(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
The Lamy Studio is one of those $80-$100 fountain pens that doesn't get enough attention for the value it provides. I wrote about the steel nib Studio back in 2014, and everything still holds true. The clip still irritates me, even though I like how it looks. And, the Studio is still a great value and a classy pen.
At the end of 2017, Lamy released a special edition of this pen: Racing Green. Unfortunately, the pen sold out very quickly, and you can no longer buy it from retailers. If you want this pen, you have to find someone willing to part with their own. While this isn't impossible, it's not exactly easy and it's certainly something that Lamy could fix by offering Racing Green as a standard color. In a lineup that currently offers a measly two colors at the sub-$100 level, it desperately needs some variety. I wish that Lamy would make this happen, but who knows what they'll end up doing with this line.
Regardless of the color, the Studio is an excellent pen. The Racing Green edition is exactly the same as the standard $80 pen, save the exterior color. The color is a dark green with subdued metallic flakes that you can just make out in direct, bright light. When you glance at it quickly, you might mistake it for a black pen. And that's part of the reason I love this color. Similar to a green-black ink (or any half-black ink, really), there's a depth of color that's fascinating to discover and admire.
Apart from the special edition color, this is the same pen you can purchase today with a steel nib. There's also a gold nib available, but it costs roughly twice as much. At that price range, my suggestion is to go for the Lamy 2000.
The Studio has a bit of heft, but not so much to make it difficult to handle. I imagine the inside of the pen is made of brass, which would account for the weight. When writing, it's very comfortable and not fatiguing. The grip section is a polished metal that picks up fingerprints quickly, but it's comfortable to use and easy to clean. If you don't enjoy smooth grip sections, this pen likely isn't for you. If your fingers have any moisture on them, this pen will become slippery. For most indoor writing situations, this shouldn't be a problem.
The EF nib on this unit is exceptionally smooth, and I've really enjoyed using it. The nibs used on the Studio are the same nibs you find on the Safari and AL-Star, making it easy to swap out for other sizes. The pen also includes a converter along with the standard blue cartridge, making it easy to pick your own ink right out of the box. The flow from the nib is smooth and plentiful without being too wet. I've been really pleased with the performance of this pen.
It's a shame that Lamy released Racing Green as a limited edition. I would love to see it offered alongside the standard black and Imperial Blue pens available year-round. If you're interested in finding one of these pens, your best bet is checking out the used markets and pen shows. But, if you're interested in the Lamy Studio, you can't go wrong with the standard colors.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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