Lamy are the perfect introduction to fountain pens.

This years Lamy seasonal release is the Safari Neon. A bold, bright selection of pens made with their distinctive moulded grip for easy use.

The Lamy Safari was created as a lightweight and easy option for the fountain pen enthusiast. A pen that could be comfortably carried around, used with pride but also an affordable every day pen.

The key to this is the moulded front section with it's angled grip. This forces the writer to adopt an ergonomic hold on the pen - giving the best possible writing experience.

But perfect grip is not everything when it comes to using a fountain pen. Here are our top tips for starting out with a fountain pen.

How to hold:

Whilst it's true that the Safari will take a lot of the guesswork out of correctly holding your fountain pen there is a certain trick to holding the pen correctly.

The pen should be held comfortably, but not firmly, between thumb and index finger with the barrel resting on your middle finger. The rest of your fingers and the side of your hand can rest on the paper for stability and easy movement.

When holding a fountain pen, unlike a ballpoint or rollerball, the ink feeds using gravity. The perfect angle is 45 to 55 degrees and whilst this may feel a little low it will allow the ink to flow cleanly on to the paper.

The right angle:

The system for a fountain pen works with a stainless steel or gold nib with a split through the middle. When pressure is applied to the nib the split opens and allows ink to flow. This allows for a very smooth and luxurious write but it requires a certain care, finding the sweet spot for your pen.

To achieve this hold the pen so the nib runs flat against the paper. People who grew up used to writing with a pencil will naturally rotate looking for a sharp edge, with a fountain pen this causes the dragging and skipping feeling.

Writing movement:

The instinct when using a rollerball or ballpoint pen is to write using the strength and movements in the fingers. This causes a lot of stress to the hand but also means the elevation and angle of the pen is changing - pushing it out of the aforementioned sweet spot.

To write cleanly with a fountain pen you must learn to write using the arm, moving from left to right across the page. This way you use the large muscles in your arm rather than the small muscles in the hand.

We hope these tips help you on your journey with the fountain pen.

To get started with the Lamy Safari (And pick up the limited edition Neon whilst it's still in stock) click here: http://devlinsonline.com.au/collections/lamy/products/safari-fountain-pen-neon

May 16, 2013
Joshua Metcalfe-Parsons
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