LAMY Joy Calligraphy Pen 1.1MM (L15-11)

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.)

The brand I used before this went out of business, and I was guided to this brand, and it was a step up, for half the price!! The ink flow is consistent and has not caused any performance issues. The pen is well balanced - as long as you leave the cap off! It fits well in my small hands as well as the very large hands of my friend who has used them often as well. I have also not had a problem with the ink drying up and gunking up the nib, even after a few months of it being left in its case with its cap on. To me, that’s a major miracle! Easy to clean when it is time to do so. Only thing that drives me insane about this product is the fact that they do not use the universal size ink cartridges, you must buy Lamy cartridges or have the fun of filling your own with Lamy’s ink filler cartridge. Still worth it to me.

Like the title says, the included ink cartridge is terrible. It doesn't flow well, and has zero resistance to moisture. It's also boring--and this from someone who has several different shades of black and can tell which is which when I write with them.This pen needs a wet ink because the italic nib has a lot of feedback. Like painting with a knife on canvas. But the result is gorgeous without extra effort. It's just how it writes.I also really like the way it feels in my hand. The long body really does have a bit of extra "fun" factor--and fountain pens are already a pleasurable experience to work with.The only negative I have to say, other than that the included ink in the cart is awful, is that the plastic threads are a wee bit loose and don't hold position. I have to tighten it every use. But I do enjoy using it.Get the Lamy converter, get an ink that catches your fancy, and see how many pages you'll plow through without noticing the time passing.

What a joy these are. Got me really into fountain pens. Need the Z28 converter.

Lamy pens are top of the line pens without a big price. But I never tried the Joy model until I decided to give it a try this week. It came quickly and I was delighted with it right from the start. It has a different body than the normal Lamy but I adapted and could not believe the smooth writing from the tiny calligraphy nib. As an art teacher /artist I have used many calligraphy pens but normally would have to play around with getting them to write smoothly. Not so with the Joy model. It started to consistently write with an even flow and I was in Love💗 Lamy Joy has become my new toy. I even found myself writing a letter to a friend that I got a week ago. No problem with skipping or leaking or scratchy writing. I truly love it💗 and highly recommend it if you are looking for a great pen 💗💗💗💗💗💗⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️