How It's Made - LAMY Fountain Pens
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- Опубліковано 18 тра 2024
- Behind the scenes! LAMY is a designer and manufacturer of writing instruments nestled in the hills of Heidelberg Germany. The company began when C. Joseph Lamy started designing pens in the 1930’s, and they moved into this facility in 1957. LAMY really began to make a name for itself when his son, Dr. Manfred Lamy began designing pens in the Bauhaus philosophy in 1966. Bauhaus embodies “function over form”, and you can see this influence in their products as well as their architecture.
Their headquarters is around 170,000 square feet, where they have more than 350 employees working 24 hours a day, 6 days a week. They’ve maximized their efficiency of both their time and their space, and the scale at which their operating is beyond what we anticipated. Pride in the LAMY brand can be felt throughout the entire company, and unique elements like the LAMYteria company lunchroom, the Galleria, and the sculpture garden define their culture in a physical setting.
I had the privilege of visiting the LAMY Germany headquarters in December 2017 and recorded this behind-the-scenes footage.
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
1:38 LAMY Nibs
4:00 LAMY Al-Star Assembly
7:36 LAMY Safari
8:17 Hand Assembly
10:37 Ink Cartridges
11:58 Bottled Ink
12:43 Converters
14:17 Warehouse
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ABOUT GOULET PENS:
Brian & Rachel Goulet started The Goulet Pen Company in 2009 and you can see the evolution of our mom and pop into a full-blown company through this channel. We run a dedicated online store with fountain pens, ink, paper, and other fine writing accessories. Our goal with this channel is to provide fountain pen fans at all levels of experience with comprehensive product reviews, round ups, and how-to videos to answer all the fountain pen questions you may have. Shop at www.gouletpens.com.
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Whoa. I as a German kinda always took Lamy for granted, since almost everybody I've met uses a Lamy pen throughout their school life from 3rd grade through graduation.
This tour is very impressive. After watching this tour, it's no wonder Lamy is such a constant presence in the writing instrument market.
Behinds the scenes footage makes the user appreciate the product even more so.
Star Gazer so true... I'm considering getting one now
Seeing how these are mass-produced and squirted out by the hundreds by robots, makes the product ugly and ordinary for me.
Breathingspace almost everything that’s inexpensive is inexpensive for that reason, they’re mass produced. More bespoke / hand made stuff is going to be MUCH more expensive. Which is fine for your grail pen, but you wouldn’t want a metropolitan or safari to cost $800 just because it was hand made right?
@@radicalxedward8047 A Lamy Safari would still sell for 100 $, if more hand labour was involved to justify the price.
Breathingspace How is that different from what I said?
More automation/mass production = cheaper
Less automation/more hand work = more expensive
They could make the exact same pen but entirely by hand and it would be much more expensive because it takes more hourly labor costs and skill.
I am still using my red Safari I bought in school in 1988. same nib. had to replace the cap once. works like a charm. love it.
Can you please upload a pic and share the link?
Wow much respect ✊
Wow!! Talk about durability, quality, and craftsmanship. Respect!!
Same but from 2005 and it’s red too 😂
Bought one in 2018 and it lasted for about a year, the nib doesn’t work anymore.
It's nice to see a completely vertically integrated manufacturing setup. Usually companies will 'outsource' different pieces of the process and focus on final assembly. This company does everything itself - from raw materials to finished product - which represents a considerable investment in plant and equipment. Makes me appreciate my LAMY all the more :-)
Zone1242 kinda like apple and it’s iPhone Many more advantages and less chance of quality control issues
@@dfawn not sure if thats correct
@@dfawn apple is not vertically integrated
They are Germans.. truly Germans
Don't trust anyone for quality
That's how all companies should be. Take notes uhummm Apple!!!
Very cool of LAMY to allow this video to be made. Clearly they must have great trust in Brian and as a result both sides have profited. More manufacturers should participate in these types of videos. It's really great PR for them and their distributors / retailers. I'm ordering my next LAMY now!
I agree, hopefully this opens up doors to other brands! Would love to see other operations. - Colin
Made me appreciate my 2000 even more!
Mr. Carlow, I doubt too many others would be as proud of their facility and operation as these folks. This was simply amazing. Best.
I just got my first Lamy, it's Safari (red). I love its design, it's so elegant, modern and simply beautiful. I didn't realize this pen is so light! 😃
Often unintelligible, as the narrator's voice drops off significantly at the end of each sentence, mumbling his final one or two words.
Now I don't feel bad when spending $20 for a new Lamy nib. Great video
Here in Argentina they cost like 60 dolars
€5 - 7 in Germany.
