I Never Expected This To Happen...
I feel like I should start this blog post by admitting... I have never owned a Lamy pen, and I never felt the urge to get one, either. I don't have anything against Lamys, I just started my fountain pen journey with a Pilot Metropolitan and didn't follow a trajectory that included Lamys. I never wanted one.... until now. And this may sound crazy, but the reason I want a Lamy is all because of the Lamy cursive nib!
I knew as soon as I tried this nib that I wanted to write my next blog about it, and even as various complications popped up, I persisted in my Lamy cursive nib fixation. The more I used this nib--at first in the store, and then at home--the more I fell in love with it. I had fastened onto the topic without even being sure if I had enough information to properly describe the nib, but I experimented with it quite a bit with my colleagues at work and we discussed the experience of writing with it and how it felt different from other nibs. I couldn't stop thinking about it and talking about it. On Friday, I quickly gathered some different pens and nibs so I could bring it home right away and have it with me over the weekend, even though my blog writing day wasn't scheduled until Thursday. As I played with the nib, I got more and more obsessed. I kept looking at photos of compatible Lamys on our store website, thinking about which ones went best with the nib. If you're a fountain pen lover, you probably know the feeling, but this was definitely not something I had expected!
For unrelated reasons, I ended up working from home on Monday instead of the planned Thursday, but when I looked at our inventory online that morning, I was shocked to see that it listed 0 remaining nibs, even though we had started with a lot of them and weren't sure if we'd be able to sell them all. In confusion, I messaged the store see if this was accurate. Yes, Pen Boutique owner Leena's husband Raj confirmed: "We are out. It sold like hot cakes." Whaaat. We decided to go ahead with the topic, but wait until we got more nibs in stock to publish it. Thank goodness! After all, I could not let it go now!
What is this Nib, Anyway?
Let me back up a little. When we first got the nib in, everyone was a bit confused about it. We tried to describe it to customers, but there was hardly any information available to explain the new nib, and when people do a search online for "Lamy cursive nib," it returns a bunch of results for cursive italic nibs, which are not the same thing. A cursive italic nib is also sometimes known as a calligraphy nib. It has a straight, flat end instead of a ball at the tip, and is similar to a stub, except with a sharper/thinner tip so that the part of the nib that comes in contact with the paper is smaller. The flattened shape of the nib gives more line width variation between the vertical and horizontal strokes. Although flat at the end like a stub, a cursive italic nib has rounded edges, which makes it smoother for normal cursive writing.
This new Lamy cursive nib (also called a Lamy hanzi nib or a Lamy Chinese writing nib in different markets) is different. It doesn't look like a stub nib at all. It has a ball at the end, and falls about halfway in between the standard Lamy medium and fine nibs for line thickness. However, it's not like a standard nib, either. It has a unique shape with sharply cut in sides, so it's very pointy, and it offers subtle line width variation, with a 0.25mm line width downstroke and a 0.35mm width horizontal line. (For comparison, a Lamy stub nib comes in 1.1mm, 1.5mm or 1.9mm width sizes for the downstroke.)
Lamy cursive nib vs. normal Lamy medium nib.
Here's a view slightly from the side so you can see its different shape from that angle as well:
So, the cursive nib's line width variance runs the opposite direction from the line variation you get from a stub or cursive italic nib, which have a wider downstroke and narrow side stroke.
It's most similar to what is known as an architect nib, which is designed for the sharp, straight lines used by an architect writing on a blueprint. An architect nib doesn't work well for for curved shapes and doesn't isn't compatible with cursive handwriting. The Lamy cursive nib, however, works great for curves as well as for both vertical and horizontal lines. It also writes well at much more extreme angles than most nibs. If you hold your pen at an unusual angle (for example, as left handers often do), the pen will still write smoothly and put down plenty of ink.
