Lamy AL-Star Fountain Pen Review, Lamy Safari Comparison & My Terrible Impression of

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  • Опубліковано 9 лют 2025

КОМЕНТАРІ • 109

  • @sbrebrown
    @sbrebrown Рік тому +62

    Brother! Thank you for the impression and the kind words!

  • @user-gl5ld9vm7i
    @user-gl5ld9vm7i Рік тому +15

    Hahaha Hahaha! I love the Dr. Stephen Brown impression! I think that everyone in the community has all done an impression of him! Glad to see you posting videos!

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  Рік тому +2

      Thanks! Who else has done a Stephen Brown impression??? I've never seen another one! And now I want too!

  • @stationerystream
    @stationerystream Рік тому +10

    The SBREBrown impression was fantastic! I loved it!!! Hahahaha

  • @Gojenjen84
    @Gojenjen84 Рік тому +5

    I liked how you broke down the differences in the pens, I found it most informative. I myself only have the Lamy Vista with a M nib, and I bought an extra 1.5 nib just to try it out, the fountain pen store actually gave me the wrong nib, but I kept it anyway. The other Lamy I have is the Al-Star in the color purple and I agree with you that the AL-Stars are just more luxurious feelings. Thanks for a great video!!

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  Рік тому +3

      I almost bought the purple Al-star before the petrol edition came out. It looks like a lovely pen!

  • @StandardChunk
    @StandardChunk 11 місяців тому +4

    Second video in and I subscribed. I'm a relatively new fountain pen owner (I have a Safari and a HongDian soneone gave me) so i really appreciate the information you provide.
    And I did indeed find you first. I'd never heard of the gent you were doing the imitation of, but I'll check him out too

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  11 місяців тому +1

      I'm flattered! Welcome to the hobby! Thanks for subscribing! Glad to have you along for this wild journey!

  • @retro51fan
    @retro51fan Рік тому +5

    Excellent in-depth review! 👏👏 I have several of both models and, for me, the writing experience is the same, despite the small differences in weight and girth. I do have a soft spot for the Safari, though, because of the boldness of its design (the Safari came out in 1980 , the AL-Star 17 years later, I believe). The SBREBrown impression gave me a chuckle -- Stephen *is* an icon!

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  Рік тому +2

      Good point. The Safari is a very iconic piece of fountain pen history.

    • @retro51fan
      @retro51fan Рік тому +1

      @@DowntheBreatherHole 💯 !

  • @johnclark1371
    @johnclark1371 Рік тому +2

    Great impression and review. I have two Safaris. They are great EDC pens. One came with a fine black nib, which didn’t seem to write quite as smoothly as the steel nib without the black coating. I’ve heard some other people comment about the different feel of the black nib. I switched the black nib out for a medium normal steel nib, which is an exceptional writer. I love how simple it is to swap out nibs on the Safari. I know what you mean about the capping on the Safari. Neither of mine ever had a satisfying click. I have been carrying them around clipped to my shirt pocket or sling bag for over three years, and never had them open. I haven’t tried my pant pocket, but won’t try after your experience. I love your channel. Thanks for all of the excellent information on this hobby.

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  Рік тому +2

      Thanks for watching! Yeah, I've heard that people sometimes have trouble with Lamy's black nibs. Years ago I tried two black extra fine nibs, and both were awful. But I have two black fine nibs and one medium in my collection now, and they're all great.

  • @MultiEbbot
    @MultiEbbot Рік тому +5

    I´m team Al-Star. The safaris are great but just love the aluminum colors and feeling.Cant help myself bying the new color every year nowadays.Because they look so good together.

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  Рік тому +3

      I know how you feel. So many of the Lamy special editions are so tempting. That's actually why I pulled the trigger on the AL-Star. I had the Safari in Petrol edition, and it's become pretty much my favorite color ever, so when they came out with a Petrol AL-Star, it was a no brainer for me.

  • @HenryKing-hc2ou
    @HenryKing-hc2ou Рік тому +5

    One thing I don't think you mentioned: along the flat side of the barrel, the Safari slopes up beyond the ink window, so that the barrel is circular when it meets the grip section/cap; the AL* stays flat. Although I enjoy both, I always feel the Safari gets extra points for that one tiny detail!

