joys.net

K. Yasuhara says:

good balance between style and everyday functionality The Joy is an elegant addition to Lamy’s well-designed line of affordable, functional fountain pens. I’m a big fan of Lamy’s Safari for everyday writing and have been using one for years (see separate review). The Joy is the longer, pointy-ended, calligraphic cousin of the Safari, which is also a plastic fountain pen with windows on the side. In fact, the caps are interchangeable, and the threading joining the front and back halves of the pen is the same, so I normally write with a Joy nib section screwed into a Safari back end, since I don’t like the Joy’s long end section for everyday writing and carrying in my bag or pocket. Aesthetically speaking, I like the long, tapered design of the end, which reminds me of the dip pens I used to use for art and calligraphy. While this design is fine for a pen that lives on a desk, it’s a little too long for carrying around the campus or office. That being said, I consider this a matter of taste than a problem with the design.Like the Safari, the pen nib is durable and writes pretty smoothly and consistently…easily the best of the various pens I’ve tried in this lowest price range. It’s a light pen with a relatively narrow, molded grip section, so stay away if you would rather write with a hefty, chunky pen.The 1.1 mm straight chisel nib is perfect for me. I’m a lefty, so most oblique nibs won’t work. The chisel nib is just wide enough to give my otherwise ordinary handwriting a pleasant, calligraphic and more substantial quality. (With the right inkn and paper combination, you get beautiful variation in tone and darkness in your strokes as the ink dries.) However, it’s not so wide that I can’t write with it every day, unless I need to write really small. I write letters, take notes on standard lined paper, address envelopes, fill out forms, sign checks, etc. with this pen without worry.As an everyday user of fountain pens, I can say I really enjoy writing with this pen and the Safari, both. However, I only dabble in calligraphy and cannot speak for this pen’s appropriateness for someone who does that sort of work more seriously. I expect this would be a good starter pen, however, for a beginning calligrapher…possibly one of the wider nib versions, if they don’t expect to use it for everyday writing or fine (as in small) calligraphy work.p.s. If you like a more serious, industrial look, Lamy makes a version of this pen in black plastic and aluminum.

Coastal Shutterbug "Katrina" says:

A Joy To Own I’m a new user of Lamy pens which I need for italic calligraphy. When I resumed calligraphy (after many years away from the art), I checked Amazon (my go-to-first shopping source)to see what others are using. I fell in love with Lamy’s Safari pen (1.5/medium nib) last month which is a wonderful writing instrument in itself. I needed a finer Lamy nib and, when I read all the positive reviews about the Joy pen (1.1/fine nib), I had to try it rather than buying the 1.1 nib alone.The Joy has all the great Lamy features: perfect finger grip indentions, ink-level window, and a beautiful nib that creates great thicks and thins which are so important in the italic hand. It writes so smoothly from the start, and all of this in a distinctive tapered instrument that’s so light to hold. The red pocket clip and single red accent on the pen’s barrel are quite tastefully done. This pen is truly a “joy” to own. Thanks again, Amazon, for offering the best!