New Lamy Al star

[Curly]

Just upgraded from a Pilot Plumix and went for the red Lamy with the 1.5mm italic and a couple samples of ink (Caran D'Ache Amazon and Carribean Sea). Just a quick writing on same paper laying around I notice the ink has some hesitation at absorbing and tends to smudge, much different than the Plumix. I will also say (and blame myself) the nib is friggen wide! So I suppose my question would be does anyone know a smaller italic nib that would fit the Al-Star? I know there is a 1.1mm but I can't see it being that much smaller, of course I know little about metric so there ya go. Anyways, I like the pen and had great service from Goulet Pens, definitely going to be ordering from them again!

Is there a war to make the ink flow a bit less? It's so wet!

[nemo]

Through the years, I've gone full-circle on nib widths. I started with fine/medium and slowly moved to broader nibs, later on getting into vintage oblique double broad and stub nibs, played with some 1,1mm italics like yours, then back to wet mediums. Now for the last few years I've been enjoying fine and extra-fine semi-flexible vintage.

Play with your pens and develop a feel for what you need to match your handwriting style and uses. What a long strange trip it will be.

Wider is usually wetter and the Lamy Safari/Al-Star is a tough one to adjust, experimenting with different inks may help to achieve a drier line.

[Groat]

I've got a bottle of Caran D'Ache Amazon. It's quite free flowing, takes a while to dry and will smudge readily for some time after writing. It is a very nice color, though.

I'd suggest you try another ink (brand) or two before giving up on the nib you've got.

[Curly]

Through the years, I've gone full-circle on nib widths. I started with fine/medium and slowly moved to broader nibs, later on getting into vintage oblique double broad and stub nibs, played with some 1,1mm italics like yours, then back to wet mediums. Now for the last few years I've been enjoying fine and extra-fine semi-flexible vintage.

Play with your pens and develop a feel for what you need to match your handwriting style and uses. What a long strange trip it will be.

Wider is usually wetter and the Lamy Safari/Al-Star is a tough one to adjust, experimenting with different inks may help to achieve a drier line.

I intend to try some more inks, there are so many different brands!

I've got a bottle of Caran D'Ache Amazon. It's quite free flowing, takes a while to dry and will smudge readily for some time after writing. It is a very nice color, though.

I'd suggest you try another ink (brand) or two before giving up on the nib you've got.

Any suggestions? I like... peculiar colors that you don't find in a normal off the shelf pen (but no reds or shades of). I will say I do like the green and am tempted to clean out just so I can see how the Caribbean Sea looks.

[oc_in_fw]

I have the 1.5 italic- it is my dedicated Bay State Blue pen. Never had your problems. Like has been said, try a different ink. Watch goulets video on removing and inserting Lamy nibs- they are easy to do, and maybe yours isn't fully seated.

[Dave258]

Pick up the 1.1 nib! For $10 you can't go wrong. IMHO it is surprisingly different from the 1.5. I prefer the 1.1 but YMMV.
I use it with my Studio and it makes for a great combination!

[oc_in_fw]

Pick up the 1.1 nib! For $10 you can't go wrong. IMHO it is surprisingly different from the 1.5. I prefer the 1.1 but YMMV.
I use it with my Studio and it makes for a great combination!

I have the 1.5 MM italic. It can sometimes be a little wide, but I really like it- I plan to order the 1.1. I really like the line variations you get depending on the angle of the stroke- I don't like solid, boring lines.

[Dave258]

I have the 1.5 MM italic. It can sometimes be a little wide, but I really like it- I plan to order the 1.1. I really like the line variations you get depending on the angle of the stroke- I don't like solid, boring lines.

I just checked the Goulet's site and see the nibs went up to $12.50. Still worth it. Have you tried the 1.9? A little too much for me.

[oc_in_fw]

I just checked the Goulet's site and see the nibs went up to $12.50. Still worth it. Have you tried the 1.9? A little too much for me.

No, the 1.5 is about as wide as I want to go. Works for just about everything- but there are some things the 1.1 might do better. Of course for those things I can use my Gui Guan broad.

[DET]

Pelikan inks are sort of known for being drier inks. Using that brand may help. Of course, the colors aren't terribly exciting...

[oc_in_fw]

Pelikan inks are sort of known for being drier inks. Using that brand may help. Of course, the colors aren't terribly exciting...

My Pelikan Brilliant Black is a fast drier, and it is a really black ink.

[miatapaul]

Yes, I suggest ordering a bunch of nibs, as that way you can swap them out on the fly. You want to use it for taking some quick notes, grab a piece of scotch tape, and swap them out boom bang and you got the fine in there, Have some envelopes to address, swap in the 1.1 or 1.5 and have fun. I do realize a feed that is optimized for an italic nib is not necessarily going to work well with a fine nib, but at $10 or 12 each getting a few nibs will be a lot less than getting another pen! And if still not happy you can sell it as a kit on the Buy/Sell here, and I might just pick it up!

[Curly]

Well I just got my new 1.1 nib in the mail, threw it on and what a difference, it even improved my spelling (I guess pens really are responsible for misspelled words?)

[oc_in_fw]

Well I just got my new 1.1 nib in the mail, threw it on and what a difference, it even improved my spelling (I guess pens really are responsible for misspelled words?)

I have the 1.5, and I swear my writing looks neater with it

[Doc4]

The Plumix nib is about 1.0mm ... so going up to the 1.5 was a 50% increase right there ... bound to be a big change. Dropping down to 1.1 is practically back to the Plumix.

I find that Noodler's Blue is a good ink for such pens ... have it in my Plumix now ... as is Noodler's Black.

Well I just got my new 1.1 nib in the mail, threw it on and what a difference, it even improved my spelling (I guess pens really are responsible for misspelled words?)

According to the NRA ... National Riting Association ... pens don't misspell words, people misspell words.

[oc_in_fw]

According to the NRA ... National Riting Association ... pens don't misspell words, people misspell words.

Also, the pen is mightier than the sword- especially my patented gun pen.