Billed as the perfect pen for beginners young and not-so-young, the Lamy ABC is a sturdy wood and plastic fountain pen with a medium-ish nib that is cartridge-fill only (taking away one of the more intricate maneuvers, filling a fountain pen from a bottle of ink). Mine came in a shipment from Lost Crates, not something I would ordinarily be interested in but since it was part of the package I thought I'd give it a try. (Cat tail not included.)
The instruction booklet is printed in 6 or 8 different languages, along with illustrations on how to open the pen and insert the cartridge. There's also a blank strip for you to write your name (or whatever else) and attach it to the pen cap.
The Lamy ABC cap, section, and jewel comes in either red or blue, and are block-y so that the pen and cap won't roll off a table. The jewel at the end is pretty big, and won't fit inside the cap so the piece can't be posted. As I'm apt to leave things behind I could easily see myself forgetting the cap, otherwise this is a really cute, really usable pen for children and adults.
The nib doesn't leak nor did I have any skipping (although that may be as much a paper factor as the pen). As big as this pen is, it feels comfortable in my hand, and I enjoyed not having to mess around with filling a converter. Just pop in the cartridge and start writing (no dry start on this one, which was nice).
The Lamy ABC has the kind of design that gives adults permission to use and enjoy it, a quirky pen that's not really as strange-looking as it may seem. If you're interested in the unusual, check out this pen.
I Like it!
ReplyDeleteYou can use the Lamy Safari/Vista/Al-Star converter on it. This one have the same cartridge size, same fitting to the converter. I think it's worth a try. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly what all youngsters need, a basic training in the joys of fountain pens. I bought my Lamy from an arty stationary shop in Guildford before it closed down within the first 6 months of the recension. Using refile cartridges was a bit like owning a thirsty car though, or having a preoccupation with death; I watched helplessly as refills came and went. So fitting a converter brought with it a sense of calm and the liberty of choosing what inks I used.
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