Trying it on a Left Hander
I asked my lefty neighbor (who also happens to be an architect!) to try the regular Lamy M nib, a Lamy LH (left handed) nib, and the new cursive nib. He normally uses a pencil and hates writing with pens, so he really didn't want to try it at all, but he agreed to help me out for the experiment. (Thank you, neighbor!) I didn't expect him to actually try writing in cursive, since he never uses cursive, but he wrote in both his normal printing and attempted cursive, too! He claimed he didn't notice that much of a difference between the nibs, but I think that's because he didn't like writing with a fountain pen in the first place. I can definitely see a difference in his writing with the cursive nib. The pen made contact with the paper very consistently and the subtle line variation looks great! I also got a few left-handed customers in the store to try the nib, and they definitely appreciated the difference in its ability to write at more unusual angles.
Swapping Nibs & Experimenting with Angles
By the way, the reason I was able to get my neighbor to try all these different nibs is that it's extremely easy to nib switch a Lamy pen. I swapped the cursive nib between several different pens, and did the same with the LH nib and others. I used a Lamy Studio for most of my experiments because I like the way the pen looks, but these nibs can be interchanged freely between the Lamy Safari, AL-Star, ABC, Accent, Aion, CP1, Dialog 3, Joy, LX, Logo, Nexx, Nexx M, Pur, Scala, Studio, and Vista.
I'm not left handed, but when I tried writing using my left hand, I was able to get the cursive nib to write even when holding it almost sideways to the paper. A regular nib, on the other hand, produced no line at all in this position.
No line:Line!
The nib also writes well when held upside down, albeit with a slightly thinner line:
The Best Uses for this Nib
The writing styles where this nib shines the most are cursive, hanzi, kanji, kana, heiti, mingti, Sanskrit, Hangul and Arabic scripts. It's designed with running script in mind--the kind used in Chinese writing--but any penmanship that is written in a flowing manner can benefit from the unique shape of this nib. Whatever language you use, when you are writing quickly and infrequently lifting the pen, this nib feels amazing! It makes writing cursive look better and be more fun. I usually struggle with cursive, but this pen makes me want to practice it. For the same reasons, it also works great for drawing and allows you to be very spontaneous yet still feel in control.
(I like best how it feels writing cursive, with the position of the pen slightly twisted. Natural and good!)
I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the Lamy Cursive nib sold out so fast when it was first introduced. After all, for only around $20 you can get a whole new and exciting experience out of a pen that you probably already own. Well, I don't own one... yet. But maybe soon.
-Laura P.
19 comments
FRANK BALES
Unbelievable! No Lamys?! I have maybe 25 Lamys. Imporium, 3 Lamy 2000s, 6 or 7 Studios, and a lot of Vistas, Al-Stars, and Safaris. I love them, but I do own more Pilot pens than Lamy. I am a collector, and Lamy Fountain pens are great pens—whatever the price range. I always have Lamys inked up.
Unbelievable! No Lamys?! I have maybe 25 Lamys. Imporium, 3 Lamy 2000s, 6 or 7 Studios, and a lot of Vistas, Al-Stars, and Safaris. I love them, but I do own more Pilot pens than Lamy. I am a collector, and Lamy Fountain pens are great pens—whatever the price range. I always have Lamys inked up.
Laura P.
Hi, Laura P., the author, to answer a few more questions…! @GEorge McLaughlin, we have this nib in stock now and you can buy it immediately! @Chynsia, the nib weighs the same amount any other Lamy nib, but you can use it in a variety of different pens. It can be interchanged freely between the Lamy Safari, AL-Star, ABC, Accent, Aion, CP1, Dialog 3, Joy, LX, Logo, Nexx, Nexx M, Pur, Scala, Studio, and Vista. @Ruth Morrisson, this answers your question about which models you can use the nib in, as well. The pens I show in most of the photos in this blog entry are Lamy Studios. They weigh approximately 31 grams. The Lamy Scala is heavier—around 43 grams when filled. The Lamy Dialog is 47 grams. So if you like heavy pens, you might enjoy one those those. All of these pens are much heavier than a Lamy Safari or Lamy AL-Star.
