Fountain Pen Review: The Curious Case of the Lamy Vista

In less than 10 days, The Gentleman Stationer will be 10 years old! That’s a milestone that sort of snuck up on me, and while I’ve certainly thought about it over the past few months, the significance really hit me this past week. I have some fun ideas for the month of April, including a bit of a retrospective and a few giveaways. But the main project I’ll be continuing is catching up on my review backlog. After 10 years, there remains a long list of pens that I've (inexcusably) never reviewed, including today's subject: The Lamy Vista.

Is The Vista Just a Safari by Another Name? Kinda. But It’s Still Cool.

Yes, the Vista is “just” a demonstrator Safari, but it's a well-executed example of a demonstrator that costs no more than the standard pen. (As enthusiasts know, sometimes adding “demonstrator” to the product also adds to the price.) For those new to fountain pens, a "demonstrator" is the term used to refer to a transparent pen that allows you to see the pen's internal mechanisms. Traditionally, these pens were used by salespeople to showcase a pen's filling system and other internal components to potential customers. Collectors covet rare vintage demonstrators, and most modern manufacturers have introduced at least one "demo" into their standard lineup because clear acrylics tend to look good and sell very well, especially once you get into colored transparent materials. (More on that later.)

You can add a pop of color to the Vista by using a bright ink (here, Laban Hera Green).

There's nothing fancy about the Lamy Vista - except for the transparent plastic, the Vista shares the same shape as the Safari, feels exactly the same in the hand as the Lamy Safari, and uses the same interchangeable stainless steel nib. I've long considered the Safari a core "Workhorse Pen" due to its combination of quality and value, and I view the Vista the same way. As with the Safari, some people will have issues with the pen's triangular grip. Fortunately for me, it fits with how I hold a pen, but you're either a "Safari person" or you're not. It's one of those pens that either works for you or one you have to pass on it and there's not too much you can do given that the molded grip is a key part of the Safari (and AL-Star) identity.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

WHERE ARE THE OTHER COLORS!?!

Most notable about the Lamy Vista is the conversation surrounding the pen. Lamy has kept the Vista as part of the standard lineup for years, without giving it any sort of special treatment in the form of a special edition, a new color, or even updated trim (wouldn't a black clip and nib look great!?). Don't get me wrong, it's fine to have a standard clear demonstrator in your lineup, and the Vista continues to sell relatively well, but Lamy (and it's retailers) would literally print money if Lamy started releasing the Vista in blue, green, red, yellow, smoke black... you get the point.

I’m quite excited about his year’s AL-Star releases. Wouldn’t those sections look great in a full-sized Vista demo?

We know that Lamy is capable of making transparent acrylics. For example, the promotional photos of the new Lamy AL-Stars in "Fiery" and "Aquatic" (metallic red and blue) show transparent blue and red sections on those pens. I should have them in-hand early next week and will post live photos, but how great would those colors look on a full demonstrator? Similarly, the Lamy Balloon rollerball adopts a similar format to the Vista, in full-color transparent acrylics. Why not expand this to the fountain pen formula?

IMHO, there’s no reason why Lamy couldn’t go full TWSBI ECO or 580 with the Vista lineup. The Vista (center) is shown here with the TWSBI ECO in Creme and Rose Gold (left) and the TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR Matte Black.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I love demonstrators, and keep a bunch in my personal collection. The Lamy Vista is an excellent, often overlooked pen that I just wish Lamy would expand on a bit more. The company could really take the demonstrator concept and run with it, and it strikes me as a bit of a no-brainer from a business perspective. That said, I have no visibility into Lamy's manufacturing situation so there may very well be logistical issues that to date have prevented them from expanding the Vista line. (The demand would be insane, for one thing, and probably difficult to predict and manage.)

The other way to add a pop of color to the Vista: Use the converter with the red piston knob!

If you enjoy the look of the Vista, you can get one directly from us! The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of Lamy pens, and while we don't stock the full Safari range (yet?), we do offer the Vista in all of its various formats. With the Safari, if you like a color you can typically assemble as set that includes the fountain pen, rollerball, ballpoint, and mechanical pencil in matching colors. You can do the same with the Lamy Vista. Pricing is identical to the Safari, with the fountain pen at just under $30, the rollerball at $20, and the ballpoint and pencil both at $16. Also, the latest Lamy AL-Star pens are now available for pre-order, and should start shipping Monday along with a full restock of the new Safaris.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Your loyal readership and support is what has kept us going for the past 10 years, and we greatly appreciate it!

Thursday Drops: Underrated and Overlooked? Pens and Stationery You Shouldn't Sleep On!

