Lamy Vista - Why I Bought It & Why It’s Better Than A Safari!

Let's talk about my experience with the Lamy Vista Fountain Pen! What difference does a demonstrator make? Where did I find it? What do I think of and what are my associations with it?
Let’s sit down, you and me, and have a chat about this wonderful fountain pen.
This video was done in a single take from beginning to end. That is extremely difficult for me to do. Plus, I only did a single take.
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Wardrobe: Lacoste Polo Frames by Ray Ban, Wayfarers, Rolex GMT Master II Ref # 116710LN.

[@kurtgeisinger2012]

You didn't just buy the pen, you also secured the experience and happy memories associated with it. Like any souvenir or photograph, it is a tangible memory of your trip to New York City.

[@HemingwayJones]

Truly! Thanks so much!

[@davidmillard2946]

I knew nothing about my Lamy Vista until I saw your video this Saturday morning. Now almost by osmosis I have acquired some of that New York Metropolitan connection. I watched the John Singer Sargent film earlier in the week and was delighted that you included one of his pictures in your video. Thank you.

[@HemingwayJones]

I love Sargent. His family was from Boston so he is all over our city. Thanks very much for watching this one. It is one of my favorites.

[@basskat1440]

Good Vid! The days are almost gone when you get the tactile experience of touching/handling something you might be interested in buying. I have three Lamys. Love each one. Enjoy!

[@HemingwayJones]

Thanks so much and that is a very good point. Thank you.

[@paulyarrow333]

I completely agree that buying a fountain pen in person anchors the pen to that memory. Every pen has a story! Entry-level Lamy fountain pens have a special place because they (at least here in the UK) are the starting point on this amazing journey! Lovely video, really appreciate your work.

[@HemingwayJones]

Thank you very much for the kind words. I am so glad that you enjoy this channel. My wife is English and her fist pen was a Lamy Safari at Uni in York. Thanks!

[@paulinewhite3273]

I’ve just ordered one of these. I have several Lamys, I have different coloured inks in these. I wanted a bottle of gold ink, consequently I wanted a new pen to go with it. Looking forward to journaling in gold. Thanks for your pen chat…..nothing better.

[@barbarajloriordan2697]

I like my Lamy Vista, too. I have Safaris in all the different nib widths, and I wanted something different for my Lamy Vista. So, I installed the Lamy Cursive nib, which I enjoy very much. It’s a very fine architect nib. I find that the architect nib has a lot of personality. I somehow am drawn to fill this pen with Lamy Blue ink, but I feel intrigued by your idea of filling the pen with Diamine Oxblood. Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm about the Lamy Vista.

[@HemingwayJones]

Thanks very much for watching. I appreciate your perspective. I love that nib. It is brilliant!

[@LaddGardner4]

There was something special about this one, buddy. You were completely relaxed and talking to friends. I ordered the same pen, same 1.1 stub, and same red converter because of my association and memories with YOU, plus the b-roll so artistically interwoven showing a tiny, brave girl with her nose pressed against the elevator wall void.

[@HemingwayJones]

Thanks so much! I appreciate that Ladd. Every once in a while, it’s nice to do a more personal discussion based video. Thanks for watching.

[@frederikbruck5210]

I really relate to what you said about personal purchase. As I'm lucky enough to live in Mannheim, just half an hour from Heidelberg, home of LAMY (and kaweco, btw), I naturally own a LOT of Safaris. But my absolute favorite of them all is the Vista. But (as the parts are all interchangeable) I do something different. I love colour-coding my pens by nib and/or ink-colour by swapping the headpieces (the gripping part with the feed in it). For example: I did a regrind on an extrafine nib to make it a flexnib. That sits in a black head, the shaft and the cap are from the Vista. Thus I recognize that particular pen by a fleeting glance. My EDC-Pen is an LAMY Accent with the 1.1 Stub in it. Like you said: Nothing better for beautiful handwriting.

[@HemingwayJones]

Thanks so much! Must be an incredible place to live. I'd like to visit sometime.

