Fountain Pen Review: 2021 Lamy Safari Special Edition Terra Red and Savannah Green

2021 Lamy Safari Origin in Terra Red and Savannah Green.

If you are a Lamy Safari fan and collector like me, you probably look forward to the yearly special edition pens. It's also highly likely that your grail pens include the Lamy Safari Savannagrün and Terracot, the two original Safari fountain pens designed by Wolfgang Fabian and Prof. Bernt Spiegel in 1980. As a Lamy collector, it has been a dream for me to own or at least see these two pens in my lifetime. 

Luckily for us, Lamy launched the Safari Origin for their 2021 Special Edition pens and relaunched the original colors in the new Terra Red and Savannah Green pens. Forty years after the launch of the first two Lamy Safari fountain pens, we are given the chance to own our versions of the original Savannagrün and Terracot. 

Lamy Safari Terra Red in the Lamy Special Edition box.

Lamy Safari Savannah Green in the Special Edition box. Each pen comes with a Z28 converter and a T10 cartridge.

Lamy released the two Special Edition pens in the Origin Series in packaging similar to that of Dark Lilac (2016), Petrol (2017), All Black (2018), and Candy (2020). Instead of the old, bulky plastic pen box, Lamy now uses laminated cardboard boxes with the year's color theme for their special edition pens. The laminated pen box is enclosed in a plain white sleeve.

Last December, fans and fountain pen collectors waited for the 2021 Safari color with wild guesses on which color it would be. The wait seemed endless to some, but when Lamy finally announced that the 2021 Safari will be a relaunch of the original Safari colors, fans were all excited, including me.

Lamy Safari Terra Red and Savannah Green pens are available as fountain pens, rollerball pens, and ballpoint pens. They have the following measurements and specifications:

• Colors: Terra Red and Savannah Green
• Material: ABS plastic
• Length, capped: 5.5 in | 14.6 cm
• Length, uncapped: 5 in | 13.2 cm
• Length, cap posted: 6.5 in | 16.5 cm
• Full pen weight: 15 g | 0.53 oz
• Cap: Snap-on, postable
• Clip material: Stainless steel
• Nib: Interchangeable stainless steel in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, or italics (1.1, 1.5, or 1.9mm)
• Filling mechanism: Lamy T10 Giant ink cartridge or Lamy Z27 or Z28 converter

Savannah Green and Terra Red fountain pens have a textured matte finish similar to Petrol, Dark Lilac, All Black, and those from last year, Violet, Aquamarine, and Mango.

Lamy Safari is a student pen, often called 'starter pen' by fountain pen enthusiasts. The Terra Red and Savannah Green Safari pens with the matte finish are still made from the sturdy ABS plastic – the same material used in Lego blocks, keyboard keycaps, refrigerator walls, and the filament commonly used in 3D printers. Introduced in the 1980 Frankfurt exhibition (read more in Lamy's Company History), Lamy Safaris have been in regular production since then. Despite some fountain pen enthusiasts' low regard for this plastic pen, many fans around the world collect the Safari and its aluminum cousin, Lamy AL-star.

Terra Red and Savannah Green Safaris have a textured matte finish for both barrel and cap, black spring-loaded oversized clip, and a black steel nib. These workhorse pens are sturdy, durable, and functional. They have an ergonomically shaped section (grip area) to help writing comfortably for long periods of time. The unique ink window of the Lamy Safari shows how much ink is left in the cartridge or converter.

For 2021 Special Edition fountain pens, Lamy went back to using black finials on their pens.

The Safari's triangular section is ergonomically designed to make writing easier — it helps users to get a firm and secure grip on their pen. An anti-slipping brake near the end of the section prevents a user’s fingers from slipping into the nib while writing. I do not find the triangular grip uncomfortable at all. I actually do not notice it when I'm using my Lamy fountain pens.

Lamy Safari fountain pens are fitted with sturdy, long-lasting stainless nibs. These nibs are interchangeable for the Safari and for other Lamy fountain pens, which are very useful. A Safari fountain pen has the same feed and nib as those on the Vista, Al-Star, Joy, Nexx, and Studio. 

Lamy Safari fountain pens are filled with ink using a converter or a T10 ink cartridge. The proprietary piston-operated Z28 converters are used to fill Lamy fountain pens with ink from a bottle and included in the box.

The medium nibs on these pens are perfect for my thin stick handwriting. They wrote smoothly out of their boxes. The triangular section is meant to help beginners, but some people find it uncomfortable.

Terra Red is the closest that I now have to the original Safari Terracot from the 80s.

Like the Terra Red Safari, this Savannah Green pen is the closest I can get to one of my grail pens, the Savannagrun.

The medium nibs on the Terra Red and Savannah Green Safaris are smooth out of the box and perfect for my favorite thin stick handwriting.

With the release of the Safari Origin pens, Lamy fans—including me—are given a chance to relive the two original Safari fountain pens. I love the Terra Red and Savannah Green because they are the perfect fountain pen combination and they are sturdy, durable, and reliable. These pens are special edition pens and available in limited quantities only, so you better get one now. It's almost sold out, and to date, Lamy will not be making this special edition pen anymore. Go get yourself one now!

Rants of the Archer thanks Lamy Philippines and Times Trading for providing the Lamy Safari Terra Red and Savannah Green fountain pens for review purposes. Lamy Safari pens are widely available in reputable pen sellers worldwide. For a global search of Lamy sellers worldwide, follow this link. In the Philippines, Lamy pens are available from Times Trading Company, through the Lamy Concept Store in Makati and kiosks at National Bookstore outlets around the country. Some of these stores may have lockdown restrictions due to COVID-19, but Times Trading accepts online orders. Email them at customerservice@lamyphillipines.com or visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lamyph.