LAMY safari

What it is

The LAMY safari is a fountain pen with a moulded plastic body, a large metal clip and a window to check the ink level. LAMY, the writing instrument maker founded in Heidelberg in 1930, unveiled it at the Frankfurt fair in 1980. It was designed by Wolfgang Fabian working with the Mannheim Development Group led by Professor Bernt Spiegel. The range now also includes ballpoints, rollerballs and pencils.

How it works

The pen was designed for young writers. Its grip section has flattened facets that guide the fingers into a correct writing position. The body is made of tough plastic that withstands drops and rough handling in a school bag. A steel nib can be swapped by the user, and the pen takes ink cartridges or a converter for bottled ink. The bold clip lets the pen be clipped onto thick notebooks and folders.

Why it stands out

The safari shows how design can turn an everyday object into an icon. Its clean, functional form, without decoration, follows the tradition of German modernism that LAMY had already embraced with the LAMY 2000 of 1966. Durable and affordable, it became the first fountain pen for many schoolchildren and a favourite among design-conscious adults, and it is widely recognised as a modern design classic. LAMY continues to produce it in Heidelberg, now under the ownership of Japan's Mitsubishi Pencil Company since 2024.

Where you meet it

You find the safari in pencil cases in German classrooms, on office desks, in design museum shops and in the collections of pen enthusiasts.