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Gerber Impromptu Tactical Pen [31-001880] - Gerber
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Lamy Safari Fountain Pen - Charcoal - Fine - Lamy

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Gerber http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21xJVCMVZIL._SL160_.jpg
Gerber Impromptu Tactical Pen [31-001880] - Gerber
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Lamy http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/318mUpM801L._SL160_.jpg
Lamy Safari Fountain Pen - Charcoal - Fine - Lamy
Rating info
eComparisons Score
eComparisons ScoreThe "Comparison Score" Is calculated based on the average number of times this item was compared with other items in this category by our users
8.6
8.6
User Rating (Amazon)
User Rating (Amazon)

Five Star Reviews:

67%
This pen is awesome, handy, solid, always at the ready. Well made piece of kit!
September 23, 2017
This pen is solid steel. It is heavy, but it doesn't weigh you down. I carry it in a shirt pocket of my uniform shirt. It comes with a cartridge that writes upside down or on wet paper to a degree. I'm very pleased with this pen. I've had other aluminum versions of a tactical pen before. This one is so handy because you don't have to remove the cap to use it. It functions perfectly, no trouble extending the pen tip or retracting with a click of the top button. Best made tactical pen I've owned. My wife carries a different brand that is aluminum because she says her purse is heavy enough as it is.
Great Self-Defense Pen
June 3, 2017
Seems very sturdy and the clicking feature is great. Gerber comes through again. The only weird thing is that there is a metal point for self-defense near the tip of the pen which sometimes interferes with writing.
Great pen, Not a fan of the glass breaker but easy fix..
April 9, 2017
After spending money on cheaper tactical pens that broke or were hard to use I picked up the gerber. I just wish I pulled the trigger the first time instead of wasting money on the others.. The only thing I didn't like was the glass breaker piece sticking out which interfered at times with writing since you have to rotate the pen so it's out of the way, I think you would get used to it but personally I just wanted a rugged pen that works and won't break so simple fix for that is take a pair of vice grips and 1 yank and problem solved. No more tip to get in the way.. Now it's perfect!
Great for everyday use
April 1, 2017
Arrived a few days early and in perfect condition. Excellent weight and balance, writes smoothly, and is very comfortable in the hand. It's perfect for everyday use, doesn't look like a weaponized pen so it doesn't attract attention, and the refills are easily available. Considering buying another as a spare in case I ever lose or misplace this one.
Excellent Quality.
August 16, 2016
I can see why they call it a "tactical" pen. It's very heavy because of its metal construction. Given its non-writing uses, being heavy makes sense. Just don't try to wear it in a regular civilian shirt pocket. The pen is only a fraction of an inch longer than standard ink pens. It writes well, but I don't think I would want to take a lot of notes with it, such as in a class or seminar. Nevertheless, it will be an integral part of my emergency auto gear. I just hope I don't have to test the window-breaking feature.Just to be on the safe side, if I take it on a plane flight, I will put it into my checked baggage. I'm sure any airport security agent would love to confiscate it.
Awesome writing instrument!
March 28, 2016
Peace be with you! First I want to say that I bought this not to use as a weapon but as my main pen. I work in the food service industry and everything we bring to the floor must be metal-detectable. The Zebra brand of pens are standard but are too small for my tastes and the same goes for the Cross brand of pens too. Enter the Gerber Tactical Pen! This baby is Quality Control approved, has great heft and writes as the best pen I used in all my natural memory! I use the Fisher Space Pen refill Fisher Space Pen Point Pressurized Refill, Black Bold (SPR4B) bold version, as my standard. The clicker has not failed from repeated use but as I said, I don't plan on punching out glass anytime soon! For me, this is the best rugged pen I have ever used and because of the weight and style you will get lots of comments from ppl. But be sure to get it back from them! Lastly, are two flat panels on the pen that I use for engraving. Yet again highly recommended buying the Fisher Space Refills for the price and quality. I'll give two of these as gifts to some friends in the future.UPDATE: Hats off to the pen design and the Fisher Refills. I accidently left my pen in the washing machine but it came out writing and functioning and a tad cleaner. Nice!
69%
Great fountain pen!
July 13, 2017
The Lamy Safari is a great everyday fountain pen!I bought it with the Lamy Refill Converter Lamy Refill Converter (Z24) and the Lamy Black Inkwell Lamy Bottled Ink 50ml with Blotting Paper-Black (LT52BK).It worked right out of the box, no issues at all!! It feels pretty nice in my hands and writes well.No skipping, dripping or mess. The converter popped right in, it has notches that you slide it in to.I will definitely be picking up a few more!Just a thought, they really should include the refill converter for free!
When It's Right, it's Right
March 30, 2017
For years I ignored these very hot-selling pens. I thought they looked a bit 80s and cheap. But I finally got to try one and it was an instant bond. The grip is either going to work for you or against you. For me, it was absolute perfection. I can write with a Safari or an Al-Star all day and not get fatigued.