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  Рік тому +3

      Oh wow! I don't have my Al-star on me at the moment, but I think you're right!

    • @retro51fan
      @retro51fan Рік тому +3

      @HenryKing-hc2ou - I've had both Lamy models for /years/ and I never noticed that before! 😯 Thanks for pointing that out!

    • @maazuponvelocity
      @maazuponvelocity Місяць тому

      I don't get it

  • @mariatriesart8389
    @mariatriesart8389 Рік тому +4

    I have a Lamy Vista that has the cap losing its crisp click when I put the cap on. I would love to see how you fix it.

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  Рік тому +4

      Sounds good! I'll try to get it up within the next few weeks!

    • @retro51fan
      @retro51fan Рік тому +1

      @@DowntheBreatherHole 👍👍

  • @lafternd
    @lafternd Рік тому +5

    The AL-Star will always be my favorite pen because the limited edition in Bronze was my first fountain pen.

  • @charlesbrough6185
    @charlesbrough6185 Рік тому +7

    Yes, please show how you fix the cap click.

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  Рік тому +5

      Stay tuned! I'll try to get it up within the next few weeks!

    • @retro51fan
      @retro51fan Рік тому +2

      @charlesbrough6185 - yeah, I'd love to see this, too!

  • @maxfjeld3791
    @maxfjeld3791 8 місяців тому +1

    Greatly edited and very professional! You deserve more praise

  • @bethg7026
    @bethg7026 Рік тому +2

    The AL star petrol was my 2nd fountain pen, after a twsbi diamond. I put a 1.1 stub nib in it. It's not a fancy pen like my twsbi or my leonardo furore, but I still love using it and do so almost every day at work. I'm considering upgrading it with a gold nib.

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  Рік тому +1

      I haven't tried Lamy's stub nib. How is it?

    • @bethg7026
      @bethg7026 Рік тому +1

      @DowntheBreatherHole it's a great one to start with, very forgiving if you rotate your pen a little. The downside is that the line variation isn't as strong as a jowo stub nib.

  • @meepmorprobotcaptain
    @meepmorprobotcaptain 11 місяців тому

    One thing to try - I've started buying books secondhand on eBay. It reduces cost to me, often benefits a charity or small business, and I love knowing that my next read once was from a library, or someone else's collection. Less guilt. (As for selection method, all my current reading is research for a project, so no help there)

  • @Ben-BWZ
    @Ben-BWZ 18 днів тому

    Thank you!

  • @todayipaint4667
    @todayipaint4667 Рік тому +7

    Ok. A. The AL Star is NOT prone to dents or scratches. I have it for 2 years and traveled with it. It looks as new. B. The clip has two positions, it is not wobbly.

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  Рік тому +3

      I've only had my Lamy Al-star for a few months, so I can't speak personally to its longevity. I was relying on information from other fountain pen reviewers. But in general, metal pens like this often wear more visibility than plastic ones.

    • @LolaBeM3
      @LolaBeM3 11 місяців тому +2

      It’s definitely prone to dents. Accidentally dropped mine and it has a tiny dent. The Safari is definitely more durable.

  • @ermyril
    @ermyril 10 днів тому

    Having both pens in front of me and clicked on the video because my first reaction was "but it is just an aluminum safari though"
    Honestly I didn't pay much attention to the differences in their design before, aside from pen being larger
    But it's true, you're absolutely right, they're fairly different, a lot of which might be just due to the manufacturing aspects of metal in comparison with plastic.
    My impression of al-star is that it's not that much more premium or head above safari in terms of feel and quality, given the thin aluminum it still feels cheap, but if safari doesn't try to hide that it's cheap, al-star feels like it tries to appeal more premium than it is. For me they still fall into the almost same category, I need to get me a glossy safari to try, I can see it being quite pleasant.
    I think both are great pens, and I am using them both actively, it's just for me the difference is that when safari exceed expectations, al-star sits tiniest bit below them.
    P.S. oh, and I should note that Al-star ballpoint pen was just an outmost disappointing, which might also soured my impression of a lineup in general. Ballpoint version barely worth 10$, definitely doesn't worth 20$

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  10 днів тому +1

      Those are fair points. I think you are right about the Al-star. I like it, but I'm not as drawn to it as I am to my Safaris, which feel nicer for what they are. Also, I've wanted a Lamy ballpoint for a while, but I've heard the refills aren't great, and since they are proprietary, you're stuck with them. I'm pretty sure I heard somewhere though that they're going to start using Uniball ink.

