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caribbean_skye
March 8th, 2013, 10:28 AM
Hello,

I am hoping that someone can help me out. The plan is to buy a Lamy Vista but I need help with choosing a nib. When I went to buy my Safari about a year ago, I tried the F and M and didn't notice a big deal. The salesman at the store when asked also confirmed that he didn't notice a big difference either. Is this usually the case or maybe just an odd coincidence. I ended up buying the M but I was hoping for something finer and am now wondering whether the EF is the way to go. It would be extremely helpful if you more knowledgeable LAMY folks could impart your nib experience.

Thank you.

KrazyIvan
March 8th, 2013, 10:46 AM
I might have an EF nib somewhere that I do not use. If you want, I can mail it to you. I just need to make sure it's an EF. I don't remember. :noidea:

caribbean_skye
March 8th, 2013, 01:55 PM
Oooh that would work. Please let me know if you'd like it back or how much you'd want for it if you don't want it back.

Thanks KI.

KrazyIvan
March 8th, 2013, 02:49 PM
I probably have not used that nib in over a year. I won't be using it anytime soon, so don't worry about sending it back. :) Just hope it is an EF.

Toffer
March 8th, 2013, 03:14 PM
I have a fine you can have if KI can't find his!!

Toffer
March 8th, 2013, 03:16 PM
Goulet pens have the nib nook to show different nib sizes as well if you want to compare sizes.

manoeuver
March 9th, 2013, 04:22 AM
The safari nibs can be somewhat inconsistent (it's an $11 nib, I'm not complaining.)
I've got an EF that's broader than my F.
In my experience the M has always been considerably fatter than the F.
Best of luck- I recommend you try em both, and enjoy each nib for what it is.

caribbean_skye
March 9th, 2013, 10:55 AM
Goulet pens have the nib nook to show different nib sizes as well if you want to compare sizes.

I checked and there doesn't seem to be a huge difference between the F and M. Again not sure whether that's par for the course or not.


The safari nibs can be somewhat inconsistent (it's an $11 nib, I'm not complaining.)
I've got an EF that's broader than my F.
In my experience the M has always been considerably fatter than the F.
Best of luck- I recommend you try em both, and enjoy each nib for what it is.

Thanks. I was wondering if there was some consistency issue or not but not having a lot of experience with this brand I wasn't sure. One of the letters received during February was from someone who wrote that they used a Safari with a F nib however that nib was a LOT finer that what I tried last year.

Bogon07
March 10th, 2013, 03:19 PM
Generally as per the Goulet's Nib nook as Toffer said.
But from experiences similar to Manoeuver the Lamy nib sizes may seem inconsistant. The line can vary considerably depending on the ink used and amount of pressure applied.

There is a thread somewhere on FPN concerning the EF nibs, I recall some-one trying three of them finding one seemed more like a F, several others mentioned the same.

Also probably not applicable here but worth remembering the Lamy gold nibs are generally wider writing than the steel ones.

KrazyIvan
March 10th, 2013, 07:10 PM
Just looked at my Lamy nibs and I definitely have an EF. I do not remember how it writes. If anything, I would be happy to grind it finer if you want. Of course, you would have to try it first.

woosang
March 11th, 2013, 02:10 AM
Ef is always the way to go. :-) anyway I love them. You can just buy an extra nib for $10 :-)

woosang
March 11th, 2013, 02:11 AM
Ooo it never occurred to me to grind me ef nibs..I shall rush off to play!

jor412
April 29th, 2013, 06:30 AM
I checked and there doesn't seem to be a huge difference between the F and M. Again not sure whether that's par for the course or not.


The safari nibs can be somewhat inconsistent (it's an $11 nib, I'm not complaining.)
I've got an EF that's broader than my F.
In my experience the M has always been considerably fatter than the F.
Best of luck- I recommend you try em both, and enjoy each nib for what it is.

Thanks. I was wondering if there was some consistency issue or not but not having a lot of experience with this brand I wasn't sure. One of the letters received during February was from someone who wrote that they used a Safari with a F nib however that nib was a LOT finer that what I tried last year.