For others, it might feel like you are being forced to hold the pen in a foreign position and will feel as wrong as brushing your teeth with your wrong hand. But I think if you have a fairly "traditional" pen grip, you will probably absolutely "lock in" to this very light and balanced tool like it's an extension of your body.

The only warning I would leave you with is this: These pens are addictive. Being affordable and having every color including clear (the "Vista") you'll soon be looking at Amazon and thinking, "Oh! I don't have THAT color yet!"
Extremely Reliable & Superb Bargain
February 27, 2017
This is as good as you can get for the price. I have used this pen along with comparable ones from Pilot and a slightly more high-end pen from Parker. Various tidbits of information from my use have been included below.

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION:
This pen has become my daily driver and is leagues ahead of the competition in terms of reliability. The shape of the pen encourages proper grip (calligrapher's grip enthusiasts will enjoy it for sure). The construction of the pen is sturdy enough that I have had no issues after months of use. I have had issues with pens around this price point of the nibs becoming loose and making a mess of the ink flow. I'm happy to say that this issue has not occurred on the Lamy. A friend of mine who has the same pen has had his clip break off after months of extensive use, so I would be careful not to overly exert the clip if you can avoid it. The nib is not nearly as "fine" as one expects, so this should be taken into account and an extra-fine should be purchased if you absolutely must have finer penmanship.

INK:
Using a converter is easy enough, but I find myself using Lamy cartridges instead, which are inexpensive enough to buy in bulk and have them last a while. The cartridge doesn't carry a tremendous amount of ink so spares should always be kept on hand.

CONCLUSION:
As an entry level pen I can think of nothing better, and for those of you who want to try fountain pens before committing to a more ostentatious purchase, this is well worth the cost. My pilot and parker are gathering dust because I simply don't have the heart to go back to them after becoming accustomed to the positive nuances that this pen brings to the table, and indeed the paper.
Excellent lightweight cartridge fountain pen
December 10, 2016
This has proven to be a great pen. I am an officer in the US Army. I love to write with a fountain pen. However, my ink draw Jinhao is a little too fancy for carry and use with a military uniform. Additionally, I don't want to keep a jar of ink at the desk in my office. I bought this pen because it is a flat black (what we call subdued) that is more appropriate for daily military use. It is of more of a plastic material which makes it more durable against impacts. The cartridge swap out is quick, easy and clean. It writes just as well as my Jinhao. It is very light weight and I don't notice it when clipped inside my cargo pocket. I've already purchase one to give as a gift to my Sergeant Major who grew up in Germany and recommended Lamy to me when he saw that I carried an overly elegant Jinhao.
Safe Buy and Truly Pleasurable Writing Experience
November 5, 2016
I've had much costlier pens, none of them compare to this. This pen is butter smooth and very reliable. It never leaks, and in this charcoal black it looks absolutely stunning. Did I mention that it absolutely glides over paper? I really can't say enough how remarkable this pen is. But maybe these attached pictures will help a bit. At this price point you aren't really concerned if you lose it (except perhaps you are so finicky that you worry about losing so fine a nib). I don't see the point of ever buying a pricier pen. This pen is everything. But (and this is truly a ridiculous "but") if I had one gripe it would have to be weight. The pen is light and sturdy. A workhorse for daily use, not a thing of art (though, golly, it is beautiful). As I said, this "but" is a stretch -- this is an excellent pen.

