reviews. My All-Star is newer, and doesn't (yet) have the smoothness that the Pilot has. I assume that the Safari will adjust to me in a bit.
I like the Lamy Safari better for two reasons: 1=The grip ensures I always have the nib in the correct writing position, and 1=I can put a BROAD nib on it!!! The Polot doesn't come in Broad. I would use the pen much more if it did. I can no longer use a medium or smaller nib.
I'm in camp Lamy, I have both but the argument for the free converter with pilot fell flat on me as mine would constantly leak, had to switch to cartridges.(I understand this is something that probably only affected me, but it has changed my view on it) plus if you want a more premium feel with Lamy you can get the ALstar, same great pen but with a metal casing. however, I cannot argue that the price of the Pilot makes it a much more interesting pen for first-time writers.
Vicki Wood Definitely!!! It needs to be at least 9 mm thick. 9,5 mm would be better. I don’t have anything against in general. I really like the grip of the Faber-Castell Grip 2011. But the ones on the Lamy are just to extreme. Slight ones are okay... :)
Pipertwintubo I agree with you. I hate the Con-40 (used with the Pilot Metropolitan). I have no use for the squeezable converter, because you can’t see how much ink you’ve got left. I prefer reusing the cartridge. The problem that I have with Con-40 is that ink leaks into the cap and the ink seems to evaporate or dry up. It seems like the ink never lasts long even when not in constant use. It sees a little better by reusing the cartridge. The Lamy has a great converter and cartridge. It holds more ink. It doesn’t leak into the cap and I’ve left mine inked up for about 3 months without drying up. I love Lamy’s extra fine nib. I have 1 white Safari, 1Vista, 3 Al-Star & 1 Rose Gold. I only have 3 Pilot Metropolitan. I’m still using all 5 Lamys on a regular basis and only one Pilot Metropolitan with the 1.0 stub, because I prefer it to the 1.1 offered by other brands.
I had the exact same issue with the squeeze converter, to the point that I stopped using my metro altogether. I started fountain pens with a metro but I just couldn't get past how much it leaked ://
Lamy rules! I've been using Lamy Safari fountain pens for more than 30 years. I have that turquoise Metropolitan, four Kakunos, and one Plumix, but I always go back to my vast collection of Lamy fountain pens. The colors are fun and fantastic.
My vote goes to Lamy. Aside from the fact that my many Safaris have never let me down once, being fiendishly reliable, the sculpted grip has been helpful in one very specific way. I'm a right hander and have been training myself to write left-handed. I find the Safari grip really helps me to maintain a stable hold compared to slick /conical / cylindrical grips on many other pens. I find this to be better than a true triple-sided grip on some pens; the curved underside is more forgiving than a flat surface. However when I use my Safaris, Vistas and Al-Stars right handed, the grip remains comfortable for me. I can completely get why this polarises the community where the majority seem to either adore or despise the grip. Few seem to be in the middle ground, which I find amusingly quirky.
You forgot to mention the price. The Metropolitan is $12.00 cheaper. Easier pill to swallow for first time pen users. Who here would be all over an Pilot Metropolitan annual color like Lamy does?
@@dlevi67 but still, in most countries Lamy is more expensive, in mexico too, you can buy a pilot for $13, a lamy would cost you like $28, you can buy a pilot for like half the price of a lamy
Ive used a safari for over 10 years now i think in office applications. I highly suggest it. I still have my original noodler ink bottle. No one takes my pen because they dont like it or they cant use it - not sure. But I love it. Also use the pilot, but only at home for casual tasks.
I really want to buy a safari just because of the colors lol. But the writing experience I prefer is with asian pens. Very thin lines and little feedback. I don’t like soft writing pens because so my vote is on the Metropolitan. I want to collect all designs but can only afford one.
What a fun video! Please have more of these "pen battles". I own and enjoy several Safaris and Preras and the only drawback for me is the Pilot con 40 converter - it's frustrating that it won't fill more than 2/3. I've also bought some Kakunos in different nib sizes to swap out with my Preras since some inks look/perform better with fine and some with medium nibs. The Metropolitan is an excellent pen, too but it's cool to the touch and slightly heavier than I like so I mostly use the two I own to test ink samples from Goulet.
My first pens were Lamys: a Petrol and a friend gave me a Lamy Dark Lilac. I gifted my Dad a Pacific Blue and just really love how they look. I dont mind it having thicker nib sizes that most because even when I use to use gel pens, I tend to reach for a 0.5 or 0.7 when I write.
Both are great pens. I own two of each. After several years I have gravitated to using my Safari for EDC/utility writing and my Metro for "I'm going to sit down and write" writing if that makes sense. I also have a 1.1 Stub on my Vista (clear Safari) so that gets used for when I'm feeling fancy. The Lamy convertor is nicer. (Not even considering the squeeze convertor, it's good for pen flushing and that's about it.)
