(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)
I haven't been a big Lamy fan, in the past. I think they're good pens, but they don't beckon to me the way some other brands do. I'm rethinking that after spending a few weeks using this Lamy Studio. The Glacier color is gorgeous, of course, but it also writes wonderfully and feels overall very well made.
The pen body is aluminum, coated with a matte finish in this lovely frosty blue. The accents are super shiny chrome. There is no step between the cap and the barrel, and you can barely even feel the seam where the two meet, it is machined so precisely. The slight taper at each end of the pen creates a look that is somehow futuristic and retro at the same time. The clip may be my favorite feature--it almost looks as if it's twisted, with the end of the clip pinched out into a propeller shape. It's a firm clip, but flexible enough to be useful.
The cap pulls off rather than twisting, and closes with a very satisfying click. A surprising feature is that it also clicks in place to post, held in such a way that it is secure, but doesn't actually touch the metal against the pen's finish, so it won't scratch. That is some thoughtful design.
The grip section is chrome, and it's the only part of the pen that I don't like. It's quite slippery, and follows the tapered design, so your fingers naturally slide down the grip toward the nib after any extended use. I've solved this a little bit by actually keeping a more relaxed grip on the pen. My hands are less likely to slip if I'm not squeezing the grip.
The nib is steel, and it is the same nib used on the Safari and Al Star (which means you can swap it out easily if you want to play with other sizes). I've had mediocre luck with Lamy nibs as far as QC goes, but this one writes very well. The EF is nicely fine with excellent control without feeling too dry. I've been using it with the included blue cartridge, though the pen also came with a proprietary converter. I didn't want to mess up the converter, because I assumed I'd be gifting this pen to a friend or stranger after my review was complete. Because, you know, I'm not a Lamy person. Except maybe I'm a Lamy person and this pen is totally staying in my collection. In fact, I'm now mad at myself for missing some of the past special edition colors.
This one is also quite limited, so if you fancy this icy blue, don't wait too long to grab one. The MSRP is $99, but you can snag one for about $79. It is well worth that. That actually seems low. I'm not complaining, though, because I might need another one.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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