As there's no previous threads to append too, please find a link below to my review. Before it let me précis.
Appearance & Design
The pen looks thin, like a Logo, but the grip does give it some width making the pen feel wider than it is. The lacquer work is uniform and well done, covering all bar the bottom of the barrel, where the cap will post. The grip section is warm and comforting to hold, being briar wood (on the outside). Visually it is smart and does hint at luxury.
The grip can be swapped and there are around a half dozen options available. Another luxury one (which comes with the alternate lacquered pen) and a number of plastic and wooden options.
Construction & Quality
The build quality is good and the pen feels solid, however the lacquer is not urushi and I'm not sure how tough it really is. I managed to scratch the cap finial, but how I'm not sure.
Weight & Dimensions
The pen is thin, think Lamy Logo, however the grip adds an extra millimetre, which does not sound much but is noticeable in the hand. The balance point sits right in the middle of the grip, unless the cap is posted, at which point it moves to the mid point of the pen, so a very good design in this respect. Weight wise, the pen is on the lighter side.
Nib & Performance
The lacquered version of the pen comes with the Lamy gold nib. I have always been a fan of these much underrated nibs, which unlike their steel brethren are soft and springy, as well as on the wet side.
Filling System & Maintenance
The filling system is the Lamy's propriety cartridge and convertor. The pen comes with both. It's a good reliable system.
Cost & Value
This is a difficult call to make. The normal version, with a steel nib and an aluminium barrel, is £55 in the UK. The lacquered version with gold nib (in this form and with an alternative lacquered and metal ringed grip) is £180, so £125 more. The head will point out the grip is about £18 more than the cheaper version, the nib, £85, and £22 for lacquering the pen is good value, however with the pen being over three times the cost of the base model and also being more than gold nibbed special edition Scala pens as well as the Lamy 2000, the heart tells me this could be considered an expensive choice.
Conclusion
I still can't make up my mind on this pen. I like it, it is nice to use, comfortable and warm to hold, but at the same time it does not grab me and unless I'm forcing myself to use it there are other pens I'll grab without thinking. I suspect the same confusion would be caused by the base model as it sits in the same price band as so many other Lamy models such as the Logo, Studio, Scala, Aion, ....
The full review is here.
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