One of my favorite review categories is products that are great, but not great for everyone. The LAMY CP1 is a perfect example of this type of product. I love it, it has its super fans, and it flat-out won’t work for many people. Let’s dig in.
Starting with me: why do I like the Cylindric Pen 1 so much? It is a long, skinny fountain pen, with a lightweight metal barrel and a Stainless Steel clip. LAMY’s classic Bauhaus fingerprints are all over the design, making the CP1 look like a mini LAMY 2000 - ok, maybe if you squint a little.
My enjoyment of this pen comes primarily from the narrow barrel, with everything else tied for second. (Second, until they released the Aquamarine model, which made me throw money right through my computer screen.) Having a narrow barrel fountain pen is convenient for sliding it into notebook loops, clipping it to notebook covers, or stashing it into any type of pocket. Yes, it is long, but the narrowness comes in more handy than I ever thought.
The CP1 hits the price point where a converter is included. I think all fountain pens should ship with a converter.
I’m also a fan of LAMY’s Steel nibs, primarily Extra Fine. You may notice that I ordered a Fine for this pen, and that is for good reason: I don’t own a Fine, and this nib is swappable with other LAMY nibs found in some of their most popular pens, like the Safari and AL-Star. I have plenty of stock EF nibs I can swap into the CP1, plus their unique Cursive and A nibs (found in the LAMY ABC,) and I have a few grinds at the ready if I’m feeling frisky. I ordered something I didn’t have, and if it’s too wide for regular use, I can swap it easily.
To my surprise, the line and flow of the Fine LAMY nib in this CP1 is close to many of my Extra Fine favorites. I’m not compelled to change it anytime soon, but the option is always there.
A very controllable LAMY Fine Steel nib.
Given that I like the CP1, who won’t like it? Those who don’t like narrow pens, for starters. Obvious, right? The diameter is a negative for users who need, or simply prefer, wider barrels.
The LAMY Safari could eat the CP1 for dinner, and still have room for desert.
Secondly, the grip section isn’t great. For some reason, LAMY loooooves slippery metal grip sections, and the CP1 grip is no exception, even with grooves that provide absolutely no bonus grippability. My fingers will slide when I first pick it up, but once a little natural temperature and moisture cranks up when writing, it’s fine. If you have dry hands, this grip will frustrate you, especially since it is straight-sided. There is no concave here to help.
Posting is a mistake.
Up next, the aforementioned nib. They can be wide and wet even in relatively fine sizes, so if you are looking for a narrow pen with a needlepoint-adjacent nib to match, I’m not sure even the Extra Fine would be an option for you.
The grip is slick.
Finally, the price. For $60 I think it is fairly priced, but that is too expensive to take a random chance on because there are downsides to the CP1. If this price point is within your budget but the style isn’t, take a look at the recently discussed Pilot Prera, which is an easier recommendation to make to a wider audience.
Remember, there is a pen out there for everyone, but not every pen is for everyone. The LAMY CP1 is a perfect example of that.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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It even ships in a nice box, not a perforated sleeve.