I really enjoyed this format. I hope you make more of this type of video. It would be cool to see some others like Lamy Dialog vs VP, 3776 ve Pilot custom.
It really depends a lot on where are you from. For example, where I live, the Metro is actually more expensive (23 euros) than the Safary (18-20 euros), only the M nib Metro is available and none of them come with the converter. Even though I'm a lefty and I prefeer finer nib options, I would rather use the Safari (I have a few and one metropolitan) because of the wide variety of nib options. Maybe Lamy F and EF are not very impressive, but the rest of them are amazing (The Safari is my go to calligraphy pen, and the grip helps me to keep track of the writing angles)
I've carried one of each daily for a couple of years now and IMO they're both great. The Pilot has a remarkable smoothness (both are EF) given it's thinner tip but it's also easier to bend especially by unskilled pen borrowers. Durability for both otherwise is great even though my job is pretty physical and they're always in my pants pocket inside a leather holder. Overall I would recommend the Lamy though if you had to choose one unless the grip ruins it for you.
This is so hard for me because my first fountain pen purchases were the Metro and the Safari. At the same time! I love both pens for the reasons that were given in the video. Though I do have more Lamys now because of the color options.
![[UNCUT] The Loyal Pin ปิ่นภักดิ์ EP.4 (4/4)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/d3l5rxl5CVo/mqdefault.jpg)
The only reason either of them is considered introductory is the price. They are both sophisticated writers. And at their prices it isn’t difficult to have both of them.
In India, there's a solid 10 dollars difference between the two. The Lamy is the expensive one.
Darold Booton Any pen with a silver nib isn’t sophisticated.
@@HeadsUpTV There's a heck of a lot bigger difference between the two here than ten dollars. Or there was. Lamy has dropped the price on the Safari and the AL-Star, but many of them are still twenty to thirty dollars more than a Pilot.
But Pilot intentionally sells the Metropolitan at or near what it costs to make them. Often below what it costs to make. They want people to climb the Pilot ladder all the way up to their Namiki Maki-e and Chinkin pens that can cost as much as $15,000.
The Metropolitan isn't meant to generate a profit, it's meant to get users hooked on Pilot pens. In business, it's called a "loss leader". You sell one product at a loss in order to lead them to bigger, better, more expensive products.
@@HeadsUpTV Really so. I purchased a Lamy to try out entry level fountain pens from the western pen manufacturers. I was surprised that for more money you actually get less with Lamy. Like my Pilot more.
@@subhankar2005 It varies a lot. I can buy a Lamy Safari or even Alstar for less than a Pilot Metropolitan.
I love seeing how passionate these people are about pens. There's something relaxing about listening to people talking about pens.
You haven't seen persons who are passionate about plant leaves, batteries, soda bottles, matchboxes?
I think they should have concluded this battle with a bit of arm wrestling.
I prefer the Metro, but...Adrianne seems pretty tough. She might be able to take Colin
@@JoshBabin I’m thinking mud wrestling!
Ummm, pens don't have arms. Duh!
The stage was set
Pen fight to the death ala John Wick style...
I have both and personally prefer the Lamy. The Metropolitan was my first ever fountain pen, but once I got the Lamy my Metro didn't feel as easy to write with. I also agree with Adrienne, for a beginner the Lamy having the ability to change nibs so easily is a great feature.
I don't think that the process of changing nibs is so much hard and a process of so long time of Pilot Metropolitan... (as a metro user) as we write with fountain pen in leisure and in a mood of relaxation.... 😅 However I do respect of your views 🙏🏼
Is it possible to place a LAMY nib on a Pilot pen? Just a wild thought lol
@@prateekbhanushali1956Lamy uses proprietary nibs. They only fit Lamy pens
The thing with Lamy is that it seems people either love them or hate them. I’m like you, I love Lamy. I have met very few people that don’t like Pilot though. Lamy is a bit more daring in their design philosophy I would say, Pilot is much more traditional.
I was debating on which one to get, but the price and the converter of the Metropolitan made me get it. It's such a fun pen to use, and I noticed that my handwriting while not pretty, looked neater when using a fountain pen. So glad I got one.
Glad I don’t have to choose, as I love both pens! They’re great writers, affordable, very durable, and feel very good in the hand. If I was limited to just one brand, I’d go with Lamy Safari - they’ve served me well for over 20 years. Lamy looks funky, is very comfortable to hold, and has broader nib options, to show off ink. I love the Metro’s colours, but it’s section is a bit too narrow to write with for longer periods. However, they’re both great buys, and perfect to start off with.
