Surprising Simplicity -- LAMY's Studio Pen Collection

LAMY studio is a quiet pen.  I like to hold it in my hand and just look at it.  It's a simple design, I suppose, but in that simplicity is an elegant minimalism like a modern sculpture in pen form.  All it took was one inspired idea to make the studio special.  By envisioning a twisted clip modeled after an airplane propeller, designer Hannes Wettstein created a writing instrument that is unique, beautiful, and impossible to forget.

I love the studio's balance.  It's balanced visually, yes:  sleek, streamlined, with a flowing equilibrium of harmonious curves and angles that are easy on the eyes.  But it also fills a balanced position in the pen world, where it is a step up from the entry-level classics, but still sits below $100.  It's classy and reliable, but it's also interesting.  It looks serious and understated, but it also looks modern and different, not traditional.  This is a category to which surprisingly few pens belong! 

LAMY introduced studio in 2005, declaring it "a piece of creative contemporary art," and I think this description is apt.  I often recommend it to customers who are looking for a gift that is nice but not too expensive, and who want something that shows they understand their recipient is an individualist.  Of course, it's also a cool gift to yourself, and, although the studio is simple, I was impressed by how many disparate variations there actually are.  Beyond the four standard stainless steel nib fountain pen variants, you will find rollerballs, ballpoints, premium fountain pens with gold nibs, and Special Editions in an intriguing spectrum of colors and finishes, through which the studio "reinvents itself again and again," as LAMY delightfully puts it. 

Surprisingly Simple

Studio's designer, visionary Swiss architect and industrial designer Hannes Wettstein (1958–2008), was known for creating objects that felt instinctively “right,” with designs that often seemed simultaneously new and familiar.  I was delighted to learn, after writing my own impressions above, that Wettstein's designs have often been called "surprisingly simple," and that he had a passion for questioning norms and reinventing the everyday.  His diverse portfolio included interior architecture and room design for embassies and hotels, furniture, speakers, watches, lamps, door handles, and even bicycles.  What they all have in common is clean lines, a classic but modern look, and a functional, minimalist, timeless style that reduces designs to their most essential and pure form, while conveying a sense of joy and playfulness rather than austere coldness.  Wettstein passed away from cancer at only 50 years old, at a time when he was still brimming with intellectual curiosity.

[Pictured:  LAMY studio in Royal Red.]

The studio, like many of LAMY's other pens, won both the Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award and the iF Product Design Award the year of its release. The Good Design Award was founded in 1950 by pioneers in modern design, and the iF Product Design Award has been presented by iF International Forum Design since 1954.  This very prestigious competition receives around 11,000 submissions from almost 70 countries each year, and the winners are chosen by an international jury of over 130 independent design and sustainability experts.  It is known as the "global seal of excellent design." 

So, yes, the studio has a beautiful design that has been recognized for its excellence, but it's also assembled by hand at the LAMY craftsman's workshop in Heidelberg, Germany, with each fountain pen nib hand polished and tested before being sent out into the world.  Studio has a sturdy all-metal body (stainless steel, lacquer-finished metal, or anodized aluminum), high quality steel clip, and a seamless transition between the barrel and snap cap.  It's an excellent writer, as well, with three different nib material possibilities and three different grip section styles, depending on model.

[Pictured:  three of my favorite LAMY studio editions, each with a different kind of nib--the Piano Red with Z55 gold nib, Lx All Black with Z52 nib, and Imperial Blue with Z50 stainless steel nib. The notebook is the Studio Spotlight Heart in Hand Profolio from Oasis.]

Standard Studios

I have to admit, before I wrote this article, I was a little confused by studio's many versions, but laying them all out in a row made me realize it's actually pretty straightforward.  

From left to right are all the standard models:  Imperial Blue, Royal Red, Black, Brushed Stainless Steel, Lx All Black, Piano Red, Piano Black, and Palladium.  These are regularly available, while the Special Edition models are only produced for a certain period of time and will disappear when they sell out.

The Imperial Blue, Royal Red, and Black matte finish fountain pens feature the same tried and true Z50 nib as the LAMY safari and AL-star, as does the Brushed Stainless Steel model, while the Lx All Black model uses the special Lx nib created for the LAMY Lx fountain pens.  Unlike the black version of the Z50 nib, the Lx Z52 nib gets its black color from a PVD coating, which is protective, anti-corrosive, and makes the nib stronger. To me, it is noticeably smoother than the standard Z50 stainless steel nib, and also looks cool.  I love that it's smooth but gives me a feeling of control, with a little bit of pencil-like feedback.  The more luxurious shiny lacquered and palladium studio pens feature LAMY's beautiful 14k gold Z55 nib, which is partially rhodium plated for a bicolor effect.  I love the sleek modern look of all LAMY's gold nibs.

The pens with the gold nib are available in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, Oblique Medium, and Oblique Broad, while the other pens offer all the same nib options except for the oblique ones.  You can read all about LAMY's many nib options in my article, A Complete Guide to LAMY's Interchangeable Nibs, which includes detailed observations and writing samples. Like all LAMY fountain pens except the 2000, it's easy to swap the studio's default nib for any of LAMY's other nibs, if you so desire!