Caveat: I have owned costlier pens, though not as costly as the eye-popping numbers one sees sometimes for fountain pens. Some may reasonably argue that I have not covered the range, and so I cannot really 'benchmark' the performance of this pen relative to more expensive ones. True, but, on an absolute basis, this is an exceptional pen. Don't buy a costlier pen if you haven't tried this first to know what a great writing instrument feels like.

Four Star Reviews:

16%
excellent, sturdy instrument UNTIL you need to refill
November 27, 2016
excellent, sturdy instrument - very positive pushbutton action to extend and retract - great until you need to reassemble, (like after changing the refill). not a good idea to do in poor light or without adequate workspace where you can find a dropped pocket clip or spring . The filler stuck deep inside the barrel. This required sharp, loud taps to dislodge both filler and spring which rolled into oblivion. Dropping the spring down first then attempting to lower the filler point into barrel caused the serious jam mentioned above. Instead, while keeping the filler pointing straight up, then apply spring over it, then lower the barrel over the sky-facing refill point completely. Thread it completely before inverting and letting spring fall off the filler.

The steel glass breaker always protrudes just exactly alongside the extended ball point and seems likely to rip a pocket at least as well as it may breaks glass
Locking/unlocking gets better with use
October 5, 2016
Hefty tactical pen with a sometime-stiff top push cap. Opening the cap reveals groves that guide & lock pen tip in up or down positions. Make sure your's well greased. Mine was. Locking/unlocking gets better with use. Unscrewing either ends reveal o-rings that keeps dust out of internals.

Stock ballpoint writes good on mine. Will see what kind of mileage I'd get. In all, good purchase. Hope to keep using this tac pen for a long while.
Exceptional pen overall
April 10, 2016
I purchased two of these pens, one for my husband and one for myself. I was originally going to return my pen because I dislike the 1/4" glass breaker being visible and standing out. I even went through the return process and received a shipping label from Amazon to return it. I have changed my mind. I REALLY like the body of this pen, and although I dislike the visibility of the glass breaker, the overall pen design outweighs my dislike.

Be aware of the 1/4" glass breaker being visible if you are going to order this pen, BUT keep in mind that the design, the body of the pen, and width of the pen are exceptional. As a female, I like that this pen is thinner than most tactical pens, but it has good weight and is made exceptionally well. I would recommend this pen to others.
The best USA-made military/tactical/outdoor pen that I've come across
October 16, 2015
I was looking for a quality, USA-made, tactical pen for my EDC, and this is what I settled on. There are plenty of military/tactical/outdoor pens out there, but very few are made here in the good old USA. Usually when you're thinking of a pen that checks off those boxes, you automatically think of a Fisher Space Pen, so when I found out that Gerber made one, I jumped on it. The ink refill for this pen is a Fisher refill, though, so it can write in a variety of crazy conditions. The pen itself is all metal and rock solid. I have yet to try the glass breaker, but I'm sure it works perfectly. I've heard some say that the glass breaker tip gets in the way when writing, and I'd have to agree with them. I feel it is just a bit too much pen. If Gerber could take the exact same pen but make it 75% the size, it would be perfect. So basically, if it were 1.5 inches shorter, it would be much easier to EDC. Perhaps Gerber can make an Impromptu Mini that is 75% the size and doesn't have the glass breaker. Now that would be the perfect pen!
Very substantial pen with some minor observations
February 27, 2015
I have a few S&W tactical pens and thought I'd try this one after seeing it in an article somewhere.

Pros: Feels VERY serious. It has to be close to twice the weight of my S&W pens. This is a click pen vs the S&W. Works with Fisher Space Pen Refills (e.g., SPR4).

Cons: The machining where your writing hand knuckles are can be uncomfortable after using the pen for a while. The pocket clip arm is suspended over one of the 3 equal-spaced flat machined surfaces. The gap is so significant that it won't hold the pen in your pocket if you bend over (I found out a few times the first few days). Rather than bend that arm I decided to wrap the barrel carefully with a couple revolutions of electrical tape. Problem solved so far. Lastly, the glass breaker tip is always in the out position. That took a little getting used to at first and I often do a double take when putting the pen in my pocket to make sure the writing tip isn't still sticking out instead.