How did your search for the right nib go? After reading all the Lamy posts, I inked up my only Lamy and now I think I want a Vista but I'd like to get as fine a nib as possible, without them being scratchy. Feedback is all right; I don't expect buttery smooth EFs.

Bogon07
April 29th, 2013, 05:05 PM
Jor412,
As Toffer said you can get an idea by checking Goulet Pens nib Nook and selecting Vista to see the nibs comparatively.
http://www.gouletpens.com/Nib_Nook_s/1114.htm

The EF is the finest you can get unless you are willing to get one ground down to a Japanese extra fine.

You can reduce the EF's scratchiness by using smooth paper, light pressure and a free flowing ink.
Good luck with the Vista.

jor412
April 29th, 2013, 07:00 PM
Oops, I wasn't clear. I'd be content with an EF. I do expect the German EF to be wider than the Japanese EF, which I have yet to try. Thanks for tip on reducing the scratchiness. :) I've always wanted a Vista but since I hadn't been using my Safari for maybe about a year after I first bought it, I couldn't justify the Vista to myself.

Bogon07
April 29th, 2013, 09:41 PM
You don't need to justify getting a new Lamy. On FPG you're morely likely to have to justify not getting a fountainpen.
The Vista is good because you do not need to unscrew the barrel to check the ink level when it falls below the window.

jor412
May 4th, 2013, 09:35 AM
If you can get a nib for $10 elsewhere, here it's about $18. That's almost double, right? Ok. Me I'm of the mind that I"m supporting our FP pen and ink distributors so ok, I'll invest. I bought an EF nib. It's not much finer than my medium so I'm quite tempted to grind it. But all this aside, I'm still dreaming about the Vista.

Bogon07
May 4th, 2013, 03:56 PM
If you can get a nib for $10 elsewhere, here it's about $18. That's almost double, right? Ok. Me I'm of the mind that I"m supporting our FP pen and ink distributors so ok, I'll invest. I bought an EF nib. It's not much finer than my medium so I'm quite tempted to grind it. But all this aside, I'm still dreaming about the Vista.
Just a nib costs $24 in shops here so I'd rather buy a whole new pen with the nib I want from o/s for the same price or less.
I draw a line between supporting local sellers (and Lamy's Australian distributors) and being taken for a ride.

jor412
May 4th, 2013, 05:26 PM
What's weird here is they only sell the whole pen with M nibs, and if you want a different nib you have to buy it separately.

I also asked about the 1.1 nibs -- they're out of stock. In any case, I now have a plan. I'll go ahead and get the Vista and grind the default M nib into a stub. When I went to the store btw the Charcoal & Red started looking tempting and I thought to myself, oh no.

hark40
May 5th, 2013, 12:52 AM
If you can get a nib for $10 elsewhere, here it's about $18. That's almost double, right? Ok. Me I'm of the mind that I"m supporting our FP pen and ink distributors so ok, I'll invest. I bought an EF nib. It's not much finer than my medium so I'm quite tempted to grind it. But all this aside, I'm still dreaming about the Vista.
Just a nib costs $24 in shops here so I'd rather buy a whole new pen with the nib I want from o/s for the same price or less.
I draw a line between supporting local sellers (and Lamy's Australian distributors) and being taken for a ride.


What's weird here is they only sell the whole pen with M nibs, and if you want a different nib you have to buy it separately.

I also asked about the 1.1 nibs -- they're out of stock. In any case, I now have a plan. I'll go ahead and get the Vista and grind the default M nib into a stub. When I went to the store btw the Charcoal & Red started looking tempting and I thought to myself, oh no.

