The Lamy fountain pen is one of my favourite pens on the market because it is the antithesis of gaudy and is a great starter pen for anyone interested in writing with a fountain pen.
The success of the Lamy fountain pen can be attributed to many factors but one of the prime reasons for its success and its cult status is the influence that Bauhaus design principles have had on its development.
The Bauhaus design movement started in Germany and is an architectural movement which has had a huge influence in the design of all sorts of products,
not just buildings. Germany is well known for its fine industrial engineering and a small pen company in Heidelberg employed designers who were part of the Bauhaus movement to design its Lamy 2000 pen.
The success of the Lamy 2000 pen propelled this small pen company based in Heidelberg onto the world stage and a pen that was first released in 1966 is still being manufactured today.
Bauhaus design holds that form, that is the beauty of something, should play second fiddle to its function, that is the use of the product. So while Lamy pens are beautiful to look at they perform exceptionally well because the first priority of any Bauhaus designer is how the product or object actually performs its primary task or job.
So you will notice that Lamy pens sport clean, minimalist design and bright primary colors and are quite quirky among fountain pens but are very highly regarded nevertheless.
They are super starter pens for anyone thinking of using a fountain pen in their everyday life, work or school because they have a great, inexpensive range for starters as well as high quality foungain pens such as the Lamy 2000, Pur, Dialog 3, Studio and many others.
Furthermore they produce a good range of promotional pens which can be great, unique products to promote your companys brand and which leave a great impression with the recipient.
Lamy also produce ballpoint pens but it is the fountain pen that the company is best known for and which ensures a place in the heart of all pen lovers and aficionados. Few quality pen manufacturers such as Lamy supply such a range of quality pens ranging in style and price points and if you are a lover of good, pragmatic and functional design you should treat yourself to a Lamy fountain pen.
Searching on the internet is a great way to see what is available and online specialist pen resellers as well as big shopping portals such as Amazon and Ebay will allow you to assess prices and characteristics of what is available and to suit your budget. Just make sure to get an ink converter as writing with a Lamy pen is so much fun that you will soon run out of cartridges and a converter with some good quality ink is much cheaper in the long run.
Another very popular pen is the Parker Sonnet so lets take a look at that one now.
Parker Sonnet fountain pen
The Parker sonnet fountain pen has fast become a collector's item for many pen lovers.It is a very popular choice amongst Parker pen lovers, of which there are many in the United States especially.
The Parker pen company has been around for over 120 years. Mixing a combination of new technology, innovation, style and a certain perception of quality and verve has kept Parker in business and successful during nearly a century and a quarter since they have started making pens. The Parker Sonnet fountain pen is the culmination of this work and no doubt will be viewed as a classic among classic fountain pens.
What exactly does Parker do to earn this high level of respect and customer loyalty? The answer is in several places and not necessarily where one would expect to find them.
One of the perks to a Parker is simply in the customizable nature of the pen. Parker makes sure that their customers preferences are met at every turn starting with the nib which includes stainless steel nibs to solid gold nibs.
For those who prefer a softer touch the solid gold nib is really the way to go. It is pricier, but for those with an eye for detail will notice your pen right off and would no doubt not fail to take note of your pen. For those with a heavier hand it is recommended you go with a stainless or gold plated nib. These write harder but are more utilitarian and provide a much more durable utensil.
Customizable shafts are another part of the Parker secret to success. While they currently offer 11 different styles of pen shaft, each one is decidedly Parker and goes a long ways towards showing that you are a member of an exclusive club- nearly a secret society. Parker fountain pen enthusiasts do not advertise it on t-shirts, but they do recognize another user when they see the pen come out. New Parker owners are surprised to find themselves in pen conversations all the time.
Another, and probably one of the most important aspects of the Parker Sonnet fountain pen series is the opportunity for becoming an heirloom. These pens are built to last and like so many other heirlooms of the bygone eras, they have an intrinsic value to them that harkens back to the days of pocket watches and cameos.
The Parker Sonnet series carries on that type of style and tradition while utilizing the newest technology in mechanics and metallurgy. Parker Sonnet fountain pens do all of these things and provide a stable, dependable and elegant writing instrument.
Lamy and Parker pens are just two of the brands which are pre-eminent amongst pen collectors the world over. Other leading brands include Sheaffer, Pelikan, Mont Blanc and Waterman.