Despite the length of all the Cons above, this is a superior pen and I'll probably buy more especially if different colors become available.
15%
Great design and feel; ran out of ink quickly
March 17, 2017
Loved carrying and using this while it had ink in it. The texture, color, and feel is excellent. It's really my first fountain pen though, and I guess I wasn't aware of how fast the ink runs out. After a very small amount of writing (like less than a single 8.5x11 page), it was stone dry. I'm not sure if this is typical of fountain pens, or just the Lamy cartridge, or what; I haven't purchased any more cartridges yet; have been carrying my Space Pen and Zebra F705 meanwhile.
great first fountain pen
March 10, 2017
My first real fountain pen. I've tried some disposable ones and really liked them so I thought I would try this as a starter. It feels very nice and smooth. I had a little difficulty getting used to how little feedback this pen gives but I like that now. The ink flow is nice as well. The only thing the jury is still out on is the grip section being shaped to force a particular grip. It is probably a good thing for my first pen to create good habits but it just feels a little goofy and awkward.
I have tried Private Reserve Sonic Blue and thought the ink flow was a little slower than I would like or the ink just isn't very pigmented. I switched to Noodler's Liberty's Elysium which is a great vibrant blue and flows much better. I got 6 more samples packs from Goulet pens. Maybe I will update after I try them all.
Overall a good buy
November 16, 2016
Excellent pen. Owned the slick black medium nib version(not this textured charcoal fine nib). Both their medium and fine nibs write excellent. Ready to write as soon as you break the seal. No shaking and cleaning to get it to flow. No dry starts, to scratchiness. Smooth clean lines. I prefer to write with the cap off for a lighter experience but both styles have excellent balanced weight. Very comfortable for long periods of writing.

Cons: for 23-28$ average I wish it didn't look so cheap. It's chunky plastic although the quality is superb.

For the price and material quality you'd think it would come standard with a refill or two. Which brings me to my final con: I've only ever received these pens with blue ink. Ive never seen them listed with specific colours but I think a lot of people would agree that especially for fountain pens, black ink is standard. I doubt many people are buying this to correct gradeschool papers or jot down notes.
A Very Good Pen You Need in Your Pocket
September 12, 2016
One tough fountain pen! I'm very pleased with it's performance with one single exception, the nib is not as smooth-writing as a Pilot pen I have in the same price point. Saying that, this pen is now my "daily driver".

Update 9/10/17: The nib is fine. The refillable cartridge is fine. The body is fine and uncracked. Unfortunately, the cap no longer clicks in to place and stay on the pen when not in use. Having said that, I used this pen A LOT and will be buying a replacement.
This pen is the benchmark for value pens. Get one.
July 20, 2015
The Lamy Safari is a mainstay in pens under $50. It makes every single "best value pens" list. It should. It writes great. It has replaceable nibs. The threads on it are clocked so that screwing it back together lines everything up. It has an ink window so you can see when you're running low.

I take a star off because of it's looks. I'm not a huge fan. I think pens should be gold and lacquered and shiny. The Safari is plastic and utilitarian. The "paper clip" on the cap works well, but looks cheap.

If you are getting started with fountain pens, buy a Safari. It will give you something to judge all your other pens by.

I have used Noodler's Bulletproof Black ink and Waterman Black ink in this pen. Both write fine with no skips. I have found that if you leave it sit for a week it can be a smidgen hard to start again, but that is typical of most pens. Write with it every other day and you'll be fine.

Three Star Reviews:

8%
Make sure to order refills with the pen!!
August 4, 2017
Pen functions very well as a self defence tool but as far as writing it was a total fail. Glad that I ordered the rite in rain refills which worked well when replacing the defective original cartridge in the pen.
Clip broke
July 4, 2016
*Update - a week after I gave my husband this pen for our anniversary, the clip snapped off of it. He keeps it clipped to the outer pocket of his laptop case, and as he was pulling the pen out of the pocket the clasp snapped. Now it has a jagged edge and is no longer convenient to keep with him. I'm pretty disappointed, as it seemed to be a quality pen.

