Whew! When I saw the headline I was worried as to who it might be, but this is a smart and logical acquisition for Mitsubishi, to expand their way into fountain pens and luxury products. They already have many high quality affordable products including gel pens (e.g., Signo), ballpoints (Jetstream), paint markers (Posca), and of course pencils and some of the best graphite (NanoDia). Japanese companies tend to focus on quality so I'm feeling glad that it's them and think they will learn and expand the market. And maybe even finally make a true extra fine nib on a Lamy!
Since Mitsubishi is a company with a long history of their own stationery products, I don't see this as much of a concern as if it was some faceless private equity firm buying it to extract maximum value before cutting it up for parts and leaving the parts with massive debts.
Not exactly. as far as i know mitsubisi is not intrested in fountain pens, and have bought lamy for their digital writing. so i'm afraid that they will abandon or even discontinue fountain pens and focus on ballpoint and digital
I hope Japanese ownerships can bring some consistency to lamy nibs. I like my lamy’s but I really dislike that each new pen has totally unpredictable nibs and wish they had sailor or pilot consistency.
I can relate. I've been a mix of emotions. I hope it proves to be a positive thing for Lamy and its fans, but it's a bit sad to see the family company get acquired by a larger corporation.
I would bet that they would be. Mitsubishi needs their expertise to keep Lamy going. I don't know what the fine print of the buy-out is, but I'm guessing it will be business as usual for Lamy employees.
Mitsubishi/Uni makes really good pens. Their Uni-Ball gel ink and Jetstream low viscosity ballpoint ink are in my top 5 favorite inks to use when I can't use a fountain pen. Recently, they've hit it out of the park with the Uni-Ball One F and the Uni-Ball One P - which are made with a nicer, more durable, matte-finished plastic that feels more substantial and pleasant to write with than cheaper plastics, and they come in great colors. Unlike the regular Uni-Ball One pens, they have a metal collar around the tip, and are more weighted toward the point. I have several and I love them. Uni-Ball releases new colors (meaning the pen bodies, not the inks) pretty regularly. They cost more than the regular Uni-Ball One pens: the One F (longer, thinner) is $4.95 on JetPens, while the One P (pocket, more chunky) is $6.50. They both take the same refills - and a bunch of other refills from other brands will also fit. I guess I'm saying...I'm not worried about them being Lamy's new parent company.
That's cool! The only Uni-ball pens I've used felt pretty cheap to me, but I'm aware that they make slightly more premium pens as well. I'll have to check out the pens you mentioned.
As a Mitsu-Bishi pencil fan I have great hope that they will keep LAMY standards. And my second thought (after "shoot") was what you said: they might expand to other areas of the world much easier. And reading the press information it might be a good idea to expand in the digital writing market - I am stiil waiting for a Safari EMR that works with my iPad :)
And a a little update: When I bought my Lamy 2000 (Makrolon) two years ago from a small stationery shop in the neighborhood I found out at home that it was made before 1990 because of "Made in W. Germany"; I guess the shop owner ordered a complete Lamy line when they opened in 1988. And today the LAMY 2000 ballpoint pen and the mechanical pencil arrived, found at the bay; last week the rollerball and the multisystem found their way to my home. So, mission complete 🎉 And even if LAMYtsubishi takes the wrong direction - we still can find the good stuff out there 🤣
I do have a Lamy Z27 converter and it works great with my Monami Olika fountain pen. I hope Uni-ball will continue making such fantastic fountain pen converters.😊
As a Lamy lover, I am a bit worried about it. Thinking to buy the models I still want from them, fearing they can disappear in a certain period of time...😄 In the other hand, also expecting (and hoping for) a smooth and great ride for Lamy and us. And see that I also love to use the Uni Pin pigment ink pen on daily basis for writing (it's a smooth - and smearing free - experience for lefties). See ya.
To be honest, I am shocked by the news but I guess the previous owners of the Lamy brand really wanted to further expand the brand's reach into the Asian consumer market-a move which might not have been considered before. And so they chose a Japanese stationery brand with a long history of quality and dedication to great products at affordable costs. Mitsubishi Pencil Company, by the way, has been producing stationery items since the 1880's. But I think there's hope that the Japanese company will keep the Lamy brand and uphold its reputation as an iconic and a high-quality name in fountain pens and stationery items.
I agree, though I'm a little confused by what expanding Lamy's reach will look like. For example, I happen to know they are fairly common in China. They already seem to have a good presence at least in some Asian countries. Who knows?
I already have a lifetime supply of Lamy Safaris, Al-Stars and 2 Vistas plus nibs but I hope quality esoecially in the nibs will be the same!!!!❤ I'm a real dedicated Lamy fan so I'm hopeful!!!! I wonder how much the company was sold for ... it had to be big bucks!!!
I am definitely less concerned about Mitsubishi than I would be about a lesser company. I think they respect Lamy and understand the level of quality that Lamy fans expect.
