LamyJoy Al Calligraphy Pen 1.5mm (L11-15)

I have this and the Pilot Parallel 1.5mm. I like both of them, this one definitely feels not as scratchy for writing. Both of them have that feel like you are holding a brush in a way. I do like having the snap cap over the twist on/off cap. Construction feels very solid, but it is still nice and light weight.Overall, this is a very satisfying feel and finish, writes better on fountain pen paper (aka like Rhodia 80gsm) versus watercolor paper, at least in my experience. Haven't tried it myself on Tomoe River paper, it does throw down a lot of ink. Goes without saying probably not made for normal copy paper (20 lb). Beautiful results on my end, definitely would buy it for a friend.

I bought this pen on a whim and it has turned out to be my favorite fountain pen. It's not pretty like some high-end pens, but I love the way it writes. It's the one I reach for every day when I write in my journal.

I am very happy with it, but there are trade-offs.Summary: I use this pen (with an extra-fine nib) for ink sketching, it is well suited to that purpose and I would recommend it for that. I keep two Lamy Joy pens inked up at all times for sketching (one the regular black-bodied pen and the other is a white version) , one is always loaded with waterproof black ink, and the other with whatever alternative ink I've decided on, usually either a water-soluble black or brown, or with grey ink.For more general use I would recommend the Safari over the Joy, it's just a more well-rounded pen, but the Joy does have some advantages and it is my go-to pen for ink sketches. I swapped an EF nib for the 1.1mm stub that came with the pen, I prefer the EF nib for sketching, although I do use the 1.1 nib in a Safari for everyday writing.Let me first compare it to the more common LAMY Safari, and then I'll talk about a couple of Pros and Cons with this pen specifically.From the ink window forward to the nib the Joy and Safari are identical and completely interchangeable.The most obvious difference is that the stem on the Joy tapers, which is nice in the hand, and allows one to pull their hand back further from the nib, which can benefit looser mark-making. This can done with the Safari too, but it is less comfortable as the cap and clip interfere with one's grip. It's mainly this feature which makes the Joy a better drawing pen.Overall the Joy is longer than the Safari (all in the stem); at first it seems significantly longer, about 40mm but that's bit deceiving because once you post the cap on the Safari that difference drops to a negligible 3mm, and even with the cap posted on the Joy (which sort of works but doesn't really) it's only 10mm longer than the Safari.The wight is very similar, both are light pens, with the Joy feeling just slightly heavier. Again, the Safari with a posted cap, vs. the Joy without (which is how I would suggest using each) leaves the Safari the slightly heavier.They balance very similarly uncapped, with the Joy balance a couple mm further to the rear. With the cap posted the Safari however balances about 15mm further back compared to the uncapped, un-posted Joy. So the Joy is more forward heavy than the Safari, and I find that it feels a little more comfortable, but that's probably going to be a matter of preference and in either case the weight and balance of these pens is of negligible importance..Pros: It is a LAMY Pen. If you're a fan, like me, then this is a good thing. LAMY, in my opinion, invests value in the right places in their pens, meaning that they are an excellent balance of quality and cost in a writing (sketching) tool.I really like 1.1mm the stub nib. I liked it so much in fact that I switched it to my Safari, so that I could use that for my everyday writing. Both of my Joys are fitted with EF nibs.Personally I like the balance, length and the taper. It's nicer to hold than a Safari and you don't have have to choke up on it. This is an advantage for making freer strokes and is more often how I use it when drawing.Cons: The length is also a drawback, as it cannot easily be carried in a pocket. A jacket's breast pocket would be OK, but not a shirt pocket.The taper makes the posted cap wobbly as it's only snug right at the end, and posting defeats the value of the tapered stem. This leave you with a cap to put somewhere and retrieve when you're done. Not too big a deal, but overall on the negative side of the ledger. (EDIT: to meliorate this, or even move it to the "Pros" category I have found that one can clip the pen to the outside of a sketch book and leave the cap there there when removing the pen to use it for sketching. This means that it isn't a pocket clip, its a book cover clip :) and it works very well as such.)

Have been a fan of the Safari for a long time, and was aware of the Joy, but didn't see the point as far as the odd handle and the stub nibs. I'm not into calligraphy. But it turns out that for art this is an amazing pen, for many somewhat unexpected reasons.The nibs can be switched out in seconds, without having to remove the feed, a unique Lamy feature. This makes the Joy kit with the two extra feed sections a little puzzling. You are better of just buying different nibs and switching them out, rather than switching out the entire nib, feed, and section, and having to clean out the other parts because you have no cap to keep them from drying out.A drawback for artists is that these only come with stubs. I feel the 1.5 is the best size for handwriting. I got the 1.1 and it's not that dramatic in its difference between fine and broad strokes. The stubs are good for cursive and italic writing, but having tried the 1.1 for a while, not my preference for pen and ink drawing. I will be switching to an EF or F.Unintended benefit? The long handle with two flat facets is, along with the stub nibs, the distinguishing feature to the Joy, which seems to be intended mostly for looks to make it appear more like a calligraphy pen or something, but for drawing it's really a revelation. The extra length means you can hold it like a paintbrush which is ideal for fast hatching and shading. The facets align perfectly with the top and bottom of the nib, telling you exactly whether you have the nib facing the paper at the right angle or not. You can reverse write with the nib upside down with an EF or F nib, and get a super fine hairline, again using the long handle, great for light hatching. The stub nibs are not ideal for this, they reverse write but not with a very fine line. However, having no tip sticking up, a very low angle means you can lay down the entire top of the nib on the paper and spread a very broad field of ink for shading large areas, which is kind of unique.I even like the oblong ink window, another Safari signature, again an unintended advantage - it makes two nice depressions for your fingers to anchor to using certain drawing grips. Of course the well known triangular main grip section is a famous Safari feature is well, which I happen to love.I keep discovering little tricks like that that makes me think this is the best drawing pen ever.All Safaris have the snap cap, which I much prefer to a screw cap. I change drawing implements a lot and it's just so fast.This particular model has a satin black finish and an aluminum cap with black wire clip. The other color choices of all black, white, and red, are all gloss shiny plastic which I don't like at all. The soft black on this is really great and tactile, almost feels slightly rubbery.Also Lamy never include a converted which is pretty cheap of them, most fountain pens come with one. So I need to buy both a converter and another nib for drawing. Also the included cartridge is blue not sure why, I would never draw with blue ink. Also I was thinking you could mix and match caps with regular Safaris for different color options which useful if you have different kinds of drawing ink different pens . . . sadly my pebble black plastic Safari cap does not actually fit onto this Joy, somehow. Really Lamy?I'm not even sure Lamy realize what a good fine art pen this is, they don't market it that way. But I have about 40 or 50 fountain pens, brush pens, fude nibs, flex nibs, dip pens, technical liners, etc. This is now at the top of the heap.

Excelente calidad de la marca Lamy

I really love this pen! And the comfort of using it for extended periods of time is a bonus!

This is my first stub-nib pen and I have to say it is a game changer for improving handwriting. The pen is very comfortable to hold, and the ink flows very nicely. It comes with one plastic cartridge but if you would like to be environmentally friendly you can order a converter which will allow you to add your own ink and avoid plastic waste. :)This pen is reasonably priced, also comes in a box so would be a nice idea for a gift.

The quality of this is comparable to my Kaweco Sport. The ink flows well and writes smoothly. Am happy with my purchase. You have to purchase the converter separately, this does NOT come with the converter. Would be nice if it came with it! But still, good purchase.

Ok for italic calligraphy things, but a bit big. Bought a Safari with a fine nib which is better for general use.