Much as I want to support local business, Lamy's Australian distributor are ripping us off (but it is not unique to just pens either - just look at the recent Senate inquiry on IT pricing and some of the silly answers they got from Apple, Adobe and Microsoft). Z50 nibs from the UK are only GBP4.50 which equates to around AUD$6 or so once VAT is removed, then add a few GBP for delivery and you have easily get three nibs delivered for the price of one locally. Not sure on the delivery cost to the Philippines though, but it should not be that much different. If you can afford to buy a few nibs in one hit, you come out well in the end. Then as Bogon07 suggested, buy a whole pen from OS, with the appropriate nib, but for around the same price of buying a nib locally.

jor412
May 5th, 2013, 01:17 AM
Hmm. Perhaps, I overstated my case. The other reasons I buy locally are to avoid costly shipping, dubious customs computations, and problems with the post office such as packages disappearing into thin air. But when I can't source things locally, I buy online and have them shipped to a friend in NJ. She takes care of shipping things to me via courier, the minimum cost of which is about $22 and that includes fair customs duties. What I do is I buy a lot to maximize on these costs. Sometimes local is cheaper; sometimes, ordering online is cheaper. Ordering always includes about a one month delay since it takes a while to accumulate items, and about 5-10 working days to ship the package to the Philippines. There are other ways -- friends or relatives traveling to other countries where certain pens are cheaper is a great option, however intermittent. :)

klpeabody
May 5th, 2013, 01:58 PM
I notice that the OP started this post back in March, but wanted to comment anyway. As far as quality control, for whatever reason, I've noticed that LAMY's Medium and Extra-Fine nibs have been the better writers. I've not been as Jazzed with their F and B nibs. That's just me though. I think if you like a finer writing nib, the EF is a very good choice. I would say that it's definitely more like a Fine than EF, but that's my perception. Their Medium nibs are very enjoyable and I do have a few of both. To go a little further, as far as the LAMY italics are concerned, I've had the best luck with 1.1 nibs; not-so-much with the 1.5 or 1.9 but that has been my exp only. Usually, with an italic, I'm looking for something bigger than a 1.1, and prefer a 1.5 or bigger but with LAMY the 1.1 nibs have been the better writers. Again, that has been my experience, and yours might differ.

jor412
May 5th, 2013, 07:13 PM
That's odd about the F & B nibs. I was looking at more spare nibs last night -- the oblique & what the sales clerk called, calligraphy nibs -- when I went to another store and for some reason, the only Lamy they didn't have was the Vista. They had everything else including all the different models up and down the line. I had previously tried the 1.1 and wasn't too keen on it. I prefer my nibs to have some tipping.

Bogon07
May 5th, 2013, 07:42 PM
Most of the Safari & Al-Star pens in shops here in australia come with an M nib some shops will swap it out for free or a differential charge if you want a size different from a F & B or maybe an EF.

AVAILABLE NIB GRADES for Lamy ABC, Safari, Joy, Al-Star, Studio, Accent, Pur, Linear, Logo, CP1, ST....
• EF (extra fine)*
• F (fine)*
• M (medium)*
• B (broad)*
• LH (left-handed, medium)
• MK or A (beginners, medium - found in the Wooden ABC pen)
• OM (oblique medium)
• OB (oblique broad)
• 1.1 Italic
• 1.5 Italic
• 1.9 Italic
* also available as a 14K gold nib - an option in high level Studio, CP1 or Accent pens.

Generally Lamy nibs a thought of as being a grade wider than the same Japanese size notation.
There also seems to be a bit of variation in the actual line size coming from EF or F nibs.

I have not come across the OM or OB yet although I've seen them listed on-line but no offered as an option. Anyway I'm not sure if they will be left or right footed.

Jor412 the Lamy markup here makes it worth while for us to order overseas from Asia/UK for the Safaris or Al-Stars where shipping is $4-$8 which is less than the usual price differential of atleast $10 especially if the seller is offering free Z24-Z26 converters (another $9+ in Oz). For pens like the Studio the price differential can be more than $100. Have not had any Customs problems so far.

jor412
May 5th, 2013, 08:29 PM
I saw the OM in black. :) The Lamy Safari here is about $36. It comes in that cool Lamy box, and with a converter and cartridge. The advantage of online purchasing is I can choose the nib.

Price-wise though, it comes out about the same: about $24 for the pen +5 for the converter, plus shipping, taxes, the long wait, & the aggravation of dealing with customs. I don't like bashing my own country, but our customs people are corrupt. If they can overcharge us, they will. And while I can probably argue with them, I'd rather not get into it -- it's unpleasant, to say the least.