Thank you for this update. Apparently someone also bought Pelikan last year - so everybody is worrying about the quality of the manufacturing. BTW - thanks for the videos. You are an excellent communicator.
Why thank you! And thanks for watching! I didn't know that about Pelikan. Interesting! I hope they remain a trustworthy brand. I haven't had the pleasure of trying their pens yet.
Economies of scale in which efficiency of production is paramount depending on the profit margin desired can play out of tune instruments. More Lamy pens are likely to be focused on a cost conscious larger number of purchasers. It may take a while before the effect is known. It would be interesting to learn the reasons to purchase; the reasons to sell.
That would be interesting. Fountain pen inks have a pretty specific formula that makes them compatible, so I don't know if that would work or not, but it would be interesting to find out!
For us in central Europe (literally neighbouring country from Germany) Lamy is a bit of a hassle to get and Uni-ball or anything from Mitsubishi is not available (we have to get it from England or global market - which means outside of EU so... quite a huge paperwork process, impossible delivery time and ofc sizable tax - usually bigger than what the pen itself costs) .. so .. not a good news for me :/
That is strange that Lamy is so hard to get for you! I know very little about distribution, but the little I've learned as a fountain pen fan is baffling.
This is interesting but also a little worrying if they move to japan at some point, because fountain pen nibs kind of have to be hand done , that would require them changing their entire stuff and uni doesn't make fountain pens Though prospect of them working together is very exiting too, uni's consistency and supply chain could make them easier for me in the third world to find Interestingly if pelikan had sold to pilot instead my four favourites pen companies would became just two
I’m curious to see where this leads Lamy. I can imagine a few possible paths it might take, but have no idea what is likely, so I’ll wait and hope things work out well for all involved.
I hope they don’t change a thing. My experience with things like this is, when acquisitions happen that is the end of something good. Hopefully I’m wrong.
Nothing will change. When BMW bought Rolls Royce, they respected the brand, history, and place. Lamy is an established and respected brand. It will still be made in Germany. It's not going to become a Japanese Al-Star. Calm down.
Whats interesting: For decades Faber-Castell was and is the distributor of Uni-Ball pens in Germany and even does sell some under their own name. Wonder if this changes.
Recently found out that the Car and Appliance Company "Mitsubishi" are not affiliated with "Mitsubishi pencil", just happened to have the same family name
The same thought crossed my mind. I don't have Lamy 2000. I have enough of their cheaper pens to last a lifetime though. I don't know. I think I'll hold off for now. That's just me.
Not sure how I feel about this. A big investment might result in some new models, etc., but I worry about what the brand will look like in 5 years. I also worry that the personal and good ways the company reps deal with their retailers is going to evaporate. Glad I bought my 2000 like 15 years ago...
I do think it’s sad to have another family company with a proud history gobbled up. However Mitsubishi a very reputable company. It makes high quality products - including what many people consider the best pencils available. Since it’s a done deal, I hope they’ll standardize and improve the quality of Lamy nibs. I’ve been collecting them since 1995, and the quality has gone down drastically the last ten years or so.
That's really interesting about Lamy's nibs. I quite like mine. Well, most of them. haha But yeah, I totally agree that it's sad when a company like Lamy gets acquired. But thank heaven it's a company like Mitsubishi. Hopefully it will be great!
Usually Low end plastic Lamy and some al star will be manufactured elsewhere and cheaper and will be sold in the international market. Costly premium models will still be made in Germany. Kind of Sennheiser situation. Nib and front part, the main complicated parts might still be made in Germany. Plastic body and aluminium body part will be much cheaper if made elsewhere.
I get that that might be how it works for some company buy-outs, but I believe the messaging coming from Lamy is that everything will still be made in Germany.
There's a lot of great stuff out there, but so far the Lamy Safari is still my favorite. But if Lamy's quality suddenly went downhill, I'd probably start paying more attention to Pilot's pens again.
I had successive problems with Lamy fountain pens. I’ve had a Kaweco Sport for more than a year. Write around 500 words a day. To be honest I thought Lamy may have gone bust. I live in France and have never seen them. Though getting fountain pens in shops is increasingly hard to do. Stationary shops now deal with printing not writing. 🖊️
That's interesting. I have had the reverse experience with Kaweco and Lamy. Kaweco pens have given me nothing but problems. My Lamy pens have been great, except for their extra-fine nibs. I stay away from those now. But Lamy fine nibs and up are great.
I'm just under a year into fountain pens and had no interest in purchasing a Lamy, but my daughter surprise gifted me one. It's ok, not my favorite, preferring Kaweco. Now, if Kaweco sold then I probably would be concerned as the Lamy fans are. Otherwise, not a huge upset for me. Thanks for your insight.
