Review: Lamy Nexx Aluminum Fountain Pen EF Nib

Am I getting heavy into fountain pens now?  Not quite - I still don't use them on a daily (or even weekly) basis, but it is hard for me to pass up a new Lamy model.  The Lamy Nexx Aluminum Fountain Pen is a recent addition to the ever expanding JetPens lineup, and comes in a few different flavors.  My model has the orange cap with metal clip, and an extra fine nib (see all options here).

My first impressions of this fountain pen is that is a design mashup of the AL-Star and Safari lines from Lamy.  The Nexx has a nice aluminum barrel like the AL-Star, and a plastic cap like the Safari, which results in a more industrial look, as the product description puts it.  The one thing that is different from both is that the grip area is a solid rubber as opposed to plastic.  It is still molded in the triangular shape, but the rubber gives you a litte more security in the grip area.

At the start, I only have the standard Lamy blue ink cartridge that came with the pen, but many other ink cartridges are available, and the Lamy Z 24 converter works with it as well.  I'm a fan of the standard Lamy blue, and the EF nib in the Nexx actually seems a little smoother than the EF nib in my Charcoal Safari.

The Nexx is a great fountain pen for Lamy fans and for those looking for something different.  Since I only have a Safari to compare it to my opinion is limited to those two, but gun to my head I will pick up my Safari first, but it is really close.

Click here for the XL review.

Products used:

Lamy Nexx Aluminum Fountain Pen EF Nib from JetPens

Writing Pad from Doane Paper

See also:

Review: Lamy Safari Charcoal/Black EF Nib

Review: Lamy Safari Lime Green with F Nib

Review: Lamy AL-Star Aluminum Rollerball

As I mentioned right out of the gate in my written review, the Lamy AL-Star Aluminum Rollerball pen has been at or near the top of my shopping list for years.  My hesitancy all this time has been nothing more than how much I thought I would use this pen in relation to the price.  I don't mind spending money for a pen as long as I use it, and I think I will be using this Lamy AL-Star quite a bit.

If you are familiar with the Lamy Safari fountain pen then you will have a pretty good idea of how the AL-Star will feel in your hands.  The only real obvious difference in the two is in the barrel construction - the Safari is a molded plastic while the AL-Star is aluminum.  As with any Lamy pen, the build quality is phenomenal.  Considering the styling and construction I would think this pen would cost at least twice as much as it does, which is a credit to Lamy.

From a writing perspective, the 0.7mm black rollerball refill is as good as any I have used in this category.  The line is exceptionally smooth and doesn't feather, but since the ink is so bold there is a bit of show through on the back side of this Doane Paper.  For my personal every day use I would like to try out an 0.5mm cartridge to see how the line compares.

I picked up this model on ebay for around $15 which is a complete steal.  You can find them all over the internet in the $25-$30 range, and in a wide variety of great looking barrel colors.  This pen is an excellent everyday writer and would make a great impression as a gift as well.

Click here for the XL review.

Review: Lamy Logo Ballpoint

So, how many pens did Carmen send me from her European vacation anyway?  Needless to say, it was a serious hookup, and I am down to the last couple that I need to review.  I have honestly carried this Lamy Logo ballpoint in my review case ever since she sent it to me, but just now started giving it a workout.

When I finally started using this pen, it posed a couple of problems for me.  First of all, the grip section is too high on the pen for my writing style.  There is a good bit of distance between the end of the grip and the tip of the pen, and since my writing style causes me to grip the pen low, the ridge where the tip screws on to the barrel hits me in the middle of my finger pads.  This wouldn't be a problem for people with a more free flowing writing style than mine, but it is a little bit of an issue for me.

Secondly, and this is actually a bigger deal for me, is that the tip of the pen does not have a tight fit around the opening of the barrel when the cartridge is in the writing position.  This causes some movement when writing, which of course translates into that "click-clack" sound when the pen hits the page.

I don't want to sound like I am being too harsh on this pen - it is a very nice entry level Lamy pen that you can find in the $12 range.  It just doesn't fit me or my writing style as well as many other pens I have reviewed.  And that is what it is all about, right?

Click here for the XL review.