    • @ermyril
      @ermyril 9 днів тому

      @@DowntheBreatherHole I've actually stumbled upon your video while trying to find videos with disassembly of the Al-Star ballpoint (didn't find any).
      I've recently bought it to complement the fountain pen of the same color and to act as a backup in case I find myself out of ink. Plus, I saw it for $10 on sale, so it seemed like a no-brainer.
      Just to discover that not only does the button feel rough and "sandy", but it also squeaks like crazy. Hence, I went on my quest to fix it. I applied Krytox lubricant to the spring, which was the source of the squeaking due to friction with the casing. Which, thankfully eliminated the squeakiness. I also lubricated the button mechanism, where I noticed that there is a metal cylinder with rough edges inside of which moves a plastic pin (the one on which the button sits). The plastic is literally being scraped by the metal, hence the scratchy feeling when pressing the button. I applied lubricant to it as well, but while it improved the situation, it didn't really remove the scratchiness.
      This leaves me absolutely astonished at how they can sell that for $20, or even $30 according to their website.
      Even for the price I paid, I should not have to try to fix such issues on a freshly bought pen.
      While I'll keep it because it is a backup and more of an accessory than a writing instrument. I know that I'm not going to use it 99% of the time after all.
      But I cannot advise it to anyone, even for $10. Buying a $5 Pilot ballpoint from the nearest shop will likely result in a much better experience than what I have on my hands here.

  • @paulll47
    @paulll47 10 місяців тому +1

    I heard that the Lamy Al Star is very scratch prone but it's actually more durable than the safari, I saw some photos of Al Star pens from the late 90's, the anodization was in rough shape but the pens worked perfectly, the only thing is the cap, I don't think Lamy will ever be able to make a durable cap lol.

  • @Pauley_in_GP
    @Pauley_in_GP 9 місяців тому

    Good video. I bought my first Lamy yesterday. I went to the art store to purchase a Safari and they had a bunch of them. They also had some Al-Stars. I did a writing sample with the Safari and liked it. But when I picked up the "glowing" silver Al-Star, it said _"I'm the one you want"_ so that's what I brought home. 😀
    By the way, the clip on my Al-Star is tight.

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  9 місяців тому +1

      Yes, the Al-star is a super pretty pen. It's interesting to hear that your clip is tight!

  • @ArjanD78
    @ArjanD78 Рік тому +2

    Would it be possible to tinker together a Lamy Stormtrooper from different Safaris? Which ones would you use?
    By the way, you used the wrong "Stephen intro". It should have been,:
    "Time for another fountain pen sssshootout!"

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  Рік тому +2

      haha Yeah, I guess I did use the wrong one. But I used the more recognizable one, which is what I was going for. I wanted it to be unmistakably SBREBrown.

  • @teresaharris-travelbybooks5564

    That was hysterical. Keep it up.

  • @Julia-q3y2y
    @Julia-q3y2y 10 місяців тому

    Having only recently re-engaged with fountain pens and endeavours to improve my handwriting, I am fascinated by the amount and depth of content available about what is essentially a 'writing tool' (I shall be struck down for that observation). Several years ago I bought some Lamy Safaris, seduced by the colours and co-ordinating inks (I'm a Virgo, we do that). Because of the colours I bought two Al Stars. The thing I like about the Safari is that the grip section is the same colour. I love the shape of the grip on both, it suits me well. I dug out a very old ( 50 years old probably) Parker and got that going again and realised that the smoothness of the grip section didn't work as well for me. I interchange all the nibs on the Lamys, so the writing experience is the same and I don't much notice the difference in the width or weight (1 gram) on either pen. I love your quiet, steady delivery of your videos. I am never going to be a fountain pen fanatic (budget influenced) but I am enjoying watching everyone else's fanaticism! Good for you with the channel, keep it up!

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  9 місяців тому +1

      Thanks for your kind comment! I am also heavily influenced by budget. I like collecting pens, but slowly. Very slowly. Most of my expensive pens I won in giveaways.