I am german and I CAN go in any store and find a Lamy Safari… they are EVERYWHERE! (It gets kind of annoying…😅) And I do have the feeling that during the last years nothing really new or good came from Lamy, so I am not really worried, but more hopeful that this might bring some refreshing change? Especially with a japanese company. Japan makes great fountain pens. We‘ll see.
I hope they allow Lamy to keep going as they are, as an independant business. But I have to say that being absorbed into the Mitsubishi family is not a bad thing.
I’m okay with this. It’s a solid company with an established heritage all its own. So long as they leave Lamy in Germany and more or less alone when it comes to production, great.
that's the point. if they change anything in production to cut costs it could be the end of lamy as we know it. if they go for more qc on the nibs, that would be great. ;)
Hmm.. doubts about Japanese durability and reliability ? Immediately Toyotas, Hondas, Kawasakis, Casio G-Shocks, ASICS (not to mention Pilots, Platinums, Sailors) came to my mind ! And these are some of the world’s largest companies !
I don't doubt that Japan has many fantastic stationery and pen brands. I use several of them myself (Pilot and Midori). That's not at all what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that I worry about a smaller company getting picked up by a larger company. Mitsubishi seems pretty cool, so I'm not too worried, but there are still risks of quality going down over time due to larger corporate ownership. Then again, quality could go up.
In my experience cross-border buyouts lead to the bought company going down the tubes in 2-3 years. If you have a Lamy on your list, buy it now, today. On the other hand they make Posca markers, which are excellent, so celibrate, you half-full types.
I was planning on getting a twsbi eco first but I guess my next fountain pen is the safari. I really really hope that they just leave lamy alone and only take a cut from the profits, like hasbro did to wizards of the coasts for 20esk years.
I have two TWSBI Ecos. They are both cracked. I think I did too much nib swapping, and it put strain on the barrel. On the other hand, all eight of my Lamy fountain pens (one is not pictured in the thumbnail) are going strong. TWSBI Ecos are great to use, but you have to handle them gently.
I've heard that Eco's have a cracking issue in the grip sections, they put a aluminum grip sections on the diamond 580 alr I wish they would do that to the eco.
think the Japanese have such a reverence for all thing stationery related that the last thing they would want to do would be to diminish such a well known brand as Lamy(both Rotring and Staedtler are now Japanese and neither companies products seem compromised:)
@@DowntheBreatherHole I love it. It's very smooth, which is what I wanted to write my book by hand with. Even with Chou Kuro on Midori and Muji paper, it feels like butter on glass.
@@DowntheBreatherHole Indeed I don’t want to keep my Lamy pens in airtight containers and never use them again. Only kidding of course. I hope it is a good union and we the customers keep getting great products.
Nothing will change except they’ll have more money to spend on R&D. Mitsubishi produces high quality products, there’s no danger of standards dropping, if anything they might improve.
As a big fan of Mitsubishi pens and pencils, I am not that concerned with the future of Lamy. If it was a firm like Blackrock or Vanguard buying Lamy, that would be a disaster. Chances are that Mitsubishi likes the brand prestige that goes with Lamy, and possibly wants to brand more upscale and expensive products as Lamy products (like digital writing styli). Does this mean that Mitsubishi will discontinue the affordable Lamy pens, move their production to Japan, or brand them as Mitsubishi pens? Time will tell, but my guess is entry level Lamy’s will start being made in Japan.
Time will tell. One thing I know for sure though is this has increased my curiosity about Mitsubishi. I've had a couple of Uniball pens before, and I didn't really like them, but I'd love to try more, and I'm curious about their pencils.
That would be cool! It might just be me, but I feel like they've actually gotten more consistent in recent years. I tend to buy fine nibs, and the last few I've bought have been more or less identical.
Yes, this news was all over the press here in 🇩🇪. I hope, like you, that tradition remains. Their press release says the sale will allow them to go towards digital writing...whatever that means. My concerns is that the "Made in Germany" quality is downgraded and watered down in facour of a vigger distribution (cheaper materials, less attention to detail). Their customwr service is legendary good, knowledgeable and effective. Hopefully that stays too. 🤞🏻
Yes! I've heard amazing things about Lamy's customer service. I hope that remains. The bigger a company gets, I think the harder it is for them to provide a personalized experience for the customer. For example, I've heard not so great things about Pilot's customer service. I don't know from personal experience though.
"German durability and reliability" kind of made me laugh, I'm sorry. I like Lamy for their durability and reliability yes, but those strike me as much more Japanese qualities than German. I'd have a Honda instead of a Mercedes, a Minolta instead of a Leica, because the Japanese philosophy of engineering seems more focussed on making things that are easy to own than German or American design has ever been overall.
Yeah, maybe it is a funny thing to say. I think it's over-generalizing to say that Germany and Japan are great at making stuff, because any country will have a mix of quality, depending on the brand. When I said that in the video, I think I was parroting what I often hear other pen TH-camrs say about "German engineering/quality/etc."