I have many problems with the Safari, price being one of them. Lamy uses one of the cheapest plastics out there, and I've lost count of how many people have sent me a Safari that broke at the section. I don't think the grip is comfortable, but that's purely personal.
The nibs drive me crazy. Out of nine pens ,I've owned, only one had a smooth nib. Every one of the others needed work before they were usable. And the nib wings are very weak. Get just a little heavy handed, and they will bend over time.
But mostly it goes back to price. In sixty years of using fountain pens, the Safari is by far the most overpriced pen I've ever seen. I've had two manufacturers tell me they could make the same pen, sell it at Walmart for ten bucks, and make a very good profit. I know enough about manufacturing from my marketing experience to believe them.
I think the Safari just came along at the perfect time when it had zero competition, so Lamy could set the price much higher than it should have been.
Then came the Metro and Jinhao. Fine. But then came Wingsung, and now comes Moonman, and Pilot has added other pens at or below the price of a Safari.
Die hard, long term Lamy loved will love Lamy pens forever, but fewer and fewer and fewer new users are jumping onto that bandwagon now, and Lamy has to lower prices if the want to compete.
@@jamesaritchie1 over where I live, the safari is 10 pounds lol
Good to see you still think of us "budget minded" pen lovers out here! We may dream of and save for the L2k or that Edison... but our pocket book keeps us using our Safaris and Metropolitans... as well as our Noodlers inks. Keep them in stock and do videos like this now and again!
Although my first serious fountain pen purchase was a Metropolitan, I have to say I love everything about the Lamy Safari: the faceted grip, the ink window, its continued, consistent performance, etc.
I own both pens, have similar opinions regarding both pens.. I don’t have a clear leader between them, so I switch back and forth from one day to the next. I will say, for nitpicking sake, I prefer the superfine nib of the Pilot and that it doesn’t need to be refilled as often as the Lamy-but neither issue is disruptive or deters in any way the pleasure I derive from writing or the utility of either option. **note: these are the only fountain pens I own at the moment and was pleasantly surprised and amused to see my own observations so concisely highlighted**
I've never once had a problem with not being able to see the ink inside, or it running out of ink on me. You can tell it's running low, long before it runs out. Also, I know how long a fill tends to last me, and can just fill it a day before it should run out. I think it running out is something that would only ever happen once at most, when you first get a pen.
I mean these pens are for people new to fountain pens and they might not be able to tell that its running out. Also inking to us is a very normal thing but someone new to it might expect the ink to last longer than it does.
You can pry my Lamy collection out of my cold, dead hands lol cannot wait for the pastels
While I love BOTH pens, I really fell back in love with writing when I got my first LAMY pen. I absolutely adore the grip and how light weight it is which in my opinion helps me to write just a little longer as my hand doesn't get tired as fast (if that makes sense). I use my LAMY on a daily basis whether it is for a list or to write a letter or even to doodle to take my mind off of something that might be bothering me and it really helps me to just relax and take time to get a handle on whatever is going on. So for this battle I'm totally siding with LAMY!
As an introductory fountain pen, especially for a young student who is learning to write, I recommend the Lamy Safari. If you can find a matching .07 mm mechanical pencil with HB or B lead, you have the perfect pairing for a learner. (The pencil also comes in 0.5 mm). The two make a great birthday, 1st day of school, etc. present. I wish Goulet Pens would sell them as a gift set!
And voila, the poll says the Metropolitan wins!
Go team pilot
I have both and really like both. I like the triangular grip on the Lamy and how refined the Pilot feels and how nimble and easy to use
I love my lamys. I don't have a metro but I do have two kakuno pens. And they are a little bit scratchy on not so smooth paper, while on the same paper lamy does just perfect.
I have both but my Metropolitan is my everyday workhorse. I just love the narrower nib and the ink flow. I always have feathering with the lamy even with the F on Rhodia paper. I now use the Lamy as my secondary for highlighting with other colours etc
Don't have a safari but I love my metro! The aesthetic is way better than the Safari, especially since with fountain pens you want it too look as fancy as you feel while using them. Its also super easy to take apart from cleaning, so it's good with all kinds of inks, even glitter and sheen. It also writes really well, I've never had a problem because of the pen.
I have a lamy , a metro , two parkers( vector gold and frontier ), but I find myself writing more with my camlin
Thats cuz u only have a camlin
Definitely worth it to have both :) but the metropolitan is definitely the safer choice to go for for first time users. Especially if you think your grip isn't a good match for the Lamy grip.
I've never used a nib as good as the Metropolitan's.
I just got the metropolitan for Christmas as my first pen and I love it! I do also see a lot of artists using the safari in sketchbooks too which I’m also interested to try out. But Pilot makes a great pen!
I love everything about the Metropolitan. Classic shape. Vibrant colors. Great lines. Very easy to use converter. Love it.