Hi, Laura P., the author, to answer a few more questions…! @GEorge McLaughlin, we have this nib in stock now and you can buy it immediately! @Chynsia, the nib weighs the same amount any other Lamy nib, but you can use it in a variety of different pens. It can be interchanged freely between the Lamy Safari, AL-Star, ABC, Accent, Aion, CP1, Dialog 3, Joy, LX, Logo, Nexx, Nexx M, Pur, Scala, Studio, and Vista. @Ruth Morrisson, this answers your question about which models you can use the nib in, as well. The pens I show in most of the photos in this blog entry are Lamy Studios. They weigh approximately 31 grams. The Lamy Scala is heavier—around 43 grams when filled. The Lamy Dialog is 47 grams. So if you like heavy pens, you might enjoy one those those. All of these pens are much heavier than a Lamy Safari or Lamy AL-Star.
Laura P.
Hi everyone… thank you for all your great comments! This is Laura P., author of the article. A couple of different people asked about the ink I used in the first writing sample. @Donna Sammis and @Jill Bartos, I’m sorry but I don’t remember what that ink was! It was a dip test with one of the new Sailor Yurameku inks (I think Itezora), but, if I remember correctly, the pen was transitioning between two different colors when I wrote that. I may have had the regular Lamy blue ink in the pen at the same time, so it started more green and became more blue as I wrote. I probably shouldn’t have used an ink that doesn’t exist in the blog, but I was just fooling around with the nib and it looked so pretty, I couldn’t resist! :-D
Hi everyone… thank you for all your great comments! This is Laura P., author of the article. A couple of different people asked about the ink I used in the first writing sample. @Donna Sammis and @Jill Bartos, I’m sorry but I don’t remember what that ink was! It was a dip test with one of the new Sailor Yurameku inks (I think Itezora), but, if I remember correctly, the pen was transitioning between two different colors when I wrote that. I may have had the regular Lamy blue ink in the pen at the same time, so it started more green and became more blue as I wrote. I probably shouldn’t have used an ink that doesn’t exist in the blog, but I was just fooling around with the nib and it looked so pretty, I couldn’t resist! :-D
Lorraine
Hi. I just received my cursive nib yesterday and started writing with it. It’s great! I am a cursive writer and this nib makes it easy to write in cursive. In fact I feel it improves my cursive just enough to make me keep on using this nib. My Lamy AL will always have the cursive nib on it. I have EF, F, 1.1 and 1.5 nibs, which are favorites as well. Which means I need another Lamy or two for each of my nibs. Definitely a 5 star nib!
Hi. I just received my cursive nib yesterday and started writing with it. It’s great! I am a cursive writer and this nib makes it easy to write in cursive. In fact I feel it improves my cursive just enough to make me keep on using this nib. My Lamy AL will always have the cursive nib on it. I have EF, F, 1.1 and 1.5 nibs, which are favorites as well. Which means I need another Lamy or two for each of my nibs. Definitely a 5 star nib!
GEorge McLaughlin
Let me know when I can buy one.
Let me know when I can buy one.
Chynsia
What is the weight. I have no ordered anything because I like a heavy instrument and the last one I ordered was too light
What is the weight. I have no ordered anything because I like a heavy instrument and the last one I ordered was too light
William B Anderson
A great review and a tantalizing prospect lie ahead of me of buying one of these Lamy nibs. As a lover of broad nibs, I am left wondering if it might be too medium for me, but I am very tempted to buy one
A great review and a tantalizing prospect lie ahead of me of buying one of these Lamy nibs. As a lover of broad nibs, I am left wondering if it might be too medium for me, but I am very tempted to buy one
Roxanna
Funny, I was the same with Lamy; never felt possessed to own one, now I have a few, and b/c of this article am anxious to try this nib! Thank you!
Funny, I was the same with Lamy; never felt possessed to own one, now I have a few, and b/c of this article am anxious to try this nib! Thank you!
Ruth Morrisson
Are these available for the Safari/al-Star/LX models? I’m curious about them but tried someone’s pen with an architect nib a couple of years ago and wasn’t all that enamored of it.
Are these available for the Safari/al-Star/LX models? I’m curious about them but tried someone’s pen with an architect nib a couple of years ago and wasn’t all that enamored of it.
Jill Bartos
This sounds like a nib I’d like to use for sketching as well as writing. I have two questions: What is that pretty blue ink? Is the nib similar to a fude nib? The picture showing the nib from the top looks like it points up a bit. Thanks!