*Original review - Better than expected. The pen is solid and has a good weight to it without being too heavy. It is perfect to keep as a self defense item that is discreet.
Okay but there is better value elsewhere
June 11, 2016
I wanted this pen for a while and finally took the plunge. I've had it for almost 2 years now, so I think I could give a pretty honest review. The pen itself is just very heavy. I knew that going in, but I guess I just took for granted how uncomfortable heavy use (writing) would be. I started having issues with the pen cap sticking when trying to click it. It sounded very rough so I decided to take it apart. Very important: know that there is a very small ball bearing in this pen if you ever venture to disassemble. I ended up losing the ball bearing after multiple attempts to fix the sticking issue. I contacted Gerber about it and they were very nice in responding to me that my pen had a lifetime warranty and I just needed to send the pen to them to get repaired. This was well over 6 months ago and I still haven't sent the pen in. That should tell you right there where it rates for me.
Great pen but has some sort of build defect in two out of the three I owned.
March 12, 2015
The pen itself is great. Heavy duty, sturdy, has a click mechanism so that you don't have to worry about losing the cap, feels great in your hand, works well when you use it to help form your fist and has a glass breaker tip.

This pen was my daily carry for a year but over the course of the year I had to replace it once under warranty and then I lost one of them so I had three pens during the year (obviously the latter was my fault!). So three pens in a year.. I feel like I've had a good sampling of the build quality.

My beef with the pen is this.. when you carry it daily, the paint / powder coating wears off exposing the aluminum underneath. That didn't really bother me because it showed some age and it looked like I used it all the time (which I did, somewhat). This was only my writing instrument if I didn't have anything else on me and it sat comfortably in my pocket using the clip, next to my knife... however, on the first and the third pen, the click mechanism died. On both pens, one time I clicked it out and it would never retract. I couldn't figure it out for the life of me. I disassembled the pen on both occasions and couldn't fix it. The first time, as mentioned, I swapped it under warranty. The third pen though has so much aluminum showing and I was so frustrated that it happened again that I literally took it apart and threw it away.

I'm looking for another tactical pen now but am divided on choosing a cheaper pen that will still form my fist well and be able to be used as a pressure point device or biting the bullet and getting another $40+ pen.

Decisions decisions....
great pen one major problem
January 27, 2015
Nice pen writes well and feels good in your hand the only huge draw back is the glass breaker point is at the bottom of the writing portion of the pen and when you carry it in a pocket it will rip clothing. Hugh problem for a great pen. nothing else to say but it defeats the purpose if you have an issue carrying this in your pocket or shirt and don't want to wear a pocket protector. hope this helps
7%
Good writing but with poor cap quality
September 15, 2017
I, along with many others had the infamous cap issue where the cap doesn't stay on after taking it on and off many times. It's a cheap pen but I think better design should be expected.
Write good but it leaked once in to the cap
May 3, 2017
The weight is light. Write good but it leaked once in to the cap. It's not even on a airplane. So be very careful where you put the pen. So it won't ink you favorite shirt.
Expect blue spotted pants
July 19, 2016
Not a secure cap.Most of my pants have a little blue dot on them now from putting this very nice, very comfortable pen in my pocket and using the clip on the cover to secure it to my pants, only to have the pen fall out and leak in my pants. In addition, I've had to send it back once now to have the cap portion replaced because of this problem of just not staying on the pen. I don't feel secure in keeping this pen in my good pants or suit jacket. I do love the feel of it and honestly, I prefer the cartridges to the refillable suction compartment. I feel as if the refill always runs out a week after I put in new ink.
the pen is pretty nice, it wrote a bit on the light ...
August 20, 2015
This is my very first Fountain pen and i'm 42 yrs old! (Guessing that was shortly before most schools stopped using them because my mom who is 62 says they used to use fountain pens in school) But anywho... the pen is pretty nice, it wrote a bit on the light side even with Noodler's black American Eel ink at first, but after awhile it got fairly dark.

(But I'm a noob like I mentioned so maybe I just need a different ink, I might try Parker's or Pilot's ink later when I'm finished with this ink. Does seem like it's a bit of a ink hog? have to refill it every 4 pages of writing or so (Again maybe the fault of the ink donno)...