    • @Julia-q3y2y
      @Julia-q3y2y 9 місяців тому

      @@DowntheBreatherHole Thank you for your reply. I have just added to my collection - a Lamy Studio. It is a nice pen and I am getting used to the smooth grip, but as the nib is the same, the writing experience is the same. I was also interested to see your notebook review. Years ago I got carried away with Moleskine and used them a lot. However I began to think that they weren't great to use with fountain pens. Now I am using Rhodia with Clairfontaine paper. I got a nice Rhodia journal and really notice the difference. I am an English person living in France and so accessing a fountain pen is a bit challenging so 'giveaway' opportunities are not on the horizon - lucky and well done you. Looking forward to your next video and hope your collection continues to grow.

  • @wadeevans8739
    @wadeevans8739 Рік тому +1

    Good impression. Thanks for the video.

  • @EXQEX9
    @EXQEX9 9 місяців тому

    I found your channel before Steven Brown's channel. Just wanted to tell ya that I came back. You're great too! :)

  • @N1inSK
    @N1inSK Рік тому +1

    I prefer the Safari because my one Al-star doesn't post well. Safaris post much more securely.

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  Рік тому +1

      The Safari definitely has an edge when it comes to posting. I don't mind posting my Al-star, but the Safari does it better.

  • @mariatriesart8389
    @mariatriesart8389 Рік тому +2

    I am team Al-Star, but prefer the Lamy Lxe over both.

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  Рік тому +1

      Oooh yes, the Lamy LX looks awesome, and I've heard good things. I especially like the marron edition.

    • @fountainpeninsanity3344
      @fountainpeninsanity3344 Рік тому +1

      I am also team Lx. The metal finials really complete the look.

  • @jayhoughton558
    @jayhoughton558 7 місяців тому

    I don’t think there is anything wrong with the clip on your All Star. They seem to make it different so it sits more flush when not in use. But it has flexibility to go over thicker items. It’s adjustable if you will.

  • @videos-pk3fx
    @videos-pk3fx 2 місяці тому

    I just bought one yesterday in the "Fiery" color. The clip is not loose at all. Maybe the Lamy folks fixed that issue after having seen this video. p.s. Love this pen!

  • @martinjohnson4405
    @martinjohnson4405 6 місяців тому

    I have a couple of old Lamy AL-Stars from the early 2000s and they all have the issue with the clip you describe in the video, which makes me think they were designed that way.
    I have never particularly warmed up to the AL-Star, mainly because I find silver-gray uninteresting and the early AL-Stars were silver-gray with some having a tint of blue or green. Further, my AL-stars are more beat-up looking than my Safaris that are a decade or two older than the AL-Stars.
    My favorite Safari is the charcoal, because I like the matte finish and that the clip and nib are also black.

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  6 місяців тому +1

      Yeah, I'm with you on that. My petrol Al-star is gorgeous, but I don't use it as much as my Safaris. They are still my go-to.

  • @artblob
    @artblob 10 місяців тому

    Not me holding my allstar and also discovering the wiggly clip lol. Now there is no stop to the fidgeting.

    • @artblob
      @artblob 10 місяців тому

      Ah and another thing I wanted to say is,
      I have just bought mine some days ago.
      I had Safaris in my hand, and Allstars. One thing I have noticed though, is that the Safaris were already pretty scratched up, while the Allstar looked pristine.
      The Allstar is only 28,50 here though, and for that price it performs excellent.
      I dont have the money to start a proper collection, but I do love the feeling of writing with a pen.
      Also I feel like some potion-brewing witch when refilling the little converter :)
      It brings me a lot of joy.

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  10 місяців тому

      haha that's great. You don't need a big collection. Just a few nice pens. And the wiggly clip of the Al-star used to bother me, but not so much anymore. It's a great pen.

  • @LEO19495
    @LEO19495 5 місяців тому

    My al star has some scratches on the back from daily use but it is still in great shape.

  • @glenconverse1327
    @glenconverse1327 4 місяці тому

    Great review of very similar pens.

  • @schawo2
    @schawo2 Рік тому +1

    What is the takeaway? It is just the AL version of the Safari

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  Рік тому +2

      I guess the takeaway is that calling the Lamy Al-star a metal Safari overlooks a lot of ways in which these pens are very different.