Since yesterday’s review of the Pilot Explorer fountain pen, I’ve received a few comments and messages thanking me for spotlighting what many consider an underrated fountain pen that often goes overlooked in recommendation lists. That’s a big part of what I’m trying to do here, both on the blog and in the shop: curate a selection of writing instruments and stationery with a focus on those items that I feel don’t necessarily get the attention they deserve. It’s easy to get distracted by the FOMO of new releases, limited editions, etc. (and those can be fun), but if you’re looking for a pen that you can actually use to write reliably on a daily basis, don’t sleep on some of the more “standard” offerings.

Recent arrivals include the latest Kaweco Collection release, “Apricot Pearl,” as well as a new ballpoint from Tombow (the Zoom L105)!

1. Pilot Explorer Fountain Pens. While the Metropolitan is a nice pen in its own right, the Pilot Explorer should have broader appeal, given its light weight, rounded grip, and the same reliable nib. The colors also really pop, even if they’re technically more demure than some of the wilder Metro patterns. Check out the full review from yesterday.

2. Pilot Custom 74 Fountain Pens. Pilot still offers a relatively broad range of gold nib pen options at the sub-$200 price point, led by the Custom 74, which I would equate to a “higher end Explorer” because it generally takes on the same shape and feel in the hand, only with several steps up in build. Currently available in multiple transparent demonstrator colors and four nib options!

3. Lamy Studio Fountain Pens. The Lamy Studio (both the steel and 14k nib versions) are the unsung heroes of the Lamy lineup. Even if you don’t enjoy a rounded metal section, check out the “All Black” Studio, which sports a matte finish for added grip texture.

4. Lamy Pico Ballpoint Pens. It really surprised me at the Arkansas Pen Show how many people had never picked up a Lamy Pico ballpoint pen! These pocket ballpoints expand to a full-sized writing instrument with the press of a button.

5. Craighill Caro Pen. I carried a “wallet pen” for years, and the Caro Pen builds on the same idea only with EDC/keychain functionality. The slip cap attaches using a garter spring, so it’s quite secure, and to date I’ve not had any issues with this pen coming loose even with my keys in my pocket. More on how I use this pen here.

6. Kaweco Collection Fountain Pens. There are some excellent colors in the Kaweco Collection “Sport” line, especially the muted pastel blues. And of course, don’t forget the latest release in “Apricot Pearl”, which just hit the shop last week!

7. Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball Pens. While I love the original Caran d’Ache 849 for its portability, the 849 Rollerball is probably more versatile due to the fact that it takes Parker-style refills. The Caran d’Ache Rollerball refill is exceptionally good, especially in the fine tip, but you can also swap in your ballpoint of choice if you’re one of those who feel that the standard Caran d’Ache 849 is too narrow.

8. Anterique Brass Ballpoints. Anterique has expanded the range of colors in the brass-barrel offerings. The brass lower barrel adds a nice weight/balance to this vintage-inspired click pen.

9. NJK Pencil Sharpeners. Japanese sharpener specialist NJK continues to release excellent pencil sharpeners at an insanely good value. I keep several of these in rotation, at each of my work stations.

10. Viarco Pencils. Portuguese pencil maker Viarco has been making pencils in their factory for generations, and it’s one of a handful of pencil factories remaining in Europe. We offer a range of their vintage-inspired pencils,

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Fountain Pen Review: The Pilot Explorer is a Low-Cost Workhorse

If I've learned one thing over the past 10 years of writing The Gentleman Stationer, it's how difficult it is to make a consistently good fountain pen at the lower end of the price spectrum. Often companies will release a pen with an excellent nib but a flimsy body, or a decent looking pen that doesn't write well (or doesn't actually write at all). It's still somewhat uncommon to find a pen at the $25-and-under price point that delivers the entire package. While new users and/or those looking for an inexpensive daily writer certainly have had options, the addition of the Explorer fountain pen to Pilot's lineup was a welcome addition!

While I’d probably prefer no logo, at least it matches the underlying pen color. On an inexpensive pen I’m more tolerant of visible branding.

Wait, Doesn't the Pilot Explorer Already Exist?

While your mind isn't playing tricks on you, the "old" Pilot Explorer is long gone. Pilot made a 1990's-era retractable rollerball that I'm pretty sure I used for a few years in high school after my parents bought a case of them. Discontinued long ago, Pilot has resurrected the "Explorer" name for this new fountain pen. While there is some passing resemblance in the overall aesthetic, including the incorporation of a somewhat prominent Pilot logo, these are completely different products.

I chose the matte black version for my first Explorer, but every time I unpack a new shipment or set up for a pen show, I want a grey, then a blue, then a red....

Where Does the Pilot Explorer Fit in the Current Pilot Lineup?

