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| 2022 Lamy Safari Special Edition Strawberry and Cream |
The year 2022 is about to end, and we will soon welcome a new year. In my part of the world, this time of the year is full of festive gatherings and celebrations with family and friends, filled with food, more food, music, and colorful decorations. What better pen color to end my 2022 reviews than a vivid, bright, and super happy red? It fits the season, it brings so much energy and a happy vibe to my blog and social media pages, and to everyone who sees my review photos.
Lamy is about to announce the 2023 Safari colors, and I have not published my review of the 2022 Safaris — I'm delayed by so many things going on around me. But here's my review, and here are the two delicious 2022 Special Edition Safari colors, Strawberry and Cream.
Strawberry Safari is not the first red Safari, but it's the first Safari that has a matching red body (cap + barrel), barrel ring, clip, and finial. It's totally bursting with energy and happiness! The Cream Safari, on the other hand, looks so neat with a matching cream body, barrel ring, clip, and finial. This Safari reminds me so much of pastillas de leche, sweet milk candies made from water buffalo milk and served for snacks or dessert here in the Philippines.
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| Lamy Safari Strawberry in its special edition box in the same red color. |
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| Lamy Safari Cream in its special edition box. Each of the two pens comes with a Z28 ink converter and a T10 cartridge. |
Lamy released the Special Edition Safari pair in packaging similar to that of Dark Lilac (2016), Petrol (2017), All Black (2018), Pastel (2019), Candy (2020), and Origin (2021). Instead of the old, bulky plastic pen box, or the regular gray board box, Lamy used 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.
The Lamy Safari Strawberry and Cream pens are available as fountain pens, rollerball pens, and ballpoint pens. They have the following measurements and specifications:
- Colors: Strawberry (red) and Cream (cream/beige)
- 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
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| The Strawberry and Cream fountain pens have a textured matte finish similar to Petrol, Dark Lilac, All Black, the 2020 pens Violet, Aquamarine, and Mango, and last year's Savannah Green and Terra Red. |
The Lamy Safari is a student pen, and many people refer to it as a 'starter pen' or a 'newbie fountain pen.' The Strawberry and Cream Safari fountain pens have the same matte finish as the special edition pens from 2020 (Violet, Aquamarine, and Mango) and 2021 (Terra Red and Savannah Green) made from 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.
The Strawberry and Cream Safaris have a textured matte finish for both barrel and cap, colored spring-loaded oversized clip, and stainless steel nibs. The Strawberry Safari has a red clip, finial, and barrel ring, while the Cream pen has a cream/beige clip, finial, and barrel ring. These workhorse pens are reliable, sturdy, and durable. They have ergonomically shaped sections (grip area) to help users write 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.
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| The clips of the Strawberry and Cream Safari fountain pens match their bodies' colors. |
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| The 2022 SE Lamy Safaris have the same-color finials as the pens' bodies. |
The Lamy Safari fountain pens have a triangular section that is ergonomically designed to make writing easier — it helps users 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. While some fountain pen users find the triangular grip uncomfortable, I do not find that 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 with the Safari and other Lamy fountain pens, which is 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 are included in each pen purchase.
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| The Strawberry pen has a Medium nib, while a Fine nib is installed in the Cream pen. The Medium nib wrote well, with moderate wetness from the Robert Oster Fire Engine Red ink. I have not inked the Cream pen yet, I want to look for a light brown ink that will fit its color. |
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| The Lamy Safari Strawberry's vivid and bright red color gives off a happy vibe. It's bright, it's red, and it's a Lamy Safari! What a happy fountain pen to have! |
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| I will always think of sweet and creamy pastillas whenever I see or use my Lamy Safari Cream. It's like holding a big bar of white chocolate or a big, fat stick of sweet pastillas de leche! |
In my search for text to use as a writing sample for the 2022 Safari pair, I looked up recipes for strawberries and cream. I was surprised to see so many! Then I saw a short article about the history of the famous dessert. I was even more surprised to know that it is rooted and associated with a sport — tennis! My search for a short text to write became a three-hour fascinating read about strawberries, clotted cream, and Wimbledon.
I tried so hard to match the ink to the Strawberry Safari's vivid red color. I wanted Diamine Poppy Red, but I have long used up my bottle of this ink. I found a close one — Robert Oster Signature Fire Engine Red. I loved writing with the Medium Lamy nib which is moderately wet with a bit of feedback. I don't ink my Lamy fountain pens often, and the Medium nib in my Strawberry Safari is a new addition to my 'happy writing' nibs.
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| I didn't know that strawberries and cream are Wimbledon staples! But it's useful to know these things and I wouldn't have found out if I didn't write this review of Lamy Safari Strawberry and Cream. |
The Safari Strawberry and Cream fountain pens are a pair of bright and happy pens and I love using this pair, especially the Strawberry. I feel happy holding and using a beautiful red fountain pen, it feels like I'm writing with all the happiness in the world! It's comfortable to use because it is made from lightweight material. It's sturdy and durable, and will surely withstand the rough and tumble of long use.
The Strawberry and Cream pens are a special edition pair for 2022, and when stocks run out, it's likely that Lamy will not produce them again. But these pens are still widely available in most pen stores, so you can still get them for your collection!
Rants of the Archer thanks Lamy Philippines and Times Trading for providing the Lamy Safari Strawberry and Cream fountain pens for review purposes. Lamy Safari pens are widely available from 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. While some stores may still have restrictions due to COVID-19, Times Trading accepts online orders. Email them at customerservice@lamyphillipines.com or visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lamyph.
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