Lamy Safari Vista Rollerball review

Would you believe that I only own two Lamy pens? 

The first one is a Tipo and the second is this Lamy Vista rollerball.

Vista : Noun : A pleasing view

I was originally attracted to the transparent barrel, hanging on the peg, inards exposed as if to reassure me there would be no nasty surprises.

Two things crossed my mind while I was deciding whether I should take this pen home. The first was - Great! I can see how it works without even unscrewing it. It's simple and that means less things are likely to go wrong with it.

The second thing was that maybe I ought to avert my eyes. It was like being asked on a date by a really hot guy who I've had a crush on for like, forever and then realising he's naked. Nothing has been left to the imagination so now I'm not nearly as excited to get him home and try him out. But if I leave him *ahem* hanging  there, I might be missing out on some hot stuff so I take him home anyway to see what he can do. THE PEN! I take the pen home, what did you think I meant? Tut Tut, this is a pen blog not Mills and Boon.

So anyway, I put the naked pen in my basket and take it home. (actually that's a lie, my mum took the pen home, but I got it back a few weeks later, gift wrapped on my birthday).

One delicious pizza, a bit too much cake, a weeks worth of caffeine and a full tummy later, it was time to go home and see if I was right to choose the Lamy Vista.

If you want to see ink, try the Lamy Vista fountain pen instead

I gave the clear plastic barrel a few hard taps, trying to get a feel for the pens strength. Would too much uncapping or unscrewing cause the pen to crack over time like many of the plastic pens I've used in the past? I hoped not. The plastic felt thick and strong. I felt reassured.

Upon closer inspection I realised that although I could see the refill, I couldn't see the ink inside, not that I'll lose any sleep over it.

It's quite a chunky looking pen but after removing the lid, wrapping my fingers round the triangular grip and feeling surprised at how light it felt, the pen didn't seem so chunky after all.

Triangular grip

As someone who spends alot of time writing, a functional grip is important to me. Slip sliding my way through a notebook is not my idea of fun.

The triangular grip area on the Lamy Vista makes the lack of a textured grip OK. There's no fumbling around for a comfortable position and the subtle flick cleverly positioned at the end of the grip prevents my fingers from slipping.

So here comes the important question. Does this Lamy Vista with its impressive physique know what to do with its ink?

Vista handwriting sample

Of course it does! You only have to look at my writing sample to see that this pen can make even the most boring text look inviting. The ink flows with confidence, easily keeping up with all of the loops and curls, making sure every letter is complete and skip free. The ink is kind to my notebooks, shadowing ever so slightly but showing no signs of bleeding through the page.

Left handers - this is a pen I think you might like. The ink dries instantly as far as I can tell. I had absolutely no problem with smudging. The only time I felt I needed to take extra caution was while writing out a birthday card. The ink looked beautiful on the glossy surface but took quite a while to dry so I had to resort to wafting the card in the air to speed things up a bit.

OK, don't laugh, but so long as I have this Lamy Vista in my hand I think I could copy pages from the phone book all day and actually enjoy it. It makes writing so easy. It feels silky smooth on paper and even when applying the tiniest amount of pressure it still produces a flawless finish.

Couldn't be easier if it tried

The only way refilling this pen could be any easier would be if it refilled itself. Unscrew the pen, slide the old refill out, slide the new one in, screw back together. No faffy springs to lose, no messing about. Job done. You don't even need to open the pen up to see that it takes a Lamy M63 rollerball refill.

Jiminy Cricket? Is that you?

The lid posts nicely on the end although I'm not a poster. I don't like the extra weight dragging me down, although to be fair the lid is light so it doesn't make a huge difference, but I like what I like so I'll be holding the lid in my spare hand like I always do. And anyway, I have to keep my spare hand busy otherwise it starts reaching out for desk snacks. Not good.
The lid is secure. I have no worries about it coming loose while clipped to my lanyard.

