As I mentioned right out of the gate in my written review, the Lamy AL-Star Aluminum Rollerball pen has been at or near the top of my shopping list for years. My hesitancy all this time has been nothing more than how much I thought I would use this pen in relation to the price. I don't mind spending money for a pen as long as I use it, and I think I will be using this Lamy AL-Star quite a bit.
If you are familiar with the Lamy Safari fountain pen then you will have a pretty good idea of how the AL-Star will feel in your hands. The only real obvious difference in the two is in the barrel construction - the Safari is a molded plastic while the AL-Star is aluminum. As with any Lamy pen, the build quality is phenomenal. Considering the styling and construction I would think this pen would cost at least twice as much as it does, which is a credit to Lamy.
From a writing perspective, the 0.7mm black rollerball refill is as good as any I have used in this category. The line is exceptionally smooth and doesn't feather, but since the ink is so bold there is a bit of show through on the back side of this Doane Paper. For my personal every day use I would like to try out an 0.5mm cartridge to see how the line compares.
I picked up this model on ebay for around $15 which is a complete steal. You can find them all over the internet in the $25-$30 range, and in a wide variety of great looking barrel colors. This pen is an excellent everyday writer and would make a great impression as a gift as well.
Click here for the XL review.