In Turkey it is like 30 dolars
Haha and I‘m not ready to pay 8€ for one. Didn’t know they are so expensive outside Germany
Its 5 dollars here
9 dislikes are from Montblanc executives.
Jean Marceaux disliked for 24 hour shifts
@@Blizky There are no 24H shifts though. There are people working in the factory 24/7, but not always the same people. They follow conventional work hours as is mandatory in Germany to employers.
I'm a Jinhao user, but LAMY is a very good brand. Some day I'll buy a Lamy pen. ;)
@@Blizky Yeah, cause Goulet Pen Company totally has anything to do with Lamy business practices and deserves a dislike for it.
and the other 300?
14:38 Proud to be a Sri Lankan.Thank you Lamy for shipping those amazing fountain pens to our country.I love Lamy fountain pens so much!
14:42 I'm from Bolivia and I bought my first Lamy, the Safari, here! Beautiful product that feels like absolutely personal craftsmanship despite all the clever automation. This documentary proves that they take their craft to heart, thanks Brian and Lamy!
Best episode of "How It's Made" ever! Thanks!
"How It's Made" doesn't bother to explain terms or the "why" of any step -- it's more automation porn than an actual explanation.
This is 1000% better than any episode of "How It's Made" I've seen... Except maybe this one: ua-cam.com/video/eMJk4y9NGvE/v-deo.html -- which pokes fun at the pointlessness of context-free process video ;)
No, that show was canceled a while ago. We weren't intending to imply it was the actual show, just wanted to show how the LAMY brand of pens are manufactured -Brian
Just wanting to show how the product is made and providing a glowing narration over the video are two different things for a retailer providing multiple brands to the consumer. You guys do great product reviews and I've been a fan for years, but this is a bit gratuitous. Let me step back and ask this, could we hypothetically see a highly produced video highlighting the downsides of a company through a video allowed by said company?
BennyGesserit get out of my miiiind!
Oh, I'm sorry, I meant that as a compliment.
Thoroughly engrossing. Nice job. Great narration. You could repackage it as "how its made" and get more views.
What if I can’t come to the store the day my order is ready?
We will happily hold your order for you in store until you are ready to collect it.
Was this helpful? Yes No
Looks like they took your advice.
@@robbie6625 Seriously ? What was the previous title, forgot
@@TheFinalRevelation1 Not sure, but I noticed that they now have "How it's Made" in the title.
Thatsbwhat i was thinking, it really seems just like a How It's Made video, just a different narrator.
Fascinating video. My respect for the LAMY brand just increased even more. Great work, Brian!
A first rate insight into one of Germany's foremost pen manufacturers. Admittedly, i only own Lamy fountain pens that are 25 plus years old - I've never even tried a Safari model, but perhaps (now) I should take the plunge - their reputation has always been solid - much like (your) overview, Brian. Excellent video !! :D
Andrew Tongue I’m on the other end of the spectrum. All my old pens are Mont Blanc, Cartier, and others. I just found Lamy a few years ago and thought they only made the Safari. I turned up my nose to a steel nib at first, but the pens write great.
Nice to see that my oldest LAMY fountain pen is almost as old as LAMY is! I have several LAMY fountain pens in my collection and I'm very proud of it!
I wish I was a pen nerd 25 years ago when I was stationed in Germany. Heck, I even had my hand bolted back together at the Army hospital in Heidelberg!
This is an older video, but I wanted to share my experience with Lamy. The Lamy Safari was the first fountain pen I owned, and I absolutely loved it. Got out of the hobby and then back in and am so thoroughly entrenched that it's more just a seamless part of my life now. Decided to give the Lamy 2000 a try and, not gonna lie, I hated it at first. Bought a medium nib and was shocked that the line width exceeded my broad nibs. Found it heavy compared to the Safari and my other resin pens and slippery to hold. Shelved it. Then took it out again when I needed something I could cap/uncap quickly to write passes and jot notes with. Paired it with a drier ink and the magic started. I noticed that this thing is a shading machine - even with inks not known to shade. With a drier ink, J. Herbin Le De The, the line shrunk quite a bit and was more crisp around the edges. It wrote so smoothly that soon I took it from just notes to grading. I stopped overthinking and held it like I prefer (close to the nib and at higher angle) and noticed that I could write for an hour straight with no hand fatigue. Now I just bought my second in a F nib and couldn't be happier.
A more intricate process than I ever imagined. Plus I have a whole new fascination with pens of the color pink. I can't believe how my All-Star Vibrant made it's way to me. I feel vey fortunate. A wonderful documentary, Brian.