The clip certainly catches the eye, it's big enough. It's reliable, safely clipping to most things thanks to it's flexibility and that will do for me. It looks a bit like a Cricket, don't you think?

I have much love for my Lamy Tipo but it has to be said, the Vista makes it look pretty crappy in comparison.

EDIT: I also own a Lamy ABC fountain pen - how could I forget? So that's 3 Lamy pens I own, not two.. ooops

Zebra Sarasa 0.7 Gel Ink Rollerball Review

I probably have more Zebras in my pen collection than any other brand. Not intentionally, don't get me wrong, I love Zebras but mainly because they are in most stationery shops I visit so they are pretty much unavoidable. Those naughty Zebras can be very persuasive when they want to be,  twisting my arm all the way to the check out.

The Zebra Sarasa has been part of my collection for a few months now. This pen was recommended to me on numerous occasions by different people so I felt I had no choice but to try it for myself. I wouldn't want to feel like I'm missing out on anything.

Zebra Sarasa

I wasn't blown away by the Sarasas appearance. It's a pretty name so I'd hoped for a pretty pen to match. I went online in search of a meaning to the name and found that Sarasa means Swan. When I think of a swan I imagine a beautiful creature gliding graciously across a lake, barely a ripple in the water. I also remember the countless times I've run from swans flapping their huge wings at me while I've been trying to feed the ducks but when they're not hissing at me I can really appreciate their beauty. The Zebra Sarasa doesn't really have any features that stand out so a swan wasn't the first image to come to mind when looking at it for the first time.

The Zebra Sarasa is made from plastic aside from the blue rubber grip. The transparent body of the pen allows me to keep tabs on my ink usage which is always a plus - no nasty surprises.
It is retractable using the clicker button.

The Sarasa weighs very little and is my ideal width for comfort. I could write all day with this pen, using only a light grip, never feeling any kind of discomfort associated with uneven weight
distribution or bulk.

Zebra Sarasa grip

The rubber grip could do with being a little closer to the tip but that's my own issue not the the fault of the Sarasa. I've been practising holding pens further away from the tip in the hope that I will get more enjoyment from some of my higher gripped pens. My progress is slow. Changing my pen holding habits after all these years is not easy but I'm giving it a good go.
The grip has a slight squashy feel to it. I do prefer grips with minimal movement when squeezed. Having said that, it is still comfortable to use. There isn't so much texture that I'm left with indentations on my fingers and it does keep slipping to a minimum so it's doing it's job.

The Zebra Sarasa has a medium 0.7mm point which although it isn't quite my favourite (fineliners will always be my number one) it's a close second. My lines are a decent width, not so thick that I feel I need to adjust the size of my handwriting accordingly so no complaints there. For those who are particular about point sizes, fine and a bold versions are also available.

Sarasa

The gel ink inside the Sarasa flows consistently without issues. No skipping or false starts, just good solid evenly inked lines. The ink is quick to dry. I was in a nitpicking mood so I tested it in every notebook I had and found that as with most pens, it's not completely immune to smudging but almost. A 1-2 second dry time on most of my pages is in my opinion not bad going and on others it was immediate. I didn't see any feathering or bleeding through the pages. As a left hander I was especially pleased.
The Zebra Sarasa takes to paper like a duck to water, moving across the page smoothly and confidently allowing me to really enjoy the experience. I can just zone out and write without any irksome distractions like scratching or too much/too little resistance. When I look down at my page and see that each and every letter is perfectly formed I realise that my uninspiring ugly duckling of a pen did indeed become a beautiful swan. Let this be a reminder that it's what's on the inside that counts.

Easily refilled

The fact that I've had this pen for months without breaking it adds to my joy when refilling it. The bond I've formed with my Sarasa doesn't need to be broken. I get no enjoyment from throwing an empty but otherwise perfectly good pen in the bin.
The Sarasa takes the JF Zebra refills which are placed in the pen by unscrewing just above the grip at the writing end. The refill just sits in, no faffing about. Be careful not to lose the spring (obvious but easily done!).