The Pilot Explorer fountain pen sits alongside the Pilot Metropolitan in the $20-30 price bracket. Both pens share a nearly identical MSRP and you can typically find them priced within a few dollars of each other. That said, I don't get the feeling that Pilot intends for these pens to "compete". The Metropolitan features a more modern design, while the Explorer has all the hallmarks of a classic "Workhorse Pen" such as understated looks, lightweight construction, a reliable nib, and a comfortable section that should work with most grips. But despite a relatively conservative design intended to appeal to the broadest possible audience, the Explorer still looks sharp. At the recent Arkansas Pen Show, I had a table full of Pilot Explorers sitting alongside Vanishing Points and Custom 74s, and the Explorers held their own. The red and grey pens caught the eye of nearly everyone who came by the table.

The translucent section is quite comfortable, and Pilot makes an excellent stainless steel nib.

Nib and Writing Experience

The Explorer is a Pilot pen, so it writes well out of the box. That's expected. What surprised me the most was the level of comfort. Pilot clearly designed the Explorer to be an all-day-every-day writer. Posted or unposted, it's one of the more comfortable fountain pens I've ever used. (Posting the cap adds little to no weight.) The nib is the same stainless steel nib Pilot uses on other pens, including the Metropolitan, the Kakuno (minus the smiley face), and the Prera, and is available in either a fine or medium.

Personally, I prefer to refill my Pilot cartridges using a syringe, but the press converter included in the box works perfectly well. It also makes it very easy to clean the pen by flushing it with water.

Unsurprisingly, the Pilot Explorer uses a cartridge-converter filling system. The pen ships with both a cartridge and a converter in the box, allowing you to use bottled ink without having to shell out extra money for the converter. The converter is the same press-plate sac converter that ships with the Metropolitan and certain other lower-cost Pilot pens. That said, if you want to upgrade your converter experience, the Explorer's barrel is long enough to accommodate other options, including the higher capacity CON-70 with the pump filling mechanism.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I love the Explorer. As someone who finds the Metropolitan somewhat awkward to use due to the step-down on the barrel, I welcome this new arrival. Both pens use the same nib and make excellent everyday writers, but the designs complement each other by appealing to different users. More traditionally "professional" than the Kakuno, the Explorer won't look out of place at the office, and it's inexpensive enough that you shouldn't hesitate to leave it on your desk at work or buy a few to keep inked up and at the ready if, like me, you have several locations that you rotate between during a typical week.

This pen writes on the wet side, especially with Pilot’s high-capacity cartridge. The ink shown here is Pilot Iroshizuku Sui-Gyoku, a new favorite.

At $25, the Explorer competes with the TWSBI Swipe and offers a similar value proposition. I would recommend the Explorer to those looking for a more traditional design, and while the Swipe isn't heavy at all, the Explorer is remarkably lightweight. It was a complete no-brainer decision for us to stock both pens in our own shop, and we currently have the Explorer available for purchase, in a range of colors and both the fine and medium nib sizes.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the TGS Curated Shop and pledges via the TGS Patreon Program.

New Arrivals: Don't Sleep on Tombow as a Brand!

Tombow remains a deeply underrated “sleeper” Japanese stationery brand. Known more in the states for their art supplies than writing instruments, Tombow also offers a deep lineup of pens and pencils. We’ve long carried the Tombow 2558 woodcase pencils - one of the best standard office pencils around - as well as the high-end Tombow Mono in various degrees of graphite. This year, we’ve expanded our selection of Tombow “shaker” mechanical pencils, and just recently added pens, including the L105 ballpoint and “Airpress” pressurized pen!

The L105 belongs to a class of ballpoints that I’ve recently come to enjoy: full-sized retractable ballpoints (as opposed to multi-pens) that use the universal D1-sized refill. The L105 is a cylindrical twist pen that ships with a standard .5mm Tombow ballpoint refill, but which is also compatible with other D1 cartridges like the Uni Jetstream and the Zebra Sharbo gel refills. Similar to the mechanism in the Craighill Kepler pen, the D1 refill attaches to a longer “holder” inside the pen body, allowing you to use a full-sized twist or click mechanism to extend the tip.

I keep one of these Tombow extendable Mono erasers in my pencil case at all times!

Finally, we recently expanded our range of Tombow Mono extendable erasers. Now available in three different formats (rectangular, 2.3mm round, and 3.8mm “Mono Knock” round), Tombow makes some of the best erasers on the market. The “Mono” line sets the standard for me personally, whether it’s a retractable stick eraser or the standard Mono block erasers. They erase cleanly and without much residue. Pencil lovers should have at least one stand-alone Tombow eraser in their kit!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of Tombow and other brands sold. TGS is supported entirely by purchases from the Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Putting an Extra-Fine Point on It: Pens and Pencils for Tax Season

If I’ve seemed a bit absent from the pen internets lately, it’s not without good reason: I’ve spent much of the past two weeks either traveling to pen shows or finalizing taxes, like everyone else here in the States. While I do have an accountant to help me finalize any submissions, I’m in that weird spot where my business isn’t large enough to justify the expense of a regular bookkeeper, so I still do much of the work myself, and a lot of it requires manual review of invoices, reports, and related documentation.