My Metropolitans (2) sometimes have small leaks and sometimes hard starts. My Lamy writes perfect everytime and never leaks. Metropolitans write a little smoother than the Lamy. Anyone else have this experience?
Yes. Pilot Metropolitan nibs can be scratchy on some papers. The sacs within the Metropolitans I have to replace soon after purchase. Like yours, my LAMY writes perfectly, not only on superior papers like Tomoe River and Clairefontaine but standard paper as well.
Ohh I hate the scratchiness of my Lamy! I've actually not had the problem with my metropolitan leaking, and I definitely prefer the smoothness of my metropolitan. I really only carry the Safari when I'm out and about because it is a pen that if I bust up by accident, at least it's not either of the metropolitans. I would say the only thing that the Safari does have over the metropolitan is the converter. But even still, I'd rather ink up my metropolitan more often then write with the Safari. But all in all, I still want to make a note that the Safari is not a bad pen, it's just I prefer the metropolitan much more.
I have had a tiny leak with my Metropolitan, but it’s never given me hard starts. I actually get that with my Lamy sometimes. 🤔 I still love both those pens though! It would be hard for me to choose one over the other.
Yep. My Metros are longer enjoyable for the same reasons. Safaris arw ready to go!
Craig Hawkins I have 4 safaris right now, my oldest being nearly 9 years old. Three of them write perfectly smooth, no. 4 and my Lamy Studio can be preeeety scratchy by times. But they are still reliable, definitely more then that leaking ans splotchy thing that is my metropolitan.
Thank you, Brian, Adrienne, and Colin.
One important aspect about broader german nibs and cheap paper is the ubiquity of fountain pens in Germany. The typical affordable paper aimed at students is fountain pen friendly. In my school, we even uyed recycled paper which was coated to prevent feathering. And this translates to the workplace. The cheap notepads I get at work can handle most of my pens except for the wettest and broadest.
The Lamy rules. Light, great traveler, easy on the hand, excellently put together.
If you get the Kaküno for nib, your Metropolitan will wink and smile at you every time you use it.
Hrnek Bezucha i love the smiley kaküno nibs!
wait, I thought "shading" was a good thing in our FP world? Ahem.
I like things about both pens but just really can't come to grips with the Lamy section....(sorry. :) )err, I mean that while I like how ell the LAMY writes and I think the nibs a very good, the triangular grip just doesn't work. For me.
With the Pilot, I quite like the size and classic shape. I do also find the nib a good writing experience.
My choice ends up as the Metropolitan only because of the gripd on the Lamy.
I can not fault either pen, both are well made and, I think, a great deal for the price.
I wonder if some epoxy filler could be used to alter the section of the Lamy so it is round...and still have the cap fit correctly...
Thank you, Brian, Adrienne, and Colin for this amicable debate!
I knew the grip was a deal breaker for some! That's why I like the CP1 from LAMY because it does away with the triangular grip. Thanks for watching. :) - Colin
@@Gouletpens Don't forget the Logo, which is closer in price to the Safari/Vista/All-star.
I started with a CP1 at first because I liked the design more than a Safari, but I bought an All Black Special Edition and once I started using it for long writing sessions (I'm at a University) I fell in love with the grip. I only ocasionally use the CP1 for writing titles or highlighting haha, it has another ink than the Safari :)
I have two Metropolitans, and I'd like them a lot more if their grips had larger diameters.
Write now (?) my favorites are actually the Pilot Petit1s; I like them even better than my Noodler's Ahabs.
Their fine points are "just right", their nibs glide right over Rhodia paper, and their grips are a good thickness. In addition they're just long enough posted, and capped they fit almost anywhere.
Lamy Safari all the way! I've owned a Metropolitan in the past and what bothered me the most was the grip. As someone with bigger hands and finds a longer reach more comfortable, I'll always recommend the Safari.
I have one of each, and I use them for different roles. The Lamy I keep on my pocket when travelling light, the Metro I keep in my bag when I can afford to bring it with me to a place.
I'm not new to fountain pens, but been using them for almost 40 years. However, the Lamy Safari is still one of my favourite pens, even though it's probably the least expensive pen I own. It just performs great and is comfortable to write with.
I own both. Best starter pen? The Metropolitan. Two reasons. One, you can often find it for practically half the cost of the LAMY Safari. That's rather significant for someone just getting into fountain pens and isn't still quite sure if it's for them.
Also, as a gift, you can give one to a young person. And, include a nice bottle of ink to go with it. Depending on the bottle, you're spending as much as you would on the Safari by itself.
2nd reason is more significant. As much as I like my three LAMY Safari pens, let's be honest.... They're going to look horribly out of place in a Board meeting or Conference meeting at most business centers. Especially if the pen is going to be used by a young executive or an older executive's assistant. The Metropolitan will fit in. It's a more traditional looking fountain pen design. Especially if you go with the basic black version with a shiny black barrel-band.
