(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
It’s been a while since I had inked up a Lamy, and Myke and the Bossman were talking about the Lamy Accent not too long ago and lightbulb! I have one of those! Let’s ink that up!
The Lamy Accent is a slim pen that comes in two finishes - Palladium and Black. Lamy Accent Palladium (sometimes referred to as aluminum) has a slightly matte metal finish and comes with the same steel nib that is used on the Safari/Al-Star/Nexx, most Studios, etc. The Lamy Accent Black (or Brilliant Black), on the other hand, has a high gloss barrel and cap and comes with a 14kt gold nib - this is the one that I will be reviewing today.
I bought the Lamy Accent second hand years ago and fell in love with not only its sleek design but more importantly, the gold nib. As I mentioned in my Lamy Studio review, Lamy’s non-L2K gold nibs feel nothing like their steel counterparts, nor do they feel like the L2K gold nib either. They are slightly softer and wetter writers, which also means you will have a broader line with their gold nib. These nibs can be purchased separately and greatly improves the writing experience of your favorite Lamy pen (except the Lamy 2000, which uses a differently shaped nib).
Writing sample with Kobe #70 Rokko Forest Blue on Clairefontaine Triomphe 90gsm.
Closeup of 14k Gold Medium (top) vs Steel Medium.
But I’m not really here to sing the praises of the Lamy gold nib. No, the Lamy Accent has a secret power that most pens do not. After unscrewing the nib from the section, all you need is a simple pull, swap and snap in a different accent piece (see what I did there?), and voilà, you’ve got yourself a new look! You can have a pen that has the sophisticated elegance of black with silver rings, or something a little warmer with a deep red wooden grip or any one of 7 different grips (sold separately)!
One pen, 3 different looks! L to R: Brilliant Black Rings, Dark Blue Linen (not really linen), Deep Red Wood.
Unscrewing the Accent is a different experience than with most pens. When you hold the grip section and twist the barrel, the section doesn’t separate from the barrel. What actually happens is that the nib assembly & converter come out together! You can then remove the nib/converter, pull out the accent piece and wham, bam, new grip, ma’am!
Unscrewing the pen actually “ejects” the nib/housing/converter out. There are red arrows marked on the top and bottom of the housing but they aren’t needed because it’s obvious which way to put the nib.
On the left is the grip and the right is the barrel. The grip only fits on the barrel in one way, so it’s pretty foolproof. The notches are where the nib housing fits into the pen. You don’t even have to put it in a notch first, just put the nib assembly back into the pen and start screwing the barrel and it will fall into place.
Lamy’s higher end pens (which also include the Dialog 3/CC, Logo, CP1 and Studio) require the use of the LZ26/27 converter which is different from the regular Z28. Aside from the absence of the Z28 “nubbins” that slide into the grip of the Safari, et al. as well as the metal (vs plastic) ring near the piston knob, the LZ 26/27 has a step down near the end of the converter which the Z28 does not.
Lamy’s LZ26/27 (left) has a metal ring, a step down, and no nubbins compared with the Z28 on the right.
One of the benefits of a slim pen is that the pen can fit into more pen loops, especially skinny ones. And the clip on the cap ensures that it won’t fall through. One caveat though, the cap only takes a mere quarter turn to uncap itself, so it is best to use this in pen holders that are more snug, otherwise you may end up with a lovely cap clipped to the pen holder with no pen in sight. This isn’t an issue for the two pen holders that I would be using it with (see below) because both hold onto the pen very securely.
Fits just fine in the PLOTTER pen holder (closed on the left.)
No problem for the Traveler’s Company pen holder either (view from the back of my TN.)
Here are some other pens, including some slim ones, to compare with the Lamy Accent:
Pilot Custom Heritage 92, Pilot/Namiki Grance, Pilot Metropolitan, Kaweco AL Sport, Lamy Al-Star, Lamy Accent, Lamy Studio, Lamy 2000, TWSBI Eco-T, Cross Townsend, Platinum Preppy, Sailor Pro Gear Slim, Waldmann Tuscany, Platinum 3776, Pilot Vanishing Point.
Pros:
- Ability to swap grip sections easily!
- Grip is slightly convex, which is very comfortable in hand.
- Ability to swap Safari/Al-Star/Studio/etc.-compatible nibs, including gold
- Only needs a quarter turn to cap/uncap
- Fits in the Traveler’s Company and PLOTTER pen holders!
Neutral
- Can be posted
- Threads at the nib end requires one’s grip to be further back (This would usually be more of a Con for me because I like to hold my pens close to the nib, but it isn’t an issue with this pen)
- If you want to use a converter, you have to use the Lamy LZ26 or LZ27 converter, which is NOT the one that works with Safari, etc.
Cons:
- It is a fairly slim pen
- Slightly backweighted when posting (solution, don’t post, lol)
The Lamy Accent in Palladium retails around $109 while the shiny Black is around $249, though it did take some searching to find US vendors who still sell the Lamy Accent fountain pen. New and used prices vary widely on the secondary market, so shop around. I bought my additional grip sections from Appelboom. If you like the Lamy nibs and want a slimmer option for pen loops or just like the thought of being able to change up the look of your pen, the Lamy Accent is a great way to go.
(Disclaimer: All pens/products were purchased by me with no compensation for inclusion in this review.)