Zebra Sarasa clip

The clip is quite flexible so it's very easily attached to a notebook or pocket but unless it's clipped to something reasonably thick it's also just as easily detached. It would be fine clipped inside my pocket where it can't fall very far and I can keep checking it's there. Or maybe unlike me you are sane and think the pen would be no bother to replace if lost considering the reasonable price they can be picked up for.

Of all the Zebra pens I've had the pleasure of using up until now I'd say the Sarasa is my favourite. It's maybe not the most attractive of the Zebras but it definitely delivers when it comes down to the important part - the writing. Not every one appreciates the wet inky look but I absolutely love it.

In a weird, selfish kind of way I'm pleased the Sarasa is average looking. I feel like it's let me in on a secret ...

"Pssst, over here, I may look like a boring old rollerball but wait till you see what I can do on paper.. don't tell anyone though, I don't want everyone fighting over me"

Stabilo Easy Original Rollerball + Extras

Being the pen addict that I am I like to keep my nose to the ground for any stationery related competitions that are occurring in the hope I might get lucky. There is always room for more stationery in my life and I struck gold with Stabilos #WinItWednesday twitter competition.
Both my friend and I won a Stabilo Easy Original Rollerball, a set of Be Wild highlighters, a highlighter in a tube and a set of Stabilo colouring pencils.

Before I review the pen I just want to quickly talk about the others as they have made quite an impression.

Stabilo colouring pencils

The colouring pencils are in a pack of 12 bright and cheerful colours and being thick pencils can cover quite a large area quickly. I had fun colouring in my random squiggles and my son who I think may be developing a mild stationery addiction of his own is now enjoying using them for his rap battle illustrations - Don't ask!

Stabilo Colouring

The highlighters are not just any old highlighters. They are funky, proud to have in your pencil case, ready to whip out and show off at every possible opportunity highlighters.

Be Wild

The Be Wild highlighters have a trendy animal print design which definitely stand out from the crowd. You would be forgiven for thinking the pink tube was paint. At first glance it's what both my son and I thought it was. I was obviously snoozing when these Neontastic babies were first revealed to mankind. Not to worry, they now have my full attention. The tube shaped highlighter is possibly a little awkward in terms of shape if you have limited pencil case space but for desk use - amazing. It stands up and is easy to spot and grab in seconds.

So now lets get to the pen, the Stabilo Easy Original right handed rollerball.

Stabilo Easy Original

The Stabilo is made of plastic with a smooth rubber grip and has a unique curved shape. If I were a child this would have probably been my favourite pen. It's bright, unique in style and the lid resembles a ducks head. What's not to like? My parents and teachers would have probably been driven crazy by me quacking loudly every time I removed the lid "Quack, my head, my head, Quack Quack". Just me then? Swiftly moving on ....

Stabilo Easy grip

Being a lefty I asked my right handed boyfriend to hold it so I could see the correct way to grip this pen and he looked at me as though I'd just asked him to find me some tartan paint. To start with he didn't believe such a pen existed. To him a pen is a pen and he saw absolutely no need for specific left or right handed pens.
I'm on the fence with this one but I ought to bear in mind that these pens are designed for young children just starting out and the positioning of the dips in the grip are there to guide the children into using the correct grip right from the start. This means that the extra time they would have spent learning the correct or most comfortable way to hold a pen can now be spent concentrating on the writing they are producing. The curved tail end of the pen should rest nicely against the side of the hand which helps with balance and weight distribution making it a comfortable pen to hold for long periods of time.
When I've looked at other pens which are used in schools, the Berol Handwriting pen for example, I liked the pen but the lack of a grip was an issue. So whether it's necessary to have specific left or right handed pens doesn't really matter, what matters is that these pens make learning to write easier and much more comfortable which can only be a good thing.