Both pens come with 3rd rate converters. I'm sorry, but they do. Based on experience, I'd say that the Safari's is easier to keep clean. The Metropolitan's is easier to use.
My first two pens (well, since the 1970's when I used Parker). The Pilot Metropolitan Retro Orange was great for the first two months, but is now hard starting and skips a lot, but maybe I need to learn more about pen maintenance. The Lamy Safari All-Black works great so far, but I forgot to order a converter with it.
Twsbi eco blows all others out of the water for ink capacity...with the admitted exception of eyedroppers
But it's not usually considered a beginner pen as it has a more unconventional design and it's slightly more expensive. But I agree, the Eco is the far superior pen.
I've never had a problem with my Pilot Metropolitans with leaking or with starting or skipping. I get the medium nibs and they work well for me for a more traditional and "serious" pen (but the color combinations can be a lot of fun, too). The pen feels solid and balanced in my hand, whereas the Lamy did not feel very good in my hand, and I didn't like the shape and feel of the material. I haven't had any issues with the Metropolitan caps, whereas with the Lamy Safari, I found the caps would constantly work their way off the pen barrels just with regular body movement throughout the day. Yuck, to ink stains or lost pen barrels. As for ink capacity, I refill Pilot cartridges, and the cartridges hold a pretty decent amount of ink - much more than converters. I penabled more than one person with the Metropolitan.
I really love Lamy pens. Have for years. Didn't know about the Metropolitan. I'll have to check it out.
My first pen was a Safari but I now have both and I can't decide. I love them both equally.
I'm so glad I got the Lamy Safari. It's very comfortable to hold and smooth to write with. The medium nib is actually finer than I expected, but still thick enough to show the character of the inks I've been buying.
i have both the pens. both of them are marvelous.
I have both, I prefer the Lamy Safari for extended periods of writing, the Metropolitan for the looks in meetings, both ironically, muy smootest writer is the Pilot Kakuno with blue IC-100 cartridges, I love writing with that.
I'm with Adrianne. Although my first was a Cosmo, once I realized I liked writing with a fountain pen I picked up two Lamy Safari's in that lovely Charcoal color, plus I love the addition of the Black Clip. I actually just pulled the trigger on a Lamy Safari Roller Ball, in that killer Screaming Lime Green, and I was amazed just how smooth that one rolls across the page. I don't know what other pens I might foresee as future purchases, but I'm solidly pleased with Lamy and they will probably be getting repeat business from me. I've actually started mixing my own inks and was able to create a really nice crimson with killer black accent on the downstroke. Something to look into for those that really never considered it, not to mention that you can sometimes find deals online like I did with the Red Lamy Ink where I got (2) 50ml Bottles with the blotter roll bases, plus a Z27 & Z28 converter for under $10 bucks. I could have easily spent that on just the two converters alone so I'm very happy the way that went. All the best guys and look forward to checking out more of your videos.
You should have added the Platinum Preppy. Their fine nibs, wins hands down over the Lamy extra fine and Pilot Metropolitan fine. If I had to rate the 3 pens, the Preppy would be 1st place, Lamy would come in close behind, and the Metropolitan would be in last place.
Preppy is definitely a good budget option. Not sure you can get a finer line for cheaper than the EF Preppy. Platinum in general really rocks the EF nibs! - Colin
4:07 she's so sassy 😂🤣
I use Lamy Pen at School and it is not a mess for me.
While I do not have the Lamy Safari, I do have the Lamy Studio, which I understand uses the same nib as the Safari. I also own the Metropolitan. I do a lot of note taking in my job, thus I use inexpensive paper (Prism by Tops). The Lamy always starts great, and always very smooth. I use the stub nib, and also the medium - love it. Effortless. On the Metro, I have been very disappointed. Maybe that is because I had chosen the nib - italic cursive/stub nib for the Metro (ordered 2). It is very dry (I have tried different inks), sometimes hard to start, and on my paper, just feels very scratchy across the paper. Not my go to, so for me the Lamy wins hands down. Maybe I would have more luck with a different Metro nib? I like the stubs to give the writing a bit more flair.
The correct answer is to own *both*
If you don’t like the plastic.....err “resin” construction of the Safari, Lamy also makes the AL-Star, same pen, same section/feed/nib, uses the same converter, but the body and cap are made from Aluminum
I've owned many of the starter pens (Eco/Kaweco Sport/Pilot Metro/Safari) and the Safari is definitely my favourite of them all- out of the box, all the nibs work perfectly, decent ink capacity, and no complaints from my giftees. I've sadly never owned a starter Pilot with a good nib. The lower end Pilot gold nibs however are amazing.