[@Pauley_in_GP]

Fun video. Thanks. I feel a similar way about pens (as well as other hobbies). I'm new to fountain pens. Before buying one, I watched many videos (yours included) and after a moderate amount of research, decided that a Safari would be a very good first pen for me. I went to the local art store, and a wonderful, knowledgeable young lady helped me. I was about to grab the Safari when a while/silver AL-star called me over - and came home with me. Yes, it spoke to me. (I've since picked up a Cosmic AL-star as well.) It's difficult to explain, but when I use them, I feel attached to an artistic part of the world. I think purchasing them in such a nice environment contributes to that. As you say, you can find all this stuff cheaper online, but I think it's important to support small businesses whenever I can, especially ones with very helpful, go-to people.

[@HemingwayJones]

I love this comment! I am so glad that you took this step and I admire how you did it. Thanks for letting me know and I hope to hear from you again. All the best.

[@richardzak2140]

Hello HJ. Another interesting video. It's nice to see what's out there even though I'm not in the market for another pen. Like I mentioned in the past, I have 9 fountain pens and enjoy using each one as a daily writer. My journals have a multitude of ink color within them and I would not have it any other way. Great insight. Keep them coming my friend.

[@HemingwayJones]

Thanks very much for watching and I respect that low pen count. Thanks!

[@ferguslimhm8311]

Greetings Mr Hemingway, I'm Fergus, from Malaysia, I love this format, short and sweet... thank you...

[@HemingwayJones]

Thank you Fergus! Welcome! I am sure I will do more like this. Thank you for being here.

[@ChrisSaenz13]

Hi Hemingway! I also love my Lamy Vista! It was one of my first fountain pens! I like the looks of it best with the black and silver converter (Z27) but admittedly, the Z28 stays in better because of the little side pegs included! My fist Vista the silver Lamy logo wore off because I used it for years as an ink review pen! I bought a new one but I still reach for the original one! 😂

[@HemingwayJones]

Chris! Thanks so much! It is always a pleasure. The Z27 is definitely more on theme. Love the story of how long you have had yours.

[@glennkelley6096]

I bought my grand daughter her first fountain pen this summer. It is a Vista,her nib of chose was a stub. She is a very discerning 10 year old.

[@HemingwayJones]

That is pretty amazing. Well done on both of your parts.

[@Sasquatchsketcher]

I’ve never cared for clear demonstrator pens, yet you’ve shown me how these pens can work their way into one’s collection. Bravo! I’ve learned something and am less disinclined to accepting them into my own collection.

[@HemingwayJones]

Thank you very much! Happy to Have provided some inspiration’

[@Scott.M.Lewis-71]

Cool episode!! The Lamy Vista was my first Lamy pen. I wanted a demenstrator for Noodler's Fox Eternal ink (my favorite red).

[@HemingwayJones]

I am so glad you enjoyed this! Thank you!

[@wendywander7]

It’s a great pen, and I agree 100% about the 1.1 nib being closer to an italic; it’s so ideal for italic handwriting & calligraphy. I have my Vista inked with bright red ink to match the converter, and it happens to be my son’s favorite color. I also have the Vista Black with the Lamy Calligraphy nib, which is sort of the reverse of an italic grind, and I haven’t fully adjusted to it yet, but I enjoy it. Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@HemingwayJones]

Thanks so much. I love your ink choices.

[@gregs.2679]

I bought the Vista and the silver AL-Star because I wanted a Safari-like pen since they came out but found them a bit too ubiquitous and ho-hum to fit into a collection that was already filled with both popular models as well as oddball stuff. That "has to be kind of special" attitude that Hemingway expressed here really resonates with me. Unfortunately, I had a very hard time getting ink to flow through them at all, and lots of trouble with the nibs drying out if I left them unused overnight. I'm not sure what happened, but years later, both function flawlessly, and no more hard starts even after weeks of not touching them! I'm so glad that I spent a little more than the price of run-of-the-mill Safaris and resisted the temptation to slam them onto eBay or simply pitch them into the trash.

