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I have a nice Lamy Safari that I was really enjoying. I let it sit too long, and the ink dried out. I have another fancy pen I got a long time ago and washing it out always fixed the issue, but this time with the Safari soaking the nib and part where the nib is connected/the ink cartridge sits over night and rinsing and drying well only partially solved the issue. It has started writing again, but randomly it will stop putting ink on the paper before starting again a few letters/test loops later. Is there something else I should be doing to fix this? Do I need a new nib? They cost almost as much as the pen did, so I'd like to avoid it if possible. I finally got into fountain pens because of this thread a few years ago. I jumped in the deep end a little too quickly at the start with the fancy pen I hardly ever used and got tired of drying it out, so I tried the pilot varsity disposable pens amd worked my way up to the Safari. I really like it, especially the finger cradle they have built into the grip.
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May 30, 2025 03:15
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| # ¿ Jan 16, 2026 07:15 |
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My fancy one cleaned very easily, so I probably came into this very optimistic. It's in a box after a move and I can't remember the name. I'm pretty sure it was something German with an S. When you guys said it was most likely a cleaning issue on the Safari, I got brave and looked up how to disassemble it more than I was doing. I pulled the nib off all the way, and when I submerged it and the connecty bit a BUNCH of dried ink came off in chunks, so I'm glad I asked. I'm a little worried about getting the nib back on or losing it, but I'm sure it will be ok. I'm using Lamy brand cartridges that came with the pen.
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May 30, 2025 03:37
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Muir posted:Sheaffer? It may have been a Schmidt? But I may be mixing that up with the refillable ballpoint i got. Could also just be a Scriveiner. So far, the Safari is the pen I like the best. I have broad hands and fingers, and the Safari fits the best and is overall a nice experience. It also has a nice amount of ink output when writing. Some of the other fountain pens I've used (admittedly a small sample of relatively cheap pens) tend to have way too much ink flow, especially on cheap paper.
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May 30, 2025 03:56
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I cleaned a ton of gunk out of the pen last night and then set it soaking overnight. I was not expecting much, but the water was black when I checked it in the morning. I changed the water and set it soaking again and saw more ink in the water at lunch. I can't believe how gooped up it got. I'll have to disassemble and clean it every time I change a cartridge going forward, I guess. I'm eager to get it dried out and writing again. What would be a good next pen for someone as clearly novice as me? So far, I've felt like the Safari is a good match, but I'm interested in trying something else, too. Maybe something with a larger barrel / is comfortable to grip with large hands.
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May 30, 2025 19:26
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I got a bulb syringe and cleaned out the feed like you guys said. I think I may have done in the nib somehow, though. When I use the pen the correct way, the ink is faint and has inconsistent flow. When I write with the "top" side of the nib, I get great flow and a nice fine line.
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Jun 2, 2025 14:59
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HolePisser1982 posted:devil's advocate, and it's for the best that I can't have it, but I'd freaking kill for a lead white ink This kind of post makes me feel like a teenage pothead who wandered into a heroin den.
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Jun 3, 2025 19:15
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Safety Dance posted:I just got an email that Lamy got bought by Mitsubishi and they're closing the flagship stores in NY and SF. Get while the getting's good. Would you say that's good news or bad news?
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Jun 9, 2025 23:48
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FINALLY got my pen writing correctly again. Took it apart and cleaned it a second time and put a new cartridge in, and when I seated it, I spun it in place a little bit. I felt something open up a little more than when I first placed it, and it's back to writing normally. Which is a relief; I really like this pen, and I was starting to worry I had broken it somehow. Thank you all for your advice.
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Jun 10, 2025 14:39
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I really like my Paperage notebooks. The paper takes ink well and doesn't blot or bleed through, and you can get a pack of 5 for under $40 on Amazon. The covers are good too, for the price. They were a big step up from the Walmart-grade composition notebooks I had been using before.
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Jun 11, 2025 15:15
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Bilirubin posted:So I love my Lany Safari in M, but I'm thinking I want something with a little finer nib and am debating another Lamy (another Safari in a different color, maybe the limited edition Dusk, or an AL Star) in F or EF or a Pilot Metropolitan in M or F. Problem is, I don't really love the colors currently available for the AL Star or Pilot Metros, and the last time I tried I found the Pilot nib to be scratchy. The plus side of the Pilot is that I can get carts of the Iroshizuku Kon-Peki, a color I absolutely love, otherwise I would have to get a bottle and a converter for a Lamy, which introduces mess and a greater expense since they only have the large bottle available in my local shop (which is surprisingly cheaper that I see on Amazon currently). The Safari has interchangeable nibs that are very easy to work with. I changed my Safari nib to EF, and it has been very nice.
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Jul 28, 2025 14:46
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How cheap is too cheap for a fountain pen? Are there any extreme budget brands you all recommend?
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Jul 30, 2025 02:12
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I just bought an ink bottle and switched to using a converter instead of a cartridge. Never thought I would, but the last batch of cartridges I bought were so problematic that I didn't see an alternative. I just got some cheap Parker "Quink" (whatever that is) in blue-black. Honestly, I was a little surprised at how easy the process was. I thought it would be way more of a pain. Though I'm sure surprises may still await given how little I paid.