I have a few pilots including a Maki-e Crane and Turtle and I love them; however, I would certainly be interested in buying A LAMY since I don't own one.
I'm totally, totally a Lamy girl, THOUGH I must admit I also like my TWSBI Eco and my Jinhao 159. I have used many types of fountain pens, and in the end I have found that Lamy is the one that does it for me. I'm a letter-writer and a student, so oftentimes I can be found writing over four to six hours non-stop. In these cases, Lamy has proven to be a much more comfortable pen than others, regarding how long the ink lasts (in cartridge or converter), its lightweight, comfortable size and the comfortable grip too.
Now, if I may ask, could be have a TWSBI vs some other demonstrator, piston filler pen (like the Wings 698)?
I've owned & used both pens. They both write well, but I prefer the Safari. The grip section doesn't interfere with my writing and I have all the extra nibs except for XF. I don't care for the barrel designs on the Metropolitan. I have a number of Safaris, but my favored ones are the petrol and the red AL Safaris. I gave the Metropolitan to a new user.
Absolutely hilarious! Love the idea guys. I'd like to throw in the TSWBI Go in the mix, but if I had to choose it'd be the Lamy Safari for me. I like the feel of it in my hand better than the slippery metropolitan.
I have Lamys. I like the idea of being able to just swap nibs when required.
I would love to see a battle between the Lamie and the pilot explorer. That is a pen that was definitely made to compete with Lammy and definitely seems like it would be worth having.
Lamy being lightweight and really wet is a very good sketcher... Pilot Metropolitan being heavier produces a good momentum and grip for writing. Both are great but Lamy is much more comfortable when used for drawings and sketching.
Have both and love both however, I do all my sketching with Lamy Safari and Lamy Joy which is my favorite. Lamy colors of Safari are awesome too and I like the fact that there are no leaking issues.
Tell you the truth Mr. Brian, I am more of a pilot guy.
But this was still fun😀
I have both, but if I had to choose just one to own, I'd go with the Safari because I find it more comfortable to write with. The jutting out ridge on the Pilot Metro, where the section meets the barrel, becomes painful when I write a lot, with my particular grip.
well I like metropolitan very much but the grip is so thin that is extremely difficult for me to write , they should do an xl version
I'm obsessed with one Indian pen called ASA Nauka from ASA Pens. Simple design yet appealing. Bought with jowo nib option. This has become my everyday companion.
Good.
I’m trying to start buying fountain pens and it’s been overwhelming so far. So many options!
Well, a European here 🙋🏻♀️ and team Lamy from when I was 13. Lamys cost the same as metros here but are a whole lot easier to find. On Safaris you never see scratches. Plus, metros don’t come with a converter here. Sooo no point in getting a metro really. In fact, I don’t even own one, I just went from Lamy Safari to TWSBI GO, then tried the GO, and also have several pens from less known Italian brands. Still nothing like a Safari though.
My first pen was the Metropolitan; The HOUNDSTOOTH ! So sophisticated !
Have them both, like them both for different reasons. I think I prefer the Safari for long writing sessions, like writing stories or journaling. I have en extra fine nib on it so it's good on less expensive paper (which is advantageous for creative writing). The Metropolitan is a great pocket pen for quickly carrying around with me and writing down notes and making lists. The medium nib on it is good for a wide range of paper quality so it's very versatile. Plus, it's a pen that I don't stress about letting someone else use. Writing lots of essays in long hand? Go with the Safari. Taking lots of notes that you intend to type up later? Go with the Metro.
I just bought a Metropolitan before Christmas with the 1.0 mm stub, and it is fantastic. I absolutely love it, and would highly recommend any new fountain pen writer to start with a Metropolitan 1.0 mm stub. The experience is game-changing. I do not know if Lamy offers a narrow stub, but 1.1 is different than 1.0, believe it or not.
I am advocate of “both, and” as an option. I think you learn a lot about writing with a fountain pen with either option; however, I have a very traditional 3-finger grip and love the Lamy grip. Interestingly, I am a big fan of the Platinum Plasir too. Some of the new colors are really cool.
Love them both. Can’t decide.
thanks I really needed learn the difference between the 2 I am going to order the lamy safari from your website
My personal experience... The difference in design/engineering philosophy between German (or European) Vs Japanese is that Germans is based on how the customers 'should' use the product. Japanese is based on how the customer 'would' use the product. This applies to cars, pens and many more.
If you would have asked me when I first started writing with fountain pens, I would have said the Metropolitan hands down. It's smooth and has a nice feel. But after dropping two Metropolitans and not being able to replace just the nib, I lean toward the Safari now. I still have a Metropolitan that I use in my personal journal, but for carrying around, everyday writing I use my Lamy Safari.