Far more profound than I expected too Lil.
its*
Thank you Brian...
You have reinstilled the craze for Fountain Pens through your Channel in many like us
I am grateful to you ☺️
I honestly come back to watch this again and again! It makes me appreciate my Lamys even more.
I truly enjoyed this video and appreciate all the work done to produce it. Thank you Brian, Rachel and staff.
This is a first-rate professional job. It's as good, if not better, than any episode of "How It's Made."
Also I am really happy to see so much is done in-house to highest quality standards and thus truly worthy of being called Made in Germany.
Super cool to see my pen being 'born' and given so much love.
Such care and thought that goes into one pen is truly amazing.
This video was very calming to watch and super informative about fountain pens. Reminds me of “How it’s Made” back when I was a kid
Simply amazing. An fascinating process in such an amazing video.
a*
Thank you! This one was a lot of work, and I'm glad to see if pay off so much :) -Brian
Mohit it certainly was.
Happy to see an Indian in the comments box
Thank you, that was great. I've been a big fan of Lamy for many years and it is so nice to see their process.
Great job, Brian.
That was really amazing! Thank you LAMY and thank you so much Brian for doing that!
Such perfection in pen production and movie presentation. Well done.
Thanks Brian (and Andi), this is a really great video. Made me think of the engineers that actually devise some of the machines they use. Truly fascinating.
Yeah, I thought of that as well. Engineering marvels some of those machines are! - Colin
It has me all excited too Peter.
@@Gouletpens Hey Brian, I actually work for the company that designs and builds these assembly machines. Building such a machine is truly fascinating and to see the finished prodct is even better. The machine showen in this video is nearly 30 Years old but still does a fantastic job.
Absolutely amazing to see Lamy at work producing some of the worlds finest writing instruments thank Brian.
Thank you to Lamy for detailed access and Goulet, I have many's (not all, yet) and a greater appreciation for the attention to detail and fine quality of the craftsmanship. Great Job!
Thank you, Brian.
You're very welcome! to say it was my pleasure would be an understatement ;) -Brian
I don't own a LAMY pen but after watching this, I'll probably get one. I bought my first fountain pen about two years ago and now I don't want to write with anything else. Fountain pens are incredible at precision handling. The quality of the handwriting is improved dramatically. A simple card writing becomes a work of art! They can be messy though. When you remove the cap, there can be ink on the shaft and they also expend ink much quicker than other types of pens so having a supply on hand of ink cartridges is necessary. They also require occasional maintenance such as cleaning (you run the tip and casing under water for a bit between refills). I can say that writing with a fountain pen is an enjoyable experience just like a craftsman enjoys working with the finest tools. I was surprised at the difference the pen makes.
That's all amazing! Makes me appreciate my Lamys even more now.
An amazing film on the various processes involved in the manufacture of the LAMY pen. I am the proud owner of several LAMY fountain pens, and they are extremely well made and write beautifully. It's always a pleasant surprise finding material like this on UA-cam and seeing how this precision writing instrument is made. An absolutely outstanding bit of filming too.
I love everything about Lamy. I have a Tipo, a like 15-20$ pen, from 15 years ago that is still in operation. Like every other pen I have ever owned, especially in plastic, has broken. I also inherited my Grandfather's Montblanc pen and my Lamys are every bit as nice and, honestly, write better. Plus they're less than 1/10th the price. This video just made me even more infatuated with the brand! One of the few pen brands that doesn't over-inflate their products. They are awesome!
Very cool. Great work on the vid!
I was sold by the transparency of the company. Thank you for this spectacular presentation! :)
That was so fun to watch. Thanks so much to Lamy and Brian! Good job to Andi too!!
I wish I could “like” this more than once! :)
At about 0:35 the narrator says "where they have more than 350 employees working 24 hours a day, six days a week."
I bet they're all pretty tired by that seventh day after working 144 hours straight!
I'm pretty sure they take turns lol
Nathan Carrille woooosh
Yeah that would be in shifts.
Asa Houra ....and busting to take a leak! 😵
Wow! Nice one! As if he suggests the robots
Thanks for this amazing video. I purchased my first Lamy Safari several years ago and it's my stalwart pen. Seeing how it was made makes me appreciate it even more.
Fascinating, I loved every detail. It makes me appreciate my Lamy Safaris even more! Thank you for sharing.
Didnt know LAMY is from Heidelberg, 20min from me. I am living in Mannheim, the next city :o
Ich hatte auch keine Ahnung
Nobody cares
Perhaps you should drop in and see if you can get your own little tour?