[@mmzeeman]

It is always nice when a pen gets personally meaningful. During the summer I made a short trip to Berlin with my son. I bumped into a nice Lamy Safari there. It has two Ampelmanchen on the side of the cap. Ampelmännchen is a popular East German traffic light figure which is used throughout the city. It reminds me of the quality time I spent with my son every time when I pick it up.

[@HemingwayJones]

That is a wonderful story. We have shared a parallel experience. That is pretty amazing. All the best.

[@LewisLittle66]

I really like demonstrator pens. Especially the new Jinhao 9019 Dadao. It has a huge and beautiful gold-trimmed converter and I just had to get the clear demo to show it off. Agree with the lamy 1.1 stub too, I just got one last week for one of my Safaris.

[@HemingwayJones]

Wonderful! Thanks Lewis. I wish you well with the Jinhao.

[@JambonJovi]

Hi From France ! I already had 4 Safaris and I just bought a VISTA for its look. Like you, I found the Vista very atractive, and I also use the red converter to make the pen look even better. My first choice was to fill it with red ink, I tried that Momiji ink by Pilot Iroshizuku, but finally it's not red enough to my taste (more pink than red). I noticed the lower edges on the grip are a bit sharper on the Vista than they are on my Safaris. Probably because it's not the same type of plastic.

[@HemingwayJones]

Hello My Friend! I love the Vista. There is something about the transparency that makes it more interesting.

[@karmesindryade]

As usual, I very much enjoyed your video. I got my Lamy Vista just a few weeks ago. Mainly, I purchased it for ink testing (especially since I started mixing my own ink colours) and I don't want to spoil an expensive pen with an ink which does not behave well. So I chose the Vista. And I switched the B nib to the 1.9mm stub nib. It is great for ink testing - a lot of ink goes on the paper, but it is still a "normal" nib to write with (unlike when you swatch the ink with a Q-Tip which is far away from what you will see when writing with it). Please continue with this kind of videos where you not only talk about the pen but also what made you buy it or what you associate with it. Big thanks and hugs from Germany.

[@HemingwayJones]

Interesting. I want to hear more about your ink mixing. Thanks so much! I am so glad that you enjoyed this! Wish you all the best!

[@karmesindryade]

@@HemingwayJones I am planning a video on ink mixing.

[@HemingwayJones]

Brilliant! And adventurous! @@karmesindryade

[@johnmanuel2980]

Good video HJ. Now I want a Vista too. I guess I have to pick one up on the sly. LOL.

[@HemingwayJones]

Nice!

[@detpekandefingret]

Would be interesting with a comparison between the 0.9 mm 1.1 mm and 1.5 mm lamy stub nibs.

[@salvadorluquegarcia2159]

Buenas tardes desde España. Gracias por tus vídeos. La sensación de comprar una estilográfica en una tienda física es única. Que el empleado o la empleada te atienda personalmente, que te deje tocar la estilográfica antes de comprar no tiene punto de comparación a la frialdad de comprar On Line , aunque sea más económico. Saludos. (Good afternoon from Spain. Thanks for your videos. The feeling of buying a fountain pen in a physical store is unique. That the employee attends to you personally, that they let you touch the fountain pen before buying has no point of comparison to the coldness of buying online, even if it is cheaper. Greetings.)

[@HemingwayJones]

Thanks so much! I am so glad that you enjoy that experience as well. Funny how rare it is these days. Thanks so much for watching the video and for being here on the channel! ¡Muchas gracias! Me alegra mucho que tú también disfrutes de esa experiencia. Es curioso lo raro que es hoy en día. ¡Muchas gracias por ver el vídeo y por estar aquí en el canal!

[@johnnyragadoo2414]

Totally agree about the 1.1 stub. They are subtle enough to be a mainstream writer, yet still add character.

[@HemingwayJones]

Truly! Well stated.

[@sajjadhusain4146]

Funny and ironic how despite my oft-stated undying dislike of the Lamy Safari (I never bought one in all these years), this video jumped out at me for a reason: I actually bought the same Lamy Vista with the red knob converter only three weeks ago. And I don’t regret it. Because while it isn’t anything really special at all as a writer, I really enjoy its clear transparent look, the converter’s red turning knob lending an added attractive contrast to the clear body. The Vista also feels somehow much nicer to the touch and feel in hand than the regular Safari (which I still dislike). I don’t have any special angle to associate with the purchase of my Vista. Only that I did give in to eventually buy a pen that belongs in the Lamy Safari stable. But it’s a lot nicer than its siblings. 🙂

[@HemingwayJones]

That is an excellent story and I am glad that we see it the same way. I agree completely.