@@DowntheBreatherHole I have no doubt that you heard it from other people! It's a globe-spanning verbal tick that goes back to world war two, and not *exactly* for wholesome reasons. I tend to steer clear of it, personally.
As a German having used Lamy fountain pens during high school and ever since (and my kids too), I am sad to see that the family owned buisness changes hands. In a situation like this, operations and manufacturing will eventually change, but I have my stock of very reliable pens I use on a daily basis.
is this why they released those ugly as fck safari pens?? i love mitsubishi since my japanese teacher introduced me to them... i hope they made a better choice of colors for 2025
This is another sign of the decline of quality ethics and products of the western capitalism, and rise of the cheapest loweat of quality, in this era of vicious competitions for only the highest profits and shares prices in the stock market. There is no way for the Lamy company to remain as it is for a long time, not anyother famous brand's manufacturing establishment, unfortunately.
The Mitsubishi Pencil Co. is a good company, so hopefully it all goes well for Lamy. My concern isn't east vs west so much as small company vs big company. I hope Lamy can keep its smaller company feel and quality.
My impression is more emotional than rational, and I would list some reasons. The primary one is related to a “family” company, which has its roots and origins in Germany. For me, seeing it being sold feels like losing ther soul, the essence of a great company. Additionally, I’ve noticed that for large corporations, every penny matters, and they will cut every possible corner to maximize profits. I sincerely hope that I am wrong, and they continue to remain the same. However, this situation also reminds me of Pelikan pens, which were also sold, and they have already started changing. For instance, the 400 to 1000 series now has a non-translucent body, which, in my opinion, takes away its characteristic, but this is part of the game.🥲🥲
Yes, there is definitely a very emotional element to all of this. A couple different times yesterday, I had to stop and think to myself, "Wait, am I grieving???" It sounds weird to grieve for a company, especially since we don't know what the future holds for it yet, but it happens.
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Whew! When I saw the headline I was worried as to who it might be, but this is a smart and logical acquisition for Mitsubishi, to expand their way into fountain pens and luxury products. They already have many high quality affordable products including gel pens (e.g., Signo), ballpoints (Jetstream), paint markers (Posca), and of course pencils and some of the best graphite (NanoDia). Japanese companies tend to focus on quality so I'm feeling glad that it's them and think they will learn and expand the market. And maybe even finally make a true extra fine nib on a Lamy!
I would love to see a Japanese EF nib on a Lamy.
Same, and a UEF too!
A true EF Lamy nib--wouldn't that be something! The EF nibs are the only thing about Lamy I don't like. haha
Or a flex!
Since Mitsubishi is a company with a long history of their own stationery products, I don't see this as much of a concern as if it was some faceless private equity firm buying it to extract maximum value before cutting it up for parts and leaving the parts with massive debts.
Yes! Absolutely true!
There is that. I agree.
Not exactly. as far as i know mitsubisi is not intrested in fountain pens, and have bought lamy for their digital writing. so i'm afraid that they will abandon or even discontinue fountain pens and focus on ballpoint and digital
So much for Lamy being a solid German presence!
Hopefully Lamy will continue to be a great German company under their new ownership.
Japanese did it with rOtring and now Lamy ! I have to say I’m very very sad to lose this European / German old company, I hope nothing changes
Unfortunately, rOtring ✒️ went away after that.
Hopefully, that does not happen with LAMY ✒️.
@@Swiss_Army_Knife1780It didn’t, you can still buy Rotring products. They just a bit more affordable now.
Rotring was bought by an American company though, they just moved production to Japan
@@billclockwell really ? Always thought it was Japanese since they love rOtring products so much ! The result is the same, no longer German companies
I'm pretty certain that's not going to happen. Fingers crossed!
I hope Japanese ownerships can bring some consistency to lamy nibs. I like my lamy’s but I really dislike that each new pen has totally unpredictable nibs and wish they had sailor or pilot consistency.
Ditto. I steer clear of Lamy because their nibs suck.
Yeah, true. But my most recent Lamy purchases have all felt very consistent. I wonder if they have improved within the last couple of years.
I am devastated. No matter how you slice it, Germany lost a staple brand.
I can relate. I've been a mix of emotions. I hope it proves to be a positive thing for Lamy and its fans, but it's a bit sad to see the family company get acquired by a larger corporation.
@@DowntheBreatherHole Dr. Lamy died a few years back and his children have been looking to sell the company ever since.
I know it hurts, but don't cry 😭(I'll send you a box of paper towels). I was weeping the whole day too😢 Boo hoo hooo.
I hope the Lamy employees are respected.
I would bet that they would be. Mitsubishi needs their expertise to keep Lamy going. I don't know what the fine print of the buy-out is, but I'm guessing it will be business as usual for Lamy employees.
