Since 1980, the Lamy Safari quickly outgrew it’s school children aims and anchored itself as a favorite of grown ups and collectors world wide. The sheer number of colors for the Safari is probably only approached by the Pentel Smash in recent times. However, despite owning quite a few of the ballpoints (with the Smash-like rubber button) and even rollerballs, I have to-date only purchased ONE Safari pencil, and it was the Vista or clear / demonstrator edition.
Although I prized the transparency and visual appeal, the Safari as a mechanical pencil had several shortcomings:
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The mushy feel of the button press. Somehow the force transmission from button to brass clutch resulted in a sensation that lacked crispness. I think it was the built-in plastic (ABS?) shock-absorber segment between the clutch and the reserve tube that is the culprit.
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The floppy button that held on to the rear flange by a pair of ‘cutout’ friction tabs. Swish the pencil in your hands and the button would jiggle merrily.
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The frustratingly un-ergonomic eraser stub. Sure, it had a cleaning pin but the stub sat so low in the rear well of the pencil that if you lost the eraser or had worn it down too far, your fingers couldn’t grip the stub at all to remove it for lead refilling. Bad!
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The overly stiff retractable tip. This was definitely not made to be a true slide pipe design. It took considerable effort to extend on your first click and it didn’t willingly slide back inside when the tip hit the paper.
So when Mitsubishi announced a revision to the Safari pencil by including a Kuru Toga engine inside, I was PUMPED. And now that it’s in my hands, here are my initial thoughts:
- The weight is very similar, only about 1g heavier than the original.
- Tip wobble is minimal even though the new Safari does not include the nib dampening found on the Kuru Toga KS / Metal / Wood models.
- Click feel is much better, although the tip does spring out and back a little.
- Miss the cleaning pin already.
- The solid color models are lacking visual contrast because of the new monotone scheme. This made me buy the boring black version just to swap out the cone and button with the yellow model.
- The Vista model looks fine as-is. I actually enjoy the extra visual detail through the cone and grip compared to the original.
In fact, on the original Vista pencil, the black cone has a pretty long internal section (about 1.5-2cm long) that obscures much of the clutch block. I had been so frustrated that I had cut off the extraneous segment and added a spring just for visual interest!
Next, I will try to take some pix comparing the old and new Vista models:
One thing that I really approve of is how Mitsubishi is bringing back a bit of order and sanity to the naming of the Safari / Vista lines.
Previously, Vista was listed as a separate product line when, quite obviously, they are direct derivatives of the Safari family. Now, Mitsubishi is calling this release ‘Safari KT Inside’ and also calling the clear demonstrator model ‘Vista’ as a colorway.
Just for fun, here are the ‘Vista’ models that I collected:
• Safari Twin Pen Demonstrator - I think this was released in 2005 as a limited edition for a collectors club. It was not an official Vista release. Interesting side note for those who have the solid color Twin Pen: there is actually a metal cap under the plastic cone for this demo version. I think it’s brilliant for hiding visible ink splotches but I don’t know if this is also done on the normal models.
• Vista L212 ballpoint - the mainstay of my Safari collection are the BPs because I enjoy the design of the button and the contrast of the main body with the accents. The seamline is a perennial problem, and it feels worse on some releases compared to others.
• Vista L112 mechanical pencil - if you look at the BP side by side you will notice how long the black cone extends into the grip section. I hated that visual obstruction and cut it down on mine. The mod does not affect structural integrity or tip stability. Instead I inserted a short spring into the gap for vanity.
• Safari KURUTOGA INSIDE Vista model - we are here.