[@ichirofakename]

1. The red converter definitely makes this pen. Well done. 2. I bought a Lamy on vacation as a souvenir a while back. I got Lamy ABC in Budapest. Once the souvenirness wore off, I realized that I really don't care for the writing experience. Now it's in the recycle box. Budapest rocks, btw.

[@HemingwayJones]

Thank you, My Friend. I am glad that you also enjoy a pop of color. Budapest sounds fun. Maybe one day.

[@thpeter]

I’m right there with you on the 1.1 stub. So smooth and wet. It’s the same way with the Broad. I was never a fan of the Safari/Alstar/Vista (even though I love the futuristic design) until I tried them with a Broad. I wish Lamy could figure out how to make their EF, F and M nibs as smooth as the B and 1.1!

[@HemingwayJones]

Thanks so much! I agree completely. I’d love to try a broad. I had a medium that was nice, but I always swap them out! All the best.

[@davidanderson3425]

Hi Hemingway. I agree with you. The Lamy Vista is a better pen than the Lamy Safari. I have always said it. Of course I know that is an odd statement given that both pens use the same nibs, same filling systems and feel identical in the hand. However, whilst the Safari reminds me of a boring chunk of Lego, the Vista gives a more revealing insight into the intricate engineering of the pen. Visually, it's more pleasing at least to my eyes.

[@HemingwayJones]

I agree completely! Thanks for the great comment.

[@BenJoeMarkland]

I bought mine in the Salt Lake City Airport, they had a Lamy Display in a store. I have since seen Lamy Pen Displays in Atlanta and Seattle Airports.

[@HemingwayJones]

Love Lamy Displays! This is great. Thanks.

[@annekedebruyn7797]

I just bought it with a medium nib. I got a EF Montblanc at home. But I really wanted something 180 degrees from that. Something fun I can take with me. Can't wait to see how it performs.

[@jasonolyver6430]

I love this pen, my perfect version of it is an eyedropper conversion wit a 1.9 nib, there is just nothing like it.

[@HemingwayJones]

Very nice! Any issues at all using it that way?

[@wolf_ceit_witch]

I like the Vista, I like the Goluet Pens exclusive with the black trim. I constantly change out my nibs on my Lamy's - It's the reason why I started to collect them because they are the gateway fountain pen to start swaping nibs. besides the some of my collector colors I think I swapped out all of them at some point. I keep forgetting which pen has my one and only Lamy gold nib in oblique Meduim (such a sad day that they stopped making them). I remember paying $50 dollars for it, now you can't find them for less than triple that price. Which reminds me.. I am not sure which Lamy it's on now......

[@HemingwayJones]

So many pens! Easy to lose a nib!

[@KendallW]

I came here to mention the Goulet exclusive too. It looks great, but also comes with a converter (at no extra cost) and a black nib. I've heard that the black nib is smoother but not sure if that is true. Wonderful pen.

[@HemingwayJones]

I need to have a look at that one. Thanks! @@KendallW

[@wolf_ceit_witch]

@HemingwayJones yes! Because of my handy new pen storage I realized it was in my one of my Lamy Dark Lilacs a favorite color of mine.

[@SpyStaMia]

I have two of those that I loaded green and red ink for markup. They are so good! Enjoy!

[@HemingwayJones]

Thanks so much!

[@MarcellHobbs]

Oh my goodness! I didn’t realize they still sold Izod shirts. I have two Vistas. The latest being the new black. I do like the black clip and twist knob on the converter. I really dislike the red twist knob on the converters and put them in my colored body pens.

[@HemingwayJones]

I'm not sure if they still make Izod shirts. I haven't seen one of those in decades. The Vista is absolutely brilliant! I think I like the red twist knob, but it would probably be better if it were chrome. Thanks!