Mitsubishi/Uni makes really good pens. Their Uni-Ball gel ink and Jetstream low viscosity ballpoint ink are in my top 5 favorite inks to use when I can't use a fountain pen. Recently, they've hit it out of the park with the Uni-Ball One F and the Uni-Ball One P - which are made with a nicer, more durable, matte-finished plastic that feels more substantial and pleasant to write with than cheaper plastics, and they come in great colors. Unlike the regular Uni-Ball One pens, they have a metal collar around the tip, and are more weighted toward the point. I have several and I love them. Uni-Ball releases new colors (meaning the pen bodies, not the inks) pretty regularly. They cost more than the regular Uni-Ball One pens: the One F (longer, thinner) is $4.95 on JetPens, while the One P (pocket, more chunky) is $6.50. They both take the same refills - and a bunch of other refills from other brands will also fit. I guess I'm saying...I'm not worried about them being Lamy's new parent company.
That's cool! The only Uni-ball pens I've used felt pretty cheap to me, but I'm aware that they make slightly more premium pens as well. I'll have to check out the pens you mentioned.
As a Mitsu-Bishi pencil fan I have great hope that they will keep LAMY standards. And my second thought (after "shoot") was what you said: they might expand to other areas of the world much easier. And reading the press information it might be a good idea to expand in the digital writing market - I am stiil waiting for a Safari EMR that works with my iPad :)
And a a little update: When I bought my Lamy 2000 (Makrolon) two years ago from a small stationery shop in the neighborhood I found out at home that it was made before 1990 because of "Made in W. Germany"; I guess the shop owner ordered a complete Lamy line when they opened in 1988. And today the LAMY 2000 ballpoint pen and the mechanical pencil arrived, found at the bay; last week the rollerball and the multisystem found their way to my home. So, mission complete 🎉 And even if LAMYtsubishi takes the wrong direction - we still can find the good stuff out there 🤣
Wow! That vintage 2000 is a treasure!
I do have a Lamy Z27 converter and it works great with my Monami Olika fountain pen. I hope Uni-ball will continue making such fantastic fountain pen converters.😊
Just buy up some stock of pens and nibs! 👍 Any excuse to buy another Lamy!😅
haha yes! Any excuse is right!
As a Lamy lover, I am a bit worried about it. Thinking to buy the models I still want from them, fearing they can disappear in a certain period of time...😄
In the other hand, also expecting (and hoping for) a smooth and great ride for Lamy and us. And see that I also love to use the Uni Pin pigment ink pen on daily basis for writing (it's a smooth - and smearing free - experience for lefties).
See ya.
To be honest, I am shocked by the news but I guess the previous owners of the Lamy brand really wanted to further expand the brand's reach into the Asian consumer market-a move which might not have been considered before. And so they chose a Japanese stationery brand with a long history of quality and dedication to great products at affordable costs. Mitsubishi Pencil Company, by the way, has been producing stationery items since the 1880's. But I think there's hope that the Japanese company will keep the Lamy brand and uphold its reputation as an iconic and a high-quality name in fountain pens and stationery items.
I agree, though I'm a little confused by what expanding Lamy's reach will look like. For example, I happen to know they are fairly common in China. They already seem to have a good presence at least in some Asian countries. Who knows?
Hopefully the quality will improve. The cheaper lines are good but regret the 2000 and Dialog3.
weird, i'm enjoying my dialog cc, and my dad loves his steel 2000.
I hope that the quality and value don't change; equally, I hope that the reach will increase for this great company!
Same!
I already have a lifetime supply of Lamy Safaris, Al-Stars and 2 Vistas plus nibs but I hope quality esoecially in the nibs will be the same!!!!❤ I'm a real dedicated Lamy fan so I'm hopeful!!!! I wonder how much the company was sold for ... it had to be big bucks!!!
I bet it did sell for a lot! And I'm a big fan too. How many Lamy pens do you have? I have eight, plus my daughters ABC.
No concerns. Lamy is in safe hands and will continue with good quality products if not better.
I am definitely less concerned about Mitsubishi than I would be about a lesser company. I think they respect Lamy and understand the level of quality that Lamy fans expect.
Thank you for this update. Apparently someone also bought Pelikan last year - so everybody is worrying about the quality of the manufacturing. BTW - thanks for the videos. You are an excellent communicator.
Pelikan changed the material on their M400, 600, 800, & 1000 to cut costs after, eliminating the semi-transparent ink window. Not good.
Wait, what !?
Didn't knew that. Who bought Pelikan ?
Why thank you! And thanks for watching! I didn't know that about Pelikan. Interesting! I hope they remain a trustworthy brand. I haven't had the pleasure of trying their pens yet.
Economies of scale in which efficiency of production is paramount depending on the profit margin desired can play out of tune instruments. More Lamy pens are likely to be focused on a cost conscious larger number of purchasers. It may take a while before the effect is known. It would be interesting to learn the reasons to purchase; the reasons to sell.
