Lamy Safari fountain pen in rose powder

If you don't already know Lamy is a German company who have been designing and making all kinds of pens since 1966.  I am a big fan of their fountain pens and I have a small collection of them at home.  When I saw their new pastel range I thought it would be nice for me to review one as they are very popular at the moment so I reached out to Lamy and they said they would send me one for this post.  I chose the rose powder pen but it really was a close call between that and the blue macaron and mint glaze colours, they are all just so pretty!

Anyway, here she is in all her glory!  Isn't she lovely?

Lamy Safari fountain pen in rose powder

I absolutely adore the pale pink shade they used for this pen, it reminds me a little of strawberry milkshake and other sweet treats like cupcakes and macarons!

Pen test in my notebook

The Safari range was first released in the 1980's and is still a firm favourite today!  Lamy introduce new colours each year but the overall design stays the same, why mess with perfection?

Design points of the Safari fountain pen:

• Made from ABS plastic
• Black chromium-plated steel nib
• Spring loaded pocket clip (usually silver in colour)
• Triangular grip
• View window for ink cartridge

Triangular grip for comfort

The pen is made from a sturdy plastic so it feels quite substantial in your hand but without being too heavy and the ergonomic grip is designed to help you hold it comfortably, making it perfect for writing letters, lists or taking lots of notes at work or school!  The whole pen (apart from the nib and clip) is the same colour unlike the Lx and Al-Star ranges which have a transparent black grip section instead.  

Medium silver steel nib

This pen comes with a medium nib but if you prefer a different size you can change this as replacement nibs are sold separately.  Talking of nibs, one of the main reasons I love Lamy fountain pens is because they write beautifully, they don't skip or drag as you use them and I've never had one leak on me!

There is a cartridge of blue ink in the box so you can start using your pen straight away.  When the blue ink runs out I think I will replace it with a nice pink one, let me know if you have any recommendations!

Pretty, pastel perfection

I really can't fault the Safari fountain pen, I have been using my green one for the last three years and it's still great!  It is a fantastic "everyday" pen, you can pop it into your bag, pen loop or pocket without worrying about it getting scratched or damaged and for under £20 it's a bargain!  If you want to start using a fountain pen or are looking for a nice, shiny new one then I would definitely recommend a Safari!

If you want to check out the other colours available you can find them all on the Lamy website and if you want to see my fountain pens you can find them here!

Thank you to Jessica from Lamy for sending me this beautiful pen and thank you to you too for stopping by and reading my review!


Do you love the pastels collection?  Let me know which is your favourite!


*Disclaimer - this pen was given to me free of charge for the purpose of this review, as always all opinions are honest and my own.

Fountain Pen Friday - Lamy LX and Diamine ink

I just love Fountain Pen Friday!  Having rediscovered my love of fountain pens a few years back it is so nice to have a special day of National Stationery Week dedicated to them.  I thought today would be perfect to share my newest addition with you, a pen I had lusted after since the day it was announced, the beautiful rose gold Lamy LX!

Lamy LX in rose gold

The LX range was designed by Wolfgang Fabian and produced as part of Lamy's 50th anniversary celebrations.  It is available in four different colours, Gold, Rose Gold, Palladium (white) and Ruthenium (grey).  

LX is pronounced 'luxe' and my rose gold is certainly a luxurious pen with a refined finish. It's made from the same lightweight and durable aluminium as Lamy's popular Al-Star pen (which I also own and reviewed a while ago) but it is anodised in rose gold and comes with it's own matching rubber-cushioned aluminium case. 

Matching pen and case

The chrome elements are plated in rose gold to match the barrel colour and adds a real touch of class to the pen.

Rose gold plated pen clip

More rose gold plate

The nib is a little different too.  It is black PVD-coated steel which goes nicely with the transparent black, ergonomic, plastic grip area.

 Black nib and grip area

The LX takes a standard T10 Lamy ink cartridge or the Z28 converter if you like to use bottled ink.  I filled mine with Diamine Shimmertastic in Golden Sands as I couldn't find a rose gold ink to match the pen.  I used Golden Sands to write on the page in the photo above, I think the two go well together.

Diamine Shimmertastic inks come in a variety colours and have tiny shimmer particles in either silver or gold.  Golden Sands is an amber coloured ink with gold sparkles and is simply stunning to use!  It is quite hard to capture in a photograph just how sparkly it is so I got out my macro lens to show you.

Diamine Shimmertastic Golden Sands under a macro lens

Do you have a favourite fountain pen and ink combination? I'd love to know!

P.S how lovely is my new rose gold Saffiano Filofax?  I needed it, it matched my pen!  I will have to write a post about it soon and show you how I have set it up!

See you again tomorrow for Signature Saturday!

My favourites - 2016

Hello!  Happy New Year!  I wanted to kick things off with round up post of some of my favourite products of 2016.  

Favourite pen

So it has to be my Lamy Safari fountain pen I was given to review last year.  I love this shade of green, it reminds me of the first shoots of spring every time I use it! 

Lamy Safari fountain pen

Favourite planner

My favourite is still my Van der Spek custom organiser, it's coming up to 18 months in this planner now and I'm still very happy in it.  The leather has developed a nice shine with continued use and it still smells fantastic.

Van der Spek custom organiser

Favourite pencil case

I used to have one of these in pink but after a couple of years it was a bit grubby and looking worse for wear so I replaced it with this lovely blue one.  As far as I know these do not have a brand name, I found mine on eBay by searching for a "travel passport case" and hundreds of them popped up!  They have so many handy little pockets and slots for my stationery, perfect for on the go planning.