[@heres_the_sauce]

I bought a Lamy Safari charcoal medium nib for $37 at a local art supply store when visiting Cleveland. I knew I was getting ripped off a bit but the experience (context) made it worth it to me!

[@HemingwayJones]

Yes! We have shared an almost identical experience! Congratulations on the great purchase. It’s all about the experience.

[@jolienkrispijn]

Ahhh yes, the Lamy vista is also somewhere on my wish list. Just can't really justify getting it, because I already have 7 lamy safari+alstar+Lx. Anyway I really like to see how much you like it!

[@HemingwayJones]

Thanks so much! I must tell you how much I appreciate you watching and for being here. I am glad you watched this because you were curious about it! Thanks!

[@jolienkrispijn]

@@HemingwayJones ahh that's very kind to say!

[@fossilimprint2954]

Many good points. I tried a Safari, and it may be me or perhaps the pen, but it was just not calling my name. Still enjoyed your video on the Vista.

[@HemingwayJones]

Thanks for watching!

[@darrinyhearm4240]

HJ you inspired me to try this pen. I like it more than any Lamy model that I have owned, apart from the 2000. I am even thinking of getting it a nice gold nib.

[@HemingwayJones]

Wonderful! Happy to provide some inspiration. Thanks for watching and for being here.

[@darrinyhearm4240]

@@HemingwayJones I do like the content you produce, I think it is the heart.

[@HemingwayJones]

Thank you very much! That means the world to me. @@darrinyhearm4240

[@lzalab2286]

I got that Lamy Safari Vista while i was vacationing in Barcelona just randomly doing my FP shopping , i just bought together with other colors . It’s like a student pen though 😊. Then the sales lady talked me out on buying a Lamy ink-X , it’s basically able to erase the lamy ink if you make a mistake in your works , so i bought that too and i just run out of the store before my pocket run dry 😂

[@HemingwayJones]

Awesome story! Barcelona is always fun! Great stationery there too. All the best!

[@lzalab2286]

@@HemingwayJones Thank you 😊

[@blythetretick7081]

"Another JoWo delivery device." LOL

[@HemingwayJones]

Thanks! I just did a whole video on that subject.

[@Calcprof]

Year and years ago (1990s?) I got a yellow Lamy Safari, but I didn't care for the nib. I was kind of a gold nib snob those days, but the nib was basically scratchy. Years later I have several Safari's (and a Vista), and I liked their nibs. -- and so I replaced the original nib on the yellow safari. And -- for whatever the reason -- I think they are both mediums -- the new nib works fine. So amongst several safari's -- this one is special.

[@HemingwayJones]

Wonderful! So cool that you have a 90s Safari. 25 years makes for a classic!

[@evayaaasantewaa448]

One of my favorite pens!

[@HemingwayJones]

Awesome!

[@Ybalrid]

I feel Lamy and Kaweco do not have the same millimeters when talking about their stub nibs! Lamy one makes such a fine line in comparison, it's strange

[@HemingwayJones]

I agree with that. Lamy also feels a bit sharper on the edges but no less smooth.

[@amadeusb4]

Big Lamy fan here. They have a store in SOHO but I have yet to visit it.

[@HemingwayJones]

That sounds fun. I almost went there when I was down, but it was a bit far from where I was.

[@MatabangNars]

I want one soon

[@sistergoldenhair0727]

I also agree that the vista is far superior to the safari although the cursive nib does make it a closer second to the vista.

[@HemingwayJones]

Unless you put that Cursive Nib on the Vista! Nice! I am so glad you are a fan.

[@frankmarek9921]

Lamy studio in piano black is wonderful pen great video,my next pen lamy sarfari white with black trim ex fine black nib.

[@HemingwayJones]

Sounds Awesome!

[@frankmarek9921]

Thanks my studio is a 14kt nib

[@numerounoleo]

May be I am wrong, but I think transparent pens like twsbi, lamy vista are more fragile than opaque ones though they are ABS plastics..So I have a fear of cracked barrell or section. So I have no transparent pen in my collection. Or am I right ?

