The Safari and Al-star are undoubtedly the two first pens that come to mind when thinking about German brand Lamy. They are easily the most popular models, so it makes sense that the well-known Bauhaus brand tries to expand on this success. And so the Lx -or Live Deluxe- was born!
But... the Safari and Al-star are of course affordable pens. Their success is based mostly on the fact that they are excellent writers at an accessible price, nothing about them screams 'luxury'. With the Lx they wanted to incorporate a more luxurious look and feel in the same tried and trusted design of the Al-star, so how does that work?
Well, more than one year after the original release (yes, it's already THAT long ago!), the Lx struggles to catch on in the market. It's now part of the standard product lineup (not a special edition as was first anticipated), but I've heard many retailers complain about the dissapointing sales once the original excitement for the 'Iphone colors' diminished...
And that has everything to do with the rather high price of the Lx. So with that in mind, and with the 'hype' (if you can even call it that) way behind us, let's look at the pen in its own respect: how do I like it now? My thanks to
Milligram for sending over the Palladium version which, together with my Ruthenium and my parents' Gold and Rose Gold, made it possible to show you all four versions side by side!
The Lx is an interesting pen really. From afar it's impossible to tell it apart from the Al-star. It's VERY similar, but on the same time it's as if they took the Al-star and put it on steroids. It's a more 'premium' version of an entry-level pen... which is a bit strange really. You see, no matter how you look at it, it's hard to see it as the Lx, and not 'just another Al-star'. But before we draw any conclusions, let's look at what the Lx has to offer:
The more refined finish and detailing on the Lx sets it apart as a more elegant version of the Al-Star, but it follows the exact same design for the most part. The straight cylindrical shape of the rather wide cap continues in the barrel, which has two flat sides. Not much special, nothing ornate... in true Lamy style. But the devil is in the details! The body finishes are more refined and the colors have a nice pearlescent finish to them.
The 'biggest' changes are definitely the metal trims on top and bottom finial. It's funny how such a seemingly small detail can do so much in terms of appearance. For me this actually does succeed in setting the Lx apart quite a bit, as I'm not at all a fan of those black plastic inserts in the Al-star. The same finish of the finials is also found on the metal wire clip, which are also plated to match the rest of the pen.
The matching color of the anodized barrel and plated trims helps give the pen a more uniform, less cluttered look. The only thing I wish they would've also changed is the black plastic ring behind the section. It would've been really nice to see this made from the same plated metal as the rest of the trims.
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| Branding is clean and unobtrusive, despite taking up quite some real estate on the barrel |
There are two other details that set the Lx apart from the rest. One of which is the logo on the flat side of the barrel, which is now raised and has a glossy finish to make it stand out, but not too much. A small, but noticeable improvement over the cheap-looking stamped logo on the Al-star.
The second change is the nib, which received a small facelift. The black nib received a different coating compared to the regular black nibs. It's a deeper black color and it's glossier. The nib face also has a laser-etched design similar to the black-plated 14k gold Lamy nibs on the
Lamy Imporium.
Oh, and I'd almost forget about the packaging. A big part of the upgrade (and probably also the price) comes from the matching anodized aluminium presentation case that each Lx comes in. It makes for a nice gift, and can be used as desk storage for your pen. Personally though, I'm not that big on the packaging. Apart from the initial moment of receiving the pen, it doesn't offer much added value for me. It's big and bulky to use as a carrying case, and the anodized finish is a paradise for scratches and bumps if you decide to throw it into your purse or bag.
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| L to R: Pelikan M805, Lamy aion, Lamy Studio, Lamy Lx, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000 |
The Lx -just like the Al-star and Safari- is a relatively sizeable pen. it measures in at 13.9 cm (5.5") closed, and remains a comfortable 13 cm (5.1") uncapped. The aluminium and plastic construction makes for a very lightweight pen that -in combination with the triangular shaped section- makes for a rather comfortable writing experience. Shaped sections like this are the fundation for one of those forever ongoing arguments between good and bad. It's very much a personal preference, you'll find out rather fast if you love or hate it. For me, it's comfortable up until a certain point. I can write with it for quite a while, but eventually I'll start feeling the need to adjust my grip.
Then for the writing end: these new nibs are about 90% the same as any other steel Lamy nib. Nothing you haven't seen or used before... I was fairly convinced at first that they had a somewhat 'grittier' feel on the paper with more feedback. But when I did a side-by-side comparison with regular steel Lamy nibs, I couldn't notice any difference. Lamy doesn't overpolish their nibs, so they always have some feedback to them. In return, this ensures that the nibs provide a consistent flow of ink and a crisp line without skips.
Overall, the Lx is a bit of a tough call. The price increase is rather steep, and in essence it's still the same pen as the Al-star. I think they did an excellent job on the small details such as the finials, the colors and even the presentation. So much so that it feels like a more 'complete' Al-star... It's what the Al-star maybe should be? In that regard, it's not difficult to acknowledge that Lamy did something very right when designing the Lx. But it's without a doubt a rather large premium to pay.
If I nitpick about the small details (and I do!), the Lx will always have my preference over any Al-star. So ultimately, if you should pay the premium depends on how much you personally care about the little details. Prices vary quite strongly depending on where you live: 55 EUR seems the going rate in Europe, while the MSRP is around 70 USD in the US. If you're in Australia,
Milligram has them for 99 AUD.
GIVEAWAY CLOSED:
NOW FOR THE BEST PART: YOU CAN WIN A BRAND NEW LAMY LX FOUNTAIN PEN FOR YOURSELF, COURTESY OF MILLIGRAM! ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ENTER IN THE RAFFLECOPTER WIDGET BELOW. GOOD LUCK!
RULES: Giveaway ends 5/8/2018. Winner will be chosen via random.org, and announced in a separate post. The winner will be contacted directly via email, if he/she fails to reply within one week, a new winner will be picked. Only entries with valid email address are eligible to win. Invalid entries are denied.
This product was sent to me by Milligram so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affilate links.