I hope they allow the uniball 207 signo ink to be available for fountain pens.
That would be interesting. Fountain pen inks have a pretty specific formula that makes them compatible, so I don't know if that would work or not, but it would be interesting to find out!
For us in central Europe (literally neighbouring country from Germany) Lamy is a bit of a hassle to get and Uni-ball or anything from Mitsubishi is not available (we have to get it from England or global market - which means outside of EU so... quite a huge paperwork process, impossible delivery time and ofc sizable tax - usually bigger than what the pen itself costs) .. so .. not a good news for me :/
That is strange that Lamy is so hard to get for you! I know very little about distribution, but the little I've learned as a fountain pen fan is baffling.
It seems good news.
Yeah, it certainly could be. I think Mitsubishi has Lamy's best interests at heart.
This is interesting but also a little worrying if they move to japan at some point, because fountain pen nibs kind of have to be hand done , that would require them changing their entire stuff and uni doesn't make fountain pens
Though prospect of them working together is very exiting too, uni's consistency and supply chain could make them easier for me in the third world to find
Interestingly if pelikan had sold to pilot instead my four favourites pen companies would became just two
I share your worries, so time to finally get that 2000
I had the same thought as soon as I saw the title of this video.
I had the same thought too. I'm going to wait for now, but I wonder if pen retailers are going to get cleaned out of their Lamy stock because of this.
And This Pen is my PRE-Mitsubishi Lamy!
haha I have wondered if we will start looking at Lamy pens that way, as pre/post-Mitsubishi.
I’m curious to see where this leads Lamy. I can imagine a few possible paths it might take, but have no idea what is likely, so I’ll wait and hope things work out well for all involved.
Yeah, time will tell. I think it will be positive, so long as company leadership makes good decisions.
I hope they don’t change a thing.
My experience with things like this is, when acquisitions happen that is the end of something good.
Hopefully I’m wrong.
I hope so too. I am cautiously optimistic.
Nothing will change.
When BMW bought Rolls Royce, they respected the brand, history, and place.
Lamy is an established and respected brand. It will still be made in Germany. It's not going to become a Japanese Al-Star.
Calm down.
LOL yes. Companies never cut cost or source to places like China. Example Tilly hats. Another well respected brand that “will not change”. 😅
Rolls Royce has changed a TON since being acquired by BMW!
I certainly hope you're right!
Whats interesting: For decades Faber-Castell was and is the distributor of Uni-Ball pens in Germany and even does sell some under their own name. Wonder if this changes.
Huh, that is so interesting! I think of Faber-Castell as a fairly posh brand, so it's interesting that they would distribute Uni-ball pens.
Okay, crisis averted, i was worried for a minute there.
haha yeah, could be worse, right?
Recently found out that the Car and Appliance Company "Mitsubishi" are not affiliated with "Mitsubishi pencil", just happened to have the same family name
haha yeah, I wonder if it's a fairly common name, like "Smith" in the USA.
I hope the Lamy improves. My first pen was a Safari and their 2000 is on my wish list. Perhaps I better get moving on that acquisition.
good idea
The same thought crossed my mind. I don't have Lamy 2000. I have enough of their cheaper pens to last a lifetime though. I don't know. I think I'll hold off for now. That's just me.
Not sure how I feel about this. A big investment might result in some new models, etc., but I worry about what the brand will look like in 5 years. I also worry that the personal and good ways the company reps deal with their retailers is going to evaporate. Glad I bought my 2000 like 15 years ago...
Well, if I did see Lamy at our local Southeastern Ohio WalMarts, I'd be astounded and delighted.
Astounded is right!
I love uni-ball! And Lamy. Hmmmm… fingers crossed. I still have a lot of Lamy’s on my WANT list!
Yes! Fingers crossed! And this whole thing is making me want to pay more attention to Mitsubishi and try some of their products.
I do think it’s sad to have another family company with a proud history gobbled up. However Mitsubishi a very reputable company. It makes high quality products - including what many people consider the best pencils available. Since it’s a done deal, I hope they’ll standardize and improve the quality of Lamy nibs. I’ve been collecting them since 1995, and the quality has gone down drastically the last ten years or so.
That's really interesting about Lamy's nibs. I quite like mine. Well, most of them. haha But yeah, I totally agree that it's sad when a company like Lamy gets acquired. But thank heaven it's a company like Mitsubishi. Hopefully it will be great!
Usually Low end plastic Lamy and some al star will be manufactured elsewhere and cheaper and will be sold in the international market. Costly premium models will still be made in Germany. Kind of Sennheiser situation. Nib and front part, the main complicated parts might still be made in Germany. Plastic body and aluminium body part will be much cheaper if made elsewhere.
I get that that might be how it works for some company buy-outs, but I believe the messaging coming from Lamy is that everything will still be made in Germany.