MONNEM!
So interesting! I wish kids these days could go on school field trips to fountain pen factories. They might not, but I think that would be cool :D
so true, it would be a dream come true
I completely agree, Orsi, but then, few youngsters tend to use fountain pens these days (there are, obviously, exceptions to this), which is rather unfortunate - seemingly, technologies have outstripped the mechanical usage, in terms of communication - letter writing, etc :)
@@andrewtongue7084 I go to a school that frowns on the use of information technologies. A Lamy Safari was an incredible purchase. I've even inspired a few of my friends to give it a go.
I love this video!!! So glad you got to go and share this with us.
Oh my what a FANTASTIC video!!! Beautifully narrated, Brian, and beautifully assembled!!! Such a pleasure to see from start to finish so I must give praise to Lamy for allowing this, sharing their assembly, and process with you and now US!!! Please extend my gratitude to LAMY for their faith in you and the fountain pen community to allow the access they did!!!
Absolutely. This level of insight into the production was amazing. Would love to see other major brands open up like this. - Colin
This is so cool.. i would love to see one of TWSBI
Another one on pilot please
If Pilot invites us, I'm sure Brian would love to do another one! - Colin
Ditto on that Nemi!
Absolutely amazing Brian! Thank you for taking the effort to go all the way to Heidelberg and shoot how Lamy makes it's pens. It's great on the company's part to let you do this. Much respect for both Goulet and Lamy!! Need more such videos Brian. Would love to see Visconti, MontBlanc and Pilot!
Great video!!! Thanks Brian and LAMY!!! Helps to see how it is made and the history to better appreciate the care that goes into their beautiful pens!!!
Agreed.
This is really fascinating!
Bauhaus, where form follows function. Form over function implies something that looks great, but doesn't work as it should. Great video. Interesting to see the whole process. Greetings from Germany.
Great video! Just amazing to learn how our pens were born! Thanks!
Dear Mr. Brian G., you are very good at elaborating and narrating these documentaries. Hertzliche Glückwunsch! You transmit the passion you feel.
For me every product made in germany trusted and perfect quality,, i love all germany products although it's expensive but it's perfect performance
Lol I work for Germany company in Asia. Not necessarily true.
Wait till you own a BMW or mercedes.
Very nice editing and narration.
Feels like a how it's made documentary. Only thing that was disconcerting were some of the pans. Steadycam pls
Couldnt agree more Howtomed.
WOW! Thank you for the best tour ever
Great video on a great company.
Thank you Brian for shooting this and thank you Andi for putting it all together so seamlessly. Beautiful work.
The long awaited how its made 😄
This is actually a pretty good illustration of why Lamy makes a lot of variants of the Safari... Lots of tooling reuse!
Wow....makes me appreciate my Lamys even more!
Wonderful video. I loved watching the automated assembly processes. Oddly satisfying and calming. The whole Lamy factory video series has been a real eye-opener for me with regard to the attention to detail Lamy brings to their pens. Thank you Brian for these excellent documentaries of your visit. Having seen the results, let’s hope more pen manufacturers will allow you behind the scenes.
I'm sure you wanted to take that roll paper home that they tested the pens on. Would make for some neat wrapping paper.
Ha! It's mesmerizing, the circles the pens were making. - Colin
Just imagine it Cole.
That's such a cool idea, Cole !! :D
After watching the video, feel like buying one to try it out.
Blue Sky same
Brian, thank you for taking the time to explain such an intricate assembly of one of the world's most user friendly pens.
This is a truly amazing video of an incredibly well-organized and well-planned manufacturing facility! I was drawn to the design of Lamy products from the start, and the level of care and engineering talent that goes into them is obvious. Thanks!
My LAMY pens felt a little homesick when they watched this.
After hearing some slightly dismissive comments about LAMY from a bit of what now I'd consider a fairly pretentious source I skipped ordering one as my first fountain pen and went with a Pilot MR instead... After seeing this, and the fact that LAMY allowed you into their factory to make this, I'm won over... I'll be picking up one or two along with converters from you guys shortly.
I'm really impressed with the depth and passion you guys cover things, and with smaller details like the clear color samples of ink you provide on your site. As someone new to all this, that's hoping fountain pens will help with his hatred of writing you guys are now my go to site for anything I need.
I think the QC between Pilot and LAMY is a bit of a toss-up. They can both be expected to come misaligned with tines too tight. Nothing major though, I'd say.
Wow, the innovation in the machining and processing is amazing! Thank you for such a wonderful insight.
What a fantastic video! Lamy is a favorite of mine. Thanks for sharing!