Compatible nibs for Metropolitan: Kakuno, Plumix, Explorer.
I personally choose the Metropolitan, they’re both great pens but I do prefer the classic look of the metropolitan over the more stylized look of the safari and the squeeze converter is easy to use and works well, albeit with some leaks here and there. I also love the way the nib glides on the paper, and the weight as well, I do prefer lightweight pens for long note taking sessions but I find that a ballpoint pen would simply be better at school notes since it’s practically impossible to not smear ink. Because my country let us use fountain pens early on, I’ve grown quite fond of the simple and classy look of more typical fountain pens, like on the Metropolitan and the nib is also more familiar to me as well so you could say I’m a little opinionated.
The squeeze mechanism is very prone to failure. The plastic tends to break after a while. Lamy converter is the best out of all of my pens. Sits very securely and I never had a problem with leakage. I have pens that are over $100 but the loose converter made me put them aside and basically never use them.
Why not the Kakuno? Cheaper than the Metro and can take a Con-70...
Love the Kakuno and would side with that one as well. These 2 are just by far the more popular option and get pitted against each other all the time. - Colin
@@Gouletpens gotta start pushing that cheeky wink!
i love kaküno! lightweight and cheery nib. the grip section for finger placement is also not as obtrusive as safari.
I find both pens to write pretty well on cheap paper. I find myself in camp Lamy due to easy nib swaps and a nicer converter. Both great though. Thanks Goulet for using my review my review as a talking point. Love your channel and site. Write on.
Thanks for leaving the review! Valid points on siding with LAMY. - Colin
I need a decent workhorse for work, big standard black ink for writing medical notes/documents.
I’ve had a metro for a couple of years and I CAN NOT get it to stop leaking. I love the weight of it, but it has messed me around far too much. I’ve just grabbed a Lamy that I saw in the airport, I’ve got high expectations. I hope it’s decent. It feels well built and utilitarian, which isn’t usually something I worry about with my pens, but for work I need something that works every time and doesn’t give me any hassle.
I have a Lamy safari, that I have been using for a little over a year now and it has been such a great work horse, I use it daily, it's just crazy robust and dependable
I have both; my Pilot Metropolitan was one of my first pens; I purchased a LAMY All-Star from the Goulet Pen reviews. My All-Star is newer, and doesn't (yet) have the smoothness that the Pilot has. I assume that the Safari will adjust to me in a bit.
I like the Lamy Safari better for two reasons: 1=The grip ensures I always have the nib in the correct writing position, and 1=I can put a BROAD nib on it!!! The Polot doesn't come in Broad. I would use the pen much more if it did. I can no longer use a medium or smaller nib.
I'm in camp Lamy, I have both but the argument for the free converter with pilot fell flat on me as mine would constantly leak, had to switch to cartridges.(I understand this is something that probably only affected me, but it has changed my view on it) plus if you want a more premium feel with Lamy you can get the ALstar, same great pen but with a metal casing. however, I cannot argue that the price of the Pilot makes it a much more interesting pen for first-time writers.
Pipertwintubo I would also be Team Lamy if would be able to hold this damn pen.
Herr Keks yes, it would be great if they offered two grips, like TWSBI Eco and the Eco-t
Vicki Wood Definitely!!! It needs to be at least 9 mm thick. 9,5 mm would be better. I don’t have anything against in general. I really like the grip of the Faber-Castell Grip 2011. But the ones on the Lamy are just to extreme. Slight ones are okay... :)
Pipertwintubo I agree with you. I hate the Con-40 (used with the Pilot Metropolitan). I have no use for the squeezable converter, because you can’t see how much ink you’ve got left. I prefer reusing the cartridge. The problem that I have with Con-40 is that ink leaks into the cap and the ink seems to evaporate or dry up. It seems like the ink never lasts long even when not in constant use. It sees a little better by reusing the cartridge.
The Lamy has a great converter and cartridge. It holds more ink. It doesn’t leak into the cap and I’ve left mine inked up for about 3 months without drying up. I love Lamy’s extra fine nib. I have 1 white Safari, 1Vista, 3 Al-Star & 1 Rose Gold. I only have 3 Pilot Metropolitan. I’m still using all 5 Lamys on a regular basis and only one Pilot Metropolitan with the 1.0 stub, because I prefer it to the 1.1 offered by other brands.
I had the exact same issue with the squeeze converter, to the point that I stopped using my metro altogether. I started fountain pens with a metro but I just couldn't get past how much it leaked ://
This was helpful and I hope you do more pen battles in the future!
Have both and like both.
Lamy rules! I've been using Lamy Safari fountain pens for more than 30 years. I have that turquoise Metropolitan, four Kakunos, and one Plumix, but I always go back to my vast collection of Lamy fountain pens. The colors are fun and fantastic.