But enough about the nuts and bolts of tax prep. Nobody really wants to read about that, and those of you who aren’t serial procrastinators probably finished your taxes weeks ago. Every year, however, I always plan to write a post about what pens (and pencils) I use to make it through the first weeks of April, and never get around to it because the entire experience burns me out and I don’t want to even think about taxes more than I have to. But this year is different! 2024 tax season overlapped with an interesting vintage acquisition that I made at the Arkansas Pen Show, inspiring this morning’s post.

View fullsize

Three pens/pencils for tax season: The Penco Prime Timber 2.0 leadholder, a Caran d’Ache Fixpencil, and a vintage Parker 51 “Flighter”.

Vintage Extra-Fine Nibs and Dagger-Sharp Leadholders

If there’s one frustration among those of us who naturally have very small handwriting or or work in professions where we regularly annotate documents or take smaller notes, it’s the absence of (1) truly “extra fine” fountain pen nibs that write consistently small out of the box and (2) reliably good pencils - and sharpeners - that can hold a point for any substantial length of time. Sure, all of these things do exist, but mostly in import products and on the higher-end of the price spectrum. The standard steel “fine” or “extra-fine” fountain pen nib from Bock and JoWo - ubiquitous in modern pens - isn’t small enough for the type of notetaking I do regularly, so I have to rely on custom-ground needlepoints and Japanese gold nibs like the fine and extra-fine nibs from Pilot and Sailor.

View fullsize

This particular Parker 51 almost gets me as fine a line as I can get out of my Pilot Vanishing Point extra-fine nib.

This wasn’t always the case. Back when most bookkeeping and accounting work was done manually, it sustained a market for truly “extra-fine” nibs (preferably ones that were stiff to allow you to write very, very small with consistent inkflow, and which you sometimes see designated as “accounting nibs”). Case-in-point: the extra-fine nib on this Parker 51 “flighter” fountain pen I picked up at the pen show last week. I own a lot of Parker 51 fountain pens, and most of the nibs are standard fines or what I would consider a fine-medium: nothing like the smooth extra-fine nib on this one, which so far has held up wonderfully with reliable inkflow. I wouldn’t go so far as to call this pen a “needlepoint,” but it writes a line comparable to the extra-fine nib in Pilot Custom 74 or Vanishing Point, which I consider the most reliable, readily available, and reasonably priced writing experience for those looking to write very small with a fountain pen.

Otherwise, for very small writing I’m using a mechanical pencil, a .5mm low-viscosity ballpoint, or if I’m looking to keep things interesting, a leadholder pencil. One thing that I love about leadholders like the Caran d’Ache Fixpencil or the Penco Prime Timber is the ability to put an extremely sharp point on them, making them a favorite for art, drafting, or - like me - writing absolutely minute script. The 2mm and 3mm leads that these pencils use often sharpen better than the standard cores used in woodcase pencils, and you can easily change the hardness of the graphite to adjust point retention. In my experience, leadholder graphite tends to run slightly harder than its designation, so even a B or 2B drafting lead can get you both a very sharp point and a dark line.

To get the best point on a leadholder, I’d recommend you invest in a stand-alone lead pointer with replaceable blades, as the integrated sharpener in the cap of many leadholders isn’t of the highest quality. Sure, it’s serviceable in a pinch, but you won’t get the needle-tip that you see pictured here.

View fullsize

Properly sharpened graphite will almost always get you a finer line than a pen.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I’ve been using my Penco leadholder and new 51 nearly exclusively for the past week, and recommend both as excellent tools for everyday work. Unfortunately, finding a suitable vintage nib for your needs likely requires a trip to a pen show or some back-and-forth with a reputable vintage pen dealer. Parker 51 nibs typically aren’t marked, and I’ve noticed a lot of variability in size between different pens that supposedly have the same nib, so I almost always like to write with them before I purchase. I acquired this particular Parker 51 from Danny Fudge at The Write Pen, who has become my go-to resource for all things vintage. The Penco “Prime Timber” leadholder is sold in our own shop - it’s an inexpensive quality leadholder that includes an excellent lead pointer in the packaging. We also have a selection of Caran d’Ache Fixpencils and graphite refills, as well as the ultra-sharp M+R Brass Lead pointer, which has holes for sharpening two different lead widths and replaceable blades.

Do you have a favorite tax-time tool? (Not Turbotax or Quickbooks, sorry, analog only! :)) Bonus points if you still use a leatherbound ledger!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you enjoyed this content, please consider supporting us directly!