Also one strike about this pen would be it's a bit on the short side and very light weight (But I've searched Amazon for longer pens and with some weight to them and about 98% of the pens listed seem to all be on the short side and of lighter weight materials, but that' would be a plus for those with smaller hands or arthritis!!).

Other than that though, this pen writes very smooth even on cheap walmart notebook paper, not scratchy at all, I've also tried it with an old "Gregg's Steno" Notepad and it's pretty nice on that as well.

Great first time pen for noobs, I will recommend it still.
Great Pen But Not for Me
March 4, 2014
This pen has beveled edges on the sides of the grip for everyone who holds a pen with their thumb and forefinger along the sides of the pen. I hold a pen between my thumb and middle finger, with my forefinger on top of the pen and in line with the point. As a result, I can't hold this pen the way it was designed for me to hold it. I didn't realize it had flat, beveled spots on the sides until I got the pen. I tried holding it with my thumb and forefinger along the sides, but that puts the pen and my hand in an awkward, uncomfortable position, and I end up twisting the pen to the side so much that it skips too much.The pen is great for someone who holds the pen the way it's designed to be held. It writes very easily, very smoothly, and it's a very light pen.Before you order this pen, please examine the way you hold a pen or pencil. If your forefinger is on the top surface of the pen or pencil, you do not want this fountain pen. If you hold a pencil or pen with no finger on the top surface, but with your thumb and forefinger along the sides, then this is the pen for you.I'm not going to return the pen. I'll just find someone who holds the pen the right way for this pen, and give it to him/her. In the future, I will make sure that I'm buying a perfectly round, circular, cylindrical, non-beveled pen.

Two Star Reviews:

4%
Not very well thought out.
April 23, 2017
Nice heavy, very well built but not very well thought out. the only complaint I have about this pen is the glass breaker, if you are not holding the pen just rite the glass breaker gets in the way. If I can find a way to remove the breaker this pen will be 100 time better.
Mechanism sucks!
April 19, 2017
I really like this pen. It's got a nice weight. It writes wonderfully. The mechanism SUCKS!!!!! It regularly gets hung up. Drives me nuts. I've tried a spray lubricant multiple times. Helps maybe a little bit. I constantly have trouble with it locking up.
Bad Clicker Already - First Day Disappointment!
April 1, 2016
The pen clicker sticks - either open or closed - about 20% of the time. Seriously? I just received this order today. Very disappointed! The clicker mechanics of a $2.00 disposable pen are more dependable that this.