  • @davidcool5189
    @davidcool5189 7 місяців тому

    I've never noticed the clip issue with th Al-Star. I just tested mine, and it does the same thing.

  • @Haaniyya
    @Haaniyya 11 місяців тому

    the impression was so funny all so the video is really informative I personally prefer the lx which is basically the Al star over the safari but both of them are great pens

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  11 місяців тому

      The Lamy LX is super pretty. I especially like the marron edition.

  • @TrueReal-de6ee
    @TrueReal-de6ee 11 місяців тому +1

    How did you fix it? 12:21?

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  11 місяців тому +2

      ua-cam.com/video/owGWHEYXM8g/v-deo.htmlsi=S4NaTiX35mZktY4c

    • @TrueReal-de6ee
      @TrueReal-de6ee 11 місяців тому

      Nice! Thanks@@DowntheBreatherHole ❤️❤️👍❤️❤️

    • @TrueReal-de6ee
      @TrueReal-de6ee 11 місяців тому

      I wish you did more introductions like the one in this video. I really liked how you did it then acted British and laughed it off! It was so refreshing, unique and thoughtful@@DowntheBreatherHole

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  11 місяців тому +1

      @@TrueReal-de6ee I'm planning more! Stay tuned!

  • @barbarajloriordan2697
    @barbarajloriordan2697 6 місяців тому

    I agree, Stephen Brown is the man!

  • @StanielP
    @StanielP 9 місяців тому

    Lmao I love that intro I remember first hearing it back in 2012

  • @DowntheBreatherHole
    @DowntheBreatherHole  11 місяців тому

    2/24/24 Update! I am giving away a luxurious Rhodia Webnotebook in the near future. For more information, follow me on Instagram here: instagram.com/downthebreatherhole/. I'll be posting details soon!

  • @strokeracer
    @strokeracer 3 місяці тому +1

    I thought what the hell has ahappened to Stephen Brown 😁

  • @1roze4me
    @1roze4me Рік тому +1

    That accent was impressive!

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  Рік тому +1

      Thanks! I've watched A LOT of SBREBrown videos. haha

    • @TrueReal-de6ee
      @TrueReal-de6ee 11 місяців тому +1

      Yeah man! I really thought that was how he was from birth! Definitely didn't feel like a forced or fake British accent(what do I know though).😊

  • @wesfoulds47
    @wesfoulds47 2 місяці тому

    Yes please help me fix the cap not clicking

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  2 місяці тому

      I've since made the video. It should be pretty easy to find if you scroll down through my videos a bit.

  • @wesfoulds47
    @wesfoulds47 2 місяці тому +1

    I have both

  • @Ade2bee
    @Ade2bee 11 місяців тому

    My pocket clip does exactly the same as yours, and to be honest with you, it doesn’t bother me

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  11 місяців тому

      It doesn't bother me anymore either, though it doesn't stay in a shirt pocket as securely as a Safari. But I don't put my pens in pockets very much, so it's mostly a non-issue.

  • @expelleddux
    @expelleddux Місяць тому

    I have no idea who this Brown guy is

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  Місяць тому

      SBRE Brown. He's one of the OG fountain pen reviewers on UA-cam. You should look him up. He's fun to watch.

  • @Wolverine3660
    @Wolverine3660 11 місяців тому

    You need not worry about the durability of the Al-Star bodies. I have had my 2 for over 12 years now, I use them every day, dont baby them, and they have held up very well.

  • @sarikadhamija9528
    @sarikadhamija9528 11 місяців тому

    such a long useless video...

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  11 місяців тому

      Hi! If you would like to offer constructive feedback, I'm all ears.

    • @nanwilder2853
      @nanwilder2853 11 місяців тому

      With such a nice, soothing voice!

  • @emofeelingsad
    @emofeelingsad 9 місяців тому

    i was thinking more of @PracticalEngineeringChannel for the likeness comparison 😅

  • @jayhoughton558
    @jayhoughton558 7 місяців тому

    I don’t think there is anything wrong with the clip on your All Star. They seem to make it different so it sits more flush when not in use. But it has flexibility to go over thicker items. It’s adjustable if you will.

    • @DowntheBreatherHole
      @DowntheBreatherHole  7 місяців тому

      That makes sense. I wish the Lamy Al-star clip was a little tighter, but the adjustable nature of it is nice.