Pencil case

Favourite stamps

I'm cheating a little here and picking two sets of stamps as my favourites this year!  I love these Documenting the everyday #1 and #2 sets, I use them all the time in my travellers notebook.  I think they are really fun and brighten up journal entries.

Documenting the everyday stamp sets

Favourite colouring pencils

No one is allowed to borrow my Staedtler noris colouring pencils, they are mine, all mine *insert maniacal laugh here*  they are such vivid colours and blend beautifully on all different types of paper!

Favourite notebook

I have a little notebook addiction, if I spot a pretty one I always buy it even if I can't think of a use for it straight away.  This gorgeous shimmer accents notebook from Go Stationery is very stylish with it's gold polka dot cover and the luxurious cream paper inside is thick and smooth to write on.

Go Stationery Shimmer accents A5 notebook

That's it for my 2016 favourites, I can't wait to share with you some new bits and pieces I find this year too!

Thanks for stopping by!

Fountain Pen Friday - Lamy Safari green fountain pen review and giveaway *Now closed & the winner announced in the comments*

When I saw one of the days of National Stationery Week was especially for fountain pens I contacted Lamy and asked if they would like to do something together for today.  Lisa emailed me back and offered me two green Lamy Safari fountain pens so I could review one and give the second away to one of you! 

Lamy Safari green fountain pen

When the pens arrived I was struck by how lovely the shade of green was, it really reminded me of the first shoots of colour you see in spring.  

Spring green

I tested the Safari in my notebook and found it to be just as good as my Lamy Al-Star which I have been using for the past two years.  The ink flows out of the nib beautifully, I just wish my handwriting could do it justice!

Ink level window and chrome-plated pocket clip

The pen's body is made from tough ABS plastic and it has a lovely glossy shine to it.  Like the Al-Star the Safari has the same triangular grip area and a window so you can see the ink level inside the pen without having to open it up.

Handwritten review

You can pick up a Safari fountain pen for around £14 which is a fantastic price!  The Safari is also available in a wide range of colours if green is not your thing, I have my heart set on the new dark lilac one and maybe the yellow and pink pens too!  You can never have too many fountain pens right?

Medium nib

So, as I said, Lisa gave me a second pen to give away today, she also threw in an extra box of blue ink cartridges so you will be able to use your Safari fountain pen for ages and ages before you need to buy more ink!

The prize

To enter this giveaway all you have to do is tell me what you write when you are trying out a pen!  I usually go with "hello" and my children's names.  Here are the rules:

• Tell me what you write when testing a pen
• I will number the comments and use random.org to pick a winner.
• This giveaway is open internationally. 
• The giveaway ends at 12pm UK time on the 8th May 2016.
• I will announce the winner on this post on the 9th May 2016.
• This is the only prize (for today) - there is no cash alternative. 
• If the winner doesn't contact me within 72 hours of my announcing the winning entry, I will have to draw a new name.
• If you are under 18 years of age please ask your parent's permission before entering the giveaway.

Good luck!

Fountain Pen Day - Lamy Al-Star review

When I heard it was Fountain Pen Day today I thought it would be a perfect time to review my Lamy Al-Star I purchased from Europens a little while ago.

Now the first thing I have to say is Europens were fantastic.  They happily answered my questions about engraving and the fonts available and were really lovely to deal with.  They offer a free engraving service so I just had to personalise my pen!

My aqua/blue/green colour crush!

The Al-Star is available in a wide range of colours but I went with the limited edition blue green pen.  I also brought an aqua pen case, which is an exclusive to Europens, to protect it.  

Making notes

The Al-Star is very similar in design to the popular Lamy Safari pen but the main difference is the Safari is made from plastic and the Al-Star is made from aluminium.  The Safari price starts at £12.99 and the Al-Star from £18.99 but the metal finish makes it look so much more expensive.

Medium size nib, turquoise ink and my
awful cursive writing!

Another difference between the Safari and the Al-Star is the bottom half (or is it the top half?) of the pen is translucent instead of a solid block of colour.  I think I prefer this look and like the barrel of the pen it is also squared so it is comfortable to hold, easy to grip and it wont roll when you put it down.

Yes my notepaper matches my pen!

The pen comes in a nice presentation box with a single cartridge in blue so you can use it straight away.  I would take a photo of the box but I took the pen out of it and put it into the leather case straight away and now I'm not sure where the box is.  I must have put it "somewhere safe"!

Pros:

• writes very smoothly, it doesn't skip at all
• the ink flows easily and at just the right speed
• looks expensive and stylish
• comes in a good range of colours, there's something for everyone
• lightweight but feels substantial in your hand
• a good starter fountain pen
• has a window so you can see how much ink is left
• affordable 
• wide range of coloured ink available
• stainless steel nib
• you can purchase a converter and use ink from a bottle
• well balanced - both posted and unposted

Cons:

• aluminium might scratch or dent though I've had mine for a few months and it still looks brand new 

Random things I write when trying out a pen 

If you want to join in with the fun today you can find the Fountain Pen Day team on Twitter and Facebook.  Europens are also running a couple of competitions on Twitter and their Facebook page if you want to enter or you can treat yourself or get a head start on some Christmas shopping with 10% off your order using the code:

 FPD10

The code is valid for today only

Have a great Fountain Pen Day!

*Disclaimer - I purchased this pen for myself and I was not paid to write this review.  As always all opinions are honest and my own.  I am not affiliated with Europens and will not receive commission on any orders placed using the links in this post.