Lamy Scala – Glacier Edition

04 Friday Jan 2019

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The Scala is an often overlooked pen in the Lamy range, as at launch it competed with the Studio, and in more recent times, with the LX and Aion.  Price wise it is the most expensive of the bunch, both in standard steel nib form, in addition to the gold nibbed special/limited editions.  I actually purchased this pen before any of its rivals in February 2017, first being attracted to its looks, then finding the pen in a sale at a good price.  While the review here is for the specific model, much applies to all versions of the Scala fountain pen, and virtually all to the other gold nibbed versions.

The model is part of the range of limited editions created for the 50th anniversary celebration of Lamy.  At the time there was criticism of the cost of the dark amber 2000 model and the higher pricing seemed to filter down as this pen was around £10-20 more than comparable Scala models at launch.  Over time the prices started to come down to around £165, the more normal price then for a gold nibbed Scala (steel ones were and still are about £85).
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Onoto Magna Classic and Chuzzelwit

08 Saturday Dec 2018

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Onoto was a brand created by De La Rue in 1905 for the manufacture of quality fountain pens, first in London, then in Scotland, and now in Norwich.  During that time one of their most successful models was the Magna, also known as ‘The Pen’.  For more information on the brand and its history please see the company website at https://onoto.com/the-onoto-history/, else it will take up too much space here.  Needless to say, after a period of serious trouble and very low sales, the company was taken over by a fan in 2005 and in 2010 the Magna Classic was brought out, harking back to the classic pen.  Numerous models have been based on this design, all hand crafted and with steel nibs by default, gold as an option.  Presently, as of late 2018, Onoto are moving from using Bock nibs to Jowo (visually identical).
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Faber Castell Loom (Matt Gunmetal)

22 Thursday Nov 2018

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To most in the UK, Faber Castell produce art supplies, the fact they also produce pens (and are possibly the oldest surviving pen manufacturer) passes the average person by as few high street stores stock their fountain pens.  Even then they are often over looked as the Ambitions and eMotions tend to be the only options and price wise start in the mid £60s, where as those few shops selling them will also have Parkers, Cross and Lamy pens starting around the £15-20 mark and many of their models for less than the cheapest Ambition.
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Lamy Imporium

08 Thursday Nov 2018

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Lamy is in an odd position.  Despite bringing in a different industrial designer for each pen model they release, and the emphasis on following the Bauhaus design principals, to most people they are know for two pens.  The low end stalwart of the school/first fountain pen market, the Safari (covering also the Al-Star and Vista variants), and the design icon, the 2000, considered by many outside of our hobby, a high end pen and a one time purchase.  Also not helping is the wide array of models below the ‘2k’.  The similar CP1, Logo, LineA, and ST, along with the Accent, Aion, Studio, and Scala, can make people forget that Lamy also produce higher products, chief of which is the Imporium.
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Back in the UK

23 Wednesday Apr 2014

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This might surprise people considering how often I’ve done it.  I don’t actually like long distance flying.  It’s not a fear thing or cabin fever.  It’s not other passengers who’ve hit the booze too hard (as almost happened on my trip out) or screeming babies (as happened on my flight back).  It’s the fact I just can’t sleep on planes, which can make me grumpy, and this flight was just typical.  I did try to sleep, even spent an hour trying to relax to soft music (Brian Eno’s Music for Airports 1), but all that happened was I got a sore shoulder and felt even more tired.  Still aside from the lack of sleep and the crying/screaming kid (who quietened down after about half an hour then only became a nightmare over short periods towards the end) it was a pretty uneventful trip.  Still could have been worse.  Was sitting next to a girl who works for DFID.  She’d come from Vietnam (though with a 2 day stop over in HK on the way back, not the way there) and was heading back to her present base, Sierra Leone via Heathrow.. Continue reading →