Lamy Safari White and Red

Some time ago, we received in the special edition white and red Safari, originally released in Japan. How fun! I had no idea we were expecting this, and it is a perfect Japanese/German collaboration.

I am a big Safari user, and it is typically my go-to recommendation for new users, when people come into the shop looking for their first fountain pen. It’s not always a hit right off the bat, because it’s a very distinctive look, and despite knowing this in my head, that many people are looking for a classic pen (Parker, Waterman) I always feel a little ping of lament when they give me that ambivalent frown and nod and hmmmm. It grows on you! I want to say. It will become your stalwart warrior and emotional outlet and a small family of colours will sprout before you know it. Its distinctive clip will immediately draw your eye from across the room in a cafe or a meeting, and you will know that its owner is a Good Person, in this world of philistines. You will not regret it! It’s made from the same plastic as LEGO!* They look away and towards a Metropolitan or a Sonnet, sometimes occasionally wondering if someone else is available for help.

In any case, this is a special edition one, always nice for a collection or a pocket.

The ink is Sailor Sei-Boku, which I think is my go-to ink when I need something permanent. It’s fairly rare that I absolutely need a permanent ink, so I’m usually grabbing a gel pen if I need to sign a form—and in fact so many forms are signed and then scanned off that I just use a regular fountain pen. And, also, it’d probably be better if my journals and words were washed away upon my death rather than excavated by one of the children. But every once in a while I have a few letters I need to address, or I’m just liking the look of a lovely, shading blue. There are quite a few good waterproof black inks, but I like the shading and look of a blue ink, or any ink other than black, when I can have it in my fountain pens.

We hope you are staying warm out there. It seems to have dipped quite low. The heat pumps are flagging, we are back to extra sweaters.

On this frosty Monday, I can’t even count on a cat to keep my lap warm. We have some contractors in doing some work upstairs, and Chicken is scurrying at the kitchen door trying to be let out, eyes wide in both terror and indignation. I’ve been trying to convince him he’s going to die if he stays outside for too long, but all the jolly banging and thumping is throwing him off. Tuna normally doesn’t mind hanging out with or even napping by the contractors, likely on some power tool, but he and Chicken have reached a new stage in their relationship, so he’s been following Chicken around, wondering what Chicken is so riled up about and whether or not he can or should join in, and while waiting, lounging on the floor in the kitchen licking himself.

Bright, sunshiney days are here, we’re just waiting for the warmth to catch up.

*I’ve been telling customers this well-worn factoid for nearly a decade now and to be honest I’m not even 100% sure if it’s true. It’s a very nice plastic.