Just in case. Do you know a good replacement fountain pen
There's a lot of great stuff out there, but so far the Lamy Safari is still my favorite. But if Lamy's quality suddenly went downhill, I'd probably start paying more attention to Pilot's pens again.
I hope they put Uniball Jetream ink in ballpoint refills. It’s my favorite hybrid ballpoint ink.
That would be amazing! I don't have any Lamy ballpoints because I've heard the refills aren't great.
I had successive problems with Lamy fountain pens. I’ve had a Kaweco Sport for more than a year. Write around 500 words a day. To be honest I thought Lamy may have gone bust. I live in France and have never seen them. Though getting fountain pens in shops is increasingly hard to do. Stationary shops now deal with printing not writing. 🖊️
That's interesting. I have had the reverse experience with Kaweco and Lamy. Kaweco pens have given me nothing but problems. My Lamy pens have been great, except for their extra-fine nibs. I stay away from those now. But Lamy fine nibs and up are great.
I'm just under a year into fountain pens and had no interest in purchasing a Lamy, but my daughter surprise gifted me one. It's ok, not my favorite, preferring Kaweco. Now, if Kaweco sold then I probably would be concerned as the Lamy fans are. Otherwise, not a huge upset for me. Thanks for your insight.
Thanks for your comment!
I am german and I CAN go in any store and find a Lamy Safari… they are EVERYWHERE! (It gets kind of annoying…😅) And I do have the feeling that during the last years nothing really new or good came from Lamy, so I am not really worried, but more hopeful that this might bring some refreshing change? Especially with a japanese company. Japan makes great fountain pens. We‘ll see.
Hopefully so!
Considering how good those Mitsubishi pencils are, is consider this good news for Lamy.
I doubt they'll cut corners on quality.
I sure hope you're right (and I think you probably are).
I am glad that it is a Japanese company bought Lamy.
Japanese are good at producing quality office stationary.
Yeah, in general, Japan has a strong stationery industry.
I hope they allow Lamy to keep going as they are, as an independant business. But I have to say that being absorbed into the Mitsubishi family is not a bad thing.
I tend to agree.
UH Uh...Fingers crossed 🤞🤞🤞 and pray 🙏🙏🙏
This is nothing short of a disaster. Lamy as we knew it is finished.
Hopefully not! Time will tell!
I’m okay with this. It’s a solid company with an established heritage all its own. So long as they leave Lamy in Germany and more or less alone when it comes to production, great.
I agree!
that's the point. if they change anything in production to cut costs it could be the end of lamy as we know it. if they go for more qc on the nibs, that would be great. ;)
Hmm.. doubts about Japanese durability and reliability ?
Immediately Toyotas, Hondas, Kawasakis, Casio G-Shocks, ASICS (not to mention Pilots, Platinums, Sailors) came to my mind ! And these are some of the world’s largest companies !
I don't doubt that Japan has many fantastic stationery and pen brands. I use several of them myself (Pilot and Midori). That's not at all what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that I worry about a smaller company getting picked up by a larger company. Mitsubishi seems pretty cool, so I'm not too worried, but there are still risks of quality going down over time due to larger corporate ownership. Then again, quality could go up.
In my experience cross-border buyouts lead to the bought company going down the tubes in 2-3 years. If you have a Lamy on your list, buy it now, today.
On the other hand they make Posca markers, which are excellent, so celibrate, you half-full types.
Maybe I'm a half-full person? I at least try to be. I'm apprehensive, but hopeful about this buyout.
@@DowntheBreatherHole I hope you are right. Though it is kind of academic in my case, as I don't care for Lamy pens.
I was planning on getting a twsbi eco first but I guess my next fountain pen is the safari.
I really really hope that they just leave lamy alone and only take a cut from the profits, like hasbro did to wizards of the coasts for 20esk years.
I have two TWSBI Ecos. They are both cracked. I think I did too much nib swapping, and it put strain on the barrel. On the other hand, all eight of my Lamy fountain pens (one is not pictured in the thumbnail) are going strong. TWSBI Ecos are great to use, but you have to handle them gently.
I've heard that Eco's have a cracking issue in the grip sections, they put a aluminum grip sections on the diamond 580 alr I wish they would do that to the eco.
think the Japanese have such a reverence for all thing stationery related that the last thing they would want to do would be to diminish such a well known brand as Lamy(both Rotring and Staedtler are now Japanese and neither companies products seem compromised:)
Hopefully so!
I just got my Lamy 2000 a few weeks ago. Wow.
How is it?
@@DowntheBreatherHole I love it. It's very smooth, which is what I wanted to write my book by hand with. Even with Chou Kuro on Midori and Muji paper, it feels like butter on glass.
❤
I cannot see them moving out of their fantastic factory for a long time. It would be madness. So fingers crossed
Yeah! Lamy has a good thing going for them at their current HQ. It would make sense to keep it that way.