Got my first fountain pen today. Lamy Safari 😁✒🖋
ElementalHeroJoe a very good choice. The safari is one of the best designs ever made. When I was at primary school over 40 years ago it changed my writing experiance , after all these Pelicano and Geha pens I had to use before......
I'm here 10 months in the future, how's that Safari working?
@@rsd3719 Mine is still going strong after daily use, 7 years after purchase. I can't think of one significant complaint against the Safari. At a recent fountain pen show many tradespeople called it the poor man's Mont Blanc. However, a friend who owns a MB was highly impressed with my Safari. For sure the MB is iconic, well made and perfectly balanced, but for me the Safari gives it a darn good run for its money. Try a variety of nibs at a pen shop and when you find yourself smiling you will know you have found the right nib - and pen - for you.
Congratulations!😀
@@CKGerlach oh wow i forgot about geha!! had to buy my first lamy with my pocket money 🤣 never looked back 💖
For myself, this would have been like going to a chocolate factory, and my name is Charlie.
Did you get free samples?
Laughing here, David - a man after my own heart :D
Thank you for this amazing video, Brian! It was a pleasure to watch!
Outstanding - thank you so much, Brian.
My LAMY safari been with me for 4 years. Best investment for a pen.
Bottle ink much cheaper and last for a long long time.
Which is the name of the bottle of ink? i have to buy one :)
I got a studio when a passed one of my tests
origano But I think this ink bottle work only for the piston converter fountain pens, not squeeze converter fountain pens.
when my Al-Star asks how pens are born
AMAZING! you HAVE TO do more of these videos with all the other great manufacturers!!!
Great behind the scenes look at one of my favorite pen brands. Thanks. Also thanks to Lamy for making such fine writing implements with the usual, world renound, German Tradition of Fine Craftsmanship. Danke!
There was a statement at 6.11 which went like, "...this is what will help keep the nib dry when the pen is sealed." I am wondering if this is correct. It may also be said the inner cap would keep the nib wet. Right? Just a thought.
I think Brian meant to say 'keep it from drying out', sorry for the confusion! - Colin
Thank you =)
LAMY pens are the tanks of fountain pens, unlike those pens that keep self-destructing every months.
chanhien been using the same mont Blanc for 20 years
The only brand that does that is probably TWSBI. Most of the other popular brands are also pretty sturdy. Not Safari level of indestructibility, but they last as long as you take care of them.
Congrats, those pens I mentioned are solely TWSBI pens.
Tell me about it, Chan.
Well, Lamy's pens (even the cheaper ones) are well known to last a very long time. TWSBI on the other hand, still have cracking issues up to now.
Really cool process. Thanks so much Brian for taking the time & process to share this opportunity with everyone. As always, very well done!
Thank you for making and sharing this video!!!
At 6:05 , is the plastic insert to keep the nib dry, or wet? I thought it was to keep it wet so for the next writing session the pen wouldn't have dried up and just work.
Yeah, I caught that too. He probably meant to keep it from drying out.
Well worth the wait! I wonder why they spin the caps at 10:05
Ultimate Pixel
My only guess would be that it is a quality control test to ensure that everything is torqued to spec; rather have the cap come apart under these 'extreme' conditions in the factory instead of in the customers hand.
It's just a guess though *:)*
They're making sure it won't fall apart after countless rotations in an office chair.
It looks like she uses it to put the finial on.
Ultimate they spin them so you don't have to hahahaha, how funny... ;)
Thanks for sharing this with us, LAMY and Brian :-) I use my Lamy 2000 pretty much daily. Salute from The Netherlands!
Thank you for that fascinating look into Lamy!
Felt like watching Charlie and the chocolate factory!
Im too deep in the vtuber hole
This is such a phenomenal video and I can’t think of a better person to put it together. Well done Brian!
This was an awesome video. I learned so much and I now appreciate my Lamy fountain pen even more. Thank you.
This is absolutely fascinating. Love the big buckets of colorful plastic
Lamy is my first and lasting fountain pen love. And German engineering always impresses. Thanks for the video.
Brilliant behind the scenes. Thank you
Thanks Brian. Enjoyable Wonderful Lamy sculpture garden.
Brian, this is amazing, thank you for making this video.
In 2019 we visited the Louvre and I remember being just as excited when we walked into the LAMY shop as I was in the museum! Great vid and thank you. Cheers from Sydney, Aust - Dave
I bought a new LAMY fountain pen several years ago, and am still pleased with it. The way fountain pens are manufactured is fascinating!
Just bought my first Lamy. Bought it home and started writing. I'm in love..