Come on Gerber - Do it right.
First Gerber product I have had that was a disappointment..
January 24, 2016
Had to replace ink refill when first received. Glass break point disappeared after about one month. First Gerber product I have had that was a disappointment..
Disappointed
July 15, 2015
I wasn't real pleased with the pen. If it functioned as intended I would've given it 4 stars. The problem I have is that the pen gets stuck in the out position and I can't get it to return. I sometimes have to disassemble it to get to go back.
4%
Not Impressed
June 27, 2017
Keep in mind this is my first foray into the world of fountain pens. I am by no means a fountain pen aficionado. However maybe my lack of knowledge may prove useful in an un-biased review. I got this and a Pilot Metropolitan. Hands down Pilot wins. The fine tip nib on this Lamy writes like a 1.0 gel pen. Very thick line. I guess German definition of fine is different than mine. Another thing is the weight of the pen is too light. This may be good for you? Not for me. Pilot includes a converter with the Metropolitan. Lamy does not. Finally the nib on mine was scratchy on paper as where the Pilot was silky smooth. If I would've gotten the Lamy first as my intro into the realm of fountain pen usage I probably would've dialed out and went back to my Hi-Tec Coleto.
I have not been very successful with these fountain pens ...
December 25, 2015
I have not been very successful with these fountain pens. I have bought at least two and I must not be putting the cartridges in correctly because they have both leaked and I have to be very careful where I place them. I put them in plastic bags with padding to absorb the ink. I feel obligated to use them because I received my first one as a gift and thought I would buy another one because the first one wasn't very successful and I had the same issues with the replacement, with the order I bought cartridges and thinking I could replace it on the original one, but was not successful. I have not used these pens anymore.
No consistency
November 13, 2015
Got to say I tired really hard to like this, but I just don't. I've used disposable fountain pens that write better than this. The pen nib is angled down slightly for some reason and this fact seems to be in part responsible for it not writing consistently. By consistency I mean writing without drying up. In addition the pen sometimes leaks or bleeds too much ink. I thought this was due to the ink I got, Noodler's Ink, so I cleaned the hell out of the pen, put in the blue ink cartridge that it came with it seemed to work better. However, as I continued to write with it, and even now since I just checked, it has excess ink pooling on the nib. Perhaps mine is defective, but from my understanding Lamy does QA on their pens before selling them.
Beware - The FIne Point is the old (very broad) Medium Point!
January 12, 2015
I have two Lamy Safaris I bought several years ago for work, a fine point and a medium point. The fine point was just right, and the medium point was way to broad for writing. I wanted a second fine point for home use so I ordered this one. It appears that Lamy has redefined their nib sizes, because this fine point is the same size as my old medium! It is marked "F" so it is their fine point now, I guess. It writes well, but it is unuseable because of the very broad line. Included in the box is a little "voucher" that allows you to send your pen back to Lamy (in Germany) and exchange it for a different nib size. I think I will do that, requesting an extra fine point, and will report back in this review how that process went when (and if!) I receive my new pen. The expense of mailing it to Germany, plus the anticipated long wait make this a hassle, but I don't want to return it to Amazon because it is not their fault. It is not defective, just beware that if you want a fine point, you should order the extra fine.One happy surprise is that rather than a token ink cartridge, it actually came with the converter, which normally costs about $6.
Rough Writing With.
January 1, 2014
The pen looks good but the writing action is very disappointing. I have some ebay pens I paid a few dollars for that are better. I don't like leaving this kind of review. But since I rely upon reviews always here is my experience.
Not good
October 29, 2013
I ordered this pen and the first one had a super scratchy nib - it can happen and it is a Fine nib, but it sounded like I was ripping phone-books while writing. So, the exchange came promptly from Amazon - this new one isn't scratchy, but it writes very... choppy is the best way to put it. It doesn't skip exactly, but line width's vary wildly even when writing at a consistent speed.So, the second pen had a nib that looked uneven (not the tines). The sides had different angles when it bent in to make the nib point. This was clearly visible to the naked eye so I imagine this didn't help. The main issue seemed to be the 'required' way to hold this pen - it's a good angle, but sometimes you need to hold something slightly different. The second pen I got, the nib would have worked if I could tilt the pen more, but then my finger was holding the edge and not on the 'guides'. I saw no easy way through internet searching to pull the feed out (the nib comes off easy, but that won't change the angle). For a $20 pen, this wasn't worth the hassle. It isn't like this is some nice desk pen people 'ohhh' and 'awe' at. It's a fucntional pen that needed to work right the first time and every time - it didn't.I did give it a second star for the fact it started writing instantly, every try. Even my more expensive pens occassionaly require a few strokes to get the pen fully up to speed. This lamy wrote the second I put the inked converter in and never stopped. So, if you get one with a good nib/feed - it should be great. I can't just keep sending it back and playing the lottery.

One Star Reviews:

