You probably already know what the Lamy Safari ballpoint pens look like. If you don’t, here they are:
They’re sturdy and colorful and have that iconic accordion style knock. Problem is, they write like crap. (Familiar Lamy complaint from me, eh?!) I bought one, KNEW it wrote lousy and yet, bought another one! Can’t explain it, but there it is. I think the colors got me. Or the clip. Or a magic Lamy spell.
Yet the pens languish in a desk drawer because of the poor writing performance (the ink looks washed out, and when the tip moves across the page, it draaaaaggggs). This is not what you would call a fast writing pen, is what I’m saying. I like the pen colors and construction, but I NEVER use them. Never.
All of this changed about two weeks ago, when I stumbled upon an alternative refill for the Lamy ballpoints…the Monteverde Soft Roll L131BU. Within minutes, my fingers were flying over the keys, my credit card was out, and I ordered a couple…one blue, one black.
Oh, how I tracked their journey and awaited their arrival.
And THEN, the test drive. See for yourself:
Night and day.
The Monteverde refills are still ballpoint refills, so they aren’t hybrid ink perfect, but they’re sooooo much better than the Lamy refills that I’m finally using the pens. And I kind of like them.
A serendipitous find. New life for my Lamys.
For the time being, all is right in my little corner of the pen universe.
Ahhhhh.
From the Pen Cup 