[@HemingwayJones]

They feel more brittle to me, but I have not done break tests. It's my impression too though.

[@channelsixtynine069]

I only like demonstrator fountain pens, so the Vista was my only choice of Lamy.

[@HemingwayJones]

You have chosen… wisely!

[@channelsixtynine069]

@@HemingwayJones There is the possibility of the cap scratching and discoloring on the inside, caused by capping and posting. That was brought up in one review. It's very nice to write with and with a selection of nibs, a versatile pen. My latest purchase as been a handful of the Jinhao Dadao 9019 demonstrators. I haven't received them yet, but they have had rave reviews so far. I like large pens, but pens like the Sailor KOP are way out of my price range.

[@mikykempson9560]

i have one of thes pes and its a good whiter

[@HemingwayJones]

Excellent!

[@MagicalWingLT]

So I put oxblood in my Vista and it clogged up the feed now. I had to order a new pen because the ink damaged it. I'll never use ink with glitter or shimmer ever again. It shouldn't of damaged the pen. I tried multiple times flushing it out and cleaning it. The pen won't work

[@HemingwayJones]

That is very strange indeed. It must have been some weird bad batch, because there is no glitter, shimmer, or sheen or anything else in Oxblood. It’s just ink. So sorry that this happened to you.

[@MagicalWingLT]

@@HemingwayJones Yeah it was a sample ink from Goulet. Looking at the picture I can see glitter or shimmer in it. I really liked the look to the ink but if it's going to damage the pens I can't use it. A shame

[@HemingwayJones]

So sorry. That’s so annoying.

[@50kwords]

@MagicalWingLT Although yes, Oxblood has no shimmer pigments (but a bit of a sheen), it's still an ink that needs a lot of maintenance IMHO. I have a 10+ years old Vista and put Oxblood in it as well and after months of not using it (the pandemic hit and I fell out of writing), the converter was dry as the desert and the ink had crystallised/ "crumbled" at the nib. But I could clean it well and now the Vista is working as always (with another ink). Would recommend using Oxblood with a dip pen, or brush, or only ink it when you use it daily.

[@Vermiliontea]

I'm glad you've ascended from pen-poster. 😆

[@sajjadhusain4146]

Any serial poster who quits posting his/her pens deserves a pay raise and my lifelong friendship. 🙂

[@HemingwayJones]

Thanks!

[@HemingwayJones]

Thank you!

[@dhamijay]

Do you find any difference in how easily this dries out compared to the safaris?

[@johnward2773]

Could never understand why the clear barrel of the Vista has ink windows!

[@HemingwayJones]

That’s funny! Thanks for that. And for those that don’t know and may read this, it’s the same mold.

[@johnward2773]

I actually bought a vista barrel for the rollerball (no window) and replaced it because it annoyed me so much!!!? ps.now an eyedropper

[@amoledzeppelin]

Lamy Vista > Lamy XP > Lamy 2000.

[@HemingwayJones]

I can’t argue!

[@monaiannucci9434]

Carol King so far away Safari

[@HemingwayJones]

Yes! It is amazing how quickly this stuff comes up! Dark Academia III is this coming week!

[@vickiecrouch6041]

Vista, no "e".

[@HemingwayJones]

Sorry we don’t suffer the pronunciation police here. Feel free to pronounce things however you like and feel free to keep it to yourself. Police my language is a full time job and only for me. Thanks for watching!

[@nostro1001]

​@@HemingwayJonesHey HJ, I certainly wasn't going to make comment, however now I will based on this particular thread. I did find it interesting/fascinating (not remotely related to any police), that you pronounced Visita most definitely with an 'e'. My comment here is not related to any notion of wrong way or right way, merely out of interest how accents can differ, even with words least expected, such as here. After all vista is not aluminium/aluminum, so it was unexpected (and that's all). I'll not consider it unexpected next time I hear you say the 'word'. 😊 Cheers!✒️✒️✒️

[@neilpiper9889]

I don't like German pens because of the Holocaust. I like Chinese as they were on the Allied side in WW11. I am old and will be gone soon so won't be around to remind you. Jinhaos are my favourite.