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Aug 28, 2025 16:15
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Chip McFuck posted:Quink is a portmanteau of "quick" and "ink," and it has been in production in various formulations since the 1930s. It's a very reliable, inexpensive ink that's well behaved and has a good flow. Welcome to the converter club! Soon, you'll have more bottles of ink than you'll know what to do with. I bought it in frustration and was afraid to google it  thank you.I like how filling the converter immediately saturates the feed. That was a pleasant, but in retrospect obvious, surprise. You're right about the addiction, I'm already looking at other shades of blue. The iroshizuku line's asa-gao will probably be my next purchase. The kon-peki, while a beautiful shade of blue, is a little brighter than what I like to write with typically. hydroceramics fucked around with this message at 16:49 on Aug 28, 2025 |
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Aug 28, 2025 16:38
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Trevor Hale posted:I have Oxford blue and love Oxford blue. But if I want a blue with a little bit of spice to it, I've really come to enjoy Valley of Fear https://appelboom.com/wearingeul-inks-the-valley-of-fear-by-arthur-conan-doyle-30ml-ink-bottle/ I'd love to see what it looks like on paper if you get the opportunity. The valley of fear I mean. hydroceramics fucked around with this message at 01:15 on Oct 17, 2025 |
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Oct 17, 2025 01:11
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Trevor Hale posted:And here is my dogshit writing so you can compare some inks against each other. I was really curious to see how the color shifted in actual writing. The pictures on the maker's website were just big blotches like in the jar above. Its so much more subtle on line work. Thanks! Also, pictures un-attach from posts when you preview them before posting. You basically have to 
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Oct 17, 2025 21:32
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Chip McFuck posted:How well does it dry? Does it have the same problem that monster sheeners tend to have where they will smear for days after? I was looking at some other ink like this and hasn't thought of that. Is there a way to tell, or do you just have to figure it out on a case by case basis?
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Oct 18, 2025 18:00
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Fooey. Diamine has some really pretty blue/blue combos, but I need practical ink for my purposes.
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Oct 18, 2025 18:24
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The reservoirs on these eyedropper pens are gigantic. The brass Kaweco one looks interesting, but I've heard the pen itself is on the small side (maybe here, I refuse to scroll up). If I wanted a large sized brass eyedropper pen, what should I look for?
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Oct 25, 2025 21:04
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SixteenShells posted:pulled the cap off a travel bottle of ink and a big loogie of congealed ink came with it eww eww eww. i might toss the whole bottle I aliquoted that vial from Speaking of, generally how long will ink last in the bottle if in cool, dark conditions?
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Oct 27, 2025 21:10
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Safety Dance posted:I don’t know what kind of monster pens you use, but I think the Kaweco Sports are somewhere between reasonable and pretty big when they’re posted. That's a fantastic comparison shot, thank you. A few of the reviews I read mentioned the kaweco sport being on the small size, but in your picture it looks slightly larger than the Safari, which fits comfortably enough in my hand.
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Oct 28, 2025 04:19
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You guys weren't lying about ink addiction. I'm trying to be strategic about it, at least. Bottle of Parker blue for my F Beiluner at work, bottle of Parker black for my EF Lamy, and a bottle of Diamine Festive Cheer for my M Majohn m2. As long as I can limit myself to one bottle per pen, I should be ok 😆. I go through ink decently ok since I use it for work, at least.
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Nov 4, 2025 15:24
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Speaking of fancy blue, I'm really disappointed in the Diamine Festive Cheer. Its almost indistinguishable from the bog standard blue that you can get anywhere. I was hoping for something more complex and multi-tone blue/blue.
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Nov 5, 2025 17:32
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fanny packrat posted:Asa Gao looks too blue. The color I want is roughly the same as the scales on the blurple Spyderco Manix. But I really think I need to find a blue-purple and not a purple-blue, if that makes sense. Diamine's Athol Violet looks like a fairly blue-heavy blurple to me. Though my only experience with Diamine was kind of a let down, so I cant vouch for the color or the brand.
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Nov 6, 2025 21:11
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Chip McFuck posted:I've always thought that Colorverse Quasar and Nagasawa Kobe #14 Maya Purple (aka Maya Lapis Lazuli) are excellent blue-purples that lean more blue. I love Nagasawa ink, even if they are a little pricy. Wow, that Lapis Lazuli is beautiful. The 25-30 second dry time, on the other hand...
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Nov 6, 2025 22:41
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I have a cheap old Lamy pen that was still using cartridges, and when I went to replace an empty the other day I noticed the others I had had all dried out (much to my genuine delight). I ordered some Monteverde cartridges in Capri Blue that didnt fit in the pen, so after I shuffled some things around I have them in my Safari now. On cheap paper the ink dried in less than 5 seconds. It also flowed surprisingly well out of the EF nib, which with other inks I've found to be on the scratchy side. It's a very nice, vibrant Royal Blue which I've been after instead of the standard navy business blue. I was thinking I might have to eventually order some Visconti to get the right shade, but this really is quite nice. Like someone said about another ink further up thread, it pops off the page without looking un-serious.
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Nov 11, 2025 20:00
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Chip McFuck posted:Basically I'm looking for a letter-sized legal pad, which to me has always been called a 'paper pad' though now I realize that might be a regional word for them. You might try searching with the term "steno pad."
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Dec 10, 2025 00:01
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Zenostein posted:A steno pad is a specific sort of lined pad, and I think they have a specific size, too. A search for a4 steno pad brings up pretty much what he's looking for minus the paper quality, which I can't speak to.
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Dec 10, 2025 14:26
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| # ¿ Jan 16, 2026 07:15 |
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Where's a good place to buy a feed for a Lamy Safari? Everything I've seen online has shipping that would cost more than just getting a new pen, and the only listing on Amazon would take a month or more to get here. hydroceramics fucked around with this message at 19:49 on Jan 12, 2026 |
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Jan 12, 2026 19:44
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