This sounds like a nib I’d like to use for sketching as well as writing. I have two questions: What is that pretty blue ink? Is the nib similar to a fude nib? The picture showing the nib from the top looks like it points up a bit. Thanks!
Lisa McLean
Absolutely best review on this nib and convinced me to give it a try. Another sneaky Lamy intro that receives no love or attention in social media or other news
Absolutely best review on this nib and convinced me to give it a try. Another sneaky Lamy intro that receives no love or attention in social media or other news
Albert Lecuyer
Did you write this blog entry with this nib? I want to try it for sketching.
Did you write this blog entry with this nib? I want to try it for sketching.
Donna Sammis
Thank you for writing about the Lamy cursive nib. The first Lamy I plan to try it with is a Vista. I have two Lamy Joy calligraphy pens and love them, so I look forward to trying the cursive.
Could you please let me and anyone else who might be wondering what ink you used in the first writing sample? Is it Herbin Vert de Gris?
Thank you for writing about the Lamy cursive nib. The first Lamy I plan to try it with is a Vista. I have two Lamy Joy calligraphy pens and love them, so I look forward to trying the cursive.
Could you please let me and anyone else who might be wondering what ink you used in the first writing sample? Is it Herbin Vert de Gris?
Roy Henry
Thanks for the review. I have several Lamys, and am generally pleased with them. Since this is compatible with the Studio, I think I’m going to grab one (I have a few Studios, so this would allow me to keep my typical nibs and have one dedicated for the cursive nib).
Great explanation, photos, and review!
Thanks for the review. I have several Lamys, and am generally pleased with them. Since this is compatible with the Studio, I think I’m going to grab one (I have a few Studios, so this would allow me to keep my typical nibs and have one dedicated for the cursive nib).
Great explanation, photos, and review!
Richard T
Diana
Interesting post. I was sold a Lamy Safari and told it’s a great beginner pen. I did not want that to be my first fountain pen because I was doubtful about its section facets. So the good news is those facets make the pen ridiculously comfortable to write, but the bad is that over time I got away from using it because of the Safari model’s rather basic look. This nib DEFINITELY gives me a reason to potentially want to use the pen again. I will be ordering one soon. Thanks again!
Rich
Diana
Interesting post. I was sold a Lamy Safari and told it’s a great beginner pen. I did not want that to be my first fountain pen because I was doubtful about its section facets. So the good news is those facets make the pen ridiculously comfortable to write, but the bad is that over time I got away from using it because of the Safari model’s rather basic look. This nib DEFINITELY gives me a reason to potentially want to use the pen again. I will be ordering one soon. Thanks again!
Rich
Gloria Fruit
I am also convinced to try one.
A really thorough discussion. Thanks.
I am also convinced to try one.
A really thorough discussion. Thanks.
Beth
Great review! I ordered one from you just before reading this! A friend on Pen Addict Slack spoke favorably, of the nib and Pen Boutique- so glad I found you! I’m left handed so will be interested to see how I do with this nib.
Great review! I ordered one from you just before reading this! A friend on Pen Addict Slack spoke favorably, of the nib and Pen Boutique- so glad I found you! I’m left handed so will be interested to see how I do with this nib.
Robb S.
I got one as soon as they came out on your site. It’s perfect for personal notes and letters and makes receiving those even more unique and special. My collection spans from high-end mainstream makers to everyday, affordable writers like Lamy – of which I am a fan. They confirm my long-held conviction that you don’t have to break the bank to own an have an enjoyable writing experience. The interchangeable nibs makes these great gateway pens, allowing one to experiment with different nibs which – as your post expressed – can be eye opening.
I got one as soon as they came out on your site. It’s perfect for personal notes and letters and makes receiving those even more unique and special. My collection spans from high-end mainstream makers to everyday, affordable writers like Lamy – of which I am a fan. They confirm my long-held conviction that you don’t have to break the bank to own an have an enjoyable writing experience. The interchangeable nibs makes these great gateway pens, allowing one to experiment with different nibs which – as your post expressed – can be eye opening.
Diana Thompson
Wow, great review, I think I’m convinced to get one :-)
Wow, great review, I think I’m convinced to get one :-)