Quality writing instruments and so pretty to look at!

In a world where so much is digital, physically holding a beautiful pen and watching the ink flow onto the paper is something that brings me great joy. Whether it’s taking my first baby steps at calligraphy or simply jotting down a shopping list (yes, I am a hand written lists kinda gal), I am totally in love with these pens. I realise true pen aficionados may be inclined to go for much more high end (and expensive!) options before branding something “luxury” but to me, these 3 pens, feel just like that: a decadent and rewarding stationery luxury gift I give myself.

Speaking of gifts, any one of these options would be a great gift choice for stationery lovers in your life and to mark special occasions.

In the two videos below, I show you all these pens in action, but as quick overview, these are my favorite pens in each of these categories:

Interchangeable calligraphy nibs fountain pen

There are other buying options available, for just one pen by itself where you decide upfront which size nib you’re after, but I couldn’t resist the Special Edition Lamy Joy set. It comes in a gorgeous white metal presentation box, complete with a practical and informative booklet, 3 size nibs that will just twist on/off the main pen, 3 sets of Lamy 5 cartridge boxes in black, violet and turquoise, an extra blue ink cartridge and two ever so handy plastic caps to stop the ink cartridges placed on the other two nibs from drying up and saving you having to take the cartridge out from one nib to the next when swapping them.

Fountain pen

There is a reason the Lamy AL STAR has become a classic in the world of modern fountain pens, it’s the complete package:

• a very reasonable price point considering the inspired sleek design and engineering;

• it’s one of the most comfortable fountain pens to hold;

• it writes beautifully, the ink flows onto the paper absolutely smoothly, there is no scratching on the paper, no uneven ink flow, no clogging up.

• you can choose between Extra Fine, Fine, Medium and Broad nibs

• pick your favorite finish: matte or glossy

Both when you look at it, when you touch it and when you pick it up to write with, you can’t help but get a sense that it’s built to last and all the finishing touches are spot on making it both timelessly elegant yet edgily modern.

There are a variety of colours to pick from, both in terms of the pen itself and the ink cartridges you can use. It’s only a tiny bit more than its more entry-point cousin, the Lamy Safari, and as far as I can tell very similar to it in other way, but the metallic finish (vs the plastic one of the Safari) transports it to a whole different level, so well worth the little extra.

Every so often Lamy comes out with limited Special Edition sets. I couldn’t resist the super stylish Bronze set. It’s luxury in a pen form. Love it, love it, love it.

Rollerball

For everyday use and something I could throw into a work bag without worrying too much about it, the Lamy Tipo is such a great option. Very light and comfortable to hold, with a set of perfectly positioned smooth ridges and a stunning rose gold metallic finish (it comes in different colour options too). There’s a very satisfying hinge you slide down to push out the nib, which retracts back to the original position with a slight press. It comes in a nice slim Lamy presentation box, making it a good gift option.

Alternatively, particularly if you already own a Lamy AL-STAR Fountain Pen, you can also get the rollerball equivalent looking pen (pictured above under Fountain Pen, as part of the Bronze set).

aNY COLOR INK YOUR HEART DESIRES!

In addition to a good variety of colors to choose from for your Lamy refill cartridges, the brand also has a super handy ink converter which opens a (rainbow) world of possibilities.

If like me you want to have a go at both the calligraphy and the normal fountain pens, you will be pleased to know that these two specific models, the AL STAR and the Joy, share the same model of ink converter cartridge, so you can use the same one on both pens. Hooray.

You can use the converter to fill it with bottle ink which a more inexpensive and ecological option to individual cartridges, the colour variety is also endless. Unlike cartridges where I recommend original proprietary Lamy ones, with ink you are not restricted to only using Lamy ink, there are tons of other great brands for fountain pen ink. For black ink, you can’t go wrong with the Sheaffer Skrip.

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