I'm late in the game, bit I love this video! Hope there are more. 🌷
love these pen battles, thanks
My vote goes to Lamy. Aside from the fact that my many Safaris have never let me down once, being fiendishly reliable, the sculpted grip has been helpful in one very specific way. I'm a right hander and have been training myself to write left-handed. I find the Safari grip really helps me to maintain a stable hold compared to slick /conical / cylindrical grips on many other pens. I find this to be better than a true triple-sided grip on some pens; the curved underside is more forgiving than a flat surface. However when I use my Safaris, Vistas and Al-Stars right handed, the grip remains comfortable for me. I can completely get why this polarises the community where the majority seem to either adore or despise the grip. Few seem to be in the middle ground, which I find amusingly quirky.
You forgot to mention the price. The Metropolitan is $12.00 cheaper. Easier pill to swallow for first time pen users.
Who here would be all over an Pilot Metropolitan annual color like Lamy does?
Not everywhere. In Europe the Lamy is cheaper (even including a converter).
dlevi67 in Europe only. And selected ones on that too. Here in india pilot is 15 dollars and a lamy is 30 or more
@@preke953 The only Lamy that cost extra are the "special edition" ones, i.e. one a year - all others are the same price.
@@dlevi67 but still, in most countries Lamy is more expensive, in mexico too, you can buy a pilot for $13, a lamy would cost you like $28, you can buy a pilot for like half the price of a lamy
@@loon7181 "But still" - the whole point is that it's not necessarily the case. If it's the case for you, bully for the Pilot.
Ive used a safari for over 10 years now i think in office applications. I highly suggest it. I still have my original noodler ink bottle. No one takes my pen because they dont like it or they cant use it - not sure. But I love it. Also use the pilot, but only at home for casual tasks.
two incredible pens, everybody must have them both, try and decide. I love Lamy's grip but I love the Pilot's weight
on other hand Monteverde, have an exceptional converter, and writes really smooth.
I really want to buy a safari just because of the colors lol. But the writing experience I prefer is with asian pens. Very thin lines and little feedback. I don’t like soft writing pens because so my vote is on the Metropolitan. I want to collect all designs but can only afford one.
What a fun video! Please have more of these "pen battles". I own and enjoy several Safaris and Preras and the only drawback for me is the Pilot con 40 converter - it's frustrating that it won't fill more than 2/3. I've also bought some Kakunos in different nib sizes to swap out with my Preras since some inks look/perform better with fine and some with medium nibs. The Metropolitan is an excellent pen, too but it's cool to the touch and slightly heavier than I like so I mostly use the two I own to test ink samples from Goulet.
My first pens were Lamys: a Petrol and a friend gave me a Lamy Dark Lilac. I gifted my Dad a Pacific Blue and just really love how they look. I dont mind it having thicker nib sizes that most because even when I use to use gel pens, I tend to reach for a 0.5 or 0.7 when I write.
Everything will be okay
Here to help is Goulet
So Lamy grab a pen
My true best friend
Both are great pens. I own two of each. After several years I have gravitated to using my Safari for EDC/utility writing and my Metro for "I'm going to sit down and write" writing if that makes sense. I also have a 1.1 Stub on my Vista (clear Safari) so that gets used for when I'm feeling fancy. The Lamy convertor is nicer. (Not even considering the squeeze convertor, it's good for pen flushing and that's about it.)
I really enjoyed this format. I hope you make more of this type of video. It would be cool to see some others like Lamy Dialog vs VP, 3776 ve Pilot custom.
It really depends a lot on where are you from. For example, where I live, the Metro is actually more expensive (23 euros) than the Safary (18-20 euros), only the M nib Metro is available and none of them come with the converter. Even though I'm a lefty and I prefeer finer nib options, I would rather use the Safari (I have a few and one metropolitan) because of the wide variety of nib options. Maybe Lamy F and EF are not very impressive, but the rest of them are amazing (The Safari is my go to calligraphy pen, and the grip helps me to keep track of the writing angles)
Why are the Lamy F and EF not impressive? I was thinking of getting these so interested in your opinion.
I've carried one of each daily for a couple of years now and IMO they're both great. The Pilot has a remarkable smoothness (both are EF) given it's thinner tip but it's also easier to bend especially by unskilled pen borrowers. Durability for both otherwise is great even though my job is pretty physical and they're always in my pants pocket inside a leather holder. Overall I would recommend the Lamy though if you had to choose one unless the grip ruins it for you.
I have Pilot Metropolitan fine and medium, and I have the Lamy Al-Star fine and medium also. I love them all
This is so hard for me because my first fountain pen purchases were the Metro and the Safari. At the same time! I love both pens for the reasons that were given in the video. Though I do have more Lamys now because of the color options.
I love both!