(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
There's been a lot of multi pens cross my desk over the past several years, but I'm still so fascinated by the utilitarian function of this pen genre. It's also fun to see how different manufacturers tackle different design and usability problems to make their offerings competitive. Most of all, these multi pens mostly drum up a healthy dose of nostalgia.
At the end of the day, these things all cost money and essentially do the same thing. Choosing the right one (since "all of them" isn't usually an acceptable response) can be difficult, but you can easily narrow down the options by knowing what you like. Personally, I really like the click tab method of selecting a color over the rotating selector. One of the coolest method is the gravity selector, which means that you select different refills by rotating the pen in your hand until the correct color is pointing up, then click the nock to extend that refill. Another major factor to consider is price. Multi pens can range quite a bit in price, and the new pen we're looking at today definitely falls into the higher range. The Lamy ST Tri multi pen is a stainless body that features two ballpoint refills and one 0.5mm mechanical pencil component. The model featured here ships with a black ballpoint and an orange fluorescent refill (meant for highlighting), but the orange refill in my unit was nonoperational from the get-go.
If you've ever shopped for multi pens before, you've probably come across the Zebra Sharbo X line, which is one of the more expensive options out there. The price relates directly to the materials and quality of the build, which is spot on with the Sharbo X. But the Lamy ST multi pen is here to possibly shake that up.
The Lamy ST is a well-built multi pen that's made out of stainless steel. Available in a couple of different colors and finishes, the ST is a premium pen with two refill slots and a mechanical pencil component. Similar to the Sharbo, you select different refills by twisting the grip section. The Lamy requires a firm pressure, but there's a satisfying chunk whenever the refill is extended completely to let you know it's ready to write. As you'd expect, the button on the top of the pen allows you to extend and retract the lead in the pencil component. A nice touch here is that the button is disabled when you don't have the mechanical pencil extended. Also, there's a tiny eraser hidden under the button cap in case you need to erase tiny mistakes.
The ring that separates the grip section from the main body of the pen has three color indicators to let you know which way to turn to use a specific color. I don't like that Lamy took this approach since I might decide to use purple and green refills instead of the black and orange that is included with the pen. I much prefer a generic label or no label at all versus permanent colors. With a pen that costs more than $50, it's a little disappointing to see that this choice persisted through the design and evaluation phases at Lamy headquarters.
The grip section is really comfortable as long as your hands aren't sweating. The smooth stainless steel grip can get a little shifty at times. There's a small grip pattern etched into the grip, but it's not pronounced enough to offer any additional grip over the bare metal. If the etching was just a bit deeper or wider, it would be perfect.
Like most multi pens, the ST is fairly long. This extra length adds stability and favorable balance when writing, but I wish Lamy made the choice to shorten the pen just a tad. This is a personal preference of mine — I would prefer the pen be more stow-able instead of longer for writing comfort. The steel body is begging to be used as a daily carry that can stand up to the test of time.
At the top of the pen, there's also a clip. Before now, I've never met a Lamy clip that I didn't like. The clip on this ST is weak and moves around quite a bit. The ring that holds the clip in place has a small 0.5mm gap that allows the clip to move back and forth in its slot. This doesn't drive me crazy, but it definitely annoys me due to the price point. The clip does its job as long as the pen doesn't get turned upside down.
Writing with the ST is comfortable, but let's talk about the included refills that Lamy packs in this pen. They're not good. The black medium tip refill is smooth, but it requires too much pressure to write. Plus, the ink isn't bold or crisp. The line is a murky dark gray that seems to second-guess itself at every turn. The orange highlight is a cool idea, but I really don't know if it holds up against the marketing since my unit refuses to write. I was looking forward to trying it out to see how transparent it is and how effective it is at calling out things on the page. Oh well — maybe next time. The mechanical pencil works flawlessly.
The factor refills aren't great, but don't despair yet! These are standard D1 refills, so you can swap them out for a plethora of different colors and tip sizes. Buying a few extra refills to customize your multi pen is something I recommend very heartily, but it's disappointing that Lamy chose mediocre refills as the standard on this pricey multi pen. On the flip-side, the Zebra Sharbo X line don't come with any refills out of the box, so it's a nice gesture.
Apart from the stainless steel model featured in this review, you also have a choice of a matte black steel finish or a brushed stainless steel finish. The brushed finish costs a few dollars extra, but it's entirely worth it for the reason that you get a classic Lamy clip instead of the lackluster clip found on the stainless steel versions. Aside from the clip, the brushed finish just looks incredible. Again, this comes down to personal preference, but I think there's a clear winner here in terms of aesthetics.
It may sound like I'm being hard on the Lamy ST, and you're right. It's a decent multi pen that performs well. A few nags aside, it's a great option for a daily multi pen that you carry everywhere. It will certainly stand the test of time, and the fact that it uses standard D1 refills means you'll be able to customize it and easily buy replacement refills when you run out of ink. The bottom line is that this pen doesn't feel like a $70 item. If it were closer to $40, I would recommend it quickly. At $70, I feel like you get a lot more value out of the Zebra Sharbo X line, or even the top end of the Pilot/Uni/Zebra/Pentel/Sakura lines.
If you take one look at the Lamy ST and know that it fits a certain niche in your pen collection, then go for it. It's built well and will be a great pen. If you're interested in finding a premium multi pen made of metal, start elsewhere. You'll save a few bucks that you can spend on extra refill colors and tip sizes!
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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