My son is now 11 and has gained plenty of experience with holding and using a pen but I was still interested to see what his thoughts were. They way he positions his fingers are slightly different to how the grip says the pen should be held so he found it a little strange to start with. He didn't like the shape of the pen or the way the dips in the grip were positioned and wasn't really prepared to give it much of a chance which was disappointing. He didn't like the look of the pen so I think he'd already taken a dislike to it before even trying it. Had he been 6 maybe the pen would have appealed to him more. When I pointed out that the lid looks like a ducks head I did see the ghost of a smile and he did have a quick peek before retreating back to his room so my baby boy is still in there somewhere.

Holding a Stabilo Easy

I actually liked the grip. As a left hander I had my first finger in the dip closest to the tip and my thumb on the smooth side of the grip so the curved end of the pen ended up facing the wrong way but it made no difference to my writing experience. A right handed person could hold it in exactly the same way if they didn't like where the dips were positioned. The distance between the grip and the tip of the pen suited me nicely and the pen although bulky in appearance felt light and comfortable to hold and use.

Stabilo Easy writing sample

The first thing I noticed when I started writing was the line width. For a medium is feels quite thick. I'm more of a fine line girl but my eyes soon adjusted and it didn't seem so bad after all. The only trouble with thicker lines is that my handwriting gets bigger without me even realising I'm doing it. With smaller handwriting the thick lines appear even thicker so subconsciously I'm probably trying to making my lines appear thinner. I doubt line thickness would make any difference to the children this pen is designed for. Children who are learning to write usually have larger handwriting when they first start out so a thicker line width is probably ideal for them.

I have been experiencing some skipping. When I join my letters up the pen writes beautifully but if I lift the pen from the paper, the first letter I write after can sometimes be a struggle. The ink just needs a second to start flowing smoothly again. It's nothing horrendous and doesn't spoil the appearance of my handwriting at all, it's just a minor irritation for me and not necessarily an issue with every Stabilo Easy.

Stabilo medium tip

The tip of the pen reminded me a little of the Berol Handwriting pen. It looks similar but that's where the similarities end. The Stabilo feels smoother and softer on paper. Every notebook I've written in with the pen has reacted favourably. The ink has been quick drying, there has been no feathering or bleeding though the page and it feels lovely. Almost spongy and absorbent, pen and paper melting into one another. I wouldn't have been surprised if one of my notebooks had snapped shut with the pen still inside so it could keep it all to itself.

The ink is erasable too but I didn't have an ink eraser so I was unable to test how well it erases. I would have quite liked the pen to have an eraser built in somewhere or provided with the pen as I'm sure it's a feature that children would appreciate but ink erasers can be picked up quite cheaply in  good stationery shops and perhaps I'm being a little greedy, especially considering the pen came with not one but three refills. 

Refillable Stabilo Easy

 I'm over the moon that this pen is refillable. This is a pen that a child will be using day in, day out so gone are the days of fighting around the pen pot for a pen that actually works. The pen unscrews at the end of the grip and the refill clicks into place. It's so easy.

Personalised Stabilo Easy

 Another great feature of this pen is the ability to personalise it. Stabilo have not only made sure with the three refills that you will get plenty of use out of it before having to spend any more money, they have also provided each pen with 3 name labels. When it gets worn out or damaged it can be replaced. Not only does this help prevent classroom squabbling over who's pen belongs to whom, it helps teach the children to look after their own belongings.

The pen doesn't have a clip but it's not something I think primary school children will be too bothered about. I did worry a little about the lid getting lost easily but I was surprised to find it does actually clip on quite snugly to the tail end of the pen should you wish to keep it safe. The lid is light and doesn't alter the balance of the pen when posted. The lid twists on and off easily. Stabilo have made this pen very easy to use so the name Stabilo Easy suits the pen perfectly.

If I had a child in Primary school I would definitely be speaking to the teacher to see if we could swap the Berol for the Stabilo. The Berol is still a great pen but the Stabilo in my opinion is better.