5%
Waste of $44!!!!!
May 25, 2017
DO NOT BUY THIS PEN! Right out of the box the clicker broke and won't stay out so you can write with it. Tried taking it apart but didn't fix the problem. Lots of other people had similar issues.
For a Gerber product very disappointed, had high hopes for the pen
February 4, 2017
Clicker on pen did not work upon receiving the product. For a Gerber product very disappointed, had high hopes for the pen.
Pen will not stay out to write, immediately when ...
March 4, 2016
Pen will not stay out to write, immediately when pressure is applied it returns after only a few months use, tried taking apart and back together and still does it. just worn out and not as heavy duty as it is heavy itself.
Overpriced piece of crap.
October 6, 2015
What a piece of crap, arrived unable to use as the clicker would not engage or disengage. Took it apart to see if there was anything I needed to remove to make work properly, and it looks to be defective. It will now engage and click into place, but the overall smoothness and action of such is clunky, unreliable and unpredictable. Will be returning for a replacement to see if this $35 heavy pen can meet better expectations, will change rating accordingly, as for now, very disappointed.
pocket clip broke almost immediately and the pen esentially self ...
June 6, 2015
pocket clip broke almost immediately and the pen esentially self destructed when I tried to remove it completely. the "glass breaking" center punch is not going to work in reality. Pen writes very well - but so does a bic biro...
5%
Way better for way cheaper.
September 8, 2017
Not impressed at all. Got the fine nib, I like a fine nibbed pen, this though is scratchy and awful. I have to press way harder than I have with any other fountain to even get ink out and if you write with any kind of speed it just scrapes and doesn't deposit anything. Don't recommend this. The Pilot one I got for around $9 was a way more satisfying pen.
Very scratchy, not smooth. Defective or counterfeit?
August 25, 2017
Very scratchy, no matter what kind of paper. I could not understand the hype about Lamy pens. It has now been two years and I bought another Lamy from a well know pen store, this time an extra fine, and it was MUCH better. I wonder if the first one from this seller was defective or a counterfeit. I should have sent it back.
It broke after just one month and 10 days of ...
July 26, 2017
It broke after just one month and 10 days of use. The cap wont plug anymore, is all loose and falls off. Return window already closed.
Empty Box (Revised)
July 2, 2017
I received an empty box with just a ink cartridge. NO fountain pen.Update: Received the missing pen today, but no ink cartridge in this box. I'm glad I got my full set now, but I'm not sure if I am to send back the original empty box.
it makes great lines but this fine nib model makes full of ...
June 18, 2017
Crazy line skipper. Maybe I got a lemony cricket but I have the Lamy ex-fine and that one has no issues, it makes great lines but this fine nib model makes full of crappy lines. The lines are almost like morse code. I recommend Rotring Artpen medium tip if you are looking for flowing lines with a medium tip.
Poor Product!!!!
February 25, 2015
I've had LAMY pens but this one was a complete piece of junk! The pen wouldn’t write properly and when it did write it released so much ink it bled through the paper. I would recommend buying this product from another company cause LAMY make a great product.
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Pricing info
Old Price
Old Price
Price
Price
$65.50updated: Mar 18, 2020
$16.69updated: Mar 18, 2020
Features
Answered Questions
Answered Questions
Article Number
Article Number
0132018307977
0799198311196
Binding
Binding
Tools & Home Improvement
Office Product
Brand
Brand
Gerber
Lamy
Color
Color
Black
Charcoal
Currency
Currency
USD
USD
Formatted Price
Formatted Price
$62.00
$35.99
Height
Height
374.0 in
295.3 in
Length
Length
19.7 in
326.8 in
Manufacturer
Manufacturer
Gerber Legendary Blades
Lamy
Model
Model
31-001880
L17F
MPN
MPN
31-001880
L17F
Number of Items
Number of Items
1
1
Number of Parts
Number of Parts
31-001880
L17F
Product Group
Product Group
Home Improvement
Office Product
Product Type
Product Type
TOOLS
WRITING_INSTRUMENT
Publisher
Publisher
Gerber Legendary Blades
Lamy
Quantity
Quantity
1
1
Reviews
Reviews
Score
Score
8.6
8.8
Size
Size
1 - Pack
Fine
Studio
Studio
Gerber Legendary Blades
Lamy
Weight
Weight
0.9 oz
0.2 oz
Width
Width
216.5 in
47.2 in
Feature
Feature

Ruggid and reliable design in all our products

Can be used in various military, hunting, survival, tactical, industrial and outdor situations

All producdts are field tested

Rugged, machined steel body and stainless steel pocket clip keeps this pen handy

"Rite in the Rain" ink cartridge works in all conditions, inside and outdoors

Reliable push-button mechanism deploys ball point mechanism

Integrated glass-breaker tip features tempered steel and is designed to get you out of trouble

Made in the USA

Charcoal Black ABS coloured plastic body

Black coated steel nib; fine point

Includes one Lamy T10 Blue Cartridge

Accepts Z24 cartridge converter, sold separately.

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