@@DowntheBreatherHole Indeed I don’t want to keep my Lamy pens in airtight containers and never use them again. Only kidding of course. I hope it is a good union and we the customers keep getting great products.
Nothing will change except they’ll have more money to spend on R&D. Mitsubishi produces high quality products, there’s no danger of standards dropping, if anything they might improve.
Yes, I think you're probably right. That's what the press release seems to be saying.
As a big fan of Mitsubishi pens and pencils, I am not that concerned with the future of Lamy. If it was a firm like Blackrock or Vanguard buying Lamy, that would be a disaster. Chances are that Mitsubishi likes the brand prestige that goes with Lamy, and possibly wants to brand more upscale and expensive products as Lamy products (like digital writing styli). Does this mean that Mitsubishi will discontinue the affordable Lamy pens, move their production to Japan, or brand them as Mitsubishi pens? Time will tell, but my guess is entry level Lamy’s will start being made in Japan.
Time will tell. One thing I know for sure though is this has increased my curiosity about Mitsubishi. I've had a couple of Uniball pens before, and I didn't really like them, but I'd love to try more, and I'm curious about their pencils.
Hopefully, the nibs will become more consistent lol.
That would be cool! It might just be me, but I feel like they've actually gotten more consistent in recent years. I tend to buy fine nibs, and the last few I've bought have been more or less identical.
Huzzah, hopefully they’ll stop making cotton candy pens
LOL pastel too, right?
Yes, this news was all over the press here in 🇩🇪. I hope, like you, that tradition remains. Their press release says the sale will allow them to go towards digital writing...whatever that means. My concerns is that the "Made in Germany" quality is downgraded and watered down in facour of a vigger distribution (cheaper materials, less attention to detail). Their customwr service is legendary good, knowledgeable and effective. Hopefully that stays too. 🤞🏻
Yes! I've heard amazing things about Lamy's customer service. I hope that remains. The bigger a company gets, I think the harder it is for them to provide a personalized experience for the customer. For example, I've heard not so great things about Pilot's customer service. I don't know from personal experience though.
"German durability and reliability" kind of made me laugh, I'm sorry. I like Lamy for their durability and reliability yes, but those strike me as much more Japanese qualities than German. I'd have a Honda instead of a Mercedes, a Minolta instead of a Leica, because the Japanese philosophy of engineering seems more focussed on making things that are easy to own than German or American design has ever been overall.
Yeah, maybe it is a funny thing to say. I think it's over-generalizing to say that Germany and Japan are great at making stuff, because any country will have a mix of quality, depending on the brand. When I said that in the video, I think I was parroting what I often hear other pen TH-camrs say about "German engineering/quality/etc."
@@DowntheBreatherHole I have no doubt that you heard it from other people! It's a globe-spanning verbal tick that goes back to world war two, and not *exactly* for wholesome reasons. I tend to steer clear of it, personally.
@@adamp3223 it's always a good practice to steer clear of generalizations. Now that I'm more aware of this "tick," I want to stop using it too. Haha
As a German having used Lamy fountain pens during high school and ever since (and my kids too), I am sad to see that the family owned buisness changes hands. In a situation like this, operations and manufacturing will eventually change, but I have my stock of very reliable pens I use on a daily basis.
I have a good stock too (as you can see from the thumbnail picture)!
is this why they released those ugly as fck safari pens??
i love mitsubishi since my japanese teacher introduced me to them... i hope they made a better choice of colors for 2025
hahaha I bought one of those ugly colors and actually really like it. They are divisive to be sure, though!
This is another sign of the decline of quality ethics and products of the western capitalism, and rise of the cheapest loweat of quality, in this era of vicious competitions for only the highest profits and shares prices in the stock market. There is no way for the Lamy company to remain as it is for a long time, not anyother famous brand's manufacturing establishment, unfortunately.
The Mitsubishi Pencil Co. is a good company, so hopefully it all goes well for Lamy. My concern isn't east vs west so much as small company vs big company. I hope Lamy can keep its smaller company feel and quality.
Who cares
Lots of us! haha
My impression is more emotional than rational, and I would list some reasons. The primary one is related to a “family” company, which has its roots and origins in Germany. For me, seeing it being sold feels like losing ther soul, the essence of a great company. Additionally, I’ve noticed that for large corporations, every penny matters, and they will cut every possible corner to maximize profits. I sincerely hope that I am wrong, and they continue to remain the same. However, this situation also reminds me of Pelikan pens, which were also sold, and they have already started changing. For instance, the 400 to 1000 series now has a non-translucent body, which, in my opinion, takes away its characteristic, but this is part of the game.🥲🥲
Yes, there is definitely a very emotional element to all of this. A couple different times yesterday, I had to stop and think to myself, "Wait, am I grieving???" It sounds weird to grieve for a company, especially since we don't know what the future holds for it yet, but it happens.
@@DowntheBreatherHole Thanks for the reply, I feel the same way, maybe they keep the brand heritage.