[Pictured:  studio's polished metal and palladium plated grip sections, with Z55 14k gold bicolor nibs.]

The fountain pens all come with a LAMY T10 ink cartridge in blue, as well as a LAMY Z27 converter, so you can use any bottled ink you want.  I love Lamy's bottled inks.  They are beautiful and an excellent value!

[Pictured: disassembled Palladium studio with converter and cartridge options, and Stainless Steel studio in the background.]

Each version of the studio is also available as a rollerball equipped with the LAMY M63 medium black refill, or as a twist-action ballpoint with LAMY's giant M16 refill in medium black. Although I'm primarily a fountain pen lover, the rollerball and ballpoint styles are beautiful pens as well, and make especially good gifts for a friend or loved one who would appreciate having a nice pen but isn't into fountain pens.

[Pictured:  studio ballpoint, rollerball, and fountain pen in the Lx All Black edition.]

Studio's slim size also makes it perfect if you'd like to make a set with two styles in the same color for an extra memorable and versatile gift.  This is an especially good option if you'd like to introduce someone to fountain pens, but aren't certain that they would regularly use one.  I love the studio as a graduation, Mother's Day, Father's Day, or birthday gift.

[Pictured:  studio rollerball and fountain pen in the beautiful Imperial Blue edition, glistening in the sun.]

In case you're wondering how the matte finishes compare visually to the glossy lacquered finishes, they are both very nice, but do look dramatically different side by side, especially the red pens!  The Piano Red glossy finish has a lot of depth and a subtle sparkle that comes out in bright sunlight, while the Royal Red's matte finish has a softer satiny sheen.  I like both!  The glossy finish feels extremely smooth and slightly grippy, a little like nail polish, while the matte finish has an extremely slight texture.

The Brushed Stainless Steel and Palladium coated studio models are interesting to compare, too. While both share a silvery appearance, the palladium finish has a soft, lustrous sheen with a slightly warmer tone than stainless steel, sterling silver, or platinum.  The stainless steel version, however, has its own appeal. Its subtly textured surface, defined by fine parallel brush lines, catches the light beautifully as the pen moves in your hand, while also doing an excellent job of concealing fingerprints and minor scratches.  The palladium model feels more substantial, thanks to its metal grip section, and it, too, resists fingerprints well. Both have a cool modern look that appeals to me a lot.

The Black and Lx All Black studio pens have the same matte finish (but different trim colors, grip sections, and nibs), while the Piano Black pen is much glossier, like Piano Red.  I can't see any subtle sparkle in the color, unlike the Piano Red, though.  Imperial Blue's matte finish is like the matte black and matte red pens, and the dark blue color becomes much more vibrant in bright light.

As I mentioned, the pens' weights vary a little by model.  My measurements were as follows:

I didn't weigh every version of the rollerballs and ballpoints, but you get the idea!  The difference in weights is mostly dictated by the grip sections. 

The studio fountain pen is about 140 mm (5.5") long capped, and 153 mm (6+") with the cap posted, and the rollerball is a similar size.  The ballpoints are slightly longer.

Special Edition Studios

Studio has come out in many different beautiful Special Edition variations over the years, often inspired by nature.  Some of the Special Editions have featured a gold nib, while others stick to the less expensive stainless steel.  While a new one is released almost every year, there are some gap years, and there isn’t a specific schedule to when and how they are released.  I was surprised to learn that the Lx All Black started off as a Special Edition model, but has been standard since 2020.

Thank you to LAMY for sending me these images of past Special Editions and allowing me to use them!  At the time of this article's release, we still have a few pens left in all the Special Editions that have come out since 2020, and, of course, since the Lx all black edition has become standard, we regularly carry that one, too.

Glacier is a icy blue matte finish, Black Forest has shiny deep forest green lacquer with subtle sparkle, Dark Brown is a glossy deep brown lacquer with subtle sparkle, Rose has a soft and sophisticated matte rose finish, and the latest special release, Orion Matt, is a fascinating purple-brown color with a matte finish.

[Pictured:  the beautiful Dark Brown Special Edition, with rich glossy lacquer and subtle shimmer.]

[Pictured: LAMY aion ballpoint in Dark Green (background), along with LAMY studio fountain pens in Special Edition Matte Rose, Black Forest and Dark Brown.]

I'm very intrigued by the idea of collecting studio Special Editions.  It wouldn't be cost-prohibitive, and the colors LAMY has chosen are all extremely interesting ones. I can safely say that all the ones I've seen in person are even more beautiful than they look in photos, as the finishes and color choices are complex ones that are difficult to capture.  Of course, the standard finishes are all beautiful, too.  I actually like all of them and would find it very hard to choose!  Do you have a favorite studio?  And, if you could create your own studio color, what would it be?  I think I'd propose a rich matte orange the color of a Monarch Butterfly.

-Laura P.

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